The recently appointed chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission says he has agreed to resign today after an investigation into comments he made in the past related to Israel. The justice minister launched an investigation after Canadian Jewish organizations raised concerns about Birju Dattani's past activities. Dattani has previously denied allegations that he made anti-Israel statements, including what Conservatives characterize as a "justification of terrorism." Justice Minister Arif Virani told Dattani in a letter at the end of July that the results of the investigation ra

The Quebec Liberal Party is proposing that the province adopt its own constitution, a project it says will be "unifying." The idea was announced this morning by members of the party's policy commission Julie White and Antoine Dionne Charest, son of former Quebec Liberal premier Jean Charest. In a video released on social media they say a constitution would assert key elements of "who we are," including the province's language, the powers of the Quebec government and the distinct Civil Code used in civil litigation. Charest says the proposal is in response to polices of the governing Coalition

Lawyers for two men convicted of mischief at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., are scheduled to appear in court today as the case moves toward sentencing. A jury on Aug. 2 also found Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert guilty of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and Olienick was convicted of possessing a pipe bomb. They were acquitted of the more serious charge of conspiring to murder police officers. RCMP found a cache of weapons, ammunition and body armour near the blockade at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in 2022. The blockade was one of several held across the country to pr

Calgary's mayor says the city is considering ways to strengthen a key water main for the long term, including replacing it altogether. Jyoti Gondek says in the spring the city could add a liner or a sleeve to the pipe to strengthen it, or dig alongside it and built an entirely new one. The pipe in northwest Calgary ruptured in early June, drenching a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway and nearby parkland. The break forced Calgarians to undertake a series of water conservation measures, from not watering lawns to taking shorter showers. The restrictions had been gradually easing when, earlier

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada his imposed sanctions on 10 people and six entities on the anniversary of the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections in Belarus. The sanctions are in response to what Joly describes as ongoing and systematic human rights abuses in Belarus, and support for Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. The list includes judges who Canada says have arbitrarily condemned citizens for expressing their opposition to the 2020 elections. It also includes people who co-ordinate military production with Russia in Belarus. Canada also sanctions ent

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he would impose big new import taxes on a host of Chinese-made goods including electric cars, solar panels and semiconductors if his party wins the next election. Poilievre made the announcement in Hamilton, standing in front of a few dozen employees at the city's Stelco steel plant. Steel is among the products Poilievre says requires new import tariffs as he accuses China of breaching labour and environment standards to "crush" Canadian industry. Poilievre says the federal Liberals are refusing to follow the lead of U.S. President Joe Biden and protec

Remnants of tropical storm Debby merging with another low pressure system over the Great Lakes could bring up to 100 millimetres of rain to parts of Eastern Canada on Friday. The system is passing through Southern Ontario and Quebec today, which has prompted Environment Canada to issue alerts and warnings for communities between Cornwall, Ont., through Quebec City about the risk of flash flooding. The agency has also warned that minor landslides are a possibility. Ottawa is forecast to be particularly hard hit by this storm system, with 50 to 75 millimetres of rainfall expected throughout Frid

Up to 100 millimetres of rain is forecast to hit parts of Eastern Canada by the weekend as the remnants of tropical storm Debby make their way to the region. Environment Canada is warning of heavy rain and risks of flash flooding and sewer backups across a swath of the country from Cornwall, Ont., to Quebec City. Meteorologist Jennifer Smith told a news conference that a low-pressure system over the Great Lakes will bring rain and possible thunderstorms in Eastern Ontario and southern Quebec tonight before the weather system merges with what's left of Debby. Smith says Montreal receives an ave

An aviation expert says airfares may go up in the immediate aftermath of a hailstorm that tore through Calgary on Monday evening, damaging WestJet planes and upending travel plans. Hailstones as big as golf balls pummelled the tarmac, forcing the Calgary-based airline to ground 10 per cent of its fleet for major repairs and inspections. WestJet says it cancelled 248 flights between Monday and Wednesday, and will have to cut trips across its network for the "foreseeable future." Barry Prentice, who heads the University of Manitoba's transport institute, says a significant scale-back by the coun