National

National


Immigration minister defends border bill’s restrictions on asylum claims

Safeguards have been written into the government’s border bill to ensure civil rights and due process are upheld in proposed immigration regulations, Immigration Minister Lena Diab said Wednesday. Critics and advocacy groups are calling the wide-ranging border security legislation a threat to civil liberties in the immigration and asylum system. One proposed change in the […]

Read More


NS Power CEO, staff grilled over breach that allowed theft of 280,000 customers’ data

Provincial politicians took aim at Nova Scotia Power during a legislative committee meeting this morning, saying the utility owes ratepayers answers after a cybersecurity breach gave thieves access to data belonging to 280,000 customers. The utility’s CEO and other staff were grilled by the public accounts committee about how the breach happened and what the […]

Read More


Federal bill includes new security powers to tighten border, immigration system

Proposed federal legislation would give authorities new powers to search mail, make it easier for officials to pause or cancel immigration applications and expand the Canadian Coast Guard’s role to include security activities. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree introduced the Strong Borders Act in the House of Commons on Tuesday. The government says the wide-ranging, […]

Read More


Enbridge warns residents of scam involving fake inspection letters

Enbridge Gas is warning customers across Ontario to be on alert for a series of scams aimed at stealing personal information and money. The company says fraudsters are using letters, emails, text messages and door-to-door visits to impersonate Enbridge representatives. One recent scam involves fake letters left at homes claiming that Enbridge will be conducting […]

Read More


Quebec language office pressed transit agency for months before Habs playoff run

Quebec’s language watchdog contacted the Montreal transit agency at least six times in the wake of a complaint about using the word “go” on city buses to cheer on a local soccer team.  The watchdog — the Office québécois de la langue française — asked for multiple updates on the agency’s efforts to remove the […]

Read More


Thieves gain access to about 140,000 social insurance numbers in NS Power database

Nova Scotia Power’s CEO says up to 140,000 social insurance numbers could have been stolen by cyber-thieves who recently hacked into the utility’s customer records. Peter Gregg said in an interview Thursday that the privately owned utility collected the numbers from customers to authenticate their identities. “If there are a number of John MacDonalds, it […]

Read More


Federal privacy czar starts probe into theft of customer data from Nova Scotia Power

The federal privacy commissioner has launched an investigation into a ransomware attack that led to the theft of personal information belonging to 280,000 customers of Nova Scotia’s electric utility. Privately owned Nova Scotia Power confirmed last week that hackers stole the data and published it on the dark web. Privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne said in […]

Read More


Via Rail subsidiary paid Quebec marketing firm $330K as it pivoted to high-speed rail

A federal Crown corporation paid more than $330,000 to an outside marketing firm to rebrand a planned passenger rail project between Toronto and Quebec City and boost its popularity. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press detail how the corporation, concerned about “widespread disinterest” in a high-frequency rail corridor announced in 2021, decided to change its […]

Read More


B.C. human rights commissioner details government action, inaction on recommendations

British Columbia’s human rights commissioner says her office has been “re-energized” to push the provincial government to act upon dozens of recommendations to improve human rights made in her first five-year term.  Kasari Govender’s office released a report Tuesday into the progress made by the government to act upon recommendations made between 2019 and 2024.  […]

Read More


‘Under a microscope’: Cottagers call for wildfire management plans after fatal fires

Cottage owners and disaster prevention experts in Manitoba are urging governments to develop comprehensive wildfire management plans after a pair of devastating wildfires. Close to 1,000 people were forced from their homes last week as a wildfire near the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet, spurred by dry, hot and windy conditions, burned nearby. The […]

Read More


N.B.’s 3-member panel won’t rule out sale of debt-laden power utility

A three-person team who will lead a review of New Brunswick’s debt-laden public power utility says “nothing is off the table” when it comes to finding solutions. The members are Michael Bernstein, who has worked in the Canadian power and utilities sector; Anne E. Bertrand, the province’s former information and privacy commissioner; and Duncan Hawthorne, […]

Read More


Leadership issues dominate opening session of teachers’ union AGM

Manitoba teachers want answers about how their top union officials plan to bring about stability at their Portage Avenue headquarters after “a rough year.” More than 330 delegates are registered to take part in the 106th annual general meeting of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society this week. Formal proceedings kicked off Thursday morning with an impromptu […]

Read More