All six candidates running to be the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada will gather on an Edmonton stage tonight for the first of two official debates. And though he missed last week's unofficial sparring in Ottawa so he could sell party memberships, Patrick Brown will take part in tonight's debate. The Brampton, Ontario mayor's opponents include longtime MP Pierre Poilievre, who Brown recently criticized for offering, ``wacky investment advice'' for saying the cryptocurrency Bitcoin was a solution to inflation. Tonight, candidates will field questions on topics such as the futur

Ottawa is chartering three planes to bring Ukrainian refugees from Poland to Canada. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says seats on the flights to Winnipeg, Montreal and Halifax will be available on a first come, first served basis. Thousands of Ukrainians have arrived in Canada since Russian forces attacked in late February, and Fraser says it isn't clear how many more will come. The flights are in addition to the commercial options that are being subsidized by a special fund. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the government continues to face logistical challenges in helping Ukrainians w

Some of Canada's biggest automakers say the federal government needs to be more ambitious and co-ordinated in its approach to electric vehicle charging or it won't get as many people into battery-powered cars as it wants to by the end of this decade. The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association, which represents Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, is issuing a list of recommendations to Ottawa today warning that EV adoption isn't going to happen if Canadians don't have confidence in the network of charging stations available. Association President Brian Kingston says the government wants ev

Canada is giving $229 million in aid for Syria and neighbouring nations hosting refugees from the war-torn state. The aid package includes $169 million for food, clean water and hygiene and health services, as well as support for women facing sexual and domestic violence. International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan announced the funding as Canada takes part in an international conference in Brussels on finding a political solution to the conflict in Syria. The conflict, which has been waging for more than 10 years, followed a violent crackdown by the Assad regime on pro-democracy demonstr

Passenger travel companies in Atlantic Canada are feeling the pinch of rising fuel prices. The region's largest taxi company _ Casino Taxi, in Halifax _ has imposed a $1.30 fuel surcharge on each fare to help compensate drivers. Company president Brian Herman says the surcharge is paid directly to the drivers, who are facing fuel prices approaching $2 per litre. He says the surcharge will be removed after Halifax city council approves a rate increase, which is expected in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Maritime Bus has also imposed a fuel surcharge for its intercity routes, but owner Mike Cassid

The Manitoba government is offering financial aid for flood victims as wet weather threatens to raise rivers again.Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk says the province will activate a disaster financial assistance program that he expects will give out well over $10 million. The money, to be cost-shared with the federal government, covers flood damage that cannot be covered by private insurance at home properties, municipalities and businesses. Heavy snowfall and spring rain storms have left many parts of Manitoba flooded, and some 30 municipalities and First Nations are under local state

Gas prices in Canada are continuing to smash records, setting the stage for potentially lasting consequences on everything from the cost of goods to consumer behaviour. The price of a litre of gasoline jumped to an eye-watering 222.9 cents per litre in Vancouver Monday as prices at pumps across the country trended up over the weekend. Experts say rising gas prices are compounding inflation's economic toll on Canadians as higher fuel prices have a knock-on effect throughout the economy, pushing up prices and hurting consumer sentiment. Opher Baron, an operations management professor at the Univ

Canada's most populous city is ending the municipal emergency it declared over the COVID-19 pandemic. Toronto Mayor John Tory says he's ``very happy'' to be declaring the end of the municipal emergency that took effect on March 23, 2020. Despite terminating the emergency order, Tory warns that the pandemic is not over and says the city will continue its vaccination efforts. The city's top doctor, Dr. Eileen de Villa, says Toronto's COVID-19 indicators are either decreasing or holding stable this week, and that she's ``encouraged'' to see signs of improvement in Toronto's health system capacity

The Defence Department says both suspects in the murder in Thailand of a man with links to BC gangs had been in the army, but it can't confirm whether they served together. The suspects include Gene Lahrkamp, who was killed in a plane crash in northwestern Ontario last week, and a man arrested in Alberta in February. Thai police allege Lahrkamp and Matthew Dupre fled to Canada following the murder of Jimi Sandhu in Phuket on February 4th. The Defence Department says both served as infantrymen in the army and left the military as corporals, Dupre from October 2005 to August 2013 and Lahrkamp f