In the news today: Bouncy castle safety, Canada-U.S. trade, Exiled journalists

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Young child’s death in Montreal highlights dangers of inflatable play structures

The death of a three-year-old girl from a bouncy castle, tossed into the air by strong winds in Montreal over the weekend, is drawing attention to the safety of the inflatable play structures.

Eleven people were injured when a bouncy castle and a tent were lifted by the wind at a park in the LaSalle borough during a party held by a local church.

Cathy Denis, the owner of an inflatable-structure rental company in Quebec, says she doesn’t install or operate bouncy castles or similar inflatables when forecasts call for wind speeds exceeding 38 kilometres per hour.

Environment Canada says wind speeds were up to 50 km per hour.

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Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette speak during a press conference on the roof of the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Geraldine Malone

Canada sends letter to U.S., Mexico calling for renewal of trade agreement

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he had a positive meeting with his American counterpart in Washington on Tuesday, a day after sending a letter to the U.S. and Mexico recommending the three countries renew their continental trade pact.

LeBlanc said he presented specific proposals to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and talked about long-standing issues Americans have raised about Canada. 

The letter to Greer and Mexico’s secretary of economy, Marcelo Ebrard, is a requirement of the mandatory review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known in Canada as CUSMA. 

LeBlanc and Ebrard are both pushing for a 16-year renewal of the trade agreement, but Greer has only said publicly he’d be open to two separate bilateral agreements.

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The Three Watchmen statue is seen near Parliament Hill Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Indigenous participation, engagement key to economic growth in Canada, report says

A new report says boosting economic relations with Indigenous partners and incorporating their world views in business decision-making can help position Canada for a more resilient economic future.

The report published Wednesday by Deloitte’s Future of Canada Centre explores how sovereign Indigenous economic partnerships are among Canada’s most underleveraged growth opportunities.

Deloitte Canada’s Dean Janvier says that as Canada grapples with economic challenges, including Indigenous peoples in new projects will be a net benefit.

He says Indigenous communities are already playing a prominent role in natural resource-based sectors, ranging from fishing to forestry, mining, and oil and gas.

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A doctor wears a lab coat and stethoscope in an exam room on Friday, July 14, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Canadian pancreatic cancer specialist expects to open clinical trials on pill that could double survival time

The head of pancreatic cancer at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre says she hopes clinical trials for a pill that could double survival time will soon be open to Canadian patients.   

Medical oncologist Dr. Jennifer Knox independently reviewed a U.S.-led study of the experimental drug daraxonrasib and calls the results “amazing.”

The randomized Phase 3 clinical trial of 500 pancreatic cancer patients found those who took the daily pill survived for more than a year compared to just over six months for patients who had chemotherapy alone. 

Knox says she plans to open clinical trials so as many patients as possible with pancreatic cancer can get the experimental drug without waiting for it to be licensed. 

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Ecuadorean journalist Andersson Boscan is photographed at his home in Oakville, Ont., on Thursday, May, 28, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

These exiled journalists are covering their home countries without fear — from Canada

As media freedom declines globally, it appears a growing community of exiled journalists are choosing Canada as a home and hub to hold those in power in their home countries accountable. 

Andersson Boscan says he and his wife have been able to continue reporting on political corruption and organized crime in their native Ecuador from the Toronto suburb of Oakville after learning of a potential plot to assassinate them.

Zahra Nader, who runs a publication called Zan Times in Edmonton, covers women’s issues in her home country of Afghanistan, and says she feels safe and free working from Canada.

Advocates say while Canada has welcomed journalists fleeing persecution, several factors could be making the country more appealing, including the GTA’s ethnic diversity and rising hostility toward media and immigrants in the U.S.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2026.

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