Poilievre staying in Stornoway pending by-election

Pierre Poilievre is staying put in the residence of the leader of the Official Opposition even though the federal Conservative Leader lost his riding in the recent election.

Andrew Scheer, now acting as the interim Official Opposition leader in Mr. Poilievre’s absence, confirmed the plans on Monday.

The fact that the Conservative Leader no longer sits in the House of Commons has raised questions about whether he is ennoscriptd to live in Stornoway. But Mr. Scheer says it doesn’t make sense for Mr. Poilievre and his family to move out of the home in Ottawa’s Rockcliffe neighbourhood, given Mr. Poilievre’s chances of winning a seat in a pending Alberta by-election.
#Poilievre
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🎓Foreign student asylum claims hit record high in 2024, set to grow in 2025

International students filed a record 20,245 asylum claims last year, with 2025 on track to surpass that number. The claims are rising, even as Ottawa cuts the number of study permits it issues.

The newly released figures also suggest that 2025 could see an even greater number of claims by foreign students. In the first three months of the year, international students filed 5,500 asylum claims, a 22 per cent increase from the same period last year.
#immigration
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🇲🇽 Mexican asylum claims drop after Canada reinstates visa requirements

Refugee claims made by Mexican nationals dropped by 75 percent following Canada’s decision to reimpose visa requirements.

The change came after years of rising claims that placed increasing pressure on Canada's asylum system, especially in Quebec.
#Mexico #immigration #Quebec
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🇻🇦Prime Minister Carney to attend Pope Leo's inaugural mass

Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Rome this weekend to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV.

The new pontiff, who was elected in a conclave that ended last Thursday, will be officially installed as the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics at a mass in St. Peter's Square on Sunday.
#Carney
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Pierre Poilievre opposes Alberta separatism, acknowledges provincial frustrations

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has voiced his opposition to Alberta separatism while acknowledging the province's frustrations with the federal government. Poilievre highlighted Alberta's grievances, including federal policies affecting its oil and gas industry, pipeline cancellations, and the carbon tax. He emphasized his commitment to a united Canada but argued that Albertans deserve respect and fair treatment from Ottawa.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is introducing legislation to facilitate referendums, including on separation, citing growing alienation from the federal government.
#Alberta #Poilievre #Smith
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📈 Alberta reaches 5 million people, according to StatsCan

According to Statistics Canada, Alberta has now reached five million people.

Based on the medium-growth projection from Alberta Treasury Board and Finance, the province will reach six million by 2036 and seven million by 2048. Most of that growth will be in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Red Deer.
#Alberta
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💰MPs, Senators get a salary boost, Carney will now earn $419,600, Scheer $308,800, and Blanchet $261,500

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🇺🇸 Canada-U.S. travel drops for 4th straight month, new data suggests

Return trips by Canadians from the U.S. declined for a fourth consecutive month compared with the year prior, data released by Statistics Canada shows, while travel by Americans coming to Canada is also on the decline.

The number of Canadians who had returned from the U.S. in April by vehicle totalled 1.2 million, a 35.2 per cent decline from what was seen the same month last year.
#US
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❌💰CBC to stop paying individual bonuses after controversy

The CBC’s board of directors says the Crown corporation will no longer pay individual bonuses to employees.

The board says in a statement it will discontinue what CBC refers to as “performance pay” and adjust salaries of affected staff to compensate them.

The move comes after the public broadcaster was criticized for paying out millions in bonuses after eliminating hundreds of jobs.

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Carney delays Canada Budget, plans to cut income tax by July

Canada will cut the lowest personal income tax rate to 14% from 15% on July 1, but Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new government won’t release a budget before the summer months.

The tax cut is expected to cost $27 billion over five years, according to a document released by the government.

We are setting the stage for economic growth by helping hard-working Canadians keep more of their paychecks to spend on the priorities that matter most to them.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a news release.

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Eby says B.C. will be ‘engine of new Canada’ by increasing trading with Asia

B.C. Premier David Eby says the province will send envoys to Asia to establish new trade agreements with international buyers amid the trade war with the U.S.

Eby says he, Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham, and Parliamentary Secretary Paul Choi will visit Japan, South Korea and Malaysia.

We’re under attack by the president of our largest trading partner, our relationship with overseas markets, the opportunity to expand those markets and diversify markets away from the United States is more important than ever, and that’s what we’re going to do.

#BritishColumbia #US
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💰Ontario's 2025 budget unveiled with $14.6 billion deficit

Ontario's 2025 budget projects a $14.6 billion deficit, driven by slower economic growth and U.S. tariff impacts.

Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy announced a $232.5 billion spending plan, including $5 billion for businesses affected by tariffs and $5 billion for infrastructure. The province aims for a small surplus by 2027-28, with economic growth slowing to 0.8% and unemployment rising to 7.6%.
#Ontario
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Opposition slams Liberals for having no plans to table budget soon

Opposition parties attacked Prime Minister Mark Carney for being vague about his plans after his government said it would not table a federal budget before the House of Commons rises for the summer.

Following the first Liberal cabinet meeting after the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said instead of a spring budget, the government will put forward an economic statement in the fall.

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Taxpayers group calls on PM Carney to table 2025 budget

Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, says the Liberal government’s decision to not table a 2025 federal budget is a bottom-line bad idea.

Failing to even present a budget is a huge crack in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s credibility. You can’t be credible with the finances if you can’t even bother to put together a budget.

#Carney
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🪖Canada's military plans to be in the Arctic 'on a near permanent basis,' says commander

Canada intends to expand its military training regime in the Arctic, deploying a variety of forces in the region for up to 10 months a year, starting this year, the military's operations commander says.

Lt.-Gen. Steve Boivin says the military's signature Far North exercise — Operation Nanook — will see additional elements created, resulting in a greater, consistent presence in a region that is increasingly the focus of geopolitical rivalry.
#Arctic
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🇺🇸💊U.S. DEA threat assessment points to fentanyl ‘super laboratories’ in Canada

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s latest threat assessment says fentanyl “super laboratories” in Canada are a growing source of concern - after U.S. President Donald Trump used cross-border traffic in the deadly drug to justify hitting imports of Canadian goods with tariffs.

The annual report released this week says that while the estimated volume of fentanyl coming from Canada is substantially lower than the amount entering the U.S. from Mexico, “these operations have the potential to expand and fill any supply void created by disruptions to Mexico-sourced fentanyl production and trafficking.”

The DEA pointed out that the RCMP dismantled a sophisticated drug lab in British Columbia last October.
#US #border #BritishColumbia
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🪖 Canadian military faces recruitment and retention challenges

A leaked internal report highlights significant challenges within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), particularly in recruitment and retention.

The report reveals high attrition rates among new recruits, with 9.4% leaving in the 2023-24 fiscal year, more than double the overall average. This is attributed to delays in specialized training, inadequate facilities, and insufficient trainers, leading to frustration and underemployment among recruits.

The CAF also faces a shortage of up to 14,000 qualified personnel, while the defunding of the Retention Program Office has been criticized as a misalignment of priorities.

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🏥 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announces major cabinet shuffle and health care overhaul

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith unveiled a significant cabinet shuffle on Friday, restructured the province’s health care system into four distinct pillars: Mental Health and Addictions, Acute Care, Primary Care, and Continuing Care.

Each area will now be overseen by a separate minister as part of the ongoing overhaul of Alberta Health Services (AHS).

Key appointments include Adriana LaGrange, Matt Jones, Rick Wilson, and Jason Nixon, while Rajan Sawhney and Myles McDougall take on new roles.
#Alberta #healthcare
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🚨🔫 Harjeet Dhadda killed in targeted Mississauga shooting

Harjeet Dhadda, a 51-year-old resident of Brampton, was killed in a targeted shooting in a Mississauga parking lot on Wednesday.

The attack occurred despite his family reporting repeated threats and extortion attempts to the police.
#Ontario
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🔥 British Columbia sends firefighters to Ontario and Manitoba

British Columbia is deploying nearly 100 wildland firefighters to Ontario to assist with ongoing wildfires near the Manitoba border.

This follows a previous deployment of 42 firefighters to Manitoba, where a wildfire in the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet destroyed 28 homes and claimed two lives.

The decision was made possible by cooler temperatures and rain in British Columbia, which have kept local fire risks manageable.
#BritishColumbia #Ontario #Manitoba #wildfires
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📜 Amazon faces labour tribunal over Quebec warehouse closures

A Quebec labour tribunal has begun hearings over Amazon’s closure of seven warehouses in January 2025, resulting in the loss of 1,700 jobs.

The closures came months after workers at the Montreal-area Laval facility unionized with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), which accuses Amazon of retaliation.

The CSN seeks to overturn the closures and demands one year’s salary compensation for affected workers. Amazon argues the shutdowns were driven by operational efficiency and cost-cutting, not union activity.
#Quebec
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