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trudeau-noncommittal-on-expanding-rebate-beyond-working-canadians
CanadaNov 29, 2024

Trudeau noncommittal on expanding rebate beyond 'working Canadians'

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not appear willing to budge on his plan to send a $250 rebate to "hardworking Canadians," despite pressure from the opposition to give the money to seniors and people who are not able to work. The rebate is one of two affordability measures the Liberals announced this month, along with a plan to temporarily cut the federal sales tax on a list of items that are popular over the holidays. The GST holiday bill passed in the House of Commons late Thursday night with the help of the NDP, and needs approval from the Senate before the tax break takes effect in a lit
supreme-court-affirms-constitutionality-of-b-c-law-on-opioid-health-costs-recovery
CanadaNov 29, 2024

Supreme Court affirms constitutionality of B.C. law on opioid health costs recovery

Canada's top court has affirmed the constitutionality of a law that would allow British Columbia to pursue a class-action lawsuit against opioid providers on behalf of other provinces, the territories and the federal government. The Supreme Court of Canada decision today is another step toward a potential cross-country action by governments that paid to treat patients who took the addictive drugs. Section 11 of B.C.'s Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act allows the province to bring an action against opioid manufacturers and distributors on behalf of multiple governments, but also
poilievre-raises-issue-of-illegal-immigration-in-canada
CanadaNov 29, 2024

Poilievre Raises Issue of Illegal Immigration in Canada

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre raised the issue of illegal immigration in Canada during a speech in Parliament. Poilievre claimed that 500,000 people are currently living in Canada illegally. He criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him a "weak" leader with no control over immigration or the country's borders. Poilievre also argued that Canada is facing a significant economic challenge, referencing the impact of U.S. tariffs under President Trump. Poilievre further pointed out that the government had previously invited about 700,000 international students, giving them
canadas-economy-grew-1-in-q3-driven-by-government-household-spending
CanadaNov 29, 2024

Canada's economy grew 1% in Q3, driven by government & household spending

The Canadian economy has slowed for the sixth consecutive quarter on a per capita basis, suggesting that high interest rates are still weighing on business investment. According to Statistics Canada, the Canadian economy grew at an annualized rate of 1 percent in the third quarter (July to September), down from 2.2 percent in the second quarter. However, this figure was in line with economists' expectations, though it was below the Bank of Canada’s 1.5 percent forecast. The Statistics Canada report also indicated that higher wages and lower interest rates helped the household savings rate re
one-woman-killed-one-hurt-in-armed-robbery-attempt-southeast-of-quebec-city
CanadaNov 29, 2024

One woman killed, one hurt in armed robbery attempt southeast of Quebec City

One woman was killed and another was badly injured following an alleged armed robbery attempt at a clothing store southeast of Quebec City. Quebec provincial police say the suspect entered the business in St-Anselme, Que., at around 8 p.m. Thursday and wounded the two female employees before fleeing on foot. One of the victims, who was in her 30s, died of her injuries. The second victim, in her 20s, was seriously hurt but her life is not considered in danger. There were no arrests as of this morning. Police say technicians are at the scene and the investigation into the deaths is ongoing.
liberals-ndp-pass-gst-bill-in-house-of-commons
CanadaNov 29, 2024

Liberals, NDP pass GST bill in House of Commons

The Liberals' GST holiday bill is one step closer to becoming law after it was passed by a majority of the House of Commons late Thursday night.The two-month tax break covers dozens of items, including children's clothes and toys, video games and consoles, Christmas trees, restaurant and catered meals, wine, beer, candy and snacks. It would take effect on Dec. 14 and run until Feb. 15, 2025. The government announced the plan as a way to ease affordability concerns during the holiday period. At the time, they also pledged to send $250 rebates to working Canadians in the spring, but that partic
canadas-house-of-commons-approves-liberals-bill-c-78-on-first-reading
CanadaNov 28, 2024

