Vue lecture

Plane crash near Vermilion, Alta. kills pilot, passenger

A pilot and passenger have died in a plane crash near an airport in central Alberta.

RCMP say they were dispatched to the crash shortly after noon on Saturday, and the plane was located approximately 1.2 kilometres short of the local airport runway in Vermilion, Alta.

Police say there were two occupants in the plane – the 46-year-old female pilot who was a resident of Slave Lake, Alta., and a 76-year-old male passenger, a resident of Mannville, Alta.

© Darryl Dyck

<p>The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</p>

Mississauga man charged with alleged sex assaults of girls under 16

Police west of Toronto say a man from Mississauga, Ont., has been charged with sexually assaulting “multiple” girls under the age of 16.

Peel Regional Police say the 28-year-old suspect is accused of communicating with the victims over social media using the screen name “-PoloPapi-.”

They allege he “engaged in sexual relations” with them, with the incidents taking place between last September and this month.

© Cole Burston

Peel police say a man is facing charges following an investigation into allegations of child abuse at a public school in Mississauga. A Peel Regional Police logo is shown in Brampton, Ont., on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston)

Indigenous Peoples Day marked across Canada with hundreds of events

A youth from the Future Paths Network grassroots organization plants a heart-shaped message in Rideau Hall’s “heart garden,” which honours Indigenous people who died in residential schools, along with survivors.

Hundreds gathered Saturday at events across Canada to mark Indigenous Peoples Day, with messages of optimism about future reconciliation mixed with criticism that there remains much to be done.

Events held Saturday included the Na-Me-Res Traditional Powwow and Indigenous Arts Festival at the Fort York National Historic Site in Toronto, as well as large public gatherings in cities such as Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and Winnipeg.

Deaf waiters serve up fine dining and accessibility at this Ottawa restaurant

Ottawa's Dark Fork restaurant accommodates employees and customers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

It may seem unusual for restaurants to hire deaf servers, but one Ottawa restaurateur is doing so and says accessibility can be seamlessly built into every aspect of the dining experience.

At Moe Alameddine’s downtown Ottawa restaurant Dark Fork, deaf and hearing guests dine side by side – with no communication barriers. Each table is equipped with illustrated menus showing American Sign Language signs for every dish and drink, along with notepads and pens for customers who prefer to write down their orders.

New Indigenous health centre offers care and a feeling of belonging

Anishnawbe Health Toronto provides several services to the city's Indigenous people.

Near the Don River in central Toronto, a new building rises with unusual grace. The new home of Anishnawbe Health Toronto does not assert itself with height or flash. It invites – with curves, with textures, with sound.

Its outer skin is clad in aluminum panels, each perforated with a flowing pattern inspired by ceremonial shawls. The panels curve gently around the structure, lined by a fringe of stainless-steel beads that tremble in the wind. The beads catch the light and make a quiet, persistent music.

B.C. First Nations offer haven for Texada grizzly, but officials say relocation not an option

A young grizzly bear in Davis Bay near Sechelt, September, 2024. B.C.’s estimated 15,000 grizzlies almost all live on the mainland.

Some time in late May, a young male grizzly made an improbable journey to Texada Island, one of the few rural communities in British Columbia that is considered bear-free. His most likely path involved a challenging but not impossible swim of about five kilometres across the Malaspina Strait from the mainland.

The bear who has been dubbed “Tex” is believed to be four years old – a teenager who would have been chased from his home by bigger grizzlies, including his mother.

Rock falls are impossible to anticipate or prevent, experts say

Tourists walk near Bow Glacier Falls, where a rock slide killed two hikers and injured three more on Thursday.

Scientist Daniel Shugar says images of the aftermath of Thursday’s deadly rock slide in Banff National Park provide evidence of its cause – water flowing through the interior of the mountain.

“You can actually see some springs coming out of the cliff and actually coming out exactly from the scar itself,” said the University of Calgary professor of geomorphology.

Islet cell transplant trial outcome ‘major milestone’ toward cure for diabetes

Amanda Smith, the first Canadian to receive an islet cell transplant to give her blood sugar control akin to a non-diabetic, says taking anti-rejection pills for life is a breeze compared with what she used to have to do to deal with her Type 1 diabetes.

When Amanda Smith learned at the age of 25 that she had late-onset Type 1 diabetes, she considered the diagnosis a death sentence.

