Statistics Canada says the population grew to 41,528,680 people as of Jan. 1 as the pace of growth continued to slow after peaking in the third quarter of 2023. The total number of people was up 63,382 compared with Oct. 1, 2024, for a quarterly growth rate of 0.2 per cent. The agency says it was the slowest growth rate since the fourth quarter of 2020, when border restrictions related to the pandemic were in place. It says the result came as the number of non-permanent residents posted its first quarterly decrease since the fourth quarter of 2021. Statistics Canada says there were 28,341 fewe

Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting a meeting with Canada's premiers on Friday. The prime minister's office and the office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed details of the meeting. It comes as Carney is widely expected to call an election within just days or weeks. He was in Iqaluit Tuesday in a bid to reassert Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic. That was the final stop on a whirlwind trip to France and the U.K., where he pushed for closer trade and security ties with Europe. Carney is just days into the job after winning the Liberal leadership in a landslide on March 9.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was seen shopping for the first time since leaving office. He shared a selfie of the moment on his Instagram account, taken while shopping at Canadian Tire. In the photo, kitchenware is visible in his cart as he posed in the store's cooking section. Trudeau visited Canadian Tire on Monday morning, as he mentioned in his post's caption. Trudeau had previously thanked Canadians in his last post as Prime Minister. On March 14, he wrote, "Thank you, Canada," and shared a similar message on X (formerly Twitter). Additionally, he updated his social medi

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled plans to develop an early warning radar missile detection system in collaboration with Australia to counter growing threats from Russia and China in the Arctic region. The project will be funded with a $6 billion investment. Carney made the announcement Tuesday in Nunavut, emphasizing that Ottawa will also bolster the presence of the Canadian Armed Forces in the Arctic to safeguard Canada's land, water, and sea sovereignty. In this regard, the federal government will invest $420 million. Prime Minister Carney also revealed that he had spoken wi

Canada’s annual inflation rate reached 2.6% in February, marking the first time in seven months that it has surpassed the 2% threshold. This increase follows the expiration of the GST exemption for Canadians on February 15. The inflation rate in January had been 1.9%. According to Statistics Canada, the inflation rate for February would have been 3% if the GST exemption had not been in place. This latest figure, coupled with the ongoing trade tensions with the US, may limit the Bank of Canada’s ability to cut interest rates further. StatCan noted that while prices increased across nearly

Prime Minister Mark Carney has breathed new life into the Liberal Party, with a new Ipsos survey revealing that the Liberals have steadily increased their lead over the Conservatives since his arrival. The Ipsos poll indicates that if an election were held tomorrow, the Liberals would secure 42% of voter support, while the Conservatives would receive 36%. Prior to this, the Conservatives had consistently led in Ipsos polling since 2021, but this trend shifted in February of this year. Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, noted that it now appears the Liberals’ position is strengthe

Economists and market participants are betting that the Bank of Canada will not cut interest rates next month, given the latest inflation data. Money markets are pricing in a 65% chance that the central bank will keep rates steady during its next meeting on April 16. With February's inflation data and the potential for further increases due to tariffs, the Bank of Canada may temporarily pause its rate-cutting cycle in April. Economists at National Bank and Benjamin Reitzes, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, have expressed similar expectations. Reitzes noted that the removal of the carbon t

A union representing more than 4,000 school support workers in Alberta says members have ratified collective agreements with two Fort McMurray school districts Monday, ending a two-month strike. The Canadian Union of Public Employees says workers at both the Fort McMurray Public and Fort McMurray Catholic school districts are set to return to their duties on Wednesday. The union said Saturday it had reached tentative deals with the public and Catholic school boards in Fort McMurray and with the Edmonton Public School Board, noting a ratification by the Edmonton workers would occur Monday o

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has made a serious accusation against Prime Minister Mark Carney, claiming that Carney has been concealing the consumer carbon tax to influence the election. Poilievre argues that the executive order Carney signed to eliminate the tax is a fake, insisting that it remains in effect and hasn't been removed anywhere. He also warned that it could be reintroduced after the election. During a visit to a steel company in L'Orignal village, Ontario, Poilievre criticized Carney’s plan to increase the carbon tax on Canadian companies, especially in the context of