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justin-trudeau-defends-spending-record-on-military-amid-fresh-criticism
CanadaNov 25, 2024

Justin Trudeau defends spending record on military amid fresh criticism

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending his government's record on supporting national defence, following fresh criticism that Canada is failing to live up to its NATO defence-spending commitments. Speaking at the 70th annual session of the NATO parliamentary assembly in Montreal, Trudeau said his government stepped up "big time" after it came to power. He said the country is now on a "clear path" to spend the equivalent of two per cent of GDP on defence by 2032, something Canada committed to spend annually at the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Trudeau government is coming unde
canada-post-workers-strike-hits-ninth-day-costs-8-million-parcels
CanadaNov 25, 2024

Canada Post Workers' Strike Hits Ninth Day, Costs 8 Million Parcels

The Canada Post workers' strike, now in its ninth day, is costing the organization dearly, with the loss of more than 8 million parcels. The department said that since November 15, when more than 55,000 of its workers across Canada began striking, customers have been turning to Canada Post's competitors for their deliveries. Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have been negotiating over wages, contract work, job security, pension benefits, and working conditions. However, the two sides have not been able to reach an agreement, despite the appointment of a special mediat
canadas-first-hydrogen-powered-home-heating-system-built-near-edmonton
CanadaNov 22, 2024

Canada's First Hydrogen-Powered Home Heating System Built Near Edmonton

Canada’s first hydrogen-powered home heating system has been built near East Edmonton. The federal government is exploring the use of hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas to meet the heating needs of homes. This system is being used safely to heat a Sherwood Park home, aligning with the goal of promoting clean energy. The home has been opened to the public. The project is a collaboration between Atco, an electricity and natural gas utility company, and a residential developer. Their aim is to eventually heat 37,000 homes in the Bremner community with hydrogen-based heating. The initiat
canada-post-reports-315m-q3-loss-before-tax-compared-with-290m-loss-a-year-earlier
CanadaNov 22, 2024

Canada Post reports $315M Q3 loss before tax compared with $290M loss a year earlier

Canada Post says it lost $315 million before tax in the third quarter compared with a loss before tax of $290 million a year earlier. The corporation says revenue growth in its direct marketing did not make up for a drop in its parcels results. The financial results come as Canada Post deals with a shutdown of its operations due to a strike by about 55,000 workers across the country. The two sides have been negotiating over wages, job security, working conditions and other issues. The Canada Post Group of Companies, which includes its Purolator Holdings Ltd. subsidiary, lost $252 million befor
canada-considers-lmia-changes-amid-crackdown-on-immigration-fraud
CanadaNov 21, 2024

Canada Considers LMIA Changes Amid Crackdown on Immigration Fraud

Immigrants looking to increase their chances of obtaining permanent residency (PR) in Canada through employer sponsorship could soon lose that advantage. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has stated that he is considering removing the extra points granted through the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). He cited the black and grey markets surrounding the LMIA and indicated that he is seriously considering changes to the system. Miller emphasized the need to crack down on fake job offers and confirmed that this is a priority moving forward. At the same time, Ontario is introducing tough legis
relief-for-canadians-gst-exemption-on-selected-grocery-items
CanadaNov 21, 2024

Relief for Canadians: GST Exemption on Selected Grocery Items

Canadians are receiving significant relief as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a two-month GST exemption on various items, including restaurant food and children's toys. The Prime Minister stated that Canadians will no longer have to pay sales tax on Christmas trees, children's toys, and restaurant meals. Additionally, Trudeau mentioned that his government will issue $250 cheques to many Canadians next year. These payments will be issued to all Canadians with an income of up to $150,000 after taxes in 2023, benefiting approximately 18.7 million individuals under the Working Canadians E
decrease-in-median-income-requirement-for-homebuyers-in-major-canadian-cities
CanadaNov 21, 2024

Decrease in Median Income Requirement for Homebuyers in Major Canadian Cities

The median income needed to buy a home in Canada's major cities is now gradually decreasing. According to the latest data, real estate prices have fallen in many cities in recent months, alongside lower mortgage rates, leading to a decrease in the median income requirement to purchase a home. Calculations by Ratehub indicate that the median income requirement to buy a home in Vancouver, Toronto, and Hamilton has decreased by more than $4,000 compared to a month ago. The report highlights that October was the second consecutive month in which the salary requirement to buy a home in Vancouver de
trudeau-expected-to-announce-temporary-gst-break-on-some-items-ndp-says
CanadaNov 21, 2024

Trudeau expected to announce temporary GST break on some items, NDP says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce on Thursday a temporary GST break for certain essential items to help ease affordability pressures. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says in a statement that the announcement is in response to his party's demands to permanently lift the goods and services tax on a range of expenses, including home heating and grocery-store meals. The Globe and Mail has reported that the prime minister is set to announce a multibillion-dollar package of affordability measures, including the GST break. Trudeau is scheduled to make an announcement alongside Finance Mi
jagmeet-singh-demands-removal-of-provincial-sales-tax-on-everyday-items
CanadaNov 21, 2024

Jagmeet Singh Demands Removal of Provincial Sales Tax on Everyday Items

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has written to premiers across Canada, demanding the removal of provincial sales tax on everyday items. He stated that working people are facing inflation on everything from cell phone bills to groceries. Singh emphasized that his proposal to reduce the GST at the federal level and exempt sales tax at the provincial level could provide significant relief to the public. Singh also mentioned that if his party forms the government at the federal level, he will remove the GST on groceries, diapers, children's clothing, cell phones, and internet bills. This will be offset

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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