The nurse, from London, Ont., had a particularly dim view of the disease because she grew up watching her mother struggle with it. Her mother would slur her words and lose consciousness when her blood sugar bottomed out. Once, Ms. Smith’s grandfather had to break a window to reach her mother, who was passed out in her home holding a banana she had tried to consume to raise her blood sugar.

House of Commons passes Liberals’ major projects bill

Prime Minister Mark Carney rises after his legislation aimed at fast-tracking major projects passed the House of Commons on Friday.

Conservative members of Parliament voted with the minority Liberal government to pass its marquee major projects legislation Friday evening, setting it up to become law before Canada Day.

The legislation, also known as the one Canadian economy act, would allow the government to green-light a list of projects that have been deemed to be in the national interest, fast-tracking their approvals.

Federal Appeal Court grants B.C. ostriches stay of cull pending review

Supporters of Universal Ostrich Farms stand near the ostriches at the property in Edgewood, B.C. Activists have decried what they call government overreach in response to an order to cull the flock after an avian flu outbreak.

A flock of nearly 400 British Columbia ostriches that gained international fame after they were ordered killed due to an avian flu outbreak have been given a stay of execution – at least for now.

The Federal Court of Appeal has granted the stay that pauses the potential cull at Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., which was ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in December and has become embroiled in court processes.

U.S. judge indefinitely blocks Trump effort to bar Harvard from hosting international students

Harvard will retain the ability to host international students while its case against the Trump administration is decided, Judge Allison Burroughs ordered Friday.

A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to keep Harvard University from hosting international students.

An order from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs preserves the ability of Harvard to host foreign students while the case is decided. It marks another victory for the Ivy League school as it challenges multiple government sanctions amid a battle with the White House.

Montreal mom charged with abandoning daughter in ‘immense distress,’ in custody until hearing

The courthouse in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que. Police located the three-year-old after an intense four-day search by police and volunteers.

The Montreal mother who allegedly abandoned her three-year-old daughter in rural Ontario, triggering a four-day hunt for the child across two provinces, will remain detained until her bail hearing early next month.

On Friday, the mother’s legal-aid lawyer said he will try to have his client released pending the outcome of the criminal case, adding that he is working on a plan to get her the help she needs. The 34-year-old woman faces one count of unlawful abandonment of a child, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Judge orders release of Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil from detention

Mahmoud Khalil's arrest was the first under the Trump administration's crackdown on students protesting the war in Gaza.

A federal judge on Friday ordered the U.S. government to free former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from the immigration detention centecentree he has been held since early March while the Trump administration sought to deport him over his role in pro-Palestinian protests.

Ruling from the bench in New Jersey, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it would be “highly, highly unusual” for the government to continue to detain a legal U.S. resident who was unlikely to flee and hadn’t been accused of any violence.

Retired University of Alberta professor identified as one of two hikers killed in Banff National Park rock slide

The rock slide occurred around 1 p.m. Thursday leaving two dead and three injured.

The death toll from Thursday’s fatal rock slide in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is expected to hold at two, with three people who were transported to hospital in stable condition, authorities said Friday.

Francois Masse, Parks Canada superintendent of the Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit, said authorities believe they have accounted for all the hikers who were near Bow Glacier Falls at the time of the slide. Rescue teams on Thursday evacuated 13 people from the scene in Banff National Park.

Ottawa’s new limits on foreign steel not enough to fight Trump’s trade war, Algoma CEO says

Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.-based Algoma Steel has been trying to win more business at home, but years of cheap foreign steel imports have made it harder for the company. 

Algoma Steel Group Inc. ASTL-T chief executive Michael Garcia says the federal government’s new quotas around imports of steel fall far short of what is needed during a vicious trade war with the United States.

Prime Minister Mark Carney in a news conference in Ottawa on Thursday announced that Canada is limiting imports of foreign steel from countries that don’t have free trade agreements to 2024 levels. If the group of countries, which includes major steel producers such as China, India and Turkey, ships above that quota, 50-per-cent tariffs will take effect.

Canadian retail sales up 0.3% in April, but expected to fall in May

Statistics Canada said retail sales were up in April, boosted by increases at new and used car dealers.

Canada’s retail sales were up in April on a monthly basis but were below estimates, data showed on Friday, as the momentum seen in the previous months when customers advanced purchases to beat the impact of tariffs continued.

