Canada added jobs for a fourth straight month in December, but the national unemployment rate rose to 6.8 per cent as more people entered the labour force, according to new data released by Statistics Canada on Friday. The figures highlight growing pressure in the labour market despite continued employment gains. The federal agency reported that the economy added 8,200 jobs in December. Over the past four months, employment has increased by a combined 188,800 positions, suggesting steady hiring momentum across parts of the economy. However, the unemployment rate rose as the number of people ac

B.C. Conservative MLA Sheldon Clare has announced he is seeking the party’s leadership, saying he wants to prevent former members of the provincial Liberals from reshaping the party’s direction. Clare, who represents Prince George–North Cariboo, said he has observed what he described as growing pressure from former B.C. Liberal figures to gain influence within the Conservatives. He argued that approach reflects a political model he believes has already failed in the province and does not align with the party’s principles. In outlining his reasons for running, Clare said he wants to ens

Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from the House of Commons takes effect today, ending more than a decade representing the Toronto riding of University–Rosedale. Freeland is leaving federal politics to take on a voluntary advisory role with the Ukrainian government focused on economic development. Her departure reduces the Liberal caucus to 170 seats, leaving Prime Minister Mark Carney two seats short of a majority in the 338 seat House of Commons. Opposition parties collectively now hold 172 seats, including 142 Conservatives, 22 Bloc Québécois MPs, seven New Democ

Surrey Police Service officers issued five excessive speeding tickets during a single morning of enforcement this week, with the majority occurring in active construction zones, according to police. Road Safety Unit officers conducted targeted enforcement on January 7, focusing on areas where road work was underway. Police say four of the five tickets were issued in construction zones, including one case where a driver was allegedly travelling at 102 kilometres per hour in a posted 30 kilometre per hour zone. Police say speeding remains one of the leading causes of serious crashes, and constru

An incoming atmospheric river is expected to bring significant rain, snow and high winds to British Columbia’s north coast, prompting multiple weather warnings from Environment Canada. Forecasters say coastal communities including Prince Rupert, Terrace and Kitimat could receive up to 100 millimetres of rain beginning late Thursday and continuing into Saturday morning. The rainfall raises concerns about localized flooding, particularly in low-lying and drainage-prone areas. Inland travel routes are also expected to be affected. Environment Canada warns that sections of major highways could s

Mounties are investigating a report of shots fired in Langley Township early Thursday, though police say there are no reports of injuries and no ongoing risk to the public. Langley RCMP say officers were called to the area of 232 Street near 69 Avenue shortly after 5 a.m. following multiple reports of gunfire. Police secured the area while investigators worked to gather evidence and speak with potential witnesses. Authorities have not confirmed whether the shooting was targeted, nor whether it may be connected to a recent series of extortion-related incidents reported across parts of Metro Van

Security agencies were put on high alert Thursday after bomb threats were issued to at least 10 court complexes across several Indian states, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Authorities evacuated the affected court premises as a precaution while police teams launched extensive searches. In Punjab, district courts in Ferozepur, Moga and Rupnagar received threat messages, according to police sources. Similar threats were also reported at the Himachal Pradesh High Court, triggering concern among court staff, lawyers and litigants. No injuries o

West Shore RCMP say a focused investigation by their Crime Reduction Unit has led to the recovery of more than $140,000 worth of stolen property linked to multiple communities across Vancouver Island. Police say the investigation began in November 2025 while officers were searching for a 42-year-old man wanted on several outstanding warrants. Officers located and arrested the suspect without incident, recovering a stolen Chevrolet pickup truck and flat deck trailer loaded with construction-related items, including scaffolding, equipment and a 35-ton SpeeCo wood splitter. As the investigation c

Officials in the southern Alberta town of Taber say a propane leak from an ice resurfacing machine triggered an explosion that damaged the community’s main hockey arena earlier this week. According to the town, the leak occurred inside the arena on Dec. 17, allowing propane gas to build up into a cloud. That gas was later ignited by an electric heater, causing a fireball that blew open a garage door, shattered windows and knocked down interior walls separating the facility’s two ice rinks. Town spokesperson Meghan Brennan said more than a dozen people were inside the building at the time o