Canada has registered an increase in the annual inflation rate of 3.4 percent during December, which was 3.1 percent in November. The data comes as the Bank of Canada is set to make an interest rate decision next week. Statistics Canada says inflation accelerated last month due to increases in gas and grocery prices. Prices at grocery stores rose 4.7 percent last month, the same pace seen in November. However, the agency said inflation has declined year-on-year, excluding gasoline. Economists said the December inflation data was in line with their estimates and expected the central bank to k

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has convened a three-day cabinet meeting before the start of the session of Parliament amid the heated issue of the housing crisis in Canada. The aim of this meeting starting from January 21 is to support the middle class and accelerate the development of the country. This meeting under the leadership of Trudeau will last till January 23 in Montreal. The Prime Minister's Office says the Cabinet will focus primarily on the issues that are most important to Canadians right now. These include reducing the cost of living, building more homes, creating good-paying jo

Canada's largest sugar processing plant is going to be established in Hamilton, Ontario. Major North American manufacturer Securecan Sourcing has revealed the plan. The company said it will invest $135-million in the new refinery, which is expected to open in 2025. This refinery will produce about 10 lakh metric tons of sugar per year. Sciurocan's Powder &c. E. oh Jonathan Taylor said recent demand for sugar is high amid a growing food processing sector and stable refining capacity in Canada and the US, particularly in Ontario, where sugar demand is growing the fastest in North America.

The Canadian government is planning to put a limit on the number of international students. Immigration Minister Mark Miller has said in an interview that he is considering imposing a cap on international students in the first and second quarters of this year to reduce housing demand. In the context of increasing number of international students in Canada, he expressed concern and said that this system has actually gone out of control. However, he did not give information about how much the number of international students could be reduced, but he said that he is working on this plan with t

There will be a state funeral for former NDP leader Ed Broadbent.Broadbent died on Jan. 11 at the age of 87. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that the state funeral will be held in Ottawa on Jan. 28. Broadbent served as a member of Parliament for more than two decades and led the NDP for 14 years in the 1970s and 1980s. As NDP leader he faced off against four different prime ministers, including Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney. Trudeau says the state funeral will provide an opportunity for Canadians to pay tribute to his legacy, which includes leading the NDP to its best elector

Canadians living in provinces where the federal carbon price is collected are expected to receive their first Climate Action Incentive rebate of the year today. The federal government says people living in provinces including Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan will receive the rebate through direct bank deposit or by cheque if they have filed their income tax and benefit returns. Ottawa has said the payments are calculated based on the number of adults and children in the household. People living in small and rural communities are to receive an extra 10 per cent supple

Canadians are facing a huge increase in property taxes this year. Toronto homeowners will see their biggest increase yet in the series as the city proposed a 10.5 per cent increase in property taxes in the budget and warned that property taxes could rise to 16.5 per cent if funding for refugee support is not forthcoming from the federal government. Meanwhile, property taxes in Montreal are going up about 5 percent this year. This is the biggest increase in the 13-year history of the city. On the other hand, the property tax in Vancouver is currently 7.5 percent after increasing by 10.7 perce

Some of the Canadian Facebook users have been offered $51 million in a class action lawsuit by Meta. The lawyer who is representing the case against the giant social media company said that this settlement proposal sent by Meta is a positive sign for other companies as well. Meta is facing lawsuits from four states over an advertising program on Facebook called Sponsored Stories that ran from 2011 to 2014. People's names and pictures were used in this program without their knowledge. Now Meta is offering $51 million to settle these lawsuits. The lawsuit was filed in 2019 by a BC woman, who

A dispute between the City of Surrey and the Surrey Police Union has escalated after the city refused to pay salaries for newly recruited officers, citing budget overruns. Union spokesperson Ryan Buehring said members were shocked to learn just before Christmas that the city would not add recruits to its payroll. “These officers joined in good faith, and to be told days before the holidays that they would not be paid is unacceptable,” Buehring told Connect Newsroom. The city confirmed it sent a letter on December 19 advising the Surrey Police Service that additional hires should not have b