Canada’s economy took a step backward in January as the country recorded a net loss of about 25,000 jobs, according to the latest Labour Force Survey released by Statistics Canada. The decline marks the first monthly drop in employment since late summer and signals renewed pressure in key sectors tied to trade and construction. The manufacturing and construction industries experienced the sharpest losses, with economists pointing to ongoing trade uncertainty and U.S. tariff pressures as contributing factors. Private-sector employment and part-time work were particularly affected, while women

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is set to meet with international counterparts in Washington on Wednesday as the United States pushes for deeper cooperation to reduce global reliance on China for critical minerals. The meeting, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department, will bring together representatives from Europe, Africa and Asia to discuss investment and coordination across critical mineral supply chains. U.S. officials say the talks are aimed at building momentum for collective action to secure access to rare earth elements that are essential for modern m

The federal Liberal Party has announced Ontario New Democratic Party MPP Doly Begum will run as its candidate in Scarborough Southwest, following the resignation of longtime Liberal MP Bill Blair. Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed earlier this week that Blair, who has represented the Scarborough riding at the federal level for nearly a decade, will take on the role of Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom later this spring. Blair previously served as Toronto’s police chief before entering federal politics in 2015. Begum has represented Scarborough Southwest at Queen’s Park

Canada’s former prime minister Stephen Harper will have his official portrait unveiled today during a formal ceremony in downtown Ottawa, marking nearly two decades since his first Conservative government was elected. The unveiling is scheduled to take place at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building and comes ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 2006 federal election that brought Harper to power. The portrait was painted by Canadian artist Phil Richards, whose previous work includes the Diamond Jubilee Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Harper served as prime minister from February 2006 until Novem

Surrey police say three men were taken into custody early Sunday after a shooting outside a home in the Crescent Beach area, an incident investigators believe may be connected to ongoing extortion activity in the city. Officers on patrol shortly before 4 a.m. were alerted to reports of gunfire and a small fire near 132 Street and Crescent Road. Police say the suspects were initially linked to a vehicle at the scene but fled on foot before being arrested nearby after entering a ride-share vehicle. The Surrey Police Service says a brief fire outside the residence was quickly extinguished by Surr

Ottawa’s plan to temporarily boost the federal GST credit and issue a one-time payment to Canadians is expected to cost $12.4 billion over five years, according to new estimates from the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. The budget watchdog says the proposed one-time payment, expected this spring, would cost the federal government just over $3 billion in the current fiscal year. Ongoing increases to the GST credit are projected to add between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion per year through 2031. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the measures last week as part of the federal gover

Police have laid multiple criminal charges following a shooting at a Surrey home on New Year’s Day. Officers from the Surrey Police Service (SPS) responded around 11:45 p.m. on January 1, 2026, to reports of gunfire in the area of 140B Street and 59 Avenue in Newton. At the scene, they found an injured man who was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound. Officials said his condition was stable. A second man was arrested at the location. The SPS Serious Crime Unit took over the investigation. On January 28, the BC Prosecution Service approved charges against 49-year-old Chanchal Badwal. He fac

Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that the federal government acted within its authority when it classified certain plastic products as toxic, clearing the way for Ottawa to maintain its ban on several single-use plastic items. In a unanimous decision released Friday, a three-judge panel overturned a 2023 lower court ruling that had found the federal government overreached by broadly labeling plastic manufactured items as toxic under environmental legislation. That earlier decision had cast uncertainty over the future of the single-use plastics ban. The appeal court concluded the go

Canada’s economy is showing renewed signs of strain, with new data suggesting the country’s gross domestic product may have contracted in the fourth and final quarter of 2025. Economists point to ongoing trade pressures, particularly from U.S. tariffs, as a key factor weighing on growth in a trade-dependent economy. According to Statistics Canada, economic activity stalled completely in November, marking zero growth for the month. This followed a 0.3 per cent decline in October, making it the second consecutive month without any measurable improvement in overall economic output. Analysts s