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Federal government runs $11-billion deficit for April-to-December period
OTTAWA - The federal government ran a deficit of $11.0 billion over the first nine months of its 2019-20 fiscal year. The result compared with a surplus of $324 million for the same period of its 2018...
Feb 28, 2020

Feds ask shipyards to make their cases for building missing heavy icebreaker
OTTAWA - There is a new lead in the case of the missing icebreaker, though exactly how the story will end remains to be seen. The fate of the Canadian Coast Guard's next heavy icebreaker has been wrap...
Feb 28, 2020

Privacy watchdog probes RCMP's use of facial-recognition software
OTTAWA - The federal privacy commissioner is investigating the RCMP's use of cutting-edge facial-recognition software. The technology made by American company Clearview AI gathers huge numbers of...
Feb 28, 2020

Lawsuit over African mine can be heard in British Columbia: Supreme Court
OTTAWA - A human-rights lawsuit against a Canadian mining company can be heard in British Columbia, even though it involves events in Africa, the Supreme Court of Canada ...
Feb 28, 2020

Manitoba pushes ahead with carbon tax court challenge; still hoping for deal
WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government is pushing ahead with a court challenge of the federal carbon tax although Premier Brian Pallister says he'd still like to see a deal with Ottawa. Pallister say...
Feb 28, 2020

Alberta seeks partners for 164 parks to focus spending on 'high value areas'
EDMONTON - The Alberta government wants to hand off management of 164 provincially run parks to outside groups. The move was hinted at in yesterday's budget and confirmed by a spokeswoman for Environm...
Feb 28, 2020

Pipeline talks with hereditary chiefs resume for second day in northern B.C.
SMITHERS, B.C. - The hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en are meeting for a second day with senior federal and provincial ministers as they try to break an impasse in a pipeline dispute tha...
Feb 28, 2020

Wounded Warriors arrive in Nanaimo to share positive message
NANAIMO - A local runner taking part in the Wounded Warrior run knows how devastating post-traumatic stress disorder can be. Paramedic Mark Blachuras took roughly a month off work around this time in ...
Feb 28, 2020 Wounded Warriors Steve Deschamps (left), Mark Blachuras (centre) and Jackie Cummings on the road leaving Nanaimo in the 2019 run. (submitted/John W. Penner)

Surrey gets approval from B.C. to set up local police board to replace RCMP
SURREY, B.C. - The city of Surrey has been given approval by the B.C. government to create a municipal police board as it continues on the path of replacing the RCMP. Mayor Doug McCallu...
Feb 27, 2020

Vancouver port CEO warns of coronavirus woes as China trade continues to ebb
VANCOUVER - The head of Canada's largest port says the novel coronavirus is eating into trade following a year that saw cargo volumes dip. Vancouver Fraser Port Authority CEO Robin Silvester says the ...
Feb 27, 2020