The Quebec government has introduced legislation to give itself new powers to cap the number of international students in the province. The bill tabled today is part of a larger push to lower the number of non-permanent residents in Quebec, which has increased to 600,000 from 300,000 in the last two years. Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge says there were 120,000 foreign students in the province last year, up from 50,000 in 2014, and Quebec is using all the tools at its disposal to reduce temporary immigration. The new bill would allow the government to fix the number of internationa

The Alberta politician who was removed from the United Conservative Party caucus after comparing transgender children to feces has been voted back in. Jennifer Johnson, the MLA for Lacombe-Ponoka, says she grew “personally and professionally” in the 17 months since being removed from caucus. “Now, I am eager to apply what I have learned to benefit everyone who calls this province home,” Johnson said in a news release. The MLA was kicked out last year after a 2022 recording surfaced of her comparing transgender youth to a batch of cookies laced with “a little bit of poop.” She has b

A federal inquiry into interference in Canada's affairs is slated to hear today from Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. Former public safety minister Marco Mendicino is also scheduled to testify at the commission of inquiry. Officials from Joly's department, Global Affairs Canada, appeared late last week. The inquiry's latest hearings are focusing on the ability of agencies to detect and counter foreign meddling. Once the hearings conclude, there will be a week of policy sessions to help identify recommendations. A final report is due by the end of the year.

William Osler Hospital in Ontario apologized after its staff shaved a Sikh man's beard without permission from him or his family and in violation of his religious principles. The World Sikh Organization (WSO) brought attention to the August incident last month. Dr. Frank Martino, president and CEO of the William Osler Health System in Brampton, and Pardeep Singh Gill, board chair, issued a public apology Wednesday. "Recently, we failed to uphold religious and cultural care practices when a Sikh patient's beard was shaved without consent and without medical necessity. We take full responsibil

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault has been tasked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lead the federal government's share of the work to rebuild Jasper, Alta. In July, a wildfire destroyed one-third of the Rocky Mountain tourist town and displaced some 2,000 residents. Boissonnault, an Edmonton member of Parliament, will be responsible for co-ordinating federal resources with the Alberta government, the municipality and Indigenous groups. "This role that the prime minister has asked me to play in terms of ministerial lead is important, but it’s a whole-of-government approach," Boissonna

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canadians in Florida should leave and people planning to travel there should postpone as the state braces for the impact of Hurricane Milton. The storm was downgraded this morning to a Category 4 but is expected to bring deadly storm surge, rain and winds. It's expected to make landfall later today in the Tampa Bay area, which is home to more than 3.3 million people, and then move east affecting other populated areas including Sarasota, Orlando and Daytona Beach. Millions of people have been ordered to evacuate. Florida is a popular destination for C

One of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's key advisers and the driving force behind the province's recovery-focused addiction treatment push is leaving the job. Premier Smith says her chief-of-staff, Marshall Smith, will retire from public service by the end of October. Marshall Smith has been held up as the architect of the government's approach to the drug-overdose crisis, prioritizing recovery over harm-reduction. Rob Anderson, executive director of the premier's office, is set to take over the chief-of-staff role. Marshall Smith has also been at the centre of a controversial poli

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is travelling to Laos today to take part in the ASEAN Summit. Canada is not a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but has a strategic partnership with ASEAN and is hoping to conclude a trade deal with the 10-nation bloc by the end of next year. Canada and Indonesia are also working toward a trade deal that's set to be signed by the end of this year. The trip marks the first official visit to Laos by a Canadian prime minister and Trudeau is set to meet with leaders from several member nations during the summit. Together, the ASEAN countries repres

A former Winnipeg high school football coach has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting nine students. Kelsey McKay was sentenced today after pleading guilty last year to nine counts of sexual assault and two counts of luring. The victims ranged in age from 12 to 18 when the assaults happened between 2003 and 2016. Court was told McKay was considered a father figure to the boys and in some cases supplied them with alcohol and pornography. McKay apologized in court in March and said he betrayed the trust that had been placed in him. The Crown asked for a 25-year sentence