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Premier Ford objects to court finding Ontario bike-lane law unconstitutional

Ontario's Superior Court ruled removing the bike lanes would put people at an 'increased risk of harm and death' and violate their Charter rights.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford teed off Wednesday on a court decision declaring his law to remove three Toronto bike lanes unconstitutional, calling it the “most ridiculous” ruling he has ever seen.

Ford has already said his government plans to appeal, even as it works on a compromise with the city to both keep the bike lanes and add extra lanes for vehicle traffic.

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Ford proposes three-level tunnel under Highway 401, feasibility study not started

'We’re building that tunnel as sure as I’m talking to you,' Ontario Premier Doug Ford said.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed more details Wednesday about his planned tunnel under Highway 401, even as a feasibility study he’s commissioning has yet to get underway.

Speaking at an unrelated transit announcement in Thornhill, Ont., north of Toronto, Ford said his plan is to have a 19.5-metre-wide, three-level tunnel, with one level going eastbound, one for westbound traffic and a bottom level for transit.

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Nova Scotia releases plan on future transport needs for Halifax and surrounding area

Nova Scotia Public Works Minister Fred Tilley, left to right, Peter Hackett, deputy minister of Link Nova Scotia and Connie Roney, project executive with the Department of Public Works, hold a news conference in Halifax, on Wednesday.

The Nova Scotia government has released its long-awaited plan to address the future transportation needs of Atlantic Canada’s largest city and the surrounding area.

Public Works Minister Fred Tilley told reporters Wednesday that the goal of the Regional Transportation Plan is to transform the transportation system for Halifax and those areas within an hour’s drive of the port city – a region that is home to 63 per cent of the province’s population.

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Why are fentanyl deaths in Europe a fraction of those seen in North America?

When police in England raided a fentanyl lab outside the northern city of Leeds in early 2017, the bust sent shockwaves across the country.

The raid and subsequent conviction of three men – who made and sold around £164,000 worth of the opioid in five months – was the first major fentanyl case in Britain and it prompted dire warnings from law enforcement officers, health officials and the media that the U.K. was headed for a U.S.-style fentanyl crisis.

© Chad Hipolito

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Three men denied bail in alleged militia plot in Quebec

The three each face one count of facilitating terrorism and are also charged with illegal possession of different quantities of guns and military gear.

Three men who face terrorism charges over allegations that they plotted to take over land near Quebec City were denied bail at a court hearing on Wednesday.

Marc-Aurèle Chabot and Raphaël Lagacé of Quebec City, along with Simon Angers-Audet from nearby Neuville, were arrested last month. Each face one count of facilitating terrorism.

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Manitoba Métis Federation not attending Carney’s major projects meeting over inclusion of Ontario group

President of the Manitoba Metis Federation David Chartrand says that Ottawa’s push to approve major projects is at risk if Ottawa negotiates with 'illegitimate bodies.'

The Manitoba Métis Federation is turning down Prime Minister Mark Carney’s invitation to discuss his government’s controversial major projects legislation, saying it won’t attend the meeting alongside another Métis group it claims has no reason to exist.

The federation, which represents Red River Métis, said Wednesday Carney’s decision to invite the Métis Nation of Ontario to Thursday’s meeting undermines the integrity of the gathering and puts the government’s plans for major projects at risk.

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Air Canada hopes to avoid flight disruptions after attendants vote in favour of strike mandate

The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees says negotiations with the airline are set to resume Friday.

Around 10,000 Air Canada AC-T flight attendants will be in a legal position to strike in less than two weeks, but the airline says it’s confident there is enough runway left to reach a deal that avoids grounding numerous flights.

The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees says negotiations with the airline are set to resume Friday after its members voted 99.7 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.

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Advocates fear Haitian nationals intercepted in Quebec could face deportation if they are returned to U.S.

The Canada Border Services Agency says it arrested and charged three alleged smugglers after police intercepted a truck carrying 44 Haitian nationals in Stanstead, Que.

Canadian authorities intercepted a 16-foot U-Haul truck at the U.S.-Canada border near Stanstead, Que., just minutes after alleged smugglers loaded in 44 people, the RCMP say.

The people found in the sweltering cargo area, most of whom were Haitian nationals, included a pregnant woman and young children, police said. They allegedly told officers they had crossed the border on foot, walking for two hours before the truck picked them up.

