Former Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced today in Ottawa that he will not contest the next federal election. Fraser explained that his role in federal politics had made it difficult for him to spend enough time with his family. He also mentioned that he had already informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of his decision. Notably, Fraser is the sixth minister in the Trudeau cabinet to announce that they will not seek re-election. Fraser has represented the Central Nova riding of Nova Scotia in the House of Commons since 2015, the year the Trudeau government first came to power.

Health officials in the Gaza Strip say the death toll from the 14-month war between Israel and Hamas militants has topped 45,000 people. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Health Ministry said 45,028 people have been killed and 106,962 have been wounded since the start of the war in October 2023. It has said the real toll is higher because thousands of bodies ar

Voters in the Liberal-held British Columbia riding of Cloverdale—Langley City go to the polls today to pick a new member of Parliament, in another test for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Liberal candidate Madison Fleischer, a local business owner, will face Conservative Tamara Jansen who previously held the seat. The byelection comes after the Liberals have already lost two long-held seats in the last several months. The successive byelection losses and dismal poll numbers have inspired public calls from inside and outside of Trudeau's caucus for him to resign as party leader. Cloverdale—L

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from the Liberal cabinet on Monday, posting her resignation letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media. Here is the letter:"Dear Prime Minister,It has been the honour of my life to serve in government, working for Canada and Canadians. We have accomplished a lot together.On Friday, you told me you no longer want me to serve as your Finance Minister and offered me another position in the Cabinet.Upon reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the Cabinet.To be effective, a Minister must spea

Mail will begin moving again on Tuesday as Canada Post employees return to work for the first time in more than a month after the federal government pushed to end the stoppage. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the 55,000 picketing employees back to work within days if the tribunal determines a deal isn't doable before the end of the year. Canada Post said Sunday night that after two days of hearings over the weekend, an impasse was declared. It says union members have been ordered back to work under their existing contract, which has bee

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.