CanadaJun 05, 2023
Flair tops Canadian airlines with average number of complaints per 100 flights: CTA
The Canadian Transportation Agency says Flair Airlines Ltd. has the highest number of complaints per 100 flights of all the major airlines in Canada, as airlines have had a rocky recovery year with delayed and cancelled flights. Between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023, Flair saw an average of 15.3 complaints per 100 flights.Back in March, Flair saw four of its leased planes seized because of overdue payments, causing hundreds of cancelled flights.Sunwing Airlines Inc. came second at 13.8 complaints per 100 flights, and Swoop Inc. was third at 13.2.Meanwhile, WestJet had 6.6 complaints per 100
CanadaJun 05, 2023
India among top actors for foreign interference in Canada: National Security Adviser
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser says India is among the top sources of foreign interference in Canada.Jody Thomas says "a number of state actors and non-state proxies" are conducting foreign interference in Canada, and at a conference last week she listed three countries that Ottawa has frequently cited: China, Russia and Iran.But Thomas also specifically mentioned India, a country the Liberals highlighted in their Indo-Pacific strategy as a priority for establishing closer economic and scientific ties.Federal agencies have in recent years warned that India may try to
CanadaJun 02, 2023
NDP calls for permanent residency for defrauded Punjabi international students facing deportation
NDP Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) released a statement and said that following concerning reports of Punjabi international students facing deportation orders due to a targeted exploitation scheme by a fraudulent immigration agent, her office has been working with the Canadian Federation of Students, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, and Migrant Rights Network to advocate for impacted students so they can stay in Canada.She said that last week, she wrote to the Minister of Immigration and the Minister of Public Safety to urge the government to i
CanadaJun 02, 2023
Nearly 700 more international firefighters coming to Canada to help battle fires
Almost 700 firefighters from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the United States are set to arrive in Canada over the next two weeks to help with the unusually severe start to the wildfire season.There are already more than 500 international firefighters, incident commanders and other workers in Alberta, which has been battling multiple severe fires since early May.Most of the additional help will also go to Alberta, though some are being sent to Nova Scotia where out-of-control fires have been wreaking havoc since last weekend.Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair says the
CanadaJun 01, 2023
Canada to observe a National Day Against Gun Violence
The federal government is proclaiming a National Day Against Gun Violence, to be held annually on the first Friday of June.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and representatives of the Toronto Raptors basketball team are set to discuss the plans today at an event in Toronto.The government says the goal of the national day is to raise awareness and foster a national discussion about the causes and effects of gun violence.It comes as the Senate reviews a government bill that would cement restrictions on handguns, increase penalties for firearm trafficking, try
CanadaMay 30, 2023
John Hannaford named new clerk of the Privy Council, as Janice Charette retires
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed a new head of the federal public service.John Hannaford, who is currently the deputy minister of natural resources, will become clerk of the Privy Council next month.Janice Charette, the current clerk, is set to retire June 24 after nearly 40 years in the public service, including as Canada's envoy to Britain.Hannaford was also a deputy minister of international trade and a foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, and served as Canada's ambassador to Norway from 2009 to 2012.Trudeau says in a statement that Hannaford brings a wealth of experience and a str
CanadaMay 26, 2023
New system will bring families of immigrants to Canada faster: Fraser
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says the government is using a new system to bring spouses, children and parents of recent immigrants to Canada more quickly.Family members who want to move to Canada can apply to join their sponsor while they wait for their permanent residency to be approved, but they're often denied the necessary visa because of concerns they're unlikely to leave once it expires.The new system uses advanced analytics to identify people who have a permanent residency application in the system and approve their visa to visit Canada more quickly.The minister says he hopes the tu
CanadaMay 26, 2023
Florida man pleads not guilty after Canada-U.S. human smuggling tragedy in Manitoba
A Florida man has pleaded not guilty to human smuggling charges after the frozen bodies of a family of four migrants were found near the Canada-U.S. border last year.Steve Shand, 48, entered the plea today via videoconference as part of his long-delayed arraignment in Duluth, Minn.Shand faces one count each of bringing people into the U.S. illegally and of transporting them inside the country.He was arrested in January 2022 in a remote area of northern Minnesota, where border agents encountered him with two Indian nationals in a rented passenger van.Just over the border, near Emerson, Man., RC
CanadaMay 25, 2023
Quebec will require economic immigrants to speak French before arriving: Legault
Quebec Premier François Legault says the province will require that the vast majority of economic immigrants to Quebec speak French before they arrive.Sixty-five per cent of immigrants to Quebec come through the economic immigration stream, which is controlled by the province.Legault says his government is also considering increasing the number of immigrants it accepts every year to 60,000 people from 50,000 people, by 2027.He says the rise in immigration would come from people arriving through the economic stream, adding that his government is not considering increasing the number of people