Canada's House of Commons Approves Liberal’s Bill C-78 on First Reading

Canada's House of Commons has approved the Liberal government's Bill C-78 on first reading. Under this bill, Canadians will receive a two-month GST exemption on a variety of items, including restaurant meals, beverages, snacks, children's clothing, and toys. This temporary relief will apply from December 14 to February 15. In the House of Commons, the NDP voted in favor of the Liberals' Bill C-78, while the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois voted against it. According to the government, the proposed tax exemption will save Canadians approximately $1.6 billion. The government states that
canada-increases-border-security-funding-in-response-to-us-tariff-threats
CanadaNov 28, 2024

Canada Increases Border Security Funding in Response to US Tariff Threats

Canada has decided to increase funding for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the RCMP to strengthen border security in response to US President Donald Trump's threat of tariffs. This funding will allow both agencies to further expand their personnel and resources at the border. The announcement followed an emergency meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial premiers across Canada on Wednesday evening to discuss Trump's proposed tariffs and the future of Canada-US relations. The meeting lasted about 90 minutes online, after which federal Public Safety Minister Domi
poilievre-targets-trudeau-over-border-security
CanadaNov 28, 2024

Poilievre Targets Trudeau Over Border Security

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has launched a major attack on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over border security. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Poilievre stated that Trudeau is fully responsible for the current situation. Poilievre claimed that, under Trudeau, there were no illegal crossings prior to his tenure. He accused the Prime Minister of leaving the borders open, which led to a dramatic increase in asylum seekers — from 10,000 to 200,000. He further emphasized that it is now the provinces' responsibility to secure the borders. Poilievre asserted that Trudeau has failed to fu

Just In

BCJul 15, 2026

Elderly woman distracted and robbed of gold necklace in Vancouver, police seek suspects

A 76-year-old woman was allegedly robbed of her gold necklace after being distracted by an unknown woman in Vancouver's East 11th Avenue and Victoria Drive area on Tuesday, according to the Vancouver Police Department. Police said the incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. while the senior was waiting for family members. An unidentified woman approached her and claimed she looked like her mother, whose birthday she said it was. The suspect then hugged the victim and, during the interaction, allegedly removed the woman's gold necklace and replaced it with a fake one. The victim reportedly discov
AlbertaJul 15, 2026

Alberta launches online bike lane complaint form ahead of planned legislation

The Alberta government has launched an online public feedback form inviting residents to report concerns about bike lanes as it prepares legislation expected this fall. According to the Alberta government, Albertans can use the online form to share concerns about bike lanes in their communities, including whether they believe a lane is underused, has reduced on-street parking, contributed to traffic congestion, affected local businesses, or delayed emergency response times. The province says the feedback will help inform future transportation policy decisions. Transportation Minister Devin Dre
canada-pauses-new-parent-and-grandparent-sponsorship-applications-for-2026
CanadaJul 15, 2026

Canada pauses new parent and grandparent sponsorship applications for 2026

The federal government says it will not accept any new applications this year under Canada's Parents and Grandparents Program as it works to reduce processing times and manage a large backlog of existing files. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), approximately 60,500 sponsorship applications are currently being processed. The department said it expects to approve about 15,000 parents and grandparents each year over the next two years from applications already in the system. IRCC said the temporary pause is intended to improve processing efficiency. The department
federal-government-names-new-members-to-independent-senate-appointments-advisory-board
CanadaJul 15, 2026

Federal government names new members to independent Senate appointments advisory board

The federal government has announced new appointments to the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, one week after Prime Minister Mark Carney named four new senators to the upper chamber. According to a federal government news release, the advisory board will continue to provide non-binding recommendations to the prime minister on Senate appointments. The board was established in 2016 to support a merit-based and independent appointments process. The government said the board will continue to include three federal members, including a chair, along with two additional members from
BCJul 15, 2026

Surrey man sentenced to nearly five years in prison in extortion-related shooting and arson case

A Surrey Provincial Court judge has sentenced Abhijeet Kingra to nearly five years in prison for his role in a 2024 extortion-related shooting and arson targeting a Surrey home. According to court records, Kingra pleaded guilty on July 6 to charges of discharging a firearm at a residence and committing arson. The offences stem from an Aug. 10, 2024 incident in which a home belonging to a person who had reportedly received extortion threats was shot at and set on fire. The court imposed a two-year sentence for arson and a sentence of four years, 10 months and 19 days for the shooting offence. T