After a surprise stopover in Edmonton, Alta., yesterday afternoon to deliver an in-person, on camera welcome to the latest addition to his party’s caucus, Matt Jeneroux — who, as iPolitics reported yesterday, is the third now former Conservative MP to cross the floor since last fall, putting the minority Liberal government one vote closer to controlling a working majority in the chamber — Prime Minister Mark Carney will be spending another day on the West Coast hustings.

First up, as per his itinerary: A morning visit to Surrey, B.C., to “meet with local law enforcement,” who, as Canadian Press explains, are dealing with what Surrey Police Services chief Norm Lipinski describes as an “unprecedented extortion crisis” while simultaneously proceeding with the pre-planned takeover of local policing services from the RCMP. (9 a.m. PT)

“Lipinski says he asked four a four-month delay of the transition, in part due to staffing concerns .. but was instead told by (the B.C. government) that the service would assume responsibility for all of Cloverdale on April 1,” the wire service notes.

The closed-door meeting is set to take place shortly after Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is expected to unveil new measures “to combat rising occurrences of extortion” across Canada during a morning event in Mississauga, where, as per the advisory, he’ll be joined by a full contingent of Greater Toronto Area front benchers, including International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, Women and Gender Equality Minister Rechie Valdez and Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali, as well as Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish, Peel Regional Police deputy chief Nick Milinovich and Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre CEO Sarah Paquet. (9 a.m.)

Later this morning, the prime minister will head to Burnaby to “cheer on Team Canada’s women’s Olympic hockey team during the gold medal game,” according to his office. (11 a.m. PT)

As iPolitics reported last night, Jeneroux’s abrupt exit from the Conservative caucus has left the Official Opposition “reeling,” and is “raising renewed questions about Pierre Poilievre’s control of caucus and his grip on the leadership,” with one unnamed Conservative MP predicting that it could “drop further if the Liberals are able to cobble together enough floor-crossers to push them across the 172-seat majority threshold.”

Also on the B.C. radar: The five New Democrat hopefuls angling to lead the party into the next federal election are set to face off for the second — and, at least as far as party-organized debates, final — time before the virtual polls open next month.

The two-hour event — which, according to the advisory, will take place at the Anvil Centre Theatre in New Westminster, B.C. — will be moderated by former CBC News journalist and anchor Hannah Thibideau, who is now a senior communications officer with Global Public Affairs, with the back-and-forth “primarily in English” with a “dedicated French segment,” according to the latest party invite. (5 p.m. PT)

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Sean Fraser drops by the Dartmouth, N.S. headquarters of Sensor Technology Ltd. to share the details of a new “investment” that will “support the growth and integration of Atlantic Canadian small and medium-sized businesses into domestic and international defence supply chains,” which, as the notice points out, “follows the launch of Canada’s first Defence Industrial Strategy” earlier this week. (9:30 a.m. AT)

A similar announcement is on track to take place in Edmonton, Alta., courtesy of Emergency Preparedness Minister Eleanor Olszewski, who will outline fresh federal support to “enhance and strengthen Canada’s defence sector capabilities while creating high-quality jobs and economic growth” throughout the region during a visit to Logican Technologies Inc., with Zero Point Cryogenics COO Chris Cassin also expected to be in attendance.  (9 a.m. MT)

Elsewhere on the ministerial circuit:

• In addition to his morning appearance alongside Champagne and other cabinet colleagues, Ali will “highlight” his government’s “recent investments to support the Canadian kosher and halal beef industry” during an afternoon stop at Iqbal Foods in Brampton, Ont. (2:30 p.m.)
• Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty will announce fresh federal funding to “support and empower Inuit communities across Inuit Nunangat” at the quarterly meeting of the Regional Council of the Kativik Regional Government in Kuujjuaq, Que. (1:30 p.m.)
• Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand teams up with Yukon Liberal MP Brendan Hanley to promote new federal funding to “support housing construction” throughout the territory. (10 a.m. YST)

Rounding out the roster, Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson holds a “virtual media availability” from Paris, where he’s making the rounds at the International Energy Agency ministerial meet-up. (7:45 p.m. CET)

IN THE CHAMBER

Regular parliamentary proceedings will resume on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.

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