National News

WINNIPEG - Pope Francis will visit a former residential school south of Edmonton today. The Pontiff will deliver his first public statement in Canada in the community of Maskwacis and it's expected to include an apology to Indigenous people for the abuses they suffered. Later today, the Pope will meet with parishioners at an inner-city…

WINNIPEG - It's day two of a massive police operation to clear COVID-19 demonstrators out of Ottawa's downtown. Dozens of people have been arrested and their big rigs towed away. Other protesters have left on their own, many of them driving away in their vehicles which have been parked on streets around Parliament Hill for…

WINNIPEG - The protest by truckers opposed to the vaccine mandate for their industry is expected to extend to Ottawa shopping centres today. The website for Canada Unity, the main group behind the truck convoy, is suggesting unmasked demonstrators will go to malls in large numbers. One city councillor says people are starting to get…

WINNIPEG - Quebec premier Francois Legault says he's considering a significant tax on unvaccinated people in his province. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association calls the idea deeply troubling. Quebec's opposition leader says Legault is just trying to distract people from other important issues relating to COVID-19. Liberal leader Dominique Anglade calls the premier's new conference…

WINNIPEG - Police say their 911 Communications Centre received a call from someone who was stuck in a traffic jam and needed to pee this past week. The operator who took the call was polite about the incident — despite clearly not being pleased about it. The department in Ontario released audio of the 38-second…

WINNIPEG - It's official, Canadians will go to the polls on September 20th. Governor general Mary Simon has given prime minister Justin Trudeau permission to dissolve parliament and hold an election. Trudeau and his Liberals are hoping for a majority government this time. However, he's pulling the trigger on a campaign just as a fourth…

WINNIPEG - Ontario Provincial Police had to close most lanes of a highway near Toronto when a llama got loose. The animal was spotted running on Highway 400 on Wednesday evening. The llama was eventually caught unharmed and returned to its owner.

WINNIPEG - Canada's top doctor is urging the provinces not to ease their COVID-19 restrictions. Dr. Theresa Tam says even though daily case counts are trending down, it's still too soon to lift lockdowns and loosen coronavirus rules if the country hopes to bring the pandemic under control. According to Tam, several new variants of…

WINNIPEG - The opposition parties in Ottawa are hammering Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over COVID-19 vaccines. Other major industrialized countries will get coronavirus vaccines before Canada because our country doesn't have the capacity to make them. The PM says the US, Germany and Britain will likely get their vaccines first because they can produce them.…

WINNIPEG - The federal government is going ahead with its promise to ban single-use plastic products like bags and straws by 2021. Paper bags will be making a comeback after being mass produced from the 1850s through the 1970s, as will a 200-year-old tradition of making straws out of metal. Today Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson…

WINNIPEG - Health Canada has approved another rapid test for COVID-19. The Panbio COVID-19 antigen test from American diagnostics company Abbott is the first antigen test approved for use in Canada. Health Canada approved a molecular rapid test last Wednesday, called ID NOW, also developed by Abbott, a company known more for nutrition brands like…

WINNIPEG - It's an indication of how serious the second wave of COVID-19 has already become. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will take part in today's briefing by Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer. The PM is expected to make an announcement about his government's continuing efforts to fight coronavirus. Trudeau has said things…

WINNIPEG - Mounties in Airdrie, Alberta are searching for four teenagers after making a shocking discovery in their staff parking lot last week. Officers responding to an unrelated call caught the group red handed hurrying from cruiser to cruiser, and quickly inspected the scene. They discovered the teens were carrying stacks of $10 coffee shop…

WINNIPEG - MP's will vote on the speech from the throne today, at which time we'll find out for sure if there's going to be a fall election. The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois have already said they'll vote the Liberal government down so it's up to the NDP. Yesterday's throne speech included promises of big…

WINNIPEG - The entire Bloc Quebecois caucus, including leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, is in self-isolation. An employee has tested positive for COVID-19, just days after the BQ held a full caucus meeting. Bloc official say everyone potentially affected will be screened and will follow the advice of public health officials. This news comes as the various…

WINNIPEG - The Canadian Association of Broadcasters says COVID-19 could force radio and television stations to close. Up to 40 local TV outlets and as many as 200 radio stations might have to shut down over the next few years because of financial pressures caused by the pandemic. The CAB says advertising revenues in radio…

WINNIPEG - Canadian parents are nervous about sending their children back to school. A new Leger poll finds 66 percent of moms and dads are worried about sending their kids back to class during this pandemic. However, 63 per cent plan to do it anyway. Other findings - 69 percent would be in favor of…

WINNIPEG - Less than a week after the Snowbirds flew over our city, there's been a deadly crash. One member of the Canadian Forces team was killed and another was injured when a Snowbird plane went down yesterday in a residential area of Kamloops, BC. Captain Jenn Casey, a public affairs officer from Halifax, died…

WINNIPEG - Ottawa has announced over $250 million in CoVid-19 funding for the farm and food sectors. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says beef and pork producers need help because they have animals they can't sell. Dairy farmers will also be included. Almost $80 million will keep staff in meat packing plants safe with proper personal…

WINNIPEG - Ottawa is helping small business pay the rent. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he and the provinces have agreed to lower business rent by 75 per cent for April, May and June. 50 per cent will be covered by government, the other 25 per cent is up to the property owner. This applies…