Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press – Nov 18, 2025 / 6:59 am | Story: 584616
Photo: The Canadian Press
The sun rises over the Toronto skyline, Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
The increased use of natural gas to power the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is “undermining” efforts to cut into carbon emissions, according to a new report looking at the area’s planet-warming pollution.
The Atmospheric Fund, a regional climate agency, says emissions were up by one per cent in 2024, slower growth than previous years but well off the 11 per cent annual cuts the report says would be required to hit the region’s 2030 climate targets.
The report says electricity emissions were up 28 per cent — outpacing the two per cent demand increase — as a “direct consequence” of Ontario’s increasing reliance on natural gas to power the energy grid, which is expected to deepen over the next decade.
Buildings and transportation remain the two highest-emitting sectors across most of the GTHA, with the exception of Hamilton where steel manufacturing makes the industrial sector that city’s largest contributor.
Per-capita emissions dropped by around three per cent despite the area adding about 300,000 new residents, which the report calls a sign that some climate actions are delivering results.
The report notes governments have made good progress on home retrofit programs and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, underlining Toronto’s recent milestone of 100 electric buses in its transit fleet.
The GTHA covers Toronto and Hamilton, along with the surrounding regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel and York.
Last year, 16 per cent of Ontario’s energy grid was powered by natural gas, making it 84 per cent emissions free — down from 87 per cent the year before and a high of 96 per cent in 2017, according to the province’s Independent Electricity System Operator.
Climate advocates have said the trend reflects the province’s failure to sooner invest in renewable energy and battery store. The government, meanwhile, suggests it still plans to have an almost entirely clean grid by 2050 and the recent rise in natural gas is partly due to ongoing nuclear refurbishments.
The Canadian Press – Nov 18, 2025 / 6:55 am | Story: 584615
Photo: The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Minister of Finance and National Revenue Francois-Philippe Champagne applaud following a vote on the federal budget on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government narrowly passed a crucial budget vote Monday, with four MPs abstaining and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May backing the budget.
Members of Parliament voted 170 to 168 on the confidence motion that could have toppled the minority government and triggered a federal election.
Conservative MPs Shannon Stubbs and Matt Jeneroux, as well as NDP MPs Lori Idlout and Gord Johns, were recorded as abstentions.
Just hours before the vote, May said she would back the budget because Carney offered assurances he’s committed to meeting Canada’s climate targets in the Paris agreement.
The federal government will now have to introduce a budget implementation bill in Parliament.
Carney heads off later today to the United Arab Emirates for a stop before travelling to Johannesburg for the G20 summit.
The Canadian Press – Nov 18, 2025 / 6:54 am | Story: 584613
Photo: AP Photo/Fernando Llano
Sweden King Carl XVI Gustaf, left, and Queen Silvia of Sweden attend a group photo during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit in Belem, Brazil, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.
The Swedish royal family arrives in Ottawa today to begin a three-day state visit alongside a delegation of top government ministers and representatives from dozens of Swedish companies.
King Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden’s longest reigning monarch, and Queen Silvia are visiting Ottawa and Montreal for their first trip to Canada since 2006.
A Canadian delegation that includes Chief Justice Richard Wagner will officially welcome the royal couple to Rideau Hall this morning.
The royals will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and are set to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Canadian officials on Parliament Hill in the afternoon.
A Global Affairs Canada news release says Canada and Sweden will reaffirm their support for Ukraine at an afternoon event today, where Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will engage in discussions with Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch and representatives of the Ukrainian-Canadian community.
A state dinner in honour of the King and Queen will be held at the Governor General’s residence this evening.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2025.
The Canadian Press – Nov 17, 2025 / 5:38 pm | Story: 584561
Photo: The Canadian Press
Actor Richard Gere, right, kisses the hand of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at an event celebrating the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday in Dharamshala, India, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
Hollywood actor Richard Gere said Monday Canada shouldn’t pivot to a stronger relationship with China in response to its strained relationship with the United States.
Gere, who was on Parliament Hill for what is known as Tibet lobby day — an annual event that advocates for the rights and freedoms of Tibetans — said there is “no reason why everybody should not be talking.”
But he said people should be skeptical of the “arrangements” the Chinese government is willing to make, given its history.
Gere, whose philanthropic work includes advocating for human rights in Tibet and supporting the Tibetan independence movement, was asked about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s efforts to unlock Canada’s relationship with China after years of strained relations.
Carney met recently with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea and has accepted an invitation to visit China in the new year.
