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

The federal government is launching a $100-million rebate program to reduce the cost of shipping eligible Canadian steel products between provinces and territories, as domestic producers face pressure from tariffs and changing trade conditions. According to the federal government, the program will cover 50 per cent of eligible freight costs for manufacturers moving qualifying steel products by rail or marine transport within Canada. Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon announced the program Monday. The government says the measure is intended to encourage Canadian manufacturers that use ste

Air Canada has extended the suspension of flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until January 2027, citing continued uncertainty in the Middle East. The airline had previously been expected to resume service to Dubai as part of its winter schedule, with flights to Tel Aviv also potentially returning around the same period. In its latest update, Air Canada said service to Dubai International Airport and Tel Aviv is not expected to resume before mid-January 2027. Affected passengers are being offered flexible booking options. Depending on the applicable terms, travellers can rebook for a later date or c

Prime Minister Mark Carney is spending a week in Italy on a private vacation as Canada-U.S. trade negotiations face a critical stage and U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods starting Aug. 19. The Prime Minister’s Office said Carney will remain in Italy until Aug. 17 for private activities. The PMO said the trip received the required approval from the federal Ethics Commissioner in advance. The vacation comes as Canada and the United States continue discussions over trade, with Trump threatening additional tariffs on Canadian products. The

Canadian dairy producers are urging the federal government not to offer any concessions on the dairy sector or Canada's supply management system as trade negotiations with the United States continue ahead of a key tariff deadline. In a statement, Dairy Farmers of Canada said the country's food sovereignty "is not for sale" and warned that any agreement weakening the dairy sector would not be in Canada's national interest. The organization said Canada has already made several concessions in recent months in an effort to advance discussions with the United States, but argued that the Trump admin

The federal government is considering a series of trade concessions as it seeks relief from tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The measures under consideration reportedly include easing restrictions on the sale of U.S. liquor in some provinces, removing Canada's retaliatory tariffs on automobiles and expanding market access for U.S. dairy products. According to the sources, Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is attempting to demonstrate to the United States that Canada is committed to improving bilateral trade relations. One of