Small and medium-sized businesses in Montreal will receive $50 million in support from the provincial and federal governments as they emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. The aid was confirmed Monday by federal Economic Development Minister Melanie Joly, provincial Economy and Innovation Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon and Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante. The money, which is mainly aimed at downtown businesses, will be distributed in the form of low-interest loans of up to $40,000 as well as grants. Some $30 million of the money will come from the federal government through its COVID-19 regional relief

There are 94,335 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 52,398 confirmed (including 4,935 deaths, 17,098 resolved) Ontario: 29,747 confirmed (including 2,372 deaths, 23,583 resolved) Alberta: 7,098 confirmed (including 146 deaths, 6,624 resolved) British Columbia: 2,632 confirmed (including 167 deaths, 2,272 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,058 confirmed (including 61 deaths, 997 resolved) Saskatchewan: 649 confirmed (including 11 deaths, 611 resolved) Manitoba: 289 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 284 resolved), 11 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 261 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 2

Health officials are reporting just one new case of COVID-19 in British Columbia, the lowest figure since early March. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that there are 193 active cases of the disease and 2,272 people who tested positive have recovered. One more person has died, bringing the province's death toll to 167. There are 21 people in hospital, five of whom are in intensive care. Dix and Henry say the outbreak at the Berkley Care Centre has been declared over, meaning there are now five long-term care or assisted-living

Criminal and civil contempt of court charges have been dropped against those who were arrested in February for violating an injunction while fighting the construction of a natural gas pipeline in northern B.C.The arrests of 22 members of the Wet'suwet'en Nation and their supporters sparked protests across the country, shutting down rail and roads and putting a dent in the Canadian economy.The BC Prosecution Service says in a statement issued Friday that criminal contempt charges for those arrested near Houston, B.C., will not be pursued.The Crown says there have been no further breaches of the

Homicide investigators have taken over the case after a man's body was found in Surrey, B.C. RCMP say the victim was found Thursday night in the Bridgeview neighbourhood of north Surrey as the Mountie's mental health outreach team did foot patrols in the area. The unnamed man was dead when he was found. Police say the cause of death and how he was injured are considered suspicious. Members of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team and Surrey RCMP continue to gather evidence. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has attended an anti-racism rally and took a public knee in solidarity with demonstrators. Trudeau arrived on Parliament Hill in Ottawa with security guards Friday, wearing a black cloth mask. After a few protesters asked him to kneel, he did. The Ottawa protest is one of multiple events in Canada on Friday following days of demonstrations against racism and police brutality in numerous American cities.

US President Donald Trump says an improving economy is ``the greatest thing that can happen for race relations'' and the African-American community. He invoked George Floyd's name this morning as he trumpeted the latest job numbers. Trump told reporters, ``Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that's happening for our country.'' Trump added, ``This is a great day for him. It's a great day for everybody.''

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is offering $14 billion to the provincial and territorial governments for measures to keep COVID-19 at bay.He says it's part of the federal government's support for restoring economic activity across the country amid the pandemic. He says having the right plan and the resources to back it up will be critical to progress through the summer, fall and winter.How the money is distributed will depend on reaching what Trudeau calls a ``safe-restart agreement'' between the federal government and each province or territory. The money would hel

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says he is outraged at police violence against Indigenous people in Canada. Miller says Canada needs a reckoning because there is a pattern of police violence against First Nations, Metis and Inuit people that continues to repeat itself. Miller says he ``watched in disgust'' a graphic video of an RCMP officer in Nunavut ramming the door of his car into an Inuk man walking along the road in Kinngait Monday evening. And Miller says he does not understand how police sent to check on the well-being of 26-year-old Chantel Moore in Edmundston, N.B., Thursday