Canada has quietly ended a special policy that allowed certain refugees to sponsor family members whose names were not included in their original immigration applications. Under the temporary policy, some refugees and permanent residents were able to sponsor spouses or children who had not been declared in their initial applications. The policy, introduced about seven years ago, expired on Thursday following a decision by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab. Under current Canadian immigration rules, permanent residents generally cannot sponsor family members who were not declared during the

British Columbia’s anti-gang police task force has seized a significant amount of weapons, drugs and cash during a major operation in the Fort St. John community. According to Sergeant Sarbjit Kaur Sangha of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, officers were deployed to the area at the request of local police between August 21 and September 5. During the operation, several arrests were made in connection with ongoing gang conflicts and illegal drug trafficking in the area. Police seized cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, along with seven firearms, including handguns, rifles and

Calgary police have laid extortion charges against 23-year-old Kanurit Kaur, 21-year-old Tanveer Singh and a 17-year-old youth in connection with an extortion investigation. Police are searching for Singh, who is wanted on a warrant for possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. According to police, on March 25 at around 4:30 p.m., a woman received a demand for money through WhatsApp from an unknown number. The suspects appeared to have detailed information about the victim’s personal and business affairs. The caller repeatedly attempted to contact the victim and made explicit thr

Canada and the United States remain in contact despite the breakdown in formal trade talks, Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc has confirmed. Speaking to reporters in Banff, Alberta, LeBlanc said that while Canada is not currently engaged in formal trade negotiations with Washington, communication between the two countries continues. LeBlanc said he does not have any meetings scheduled in Washington at the moment, but has spoken several times by phone with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He reiterated that Canada is ready to return to the ne

More than 19,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Edmonton Oilers to reverse their decision to sign Alex Formenton. The petition was started by longtime Oilers superfan Mary Loewen, known as “Mama Stanley,” who said she would no longer support the team while Formenton remains on the roster. The Oilers signed Formenton to a one-year, US$850,000 contract on Wednesday. He was one of five former Canadian world junior players acquitted last year of sexual assault charges stemming from an encounter with a woman following a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont. The petition

A disturbing incident has been reported at Redwood Park in South Surrey, where a man was caught on camera chasing another man with a knife. The incident happened around 5 p.m. Wednesday. According to police, the suspect first rammed his Jeep Wrangler into the victim’s Ford pickup truck. He then climbed onto the roof of the truck while holding a knife. When the victim ran away, the suspect chased him with the weapon in his hand. A Tesla driver who had arrived at the park for a photoshoot recorded the entire incident and helped the fleeing victim by taking him into the vehicle and keeping him

The Vancouver Police Department has officially opened its new training centre at the Woodward’s building in the Downtown Eastside, marking a new chapter in its history. It is the first time since 1978 that the Vancouver Police Department has had its own dedicated training centre for new recruits. The new academy spans about 30,000 square feet across three floors at the former London Drugs location. The first group of 40 new police recruits began their training at the academy this week. They are expected to complete their training in June 2027 before being deployed with the Vancouver Police D

The Israeli military on Friday claimed that a senior Hamas commander was killed in an airstrike in Gaza carried out on Thursday. Hamas’ armed wing also confirmed the death of Mohammed Abdul Salam al-Yazouri, saying he was killed in Thursday’s airstrike and had played a key role in planning the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. According to the Israeli military, two other Hamas commanders were also killed in the strike targeting Yazouri. Israel has continued carrying out airstrikes across Gaza. While Hamas confirmed Yazouri’s death, it did not immediately provide further comment on the

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his longtime chief of staff, Katie Telford, are stepping into the entertainment industry after leaving politics. The duo announced the launch of their new media and production company, Hope & Hard Work, on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival. The company’s name is inspired by the slogan associated with Trudeau’s successful 2015 election campaign, which helped the Liberal Party move from third-party status to government, where it remained in power for nearly a decade. Several projects are already in development unde