Canada recognizes Tibet as a region within China with a distinct cultural identity and its policy toward Tibet acknowledges deep concerns about human rights issues in the region.
“I’m more worried about the U.S.-Canadian relationship,” Gere said, adding the relationship is “a bit strained right now.”
“This administration is not going to be there forever, so I think to make corrections in a relationship with China as a correction to the relationship with the U.S., I think, is problematic,” he added.
Liberal MP James Maloney, whose Ontario constituency is home to the Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre, welcomed Gere in a statement before question period on Monday.
He noted that Canada welcomed the first Tibetan refugees in 1970, at the request of the Dalai Lama.
“The impact of His Holiness is far-reaching and his message of peace, non-violence, the pursuit of harmony and happiness is making the world a better place,” Maloney said.
The Dalai Lama, who turned 90 this year, is the spiritual leader of Tibet and the head of Tibetan Buddhism. He was forced into exile in 1959 after an uprising against Chinese troops ended in hundreds of deaths. He is an honorary Canadian citizen.
Maloney said Gere is “a true champion for the campaign for Tibet.”
Most MPs gave Gere a standing ovation.
The Canadian Press – Nov 17, 2025 / 4:32 pm | Story: 584404
Photo: The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney holds up a copy of the budget as he and Minister of Finance and National Revenue Francois-Philippe Champagne make their way to the House of Commons for the tabling of the federal budget on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.
UPDATE 4:30 p.m.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has narrowly survived a crucial budget vote — one that could have sent Canadians to the polls this winter but instead propped up the minority Liberal government.
Members of Parliament ended weeks of drama and speculation about the Carney government’s fate by voting 170 to 168 on a confidence motion that expressed support for the fall federal budget.
Carney was elected in the spring on a campaign to end U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war, but only secured a minority government mandate — leaving the Liberals scrambling to secure support for the budget for weeks.
Several opposition MPs did not vote, which enabled the motion to pass in the House of Commons Monday evening.
In a dramatic turn of events just hours before the vote, Carney won Green Party Leader Elizabeth May’s support after the prime minister said he is committed to Canada meeting its Paris Accord climate commitments.
Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor earlier in the month from the Conservative benches to join the government side, securing the Liberals another House vote.
ORIGINAL 11:55 a.m.
Members of Parliament will vote Monday evening on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget — a critical vote that could determine whether Canadians go back to the polls less than a year after the last election.
The critical budget vote, expected around 6:45 p.m. ET, is a vote of confidence in the minority Liberal government.
The Liberals need the votes of at least two MPs outside their party — or four vote abstentions from the opposition benches — for the budget to pass.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the budget’s fate is a question for the opposition, not the Liberals.
“We delivered for Canadians and I hope they can feel the mood of the nation. Canadians want to go forward,” Champagne told reporters on his way into Parliament on Monday.
Liberal MP Wayne Long said the governing party has its “fingers crossed.” MP James Maloney, who chairs the Liberal caucus, said he can’t see the budget failing because Canadians don’t want another election so soon after the last.
“Fingers crossed, but I don’t think we need to cross our fingers,” Maloney said.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, kept up their steadfast opposition to the Liberals’ spending plan on Monday.
Conservative MP Ziad Aboultaif told reporters he expects every member of his caucus to vote against the budget.
Speaking in Toronto, Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged federal MPs to pass the budget, saying it’s in the “best interest of the country.”
“It doesn’t matter what political stripe you’re from. We need to work as Team Canada right now,” Ford said at Queen’s Park on Monday.
While the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois have indicated they will not support the budget, four Conservative MPs did not vote on amendments to the budget last week that were considered confidence matters.
While most cited technical issues or other reasons to explain their absence from the vote, Alberta Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux did not. Jeneroux announced his intention to resign as an MP earlier this month amid rumours he was being courted to join the Liberals.
Jeneroux’s initial resignation announcement did not give a date for his departure. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre later said on social media that Jeneroux will be resigning in the spring. Following Poilievre’s statement, Jeneroux said he still didn’t have a date for his departure but it would be “likely this spring.”
A number of Conservative MPs released social media videos on Monday pledging to vote against the budget.
Garnett Genuis, the party’s jobs critic, said the budget “smashes records for deficits” and argued that former prime minister Justin Trudeau made the same promises about government deficits driving economic growth.
“You know this at home, you know that our economy, that everyday Canadians are worse off after 10 years of Liberal government,” he said.
Conservative MP Andrew Lawton said the government failed to tackle problems with affordability in its fiscal plan.
