Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press

Top economic officials from the G7 were locked in a full day of closed-door discussions Wednesday to examine pressing topics, including the global economy and the war in Ukraine. 

The meeting between the group's finance ministers and central bank governors in Banff, Alta., is a prelude to the G7 leaders summit in June in nearby Kananaskis. 

It comes in the wake of the U.S. imposing global tariffs that have resulted in many countries reconsidering their trading relationships. 

High-ranking officials from the world's top economies are in Banff, Alta., this week for a three-day summit that will cover topics including the global economy, the war in Ukraine and artificial intelligence.

The meeting comes during a period of heightened instability as U.S. President Donald Trump continues his tariff-driven effort to bring industry to American soil, leading many countries to reconsider their trade relationships with the United States and other trading partners.

As separatist discontent bubbles up anew in Alberta, experts say a vote to sever ties with Canada would pitch the country into unexplored territory on everything from money to First Nations and national parks.

“You’re in terra incognita. You’re off the map when we get to that stage of the proceedings,” said law professor Eric Adams.

“A lot of things are going to be broken on the way out the door.”

Crime rates in rural communities are consistently higher than in urban centres, suggests new data presented in a Statistics Canada report -- a long-term trend one criminologist says is unsurprising.

The report, published Tuesday, found the rate of police-reported crime in rural Canadian communities was 34 per cent higher than the urban rate. That disparity was especially pronounced across the Prairies and in rural British Columbia.