National News

A new plan to force hospitals to report adverse effects of "natural health products" such as herbal remedies and supplements has come as a surprise to manufacturers, who say they were blindsided by the proposed change.

The federal government included the plan in the 2023 budget bill, which is still making its way through the House of Commons.

It would see natural health products fall under the same category as pharmaceuticals when it comes to how they are monitored once they are on the market.

Special rapporteur David Johnston says that a formal inquiry into foreign interference is not needed, but he will hold his own public hearings about the issue sometime this year. 

The former governor general said an inquiry cannot be undertaken in public because of the sensitivity of the intelligence involved, and there would be considerable overlap with the work that he has already been doing to investigate the issue of alleged foreign meddling in the last two federal elections. 

Light rainfall and cooler temperatures slowed down wildfire activity in Alberta over the long weekend and more rain that's in the forecast may help firefighters catch a breath during a record-breaking season of fires.

"This could be a turning point for the firefighters working out there on the fires," Christie Tucker of Alberta Wildfire said during a news conference Monday.

"We have received rain, I understand, on almost every wildfire that's currently burning in the province except those in the far north."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a forceful rebuke of Russia at the conclusion of the G7 Leaders' Summit, which was taken over by the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hoped to shore up more support for his country. 

The support of allies has been crucial to Ukraine's survival amid a Russian invasion, and countries pushing for a ceasefire must recognize Russia is squarely to blame, Trudeau said Sunday in Hiroshima, Japan. 

The WestJet Group says it's ramping up operations as quickly as possible after reaching a last-minute deal with the airline's pilots to avert a strike.

However, it warns that the full resumption of operations will take time and encouraged travellers to continue to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.

WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association announced a tentative agreement to avoid the job action early Friday morning.

After more than eight months of negotiations, WestJet Group and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) have come to an agreement, averting a strike as we head into the May long weekend. 

Talks between WestJet and the pilots' union continue amid the countdown toward a Friday strike deadline, with the airline saying it has started to cancel flights ahead of the anticipated work stoppage.

Some 1,800 pilots at the carrier and its Swoop subsidiary are poised to walk off the job as of 3 a.m. eastern daylight time after the Air Line Pilots Association issued a strike notice Monday.

Air quality statements continue to blanket much of British Columbia and the Prairie provinces as scores of wildfires rage.

As of Tuesday evening, more than 19,500 people in Alberta have been forced out of their homes with 91 active wildfires burning in the province, 27 of which are considered out of control.

Meanwhile, the northeast British Columbia city of Fort St. John, with a population of about 21,000, remains under an evacuation alert in response to a wildfire that's more than 130 square kilometres in size.

The federal government says the Security and Intelligence Threats Task Force will be closely monitoring byelections in four ridings next month for signs of interference. 

Votes are being held June 19 in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount, Oxford, Portage–Lisgar and Winnipeg South Centre. 

The task force, known as SITE, is expected to provide regular assessments of foreign interference threats to a committee of deputy ministers, who will brief members of cabinet if needed. 

The City of Fort St. John in northeastern British Columbia has issued an evacuation alert telling all of its approximately 21,000 residents to get ready to leave in response to a wildfire that's grown to more than 130 square kilometres in size.

An update from the BC Wildfire Service Monday afternoon says the Stoddart Creek wildfire was burning out of control and continuing to spread.

The fire has previously triggered evacuation alerts and orders for other properties in its path in the Peace River Regional District since it was discovered on Saturday.