If it feels like there is a LOT happening in the news right now…there is.
Over the past week alone, Canadians have been watching some pretty extraordinary developments:
🇨🇦 The federal government introduced its Building Canada Strong Act, sweeping legislation aimed at speeding up major projects, infrastructure and resource development while changing federal review and regulatory processes. The government says it will help Canada become more economically independent and resilient; questions remain about how the changes will affect environmental review, Indigenous rights, workers and federal-provincial relationships.
🇺🇸 Donald Trump told the United Nations that Iran could face devastating consequences if it does not reach a deal with the United States, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already volatile international situation.
🇬🇱 The Arctic is becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation about sovereignty and security. The U.S., Denmark and Greenland signed a new security agreement this week that will expand American military infrastructure in Greenland. For Canadians, that raises questions about the changing strategic importance of the Arctic and Canada’s own ability to protect and define its interests in the North.
🇪🇺 Canada is looking more closely at Europe. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been in Europe pursuing a deeper Canada-EU relationship, including cooperation on trade, defence, energy, critical minerals and technology. The EU has also floated the idea of Canada becoming its first ‘associate member,’ although exactly what that would mean remains undefined.
🇨🇦 B.C. is heading into an early provincial election. Premier David Eby called the election for October 24, less than two years into the government’s mandate, citing the changing economic and geopolitical environment. At the same time, the B.C. Conservative Party has experienced a remarkable period of internal upheaval, including the resignation of its leader and numerous caucus departures and returns.
🕯️ A shooting outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, during Yom Kippur has put antisemitism, religious freedom and community safety back into the national conversation. A police officer was seriously wounded and the incident remains under investigation.
And underneath all of these stories are some very big questions:
What does Canadian sovereignty actually mean?
How independent can Canada be in an increasingly uncertain world?
How should governments balance economic growth, environmental protection, Indigenous rights and national security?
What happens when political parties themselves become divided?
How do we protect democratic institutions when political disagreement becomes increasingly intense?
And what does any of this have to do with you?
That’s exactly why we created Canada at a Crossroads.
Our free, five-part inquiry series takes the big issues facing Canada and asks students to look beyond the headlines to understand the competing interests, examine evidence, consider different perspectives and, most importantly, ask better questions.
And because the real world doesn’t fit neatly into one subject, Canada at a Crossroads connects across all five Nature Labs courses:
🔬 Science — evidence, systems, biodiversity, resources and the changing world around us
🌎 Social Studies — democracy, government, sovereignty, economics, citizenship and competing interests
📖 English — media literacy, argument, perspective, research, rhetoric and how the stories we tell shape how we understand the world
🎨 Art — how artists interpret social change, identity, conflict and the world around them
💼 Careers — the economy, changing industries, technology, skills and the choices that will shape the future students are entering
This isn’t about telling students what to think.
It’s about giving them the tools to figure out what they think and why.
Because these aren’t distant issues happening somewhere else.
They’re shaping the Canada today’s students will inherit.
👉 Explore the free Canada at a Crossroads series at NatureLabs.ca and bring the week’s biggest questions into your classroom.
The news is happening. Let’s help students understand it.