The third week of striking by educational assistants at Edmonton Public Schools is almost over and the union says there’s no end in sight. They say negotiations are deadlocked. The school board and educational assistants with public schools returned to the bargaining table last Thursday, both sides still unable to strike a deal. Union leaders want significant raises to account for the increased cost of living since the last union agreement ended five years ago. A third-party mediator landed on a 2.75 per cent raise over four years, not nearly enough says the union. Education support staff

Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product decreased 0.2 per cent in November, the largest monthly contraction since December 2023.However, the agency says its preliminary estimate for December pointed to an increase of 0.2 per cent for the final month of the year. The advance estimate suggests an annualized growth rate of 1.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024.For November, Statistics Canada says goods-producing industries contracted 0.6 per cent, with the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction and utilities sectors driving most of the decline. Services-producing industri

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has declined to apply for a security clearance from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) in order to read a report on foreign interference, rejecting the requirement. Poilievre argued that the security clearance requirements would prevent him from speaking freely on the issue and limit his ability to hold the Liberal government accountable. He further stated that the spy agency is welcome to report directly to any of his MPs or senators if it believes foreign interference poses a risk to any of his party members. It is worth noting that Marie-

Former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, a candidate in the Liberal Party leadership race to become the next Prime Minister of Canada, has pledged to cut cabinet and Prime Minister’s Office staff by half to reduce unnecessary expenses if elected. Freeland stated her cabinet would consist of no more than 20 ministers, compared to the current 38, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Freeland, who has also served as Deputy Prime Minister, is one of six candidates vying to succeed Trudeau as Liberal leader. The party will select its new leader on March 9, after which Trudeau will step dow

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Canada should bar American companies from all federal government procurement contracts if U.S. President Donald Trump hits the country with damaging tariffs. Singh is meeting with unionized steelworkers in Sault Ste. Marie today, where he's laying out his "Buy Canadian" plan. He also says any funds Canada raises through retaliatory tariffs should be put toward supporting workers affected by U.S. tariffs. Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland also pitched a "Buy Canadian" plan earlier this week, saying Ottawa should bar Americans from non-defence governmen

An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. There were multiple fatalities, according to a person familiar with the matter, but the precise number of victims was unclear as rescue crews hunted for any survivors. Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter, an Army official said. There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport were h

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's not sure which recommendations from a controversial new COVID-19 report her government will implement. Doctors have slammed the $2-million review by a government-appointed panel that calls for limits on COVID-19 vaccines and for health professionals not to be punished for promoting alternative treatments. Smith says critics of the report are trying to control the narrative and that she doesn't want to see ``contrarian voices'' shut out when reviewing pandemic response measures. She says getting those perspectives is needed in order tomake go

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will announce a new provincial fund today. Her government says it will increase the Heritage Savings Trust Fund from $250 billion to $400 billion by 2050. Finance Minister Nate Horner will also be in Calgary with her. Smith’s government has promised to cut interest on the province’s general revenue each year and increase investment. The fund was started in 1976 by former Premier Peter Lougheed to set aside revenue, but successive governments have begun to withdraw money from it. It was valued at $23.4 billion as of September, and Horner has promised to add $

The issue of Trump’s tariffs has begun to resonate in the Ontario legislative elections. Former Premier and Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader Doug Ford made tariffs a focal point and also criticized Trump during his first rally in Windsor today. Ford told Ontarians that to confront Trump's threat, they need the strongest majority in Ontario's history. He emphasized that the bigger the mandate given to him, the better he will be able to protect the province. It is important to note that in Ontario, four major parties are contesting the elections, including Ford's Progressive Cons