All 5 former Hockey Canada players found not guilty of sexual assault

An Ontario Superior Court justice today found five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team not guilty of sexual assault charges, ending an eight-week trial.

Justice Maria Carroccia said the Crown had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the complainant in the case had not consented to the sexual activity that took place in a room on the second floor of a London, Ont., hotel in June 2018.
🍁 Maple Chronicles

Number of federal public service jobs could drop by almost 60,000, report predicts

A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the federal public service could shed almost 60,000 jobs over the next four years as Ottawa looks to cut costs.

Earlier this month, Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne sent letters to multiple ministers asking them to identify cuts to program spending at their departments of 15 per cent by 2028-29.

The report, written by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives senior economist David Macdonald, says the federal public service could lose up to 57,000 employees by 2028.
🍁 Maple Chronicles

3 drillers freed from northern B.C. mine after being trapped for days, says company

Newmont Corp. says the three miners who have been trapped for days in the Red Chris mine in northern B.C. were successfully brought to the surface safely on Thursday night.
#BritishColumbia
🍁 Maple Chronicles

❌ Immigration to Canada not a right, Saskatchewan court rules

Immigrating to Canada is not a right, a Saskatchewan court has ruled. The case stems from a lab technician from India whose decision to use a sketchy immigration broker resulted in her work permit being revoked.

Foreign nationals do not have a right to immigrate to Canada. Neither is there any right to a privileged immigration process.

Wrote Justice Andrew Davis, of the province’s Court of King’s Bench.

The technician was granted a work permit under the “occupation in demand” category of Saskatchewan’s Immigrant Nominee Program, which was revoked due to her decision to employ Travel Jockey Immigration & Holidays of Surat, India.

Evidence entered during the hearing included allegations that Travel Jockey offered fake job offer letters and fake college degrees for $1,000 a piece, and the would-be technician’s permit was revoked despite her denials and explanations of irregularities in her application.
#immigration
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇺🇸 Trump says trade deal with Canada may not be reached

U.S. President Donald Trump says he may not reach a new trade deal with Canada and is suggesting he might instead impose more tariffs on the country unilaterally.

We haven’t really had a lot of luck with Canada. I think Canada could be one where there’s just a tariff, not really a negotiation. We don’t have a deal with Canada.

#US
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🏦📈 Ontario mortgage delinquencies on the rise and could climb higher still, experts warn

Mortgage delinquencies rose to 0.22 per cent in Ontario for the first quarter of this year. That’s up from 0.15 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 and 0.09 per cent in the first quarter of 2023.

In Toronto, the mortgage delinquency rate hit 0.23 per cent for the first quarter of 2025. That compares to 0.14 per cent for the first quarter of 2024 and 0.08 per cent for the first quarter of 2023.

Mortgage delinquencies haven’t been that high in Toronto since early 2013 and Ontario hasn’t seen levels this high since 2016.
#housing #Ontario
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇺🇸 U.S. slaps 20.56% anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber

The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to hike anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, with B.C. lumber organizations calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist.

B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar described the long-awaited rate hike as a "gut punch" for B.C.'s forestry industry which has seen thousands of workers laid off over the last few years.
#US
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🗳Over 200 candidates sign up for Poilievre's byelection — doubling previous record

More than 200 candidates, mostly associated with a group of electoral reform advocates, have signed up to run in an upcoming federal byelection next month. The number more than doubles the previous record on a single ballot.

Former Alberta MP Damien Kurek vacated his seat in Battle River-Crowfoot to give Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a chance to rejoin the House of Commons. Poilievre lost his longtime Carleton riding in April's general election.
#Poilievre #Alberta #election
🍁 Maple Chronicles

❌💰Federal government to stop funding hotel rooms for asylum seekers, IRCC says

Asylum seekers staying in federally-funded hotels will soon have to check out as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says that funding will end in September.

A spokesperson for IRCC said that as of Thursday, the federal government was housing 485 asylum seekers in five hotels in Ontario and Quebec, noting it has spent approximately $1.1 billion on temporary hotel housing for asylum seekers since 2020.
#immigration
🍁 Maple Chronicles

Canada slashes Confederation Bridge toll to $20 starting Friday

Starting Friday, the federal government will cut Confederation Bridge tolls from just over $50 to $20 for all vehicles. Fares on ferry routes connecting Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will also be reduced by 50 per cent, with fuel surcharges eliminated.

Additionally, Ottawa is funding Marine Atlantic Inc. to halve fares between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, and to freeze freight rates.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Ford walks back vow to have province issue asylum seekers work permits

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is retracting a vow he made last week to have his province issue its own work permits to asylum seekers in the face of what he said were federal government delays that have left refugee applicants in limbo for two years.

