National News

Canadians could soon find out if there will be another labour disruption at the national postal operator.

The union representing about 55,000 Canada Post employees has said it is reviewing a set of proposals for urban workers, along with rural and suburban carriers.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers issued a 72-hour strike notice on Tuesday, and the deadline is Friday at midnight.

Canada Post says the new offers address several concerns, and it is offering a wage increase of 13.59 per cent over four years.

Top economic officials from the G7 were locked in a full day of closed-door discussions Wednesday to examine pressing topics, including the global economy and the war in Ukraine. 

The meeting between the group's finance ministers and central bank governors in Banff, Alta., is a prelude to the G7 leaders summit in June in nearby Kananaskis. 

It comes in the wake of the U.S. imposing global tariffs that have resulted in many countries reconsidering their trading relationships. 

Canada Post has issued a new set of offers to the union representing postal workers as the clock ticks down to a possible strike.

The Crown corporation confirmed Wednesday it has filed a new set of proposals for workers in the urban bargaining unit and the rural and suburban units.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said its negotiating team was set to examine the proposals this afternoon.

The new offers come days after the union issued a strike notice that could see postal workers back on the picket line on Friday.

The head of one of Canada's largest federal unions says the federal government needs to focus on repairing the relationship between public servants and management.

Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, said this is a "delicate moment" and that new Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali has his work cut out for him.

Prier said the Trudeau government made several questionable decisions that eroded trust among workers. They included a messy return-to-office rollout that was conducted without consulting employees, he said.

Signs that underlying inflation was picking up in April put the Bank of Canada in a tricky position ahead of its June interest rate decision, with some economists arguing a second straight pause is now more likely.

"It is going to make it a much more challenging backdrop for the Bank of Canada to continue cutting rates, at least in the near term," said Benjamin Reitzes, managing director of Canadian rates and macro strategist at BMO Capital Markets.

Statistics Canada is set to release inflation data for April today.

Market data shows economists on average expect the annual rate of inflation cooled to 1.6 per cent last month, from 2.3 per cent in March.

The Liberal government eliminated the consumer carbon price at the start of April, offering motorists some relief at the pump.

Last month also marked the first full month of tariffs between Canada and the United States, though both sides have offered some exemptions in the trade dispute.

High-ranking officials from the world's top economies are in Banff, Alta., this week for a three-day summit that will cover topics including the global economy, the war in Ukraine and artificial intelligence.

The meeting comes during a period of heightened instability as U.S. President Donald Trump continues his tariff-driven effort to bring industry to American soil, leading many countries to reconsider their trade relationships with the United States and other trading partners.

Canada Post says it has received strike notices from the union representing some 55,000 postal workers, with operations poised to shut down by the end of the week.

The Crown corporation says the union informed it that employees plan to hit the picket line starting Friday morning at midnight.

A work stoppage would affect millions of residents and businesses who typically receive more than two billion letters and roughly 300 million parcels a year via the service.

Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed Canada's "steadfast and unwavering support" for Ukraine in his first meeting with the country's president on Saturday in Rome.

His meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy was one of several sitdowns with world leaders taking place in the Italian capital, where Carney — a devout Catholic — has travelled to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV. The Prime Minister is making a concerted effort to meet with other G7 leaders ahead of the global summit Canada is hosting in Kananaskis, Alta., next month.

Prime Minister Mark Carney had a brief audience with Pope Leo XIV Sunday afternoon at the Vatican following the pontiff's inaugural mass in St. Peter's Square.

Carney was seated in the second row with his wife Diana for the mass, in a section amongst other world leaders and heads of state.

The prime minister, who is a devout Catholic, was one of the few world leaders to kneel during the blessing of the Eucharist, and was spotted at two instances taking a picture of the Pope on his phone to mark the occasion — before the mass started and after it had concluded.