A coalition of business groups is calling on the federal government to prevent a work stoppage at Canada's two biggest railways. A phased shutdown of the networks at Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. is already underway as the clock ticks down on contact talks with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. Unless deals are reached, rail service at both companies is poised to stop at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday. In a joint statement, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada, Canadian Federation of Independent Business and Canadian Manufacturers an

International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen says Canada will provide $5.7 million for Ukrainians to meet their basic needs. Ottawa says it's maintaining solidarity with Ukraine two-and-a-half years into Russia's full-scale invasion as Hussen visits Kyiv. The trip has a focus on children, with Hussen visiting the main children's hospital, which was damaged by a Russian missile in July. The funding includes $2 million for Save the Children Canada, which has helped Ukrainian kids with food, education and psychosocial support. Another $3.5 million will go toward medical and mental-health servi

Quebec Premier François Legault is announcing a six-month freeze on certain temporary foreign worker applications in Montreal. The premier says the moratorium will apply to new applications and renewals, but nurses, teachers, construction workers, food transformation workers and those making at least $57,000 a year will be exempt. Legault says the total number of temporary immigrants across the province has doubled to 600,000 from 300,000 in just two years, putting a strain on housing as well as social services such as health and education. The premier said there are about 12,000 temporary fo

Canada’s annual inflation rate fell to 2.5 per cent last month, matching forecasters’ expectations as price pressures continue to retreat. Tuesday’s consumer price index report says prices for travel tours, passenger vehicles and electricity helped drive the headline figure lower. Meanwhile, shelter costs are still the main driver of inflation as Canadians face significantly higher rents and mortgage payments. The federal agency noted, however, that shelter price growth slowed last month to 5.7 per cent year-over-year, down from 6.2 per cent in June. July marked the slowest annual increa

The mayor of Montreal says the cause of a major water main break Friday morning near the city's Jacques Cartier Bridge remains unknown. Valérie Plante says 50 buildings were flooded when millions of litres of water erupted onto city streets, and 16 households have asked the Red Cross for emergency housing. She says workers are now removing debris from roads in the area, but it will take time to get the parts to repair the two-metre-wide pipe. Plante says she's relieved the city didn't have to shut off the drinking water supply to any customers, although Montreal did issue a boil-water advisor

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed... Union serves 72-hour strike notice to CPKC More than 9,000 workers at Canada's two major railways could be either on strike or locked out as of Thursday, disrupting supply chains relied upon by many industries. The union representing thousands of workers at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. says it has served a 72-hour strike notice to the railway. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference issued a news release saying unless the parties can reach a last-minute agreement, workers will be off the job as of 12:01

A luxury superyacht carrying foreign tourists capsized and sank off Sicily in bad weather early Monday. One body was found, six people remain missing and 15 people were rescued, authorities said. The ship had overturned around 5 a.m. off the port of Porticello, where it was apparently anchored. It had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, including British, American and Canadian nationalities, the Italian coast guard said. Local media said a sudden fierce storm, including tornados over water known as waterspouts, had battered the area overnight but skies were clear and seas calm by Monday mor

Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville says there are still 5,704 teaching positions to be filled in the province's schools, weeks before the new school year begins. But Drainville says that number represents 2,800 fewer vacancies compared with this time last year. He says the school system faces a serious challenge to find enough teachers because there are about 20,000 more students enrolled than there were last year. Of the 5,704 unfilled teaching spots, 1,406 are for permanent, full-time positions, and the rest are contract jobs. Drainville says the improvement over last year is due i

A break in a major underground water main near Montreal's Jacques Cartier Bridge sent water gushing down streets and inside homes on Friday morning, forcing the evacuation of nearby buildings. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said many residents east of downtown woke up around 6 a.m. to firefighters urging them to vacate their homes because of flooding risks from the "geyser" that erupted at the corner of René-Lévesque Boulevard and de Lorimier Avenue. Images broadcast by media showed water gushing from the intersection in the densely populated neighbourhood near the bridge, and witnesses said