Last Wednesday, Mr. Ford had told reporters after a conference with his fellow premiers that his province would step into the federal government’s purview and issue its own work permits to ensure that refugee applicants could enter the labour force more quickly. But on Monday, he called a press conference and reversed himself.

I don’t want to take the responsibility off the federal government.

#Ontario
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🏠 Alberta could topple Ontario in new housing construction

For the first time in more than 40 years, Alberta is on track to potentially build more homes than Ontario this year.

Based on data for the first six months of the year, the province is on pace to build 58,900 homes by the end of 2025. If it hit that mark, it would shatter the previous record and put the province within striking distance of Ontario, which has more than triple the population.
#housing #Alberta #Ontario
🍁 Maple Chronicles

💰📈 Alberta's Heritage Fund hits $30B after $2.8B injection from surplus

Alberta's rainy-day Heritage Fund is getting an extra $2.8 billion, hitting a record high of $30 billion, which is almost double what it was five years ago.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government wants it to hit $250 billion by 2050, so future governments can spend investment returns without draining the fund. Smith says it's still on track to hit that benchmark in 25 years.

The aim is to shield Alberta's budget from the resource-revenue roller-coaster that has plagued past budgets.
#Alberta
🍁 Maple Chronicles

B.C. man attacked by cougar has minor injuries after he says he punched it

A British Columbia man suffered minor injuries after fending off a cougar attack by punching the animal in the face in the province’s northern Interior.

The province’s Conservation Officer Service says man was working near Lake Kathlyn when the animal approached and swiped his upper body.

The man told officers that he punched the cougar in the face and the animal then disengaged. The service says the man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and did not need to be hospitalized.
#BritishColumbia
🍁 Maple Chronicles

Stephen Harper says he advised Mark Carney's government to move away from the U.S.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper said the ongoing trade war with the U.S. is a "wake-up call" for Canada to diversify its trade and export markets.

Harper called the trade war unfortunate, but said Canada has become "grossly" overly reliant on the U.S. — "independent of the current disputes" — and there is no reason for that.

Just because we have that geographical proximity does not justify the degree of dependence that we have on a single market.

#US
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🗺 Canadian passport ranked more powerful than the U.S.

Canadians have one of the most powerful passports in the world, ranking ahead of the United States in a global index. The index is based on mobility, meaning where in the world the holder of the passport can travel to without a visa.

Canada came in 8th place in the 2025 list, tied with Estonia and the United Arab Emirates. This is ahead of the American passport, which came in 10th place this year. Historically, according to the firm’s list, Canada has maintained a high ranking. Since 2006, it has not fallen below 9th place. At its peak, the Canadian passport came in second place in 2014.
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇵🇸 Canada plans to recognize Palestinian state in September

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September if the West Bank's governing body agrees to make certain commitments.

The prime minister said the Palestinian Authority must hold an election in 2026 and commit to other democratic reforms.

Preserving a two-state solution means standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism, and honouring their innate desire for the peaceful co-existence of Israeli and Palestinian states as the only roadmap for a secure and prosperous future.

#Palestine
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🏦 Bank of Canada signals possible cuts ahead, but holds key policy rate steady for now at 2.75%

The Bank of Canada (BoC) held its overnight interest rate steady at 2.75 per cent on Wednesday.
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🔫 Border officers seize 12 firearms from U.S. residents trying to enter Canada

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says it recently seized 12 firearms from U.S. residents who were trying to enter the country with loaded guns.

Authorities say the offences happened at multiple ports of entry throughout Southern Ontario over a three-day period.

In addition to the 12 firearms, border officers also seized 18 magazines and 254 rounds of ammunition.
#US
🍁 Maple Chronicles

❌ Ontario officially cancels $100M Starlink contract, won't say cost to taxpayers

Ontario has officially cancelled its $100-million contract with Starlink, but the province refuses to say how much it cost taxpayers to get out of the deal.

Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce did not answer numerous questions Wednesday about the kill fee the province will have to pay Elon Musk's SpaceX.

I can confirm we've cancelled the contract at this point, and we look forward to bringing forth alternatives to the people of Ontario so we can get people connected.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Almost 600 foreign nationals with criminal records due to be deported are missing

Canadian border agents are trying to track down almost 600 foreigners with criminal records who are due to be deported but have gone missing – 431 of whom have been found guilty of serious crimes such as sexual assault.

Figures from the Canada Border Services Agency show that 1,635 foreign nationals guilty of committing crimes in Canada are currently facing deportation, but 599 of them have failed to attend deportation proceedings and have been placed on the agency’s “wanted” list.

🍁 Maple Chronicles