“We cannot support this budget, we will not support this budget. We’re fighting for you, we’re fighting for affordability,” he said.
Interim NDP leader Don Davies said his caucus members would use last week’s time away from Ottawa to speak with constituents before making a final budget decision.
NDP MPs have said while they are worried about public sector job losses through the budget, that must be balanced against the potential for private sector job creation from the major infrastructure projects being advanced by the federal government.
The budget also contains a handful of measures NDP MPs have been pushing for, including a Filipino community centre in Davies’ Vancouver Kingsway riding and money for a national aerial firefighting fleet.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said last week she can’t support the budget without significant changes to environmental policy in the document.
Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals on Nov. 4, the day the budget was tabled, placing the Carney government two seats away from a majority.
The Liberals presented their budget as a plan to spend less and invest more in the face of U.S. tariffs.
After taking Ottawa’s cost savings goals into account, the budget proposes nearly $90 billion in new spending over five years, much of it focused on responding to the United States’ trade disruption.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press – Nov 17, 2025 / 1:44 pm | Story: 584506
Photo: The Canadian Press
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to the media during a press conference at Queen’s Park in Toronto on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is looking at making some information on the sex offender registry public, in the wake of a controversial Supreme Court of Canada decision on child pornography sentences.
The possible changes are framed in a government proposal as quite preliminary, with law enforcement and expert consultations beginning, but Ford suggested Monday he is determined to forge ahead.
“(If) you have a sex offender and he’s living next door down the street, and you have a bunch of kids, you want to know about it,” Ford said.
“So we’re going to make sure the sex offender registry is out there, public.”
A government proposal on the consultations says the province is looking at possible changes to the registry, unsure at this stage whether those would be legislative, regulatory or operational changes.
Ford said he has already decided that if legislation is introduced and passed, and if it is struck down by the courts as unconstitutional, he would use the notwithstanding clause to save it.
“Sure, we’re probably going to get shot down from the courts again, but I’ll use every single tool to make sure we protect the victims over the sex offenders,” he said.
“It’s a no brainer. I’ll use the notwithstanding clause in a heartbeat.”
The government proposal raises the possibility of making “certain” information public, but it does not provide any specific options. It does, however, provide a reason for the start of the consultations.
“Our government was disappointed to learn of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to strike down mandatory minimums for child pornography offences,” the document says.
“We believe this ruling weakens vital protections for children. That is why we are advancing measures that safeguard families, deter offenders, and give communities the information they need to stay safe.”
The top court recently ruled that one-year mandatory minimum jail sentences for accessing or possessing child pornography violate the Charter of Rights.
Ontario’s sex offender registry is known as Christopher’s Law, named for 11-year-old Christopher Stephenson, who was killed in 1988 by a convicted sex offender.
Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press – Nov 17, 2025 / 1:20 pm | Story: 584495
Photo: The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney left, meets with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt in her office in Fredericton, N.B., on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says premiers had a “productive” meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney today, mainly to discuss the federal budget and progress on tariff talks with the United States.
Noting the impact of tariffs on New Brunswick, Holt says the group spoke about softwood lumber and Carney indicated a “significant” new package is coming from the federal government.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is also hinting that tariff relief is coming, suggesting after the meeting that an announcement on steel and softwood lumber will be coming in the next “week or so.”
The virtual meeting this morning was the first since U.S. President Donald Trump halted trade talks between the two countries over an anti-tariff ad Ford’s government ran in U.S. markets.
Holt says Carney and the premiers also discussed other trade relationships at the meeting.
She says Carney committed to engaging with the premiers through regular meetings in the new year.
Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press – Nov 17, 2025 / 11:33 am | Story: 584468
Photo: The Canadian Press
A Canada Border Services officer hands passports back to visitors entering Canada from Vermont at the Highway 55 Port of Entry in Stanstead, Que., Thursday, March 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Fewer snowbirds plan to flock to the United States this winter, with many choosing to fly overseas instead, a new survey found.
The number of respondents who intend to head stateside this year fell 15 per cent from 2024, according to a poll from Snowbird Advisor, an online resource for Canadians wintering outside the country.
Meanwhile the tally of snowbirds — residents who spend at least a month in a warmer location during winter — planning travel to Mexico, Spain or other sun-splashed spots has nearly doubled.
Nonetheless, some 70 per cent of respondents still expect to go to the U.S., drawn back by condo ownership, logistics or ties of kinship and community.
