The Canadian economy appeared to stall in the second quarter as Statistics Canada says the economy contracted at an annualized rate of 0.2 per cent in the second quarter. The agency also revised its reading for growth in the first quarter to an annual pace of 2.6 per cent, down from 3.1 per cent. Economists say the latest spending data showing a contraction in the economy suggests the Bank of Canada's rate hiking campaign may be coming to an end. Statistics Canada says the economy contracted at an annualized rate of 0.2 per cent in the second quarter. The pullback in the second quarter came as

The Canada Revenue Agency says 120 people have been fired for claiming a federal COVID-19 benefit while employed there. The CRA is reviewing approximately 600 cases in which current employees received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit — or CERB — during the COVID-19 pandemic. The benefit was worth $2,000 a month to Canadians whose jobs were lost or downgraded as a result of public-health restrictions. The CRA said in July that it had let 20 employees go as a result of its CERB investigation, but it now says that number is up to 120. Claims for CERB were found to be legitimate in 30 cas

Canada's corporate ethics watchdog is investigating allegations that Walmart, Hugo Boss and Diesel involved forced labor in their supply chains.Sheri Meyerhoffer released three reports today that say none of the three companies have done enough to disclose that the products they are selling in Canada are free of slave labor.These are the fourth, fifth and sixth investigations announced by the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) since it began accepting complaints in March, 2021.Last month CORE announced investigations into Nike Canada and Canadian mining company Dynasty Gol

Canada's Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has been fined $273 for speeding.Freeland was speeding in Grand Prairie and Peace River, Alberta, when she was stopped and issued a $273 ticket.However, Freeland spokeswoman Katherine Cuplinskas said Freeland has paid the full amount of the fine.Freeland was driving at a speed of 132 km per hour in a 110 km per hour zone.It is worth noting that Chrystia Freeland claimed last month that she does not even have a car and travels by train while her children walk, cycle and use the subway.

British Columbia's wildfire season is the most destructive on record, with more than 15,000 square kilometres of the province burned, surpassing the previous high of 13,543 square kilometres set in 2018.Here are some statistics about the current season from the BC Wildfire Service website, as of 12 p.m. Pacific time, July 26.Burnt area:15,055 square kilometresFires currently burning: 439, including 23 fires of noteNew fires in the past 24 hours:9Out-of-control fires:246Total number of fires this season:1,486Causes of all fires:Lightning, 69 per cent; humans (deliberate and accidental), 25 per

Starting Thursday, June 29, 2023, people can book an appointment to see a pharmacist through a new provincial online booking system, making it even easier and more convenient to access the health care they need. The new online booking system is similar to the Get Vaccinated system where people booked appointments to get their COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations. Through the new online booking system, people can search for available appointment times at nearby pharmacies based on their minor ailment or contraceptive needs. Appointments can continue to be made by calling or visiting a pharmacy.

An immigration consultant in India is facing criminal charges in Canada for providing dozens of international students with fraudulent college admissions letters to secure study permits in Canada. In a statement on Friday evening, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced it is charging Brijesh Mishra under the Immigration and Refugee Act for allegedly misrepresenting himself as a licensed immigration consultant and offering advice. ``Following information provided to the CBSA concerning Mr. Mishra's status in Canada, as well his alleged involvement in activities related to counseling

Member of Parliament Sukh Dhaliwal says the shooting death of a religious leader in the parking lot of a British Columbia temple has prompted a meeting with Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and members of the Sikh Liberal caucus.Dhaliwal, who represents the Metro Vancouver riding of Surrey-Newton where the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar took place, posted a statement on Twitter, saying Sikh members of the Liberal caucus met with the minister regarding the tragic incident at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.Dhaliwal says the caucus members were assured the federal government is working closely w

A federal bill that will require Google and Meta to pay media outlets for news content that they share or otherwise repurpose on their platforms is set to become law.The Senate has passed the bill in a final vote and it is now awaiting royal assent amid a standoff between the Liberal government and Silicon Valley tech giants.Ottawa, which says the law creates a level playing field between online advertising giants and the shrinking news industry, is now waiting to see if Meta or Google will react by removing journalism from their platforms in Canada.Meta has said it plans to comply with the bi