5 things to know for Monday, June 19, 2023

Voters prepare to cast their ballot in four federal byelections, city councillors discuss a public memorial following the Trans-Canada Highway crash in Manitoba, and a deadly weekend of mass shootings in the U.S.

Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

1. Federal byelections: Four new MPs are set to be elected to the House of Commons in a handful of byelections that political watchers say could expose rifts within the Conservative party and bring a new Liberal cabinet hopeful into the fold.

2. Manitoba crash memorial: City councillors in Dauphin, Man. will discuss whether a public memorial will be held for the victims of the Trans-Canada Highway crash on Thursday. Premier Heather Stefanson, and Manitoba RCMP’s Supt. Rob Lasson will also be speaking to the public.

3. Government spending: While most fiscal experts agree that government spending can fuel inflation, economic research suggests the link between the two is more complex.

4. Deadly weekend in the U.S.: At least six people, including a Pennsylvania state trooper, were killed and dozens injured in a string of weekend violence and mass shootings across the U.S.

5. Canada-China relations: Canada’s ambassador to China insists the two countries are not adversaries, despite mounting examples of tense relations and allegations of foreign interference stacking up in recent months.

One more thing…

Here’s how wildfires are starting: experts answer your questions

Handlers pull the Smokey Bear balloon down Sixth Avenue. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon) Lightening striking above the treeline (Tanya Gorelova/Pexels) The Donnie Creek wildfire burns(THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-BC Wildfire Service)