Quebec universities and public colleges say they should be exempt from the government’s plan to reduce the number of international students in the province, but the immigration minister says that’s unlikely. The schools say a bill tabled last month would hurt their ability to attract top talent from around the world. But Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge says it’s “not reasonable” to think the government could cut the number of foreign students in Quebec without including universities and public colleges. The bill would give the government new power to cap foreign student e

New Brunswick's Zone 3 has been declared a measles epicenter, including areas in Fredericton and the upper St. John River Valley. The number of measles cases here has more than doubled since last week. According to the health department, seven more cases have been confirmed since Thursday, bringing the total to twelve. The public health agency says it is closely monitoring the situation and working with healthcare partners to reduce the risk of further spread. Measles is a highly contagious disease. Although people born before 1970 are generally considered immune to measles, the Public Health

An 11-year-old boy died after he was hit by a truck Monday evening in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. Police say they received numerous calls at around 7:30 p.m. about the collision at the corner of Parc and Bernard avenues. Early information collected by police indicates the driver was heading south down Parc when he turned right on Bernard and struck the boy, who was crossing the street. The child suffered serious injuries and was transported to hospital where he died. The 28-year-old male driver of the delivery truck was uninjured. He remained at the scene and was questioned, and pol

The provincial government says it will force new doctors trained in Quebec to work in the province's public health-care system for the first years of their practice. Health Minister Christian Dubé told a Montreal radio station this morning that those who want to leave Quebec or work in the private system will face "consequences." The minister announced Sunday evening he plans to table a new bill to force new family physicians and specialist doctors to start their careers in Quebec. The government estimates it costs between $435,000 and $790,000 to train a doctor, including during their reside

Leaders of the three main federal parties are calling out violence today at a Hindu temple in the Toronto suburb of Brampton. Videos circulating on social media appear to show demonstrators holding banners in support of a separate Sikh country called Khalistan clashing with others, including some holding India's national flag. The videos seem to show fistfights and people striking each other with poles in what appears to be the grounds surrounding the Hindu Sabha Mandir temple. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have all written on

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has written to the provinces' premiers, asking them to eliminate their sales taxes on new homes that are under $1 million. It follows Poilievre's own pledge last week that if he becomes prime minister, he will axe the federal sales tax on new homes sold for under $1 million. The Conservatives estimated that measure would reduce the cost of an $800,000 home by $40,000 and spur construction of another 30,000 homes per year. Poilievre said last week that he would pay for the federal tax cut by scrapping Liberal housing policies, and in his letter to premiers,

The Quebec government has suspended applications for permanent residency from two immigration streams because it says it can no longer accommodate the rising number of newcomers. Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge said today the government has frozen the Quebec Experience Program, a path for permanent residency for foreign students who have graduated in the province. Roberge says the government is also suspending applications from the Regular Skilled Worker Program. The two immigration streams were suspended today and will be frozen until June 2025 at the latest. In August, Quebec ann

Statistics Canada is set to publish its August gross domestic product report, which will include an early estimate for economic growth in the third quarter. The agency's preliminary estimate for August suggested the economy did not grow that month. RBC says it expects the economy remained weak in September as well, dampening growth for the third quarter. The Bank of Canada projected in its latest monetary policy report that the economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.5 per cent in the third quarter. The central bank delivered a half-percentage point interest rate cut last week in response to r

In the Canadian Parliament today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre engaged in a heated debate over foreign interference. PM Trudeau alleged that Poilievre is avoiding security clearance to access the names of his MPs and former MPs linked to foreign interference. Poilievre countered, urging the Prime Minister to publicly disclose these names. Trudeau responded that due to security reasons, he could not release intelligence to the public but was willing to share the names with Poilievre to help protect other party members from foreign influence. Poilievre hit