Longtime Conservative member of Parliament Ed Fast says he will retire from politics as of the next federal election. Fast, who represents a riding in Abbotsford, B.C., has been an MP for more than 18 years. He was international trade minister in prime minister Stephen Harper's cabinet and the Opposition critic for environment, industry and finance. In a statement, Fast says he helped negotiate trade deals including the Trans-Pacific Partnership and deals with the European Union and South Korea. He also notes he has been a vocal critic of the government's plans to expand eligibility for medica

A strike by more than 5,000 Edmonton civic workers expected to begin this morning has been delayed by 24 hours. A spokeswoman for the Civic Service Union confirmed the strike is now slated to begin Friday at 11 a.m. It's not clear how the delay will affect city facilities such as libraries, which had planned to close this morning. Workers expected to walk off the job tomorrow include library staff as well as administrative workers for the Edmonton Police Service and the municipal government. Others include emergency 9-1-1 operators, help-line operators, recreation centre staff, acco

The Liberal government ordered a national security review of popular video app TikTok in September 2023 but did not disclose it publicly. The revelation comes after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake. The federal industry minister’s office says that on Sept. 6, cabinet issued an order for the national security review of TikTok Canada. The office says the review was based on the expansion of a previous business, which it says constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity, but declined to provide any fur

Kim Rudd, a former Liberal MP who represented a southern Ontario riding, has died.An online obituary says Rudd died of ovarian cancer on Tuesday at a hospice in Cobourg, Ont. Rudd, who was 66, represented the newly formed riding of Northumberland-Peterborough South from 2015 to 2019.She served as parliamentary secretary to the natural resources minister. She was also chair of the Parliamentary Health Research Caucus and served on the House of Commons finance and natural resources committees. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences to Rudd's family and friends, calling her a "

The office of Canada's auditor general confirms it fired two employees after discovering they were making extra money from federal contracts on the side. Karen Hogan's office says a third person is being investigated after they failed to disclose such information to their managers. It isn't providing details about the contracts or what departments issued them. The office initiated internal investigations of the workers in June of last year and concluded one case in September and the other in December. Those two cases were referred to the RCMP in January, and the national police service advised

The Alberta government is introducing legislation that would direct 10-million dollars from this year's budget toward luring more workers to the province. The funds for the Alberta is Calling Attraction Bonus are aimed at bringing skilled tradespeople from elsewhere in Canada.During the last election campaign, the United Conservative Party promised to offer at least 12-hundred dollars to newcomers who move to the province to work in high-demand jobs such as health care and trades.

Thousands of municipal workers in Edmonton are preparing to strike Thursday after rejecting the city’s latest contract offer, a move that will shut down libraries, recreation centres, pools, and other civic facilities. Civic Service Union 52, which represents about 6,000 employees, announced the strike Monday after members voted against a proposed 7.25 per cent wage increase spread over five years from 2021 to 2025. The walkout will involve library staff, clerical workers, IT employees, and front-line staff at arts and fitness centres. City councillors warned Tuesday that meeting union wage

The danger of measles in Canada is not over yet. In Quebec, the cases have reached 18 and the provincial government has alerted schools and service centers in this regard. Health officials have asked people who have not received their full doses to get their vaccinations as soon as possible. Schools have been told that if a case of measles comes to light, the child should be advised to isolate at home. Schools have sent letters to the parents in this regard, in which they have been advised to check their child's vaccination record to know whether their child is protected or not. In addition,

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet up face-to-face in Calgary today. Smith’s office says the two will meet in the morning, and Smith will head to Edmonton to speak to reporters at a subsequent news conference. The two leaders have not met in person since last summer at the Calgary Stampede festival. Smith’s office did not say what is on the agenda for the meeting. However, her government has taken issue with Ottawa on a range of issues, including energy development, pharmacare, child-care funding and the federal consumer carbon price. Trudeau was in