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quebec-to-ban-cellphones-in-elementary-and-high-school-classrooms
CanadaAug 23, 2023

Quebec to ban cellphones in elementary and high school classrooms

It's the final bell for cellphones in Quebec classrooms as the province's Education Department plans to ban their use in most teaching settings.Education Minister Bernard Drainville is scheduled to make the announcement this morning.The directive would only apply to public elementary and high schools and would still allow teachers to use mobile phones for lessons.A spring survey of 7,000 teachers conducted by a federation of 34 teacher unions found that 92 per cent of respondents were in favour of such a measure.Federation president Josée Scalabrini said at the time that teachers wanted to re
meta-responds-to-trudeau-eby-on-row-over-blocking-canadian-news
CanadaAug 22, 2023

Meta responds to Trudeau & Eby on row over blocking Canadian news

Social media conglomerate Meta has responded to criticism from both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B-C Premier David Eby on its decision to continue its ban on Canadian news content on Facebook and Instagram.Meta says in a statement that the company has been clear since February about the federal Online News Act and its effect on Canadian news content on its platforms.The statement also says Canadians can still access news by going directly to news outlets' websites and mobile apps, while Facebook continues to carry emergency information through crisis-response pages for both Kelowna and Ye
canada-considering-foreign-student-visa-cap-to-address-housing-shortage
CanadaAug 22, 2023

Canada considering foreign student visa cap to address housing shortage

The Canadian government is considering putting a cap on international student visas to deal with the housing crisis.Former Immigration Minister Sean Fraser gave this information while talking to journalists.Speaking to reporters in Charlottetown on Monday, he said capping the number of international students to ease pressure on the housing market is one of the options he should consider.It is worth noting that Canada is a popular choice for international students because it is easier to get a work permit compared to other countries.According to official data, 800,000 foreign students came to C
justin-trudeau-slams-meta-for-blocking-news-during-wildfires-in-canada
CanadaAug 21, 2023

Justin Trudeau slams Meta for blocking news during wildfires in Canada

In the wake of the devastating wildfires in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned Meta's decision to block news on its platforms in Canada.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Prince Edward Island for a cabinet retreat, where he commented on Meta that people in Canada are neither sharing nor receiving news on Facebook and Instagram.In fact, since the federal government passed its Online News Act Bill C-18 in June, Meta has blocked news on its platforms in Canada.It is worth noting that due to the wildfires, the pressure to remove the news ban on Meta is increasing.On the other han
feds-demand-meta-to-lift-ban-from-wildfires-news
CanadaAug 18, 2023

Feds demand Meta to lift ban from wildfires news

A Canadian government minister on Friday demanded that Meta remove a ban on domestic news from its platform so that the country's people can get information about wildfires in the West.Meta began blocking news on its Facebook and Instagram platforms for all users in Canada this month.Transport Minister Pablo Rodríguez said that what Meta is doing now is completely unacceptable, and that it is very wrong not to get such information to the public.They demanded that Meta withdraw the decision.A Meta spokesperson, on the other hand, said the company has activated a "Safety Check" feature on Faceb
kids-overdosing-is-a-public-health-emergency-canadian-pediatricians
CanadaAug 16, 2023

'Kids overdosing is a public health emergency' - Canadian pediatricians

A new survey says more children aged 12 and older in Canada have been treated for drug overdoses.The Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program says that serious and life-threatening overdoses have been reported with sedatives and opioids.The report states that drug overdose is a public health emergency.According to the report, fatal overdoses are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 in Western Canada.This problem exists across the country in ten states where paediatric specialists are treating children who are victims of overdose.
china-snubs-canada-on-its-list-of-approved-travel-destinations
CanadaAug 16, 2023

China snubs Canada on its list of approved travel destinations

The Chinese government has removed Canada from its list of approved international travel destinations for tour groups.The decision could be detrimental to Canada's travel industry's post-pandemic recovery.The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on August 10 that 78 countries have been added to the list of approved destinations for group tours and package travel.Travel agents in China use this list when promoting overseas travel and booking travel for Chinese nationals.On the question of excluding Canada from this list, the public affairs office of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said that recentl
trudeau-to-meet-recently-shuffled-cabinet-in-prince-edward-island-next-week
CanadaAug 16, 2023

