Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.
Five things you need to know
A new poll from Leger has suggested that a strong majority of Albertans are opposed to the province separating from Canada. The survey found that 73 per cent of respondents want to stay with Canada, while 15 per cent want the province to become an independent country. A majority (57 per cent), however, consider the separation movement to be "very or somewhat serious."
Alberta - Independence Polling:
— Polling Canada (@CanadianPolling) June 5, 2026
🔴 Remain: 73%
🔵 Independent: 15%
🟠Join The US: 6%
Leger / June 1, 2026
In more Alberta news, Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi has threatened to go "out on the highways" if a separation referendum goes ahead in October. He said Danielle Smith's government is "lawless" because it has pledged to hold a referendum on a binding separation vote later this year, something it did without his consent. He added: "There can be no decisions about Alberta separating without consultation and consent of our First Nations."
Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi said First Nations have not given consent and will stop the referendum in any way they can, including getting in the way of industry, or, in his words, "getting out on the highway."#yeg https://t.co/iPPqZtimTD
— Global Edmonton (@GlobalEdmonton) June 4, 2026
A US investment giant has said new demand for electricity from artificial intelligence and data centres is creating a "renaissance" for natural gas in North America. KKR & Co. partner Brandon Freiman said investing in power generation has "become one of the clearer ways to express an AI bet on infrastructure" since it allows investors to bet on the AI market as a whole rather than individual companies involved in the technology. Long-term, Freiman predicted there will also be "a nuclear renaissance at some point."
A surge in electricity demand from AI and data centers is reshaping North America’s power markets, creating a “renaissance” for natural gas after decades of limited new development, according to KKR partner Brandon Freiman. https://t.co/5xZkI7IVfB
— Bloomberg (@business) June 4, 2026
In Canada, meanwhile, increasing energy prices are leading more and more Canadians to turn off their heating or make other trade-offs between spending on energy and other household essentials. A new poll from Abacus Data found that 43 per cent of Canadians have cut back on heating or cooling their homes to save money, while 38 per cent said they have been forced to choose between paying energy bills and covering other household expenses.
72% of Canadians say their utility costs have increased over the past year.
— Abacus Data (@abacusdataca) June 5, 2026
New research we conducted for the Canada Green Building Council finds energy costs are becoming a key part of the affordability challenge, and most Canadians support action to make energy-efficient…
The federal government, meanwhile, is planning to hold off on plans to get major projects – including much-needed energy generation facilities – approved faster. The Liberals had previously proposed exempting certain projects from some environmental red tape, as well as taking responsibility for the likes of new energy projects away from the Impact Assessment Agency and giving it to the Canada Energy Regulator instead. Left-wing environmental activists such as Green Party Leader Elizabeth May had reacted furiously to those changes, however, and now the Liberals have agreed to extend a consultation period on the matter before introducing legislation in the fall, after MPs have enjoyed their multi-month summer holiday.
Ottawa pumps the brakes on proposed changes to major project environmental reviews https://t.co/tsChNEAIEr
— CTV News (@CTVNews) June 4, 2026
