Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will provide direct help to businesses to help them offset the cost of rent.He says a revamped commercial rent-relief program will cover up to 65 per cent of eligible expenses for companies, and up to 90 per cent for those subject to localized lockdowns.The government also says today that it will cover up to 65 per cent of eligible wages through its subsidy program, but only until the end of December, and expand a well-used loan program by providing an additional $10,000 that could be forgivable.

COVID-19 numbers continue to surge in Ontario, Quebec ahead of Thanksgiving weekend Canada's largest province is reporting the most new cases of COVID-19 it's had in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic. Ontario has announced 797 new cases of the virus, and Health Minister Christine Elliott says 57 per cent of those infected are people under the age of 40. Quebec's surging numbers continue with 1,078 new cases. The province is also reporting nine more deaths, and Premier Francois Legault says hospitalizations have increased by 16. Legault says his government was right to recently

The federal and Ontario governments are each chipping in more than $250 million to mass produce electric vehicles and the batteries that power them at Ford Motor Co.'s plant in Oakville, Ont. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford are to announce the joint investment today. It is part of a three-year agreement worth nearly $2 billion that was announced last month between the automaker and Unifor, the union that represents autoworkers in Canada.The Oakville plant employs 3,400 Ford workers and Unifor president Jerry Dias has said retooling the plant to produce electric veh

As of tomorrow, romantic partners of more than one year, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren and those seeking entry on compassionate grounds can apply to enter Canada. Ottawa is lifting cross-border travel restrictions for a wider range of family members. Specific details on who qualifies, what documents are required and how to apply will be released tomorrow. The closure of the border between Canada and the U-S has left many couples and families stranded on opposite sides for the past eight months.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says when Health Canada approves a COVID-19 vaccine, it will be free for all Canadians. Trudeau made the pledge today after N-D-P Leader Jagmeet Singh told the House of Commons Canadians are concerned about whether they will have to pay to be inoculated against the deadly virus. But how the vaccine will be distributed and who will receive it first is still unclear. Trudeau told the Commons a committee of experts will counsel the government on how to fairly distribute vaccines to everyone.

Canada's defence minister is calling out China over what he describes as its ``hostage diplomacy'' and says the NATO military alliance needs to keep tabs on the increasingly assertive Asian giant. Harjit Sajjan's comments came during a online panel discussion with counterparts from Slovakia and Latvia as two Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor remain in Chinese custody. The two Michaels were arrested in apparent retaliation for Canadian authorities' having detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in December 2018 to face fraud charges in the United States. Sajjan said China

Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says six single-use plastic items that aren't easily recycled and already have more environmentally friendly alternatives will be the first to go under Canada's new restrictions on plastics. That means the end of next year will be the end of the road for plastic straws, stir sticks, carry-out bags, cutlery, dishes and takeout containers and six-pack rings for cans and bottles. Wilkinson says many of the items that aren't on that list, such as plastic bottles, will be getting new standards to require them to contain a minimum amount of recycled material

A former Liberal MP facing charges of fraud and breach of trust related to his time in office has had his case adjourned until early next year. Lawyers for Raj Grewal and the Crown agreed to have the case return to court Jan. 6 during a brief virtual hearing on Tuesday. Grewal's lawyer Zachary Al-Khatib said during the hearing that his team received 10 gigabytes of disclosure materials from investigators. He added that he has made a request for more evidence from the Crown. The RCMP charged Grewal almost one month ago with four counts of breach of trust and one count of fraud over $5,000 stem

A state funeral for former Liberal prime minister John Turner is underway in downtown Toronto.About 170 invited guests are in attendance, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Toronto Mayor John Tory, and federal minister Carolyn Bennett.Attendees are spaced out in the pews at the recently renovated St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica to maintain physical distancing.Organizers limited the guest list in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.Turner died at age 91 on Sept. 19.He had spent decades in politics, serving as solicitor general and justice and finance ministers before his brief stint as prime