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Justice Sheilah Martin says she will retire from the Supreme Court of Canada effective May 30, one day shy of her 70th birthday.

Martin said in a media statement Tuesday she was deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve Canadians on the high court, which she called an honour and a highlight of her professional life.

“I am forever thankful for the precious opportunity it provided to better understand the richness and diversity of the people in our country and the laws and institutions that allow us to live together with respect, dignity and equality,” she said in the statement issued by the court.

Martin said she has taken seriously the need for a strong and independent judiciary to address issues of national importance, safeguard the Constitution and promote the rule of law.

“Over the years, I was always happy to take part in the court’s many outreach initiatives and to participate in a broad array of educational endeavours,” she said.

The Canadian Press reports.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday his meeting with Coastal First Nations in Prince Rupert, B.C. is about “dialogue” and exploring how First Nations can partner with the federal government to build the economy.

Speaking just before entering the meeting with the advocacy group that works to protect the B.C. coastline and the Great Bear Rainforest, Carney said there’s a “huge responsibility” to protect the environment.

“So how do we work together to preserve that, to enhance it while we’re looking for opportunities for development?” he said.

“Today is not a day for big announcements. It is a day, as I said, for dialogue, for listening and working.”

Carney is being joined at Tuesday’s meeting by a handful of ministers, including Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson and Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty is not in attendance.

Tensions between the federal government and Coastal First Nations heated up in the fall when federal officials failed to meet with the group before signing an agreement with Alberta opening the door to a pipeline to B.C.’s coast.

CP has more.

Keeping with the PM, Carney leaves Tuesday for a nine-day trip that will see him circle the globe to drum up investment and trade in three places that have attracted the scrutiny of voters.

His visit to Beijing — the first trip to China by a sitting prime minister in more than eight years — will be followed by a stop in Qatar and a visit to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

University of British Columbia political scientist Stewart Prest said by visiting these destinations, Carney risks being seen as a member of a global elite making deals with countries that have troubling human rights records.

“I don’t think there’s any way to fully manage for any potential outcome, because you are making choices that are going to win you plaudits in some quarters and lead to frustration in others,” said Prest, whose research touches on international relations.

Prest said the federal government is “counting above all on that sense that times are different now.”

CP has more.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants Congress to codify his plan to ban institutional investors like Blackrock from purchasing single-family homes as part of a push to restore affordability to the housing market.

Canada’s housing market is generally more expensive than the U.S. and ranks as one of the least affordable in the G7 when comparing income-to-price ratios.

Would a similar ban in Canada make sense?

The federal NDP says it could help, but would need to focus on rental housing, blaming corporations and real-estate investment trusts (REITs) for purchasing low-cost units, evicting tenants for renovations and then jacking up rents.

NDP housing critic Jenny Kwan said Canada should impose a moratorium on corporations purchasing new properties or at the very least, limit how many units they can own.

“Financialization of housing is happening here in Canada,” Kwan told iPolitics last week, noting that Canada lost over 200,000 affordable housing units between 2016 and 2021.

“[Investors are] using housing as a commodity instead of a necessity.”

Marco Vigliotti has more in this explainer.

In Other Headlines

Internationally

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he’s cutting off the prospect of talks with Iranian officials amid a protest crackdown, telling Iranian citizens “help is on its way.”

Trump did not offer any details about what the help would entail, but it comes after the Republican president just days ago said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic, where the death toll from nationwide protests has spiked to more than 2,000, according to human rights monitors.

But Trump, with his latest message on social media, appeared to make an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government.

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote in a morning post on Truth Social, which he later amplified during a speech at an auto factory in Michigan. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

AP reports.

In Other International Headlines

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The Kicker

Is it happening?

The CEO of a planned high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City says construction on that leg of the line is expected to begin by 2032.

Following a speech in Montreal on Tuesday, Martin Imbleau told reporters the line connecting the two provincial capitals will “probably” start to be built two years after shovels hit the ground on an earlier segment.

CP has more.

Have a great day. We’ll see you tomorrow.