National News

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walked through blowing snow Monday to lay tobacco on the graves of victims of a mass stabbing before listening to family members who have been grieving for nearly three months.

"I know you are still reeling and still processing what happened and what took place," Trudeau told a news conference in the James Smith Cree Nation's school gym. 

"I know from the conversations that I had that members from the community are still grappling with it every single day."

Excitement and jubilation after Canada scored its first-ever goal at the Men's World Cup gave way to dismay after Croatia came back with a string of goals to end the team's hopes of reaching the tournament's knockout round.

Fans initially screamed, jumped out of their seats and embraced each other at a sold-out watch party in downtown Toronto Sunday as Alphonso Davies scored the historic goal. 

The Canadian Paediatric Society has ditched a hard-and-fast time limit for screen use among toddlers and preschoolers, encouraging instead that parents prioritize educational, interactive and age-appropriate material.

New guidance released Thursday morning still urges no screens at all for kids younger than age two, except to video-chat with others such as grandparents, and says kids aged two to five should restrict "sedentary screen time" to one hour a day.

The inquiry into the Liberal government’s historic choice to invoke the Emergencies Act to quell weeks-long demonstrations against COVID-19 mandates last winter is now moving into its public policy phase.

The Public Order Emergency Commission is expected to hear this week from about 50 experts who will share their perspectives on the use of the Emergencies Act, including whether it needs updating.

Canada wasted little time Sunday ending its scoring drought at the men's World Cup via Alphonso Davies but could not hold off Croatia, losing 4-1 to end its hopes of reaching the tournament's knockout round.

Ranked 12th in the world and runner-up to France four years ago in Russia, Croatia is filled with talent from top clubs and its class showed in rallying from an early 1-0 deficit.

Two goals by Andrej Kramaric and one by Marko Livaja accounted for the Croatian comeback. Lovro Majer added a stoppage-time goal in the 94th minute on a two-on-none attack. 

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the previously announced one million units of imported kids' pain relievers are starting to arrive on pharmacy shelves, while an additional 500,000 units have been ordered and are expected over the next few weeks.

A separate shipment of kids' pain relievers from Australia are headed for hospitals and domestic production has ramped up, Duclos said at a news conference Friday morning. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to a public inquiry Friday, displaying moments of introspection while acknowledging the seriousness of declaring a public order emergency and insisting it was the right thing to do for Canada.

The prime minister was the final witness at the Public Order Emergency Commission, which has spent six weeks examining Trudeau's emergency declaration in February in response to “Freedom Convoy” protests in Ottawa and elsewhere. 

A new project from the University of Calgary is creating 3D digital records of some Alberta residential schools.

The Taylor Family Digital Library, in consultation with Indigenous communities in Alberta, has created accurate virtual and physical models of three former residential schools with plans for more in the future. 

Prof. Peter Dawson, the project's leader, said it is important to preserve a dark part of Canada's history. 

A rabbi with a seminary in Jerusalem has identified a 16-year-old Canadian-Israeli student as a person killed in one of two blasts that went off near bus stops in the city. 

Rabbi Refaen Rockmill said Aryeh Shechopek was a very special student who is being mourned by his peers. 

"He was always smiling. Everyone loved him. Loved him. And he loved everyone else," Rockmill said Wednesday.

"He always did everything to try his best, and in getting on with life, and doing the right things and trying his best to be a good person."

For Canadian soccer fans, the excitement of seeing their country play in the men's World Cup for the first time in 36 years gave way to disappointment Wednesday as their team fell just short.

Even though the Canadians lost 1-0 to Belgium, many fans who gathered at watch parties across the country said they were inspired by the team's performance.

Felicia Wall, who was watching the game at Vancouver's Croatian Culture Centre with her brother Nik, said she was proud, despite the result.