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

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.

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

Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon will hold a news conference this morning to provide an update on the strike at Canada Post. The minister is set to speak with journalists on Parliament Hill at 10 a.m. ET. It's Day 29 of the labour dispute, with Christmas fast approaching and still no apparent movement at the bargaining table. The two sides have been bandying criticisms back and forth, but there's no indication yet that federal mediation is set to restart after it was paused in late November. MacKinnon has so far rebuffed calls for Ottawa to intervene, saying it's up to the two sides to

Parents expecting Canada Child Benefit (CCB) cheques will experience delays due to the ongoing Canada Post strike. According to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), payments have been issued since Friday, but cheque deliveries will be delayed by up to a week. The CRA stated that Canada Post will deliver the checks on December 20. However, recipients with direct deposit will receive their payments on schedule tomorrow. Canada Post confirmed that the union has agreed to prioritize the delivery of social program checks despite the strike. In December, under the CCB program, parents can receive a maxi

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has been named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2024. This marks his second such honor, having previously received the title in 2016. Last year, the distinction was awarded to pop singer Taylor Swift. Time magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Sam Jacobs, explained that Trump earned the title for his historic comeback and his role in reshaping the American presidency, as well as changing America's position on the global stage. It is notable that Trump triumphed over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race, despite facing multiple challenges, includi

Family of an Indigenous man whose braids were cut and thrown away while he was staying in an Edmonton hospital want answers. Eve Adams says this past spring she went to visit her husband Dexter at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital only to find the 84-year-old's braids, his eagle feather and some medicine had been put in the garbage can. Dexter's niece Kathleen Crowe says in the months that have followed the family has never received an explanation or an apology from hospital staff. Crowe says the braids held a deep cultural meaning, and to have them cut off without her uncle's