Canada’s economy took a step backward in January as the country recorded a net loss of about 25,000 jobs, according to the latest Labour Force Survey released by Statistics Canada. The decline marks the first monthly drop in employment since late summer and signals renewed pressure in key sectors tied to trade and construction. The manufacturing and construction industries experienced the sharpest losses, with economists pointing to ongoing trade uncertainty and U.S. tariff pressures as contributing factors. Private-sector employment and part-time work were particularly affected, while women

Federal transportation investigators are heading to central Alberta to examine a Canadian National Railway derailment that sent dozens of rail cars off the tracks west of Edmonton. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada confirmed it is deploying a team after 37 loaded train cars derailed Thursday near the hamlet of Wildwood, roughly 110 kilometres west of the provincial capital. The site is along a CN main line that carries a mix of freight through rural communities in the region. CN spokesperson Ashley Michnowski said preliminary information indicates the cars were loaded, but the company

A youth hockey team from Airdrie is paying tribute to three junior players who died in a highway collision in southern Alberta by wearing and sharing memorial stickers during an upcoming tournament. The under-13 AA Airdrie Lightning team will place the stickers on their helmets and hand them out to opposing teams while competing in Regina this week. The stickers feature the jersey numbers of the players and the logo of the Southern Alberta Mustangs, the junior team the victims played for. The initiative was organized by a Lightning parent who ordered close to 100 stickers with the goal of keep

A powerful explosion tore through a mosque in Pakistan’s capital during Friday prayers, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 160 others, according to local authorities. The blast occurred inside a Shia mosque in the Taralai area of Islamabad, a residential district on the city’s outskirts. Worshippers were gathered for weekly prayers when the explosion went off, causing widespread panic and structural damage inside the mosque. Emergency services rushed the injured to nearby hospitals, where authorities declared medical emergencies to handle the influx of casualties. Police and

A federal safety investigation into a deadly helicopter crash in central Alberta is advising pilots to carefully weigh the risks of practising emergency manoeuvres while carrying passengers. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says the July 2025 crash involved a privately operated Bell Textron 206L-4 LongRanger that made a hard landing west of Red Deer during a training flight. The pilot and one passenger were on board when the aircraft went down. According to the report released Thursday, the pilot was practising autorotation, an emergency procedure used when a helicopter loses engine p

Two Alberta-based francophone organizations are pushing back against calls to loosen bilingualism requirements for Supreme Court of Canada judges, warning that language rights should not become a political bargaining tool. The Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Alberta and the Alberta chapter of the French Canadian Association say bilingualism at the country’s highest court is essential to ensure francophones can fully access the justice system in one of Canada’s two official languages. They argue the requirement reflects constitutional principles rather than regiona

Two men are facing criminal charges after Vancouver Police say a loss prevention officer was assaulted during an attempted retail theft in East Vancouver earlier this week. Police were called shortly before 8:40 a.m. on February 2 to a store near Glen Drive and Terminal Avenue, where officers say two suspects used bear spray on an employee while trying to flee on foot with unpaid merchandise. The victim did not require hospital treatment, according to police. An extensive search of the surrounding area followed, involving patrol officers, a police drone, and a canine unit. The suspects were lo

A Calgary man who travelled to the Middle East and joined the Islamic State terrorist organization has been sentenced to 16 years in prison, with parole eligibility only after serving at least half of the sentence. A judge handed down the sentence to Jamal Borhot following his conviction in December on three counts related to participating in the activities of a terrorist group. The court heard that Borhot left Canada in 2013 and travelled to Syria with a cousin, where he knowingly and willingly aligned himself with ISIS. Evidence presented at trial showed the 35-year-old took part in violent

Homicide investigators in Abbotsford say a 26-year-old man is now charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of a 30-year-old woman whose body was discovered inside a local hotel last month. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says Sondeep Singh Gill was initially charged with second-degree murder, but the charge was upgraded following additional investigative work and a review of the evidence. Gill also faces a separate charge of indignity to human remains. Police were first called to the hotel after patrol officers received reports of suspicious circumstances. Inves