The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health says responders have fielded more than 300,000 calls and texts since the launch of the national 988 suicide helpline a year ago. Dr. Allison Crawford, the chief medical officer for the helpline, says people having suicidal thoughts or other mental health distress can get help 24 hours a day, seven days a week no matter where they live in Canada. She expects the volume of calls and texts will go up as more people become aware of the service. Crawford says it's critical that responders answer the calls or texts quickly so someone needing help doesn't gi

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon is summoning Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to his office today as federal mediation to end the nearly two-week old strike isn't working. MacKinnon says the special mediator appointed to help end the labour dispute says the two sides are too far apart on critical issues for mediation to currently be of use. As such mediation has temporarily been suspended. MacKinnon says he will be telling both sides that they alone are responsible for the consequences of the job action, which has stalled mail and parcel delivery since Nov. 15. Around 55,0

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to meet with the country’s premiers this afternoon, after they asked for an urgent meeting on U.S.-Canada relations ahead of the incoming Donald Trump administration. That request came Monday, before the U.S. president-elect threatened to impose a 25-per-cent import tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico. Trudeau and the premiers will hold a virtual meeting at 5 p.m. today. Trump said in a social media post Monday night that he would keep the tariffs in place until Canada and Mexico stop illegal border crossings and prevent drugs such as fentanyl f

The NDP and Bloc Québécois have called on the Trudeau government to extend the $250 rebate to retirees. This move could significantly increase the cost of the government's proposed relief package. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a $6.28-billion relief package for Canadians, including a GST exemption and a $250 rebate. Of this total, $4.68 billion is allocated to send $250 checks to Canadians. The government needs the support of at least one party in Parliament to implement the full package, but Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet has said he will only support the Liberals' plan i

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Canada is considering a number of measures at the American border, including additional resources. This comes after president-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports unless action is taken to stem the flow of both migrants and illegal drugs crossing the border. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, its officers recorded nearly 200,000 encounters at the northern border in the fiscal year that ended in September. That figure includes apprehensions, people who are deemed inadmissible and those who

BC Premier David Eby has criticized Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs and called on the Trudeau government to respond forcefully. Eby argued that the tariffs would not only harm Canada but also negatively impact the United States. He emphasized that Trump’s move would affect both countries equally. It is important to note that the United States is the largest market for British Columbia, accounting for about 54 percent of the province's total exports. According to provincial government figures, BC's exports to the United States in 2023 were valued at over $30 billion, with the province prim

In a significant blow to Canada, Donald Trump has announced that he will impose 25 percent tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico as soon as he takes office as President of the United States in the new year. This move is expected to cause major damage to Canadian businesses, jobs, and the economy, as the United States is Canada's largest trading partner. The impact can be gauged by the fact that in 2023, Canada's exports to the United States totaled $593 billion, which accounted for more than 77 percent of Canada's total exports. Trump has warned that the tariffs will remain in place un

Tourism body Destination Vancouver says Taylor Swift will bring an estimated $157 million economic impact to the city next week with the three final concert dates of the record-breaking Eras Tour. Destination Vancouver says the forecast includes $97 million in direct spending on items including accommodation, food and transport. It says the Eras Tour is expected to bring more than 150,000 Swifties to BC Place over the three shows from Dec. 6 to 8, and has resulted in more than 82,000 rooms booked across the region. The tourism organization made the calculations with BC Pavilion Corporation, wh

A commercial food processing company is facing 26 charges after an Edmonton worker became trapped in a smokehouse and died. Ontario-based Sofina Foods Inc. is charged with offences under Alberta health and safety laws. The province says the facility supervisor had gone to check the temperature of the smokehouse in March 2023 and was trapped inside. The employee was found by a co-worker and later died due to heat exposure. Smokehouses are used to process and preserve meat. It's alleged the company failed to ensure the smokehouse was well maintained and not a risk for staff.