Retail sales in April grew by 0.3 per cent to $70.11 billion from 0.8 per cent observed in the month earlier, Statistics Canada said, adding sales grew in six of the nine subsectors.

Morning Update: A guide to a fun summer

Good morning. After a heavy week of news, we offer some ideas to lighten up your summer. More on that below, plus how Ottawa is causing a stir about the digital sales tax and why Canada’s national housing agency is moving a benchmark. But first:

Today’s headlines

  • Canada to limit some foreign steel imports to help producers hit by U.S. tariffs
  • Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to Indigenous criticism of Bill C-5, saying consultation is “at the heart” of legislation
  • Missing Nova Scotia children were assessed by child welfare agency months before disappearance

© Chantelle Dorafshani

Ontario pivots to European defence market with car industry under threat

Victor Fedeli speaks at a press conference in Brampton, Ont., in 2023. Mr. Fedeli has been visiting companies in Europe to try to tap into increased defence spending.

Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, is following the money, and the money is gushing into defence.

Defence spending in the Western world is set to climb fast. Even Canada, a perennial laggard on the weapons front, is getting into the game. At the NATO summit in The Hague, which starts Tuesday, the 32 member states will be asked to commit 5 per cent of their GDP to defence, up from the alliance’s decade-old spending target of 2 per cent – a target Canada and seven other countries have never met.

Mike Pemberton will be next Yukon Premier after winning Liberal leadership race

No date has been set for when Mike Pemberton will be sworn in as Premier but a territorial election must take place by early November.

Mike Pemberton has been named the new leader of the Yukon Liberal Party and will be the territory’s 11th Premier.

A local businessman and longtime party insider, Pemberton won the leadership race by 13 votes over former Kwanlin Dun First Nation Chief Doris Bill.

© HO

Yukon Liberal Party Leader and premier-designate Mike Pemberton poses in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Yukon Liberal Party (Mandatory Credit)

Hockey Canada sex-assault trial spotlights roadblocks and missed opportunities in first London police probe

Eight months after receiving a complaint that a group of former world junior hockey players sexually assaulted a woman in a downtown hotel, London police detective Stephen Newton had reached the end of his investigation.

In a phone call with E.M., as the complainant is known because of a publication ban on her name, he told her he didn’t have enough evidence to continue his probe.

Judge points to ‘tainted’ process in Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital bidding process at Bondfield trial

John Aquino, former president of Bondfield Construction, walks into the Superior Court of Justice Courthouse, in Toronto, Nov. 12, 2024.

The judge presiding over the trial of two men facing criminal fraud charges stemming from the $300-million redevelopment of Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital says the bidding process was “tainted.”

Vas Georgiou, former chief administrative officer of St. Michael’s, and John Aquino, the former president of Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd., are each charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000. Both men have pleaded not guilty.

Victoria city council endorses plan to address homelessness, addiction and mental illness

Pandora Avenue in Victoria, B.C., in May 2024. The street is the epicentre of the city’s fentanyl crisis.

The City of Victoria has endorsed a community safety and well-being plan aimed at tackling the complex and “entangled challenges” of homelessness, addiction and mental illness playing out on city streets.

The report contains dozens of recommendations aimed at all levels of government across eight sectors, including housing, health care, service delivery, and policing and justice.

One dead, three injured in Banff National Park rock slide, officials say

A rock slide, centre, near Bow Glacier Falls north of Lake Louise, Alta. in Banff National Park on Thursday. The RCMP and Parks Canada said one person was found dead at the scene of the slide.

A rock slide killed at least one person and injured others on a popular hiking trail in the Canadian Rocky Mountains on Thursday, according to authorities.

The RCMP and Parks Canada, in a joint statement Thursday evening, confirmed one person was found dead at the scene of the slide, near Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park. Two people were airlifted to hospital and another was transported by ground ambulance, the statement said.

B.C. coroner won’t call inquest into death of Lisa Rauch, who was hit by police anti-riot rounds

Lisa Rauch died in December, 2019, after being hit by two plastic bullets fired by a Victoria police officer.

British Columbia’s chief coroner is taking the unusual step of not calling an inquest into the death of Lisa Rauch, who died after being hit by two plastic bullets fired by a Victoria police officer.

While an inquest is mandatory after deaths in police custody, Coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan said in a statement that Rauch wasn’t considered in custody at the time of her death.

