National News

When Stephen LaSalle first injured his foot in a military training exercise, he had only heard the stories about what it was like to deal with Veterans Affairs Canada. Five years later, the reservist naval lieutenant can talk about the experience firsthand.

LaSalle is one of more than 23,000 veterans whose disability claims are waiting to be processed by the federal department — a backlog that remains a source of anger, frustration and anxiety despite the Liberal government’s repeated promises to eliminate it.

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.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Ontario Premier Doug Ford last winter that police shouldn't need more legal tools to clear protesters from the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, according to evidence released through a public inquiry Tuesday.

A readout of their conversation on Feb. 9 was submitted to the Public Order Emergency Commission, which is investigating the government's decision to use emergency powers in an effort to clear protest blockades in downtown Ottawa and at several border crossings.

Jordan McGillicky says she was devoted to sports and her studies at a private Saskatchewan college but eventually felt driven away from the school because of her sexuality.  

Jordan McGillicky says she was devoted to sports and her studies at a private Saskatchewan college but eventually felt driven away from the school because of her sexuality. 

She enrolled two years ago at Briercrest College and Seminary, an evangelical Bible college in Caronport, an hour west of her hometown of Regina. The college grew in prominence in 2013 after former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall, who has spoken at the school's chapel, gave it the right to grant university degrees, helping it attract students from across the country. 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is expected to find out today if she has a seat in the legislature.

Smith is one of five candidates running in a byelection in the southern constituency of Brooks-Medicine Hat.

The other candidates are Gwendoline Dirk of the NDP, Barry Morishita of the Alberta Party, Bob Blayone of the Independence Party and Jeevan Mangat of the Wildrose Independence Party.

The seat became open a month ago when Michaela Frey, the United Conservative Party legislature member, resigned.

Brad Gushue put a flourish on his team's dominant curling to become the first men's Pan Continental champion on Sunday.

To inject levity in a lopsided 11-3 win over South Korea in the final, Canada's skip weaved his final stone of the eighth end under his front leg and delivered it outside of his knee for a trick shot.

"I've done it a lot in clinics and stuff like that and shown kids," Gushue said. "Usually I can hit the rings, but I'm a little disappointed it went through there. Epic fail."

WestJet says a system-wide outage is impacting its operations, resulting in "growing delays" across its network and cancellations.

The Canadian airline says its contact centre is unable to access guest reservations as a result of the outage.

WestJet says it's working to restore service to its system, though it hasn't provided a reason for the outage.

Calgary International Airport says in a tweet that guests flying through its airport may be delayed "due to a WestJet global IT outage." 

It says guests should check with their airline for flight information.

Legend has it that when Canadian troops stormed ashore under a hail of German gunfire at the French port of Dieppe in August 1942, one of the hundreds who eventually died in the attack was carrying an old flag.

Exactly how that red and white flag ended up at the Nazi-held French port — and even whether it was definitively there — remains a mystery.

But more than 80 years later, that flag will play a central role in commemorating the doomed raid on Dieppe during this year’s national Remembrance Day ceremony — thanks to three Americans.

"Freedom Convoy" organizer Tamara Lich insists she was never directly told to leave Ottawa last winter when protesters in hundreds of vehicles blocked streets around Parliament Hill as they called for an end to COVID-19 mandates, even after the Emergencies Act was invoked.

During cross-examination Friday, Lich told the Public Order Emergency Commission that when police told protesters in a mid-February meeting to depart, she took it as a suggestion.

She and other organizers had testified on Thursday that police did not tell them to leave the city.