‘For families, that will mean a big savings for people across our territory,’ says education minister Nunavummiut families will be seeing $10-a-day child care much sooner than anticipated. According to a joint news release from the federal and territorial government, as of Dec. 1, Nunavut will be the first jurisdiction to achieve $10-a-day for licensed child-care centres under a Canada-wide early learning and child-care system. Pamela Gross, Nunavut minister of education, said her ministry has been working with the federal government on the agreement — worth $66.1 million over the next fiveRead more

Inquiry is weighing whether federal government was justified in invoking act The memorandum to the prime minister suggesting the government invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history acknowledged its interpretation of a national security threat could be challenged, the inquiry reviewing that decision heard Friday. The Privy Council Office document — entered into evidence at the Public Order Emergency Commission Friday — was sent on the afternoon of Feb. 14 as the protest in Ottawa against COVID-19 restrictions entered its third full week. The government announced itsRead more

School Lunch Association charity serves up cod — and education — to students in Musgravetown Since Anthony Paddon Elementary in Musgravetown, N.L., sits mere metres from the Atlantic Ocean in a province that, over much of its 500-plus years of colonized life, has had an economy largely tied to the sea, you’d think fish would be an easy lunch menu option. However, that’s not the case, as a provincial charity found when it organized a special cod lunch for the school’s students. “Fish is not on the menu in any of theRead more

‘It’s time that governments woke up and smell the coffee and begin to seriously engage Indigenous people’ A grand chief in B.C. is backing one member of Parliament’s push for the Liberals to amend tabled legislation so a proposed new federal law enforcement watchdog would, if established, employ Indigenous people as both decision-makers and complaints investigators. “All legislation must engage Indigenous input not after the fact but during the drafting of the legislation itself, and it’s absolutely essential that any oversight bodies of policing agencies include an Indigenous presence,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president ofRead more

Jody Short is living at the Miller Centre until he can raise enough funds to build a ramp Jody Short was ankle-deep in snow in February, a shovel in his hands, when searing pain shot up his left leg. “I was almost passing out with pain,” recalled Short recently, speaking quietly from the recreation room of the Miller Centre in St. John’s, where he’s been stranded for three months. Short ended up hospitalized, rushed to an operating room to fix an aortic dissection — a tear in his main artery, and theRead more

Defence closes case after final witnesses testify at Doug McCallum’s public mischief trial The shock of an unexpected attack may have confused Doug McCallum about some of the details, but a lawyer for the former Surrey mayor says the 78-year-old was correct in the essence of his accusations against the political opponent he accused of running over his foot. Wrapping the case in defence of his client Tuesday, Richard Peck told the judge overseeing McCallum’s public mischief trial the situation has to be viewed in the context of the politics that preceded it — and the “toxic fanaticism” his detractorsRead more

Event is about honoring Indigenous veterans who stood up for the right to be free, says MN-S president Members from Métis Nation-Saskatchewan and First Nations in the province convened Tuesday morning in Batoche, some 89 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, to honour Indigenous veterans. Wreaths woven with poppies were laid at the Batoche National Métis Veterans Memorial Monument in honour of all Métis veterans. Métis Nation-Saskatchewan president Glen McCallum’s uncle’s name is one of more than 5,000 engraved on the monument. “It gives me great pleasure to see the interest we still have inRead more

Humanist Association, religious leaders say it’s a trend that’s been growing for years Every 10 years, Statistics Canada asks Canadians whether they belong to a religious organization or group. And every 10 years, more and more people in British Columbia say no. According to the 2021 population census, 34.6 per cent of people in Canada claimed no religious affiliation, while in B.C. that number jumped to 52.4 per cent — the highest it’s ever been. Ian Bushfield, executive director of the British Columbia Humanist Association, says his organization is “thrilled.” “It’s monumental to see this threshold crossedRead more

Dozens of new mayors have former provincial or federal political experience Poke your head into any city hall across the country, and there’s a chance you’ll find a former MP or member of the provincial legislature sitting in the mayor’s chair. Recent municipal elections in B.C., Ontario and Manitoba saw scores of seasoned politicians making the jump — or the return — to the local level. Andrea Horwath is among them. The former Ontario NDP leader is the newly elected mayor of Hamilton, Ont. ­”Certainly I had accomplishments that reallyRead more

Strong-starting Shapovalov denied 1st title of 2022 by top seed Medvedev in Vienna Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal defeated Denmark’s Holger Rune 6-3, 7-5 in the Swiss Indoors final on Sunday for his third consecutive ATP Tour title. Auger-Aliassime, the third seed in the Basel, Switzerland, tournament and ninth in the world, fired 11 aces and won 78 per cent of his first-serve points. He also saved all three of Rune’s break point chances while converting on two out of his own five opportunities. The Montreal native went all five matches inRead more