Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says Canadians who want to leave Japan where they were stuck on board a quarantined cruise ship, can begin the process of taking a chartered jet today evening. That could mean they will be back in Canada on Friday, when they will be taken to a hotel in Cornwall, Ontario for another two-weeks' isolation. About 500 healthy passengers have been allowed to leave the Diamond Princess. The 47 Canadians who have symptoms of COVID-19 will have to stay in Japan for treatment.

Three federal Opposition parties are calling on the Trudeau government to halt expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline from the Edmonton area to port in Burnaby. Members of the N-D-P, Green party and Bloc Quebecois made the joint appeal this morning, arguing a recent poll shows Canadians are alarmed at the multi-billion dollar price hike for the work. The federal government bought the unfinished project from Kinder Morgan in 2018 for 4.5-billion dollars and planned to complete the twinning at a total cost of 7.4-billion dollars but recent estimates have pushed completion costs to nearly 13-b

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government's approach to ending rail blockades across the country might cause economic pain in the short term. But Trudeau told the House of Commons today the Conservative call for hard-line police action to end the protests would cause even more, longer term disruption. Via Rail announced this afternoon that it is laying off close to one thousand employees, calling the disruption an unprecedented situation in its 42-year history. CN Rail announced yesterday that it was laying off 450 of its employees. Quebec Premier Francois Legault is urging Trudeau to

Via Rail says it is temporarily laying off 1,000 employees due to blockades that continue to stop service on CN tracks in Eastern Canada. The Crown corporation has suspended passenger trains on its Montreal-Toronto and Ottawa-Toronto routes for about two weeks in the wake of protests that have disrupted rail service across the country. Via says it commends ongoing dialogue efforts between government and demonstrators at rail blockades in support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose a natural gas pipeline in British Columbia. Via says it is proceeding with temporary suspensions of the

The Conservatives may introduce a non-confidence motion linked to the Liberals' response to the rail blockades that have virtually shut down freight and passenger service across the country. Via Rail announced this afternoon it will temporarily lay off close to one-thousand employees due to the rail line closures. Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen says party members don't believe the Trudeau government's strategy of dialogue instead of issuing deadlines to protesters is going to solve the crisis. Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says we are a nation of peace, order and good gov

A blockade has been set up on a CN rail line in Edmonton in support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who opposed a natural gas pipeline in British Columbia.A group called Cuzzins for Wet'suwet'en says on Twitter that it's staging the protest "in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en." It has posted photos showing a blockade of wooden crates on the train line, with signs reading "No Consent" and "No Pipelines on Stolen Land."A statement from CN says CN police and local police services are responding.The rail company says trains aren't moving on the track and CN will take necessary legal action unde

Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs say they won't meet with Crown Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett and BC Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser until a small, mobile RCMP detachment is removed from their land. That is one of the talking points in discussions aimed at bringing an end to rail and road blockades. The RCMP says discussions are underway on next steps. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe will hold a conference call with the rest of the premiers today and is criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for not ending the blockades.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has offered effusive thanks to New Democrats and stinging criticism of the Conservatives after the NDP supported the minority Liberal government's efforts to more speedily ratify the new North American trade agreement. Freeland said the government wanted to end study by a House of Commons committee of the new deal, which replaces the quarter-century-old North American Free Trade Agreement. Both the United States and Mexico have formally ratified the new pact, which was reached after the Trump administration in Washington foisted a renegotiation on its t

RCMP say one of their officers narrowly avoided being run down by a woman by hopping on the hood of his cruiser. Mounties say in a news release the officer tried to stop the woman after identifying her vehicle as one allegedly associated with fuel thefts in the southern Interior. They allege she rammed into his cruiser when he tried to block her way, and she accelerated toward him after he exited the vehicle. The 44-year-old woman from 100 Mile House faces multiple charges, including dangerous driving, flight from police and assaulting a police officer with a weapon.