Amid stubbornly hot inflation and rising interest rates, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland detailed financial commitments to ``help make life more affordable for millions of Canadians'', but the measures were all previously announced. Freeland delivered a keynote address about the state of the Canadian economy at the Empire Club of Canada in downtown Toronto on Thursday afternoon. In her speech, Freeland highlighted the federal government's ``Affordability Plan,'' which she referred to as a suite of measures totalling $8.9 billion in new support for Canadians in 2022. The measures were all i

Toronto's Black residents received an apology from the city's interim police chief today as the force released previously unseen race-based data on use of force. Toronto's interim police chief has apologized to the city's Black community as the force releases previously unseen race-based data on its use of force and strip searches. James Ramer says the force has not done enough to ensure everyone receives fair and unbiased treatment. The apology was swiftly rejected by some, including one activist who noted that Black people have called for years for police to stop treating them unfairly. Bev

Ottawa police say the RCMP is conducting an ongoing investigation into the false bomb tip that led to the arrest of two Sikh rally organizers near Parliament Hill on Saturday. Interim Ottawa police chief Steve Bell shared that information in a letter to the city's police services board Tuesday night.Bell says in light of that investigation, Ottawa police is limited in what it can share about the circumstances around Saturday's incident, but adds it will work to give as much information as possible to "ensure transparency."Bell says police are aware of the effect law enforcement's response had

The World Sikh Organization is calling for an investigation into a false tip that led to the wrongful arrest of two organizers of a Sikh rally near Parliament Hill. The organization's president says Canadian law enforcement should fully investigate and prosecute those involved. Tejinder Singh Sidhu says in a statement that the ``hoax bomb threat'' in connection to the Sikh rally on Saturday is ``deeply concerning.'' The two rally organizers say they were wrongfully arrested in connection with a bomb threat that prompted an evacuation of Parliament and the closure of surrounding streets.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the Canadian government will suspend COVID-19 vaccine mandates for domestic and outbound international travellers and federally regulated workers. The new rules will come into effect on June 20, though the requirements for foreign nationals coming to Canada will not change. Intergovernmental affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc warns the government is prepared to ``bring back'' necessary policies if there's a resurgence of the virus in the fall. Travel industry groups have blamed federal public health measures and mandates for slowdowns at airport customs tha

A federal government source says Canada's much-criticized COVID Alert app will be discontinued in the coming days. The app was launched in the summer of 2020 as the pandemic began. Nearly 7 million people had downloaded it as of February 1st, but it requires users to enter a one-time key for a positive PCR test, which many provinces are no longer offering. Less than 58,000 of the keys have been used in the app. The COVID Alert App cost the government 20-million-dollars.

The man responsible for Toronto's deadly 2018 van attack has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Alek Minassian has also been sentenced to 20 years for 15 counts of attempted murder, which are to be served concurrently. He was found guilty last year of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. Eight women and two men died on April 23, 2018, when Minassian, bent on infamy, angered by women who wouldn't sleep with him and radicalized in the bowels of the internet deliberately drove a rented van down a busy sidewalk. Another woman die

Canada's chief public health officer says there are now 112 cases of monkeypox across Canada and all of those infected are male. Dr. Theresa Tam told a briefing today that there are 98 cases in Quebec, 9 in Ontario, 4 in Alberta and one in British Columbia, with other suspected cases being investigated. She says the National Advisory Committee on Immunization is recommending that people who may be at high risk of exposure have a vaccine. But she says a mass vaccination campaign against the virus is not currently necessary. Dr. Tam says the disease mainly spreads from close physical contact, i

Canada is poised to become the first country in the world to require that a warning be printed on every cigarette. Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett says the measure is meant to reach more people, including youth who often share cigarettes and don't encounter the packaging. A 75 day consultation period is to begin tomorrow. Bennett also revealed expanded warnings for cigarette packages that include a longer list of smoking's health effects. Canada has required the photo warnings since the turn of the millennium, but the images haven't been updated in a decade. Rob Cunningham, senior policy a