Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says using the notwithstanding clause to shield her government's transgender health restrictions is on the table as a ``last resort.'' A provincial law will ban doctors from providing gender-affirming treatment such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for those under 16 and halt gender-affirming ``top'' surgeries for minors. On her radio call-in show this weekend, Smith says she's willing to invoke the notwithstanding clause, a measure that allows governments to override certain Charter rights for up to five years. Smith says she doesn't want to take the ste

British Columbia's NDP government says it has reached an agreement with the provincial Green Party to work together on a specific set of shared priorities. A statement from Premier David Eby's office says the two parties are distinct, and they won't always agree, but they have "many shared values" and the deal will help stabilize the New Democrats' slim majority government.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government plans to end the rule limiting pension fund holdings in Canadian institutions to 30% as part of a broader strategy to boost domestic investment. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced on Friday that the limit will be removed in the mini-budget to be presented on Monday. This change would enable the Canada Pension Plan to make larger investments in Canadian institutions, which collectively hold over $3 trillion in assets. The government also intends to permit pension funds to take larger ownership stakes in municipally owned utility corporati

Victoria, the capital of BC, has been named the top city in Canada on GoFundMe’s list of the most generous cities. This is the second year in a row that the capital has received this honor. According to GoFundMe, the city of about 92,000 residents contributed more than 19,500 donations in 2024. North Vancouver ranked second, followed by the Newfoundland city of St. John’s, Vancouver, and the Ontario town of Milton. Victoria is also among the leaders in donations to Canadian charities. It was ranked fifth by CanadaHelps, the country’s largest online platform for donating and fundraising.

Farmers protesting at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana for the past 10 months will attempt their third march towards Delhi tomorrow. Earlier this month, Haryana Police stopped them twice from crossing the border. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher announced that a group of 101 farmers will leave for Delhi at 12 noon tomorrow. Meanwhile, Ambala SP stated that farmers will not be allowed to proceed without proper permission.

Dan Coulter, a former member of British Columbia's legislature and a New Democrat cabinet minister, has died at age 49. The BC New Democratic Party says in a statement that Coulter was a "devoted advocate" for the people of B.C. The party says Coulter "always championed the underdog," citing his work in the legislature after his election in Chilliwack in 2020, his former role of chair of the Chilliwack school board and as the Parliamentary secretary for accessibility and minister of state for infrastructure and transit. The party's provincial director Heather Stoutenburg said last week in a st

Raging Canadian wildfires that choked North America under clouds of smoke last year may have contributed to a spike in doctor visits for lung and heart problems thousands of kilometres away. U.S. researchers published peer-reviewed findings Friday that suggest doctor visits in the Baltimore area for heart and lung problems increased by almost 20 per cent on six "hotspot" days linked to wildfire smoke from Western Canada. Canada's worst wildfire season on record saw plumes of smoke drift across the continent made up of fine-particle pollution that's tiny enough to get deep in the lungs and crea

Police in Surrey, B.C., say a section of Highway 99 remains closed the day after a nine-vehicle crash that sent six people to hospital. The Surrey Police Service says a transport vehicle was involved in collisions in the northbound lanes before crossing the median into oncoming southbound traffic near the Highway 91 interchange around 5:30 p.m. Thursday. They say the southbound lanes from the interchange and northbound from King George Boulevard were closed after the crash. They say the section of highway will likely be closed for "a few hours" Friday, affecting the morning commute, as officer

British Columbia may consider cutting off electricity and natural gas supplies to the United States in response to President Trump’s tariffs. Premier David Eby has stated that no options are off the table when it comes to responding to what he describes as unfair tariffs. Eby did not rule out the possibility of halting electricity or natural gas exports to the US. His strong comments came after a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday, where they discussed the tariffs. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has also made it clear that his province will cut off power supplies