The Canadian Press

Sunwing Vacations Inc. is sending out dozens of recovery flights this week to bring home thousands of passengers stranded in Mexico after winter storms disrupted its operations. 

"We continue to navigate unprecedented operational challenges, resulting in a number of ongoing flight delays," said airline president Len Corrado in a statement. 

"We deeply apologize for the impact to our customers’ travel plans over the holiday season."

The airline said Thursday that it has 40 recovery flights planned this week with 24 expected to be completed by the end of the day.

WestJet proactively cancelled flights at airports in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec Thursday night as storm systems bore down on the regions, deepening a cascade of disruptions that have sent travellers scrambling.

Diederik Pen, WestJet's chief operations officer, said the decision to stand down 243 more flights was extremely difficult but necessary, in order to fly safely with as little disruption as possible when the weather improves.

Canada's ban on the manufacture and import for sale of some plastic items, including grocery bags and straws, has taken effect.

As of today, companies can no longer produce or bring into Canada plastic checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks, straws and takeout containers — and in a year, it will also be illegal to sell them.

The manufacturing and import ban will extend to the plastic rings used to package six-packs of canned drinks next June and their sale will be prohibited a year after that.

Emergency shelters in Alberta haven't been able to provide refuge to thousands of women who were fleeing domestic violence due to a lack of space, a report shows.

The data, which runs from April 1, 2021 to March 30, 2022, was compiled by the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters from more than 50 member shelters across the province.

It shows shelters received 65,390 calls for help, and about 25,530 of those callers requested admission. About 16 per cent of those calls led to a woman being admitted, says the report released Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mint is issuing a new black-ringed toonie to honour Queen Elizabeth II. 

The mint says the coin's black outer ring is intended to evoke a "mourning armband" to honour the queen, who died in September after 70 years on the throne.  

The mint says it will start to circulate nearly five million of the coins this month, and they will gradually appear as banks restock inventories. 

Aside from the black ring, the mint says the coin retains the same design elements of the standard toonie. 

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney resigned as a member of the legislature on Tuesday, the same day his successor introduced her flagship sovereignty bill in the legislature, of which he had been a staunch critic.  

In a signed letter posted on Kenney's verified Twitter account, he says the resignation is effective immediately and that it has been a privilege to have represented the constituency of Calgary Lougheed since 2017.

Premier Danielle Smith is scheduled to deliver a televised address to Albertans this evening.

Smith, who became leader of the United Conservative Party in early October, is to return next week to the legislature after winning a byelection in the constituency of Brooks-Medicine Hat.

She has promised an ambitious agenda that includes help for Albertans dealing with sharp hikes in gasoline and energy costs.

Alberta's education minister says she will take advice from the province's new chief medical health officer on whether to allow school boards to bring in mask mandates in schools with respiratory illness outbreaks.

The Edmonton public school board has asked Alberta Health and Alberta Education whether it can require masks as schools deal with a wave of viral illnesses that is sending thousands of students home sick and straining hospitals.

A teen charged with first-degree murder in the hit-and-run death of a Calgary police officer is scheduled to learn his fate today. 

Sgt. Andrew Harnett died in hospital on Dec. 31, 2020, after being dragged by a fleeing SUV and falling into the path of an oncoming car. 

The accused, who cannot be identified because he was 17 at the time, has testified he was scared when Harnett and another officer approached the vehicle during a traffic stop and he saw Harnett put his hand on his gun. 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is heading back to the legislature.

Smith defeated four challengers to win a byelection Tuesday night in the constituency of Brooks-Medicine Hat.

She has been absent from the legislature for seven years.

She won a seat in 2012 as leader of the former Wildrose Party, but failed to even gain a nomination in 2015 after she led her caucus on a mass floor crossing to the Progressive Conservatives.