Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is assuring Canadians there's no reason to fear food shortages. He notes only a small minority of truck drivers are refusing to comply with a vaccine mandate in order to cross the Canada-US border. In an interview, Alghabra said the large grocery store chains and other retailers have assured him they have plenty of goods to provide their customers. A convoy of truckers and others opposed to public health restrictions is on its way from British Columbia to Parliament Hill for a so-called ``freedom rally'' against mandatory vaccinations.

The Bank of Canada is keeping its key interest rate at a quarter of one per cent, but warning it won't stay there much longer. The bank rate has been at a rock-bottom low since March of 2020 when the pandemic put the economy into a downturn. But with a stronger-than-expected rebound, the central bank says the economy is now running at capacity, which is why it's no longer promising to keep its key policy rate steady. The Bank of Canada says rates will need to rise to bring inflation back to its target of two per cent, but warns inflation rates are likely to creep above five per cent for the f

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is calling on Twitter to remove a tweet from an Ontario politician who labelled federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra a ``terrorist.'' Mendicino says the tweet from Independent MPP Randy Hillier is ``flagrantly abusive, offensive and Islamophobic'' and amounts to ``hate speech'' that should have no place on Twitter or other social media platforms. In a tweet today supporting truckers opposed to mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 in order to cross the Canada-U.S. border, Hillier refers to Alghabra as a terrorist who has condemned Canadians to starv

A trucker convoy is expected to stop in Winnipeg today before making a final stop in Ottawa later this week. About 1,200 trucks converged in Balgonie, Saskatchewan, last night after coming from Saskatoon and elsewhere in Western Canada. The convoy was greeted by supporters including Conservative members of Parliament Andrew Scheer and Warren Steinley. The truckers are protesting a mandate to have COVID vaccines or be quarantined when re-entering Canada from the US.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending the vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers as a convoy of hundreds of them heads to Ottawa in protest. Trudeau says getting vaccinated is the most important way to keep Canada's economy going, and he accuses the Conservatives of "fearmongering" about empty store shelves. In a news conference this afternoon, Tory Leader Erin O'Toole refused to say whether he'd meet with the protesters in Ottawa. The Conservatives have been pressuring Trudeau to lift the vaccine mandate for truckers, calling it a risk to Canada's supply chains and economic recov

The senior military officer once tasked with overseeing Canada's COVID-19 vaccination drive is opting to have his sexual assault case tried by a Quebec judge without a jury present. A lawyer for Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin announced the decision during a brief hearing in a Gatineau courtroom this morning. Fortin was removed from his position on the vaccine campaign in May and was charged with one count of sexual assault in August. He is fighting for reinstatement to his former role with the Public Health Agency of Canada alleging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other senior members of the Liberal

Canada is giving Ukraine a $120-million loan to help bolster its economy and aid as it faces a hostile buildup of Russian forces on its borders. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the loan today, saying he was answering a request from the Ukrainian government for support.Trudeau has yet to say whether Canada will provide weapons to Ukrainian forces, impose further sanctions on Russia or extend the Canadian military training mission of Ukrainian forces beyond its expiry date at the end of March.Trudeau says he is exploring options for financial and ``other'' support.Russia has positioned a

Federal Housing Minister Ahmed Hussen is holding meetings with his provincial counterparts, including officials from BC. The ministers are searching for ways to make housing more affordable. The gathering comes one day before the House of Commons finance committee hears from the head of the federal housing agency and the superintendent of financial institutions, the regulator of Canadian banks. Statistics Canada says homeowner replacement costs across the country jumped nearly 14 per cent last month compared with 2020, and the Canadian Real Estate Association says the average home price in BC

The mayor of Brampton, Ont., says three children have died after a house fire in the city this morning. Patrick Brown says they were nine, 12 and 15 years old. He says firefighters faced extremely challenging conditions as they tried to save the children. Brown says one firefighter was injured in the process. Peel Regional Police say emergency crews responded to the house fire after 9 a.m. this morning. They say the home was fully engulfed in flames. It's not clear yet what caused the fire.