CanadaJul 20, 2026
Canada Child Benefit payments increase takes effect today, millions of families to receive higher amounts
Higher Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payments began rolling out today following the federal government's annual benefit adjustment. According to the Government of Canada, the increase is expected to benefit approximately 3.6 million families and about 6 million children across the country.
Under the updated benefit rates, eligible families can receive up to $8,157 annually for each child under the age of six, an increase of $160 from the previous benefit year. For children aged six to 17, the maximum annual payment has increased to $6,883, up $135 from last year.
According to the Canada Revenue A
CanadaJul 20, 2026
Wildfire destroys seasonal camp at Whitewater Lake First Nation in northwestern Ontario
A wildfire has destroyed much of the seasonal camp at Whitewater Lake First Nation, located about 250 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, marking the second First Nation community in Ontario to suffer significant wildfire damage in less than a week.
According to Chief Pauline Drake, the fire destroyed multiple buildings, personal belongings and critical infrastructure at the site. Whitewater Lake First Nation is used primarily as a seasonal camp and has no permanent residents. The community is accessible only by floatplane for about six months of the year.
The latest damage follows wildfire destr
CanadaJul 20, 2026
Canada’s annual inflation rate eases to 2.8% in June as gasoline prices fall
Canada’s annual inflation rate slowed to 2.8 per cent in June, down from 3.2 per cent in May, largely because of lower gasoline prices, according to Statistics Canada.
The federal agency said a decline in fuel prices helped ease overall inflation pressures. Grocery prices also continued to rise, but at a slower pace, increasing 3.9 per cent year over year in June compared with 4.3 per cent in May.
Despite the slowdown, grocery inflation remained above the overall inflation rate for a 17th consecutive month, highlighting the continued impact of higher food costs on Canadian households.
The Ba
CanadaJul 17, 2026
Brampton man identified as homicide victim after body found in Stoney Creek
Hamilton Police have identified a man whose body was found in a Stoney Creek creek on Wednesday morning as 29-year-old Taranpreet Singh Sidhu of Brampton. Investigators have confirmed the case is being treated as a homicide.
According to Hamilton Police, Sidhu's body was discovered in a creek near Fruitland Road North and Harbour Drive after a passerby spotted him partially submerged in the water on nearby rocks. Emergency responders attended the scene and confirmed he had died.
Detective Sergeant Robert Delaney said Sidhu came to Canada from India in 2022 and had worked as a truck driver whil
CanadaJul 16, 2026
Meta introduces new Instagram AI safety features for minors as Canada advances online safety legislation
Meta has announced new safety features for minors using its Instagram AI chatbot, introducing parental alerts for conversations involving self-harm or suicide. The update comes as the Canadian government moves forward with proposed online safety legislation aimed at strengthening protections for young users.
According to Meta, the new features became available Thursday in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. If a minor discusses self-harm or suicide while interacting with Instagram AI, parents who have enabled the platform's Parental Supervision tools will receive an im
CanadaJul 16, 2026
Federal government to acquire 190 armoured vehicles in $2B deal to strengthen Canadian Army
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a $2 billion investment to purchase 190 new armoured vehicles for the Canadian Army as part of a four-year procurement plan aimed at strengthening the military's operational capabilities and supporting Canada's domestic defence industry.
Carney confirmed the agreement during a visit Thursday to the General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada facility in London, Ont. According to the federal government, the new vehicles will increase the Army's armoured fleet to 550.
The Prime Minister said all 190 vehicles will be manufactured at the company's Ontario facili
CanadaJul 16, 2026
Poilievre criticizes Liberals over Canada Post executive bonuses amid record losses
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has criticized the Liberal government after reports that Canada Post paid millions of dollars in bonuses to management despite recording significant financial losses.
Poilievre alleged that the government is allowing well-connected officials to benefit from taxpayer money while many Canadians continue to face rising living costs. He said families are struggling to afford groceries because of inflation, while senior Canada Post executives received substantial bonus payments.
According to publicly reported Canada Post financial information, the Crown corporat
CanadaJul 15, 2026
Canada pauses new parent and grandparent sponsorship applications for 2026
The federal government says it will not accept any new applications this year under Canada's Parents and Grandparents Program as it works to reduce processing times and manage a large backlog of existing files.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), approximately 60,500 sponsorship applications are currently being processed. The department said it expects to approve about 15,000 parents and grandparents each year over the next two years from applications already in the system.
IRCC said the temporary pause is intended to improve processing efficiency. The department
CanadaJul 15, 2026
Federal government names new members to independent Senate appointments advisory board
The federal government has announced new appointments to the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, one week after Prime Minister Mark Carney named four new senators to the upper chamber.
According to a federal government news release, the advisory board will continue to provide non-binding recommendations to the prime minister on Senate appointments. The board was established in 2016 to support a merit-based and independent appointments process.
The government said the board will continue to include three federal members, including a chair, along with two additional members from