Dr. Theresa Tam: Community spread of COVID-19 within Canada now rising

Alberta RCMP have seized an estimated $30 million worth of illegal cigarettes following a months-long investigation in the Westlock area. A 50-year-old Westlock man has been arrested and charged with multiple offences. Police began the investigation in January after receiving information that unstamped cigarettes were being sold in the Westlock area. During the investigation, an undercover officer purchased cigarettes from a store called The Boutique. Search warrants were executed on June 17 and 18. On September 15, police searched a rural property in Westlock County and arrested the suspect.

The Parti Québécois is set to form a minority government in Quebec after winning 59 seats in the provincial election, marking a major shift in the province’s political landscape. PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will become Quebec’s next premier. In his victory speech, Plamondon described the result as the beginning of a new chapter and said he believes Quebec’s long-standing separatist aspirations could eventually be realized. The election result also dealt a major blow to the Coalition Avenir Québec, which had governed the province for the past eight years. The party failed to win

The Dallas Brodie-led One B.C. Party has released its platform for the B.C. provincial election, outlining a series of promises aimed at improving the province’s economy, social services and health-care system. Key commitments include cutting all personal income tax brackets and corporate taxes by 25 per cent, along with reducing the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) by two percentage points. The party also promises to remove SOGI from schools and introduce a Parental Bill of Rights. One B.C. is also pledging tougher action against drugs and crime. Its top platform commitment is to repeal the Decla

The Amber Alert issued for 7-year-old Aspen Wilson of Valleyview, Alberta, has been cancelled. Police said the child was found safe and the suspect involved in the incident, Alexander Stone, was also arrested. Authorities thanked members of the public for their quick assistance and vigilance during the emergency.

Canada’s services sector continued to contract in September, marking the fourth consecutive month of decline. According to the S&P Global Canada Services PMI, released Monday, the headline business activity index improved slightly to 48.3 in September, up from 46.8 in August, but remained below the key 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. Experts attributed the weakness to ongoing tariff disputes, U.S. restrictions on Canadian products and global uncertainty linked to tensions in the Middle East. However, there was some positive news as Canadian companies remained optimisti