Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.
Five things you need to know
David Eby has asserted that it "looks like" OpenAI – the maker of ChatGPT – could have prevented the Tumbler Ridge massacre, adding that he is "angry about that." The BC premier's remarks come after it was revealed by journalists in the United States that a ChatGPT account belonging to the alleged murderer, Jesse Van Rootselaar, had been banned by OpenAI, but the company chose not to inform the RCMP. Federal AI Minister Evan Solomon said on Monday he had "summoned" representatives from the firm to Ottawa to explain their actions, adding that "all options are on the table" when asked about potential new regulations. Meanwhile Gavin Dew, the BC opposition's AI critic, said: "There is a really important policy conversation that has to be had around how we can balance individual freedom, open information, personal privacy, with the need to make sure that we prevent tragedies like this from happening ever again."
Eby says it looks like OpenAI could have prevented ‘horrific’ Tumbler Ridge killings https://t.co/lvobRQbXEK
— CTV National News (@CTVNationalNews) February 24, 2026
A former BC school trustee who was fined $750,000 by the BC Human Rights Tribunal over statements he made about transgenderism is planning to appeal the ruling, according to his lawyer. James Kitchen said his client, Barry Neufeld, intends to seek a judicial review of the decision at the BC Supreme Court. Kitchen said: “Our position from the get-go was that none of these posts are discriminatory or hateful and so we’ll get to the BC Supreme Court and we’re going to argue pretty much the same thing."
Ex-B.C. school trustee to fight $750,000 penalty for ‘insidious’ anti-SOGI campaign https://t.co/MQcsNfUaqL
— CP24 (@CP24) February 24, 2026
Tensions with the US have helped give a small boost to Canadians' trust in institutions, according to a new poll, though that trust remains low. The CanTrust Index, which is published yearly, found that four in 10 respondents to the survey had trust in governments, up from 36 per cent in 2025. According to the poll, the military was Canada's most trusted institution in 2026, winning the approval of 61 per cent of respondents; the immigrations system was lowest, backed by just 33 per cent.
There's set to be a rally against the Liberal government's gun ban and compensation scheme in Quebec City on Saturday. The Liberal Party chose to ban a wide variety of guns in the aftermath of the Nova Scotia shootings in 2020, during which a man used already-illegal firearms to murder 22 people. Commenting on the rally this weekend, the National Firearms Association said: "Quebec is central to what happens next. Participation here will shape the future of this program nationwide. That is why numbers matter. Presence matters. Visibility matters."
Rally against federal gun prohibitions, buyback planned for Saturday in Quebec City https://t.co/sx88AKxIfP
— insauga (@insauga) February 24, 2026
The head of Canada's military has praised the Liberal government's plan to attract foreigners to join the forces, saying the measure would help put "a spotlight" on the need for certain specialists. Gen. Jenni Carignan pointed out that the military needs pilots and navy technicians.
The head of Canadian Armed Forces says a policy aimed at attracting specialized foreign military members is getting a boost as the military scrambles to fill jobs https://t.co/vbfxwaHjHn
— CityNews Calgary (@citynewscalgary) February 24, 2026
