Russia's ambassador in Ottawa says Canada is a "very dangerous country" for Russians to visit.Oleg Stepanov says Canada keeps sanctioning people and claimed that Russians are regularly experiencing racism.In a Russian-language interview last Friday, Stepanov said, "I would not recommend (visiting Canada) for tourism, education or business."However, he added that most Canadians treat Russians well, and Moscow's travel advisory for Canada only warns of street gangs and a "rather harsh climate."Stepanov says relations between Ottawa and Moscow are in a deep freeze and claimed that Russia has been

Former Quebec cabinet minister Nadine Girault has died at the age of 63.Premier François Legault confirmed her death on social media, paying tribute to a "passionate, determined and endearing woman."Girault announced in July that she was stepping away from her role as minister of immigration for health reasons and that she would not run in the October election.In 2019, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and took time off to undergo treatment.Girault was a businesswoman before entering politics in 2018 and winning election for the Coalition Avenir Québec in the riding of Bertrand, northeast o

Two people have been taken to hospital in serious but stable condition after a blast destroyed multiple homes in an east Ottawa suburb.Reid Purdy of the Ottawa Paramedic Service says the two had to be extricated after the explosion in Orleans, while three other people were taken to hospital with minor injuries.Another five people were assessed at the scene and released.Ottawa deputy fire chief David Matschke says the explosion occurred around 6:18 a.m. local time and affected four homes that were under construction.The Ottawa fire service previously said the explosion was caused by a gas leak.

Canada's defence minister says the United States is still trying to determine whether a Chinese surveillance balloon collected any intelligence from either country when it flew over North America last week.Anita Anand says Canada opted against shooting it down over Canadian airspace because it was deemed not to pose a threat to public safety.And she says Norad, the Canada-U.S. continental defence system, tracked the balloon throughout its flight, but she won't say precisely where it was when it was first detected.Anand met today with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon as she w

Every community in British Columbia will be eligible for infrastructure grants coming from a one-time $1-billion government fund.Premier David Eby says the money has been set aside in the provincial budget surplus, which was estimated at $5.7 billion last fall.He says he expects the government's Growing Communities Fund grants to help local municipalities improve roads, build arenas and water facilities and improve recreation options for families.The premier says the grants are available to B.C.'s 188 municipalities and regional districts, and can be used to prepare for future growth and build

A search and rescue team from British Columbia has taken part in the successful rescue of a woman from earthquake rubble in Turkey, more than four days after the tremor hit.Footage by the CBC showed members of the Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue team being thanked and embraced by Turkish colleagues on the scene, moments after the dust-covered woman was taken to an ambulance in the town of Adiyaman.The volunteer Canadian team had earlier shared photos on social media showing them at work in Adiyaman, where Turkey's consul general in Vancouver said they had been deployed early Thursday.The Burna

The federal government is appealing a judge's declaration that four Canadian men being held in Syrian camps are entitled to Ottawa's help to return home.In a filing today in the Federal Court of Appeal, the government asks that a ruling last month by Federal Court Justice Henry Brown be set aside and be placed on hold while the appeal plays out.In his ruling, Brown directed Ottawa to request repatriation of the men as soon as reasonably possible and provide them with passports or emergency travel documents.Brown said the men are also entitled to have a representative of the federal government

A First Nation on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island has declared a state of emergency over what its leadership describes as the "unrelating impact of drugs and alcohol" on its members, particularly children and youth.A statement from the Ehattesaht First Nation says six young people have died from drug overdoses in the small village over the past few months.It says the nation's chief and council are calling on officials from the British Columbia and federal governments to sit down with them to help find the resources necessary to create a "survival plan."The nation's council has been try

Former British Columbia premier John Horgan says he is leaving politics, and gave an emotional farewell speech in the legislature.While he didn't give a specific time for his departure, he suggested St. Patrick's Day on March 17 might be a good day to go.Horgan, who's 63, has twice battled cancer, and announced last June that health reasons were forcing him to retire from the premier's job after five years.He did tell members of the house that he was healthy, and thanked all those who supported him during his battle with throat cancer.In his 35-minute speech, he also thanked several members of