More than 29,000 Canadians have signed an online petition calling for the removal of U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra over allegations of political interference in Canada and controversial public statements. The petition is expected to be presented in the House of Commons this fall by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. It was launched by a Calgary woman, who alleges that Hoekstra’s statements have undermined Canada’s sovereignty. The petition calls on the Canadian government to declare Hoekstra persona non grata under the rules of the Vienna Convention and remove him from Canada. It

Canada-U.S. trade talks appear to be entering a critical final stage, with Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer potentially presenting the outline of a possible deal to President Donald Trump by Monday. The discussions are part of efforts to avoid new 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports that are set to take effect on August 19. LeBlanc met with Greer in Washington on Tuesday, marking their third meeting in three weeks. According to reports, the two countries are discussing a potential agreement under which Canada could agree to some U.S. demands in ex

More than 41,000 vehicles entered Canada from the United States through the new Gordie Howe International Bridge during its first five days of operation. The figure includes return trips by Canadian residents. According to preliminary Statistics Canada data, about 18,900 Canadian travellers crossed into Canada through the new bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit, while approximately 18,100 U.S. citizens entered Canada during the same period. In addition, nearly 4,100 commercial transport trucks travelled into Canada through the new route during the final five days of July. By comparison, the

Environment Canada has introduced a new polygon-based alert system across Canada to provide more precise warnings about severe weather. The goal is to reduce unnecessary alerts being sent to people who are not directly in the path of a storm. Previously, when a severe storm warning was issued, alerts could be sent across an entire area, even if the storm was not expected to affect all of it. Under the new system, meteorologists will draw a specific polygon on a digital map to identify the areas facing the greatest risk. This means mobile alerts will be sent only to people located within the st

Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington today as the two countries continue efforts to resolve their ongoing trade dispute. It is their third face-to-face meeting in the past few weeks. LeBlanc was scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday, but his flight was forced to return to Montreal due to bad weather. Meanwhile, Canada’s chief trade negotiator, Janice Charette, spent Monday in the U.S. capital, where she met with an official from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Team Canada is working to find a middle ground to av

Ontario Liberal leadership candidates, including former federal minister Navdeep Bains, took part in their first debate Monday night, with the five contenders criticizing Premier Doug Ford’s government on the economy, health care, education and affordability. The candidates also disagreed over whether the party’s next leader should hold a seat in the Ontario legislature. Two of the five candidates are sitting provincial MPPs and argued that having a seat in the legislature would provide a stronger platform to challenge the Ford government. Bains and two other candidates do not currently ho

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette says the province could allow U.S. wines to return to liquor store shelves, but only if there are gains for Quebec and Canada in ongoing trade discussions with the United States. Fréchette said she wants to see reductions in tariff barriers affecting key Quebec sectors, including forestry, aluminum and manufacturing, before considering a return of American wine products to provincial liquor stores. The Quebec government previously directed the province’s liquor board to stop selling U.S. products in response to tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald T

A 51-year-old Montreal man, Mark Porlier, has been charged with allegedly making threats against Prime Minister Mark Carney. According to the RCMP, Porlier made a violent and threatening comment about the prime minister in an email sent to a Canadian senator and several other people. The RCMP’s federal policing unit began investigating on Aug. 5 after receiving a complaint. Porlier was subsequently taken into custody and appeared in a Montreal court on Aug. 8. Police charged him under Section 264.1 of the Criminal Code with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm. The RCMP said statem

Liberal MP Shaun Chen has announced he will resign his seat in the House of Commons, citing health concerns following a car accident last year. Chen has represented Scarborough North since 2015. He said he plans to leave Parliament by the end of this month. His resignation comes as several federal MPs from major parties have left office before the end of their terms this year. Three federal byelections are scheduled for Aug. 31 in ridings previously represented by former Liberal ministers Jonathan Wilkinson and Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, and Conservative MP Richard Martel. The federal government