CanadaNov 20, 2023
Government of Canada will present mini budget tomorrow
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to table the fall economic statement on Tuesday, and she has already signalled that both issues will be front and centre.On housing, Freeland has previously indicated the government is looking at making more public land available and trying to address the strain short-term rentals are putting on supply.But she's remained relatively tight-lipped on other specifics expected in the update, and has indicated the government "won't be able to do everything" due to limited funds. According to sources, the new measures will include a $15 billion loan over 10 y
CanadaNov 20, 2023
Economists expect inflation slowed again in October as high interest rates take hold
Forecasters anticipate Canada's inflation rate took another dip in October as gasoline prices fell from the previous month and grocery prices rise more slowly.Statistics Canada is set to release its consumer price index report tomorrow, coinciding with the federal government's fall economic statement. BMO expects the annual rate to come in at 3.2 per cent for October, while RBC is forecasting the rate fell to 3.1 per cent. Canada's inflation rate came in at 3.8 per cent in September. A further slowdown would be welcome news for the Bank of Canada as it looks for evidence of a sustained slowdo
CanadaNov 20, 2023
Quebec to appoint conciliator as labour unions prepare for major strikes this week
The province says it will appoint a conciliator to help bridge the gap in stalled contract negotiations with public sector unions ahead of major strikes this week.The conciliator's recommendations, however, won't be binding.A labour group representing about 420,000 public sector workers in education, health, and social services asked for a conciliator to help talks advance.The group, which calls itself the "common front" will hold a three-day strike starting Tuesday.The common front has rejected Quebec's latest contract offer — a 10.3 per cent salary increase over five years and a one-time
CanadaNov 20, 2023
No word on status of 135 Canadians cleared to leave Gaza Strip over weekend
Canadians with loved ones trapped in the embattled Gaza Strip are still waiting to learn whether the 135 people cleared to leave the territory on Sunday were able to make the journey.A daily list from Gaza's General Authority for Crossings and Borders, which contains the names of foreign passport holders cleared to cross into Egypt via the Rafah land crossing, expanded to include 135 people with ties to Canada on Sunday.But Global Affairs Canada did not provide any details on Sunday as to how many of those people were able to leave the war-torn enclave.The agency's last update, provided on Fri
CanadaNov 20, 2023
Canadian MPs spent $14.6M on travel in first half of 2023
Canadian Members of Parliament spent more than $14.6 million of taxpayer dollars on travel in the first six months of 2023, up nearly 10 percent from the previous six months. This amount works out to about $80,000 per day. This taxpayer money is spent on commercial airfare,, ground transportation, accommodation and meals for Members of Parliament and their families and staff. According to the report, from January 1 to June 30, 338 MPs spent an average of $43,000, or more than $7,200 per month, on work and constituency-related travel.Among them were the travel bills of Canada's two main opposit
CanadaNov 17, 2023
Federal unit of RCMP faces staff crunch, many positions vacant
The RCMP's federal unit, which investigates Canada's serious crime cases, is facing staff shortages.According to RCMP spokesperson Marie-Eve Breton, the federal policing wing is short about 1,000 positions.At present, the wing has 507 fewer police officers than a decade ago and 500 more posts are vacant.Breton said federal policing currently has about 5,000 employees.The RCMP has two main policing units, one that provides local and regional law enforcement officers to the states and the other is a federal policing wing that investigates cases related to national and international crimes such a
CanadaNov 17, 2023
Soon international students in Canada will not be able to work more than 20 hours a week
International students in Canada will soon be unable to work more than 20 hours a week.In November last year, the then immigration minister Sean Fraser removed this limit, which expires on December 31, 2023.A spokesperson for the Immigration Department said the move was intended to provide more opportunities for eligible international students to gain better work experience in Canada and increase the presence of workers to sustain economic growth after the pandemic.The ban on working hours was lifted from 15 November 2022 to 31 December 2023 to deal with labor shortages.The new policy was for
CanadaNov 17, 2023
Punjabi youth shot dead in Mississauga
A Punjabi youth died in a shooting incident in Mississauga on Wednesday.According to the police, when officers and paramedics arrived at the scene, the youth was found seriously injured due to gunshot wounds, he was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition, where he died within a short time.At present, the police has not given any information about the suspect, nor has the identity of the deceased been made public, but the family has confirmed the death of 28-year-old Jagraj Singh in this incident.He was a resident of Nathowal village in Raikot town of Ludhiana and had come to Canada for
CanadaNov 17, 2023
The wait continues for Canadians wanting out of Gaza, approval list not yet updated
Canadians in the Gaza Strip, eager to escape the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas, may have to wait a little longer to leave.As of 4 a.m. Eastern, the General Authority for Crossings and Borders had yet to update its daily list of approved foreign passport holders authorized to exit Gaza and enter Egypt.The Canadian government says that as of Wednesday afternoon, it was in touch with 386 people still in the besieged territory.Global Affairs Canada says, so far, 367 Canadians, permanent residents and their relatives have been able to escape via the Rafah border crossing, most recently i