The Alberta legislature has wrapped up its fall sitting, passing nine bills this week that included legislation yesterday clearing the path for a referendum on the province quitting the Canada Pension Plan. To pass the bill, the U-C-P government's House Leader Joseph Schow put time limits on debate. He says he had no choice as the Opposition NDP signalled it would try to hold up the bill by endlessly debating it. New Democrats say the bill mandating a referendum be held before Alberta would leave the CPP contains a loophole that gives the government the option to ignore the results.

British Columbia's Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe has announced she is leaving her post after 13 years, deeply saddened the province has been unable to reduce the "tragic impacts" of toxic drugs on thousands of people. Lapointe says in a statement today the coroners service has been forever altered by the public health emergency that continues to take the lives of people of all ages in communities throughout B.C., including more than 2,000 people so far this year. Lapointe says recommendations by coroners service death-review panels, including providing a safe supply of drugs without prescription

Wheat production across Canada remained low this year, with wheat yields in Alberta down nearly 20 per cent. Wheat production declined due to hot, dry weather in the state. According to a Statistics Canada report, Canada's total wheat production in 2023 is expected to decline by about 7 percent to 32 million tonnes.Wheat production in other provinces such as Alberta also remained low. Saskatchewan recorded a 6.7 percent drop in wheat production. Dry conditions were the main cause of reduced production in the prairies. However, Manitoba recorded an 8 percent increase in wheat production this ye

The official Opposition is threatening to delay government work and hold up billions of dollars in spending if the Liberal government doesn't drastically revise its carbon-pricing plan. The Conservatives are delivering a taste of their plan with the introduction of as many as 20,000 amendments to an 11-page government bill that aims to create sustainable jobs as part of the transition to a net-zero emissions economy. The natural resources committee is set to go through the amendments, which the Tories believe could take months to vote on individually. The Opposition wants the federal carbon-pr

Mayor Ken Sim says he's moving to abolish Vancouver's elected Park Board, which is the only such body in any British Columbia city. Sim says at a news conference at City Hall that he'll be moving a motion next week to ask the province to amend the Vancouver Charter to bring its parks under city council control. He says this would involve eliminating the requirement for an elected Park Board, calling it a ``long overdue'' step representing a ``new level of accountability.'' He says the move will ensure long-term viability and growth of parks and recreation services, and the current system ``ju

It will no longer be easy for repeat offenders to get bail in Canada, after the government's opposition-backed bail reform bill has received royal assent. Justice Minister Arif Virani gave this information.He said that these changes are coming into effect from January 4, 2024. Bail system for repeat offenders involved in serious violent offenses under the Criminal Code Amendments Getting bail has been made more difficult.These amendments focus on reverse onus provisions, which means that the accused will be held in custody before trial unless he proves that his release would not pose a danger

The department has not provided more information about the deaths on the Caribbean island, citing privacy considerations, but it says consular officials are providing assistance and are in contact with local authorities to get more information. Local media outlets are reporting that a Canadian woman and child died in rough waters last week. The Canadian Press has not independently verified the reports. The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force said in a press release that a 911 call came in on Nov. 30 at around 6:45 a.m. about a woman and child entering the water at a rock formation locally kno

The Bank of Canada is keeping its key interest rate at five per cent because higher interest rates are clearly restraining spending. The central bank says the combination of weaker growth and a cooling job market suggests demand is no longer outpacing supply in the economy and that this slowdown is necessary to restore price stability. However, the Bank of Canada isn't ruling out future rate hikes just yet, saying it is still concerned about risks to the outlook for inflation and remains prepared to raise rates further if needed

Health Canada has authorized an updated COVID-19 vaccine from Novavax that targets the XBB.1.5 variant. The new vaccine is called Nuvaxovid and is approved for people 12 years of age and over. Nuvaxovid is a protein subunit vaccine, meaning it contains harmless pieces of virus. The other two XBB vaccines currently authorized in Canada are mRNA vaccines, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. The mRNA options remain the only XBB vaccines approved for children under 12. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that everyone six months of age and older get the XBB.1.5 vacc