British Columbia's Green Party says the NDP government needs to "explain why" its proposal for broad-reaching emergency cabinet powers is needed before its two members support the legislation. Interim Leader Jeremy Valeriote said in a statement that while he understands the "urgency of the situation" given the ongoing trade strife with the United States, the proposed Bill 7 in its current form has "vague wording" and "could allow for sweeping economic decisions without clear limits or transparency." "There’s no need for secrecy," Valeriote said. "Decisions should be made openly, not behind c

The Quebec government will table new legislation today to strengthen secularism in the province's schools. Education Minister Bernard Drainville says that religious accommodations have no place in Quebec schools, and that science, sex education and gender equality must be taught properly. The government is planning to update Quebec's Education Act following a controversy over reports of religious practices at several of the province's public schools. Drainville says he was "stunned" to learn about the situation at Bedford elementary school in Montreal, after a government report last fall docum

Mounties in Langley, B.C., say the body of an 82-year-old woman has been found several months after she went missing. Jane Whitehouse was reported missing on Oct. 25 last year. Police said she was last seen that day in the suburb of Aldergrove. Her empty grey Dodge Grand Caravan was found a few days later. Police said the vehicle had run off the East Harrison forest service road in Agassiz, B.C., about 120 kilometres east of Vancouver. An RCMP statement says the woman's cause of death is not considered suspicious, and they offer condolences to her family and friends.

China's embassy in Ottawa is confirming that Beijing executed Canadian citizens earlier this year. It's not clear how many Canadians were executed, although the Canadian government says they did not include Abbotsford, B.C. native Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who was sentenced to death for drug smuggling by a Chinese court in 2019. In a media statement, the Chinese embassy says the death penalty cases involving Canadian nationals were based on "solid and sufficient" evidence, adding Beijing has "zero tolerance" for drug crime. Global Affairs Canada says it "repeatedly called for clemency for the

Punjab Police has begun reopening the Shambhu and Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana, which have been closed for 13 months. The protesting farmers have been removed from the area, and the shelters constructed by the farmers have been demolished using bulldozers. Reports indicate that the police, led by Patiala Range DIG Mandeep Singh, forcibly detained the farmers and transported them to buses. Patiala SSP Nanak Singh also arrived at the Shambhu border, stating that by morning, all farmers who had gathered from various parts of Punjab would be completely removed. According to reports

Punjab Police has successfully cleared the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, which had been closed for the last 13 months due to ongoing farmer protests. Farmers have been removed from these locations, and following this action, Haryana Police will remove the cement barricades from both borders tomorrow. As a result, the GT Road from the Shambhu border will be reopened for vehicle movement. Meanwhile, Punjab Congress President Raja Warring strongly condemned the action taken by Punjab Police. Warring accused both the BJP government at the Center and the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab of bet

Canola farmers on the Prairies are bracing for impact as China prepares to impose hefty tariffs on the industry. China is expected to enact a 100 per cent levy on Canadian canola oil and meal starting Thursday. The tariffs are a response to Canada's 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles and 25 per cent tax on aluminum and steel products. In response, governments in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba want action from Ottawa to support farmers. The federal government says China's tariffs are unjustified, but it has not announced any concrete plans to help canola farmers. A sweep

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says a nearly 23 per cent increase set for the premier's office budget is necessary as it assumes some financial responsibility for promoting the province's oil and gas industry. Smith says her office and executive council of government is taking on the former mandate of the controversial Canadian Energy Centre. The centre was created in 2019 by former United Conservative premier Jason Kenney to do battle against what it considered misinformation surrounding Alberta's oil sector. Smith's government shut the centre down last year and at the time said

Following the meeting in Chandigarh today between Punjab's farmers' organizations and the central government, Punjab Police suddenly detained farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sarwan Singh Pandher, Abhimanyu Kohar, and other leaders while they were returning to the Shambhu and Khanauri Morchas. In response to this, Punjab Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond issued a statement. The minister emphasized that Punjab has faced significant economic losses due to the closure of highways. While the Punjab government stands with the farmers, Sond highlighted that highways are crucial for busine