Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the federal government will look at just about any measure to discourage people from travelling internationally. But he says Canada doesn't want to join the short list of countries that require government approval for travel, with measures such as exit visas. He says the federal government has been crystal clear since early last year that travelling abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic is a bad idea. Starting Thursday, Canada is requiring incoming air travellers to present evidence of a recent negative COVID-19 test before being allowed t

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians who have travelled abroad should not expect to collect a benefit for people who have to isolate themselves. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is making changes to the $1,000 sickness benefit. He says the program is for workers who have to quarantine because they are sick or have had close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Trudeau says the point was never to subsidize vacations and he's frustrated and angry that non-essential travellers might have claimed the benefit. The government will revise the rules t

Canada's chief public health officer says she's concerned at how quickly Canada's COVID-19 case numbers are growing. Doctor Theresa Tam says over the past week, the number of infections has been increasing by almost 7,500 per day. She notes that it took five months for Canada to reach its first 100,000 cases, and just over two weeks to go from 500- to 600,000. Dr. Tam says this rapid accumulation of cases will continue until we can make significant progress in interrupting the spread of the virus. More than 617,000 case have been reported in Canada since the start of pandemic. At present 79,5

The family of a Calgary police officer killed while attempting a traffic stop last week says he was looking forward to becoming a father for the first time. Sgt. Andrew Harnett, who was 37, had pulled over an SUV on New Year's Eve and was hit and dragged when the vehicle took off. Two teens have been charged with first-degree murder and made first court appearances today. The Harnett family has issued a statement saying the last few days have been indescribable and overwhelming , but adding that an outpouring of support from the public has been helpful. The statement says Harnett and his part

The Conservative leader in the Senate took a personal trip to Mexico shortly after Christmas. A spokesperson for Sen. Don Plett says the senator travelled to Mexico on Dec. 28. Upon his arrival, the spokesperson says, Plett "reflected on his decision to travel" and immediately made arrangements to return home to Manitoba. He returned on Dec. 31 and is quarantining for 14 days as required by Manitoba public health protocols. The spokesperson says this was Plett's only trip outside the country since last March, when the COVID-19 pandemic first swept across Canada. Plett is the latest in a numbe

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has brought the hammer down on members of his staff and caucus who recently travelled abroad. In a Facebook post, Kenney says he has accepted the resignation of Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and fired Jamie Huckabay as his chief of staff. Other backbench members of his United Conservative caucus who travelled to sunnier climes over Christmas have been stripped of responsibilities. Kenney says the individuals demonstrated "extremely poor judgment," and he has listened to anger from the public in recent days. Saskatchewan Highways Minister Joe Hargrave res

The federal government is weighing whether to bar people who have travelled overseas from a new benefit for those who have to quarantine due to COVID-19.The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, launched in the fall to help Canadians who are unable to work because they must quarantine during the pandemic, is worth $500 per week to a maximum of two weeks.But Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough says the government is actively looking at all options as questions surface around whether Canadians who have travelled abroad should be allowed to collect the money during their mandatory two-week isolatio

If you've been holding on to old one- and two-dollar bills, today is your last chance to spend them in a store. Starting in the new year, some bank notes made between 1935 and 1986 will no longer have legal tender status. They can still be redeemed or deposited for their face value at a bank. The policy change only covers notes that are no longer being produced, including 25, 500 and 1,000 dollar bills. The Bank of Canada says the affected notes are so rare that they are hardly seen or recognized by store clerks anyway, and some areworth more to collectors than in circulation.

Ontario is reporting 3,328 new cases of COVID-19, setting another single-day case record. More than a quarter of the new cases, 888 are in Toronto, with 431 in Peel, 418 in York Region, 257 in Windsor-Essex County and 194 in Ottawa. The province is also confirming another 56 virus related deaths, matching the highest daily death toll from the first wave of the pandemic. Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott shared the numbers in a tweet. She is advising residents to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home to curb the spread of infection.