Category Archives: National
Ethics watchdog sends ‘letter of concern’ to MP who employed sister
OTTAWA — The federal ethics watchdog is expressing concern about a Toronto MP who hired her sister to work in her constituency office. Mario Dion says in a tweet that he sent Yasmin Ratansi a "letter of concern" about her actions
Inquiry hears money laundering concerns at B.C. casinos rose as 2010 Olympics neared
VANCOUVER — Larger amounts of suspicious cash with suspected links to money laundering and organized crime began showing up at British Columbia's casinos while the province prepared to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, a former gaming regulator told the i...
Bill to ban conversion therapy being turned into political fundraising tool
OTTAWA — A proposed bill seeking to make it illegal to force someone into therapy to alter their sexual orientation or gender identity is turning into a political fundraising tool. Conservative MP and failed leadership candidate Derek Sloan is as...
RCMP charges former executive in Toronto with bribing a foreign official
OTTAWA — The RCMP has charged a former business executive with bribing a public official from Botswana. The Mounties allege Damodar Arapakota, a former executive of Toronto-based IMEX Systems Inc., provided financial benefit for a Botswanan public offi...
Sir John A. Macdonald High School near Halifax changing its name to be more inclusive
HALIFAX — The principal of Sir John A. Macdonald High School outside Halifax confirmed Thursday the school's name will be changed because of the role Canada's first prime minister played in developing the residential school system. Darlene Fitzgerald s...
First Nation to launch lawsuits against N.S. commercial fishers for alleged damages
INDIAN BROOK, N.S. — A Mi'kmaq First Nation that encountered violence after it opened a self-regulated lobster fishery says it will launch a series of lawsuits against non-Indigenous fishers for alleged damages incurred by its members. The band a...
Canada must regulate AI to protect privacy and human rights: watchdog
OTTAWA — Artificial intelligence must be regulated to protect Canadians' privacy and human rights, a federal watchdog says.In issuing new recommendations for regulating AI Thursday, Canada's privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien said he is calling for l...
Veterans minister declares backlog progress even as overall numbers go up
OTTAWA — The Trudeau government is claiming success after reducing the number of older claims for disability benefits from veterans, even as the overall number of files in the system remains unchanged and advocates fear COVID-19 is preventing new reque...
Pandemic spending leaves Quebec with $15-billion deficit for fiscal 2020-2021
MONTREAL — For the first time since 2014, the Quebec government expects to run a budget deficit. Pandemic-related spending has pushed the province’s deficit to $15 billion for this fiscal year, Finance Minister Eric Girard said Thursday, as he unveiled...
Supreme Court to examine minimum sentences for fentanyl trafficking
OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada will delve into the question of minimum prison sentences for fentanyl trafficking. The high court has agreed to jointly hear the appeals of two men who received stiffer penalties when Alberta's Court of Appeal
