The Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police says it believes, based on research it commissioned, that it would be "incredibly premature" to think about decriminalizing drugs.Instead, it says there must be a systemic and ordered approach in place that prioritizes community safety before such a strategy can be considered.A paper, commissioned by the association and released at a recovery conference in Calgary, says problematic use of substances is a complex social issue that needs more than one solution.The research, led by the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance, says the idea of decriminalizin

The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces confirm that they are aware of recent efforts by China to conduct surveillance operations in Canadian airspace and waters.Spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said in a statement that the armed forces have tracked and stopped attempts to surveil Canadian territory since 2022 under Operation LIMPID.He said that to ensure the integrity of military operations, further information cannot be provided.Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in an interview on CNN Wednesday morning that China is an increasingly disruptive power.She said Cana

The federal government is reviving an independent commission to offer advice to cabinet on reforming Canadian laws, and has announced its picks for key roles.McGill University law professor Shauna Van Praagh will begin a five-year term as president of the Law Commission of Canada in June, and two other commissioners have been appointed to four-year terms.The Liberals' 2021 federal budget said the government would spend $18 million over five years and $4 million in ongoing annual funding on a renewed Law Commission of Canada.The government says the commission will support efforts to create an i

Local governments and First Nations in British Columbia are getting more support to prepare for the risk of natural disasters related to climate change.The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness says it will add $180 million to support projects that help communitiesprepare for and mitigate the effects of natural disasters.The ministry says the government's Community Emergency Preparedness Fund has previously supported projects that include a dike in Merritt, public cooling infrastructure in Victoria and tsunami evacuation planning in Tofino.It says it will also now provide a on

A parliamentary committee is set to decide whether or not it will expand its current study on foreign election interference to include more details about the 2021 federal election.The meeting today is in response to a report last week from the Globe and Mail newspaper that said China worked in the last federal election to defeat Conservative politicians considered unfriendly to Beijing and to help ensure a Liberal minority government.The House of Commons procedure and House affairs committee will meet later today to discuss the report, which cited classified records from Canada's spy agency.Pr

Quebec's premier is making a pitch to English Canada for the closure of an irregular border crossing used by asylum seekers and for would-be refugees to be transferred outside his province.The Globe and Mail today published an English-language letter by François Legault in which he says the sooner the federal government closes Roxham Road, the better.The message is similar to one Legault wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday, but the Globe's letter plays down concerns about the French language and the costs of caring for asylum seekers.Legault's letter to English Canada instead foc

The federal Liberal government has yet to respond to a months-old invitation from Tokyo to have Canada rejoin a global environmental organization that regulates the timber trade.A July 2022 briefing note obtained through an access-to-information request shows that Japan has asked Ottawa to be part of the International Tropical Timber Organization.The group works with producer and consumer countries to share knowledge about conservation practices and to promote the sale of sustainable timber.The organization currently includes 37 exporters of timber and 38 countries that import it, including al

New research using advanced technology suggests heavy oil facilities in Alberta and Saskatchewan are releasing almost four times the amount of a powerful greenhouse gas than they report to government.The research, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, pioneers new methods of measuring methane emissions that question current industry practice, said author Matthew Johnson, an engineering professor at Carleton University in Ottawa."A lot of these (reports) are done on estimates," said Johnson. "Clearly, they're not very accurate."Methane is a gas emitted as a byproduct of

Ukraine wants Canada to lend its expertise and donate crucial railway parts to keep its embattled passenger and cargo rail system running as landmines and missile strikes threaten to stall the country's lifeline.The rail system is vital to the war effort, and has been since the first days of the invasion that began one year ago this week.Millions of people used trains to escape occupied cities and flee to neighbouring countries.Thousands of wounded soldiers and civilians were also transported by rail to hospitals in safer parts of the country.The railway is also how Ukraine moves aid and soldi