Canada & World

An ambulance passes through a crowd of people protesting COVID-19 vaccine passports and mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers, in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Politicians issue warnings ahead of hospital protests expected across Canada

Ontario medical professionals issue joint statement “strongly condemning” the planned disruptions

An ambulance passes through a crowd of people protesting COVID-19 vaccine passports and mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers, in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh greets supporters outside a campaign office in Sudbury, Ont., Sunday, September 12, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Federal leaders argue over how to pay for promises as voters head to advance polls

Elections Canada said more than 1.3 million voters cast their ballot in-person on first day of advance polls

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh greets supporters outside a campaign office in Sudbury, Ont., Sunday, September 12, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Wais Habibzai, an Afghan-Canadian property developer seen at Big 5 Dubai Expo at the Canada pavilion in an undated handout photo, has spent $50,000 providing Afghans who have fled the Taliban with essentials, including baby milk and clothes. Habibzai has been praised as a “shining example of Canadian compassion” by the Minister for Refugees. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Marques Declou,

Entrepreneur helping Afghans is ‘shining example of Canadian compassion’: minister

Many of the refugees arrived with only the clothes on their backs and Wais Habibzai has been buying them more

Wais Habibzai, an Afghan-Canadian property developer seen at Big 5 Dubai Expo at the Canada pavilion in an undated handout photo, has spent $50,000 providing Afghans who have fled the Taliban with essentials, including baby milk and clothes. Habibzai has been praised as a “shining example of Canadian compassion” by the Minister for Refugees. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Marques Declou,
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau makes a campaign stop in Mississauga, Ont., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

VIDEO: Trudeau says he did not want Wilson-Raybould to lie as SNC-Lavalin affair re-emerges

Affair led to Wilson-Raybould’s resignation from Trudeau’s cabinet

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau makes a campaign stop in Mississauga, Ont., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Refugees from Afghanistan and Canadian Citizens board a bus after being processed at Pearson Airport in Toronto, Tuesday, Aug 17, 2021, after arriving indirectly from Afghanistan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Canada helped 145 Afghan refugees flee overland to Pakistan

Alexander Cohen said 2,200 Afghan refugees have resettled in Canada so far, with another 400 in transit

Refugees from Afghanistan and Canadian Citizens board a bus after being processed at Pearson Airport in Toronto, Tuesday, Aug 17, 2021, after arriving indirectly from Afghanistan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Trainer Karly Estey has her COVID-19 QR code scanned by Jonathan Gagne, manager of Orangetheory Fitness in Montreal, Wednesday, September 1, 2021, as the Quebec government’s COVID-19 vaccine passport comes into effect. . THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

CANADA VOTES 2021: Here are the parties’ plans for leading Canada out of the COVID pandemic

As Canadians head to the polls on Sept. 20, one issue continues…

Trainer Karly Estey has her COVID-19 QR code scanned by Jonathan Gagne, manager of Orangetheory Fitness in Montreal, Wednesday, September 1, 2021, as the Quebec government’s COVID-19 vaccine passport comes into effect. . THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Trees burnt by the White Rock Lake wildfire earlier this month are seen on the side of a mountain in Monte Lake, B.C., on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Campfires allowed across B.C. except southern Vancouver Island

Wildfire conditions ease, allowing relaxing of restrictions

Trees burnt by the White Rock Lake wildfire earlier this month are seen on the side of a mountain in Monte Lake, B.C., on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Barbara Violo, pharmacist and owner of The Junction Chemist Pharmacy, draws up a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, in Toronto, Friday, June 18, 2021. A national advisory panel recommends people who are immunocompromised to receive a third vaccine dose against COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Immunization panel says immunocompromised should receive 3rd COVID-19 vaccine dose

Immunocompromised stand a greater risk of complications and longer infections

Barbara Violo, pharmacist and owner of The Junction Chemist Pharmacy, draws up a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, in Toronto, Friday, June 18, 2021. A national advisory panel recommends people who are immunocompromised to receive a third vaccine dose against COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh makes a campaign stop in downtown Ottawa, Friday, September 10, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Federal leaders back on the hustings after back-to-back debates

Quebec appears to emerging as a major battleground in the upcoming vote

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh makes a campaign stop in downtown Ottawa, Friday, September 10, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Conservative leader Erin O’Toole listens as Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and Green leader Annamie Paul discuss a point during the federal election French-language leaders debate, Wednesday, September 8, 2021 in Gatineau, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Leaders spar over climate, foreign policy in debate, but format leaves some unhappy

Bloc Québécois Leader says debate opened with ‘a bunch of insults against Quebecers’ by the moderator

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole listens as Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and Green leader Annamie Paul discuss a point during the federal election French-language leaders debate, Wednesday, September 8, 2021 in Gatineau, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry looks on as Health Minister Adrian Dix speaks during a news conference at the legislature in Victoria, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. Dix admonished those who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and have staged protests against the province’s vaccine passport plan, saying it’s both foolish to refuse a vaccination and disrespectful to protest and potentially interfere with the care of hospital patients. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Refusing COVID-19 vaccine hurts wider population, B.C. health minister says

Dix: Rejecting the facts, the data, the evidence and science only hurts us all

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry looks on as Health Minister Adrian Dix speaks during a news conference at the legislature in Victoria, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. Dix admonished those who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and have staged protests against the province’s vaccine passport plan, saying it’s both foolish to refuse a vaccination and disrespectful to protest and potentially interfere with the care of hospital patients. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Commissioner Austin Cullen listens to introductions before opening statements at the Cullen Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in British Columbia, in Vancouver, on Monday, February 24, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Former B.C. lottery director says he’s ‘whistleblower’ on money laundering at casinos

