Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts. In British Columbia, a widening area around the northeastern community of Fort Nelson is under evacuation, with the Parker Lake wildfire burning close by and the larger Patry Creek wildfire raging to the northwest. Both blazes are listed with the B.C. Wildfire Service as "wildfires of note," with Parker Lake measuring 84 square kilometres in size and the Patry Creek blaze covering a whopping 464 square kilometres. In Alberta, a 209 square kil

Nobel laureate Alice Munro has died. The Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honored short story writers was 92. Munro achieved stature rare for an art form traditionally placed beneath the novel. She was the first lifelong Canadian to win the Nobel and the first recipient cited exclusively for short fiction. Munro was little known beyond Canada until her late 30s but became one of the few short story writers to enjoy ongoing commercial success. A spokesperson for her publisher confirmed the death of Munro but di

Police in British Columbia have charged a fourth Indian national in last year's killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The province's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says 22-year-old Amandeep Singh was already in the custody of Peel Regional Police in Ontario for unrelated firearms charges. Investigators say the evidence in the Nijjar case was "sufficient" for the BC Prosecution Service to charge Singh with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They say no further details of the arrest can be released due to ongoing investigations and court processes. Earlier this

Canada’s foreign affairs minister is embarking on a five-day trip to the Middle East and the Mediterranean where she will focus on peacekeeping and aid. Global Affairs Canada says Mélanie Joly is set to leave today and will visit Cyprus, Lebanon, Turkiye and Greece where she will meet with her counterparts and other government officials. In a statement, Joly says rapidly evolving situations in the Middle East and Caucuses continue to have repercussions in Canada. She says she looks forward to engaging with officials and to see how Canada can continue to provide support. Details of her trip

Federal and provincial ministers are meeting in Montreal Friday to hash out how to shrink the number of temporary residents in Canada. Immigration Minister Marc Miller is expected to meet with his provincial and territorial counterparts in person for the first time since he announced an unprecedented plan to set limits on the number of new temporary residents. The aim is to rein in Canada's runaway growth by decreasing the number of temporary residents, from 6.2 per cent of Canada's population in 2023, to five per cent over the next three years. The new targets will be developed over the summe

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is slamming the federal Liberals for giving nearly $26 million to Costco and Loblaw for energy-efficient appliances. In 2019, the Liberals faced heat from Conservatives after the government announced it was giving $12 million to Loblaw for energy-efficient refrigerators and freezers. Newly released data from Environment and Climate Change Canada shows Costco was also given more than $15 million for fridges and to reduce emissions. Loblaw was given more than $10 million. The payments were made to the two grocery chains between 2019 and 2023. Singh says while people are

After Bharatiya Janata Party in Punjab, now farmers have started opposing Aam Aadmi Party candidates.Aam Aadmi Party candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was campaigning in Amritsar, was surrounded by farmers on Tuesday. He was campaigning in Lopoke under Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency. The farmers allege that all the promises made by the Punjab government have not been fulfilled. The Punjab government had talked about bringing the MSP guarantee law before coming to power. Apart from this, the Punjab government has not taken any decision regarding the support price of many crops, after whic

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya'ara Saks says the federal government has granted British Columbia's request to scale back its drug decriminalization pilot program.Saks says the change takes effect immediately. The province requested that Health Canada amend an exemption allowing the decriminalization of small amounts of drugs such as heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine. B.C. Premier David Eby said his NDP government was looking to recriminalize the use of those drugs in public spaces such as hospitals and parks. Saks says she expects police to direct people who need help to

The federal Liberals are trying to crack down on a scourge of auto thefts across the country. Recently released data show the federal government, too, is struggling to keep its own vehicles away from thieves. Documents tabled in the House of Commons this week show 48 government vehicles were stolen between January 2016 and February of this year, most of them in Ontario. Vehicles from 14 departments and agencies were reported stolen, and the RCMP was hit hardest with 19 vehicles taken, mostly in the Prairies. Ministers are not immune, either: the government tracked at least three thefts of a ju