Trudeau to meet recently shuffled cabinet in Prince Edward Island next week

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet will meet in Prince Edward Island next week.During this meeting, the agenda for the parliamentary session of the fall season will be decided.This will be the first cabinet meeting after the major reshuffle of the Prime Minister's cabinet in July.In the cabinet reshuffle, seven MPs were dropped and seven new faces joined the cabinet.The ministries of several cabinet members were also changed.A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said that the Cabinet meeting will focus on economic issues, health care and climate change.
military-members-can-now-take-sexual-misconduct-complaints-to-human-rights-commission
CanadaAug 15, 2023

Military members can now take sexual misconduct complaints to human rights commission

Members of the military now have the option to bypass the Canadian Armed Forces grievance process and taking complaints of sexual misconduct, harassment or discrimination to a third party.The military announced today that the independent Canadian Human Rights Commission will hear new and existing complaints.It is worth mentioning that former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour recommended the change in her May 2022 report on sexual misconduct and toxic culture in the Armed Forces.Defence Minister Bill Blair says the government will also stop filing objections to human-rights complaints on the

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AlbertaAug 12, 2026

Alberta Could See Billions in Budget Surplus Amid High Oil Prices

The Alberta government is expected to record a budget surplus of billions of dollars this fiscal year, driven by higher crude oil prices. According to University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe, the province has already accumulated a $3.8-billion surplus so far this fiscal year. He said every $1-per-barrel change in oil prices can make a difference of about $680 million to the provincial treasury. Tombe estimates that if oil prices remain above $66 per barrel, Alberta could end up with a surplus of around $6 billion, instead of the previously projected $9.4-billion deficit. Alberta
trump-says-us-will-maintain-total-control-over-strait-of-hormuz
WorldAug 12, 2026

Trump says US will maintain ‘total control’ over Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again claimed that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and said Washington intends to maintain that control. In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump described the U.S. Navy’s blockade as a “wall of steel” and said there was nothing Iran could do about it. His comments come as shipping traffic through the strategic waterway has dropped sharply. Only eight vessels passed through the Strait on Tuesday, compared with around 130 to 140 vessels per day before the war. Iran, meanwhile, says full maritime traffic through
19-year-old-arrested-after-knife-waving-incident-in-vancouvers-granville-entertainment-district
BCAug 12, 2026

19-Year-Old Arrested After Knife-Waving Incident in Vancouver’s Granville Entertainment District

Vancouver police have arrested a 19-year-old man after he allegedly caused a disturbance with a knife and created a sense of fear in the Granville Entertainment District. According to police, the incident occurred at around 1:50 a.m. today. An employee at a business reportedly saw the man flipping over tables and displaying a knife toward people passing by. When the employee attempted to intervene, the suspect became angry and began striking the business’s sign with the knife. The employee then backed away and called police. Officers arrived at the scene and arrested the suspect just two blo
canada-announces-34-million-in-climate-funding-for-communities
CanadaAug 12, 2026

Canada Announces $34 Million in Climate Funding for Communities

The federal government has announced $34 million in funding to help communities across Canada deal with the impacts of climate change. The funding will support municipalities and local organizations in launching projects aimed at reducing the risks posed by natural disasters such as floods, wildfires and extreme heat. Federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin announced the funding in Halifax today, acknowledging that Canada’s climate is changing and that communities need to be better prepared for its impacts. According to Dabrusin, the funding will support 141 climate-related projects acro
early-morning-shooting-in-surreys-cloverdale-leaves-one-injured
BCAug 12, 2026

Early Morning Shooting in Surrey’s Cloverdale Leaves One Injured

Surrey Police Service (SPS) is investigating an early morning shooting in Surrey’s Cloverdale neighbourhood that left one adult male with a minor, non-life-threatening injury. Police responded at approximately 3:52 a.m. on August 12 to reports of a shooting near a residence in the area of 60 Avenue and 177 Street. Two people were reportedly shot at, with one person sustaining a minor injury that did not require medical treatment. The suspects fled the scene. SPS’s Major Crime Section has taken over the investigation, while forensic officers are processing physical and digital evidence in t