“Many of them own properties in the U.S. Many of them drive for the winter and if they want to have their car with them, the U.S. is the only option,” said Snowbird Advisor Insurance president Stephen Fine.
“Many of them have communities and friends and family that they want to spend their winters with.”
The 15 per cent decrease in U.S.-bound snowbirds amounts to a smaller decline than in other cross-border travel segments, such as short-term leisure travel, Fine said.
The number of Canadian residents who returned by car from the U.S. fell to 1.4 million in October, a 30.5 per cent drop from the same period in 2024, according to preliminary data from Statistics Canada.
Canadians’ growing aversion to America stems from a mix of factors including political tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, fear of potential mistreatment at the border and a lopsided exchange rate, with the loonie worth about 71 US cents.
“Some travellers, they will say, ‘No, I’m not travelling for leisure,'” said Joanna Yu, a senior manager of U.S. home equity financing at the Royal Bank of Canada.
But many still funnel south.
“Florida is still among the top destinations for Canadians,” she said. Arizona, California and Texas remain high on the list as well.
Many of those snowbirds who opt to steer clear of the U.S. have simply swapped in a different country, survey data suggests. The number of self-described snowbirds planning to stay home this year is virtually unchanged from 2024, despite the slide in U.S. travel.
The planned duration abroad is also comparable. Just like last year, close to two-thirds of snowbirds expect to stay in warmer climes for at least three months, Fine said.
Experts had expected a decrease in time spent away for reasons ranging from foreign travel restrictions to financial concerns or a more exotic locale. “But that doesn’t seem to have factored in,” he said.
The top five destinations beyond the U.S. are Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Costa Rica and the Caribbean, he said. But spots farther afield are also proving popular, including Australia, New Zealand and Thailand — perhaps buoyed a “White Lotus”-fuelled surge in interest after the latest season of the hit satirical comedy series was set there.
The poll surveyed more than 4,000 snowbirds in late October and cannot be assigned a margin of error because it was conducted online.
Cassidy McMackon, The Canadian Press – Nov 17, 2025 / 6:32 am | Story: 584405
Photo: The Canadian Press
A protester holds up a Palestinian flag at an encampment set up on the University of Toronto campus on Thursday, May 2, 2024.
The City of Toronto is expected to join several other cities across Canada in raising the Palestinian flag this morning at city hall.
The city is set to raise the Palestinian flag at 10 a.m. in commemoration of the 37th anniversary of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence after a petition from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians.
The centre says the flying of the flag marks a “symbolic show of solidarity” for Palestinians in Toronto.
Under the city’s flag policy, flags of other countries are allowed to be flown at city hall on their national days or for special anniversaries. The flag can now be flown under the policy after Canada officially recognized the State of Palestine in September.
Toronto isn’t the only city in Canada to raise the Palestinian flag. Flags have also gone up at city hall in Calgary, Brampton, Ont., and Mississauga, Ont.
A pro-Israel group — the Tafsik Organization — has filed a court injunction against the city to prevent the flag raising, saying on social media the event endorses groups responsible for “inciting violence” against the Jewish community.
Both parties are scheduled to return to court today.
The city has raised dozens of flags since the beginning of the year — including the Israeli flag for the State of Israeli Independence Day on May 1.
Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press – Nov 17, 2025 / 6:10 am | Story: 584403
Photo: The Canadian Press
A cervix self-screening kit is a part of the first self-screening cervical cancer plan in Canada, in Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.
A Canadian Cancer Statistics report says the country may not reach its goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040.
Data published by the Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee shows a “concerning plateau” of cervical cancer rates, signalling Canada is moving in the wrong direction.
The World Health Organization set a global goal in 2018 of virtually eliminating this type of cancer, which is caused by the human papilloma virus, to fewer than four cases diagnosed per 100,000 females.
Canada was making progress for decades as cervical cancer rates steadily declined between 1984 and 2005, but since then the trend has fluctuated.
The Canadian Cancer Society’s director of surveillance Jennifer Gillis says that’s likely due to lower HPV vaccination rates, a decline in the rate of people getting screened, and gaps in followup care.
The report says 430 people in Canada are expected to die from cervical cancer in 2025. While that accounts for a small portion of the 87,400 expected deaths due to cancer in the country this year, all of them are potentially preventable.
Gillis says there are so many tools available to change the current trajectory, such as switching from the Pap test method of cervical cancer screening to the HPV test, which is more accurate and less frequent.
It’s been implemented in Ontario, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island.
She also says the HPV vaccine should be free for those who missed getting it in school, as the cost of $215 per dose is a barrier.
Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press – Nov 17, 2025 / 5:58 am | Story: 584402
Photo: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
As the holiday season approaches, one expert says Canadian consumers are facing new emerging threats related to fraud.
As the holiday shopping season approaches, one expert says there are some new scam trends emerging that consumers need to watch out for.
Larry Zelvin, head of the financial crimes unit at Bank of Montreal, says artificial intelligence is making fraud harder to detect.
Some emerging scam threats include AI-generated fake retailer websites and QR code scams that are embedded with malicious links.
Other scams include fake influencer accounts and counterfeit products on the TikTok Shop, as well as digital pickpocketing, where criminals use contactless payment devices to skim data from phones.
Zelvin says there are steps people can take to protect their personal information and finances.
This includes measures like not clicking on links in emails or text messages and instead going directly to a retailer’s website, and using credit cards since they have stronger protections against fraud than other payment methods.
Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press – Nov 17, 2025 / 5:56 am | Story: 584400
A replica of the Saab Gripen combat aircraft is seen at the Asian Defense and Security Exhibition on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
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The Swedish royal family is paying a rare, three-day state visit to Canada this week, bringing with them a delegation of top government ministers and representatives from dozens of Swedish companies.
King Carl XVI Gustaf — Sweden’s longest reigning monarch — and Queen Silvia are in Ottawa and Montreal Tuesday through Thursday. It’s their first trip to Canada since 2006, when Stephen Harper was prime minister.
The Swedish Royal Court said Canada and Sweden will launch a strategic partnership during the state visit. Sweden’s Industry Minister Ebba Busch and Defence Minister Pal Jonson will be part of the visiting delegation, which is expected to focus on establishing closer ties with Canada on trade and defence.
Canada and Sweden have sought to deepen their relationship since the Nordic country became the latest member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization last year. Sweden joined the military alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The high-profile visit comes as the Swedish defence firm Saab considers whether it should start assembling its Gripen fighter jets in Canada as demand for the warplanes ramps up.
Saab CEO Micael Johansson told Canadian media in Sweden last week that the company is in talks with Ottawa and Bombardier about assembling the Gripens in Canada, a development that would create thousands of domestic jobs.
“We can confirm discussions about Gripen are occurring between Saab and Bombardier, and Bombardier being open to engage in providing local expertise for the program if the government of Canada decides to go this route,” Bombardier spokesman Mark Masluch said in an email to The Canadian Press.
The two companies are already partnered on Global Eye early warning surveillance aircraft, which are manufactured in Canada and sent to Sweden to have their sensor equipment installed. Saab said recently it wants to do more of that work in Canada.
Years ago, when Saab was trying to sell Ottawa on its Gripen fighters as a replacement for the CF-18s, it said the jets could be built and maintained in Canada. It also offered an extensive industrial package that included standing up new aerospace research and development centres in the country.
It lost that contract when Canada announced plans to purchase 88 F-35 stealth fighters from U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
But soon after becoming prime minister in March this year, Mark Carney called for a review of the F-35 procurement program in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war. Canada has only committed to buying 16 F-35 jets so far.
The review, which is believed to be in Carney’s hands now, has not been made public and the federal government has largely avoided discussing the topic in public.
Johansson first said in October that Ukraine’s interest in purchasing more than 100 Gripens would double the defence company’s production requirements and force it to look to Canada or other countries in Europe to expand its manufacturing capacity.
The Gripens are fourth-generation fighters built for aerial combat and reconnaissance missions, and were designed specifically for engagements with Russian fighter jets. They are rugged, cheaper and less delicate than the new F-35s and are able to take off from roads.
The F-35s are advanced fifth-generation stealth fighters designed for electronic warfare and, eventually, for paired combat alongside drones.
Lockheed has pointed to the hundreds of Canadian companies that have contributed to the jets’ supply chain and says each fighter contains some $3.2 million worth of Canadian components. The company says the F-35’s horizontal tail is made in Winnipeg, its engine sensor is built in Ottawa and its stealth panels come from in Lunenburg, N.S.
Rideau Hall has said Gov. Gen. Mary Simon will not be on hand to greet the Swedish royals when they arrive.
Simon missed the national Remembrance Day ceremony last week because she was recovering in hospital from a respiratory virus. She was replaced at the ceremony by Chief Justice Richard Wagner.
Rideau Hall reported Friday that while Simon is out of hospital and recovering at home, Wagner will represent the Crown in her place during the state visit.
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