National

National


Hundreds of groups call on Ottawa to scrap border bill over privacy, rights concerns

More than 300 civil society organizations are calling on the Liberal government to withdraw its new border bill, saying the legislation threatens liberties, refugee and migrant rights and the privacy of all Canadians. Representatives of four major coalitions held a news conference today to ramp up pressure on Ottawa to scrap the proposed Strong Borders […]

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Lack of appropriate safeguards led to 23andMe data breach, joint investigation finds

Inadequate security measures opened the door to a data breach discovered two years ago at genetic testing company 23andMe, Canada’s privacy watchdog says. Privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne and U.K. information commissioner John Edwards released the findings from their joint investigation of the breach, which affected almost seven million people, including nearly 320,000 in Canada. Dufresne […]

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Border bill raises questions about expanded data sharing with U.S.: Citizen Lab

An organization that monitors the effect of information flows on human rights says the new federal border security bill appears to “roll out a welcome mat” for expanded data-sharing agreements with the United States and other countries. Researchers with The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto say they want the federal government to reveal […]

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As Trump heads to the G7, Canada hopes to avoid another Charlevoix-style eruption

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to arrive Sunday in Alberta for the G7 summit — his first visit to Canada since leaving in a huff seven years ago. Ottawa could use everything from golfing and creative scheduling to special cabinet orders to make the visit successful and avoid a repeat diplomatic disaster. “He is […]

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WestJet hit with ‘cybersecurity incident,’ says operations running safely

WestJet says a “cybersecurity incident” is affecting access to some of its servers and software systems. The Calgary-based airline says its operations are nonetheless running safely, and they have not been affected by the incident. In a statement posted to its website, the company says it is working to figure out the impacts of the […]

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PM Carney says he has no plans to tackle 24 Sussex question during his mandate

Almost a decade after 24 Sussex Drive was abandoned as the official residence of the Canadian prime minister, taxpayers are still shelling out tens of thousands of dollars a year to maintain the vacant property, and the new prime minister has signalled he’s in no rush to deal with the crumbling building. Prime Minister Mark […]

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Fentanyl czar says government’s border bill will help in fight against lethal drug

Canada’s fentanyl czar says the fight against the deadly opioid would get a boost from proposed new tools for law enforcement in the Liberal government’s recently tabled border bill. Kevin Brosseau, the federal point person on fentanyl, welcomes provisions in the Strong Borders Act to increase inspection powers, give police easier access to information, crack […]

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Some Newfoundland hydrogen companies behind in bills as industry hype ‘boils off’

Newfoundland and Labrador is owed millions of dollars in fees from green energy companies, underlining growing doubts about whether promises of major projects and multi-billion dollar investments will pan out.  Six companies are vying to create new operations in the province that would use wind energy to produce hydrogen for exports overseas. Figures obtained by […]

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B.C. man gets 3 1/2 years for arson at Ukrainian pastor’s home

A man who set fire to a pastor’s family home attached to a Ukrainian church in Victoria has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Victoria police say Walter Machinski was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of arson with disregard for human life after setting the fire in the early morning of […]

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Ford government obfuscated Greenbelt records through code words: commissioner

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government broke its legal, record-keeping obligations amid its now-reversed decision to open up parts of the protected Greenbelt lands for housing, the province’s information and privacy commissioner has found.  Political staff were using code words to thwart document requests and left a surprisingly small paper trail for such a consequential policy, […]

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Supreme Court of Canada to hear appeal in long-running Facebook privacy case

The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to review a ruling that concluded Facebook broke federal privacy law by failing to adequately inform users of risks to their data when using the popular social media platform. Last September, the Federal Court of Appeal found Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, did not obtain the meaningful […]

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Legal experts gear up to challenge Bill 5 as First Nations pledge to ‘close Ontario’s economy’

Rallies for endangered species. Protests led by First Nations. A filibuster from the NDP. More than 4,000 amendments tabled by the Liberals. Two committee hearings with Indigenous leaders, legal experts, labour representatives, and more. Despite all of it, Bill 5 passed. On June 5, as Ontarians across the province struggled to breathe through smoke-filled air […]

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