Workers in four provinces are seeing an increase in their paycheques today as new minimum wage rates take effect across Canada. In Ontario, the hourly rate is rising by 65 cents to $17.20, an adjustment linked to inflation. Saskatchewan’s minimum wage is increasing by one dollar to $15, matching Alberta’s rate - the lowest among all provinces. In Manitoba, the minimum wage is up by 50 cents to $15.80, following a formula in provincial law that ties annual increases to the previous year’s inflation rate. On Prince Edward Island, the hourly rate climbs by 60 cents to $16, following an earl

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be travelling to France next Thursday to attend the Francophonie summit. The meeting of French-speaking countries, which happens every two years, will be held on Oct. 4 and 5 in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris. The Prime Minister's Office says Trudeau will work with other heads of state to further shared priorities including democracy and human rights. Representatives from Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec will also be at the meetings. Leaders are also expected to make a decision on applications to join the international francophonie body, including

Two Liberal ministers are inviting the NDP Leader to a briefing on carbon pricing so he can "better understand" how it helps fight climate change while putting more money back in families' pockets. In a letter sent to Jagmeet Singh today, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson say it's very disappointing the NDP has fallen for what they call the Conservatives' "disinformation campaign" on the climate policy. At the NDP caucus retreat earlier this month, Singh wouldn't say whether his party would keep the consumer carbon price if it formed government. Sing

Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.2 per cent in July, following essentially no change in June, helped by strength in the retail trade sector. The agency says the growth came as services-producing industries grew 0.2 per cent for the month. The retail trade sector was the largest contributor to overall growth in July as it gained one per cent, helped by the motor vehicles and parts dealers subsector which gained 2.8 per cent. The public sector aggregate, which includes the educational services, health care and social assistance, and public administration sectors, gained

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says there's more work to be done before a new compensation contract for Alberta's doctors is finalized. LaGrange says she has to make sure the new deal, which was agreed to in part this past April, is sustainable. She says doctor compensation under the existing contract over the past few years has risen quicker than inflation and population growth and is currently over budget this year. The group representing Alberta's doctors have said the government is dragging its feet in implementing the new deal and putting patients' lives at risk in the pro

Less than 24 hours after the Conservatives lost their first attempt to topple the government the Tories are trying again. A new motion being debated this morning states that the House of Commons has lost confidence in the Liberal government and "offers Canadians the option to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime." That's the list of slogans the Tories have been using for months. On Wednesday, the majority of MPs voted against the first non-confidence motion that was put forward by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. The series of confidence votes comes after the ND

Canada has issued a joint statement with its allies calling for "an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border," citing an "unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation." The statement, issued along with the United States, Australia, European Union, United Arab Emirates and eight other countries, calls on the governments of Lebanon and Israel and all parties involved to endorse the temporary ceasefire and "give a real chance to a diplomatic settlement." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the cease-fire plan put forward was only a proposal and that th

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to his home in Ottawa Wednesday for an informal private dinner. Trudeau greeted Macron outside Rideau Cottage with a hug and a big smile at the start of Macron's second official visit to Canada. The two leaders will hold more formal meetings Thursday in Ottawa and Montreal. The war in Ukraine, misinformation and artificial intelligence will highlight the discussions. But the two surely will also touch on their similar political circumstances as progressive politicians who have become deeply unpopular with voters. They hav

The Conservatives' non-confidence motion against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government has been defeated. There were 120 votes in favor of the Conservative motion, while 211 MPs voted against it. This outcome has saved Prime Minister Trudeau’s government from falling. This was the first attempt by the Conservatives to topple Trudeau's government after NDP withdrew support from the Liberals. The NDP and Bloc Québécois had already made it clear that they would vote in support of the Liberals. However, with this move by the Conservatives, the pressure on the government h