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Morning Update: Trump trades tariffs for ‘gifts’

Good morning. Canada is laying the groundwork for USMCA talks while Trump rewrites trade policy one hazy deal at a time – more on that below, along with Victoria Mboko’s Cinderella run at the National Bank Open and a potential Air Canada strike. But first:

Today’s headlines

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Ontario’s private-clinic plan doesn’t add up, prospective applicants warn

Ontario is investing $125-million to add orthopedic surgeries at community surgical centres over the next two years.

The Ontario government, poised to allow private clinics to do publicly funded hip- and knee-replacement surgeries, is facing behind-the-scenes criticism from some of the people who hope to build the new facilities.

The long-delayed move is part of the Progressive Conservative government’s push to boost the involvement of the private sector in the public health care system, in an effort to move more procedures out of hospitals and reduce waiting times.

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Afghan family seeking entry into Canada detained by ICE

An Afghan woman walks along the York Beltline Trail in Toronto, Ont. on July 23. Her family was detained by ICE in the U.S. after fleeing the Taliban.

An Afghan family fleeing the Taliban and seeking to join relatives near Toronto are stuck in a “legal trap” after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, their lawyers say.

The family was eligible to cross into Canada by land from the U.S. to claim asylum because a close relative – a 32-year-old woman who previously worked for a Western aid organization in Afghanistan – was granted refugee status in Canada last year.

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Wildfires push thousands from homes in Manitoba, Newfoundland, while areas of Nova Scotia on high alert

Trees burned by wildfires in northern Manitoba on June 12. Manitoba has borne the brunt of this year’s damage from wildfires and is under its second 30-day provincewide state of emergency.

Rapidly growing wildfires in several provinces forced thousands of people from their homes and prompted air-quality warnings in cities thousands of kilometres away, while hot and dry conditions had other areas on high alert, including Nova Scotia, where the government banned most summertime activities in wooded areas.

The deteriorating conditions have added up to a wildfire season that is on track to be one of Canada’s worst on record in terms of area burned, second only to 2023.

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Structures destroyed in fast-growing Newfoundland wildfire, Premier Hogan says

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan confirmed some structures were destroyed by one of several wildfires burning in the province overnight.

Multiple wildfires are burning in Newfoundland, prompting more evacuation orders and destroying structures in a community in the eastern part of the province.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier said during a media briefing Tuesday the out-of-control wildfire near Small Point–Adam’s Cove–Blackhead–Broad Cove and Kingston grew significantly overnight.

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Cathedral Grove’s ancient trees not at risk, fire service says, as Vancouver Island blaze prompts evacuation order

Crews battle wildfires near Coombs, B.C., on Sunday.

Vancouver Island photographer Colby Rex O’Neill has had restless nights as a wildfire burns less than a kilometre from his home.

That’s a worry, but he also fears the Wesley Ridge fire could reach what he calls a “national treasure” – Cathedral Grove, a temperate rainforest containing trees that are about 800 years old.

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Privacy commissioner to investigate WestJet cybersecurity breach, security safeguards

WestJet passengers deplane on the tarmac at Yellowknife Airport on Tuesday, July 22.

Canada’s privacy commissioner has opened an investigation into a cyberattack on WestJet WJAFF which saw a “malicious actor” gain access to the airline’s systems.

The airline said in a statement last month that a “sophisticated, criminal” third party was able to gain access to some personal and travel-related data during the June cybersecurity incident.

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Audit of Nova Scotia firefighter school reveals serious safety concerns

The family of a Nova Scotia firefighter who died in training says the results of a scathing audit of the province’s main firefighters school is an important first step in ensuring future safety.

The $300,000 money-for-value audit by consultant 21FSP was released Tuesday by the provincial government. It was launched in June and stemmed from the death of firefighter Skyler Blackie during a training exercise at the Nova Scotia Firefighters School in March 2019.

Skyler Blackie died after the bottom of a rusted extinguisher blew off during a certification exam at the non-profit training facility in Waverley, N.S.

