The Canadian Armed Forces is deploying its famed Snowbirds aerobatics team on a cross-country tour aimed at boosting morale as Canadians continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the planned spectacle this morning as he took a page from the U.S., where the American military's own flight demonstration teams have been flying over cities in honour of frontline workers and first responders. The Snowbirds cut their season short last year after one of the Snowbirds' famous Tutor aircraft crashed on Oct. 13 prior to an air show at the Atlanta Motor Spee

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is looking at what support it can offer to the Canadian Football League. League commissioner Randy Ambrosie revealed to The Canadian Press yesterday that the CFL has asked for up to $150 million in assistance due to the pandemic. The league was supposed to start its regular season on June 11, but has pushed that date back to July at the earliest. Ambrosie says the league's long-term future would be in peril if the season was cancelled.

Ontario is reporting 347 new COVID-19 cases today, and 45 more deaths. That brings the province to a total of 15,728 cases, a 2.3 per cent increase over the previous day, which is the lowest growth rate in weeks. More than 60 per cent of the total cases, 9,612 are ones that have been resolved, and there have been a total of 996 deaths. In long-term care, there was an increase of 70 deaths to 775, though the numbers come from a separate database from the provincial totals.

Quebec is announcing it will gradually remove police controls that have been limiting non-essential travel to certain regions. Deputy Premier Genevieve Guilbault says police roadblocks will begin to be removed on May 4 in the Laurentides, Lanaudiere and Chaudiere-Appalaches regions. The Abitibi, Saguenay Lac-St-Jean and Outaouais regions, with the exception of Gatineau, will reopen May 11, while the Bas-St-Laurent, Gaspesie, Iles-de-la Madeleine, Charlevoix and Cote-Nord areas will remove roadblocks on May 18. The province announced 79 new deaths for a total of 1,761, and 837 cases for a

The Manitoba government says it is going to start easing some of its COVID-19 related restrictions starting Monday.Premier Brian Pallister says dentists and physiotherapists will be allowed to resume services, and retail stores, hair salons and restaurant patios will be able to reopen but at no more than 50 per cent capacity.Campgrounds, museums, libraries and art galleries will also be allowed to open their doors, and all will have to maintain physical distancing among customers.Travel restrictions and the 10-person limit on public gatherings are to remain in place, but Pallister says the lim

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government plans to provide between $1,000 and $5,000 for students who volunteer to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.Trudeau did not say when the new Canada Student Services Grant will be rolled out, but says specific supports will also be set up for Indigenous students.The prime minister says the federal government is also planning to extend research grants, fellowships and other support to graduate students and researchers.The new measures are on top of $9 billion in support for students unveiled last week.

A child-care centre in Toronto that looks after children of essential service workers is being shut down for two weeks after an outbreak of COVID-19.Police say three staff at Jesse Ketchum Early Learning and Child Care Centre have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.Two other staff and two children are awaiting test results.The centre is one of seven in the city providing child care for critical workers during the outbreak.

The gunman who killed 22 people across Nova Scotia this month owned a total of four used police cars obtained at auction, including the one he drove in the deadly rampage. Nova Scotia RCMP say Gabriel Wortman collected other police memorabilia, including the genuine RCMP shirt and yellow striped pants he wore April 18th and 19th. The uniform, along with the vehicle outfitted with a light bar and decals to make it look like a genuine police cruiser, allowed the gunman to escape detection during the manhunt. There is no indication police were aware of the collection before the massacre.

Nova Scotia has announced a $380-million loan program to help municipalities with financial losses due to COVID-19. Developed in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities and the Association of Municipal Administrators, the loans will be available through the Nova Scotia Municipal Finance Corporation. Municipal Affairs Minister Chuck Porter says the program will help municipalities continue to deliver programs and services. The Municipal Affairs Department will approve requests from municipalities before sending them to the corporation for final approval.