The Alberta government has started a second campaign aimed at attracting more skilled workers from Ontario and Atlantic Canada. Alberta Jobs Minister Brian Jean says the Alberta is Calling program is piggybacking on a similar effort announced by the government last summer. The initial campaign targeted Canadians living in Toronto and Vancouver, while this time it focuses on those living in the Maritimes and parts of Ontario, including London, Hamilton, Windsor and Sudbury. Jean says there are 100,000 vacancies for skilled workers in Alberta which has the highest wages in Canada. Jennifer Hensh

An indefinite general strike is underway at Quebec City's Université Laval, where nearly 1,300 professors are off the job.The unionized professors went on strike today after a negotiation blitz between management and their union did not result in a new contract.The most recent collective agreement expired on Dec. 1, and the union has made a number of demands including equitable distribution of positions, better administrative supports, better work-life balance and workload management.The union members voted 94.5 per cent in favour of a strike mandate during a meeting on March 2, when nearly t

The Jesuits of Canada have released a list of priests and brothers they say were credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over the past 70 years.The Jesuits, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, released the list of 27 names today following an audit that began in 2020 that looked at documents going back to the 1950s.Of the men named, all but three are dead.The order says in a statement that the release of the names is part of the Jesuits' effort to promote transparency, accountability, justice and healing for survivors of abuse.In most cases, the abuse came to light after the all

An Ontario judge has dismissed two breach of trust charges against a former Liberal MP who had been accused of using his political office for personal gain.Ontario Superior Court of Justice judge Sylvia Corthorn revealed her decision in Raj Grewal's case this morning, bringing an end to the criminal trial that has dragged on since last summer.She said a reasonable jury, properly instructed, would not have been able to render a guilty verdict, and she found Grewal not guilty as a result.Grewal’s lawyer argued in a directed verdict application last month that prosecutors did not present enough

As of April 3, 2023, BC Public Service employees will no longer be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.The decision to rescind the policy was made based on the high level of vaccination among public-service employees and the current state of the pandemic.More than 98% of employees met the requirement, which helped keep everyone safe.Rescinding the vaccination policy means a small number of employees on administrative leave due to non-compliance will be provided the opportunity to return to the workplace.The Public Service Agency has provided direction to ministries and wi

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says he is clawing $82 million in federal health transfers to the provinces for charging patients for services that should have been covered by the public purse.Eight provinces will see reductions in their next health transfer from the federal government over fees charged to patients in 2020 and 2021.Most of the deductions are related to fees for diagnostic services such as MRIs and CT scans.The federal Liberal government enacted a new policy on diagnostic services in 2020 ensuring fees for such tests were covered by the Canada Health Act's single-payer policy.

A Liberal bill to delay the planned expansion of Canada's medically assisted dying regime has passed third reading in the Senate.The expansion, which was originally slated for March 17, would include people whose sole underlying condition is a mental disorder.Justice Minister David Lametti announced the delay in February, saying more time was needed to ensure health-care professionals and Canadian society were prepared for the expansion.That will now happen one year later, in March 2024.Federal officials say the delay will allow more time to develop practice standards and assessment guidelines

The Supreme Court of Canada has overturned a British Columbia court ruling and restored two voyeurism convictions against a former Metro Vancouver minor hockey coach.Randy Downes had coached minor hockey and children's baseball in Burnaby and Coquitlam for 30 years when he was charged in 2016 after border agents found images on his phone as he returned to Canada from Washington state.All the images involved youths who were clothed and none were deemed pornographic, but Downes was convicted of two counts of voyeurism in 2019 for separate events where surreptitious cellphone photos were taken of

Canada is banning the import of Russian steel and aluminum as part of its sanctions regime.Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says this will help undermine Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.The Department of Industry says Canada imported $208 million in steel products from Russia in 2021 and $79 million last year.Canada also imported $44 million in aluminum from Russia in 2021, followed by $16 million last year.Russia's trade with Canada plummeted in the first 10 months after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, with a 78 per cent per cent drop in exports from the same period one y