Liberals launch pandemic preparedness agency, seeking faster vaccine development

The federal Liberals are creating a new agency to beef up Canada's ability to handle rapidly spreading infectious diseases and protect from future pandemics.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the agency is meant to preserve the "top-gun team" of public servants that helped steer Canadians through COVID-19.

Health Emergency Readiness Canada is being tasked with boosting Canada's life-sciences sector and ensuring Canadians get faster access to vaccines, medical therapies and diagnostics by accelerating the transition from research to commercialization.

Poilievre makes case for taking down the government to restore 'promise of Canada'

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a campaign-style speech in the House of Commons as he asked other members of Parliament to support a motion that could trigger an early election. 

Poilievre outlined his plans to increase revenue and reduce interest rates and debt, cut development taxes and restore what he calls "the promise of Canada."

The non-confidence motion Poilievre has put forward is the first test for the minority government since the NDP ended its supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals earlier this month.

Picket lines go up as strike begins at six grain terminals in Metro Vancouver

Picket lines have gone up at six grain terminals in Metro Vancouver as workers began a strike.

More than 600 workers represented by Grain Workers Union Local 333 are off the job.

Union president Douglas Lea-Smith says the employer need to come back to the bargaining table to negotiate a deal.

The union says it provided the employer with a "comprehensive package" last Thursday and the next day, the association indicated it had no counter offer.

House Speaker Greg Fergus asks MPs to behave better in question period after incident

House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus gave MPs a stern warning on Monday about improving their behaviour as they prepare for a fractious debate about whether the Liberals should continue to govern.

The Conservatives Tuesday will formally introduce a promised motion asking the House of Commons to declare it has no confidence in the Liberal government or Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

Trudeau tells Stephen Colbert there's frustration in Canada, but he'll keep fighting

Justin Trudeau's interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert began with the expected jokes about bacon and Canadians saying sorry a lot, but the prime minister acknowledged it's "a really tough time" in the country when the host asked about an expected confidence vote in Parliament this week.

"People are hurting. People are having trouble paying for groceries, paying for rent, filling up the tank," Trudeau said during the CBS program Monday in New York, where he has been meeting with world leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly.

Grain farmers urge intervention as Metro Vancouver terminal workers ready strike

Canada's grain farmers say a strike at Metro Vancouver terminals would cripple crop exports if it were allowed to take place.

The Grain Growers of Canada say in a statement that it is "deeply concerned" about a potential strike of grain workers in Metro Vancouver, since about 52 per cent of all Canadian-grown grain went to those terminals last year.

Grain farmers say a strike would "halt nearly 100,000 metric tonnes" of commodities arriving each day, potentially costing $35 million daily in lost exports.

RCMP confirm tragic end to search for missing boy in Shamattawa, Man.

The search for six-year-old Johnson Redhead has come to a heartbreaking end.

"It is with great sadness that we share the following information on the search for Johnson Redhead," the Manitoba RCMP said in a news release late Sunday evening. RCMP say that the young boy's body was found at around 7:45 p.m. in a marshy area, approximately 3.5 kilometres from the school where he was last seen.

'We have a responsibility:' Trudeau urges global leaders to support pact for future

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that at a time when the world faces increasing instability, leaders have a choice: bury their heads in the sand or put their differences aside for the sake of future generations.

"We can recognize that, collectively, we have a responsibility to set our differences aside, to confront the serious global challenges, and to deliver on a pact for the future," Trudeau said at the Summit of the Future in New York on Sunday. 

6-year-old girl missing near Burns Lake, B.C., since Thursday found safe

A 6-year-old girl who had been missing from her community in north-central British Columbia since Thursday has been found safe. 

Resources from across the province were enlisted in the search to find the child who lives in a small community not far from Burns Lake.

The girl, who is on the autism spectrum and non-verbal, was found on Sunday night around 6 p.m.

A video posted to Facebook show a woman appearing to embrace the child, who was covered in several layers of clothing and blankets

RCMP officers face firing for 'atrocious' racist behaviour, harassment, documents say

Three RCMP members from a Metro Vancouver detachment could be fired over alleged "atrocious," "racist" and "horrible" behaviour detailed by a fellow officer, including text chats that bragged about "Tasering unarmed black people," court documents say. 

A schedule from the RCMP shows Constables Philip Dick, Ian Solven and Mersad Mesbah are slated to appear next February for code of conduct hearings over allegations including discrimination, harassment and discrediting the police force.

None of the allegations have been proven.