'A wake-up call': Online crimes see stark increase during COVID-19 pandemic

New statistics show that police-reported extortion cases in Canada rose by nearly 300 per cent in the last decade, as the crime swelled online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These concerning increases are being facilitated by social media platforms and other electronic services providers," said Lianna McDonald, the executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, in a news release.  

"It should be a wake-up call."

Pope Francis denounces 'evil' of sexual abuse for first time on Canadian soil

For the first time since the start of a Canadian tour highlighted by apologies for the Catholic Church's role in Indigenous residential schools, Pope Francis on Thursday acknowledged sexual abuse inflicted on "minors and vulnerable people."

Speaking at a prayer service at Quebec City's Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral, Francis said the church in Canada is on a new path after being devastated by “the evil perpetrated by some of its sons and daughters.”

Doctors say lack of communication on epidural shortage 'frustrating'

A shortage of epidural tubes used to provide pain medication primarily during labour and delivery is affecting most provinces, but supply issues seem to be worse in Western Canada, says the vice-president of the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.

Dr. Lucie Filteau said "murmurings" of a shortage of the tubes, or catheters, began recently on a private online page of about 300 anesthesiologists across the country.

Pope leads traditional mass, uses Indigenous languages during Alberta stops

By Brittany Hobson and Bob Weber in Lac Ste. Anne

Pope Francis spoke in three First Nations languages at a sacred pilgrimage site hours after his public mass in Edmonton was called a missed opportunity for not including Indigenous culture or traditions. 

On Tuesday, Francis joined hundreds of people at Lac Ste. Anne, northwest of Edmonton, and during a church service, wearing a red Metis sash around his neck, said hello in Nakota, Cree and Blackfoot.

"Aba-wash-did! Tansi! Oki!"

Many cheered.

Reaction to the Pope's apology for Catholic Church's role in residential schools

Pope Francis delivered on Monday an apology for the Roman Catholic Church's role in residential schools, saying many Christians supported the colonization of Indigenous people. He made the remarks at the former site of the Ermineskin Indian Residential School in community of Maskwacis, south of Edmonton.

Here is some of the reaction to the historic apology: 

Former Conservative PM Stephen Harper endorses Pierre Poilievre for party leader

Former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper has endorsed Pierre Poilievre to be the party's next leader. 

In a rare public return to party politics, Harper, who didn't wade into the Tories' 2017 and 2020 leadership races, released a short video on Twitter on Monday discussing his endorsement. 

Harper says the contest to lead the party is filled with candidates, but one stands out. 

Pope sorry for forced assimilation of Indigenous people at residential schools, full text of apology

Pope Francis says he is sorry for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in cultural destruction and forced assimilation of Indigenous people, which culminated in residential schools. 

Francis apologized Monday in front of residential school survivors and elders in Maskwacis, Alta., south of Edmonton after visiting the site of the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School.

He received applause from many in the crowd of thousands.

'New Journey': Pope arrives in Canada for visit aimed at Indigenous reconciliation

George Arcand Jr. says it was a humbling experience to welcome Pope Francis to Canada as the Treaty 6 Grand Chief encouraged the leader of the Roman Catholic Church to join a path of healing by speaking with survivors of residential schools.

“I asked the Pope to walk with us in this new journey," Arcand Jr. said.

Francis arrived Sunday to an honour drum song ahead of a brief welcome ceremony in an airport hangar in Edmonton.

Prospect of forgiveness stirs complex feelings among residential school survivors

Residential school survivor Rod Alexis remembers his late father telling him: "Son, I don't know how to be a parent."

"I lost the gift that was given to us by the Creator because I was all alone in the residential school," the member of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation recalls his father, also a residential school survivor, saying. "Many times I wanted to say 'I love you,' wanted to give you a hug, but I didn't know how."

Rogers says it couldn't have restored emergency services any faster during outage

Rogers Communications Inc. says in a submission to the federal telecom regulator that it could not have restored emergency services any faster during a widespread service outage earlier this month that crippled the company's networks and affected millions of customers across Canada.

New details about the extent of the disruption were also included in the filing and range from media outlets unable to produce news broadcasts to outages for all customers in critical infrastructure such as hospitals and energy providers.