CanadaDec 02, 2020
Trudeau says economic statement will be put to confidence vote in House of Commons
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the vote on the tens of billions in new spending measures in the fall economic statement will be a confidence measure. That means the minority Liberal government could fall, sending the country into a winter pandemic election if at least one of the opposition parties don't support it. Trudeau doesn't think anyone wants an election now. He says he's confident of opposition support given the need for many of the proposed measures. PM says, 80 per cent of the money spent to support Canadians during the pandemic has come from the federal government Prime Ministe
CanadaDec 01, 2020
'All my love, Elliot': Actor Page comes out as transgender
The Oscar-nominated Canadian star of the film "Juno" has come out as transgender. The Halifax-raised Elliot Page, formerly known as Ellen Page, made the announcement in a powerful post on social media. The star of the Toronto-shot Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy" says his preferred pronouns are he/they. Page's letter thanks those who have supported him along the journey, and addresses the trauma trans people face from discrimination, hateful acts, and a lack of rights. He says it feels remarkable "to finally love" who he is enough to pursue his "authentic self." And he's been "endlessly
CanadaDec 01, 2020
There has been significant misinformation about the doses of COVID-19 vaccines: Anita Anand
Procurement Minister Anita Anand says there has been significant misinformation about the doses of COVID-19 vaccines the government has procured and when they will start arriving. Anand says Canada was one of the first countries to sign a deal to get doses of Moderna's vaccine candidate, and the fourth to sign a deal with Pfizer. Health Canada is currently reviewing four potential COVID-19 vaccines. Pending regulatory approval, Anand says vaccine doses will begin arriving in the new year.
CanadaDec 01, 2020
Statistics Canada says economy grew at a record pace in third quarter of 2020
Statistics Canada says the economy grew at a record annualized pace of 40.5 percent in the third quarter as businesses came out of COVID-19 lockdowns.Financial data firm Refinitiv says the average economist estimate was for an annualized growth rate of 47.6 per cent for the quarter.The rebound over July, August and September was a sharp turnaround from the preceding three-month stretch saw a record drop. Driving the bounce-back were the further rolling back of public health restrictions that allowed businesses to reopen.Statistics Canada also says there was a substantial increase in the housi
CanadaNov 30, 2020
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is once again calling for a tax on Canadians with fortunes topping 20 million dollars
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is concerned about the ballooning federal debt and is once again calling for a tax on Canadians with fortunes topping 20 million dollars. Singh held a news conference this morning in Ottawa in advance of this afternoon's fall economic statement. He wants any sector-specific support the Trudeau government offers to come with strings attached to ensure funding flows to the benefit of workers rather than shareholders or executives. Singh is also pushing for enhanced child care, universal pharmacare and the end of for-profit long-term care homes. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
CanadaNov 30, 2020
Freeland set to deliver update on federal finances and economic outlook
The federal Liberals will provide Canadians with a long-awaited update on the health of federal finances later today, and potentially unveil a suite of new spending.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will deliver the fall economic statement in the House of Commons around 4 p.m. local time in Ottawa, after markets close.
The fall economic statement should have a full accounting of pandemic spending so far, and the depth of this year's deficit, which in July was forecast at a historic $343.2 billion amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Estimates vary of how deep a deficit the Liberals will unveil
CanadaNov 27, 2020
Ice-dancers Moir and Virtue among 114 Order of Canada inductees
Champion ice-dancers Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue are among 114 athletes, artists, scholars and community leaders named to the Order of Canada today. Gov. Gen. Julie Payette's office announced the new honourees this morning. Others in the group include Indigenous writer Thomas King, winemaker John Peller, dancer and choreographer Elizabeth Langley, geriatrician Roger Wong, Cree elder Doreen Spence and ex-politicians Bill Graham and Allan Rock. Moir and Virtue catapulted to national stardom with their gold-medal performances at the Winter Olympics in 2018. They're being honoured for their athle
CanadaNov 26, 2020
Canada now has purchase agreements with seven COVID-19 vaccine producers: Dr. Howard Njoo
Federal health officials say Canada now has purchase agreements with seven COVID-19 vaccine producers. Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Doctor Howard Njoo says most are in the final stages of testing before they can go to Health Canada for approval. Officials say they expect the first doses of vaccines to be delivered in the first three months of the new year. The Trudeau government has been in the hot seat this week, after the prime minister acknowledged that some countries will get COVID-19 vaccines before Canada does, because Canada doesn't have the capacity to make them.
CanadaNov 26, 2020
Court strikes down consecutive life sentences; Quebec mosque shooter has sentence cut
Quebec's highest court has declared unconstitutional a provision of the Criminal Code that allows for life sentences to be served consecutively. The move reduces the sentence given to the man who killed six people in a Quebec City mosque in 2017. Alexandre Bissonnette, 30, was sentenced in February 2019 to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 40 years. With today's decision from the Quebec Court of Appeal, he will be eligible to apply for parole after serving 25 years.