CanadaOct 04, 2024
Canadian families trapped in Lebanon plead for evacuation as violence escalates; concern grows among Lebanese and Arab diaspora in Canada
A Canadian citizen stranded in Lebanon with his family is pleading for evacuation as Israeli airstrikes continue to hit areas near Beirut, deepening fears among thousands of Canadians with roots in the region.
Jalal Tabaja, a father of four Canadian children, said he has relocated his family to a hotel in a quieter area north of Beirut, but nowhere feels safe as explosions echo across the capital. Tabaja, who lost both parents last week when their car was struck by an Israeli bomb, said he has been told that his family could get seats on a government-arranged evacuation flight on Sunday but is
CanadaOct 04, 2024
NDP warns parliamentary gridlock could shape confidence votes as Conservative–Liberal standoff deepens
NDP House Leader Peter Julian says his party wants to advance key legislation before the next federal election, but warns that the current parliamentary dysfunction is becoming a serious concern - one that could influence how New Democrats vote in future confidence motions.
In the past three weeks, two Conservative non-confidence motions have failed to topple the Liberal minority government. The Opposition, however, has vowed to continue pressing for more such votes, arguing that the government no longer has the moral authority to govern.
Julian accused the Conservatives of acting as “agents
CanadaOct 04, 2024
Supreme Court upholds stronger compensation rules for Canadian air passengers on international flights
In a major victory for Canadian travellers, the Supreme Court of Canada has upheld federal regulations that strengthen compensation rights for passengers facing flight delays, cancellations, or damaged luggage on international flights.
The country’s top court unanimously dismissed an appeal by Air Canada, Porter Airlines, and 16 other carriers that had challenged the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) introduced in 2019. The airlines had argued that the rules violated international aviation standards under the Montreal Convention and exceeded the authority of the Canadian Transporta
CanadaOct 04, 2024
Suspicious fire in historic Old Montreal building sends one to hospital, investigation underway
Montreal police are investigating a major fire that broke out early Friday morning in a century-old building in the city’s Old Montreal district, leaving one person hospitalized with burns and another treated for shock.
Authorities said the fire began around 2:40 a.m. on the ground floor of a building on Notre-Dame Street East, which houses a restaurant, while the upper floors were used for short-term rentals. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but police have taken over the case because it is considered suspicious.
About 125 firefighters were called to the scene, working for several hou
CanadaOct 04, 2024
WestJet cuts Lethbridge flights to one per day, raising travel concerns for southern Alberta communities
Despite millions spent on recent renovations at Lethbridge Airport, the city’s only commercial carrier, WestJet, has reduced its service to just one daily flight, a move that has raised concerns for southern Alberta residents who rely on air links to Edmonton and Calgary for business, family travel, and medical appointments.
WestJet had planned to scale back operations to a single flight starting October 3, but the change took effect slightly earlier. “We’ve got a schedule change that’s kind of started a little bit early, as of Oct. 1,” said Jared Mikoch-Gerke, WestJet’s director o
CanadaOct 03, 2024
Alberta nurses inch closer to strike as talks with province stall over pay and staffing issues
Tensions between the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) and the provincial government are escalating after another round of negotiations failed to produce a new collective agreement, raising the prospect of a province-wide strike that could impact hospitals across Alberta.
David Harrigan, labour relations director for the UNA, said that while last month’s informal mediation meetings were “productive,” the gap between the two sides remains too wide to bridge.
The union is demanding a 30 per cent wage increase over two years, citing inflation and the rising cost of living, while the Alberta go
CanadaOct 03, 2024
Manitoba man acquitted after 50 years in wrongful murder conviction tied to systemic discrimination
After nearly half a century, Clarence Woodhouse, a Manitoba man wrongfully convicted of murder in 1974, has been formally acquitted by the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, marking the end of one of Canada’s longest-running miscarriages of justice.
Woodhouse had been found guilty of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg five decades ago. His lawyers argued that the confession attributed to him could not have been genuine, as it was recorded in fluent English, a language he did not primarily speak - his first language being Saulteaux, an Anishinaabe dialect.
Th
CanadaOct 03, 2024
RCMP Commissioner to testify again at foreign interference inquiry as diaspora concerns grow in Canada
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme is set to appear today before the federal inquiry into foreign interference, where Canada’s national police force will face renewed questions about how it detects and counters attempts by foreign states to influence Canadian institutions - a topic closely watched in diverse communities such as Surrey and Edmonton.
This marks Duheme’s second appearance before the inquiry, joined by senior RCMP officials as the hearings turn their focus to how federal agencies identify and respond to foreign meddling. The commission’s sessions, which continue through October 1
CanadaOct 03, 2024
Trudeau headed to Francophonie summit in France
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is travelling to France today to attend the Francophonie summit, where discussions on French-language cooperation are expected to share the stage with growing concerns about conflict in the Middle East.
The two-day summit, taking place Thursday and Friday in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris, brings together leaders from French-speaking countries around the world. France will assume the presidency of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) from Tunisia during the event.
Officials say this year’s theme: “Create, innovate and do business in French”