Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland released a fall economic statement today that outlined a better-than-expected economic rebound, but also billions more in spending, including on the response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Here are some other measures outlined in the fiscal update: Immigration backlogs - The federal government plans to put $85 million into plowing through massive backlogs in processing immigration applications starting in fiscal 2022-23. The government acknowledged the pandemic dramatically slowed down the pace of processing immigration applications, and many resources

The Canadian Press News Story of the Year is the discovery of unmarked graves at a former residential school in British Columbia's Interior.It came ahead of Canada's COVID-19 vaccine rollout and stories about climate change and severe weather in B-C in the annual survey of editors at media outlets across the country.The story broke in May when the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc Nation in Kamloops announced ground-penetrating radar found what were believed to be the remains of up to 215 children.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam's annual report says the pandemic has been a wake-up call about the need for public health renewal. She's urging the federal government to transform the public health system so it is better equipped to handle both present and future health threats. Dr. Tam is warning the government it should not scale back public health funding once the emergency has passed, leaving it vulnerable at the start of the next crisis. Canada's top doctor says community transmission of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is already happening. Dr. Theresa Tam says the highly co

Defence Minister Anita Anand says Ottawa has long failed to protect those who signed up to protect the country. She made a formal apology today to victims of military sexual misconduct on behalf of the federal government, and also apologized the government didn't put the right systems in place to ensure justice and accountability for victims. Her apology, and those made by chief of the defence staff General Wayne Eyre and Defence Department deputy minister Jody Thomas form a key part of the federal government's 600 million dollar settlement in several overlapping class-action lawsuits. Defence

Nearly 80,000 Ontarians remain without power on Sunday evening after high winds brought down trees and power lines across the southern part of the province on Saturday night. Ontario utility Hydro One said crews are still working to restore power after Saturday's wind storm left about 490,000 customers in the dark. "Our crews are in position and responding to significant power outages caused by Ontario's worst storm in recent years," said David Lebeter, Hydro One's chief operating officer.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 should be a big, red, flashing part of the radar screen for anyone planning a trip outside Canada. Duclos says while Omicron is still relatively rare here, it is a different story in other countries, where governments are re-imposing lockdowns and tightening public health restrictions. And he's warning anyone thinking of leaving Canada for a winter vacation that they will face delays and hassles on their return. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says there have been 87 confirmed cases of Omicro

Canada's chief public health officer says a resurgence of COVID-19 is forecast for Canada, and it could speed up even more if the Omicron variant replaces Delta. Doctor Theresa Tam says there have been 87 confirmed cases of Omicron in Canada so far.New federal modelling shows that if Omicron does not predominate over Delta, Canada could see between 2,900 and 15,000 daily cases by mid-January. Dr. Tam says if Omicron becomes dominant, Canada could see 26,000 daily cases by then. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada could see up to 15,000 COVID-19 cases per day by mid-January

A report by the auditor general shows Canada failed to adequately enforce border measures designed to keep international travellers from importing cases of COVID-19. The AG says the Public Health Agency of Canada had no idea what became of 59 per cent of travellers suspected of flouting quarantine orders. The auditor assessed enforcement of quarantine and COVID-19 test mandates between July 1st, 2020, and June 30th, 2021. The report comes as Canada reinstitutes several stringent border measures, including mandatory quarantines, because of the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Olympic decathlon champion Damian Warner is the winner of the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's Athlete of the Year. Warner won gold at the Tokyo Games last summer and became just the fourth man in history to top the elusive 9,000-point barrier in the 10-discipline event. The 32-year-old native of London, Ont., is the first Canadian to win the Olympic decathlon. He set an Olympic record and a national record with 9,018 points. Media members from across Canada voted Wednesday on the annual Toronto Star award. Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Bayern Munich left back A