CanadaOct 04, 2024
WestJet cuts Lethbridge flights to one per day, raising travel concerns for southern Alberta communities
Despite millions spent on recent renovations at Lethbridge Airport, the city’s only commercial carrier, WestJet, has reduced its service to just one daily flight, a move that has raised concerns for southern Alberta residents who rely on air links to Edmonton and Calgary for business, family travel, and medical appointments.
WestJet had planned to scale back operations to a single flight starting October 3, but the change took effect slightly earlier. “We’ve got a schedule change that’s kind of started a little bit early, as of Oct. 1,” said Jared Mikoch-Gerke, WestJet’s director o
CanadaOct 03, 2024
Alberta nurses inch closer to strike as talks with province stall over pay and staffing issues
Tensions between the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) and the provincial government are escalating after another round of negotiations failed to produce a new collective agreement, raising the prospect of a province-wide strike that could impact hospitals across Alberta.
David Harrigan, labour relations director for the UNA, said that while last month’s informal mediation meetings were “productive,” the gap between the two sides remains too wide to bridge.
The union is demanding a 30 per cent wage increase over two years, citing inflation and the rising cost of living, while the Alberta go
CanadaOct 03, 2024
Manitoba man acquitted after 50 years in wrongful murder conviction tied to systemic discrimination
After nearly half a century, Clarence Woodhouse, a Manitoba man wrongfully convicted of murder in 1974, has been formally acquitted by the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, marking the end of one of Canada’s longest-running miscarriages of justice.
Woodhouse had been found guilty of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg five decades ago. His lawyers argued that the confession attributed to him could not have been genuine, as it was recorded in fluent English, a language he did not primarily speak - his first language being Saulteaux, an Anishinaabe dialect.
Th
CanadaOct 03, 2024
RCMP Commissioner to testify again at foreign interference inquiry as diaspora concerns grow in Canada
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme is set to appear today before the federal inquiry into foreign interference, where Canada’s national police force will face renewed questions about how it detects and counters attempts by foreign states to influence Canadian institutions - a topic closely watched in diverse communities such as Surrey and Edmonton.
This marks Duheme’s second appearance before the inquiry, joined by senior RCMP officials as the hearings turn their focus to how federal agencies identify and respond to foreign meddling. The commission’s sessions, which continue through October 1
CanadaOct 03, 2024
Trudeau headed to Francophonie summit in France
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is travelling to France today to attend the Francophonie summit, where discussions on French-language cooperation are expected to share the stage with growing concerns about conflict in the Middle East.
The two-day summit, taking place Thursday and Friday in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris, brings together leaders from French-speaking countries around the world. France will assume the presidency of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) from Tunisia during the event.
Officials say this year’s theme: “Create, innovate and do business in French”
CanadaOct 02, 2024
Trudeau condemns Iran’s missile strike on Israel, urges global effort to prevent wider war
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is denouncing Iran’s large-scale missile strike on Israel, calling it a reckless act that threatens to ignite a broader regional conflict in the Middle East.
Iran launched roughly 200 ballistic missiles toward Israel on Tuesday, warning of a “harsher” retaliation if Israel responds militarily. The attack came as Israeli forces expanded their campaign against Hezbollah, sending ground troops into Lebanon following months of cross-border fire.
Trudeau described Iran’s actions as further destabilizing and condemned what he called a “terrorist regime” that
CanadaOct 02, 2024
MPs to vote on Liberal changes to capital gains tax in confidence measure
The House of Commons will hold its third confidence vote in a week today, this time on a motion introduced by the federal government itself. The Liberals are seeking parliamentary approval to move ahead with changes to the capital gains tax first announced in the spring budget.
The capital gains inclusion rate, which determines how much profit is taxable, was adjusted in June. Today’s motion will allow the government to introduce legislation that formally enacts the change. Under the new rules, Canadians earning more than $250,000 in capital income in a year - such as from selling secondary
CanadaOct 01, 2024
Small businesses to receive five years' worth of carbon rebates in December
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says small and medium-sized business owners will receive their long-awaited carbon pricing refunds before the end of this year.
According to the Finance Department, the federal government will distribute more than $2.5 billion to about 600,000 Canadian businesses in December. The refunds will return a portion of carbon price revenues collected between 2019–20 and 2023–24 in provinces where the federal fuel charge applies.
The amount each business receives will depend on its province of operation and number of employees. The measure is part of Ottawa’s c
CanadaOct 01, 2024
Bloc Québécois to push Liberals on pension pact with opposition day motion
The Bloc Québécois is set to increase pressure on the federal government today by forcing a House of Commons debate on its proposal to raise Old Age Security (OAS) payments for all seniors.
Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet has given the Liberal government until October 29 to approve the party’s $16-billion pension plan, warning that failure to do so will prompt him to begin talks with other opposition parties to bring down the minority government.
Even if the Liberals agree, the move would likely only buy them a few months of Bloc support. Blanchet’s party plans to use its opposition
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