Alberta’s fall legislative session closed this week with Premier Danielle Smith’s government advancing two major bills that relied heavily on the Charter’s notwithstanding clause, a move that has renewed debate over the limits of provincial authority and the protection of individual rights. The clause was applied four times in the sitting, shielding the legislation from certain court challenges for up to five years. The government first invoked the clause when it passed a law ordering more than 51 thousand public school teachers back to work following a three-week provincewide strike. Th

Two national advocacy organizations say they are pivoting their legal strategy as they continue efforts to challenge Alberta’s restrictions on gender-affirming care for youth. Egale Canada and the Calgary-based Skipping Stone Foundation launched a constitutional challenge last year after the province passed legislation prohibiting doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to people under 16, and from performing gender-affirming top surgery on anyone under 18. The groups say the path through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has become significantly more difficult since th

Authorities in Amritsar ordered an immediate shutdown of several private schools after administrators reported receiving an email threatening bomb attacks on campus. The message, sent to multiple institutions early Tuesday, triggered evacuations and a large-scale police deployment. Local officials said at least 15 well-known private schools were identified in the threat. Police teams, including the bomb squad and fire services, secured school grounds while investigators worked to verify the credibility of the email. The Deputy Commissioner directed schools to release students for the day as a

Doctors in Dhaka say former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia has been moved to a ventilator after her oxygen levels dropped sharply earlier this week. The 80-year-old opposition leader has been in Evercare Hospital since November 23 for multiple ongoing health complications, according to her medical team. Members of the hospital’s medical board reported that Zia began experiencing increased difficulty breathing, prompting the shift to full respiratory support. Physicians say her condition has not shown significant improvement despite weeks of treatment. Zia, who heads the Bangladesh Na

A man from Ontario has been charged following an altercation connected to a protest at Universal Ostrich Farm in the rural community of Edgewood, where federal inspectors culled more than 300 birds last month amid an avian influenza outbreak. RCMP say officers were called to the area on September 22, when they were alerted to a disturbance at a neighbouring property shortly after arriving to support federal officials. Mounties report that a 73-year-old woman received medical attention from officers at the scene, and a 60-year-old man was taken into custody. Investigators say the individual has

Burnaby RCMP say officers uncovered a large cache of stolen designer eyewear while carrying out a search warrant linked to a separate investigation last week. Members of the Investigative Support Team discovered eight boxes holding more than 100 pairs of sunglasses and prescription frames, many still tagged for retail sale at stores across the Lower Mainland. Police report that some of the price tags helped investigators identify the items as stolen merchandise from multiple businesses. One item carried a price of more than one thousand dollars, and several others were valued in the hundreds,

On International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2025, Wanjara Nomad Collections, with participation from the Guru Nanak Jahaz Heritage Society, hosted a three-hour public dialogue titled “Let’s Talk” in Surrey, British Columbia. The program examined questions of memory, identity, and institutional responsibility within Sikh Canadian public life. Wanjara Nomad Collections organized the dialogue and brought together elders, representatives of gurdwara societies, human rights advocates, scholars, artists, and members of the public. The gathering functioned as a dialogue-based forum that emph

A Nanaimo high school was placed under a precautionary lockdown Wednesday afternoon after school staff were alerted to a threat directed at a student. The incident at Nanaimo District Secondary School began around 2:30 p.m., prompting administrators to activate established safety procedures. Nanaimo RCMP officers responded immediately and remained on site while classrooms were secured. Police and school officials said the lockdown lasted roughly 30 minutes, and students and staff were released shortly after 3 p.m. once officers determined there was no ongoing risk. The district says students w

Vancouver Police say a loaded rifle and several other weapons were taken off the street this week after officers arrested a man suspected of trafficking drugs in the Downtown Eastside. The incident took place Tuesday afternoon near East Hastings and Columbia Street, an area where frontline police and community workers have long raised concerns about violence linked to the drug trade. According to the Vancouver Police Department, members of the Beat Enforcement Team were on routine patrol around 2:35 p.m. on December 9 when they arrested a 32-year-old Surrey resident outside a residential build