August, 2023
Feds still considering whether ‘imperfect’ Emergencies Act needs an update
In 6 month progress report, LeBlanc says government still reviewing most of Rouleau’s recommendations The federal government says it’s still considering whether the Emergencies Act needs to be updated to sharpen the definition of what constitutes a threat to national security. On Thursday, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc published a six-month progress report updating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the recommendations coming out of last year’s public inquiry. While LeBlanc said in the report that many departments and agencies continue to review Commissioner Paul Rouleau’s findings, he did not say one way or anotherRead more
StatsCan to change how it counts non-permanent residents
Agency says it ‘stands behind its numbers’ estimating number of non-permanent residents Statistics Canada says it will publish new data tables next month estimating the number of non-permanent residents in the country after a major bank issued a report that said the agency may be undercounting them by more than one million. “StatsCan will publish new data tables on NPRs starting on September 27 that will be computed using a revised methodology and going back to 2021,” the agency said in a media statement. The new tables will be updated monthlyRead more
Police lay 12 new charges against Mississauga, Ont., man accused of selling deadly substance
Charges come after British police revealed they are investigating deaths of 88 people in U.K. An Ontario man accused of sending a lethal substance to those at risk of self harm was charged in 12 new deaths on Tuesday as police outlined the growing scope of what has become an international investigation. Kenneth Law now faces 14 counts in total of counselling and aiding suicide, police said, with the cases involving deaths across Ontario. Police allege the 57-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., operated several websites starting in late 2020 that wereRead more
Ontario First Nations leaders reiterate opposition to Greenbelt land swap in unanimous vote
Chiefs of Ontario says province didn’t adequately consult First Nations on Greenbelt decision UPDATE: Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday the government is “exploring” putting protections back on two parts of the Greenbelt in Ajax, Ont., that were slated for housing development. Ford’s office claims the company that owns the land was planning to sell it. First Nations leaders from across Ontario are demanding the provincial government return environmental protections to land it recently removed from the Greenbelt to build housing. The Chiefs of Ontario, an organization that advocates for 133 First Nations inRead more
Quebec woman with rare cancer will get out-of-province treatment after research fund steps up to cover costs
‘I’ve found renewed hope,’ says 31-year-old Stéphanie Alain, who’ll head to Calgary Stéphanie Alain was screaming for joy on Wednesday afternoon after receiving a call from her doctor. He told her she’s heading to Calgary and Quebec’s health research fund — a not-for-profit organization funded by the government — stepped up to cover up to $100,000 for her to participate in an experimental treatment she’s hoping will save her life. “My family cried with me,” said Alain. “We’re all really relieved and also happy.” Alain’s been waiting for this opportunity for months,Read more
Coast Guard on standby in Hay River should fire situation worsen: mayor
Hay River Kandis Jameson says she’ll never forget watching roaring fire from plane The mayor of Hay River says the Canadian Coast Guard is on standby in the southern N.W.T. hub in case the wildfire situation worsens and further emergency evacuations are needed. Mayor Kandis Jameson held a news conference on Saturday to give an update on the fire threatening her community. She shared the pain of leaving the North behind when boarding an emergency flight to Alberta on Friday. “I felt like I was abandoning the people that were working the hardestRead more
Highly mutated COVID virus variant BA.2.86 showing up in multiple countries
Handful of cases from Israel, Denmark, U.S., U.K.; none yet in Canada A highly mutated variant of the virus behind COVID-19 has popped up in multiple countries, but scientists aren’t yet sure whether it will help fuel a fall wave of infections or simply fizzle out. BA.2.86 was deemed a variant under monitoring by the World Health Organization on Aug. 17. Though only a handful of samples exist, its emergence across several continents since it was first identified in late July, coupled with its unusually high number of mutations, has put COVID watchersRead more
Province didn’t do analysis of corrections system before deciding to build Fredericton-area jail, records show
A more detailed assessment was done in 2008, before the province built two new provincial jails The province didn’t do any kind of detailed analysis to map out the future of corrections in New Brunswick before announcing plans to build a new jail in the Fredericton region, according to records reviewed by CBC News. In 40 pages of records turned over by the Department of Justice and Public Safety after an eight-month access-to-information battle, there’s no report assessing the business case for building a new Fredericton-region jail, including how much itRead more
Early signs suggest fall COVID-19 wave starting in Canada — before updated boosters are available
Positive tests, hospitalizations creeping up as drugmakers seek new vaccine approvals There are early signals Canada is already entering a fall COVID-19 wave, while updated booster shots likely remain weeks away. Earlier this week, the Public Health Agency of Canada said fluctuations in virus activity across the country could be an “early sign” of increased infections. The percentage of COVID tests coming back positive, for example, had been gradually declining since the spring, but started going up again over the last month — most recently hitting nearly nine per cent. Hospitalizations increasedRead more
Different cities, different wildfires: How 2 Canadian cities are fighting back
Firelines, sprinklers and water bombers: geography and weather play a role in how crews attack fires Powerful wildfires are bearing down on Kelowna, B.C., and Yellowknife, but the two cities have different challenges, constraints and resources as firefighters take them on. Weather, topography, water access and forest conditions are all influencing officials’ strategies to fight the flames in each location. In Yellowknife’s case, fires have been burning near the territorial capital for weeks — since late June, according to the Natural Resources Canada. A fire west of the city expanded and moved closer to theRead more