Parliament's budget watchdog says that it's likely the federal deficit for the year will hit $252.1 billion as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.The figure is an estimate based on the almost $146 billion in spending measures the government has announced to help cushion the economic blow from the pandemic, estimated declines in the country's gross domestic product, and the price of oil remaining well below previous expectations.Parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux's report assumes real GDP will contract by 12 per cent this year, and help shoot the federal debt-to-GDP ratio to 48.4 percent.T

A Nova Scotia man says his daughter Abbigail Cowbrough is one of the victims of the Canadian military helicopter crash in the Mediterranean. Shane Cowbrough posted a message on Facebook this morning saying his daughter died when the Cyclone helicopter went down in the sea on Wednesday during a NATO training exercise. A Baptist church in Dartmouth, N.S., followed, saying the church family had lost ``a wonderful woman'' who played the bagpipes at a Remembrance Day service last fall. Cyclone helicopters carry a crew of four, including two pilots, a tactical operator and a sensor operator, with s

There are 51,596 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 26,594 confirmed (including 1,761 deaths, 6,048 resolved) Ontario: 15,728 confirmed (including 996 deaths, 9,612 resolved) Alberta: 5,165 confirmed (including 87 deaths, 1,953 resolved) British Columbia: 2,087 confirmed (including 109 deaths, 1,305 resolved) Nova Scotia: 935 confirmed (including 28 deaths, 529 resolved) Saskatchewan: 383 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 291 resolved) Manitoba: 262 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 209 resolved), 10 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 258 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 225 resol

The Canadian military says it has lost contact with one of its helicopters in the Mediterranean. In a statement, the military says the aircraft from HMCS Fredericton went missing during an exercise off the coast of Greece. It says a search-and-rescue operation is underway. NATO spokeswoman Col. Juanita Chang earlier confirmed an incident involving a helicopter from a ship under NATO command. Chang did not reveal the nationality of the aircraft or vessels. HMCS Fredericton left Halifax for a six-month deployment around Europe in January with one of the Royal Canadian Air Force's new Cyclones o

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 t

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