© HO

Skyler Blackie poses in this undated handout photo. The family of a Nova Scotia firefighter who died during a 2019 training session is stepping up its push for reform of a firefighting school after learning he had raised concerns about the equipment that led to his death.
Skyler Blackie died on March 20, 2019, 11 days after the bottom of the rusted extinguisher blew off as he charged it with propellant during a certification exam at the Nova Scotia Firefighters School in Waverley, N.S. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO
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Globe Climate: The North Atlantic right whale’s collision course

If you’re reading this on the web or someone forwarded this e-mail newsletter to you, you can sign up for Globe Climate and all Globe newsletters here.

Good afternoon and thanks for catching up with us after the long weekend. Welcome to Globe Climate, a newsletter about climate change, environment and resources in Canada.

A mysterious illness has killed billions of sea stars. Just yesterday, scientists shared how they’ve solved the case.

© Lauren Owens Lambert

Large container ships navigate through New York Harbor on April 25, 2025. All large whale species in this region, including Blue, Fin, Sei, Sperm, Humpback, and North Atlantic right whales are detected in the New York Bight. Most are federally listed as endangered and face the greatest threats from human activities, including vessel strikes.
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Air Canada flight attendants enter final day of strike mandate vote

Air Canada flight attendants are entering the final day of voting on whether to give a strike mandate to their union.

The vote, which began July 28 and closes today, comes after the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees concluded the conciliation process with no deal reached.

The union represents more than 10,000 flight attendants who have been in contract talks since the start of the year.

© Christinne Muschi

An Air Canada plane takes off from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Air Canada flight attendants are entering the final day of voting on whether to give a strike mandate to their union. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
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Three charged with smuggling-related offences after 44 migrants intercepted in Quebec, CBSA says

An RCMP officer near the Quebec-U.S. border in St. Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que. in January. The Canada Border Services Agency says it stopped a vehicle carrying foreign nationals near Stanstead, Que., early Sunday morning.

The Canada Border Services Agency says it has arrested and charged three alleged smugglers after police in southern Quebec intercepted a truck carrying 44 foreign nationals in conditions an RCMP officer described as “horrific.” 

The agency said RCMP and Quebec provincial police intercepted the vehicle with dozens of people aboard near Stanstead, Que., overnight between Saturday to Sunday.

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Newfoundland wildfires prompt evacuations for residents of small communities

Residents of several small communities in eastern Newfoundland were ordered Monday to leave their homes as two separate wildfires burned along the shores of Conception Bay.

On Monday, just before 2 p.m. local time, the provincial government issued evacuation orders for the two towns of Small Point–Adam’s Cove–Blackhead–Broad Cove and Kingston, which are spread along the west side of the huge bay.

Officials said a 150-hectare wildfire had come within one kilometre of Kingston.

© Adrian Wyld

Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial flag flies on a flagpole in Ottawa, Monday, July 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld</p>
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Film producer Debbie Nightingale co-founded the documentary festival Hot Docs

Hot Docs film festival co-founder Debbie Nightingale died of a rare form of lung cancer at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Coburg, Ont., on July 10 at the age of 71.

Debbie Nightingale produced movies and television shows before a personal plot twist led her to become a goat farmer. Over time, her Ontario farm became a popular tourist attraction.

Ms. Nightingale, who has died at 71, was a prominent member of the Canadian film and television industry whose many credits included co-founding a documentary festival now known as Hot Docs.

Hot Docs film festival co-founder Debbie Nightingale, seen in this undated handout photo, has died at 71. The organization confirmed her passing this week. An obituary says the veteran Toronto film producer died of cancer on July 10, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - The Nightingale family (Mandatory Credit)
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Family caught in Montreal shootout suing police, city

The Abdallah family at a Monday news conference. Their lawyer says Houssam Abdallah, bottom right, was shot six times and his son was shot once during a shootout between police and a suspect.

A family that was caught in a shootout between Montreal police and an armed suspect last year is suing the city and members of the police force, alleging inhumane treatment that caused lasting trauma.

Houssam Abdallah and his family members say they’ve been living a nightmare since he and one of his sons were caught in crossfire outside their home one year ago.

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A mysterious illness has killed billions of sea stars. Now scientists say they’ve solved the case

Sea star wasting disease has affected over 20 species with sunflower sea stars to be the hardest hit. The mysterious syndrome is estimated to have killed billions since its 2013 emergence.

Sunflower sea stars were once everywhere along the Pacific coast. Big, colourful and many-armed, they could be spotted at low tide clinging to rocks as if painted there by Vincent van Gogh.

