The federal Conservatives are asking the official languages commissioner to investigate the government's choice of WE Charity to run a student grant program, saying the move showed contempt toward francophones.Conservative MP Richard Martel alleges in a letter to commissioner Raymond Theberge that the youth group did not have the ability to deliver the multimillion-dollar Canada Student Service Grant program in both of Canada's official languages.Martel, who is making the letter public today, says the Official Languages Act clearly states the government is obliged to ensure any organization c

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues his virtual tour of Canada today, with electronic visits to the Atlantic provinces.He conducted a virtual tour of British Columbia yesterday, meeting with Premier John Horgan and consulting with business and environmental leaders about how to ensure a green economic recovery from the devastating effects of the pandemic.Trudeau is planning to unveil what he promises will be a bold recovery plan in a throne speech re-opening Parliament on September 23th.The speech will be put to a confidence vote, which could result in the defeat of Trudeau's minority Lib

There are 129,923 confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec: 62,746 confirmed (including 5,764 deaths, 55,515 resolved) Ontario: 42,554 confirmed (including 2,812 deaths, 38,506 resolved) Alberta: 14,180 confirmed (including 242 deaths, 12,535 resolved) British Columbia: 5,952 confirmed (including 209 deaths, 4,605 resolved) Saskatchewan: 1,624 confirmed (including 24 deaths, 1,571 resolved) Manitoba: 1,244 confirmed (including 14 deaths, 776 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,085 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,014 resolved) Newfoundland and Labrador: 269 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 265 resolved) New Bru

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is naming Manitoba MP Candice Bergen his deputy. Bergen was first elected in 2008 and was a junior cabinet minister in Stephen Harper's government. She has been the Tories' House leader, managing the Conservatives' part in moving legislation through the House of Commons. Bergen follows Leona Alleslev, an Ontario MP who resigned as deputy leader in July to back O'Toole's key rival for the leadership, Peter MacKay. O'Toole is naming Quebec MP Gerard Deltell as the Tories' House leader and Richard Martel as his Quebec lieutenant. O'Toole says he plans to nam

Health Canada has reversed course on home test kits for COVID-19, saying it will now review applications for such devices.In June, the department indicated it would not review such applications.But Cole Davidson, a spokesman for Health Minister Patty Hajdu, says that was meant to apply to test kits for diagnosing cases of COVID-19.Due to the evolution of the pandemic since then, he says Health Canada is now considering applications for at-home testing devices for screening purposes.Davidson says Health Canada, which regulates the safety of all medical devices sold in the country, "is open to

There are 129,425 confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec: 62,614 confirmed (including 5,762 deaths, 55,438 resolved) Ontario: 42,421 confirmed (including 2,812 deaths, 38,369 resolved) Alberta: 14,066 confirmed (including 241 deaths, 12,427 resolved) British Columbia: 5,848 confirmed (including 209 deaths, 4,505 resolved) Saskatchewan: 1,622 confirmed (including 24 deaths, 1,567 resolved) Manitoba: 1,232 confirmed (including 14 deaths, 759 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,085 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,014 resolved) Newfoundland and Labrador: 269 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 265 resolved) New Bru

Federal New Democrats are turning their aim on Youth Minister Bardish Chagger, suggesting she was the key driver in the Liberal government's decision to have WE Charity run a multimillion-dollar student-volunteer program.NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus says government documents released last month show Chagger was instrumental in connecting WE with federal officials and developing the now-defunct Canada Student Service Grant program.The government has insisted that federal bureaucrats were responsible for recommending WE administer the program, which was billed as having a budget of $912 milli

An Ottawa-based consulting firm with a history of reviewing allegations of workplace harassment on Parliament Hill is being tasked to do so again at Rideau Hall.The Privy Council Office says it has hired Quintet Consulting Corp. to conduct a third-party investigation into allegations of a toxic work environment at the office of Gov. Gen. Julie Payette.An online notice says Quintet is to interview current and former employees in the office of the Governor General so they can share their experiences.Payette will also get a meeting with the consultants as they try to determine precisely what beha

There are 128,948 confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec: 62,492 confirmed (including 5,760 deaths, 55,353 resolved) Ontario: 42,309 confirmed (including 2,811 deaths, 38,277 resolved) Alberta: 13,902 confirmed (including 239 deaths, 12,293 resolved) British Columbia: 5,790 confirmed (including 208 deaths, 4,406 resolved) Saskatchewan: 1,619 confirmed (including 24 deaths, 1,561 resolved) Manitoba: 1,214 confirmed (including 14 deaths, 731 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,085 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,013 resolved) Newfoundland and Labrador: 269 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 265 resolved) New Bru