‘Major damage’: Vandalism at federal immigration minister’s office in Montreal
MONTREAL (CP) – Police say the Montreal constituency office of federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller was vandalized overnight.
Outside, windows were smashed and walls were defaced with paint and graffiti.
Montreal police Const. Sabrina Gauthier said there was also “major damage” inside the office, located in the city’s Sud-Ouest borough.
Police say they think the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict is likely at the root of the vandalism.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have frequently demonstrated in front of Miller’s office over the past days and weeks.
Miller said on X that he condemns the criminal act, adding that no one who works in the office was injured.
Western Canada sweats in renewed heat wave, river goers told to avoid cheap floaties
By: Fakiha Baig and Jeremy Simes
CALGARY (CP) – As Western Canadians sweat under a renewed heat wave, Calgary emergency crews say they continue to bail out river goers who are trying to beat the heat by navigating swift currents on dime-store pink flamingo floaties.
Henke said most of the 50 calls the department has responded to so far this month have been to rescue people stranded on the Bow River, because they didn’t have the appropriate gear to float.
Heat warnings remained in place Wednesday for most of Alberta, western and northern Saskatchewan and parts of the Northwest Territories and British Columbia.
Meteorologist Terri Lang said temperatures over the next six days were expected to be hottest in Alberta and Saskatchewan, where some communities could reach daytime highs of 35 C and overnight lows between 12 C and 20 C.
Temperatures may start to cool down by the middle of next week, she said.
Gen. Jennie Carignan officially takes over command of Armed Forces in Ottawa ceremony
OTTAWA (CP) – Gen. Jennie Carignan has officially taken over command of the Armed Forces in a ceremony at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
Carignan was promoted to the rank of general during the change-of-command ceremony.
She was chosen by the federal government to become Canada’s first female defence chief, and she’s no stranger to firsts.
Carignan was also the first woman to command a combat unit in the Canadian military, and her career has included deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Syria.
For the last three years, she has been the chief of professional conduct and culture, a job created as a result of the sexual misconduct scandal in 2021.
Gen. Wayne Eyre, who is set to retire from the Armed Forces later in the summer after leading the military for about three years, says Carignan brings “highly relevant experience” to her role.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly to visit China after years-long rift
OTTAWA (CP) – Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is headed to China on Friday at the invitation of Beijing, after years of diplomatic strain following the 2018 detention of two Canadians.
In recent months, China has urged Canada to work on shared priorities and draw less attention to disagreements.
Joly’s visit follows Canadian security officials flagging Chinese interference as the country’s greatest strategic threat, a charge Beijing rejects.
Canadian business leaders have called out Ottawa for being an outlier in restoring high-level dialogue with Chinese leaders, arguing Canada can still raise human-rights concerns while boosting trade.
Yet in a survey last fall of Canadian business leaders, more than half said the risk of China arbitrarily detaining staff was still negatively affecting their business.
Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan leaving cabinet, Trudeau confirms
By: Mickey Djuric
OTTAWA (CP) – Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan is stepping down from cabinet and will not be seeking re-election in the next federal contest, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Thursday.
A statement from that office said a replacement for O’Regan would be sworn in at Rideau Hall on Friday.
O’Regan will remain the MP representing the Newfoundland riding of St. John’s South-Mount Pearl until the next election, which is set to take place by fall 2025.
A source with knowledge of the matter said a broader cabinet shuffle is not expected to take place.
In a statement on Thursday, O’Regan said his family comes first and he needs to be a better husband, son, uncle and friend.
O’Regan had alluded to the need to spend more time with family in a speech last month in Toronto.
Two Listeria deaths were in Ontario, health ministry confirms
By: Nicole Ireland
TORONTO (CP) – Ontario’s Health Ministry has confirmed that the two listeriosis deaths linked to a plant-based milk recall were in that province.
Twelve people, including 10 in Ontario, one in Quebec and one in Nova Scotia have fallen ill after drinking Listeria-contaminated Silk and Great Value brand milks.
Ontario’s Ministry of Health would not comment Thursday on the ages of the people who died, but the Public Health Agency of Canada says 58 per cent of the listeriosis illness have been in adults 60 years of age and over.
Silk brand almond milk, coconut milk, almond-coconut milk and oat milk were recalled earlier this month, as was Great Value brand almond milk.
Most of the recalled products have best-before dates up to and including Oct. 4.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased.
AFN head meets with Manitoba’s viceregal to seek independent inquiry into killings
By: Alessia Passafiume
OTTAWA (CP) – The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is urging Manitoba’s lieutenant-governor to establish an independent inquiry into the killings of four Indigenous women in the province.
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said she had a productive meeting with Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville on Wednesday.
The meeting came days after the AFN passed a resolution seeking an inquiry to assess the police investigation and provincial response to the killings.
Jeremy Skibicki was found guilty of first-degree murder last week in the deaths of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and an unidentified woman the Indigenous grassroots community refers to as Buffalo Woman.
Woodhouse Nepinak said Wednesday’s meeting was just the beginning of a process that will also include a conversation with Manitoba’s premier, and she expects Neville to respond to the call in a letter.