Then came a devastating sickness that turned healthy sea stars into mounds of decaying mush. Known as sea star wasting disease, the mysterious syndrome is estimated to have killed billions of the creatures since it emerged in 2013.

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Quebec’s RSV immunization program greatly lowered infant hospitalizations, study says

RSV virions, colorized blue, and anti-RSV antibodies, colorized yellow, shedding from the surface of human lung cells in an electron microscope image from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Quebec was the first province to announce a publicly funded nirsevimab program for the 2024-25 RSV season.

Quebec’s universal respiratory syncytial virus immunization program proved more than 85 per cent effective in reducing infant hospitalizations, emergency-room consultations and intensive-care admissions, according to a new study.

The province was the first in Canada to announce a publicly funded nirsevimab program for the 2024-25 RSV season. Ontario, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories later followed suit.

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Canadian hockey brand pulls product line that faced criticism for demeaning women

HockeyBenders has gained popularity in Canadian rinks and among youth online. They sold apparel with slogans that critics say point out a broader issue of misogynistic attitudes in minor hockey.

A Canadian hockey brand has pulled controversial clothing from its online store after a line of T-shirts and hoodies it sold was criticized for demeaning women and girls as sex objects.

HockeyBenders, a company that has become popular in rinks across the country and boasts a large following of kids and teenagers online, sold $35 T-shirts with the slogan “Barduzz, Gettin Huzz,” which it has pulled.

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Quebec’s summer travelling carnivals intend to stick around, season staple for generations

Fun Show is a newer company that is nearly 20 years old and covers a vast territory that extends from the Laurentians to the Eastern Townships to the capital region.

Bright colourful rides, skill-testing games with a stuffed animal prize, and copious amounts of sticky cotton candy are all hallmarks of the travelling carnival circuit, and are deeply rooted in the imagination of Quebeckers who’ve been able to experience them.

The travelling midways, which temporarily set up shop in shopping centre parking lots or wherever else they can find space, have been part of the Quebec landscape for decades.

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LeBlanc says Trump, Carney to speak in coming days following tariff announcement

Dominic LeBlanc told CBS News that he was “encouraged” by recent discussions and believed a deal to bring down tariffs remained an option.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will likely talk “over the next number of days” after the U.S. imposed a 35 per cent tariff on goods not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, a Canadian official said on Sunday.

Dominic LeBlanc, the federal cabinet minister in charge of U.S.-Canada trade, also told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that he was “encouraged” by recent discussions and believed a deal to bring down tariffs remained an option.

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Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu eyes new markets outside U.S., looks at Southeast Asia and beyond

Prime Minister Mark Carney tasked Dominic LeBlanc as minister responsible for specifically Canada-U.S. trade. Meanwhile Maninder Sidhu’s job focuses on countries other than the U.S.

Ottawa’s new trade minister says he’s looking to sign deals in South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond – and to convince businesses to actually use the trade agreements Canada has already signed.

“My primary role as Canada’s top salesman is to be out there hustling, opening doors for businesses and accessing new markets,” Maninder Sidhu told The Canadian Press.

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Crown prosecutors stay charge for Alberta man convicted in 1987 murder

Non-profit group Innocence Canada, which advocates against wrongful convictions, has been representing Roy Allan Sobotiak.

An Alberta man who spent more than three decades in prison for the death of an Edmonton woman has had his charge stayed, the group representing him announced.

Innocence Canada, a non-profit that advocates against wrongful convictions, said Roy Allan Sobotiak was to appear in court Friday to set a date for his new trial, but learned the Crown Prosecution Service stayed his second-degree murder charge.

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Fitness is being promoted in seniors’ homes across Canada for better health, social connection

Staying active can help seniors avoid serious injuries from falls, a huge risk factor for this age group.

Ninety-two-year-old Jean Mitchell has been active for as long as she can remember. She played sports while growing up in Saskatchewan – tennis, skating, volleyball – but admits that anything requiring hand-eye co-ordination was not where she shone.

Then she met her husband, an avid outdoorsman who believed the only way to handle a nine-to-five city job was to ditch corporate wear for outdoor gear as soon as the weekend hit. They enjoyed canoeing, overnight hiking and cross-country skiing during the nearly six decades spent together before he passed in 2014.

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