CanadaJun 19, 2023
Fire situation eases slightly, but risks remain as more than 400 wildfires still burn
More than 200 wildfires are still burning out of control in Canada this morning as the country's record-setting forest fire season continues to raze thousands of square kilometres every day.Rain helped ease the fire situation in parts of Alberta and Quebec over the weekend, but the fire risk remains high in most of the country.As of this morning, 420 fires were burning in nine provinces and two territories, and 207 of those are still considered to be out of control.More than 58,000 square kilometres has burned so far this year, or an area almost twice the size of Vancouver Island.Environment C
CanadaJun 16, 2023
Flag lowered to half-mast on Peace Tower in honour of Manitoba crash victims
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the flag has been lowered to half-mast on the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in honour of the victims of the deadly Manitoba crash.Fifteen people died yesterday after a bus carrying seniors to a casino collided with a semi truck on the Trans-Canada Highway near Carberry, west of Winnipeg.Six of 10 others injured are in hospital in critical condition.Trudeau says there are lots of questions right now, but mostly there are lots of tears and Canadians will be there for each other. He says he can't imagine what families are going through as they await word on the
CanadaJun 15, 2023
Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole steps into top role at global strategy firm
Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole has been named as the president and managing director of risk advisory firm ADIT North America.The firm provides services to companies, investment funds and agencies that operate or invest globally.It describes itself as specializing in strategic intelligence, business diplomacy, due diligence, security and compliance.The regional branch of the Paris-based firm that O'Toole will helm encompasses operations in both Canada and Mexico.O'Toole, who served in the cabinet of former prime minister Stephen Harper, announced in March that he would not return to t
CanadaJun 14, 2023
Deportations for international students caught in fraud scheme put on hold
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says deportation orders for international students caught up in a fraud scheme have been put on hold while a task force investigates each case.Hundreds of students might have been affected by the scheme, which saw immigration agents issue fake acceptance letters to get international students into Canada.Some students had no idea their documents were forged until it came time for them apply for permanent residency.Fraser says the department is aware of only few dozen who have been ordered to leave the country, and that process will be paused.A task force of seni
CanadaJun 12, 2023
Justice Russell Brown retires from Supreme Court, ending judicial conduct review
Justice Russell Brown is retiring from the Supreme Court of Canada effective immediately, ending a probe into alleged misconduct.The Canadian Judicial Council, the body tasked with disciplining judges, says it no longer has jurisdiction to continue investigating allegations of misconduct stemming from an event at an Arizona hotel in January.Brown has vigorously denied accusations that he was intoxicated and harassed a group of friends at an event in Scottsdale, Ariz., honouring another judge.The justice, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2015 by then-prime minister Stephen Harper, had
CanadaJun 09, 2023
WestJet shutting down discount airline Swoop
WestJet says it will wind down operations at its budget carrier Swoop by October.The move comes after ratification of a new collective agreement that brings pilots of both carriers onto a level pay scale, with a 24 percent pay bump over four years.The airline says it will integrate Swoop's operations into its main banner.WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech says keeping Swoop separate would make little sense financially given the higher labour costs.He says each WestJet flight will offer a portion of ultra-low-cost tickets.
CanadaJun 08, 2023
Senate report recommends Canada develop targeted suicide prevention strategies
A Senate report released today says Canada can make major strides in addressing suicide prevention if all levels of government develop strategies tailored towards men and Indigenous people, the groups facing the highest suicide rates.The Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology also says the Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention Act has done little to bring down the rate of suicides across Canada since it was adopted in 2016.The report says this is because the current framework does not prioritize evidence-based interventions for suicide prevention and does a poor job at t
CanadaJun 07, 2023
Trudeau shows no interest in compromising with Meta, Google over online news bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing no interest in compromising with Meta and Google over their online news bill that would make tech giants pay for journalism created by others that helps those companies generate revenue.Google says it wants to compromise with the Liberal government over the proposed legislation, known as Bill C-18, which would require tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing news content.But Trudeau says Meta and Google's bullying tactics will not work with his government, which he says is ensuring those companies do not weaken Canada's demo
CanadaJun 07, 2023
Bank of Canada increases interest rate by 0.25% to tackle inflation concerns
The Bank of Canada has increased the interest rate by 0.25 percent today.This is the first hike since January this year.After the new rate hike, the central bank's prime interest rate has risen to 4.75 percent.This has made all types of loans expensive.In March this year, the central bank put a conditional pause on rate hikes and predicted that the Canadian economy would slow under the measures taken to control inflation, but the economy in the first quarter of this year was much stronger than the central bank's estimate. After which the interest rate has been increased again.The central bank