Ross Alderson testified he was driven to leak information about suspected extent of the situation

Commissioner Austin Cullen listens to introductions before opening statements at the Cullen Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in British Columbia, in Vancouver, on Monday, February 24, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
This GOES-16 East GeoColor satellite image taken Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, at 2:20 p.m. EDT, and provided by NOAA, shows hurricane Larry in the Atlantic Ocean. The National Weather Service is warning that swells from Hurricane Larry will create dangerous rip current conditions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-NOAA via AP

Hurricane Larry headed for eastern Newfoundland where gusts could reach 140 km/h

Warnings in effect for entire Avalon Peninsula, which includes St. John’s

This GOES-16 East GeoColor satellite image taken Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, at 2:20 p.m. EDT, and provided by NOAA, shows hurricane Larry in the Atlantic Ocean. The National Weather Service is warning that swells from Hurricane Larry will create dangerous rip current conditions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-NOAA via AP
Friba Rezayee, who was one of Afghanistan's first two female Olympians in 2004, poses for a photograph in Vancouver, on Wednesday, September 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Afghanistan’s first female Olympian urges Canada to speed asylum process for refugees

Advocate feeling at a loss since Canada ended evacuation efforts

Friba Rezayee, who was one of Afghanistan's first two female Olympians in 2004, poses for a photograph in Vancouver, on Wednesday, September 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
In this photo provided by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, U.S. Army Capt. Corrine Brown, a critical care nurse, administers an anti-viral medication to a COVID-19 positive patient at Kootenai Health regional medical center during response operations in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sept. 6, 2021. Roughly 11,000 kids in Coeur d’Alene were getting ready for their first day of school when Idaho public health officials announced this week that northern hospitals were so crowded with coronavirus patients that they would be allowed to ration health care. Kootenai Health has had to move some patients into a conference room and get help from the military to deal with the flood of coronavirus patients. (Michael H. Lehman/DVIDS U.S. Navy/via AP)

School outbreaks could buckle hospitals in COVID-slammed Idaho

Border state’s vaccination rates among lowest in the U.S., cases grew by 44% in past two weeks

In this photo provided by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, U.S. Army Capt. Corrine Brown, a critical care nurse, administers an anti-viral medication to a COVID-19 positive patient at Kootenai Health regional medical center during response operations in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sept. 6, 2021. Roughly 11,000 kids in Coeur d’Alene were getting ready for their first day of school when Idaho public health officials announced this week that northern hospitals were so crowded with coronavirus patients that they would be allowed to ration health care. Kootenai Health has had to move some patients into a conference room and get help from the military to deal with the flood of coronavirus patients. (Michael H. Lehman/DVIDS U.S. Navy/via AP)
The chancery office of the archdiocese of Montreal is seen Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. The independent ombudswoman hired by the Montreal archdiocese to investigate allegations of abuse and other inappropriate behaviour says 45 complaints have been filed against the church since her mandate began in May. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

45 complaints filed against Montreal archdiocese, independent ombudswoman says

Roman Catholic archdiocese created position in May to probe abuse and other inappropriate behaviour

The chancery office of the archdiocese of Montreal is seen Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. The independent ombudswoman hired by the Montreal archdiocese to investigate allegations of abuse and other inappropriate behaviour says 45 complaints have been filed against the church since her mandate began in May. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
A family member of five slain students holds a heart sign with their names on it following a court decision in Calgary, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. A mentally-ill man who stabbed the five at a house party in 2014 appeared before a review board heard Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Psychosis in remission for mentally ill man who killed five at Calgary house party

Review board is expected to release its decision on Matthew de Grood in a few weeks

A family member of five slain students holds a heart sign with their names on it following a court decision in Calgary, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. A mentally-ill man who stabbed the five at a house party in 2014 appeared before a review board heard Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
A nurse attends to a patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, B.C., Friday, June 4, 2021. The average cost of treating a COVID-19 patient who needs intensive care in Canada is estimated at over $50,000 compared with $8,400 for someone who’s had a heart attack, a new report says. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Report: intensive care COVID treatment costs more than 5 times heart attack treatment

Canadian COVID patients in the ICU stay for a long time and require a lot of treatment

A nurse attends to a patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, B.C., Friday, June 4, 2021. The average cost of treating a COVID-19 patient who needs intensive care in Canada is estimated at over $50,000 compared with $8,400 for someone who’s had a heart attack, a new report says. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
A Taliban soldier walks on the tarmac at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. Some domestic flights have resumed at Kabul’s airport, with the state-run Ariana Afghan Airline operating flights to three provinces. (AP Photo/Wali Sabawoon)

Westerners fly out of Kabul in first large-scale departure since the withdrawal

Americans, Germans, Hungarians and Canadians were among those aboard flight

A Taliban soldier walks on the tarmac at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. Some domestic flights have resumed at Kabul’s airport, with the state-run Ariana Afghan Airline operating flights to three provinces. (AP Photo/Wali Sabawoon)
A view of the set for the French language federal election leaders’ debate is shown at the Museum of Canadian History in Gatineau, Que. on Monday, Sept.6, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Radio-Canada/Ivanoh Demers

Leaders gear up for English-language debate tonight after French joust

Health transfers, child-care funding, climate and the COVID-19 take centre stage in first debate

A view of the set for the French language federal election leaders’ debate is shown at the Museum of Canadian History in Gatineau, Que. on Monday, Sept.6, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Radio-Canada/Ivanoh Demers