B.C. downgrades status of two major wildfires in northeast

The Kiskatinaw River wildfire burns south of Dawson Creek, B.C. on June 5. There are currently about 85 wildfires actively burning in B.C. The Canadian Press/HO-B.C. Wildfire Service

Two of the three most significant wildfires in British Columbia have been downgraded and are no longer considered fires of note.

They include the 263-square-kilometre Kiskatinaw River wildfire in northeastern B.C., which was deemed on Wednesday to be no longer out of control.

© HO

The Kiskatinaw River wildfire burns south of Dawson Creek, B.C. in this Thursday, June 5, 2025, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, B.C. Wildfire Service *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Outdated forestry rules increase wildfire risk, B.C. Forest Practices Board says

More than a million B.C. residents live in areas with high or extreme wildfire risk, board chair Keith Atkinson says.

British Columbia’s Forest Practices Board says a two-year investigation has found outdated rules and unclear responsibility are stopping forestry from becoming a wildfire prevention tool.

The independent body says it examined forestry operations between 2019 and 2022 in areas where communities and forests meet, including the Sea to Sky, Cariboo-Chilcotin and Peace districts.

Missing Nova Scotia children were assessed by child welfare agency months before disappearance

Four-year-old Jack Sullivan, left, and six-year-old Lilly Sullivan were reported missing seven weeks ago.

Nova Scotia’s child protection agency investigated the living conditions of Jack and Lilly Sullivan months before their mysterious disappearance from a rural part of the province in early May – a case file that has been reviewed by the minister responsible for child welfare.

Scott Armstrong, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Opportunities and Social Development, confirmed in an interview that the agency had a file on the children prior to their disappearance, but said it would be inappropriate for him to discuss the agency’s findings.

© Ingrid Bulmer

A growing memorial for missing siblings Lilly Sullivan, 6, and her brother, Jack, 4, outside the RCMP detachment in Stellarton, NS.

Canada to limit foreign steel imports to help producers hit by U.S. tariffs

Prime Minister Mark Carney in a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday said the government will attempt to limit steel imports from countries that don’t have a free-trade agreement with Canada to 2024 levels.

Canada is cracking down on the dumping of cheap foreign steel into the country by imposing new trade restrictions aimed at helping domestic producers reeling from U.S. President Donald Trump’s punishing tariffs.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a news conference in Ottawa on Thursday, said the government will attempt to limit steel imports from countries that don’t have free-trade agreements with Canada to 2024 levels.

© COLE BURSTON

The Canadian Steel Producers Association, which represents 17 companies, including Stelco, pictured, has repeatedly advocated for antidumping duties to ease the impact of U.S. tariffs.

Oil and gas firms spent billions on Indigenous businesses, CAPP survey finds

Workers stop for lunch at the arena, one of many amenities and infrastructure projects the Indigenous community of 700 in the oilsands region in Fort McKay, Alberta has been able to finance through relationship with industry.

A survey commissioned by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers shows oil and gas companies spent more than $14 billion procuring goods and services from Indigenous-affiliated businesses between 2021 and 2023.

Data science firm iTOTEM Analytics collected numbers from 12 members of the industry advocacy group that together represent half of Alberta’s oil and natural gas production.

Nova Scotia offers $150,000 reward for information on missing children

Six-year-old Lilly Sullivan, left, and four-year-old Jack Sullivan went missing on May 2 in the community of Lansdowne Station, N.S.

The Nova Scotia government is offering a reward of as much as $150,000 for information about the disappearance of siblings Lilly and Jack Sullivan, who have been missing for nearly seven weeks.

The children, aged six and four, were reported missing May 2 from their mobile home in Lansdowne Station, in rural Pictou County. The case prompted one of the largest ground searches in Nova Scotia’s history, with hundreds of volunteers, aided by drones, helicopters and rescue dogs, scouring a densely wooded area marked by old mine shafts and lakes.

Doug Ford apologizes for controversial comments after meeting with First Nations chiefs on Bill 5

Doug Ford apologized Thursday for his comment accusing First Nations of 'coming hat in hand,' which Indigenous leaders have since condemned as 'appalling' and perpetuating 'racist stereotypes.'

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has apologized for warning that First Nations cannot “keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government” if they oppose mining or other resource projects – comments Indigenous leaders condemned as racist.

The Premier met on Thursday with chiefs from the Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 of Ontario’s 133 First Nations chiefs, to discuss his government’s contentious legislation to speed up resource projects, known as Bill 5.

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