National News

As of this morning, travellers to Canada do not need to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 — and wearing a mask on planes and trains is now optional, though it is still recommended. 

People entering the country are no longer subject to random mandatory tests for the virus, and those who are unvaccinated will not need to isolate upon arrival.

Anyone who entered Canada in the last two weeks and was subject to quarantine or testing is off the hook as of today.

With drumming and singing, at powwows and public ceremonies, communities across the country marked the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Friday.

The federal statutory holiday, also known as Orange Shirt Day, was established last year to remember children who died while being forced to attend residential schools, as well as those who survived, and the families and communities still affected by lasting trauma.

As Canada marks the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, provinces and territories face a push to recognize it as a statutory holiday.

New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have declared Sept. 30 a statutory holiday along with the federal government.

Murray Sinclair, the former head of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, pointed out at a national event in Ottawa that many governments quickly moved to recognize the death of the queen, and he urged the same courtesy for residential school survivors.

After years of negotiations, the Alberta government signed an agreement Friday with a First Nations group committing to return an ancient meteorite to its historic location after being displaced for over 150 years.

Manitou Asinîy, also known as the Creator's Stone or Manitou Stone, is a 145-kilogram iron meteorite that landed close to the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary, near modern-day Hardisty, Alta., many millennia ago.

The chestnut-coloured stone weighs about the same as a red-tailed deer and is the size of a large tire.

The Canadian Museums Association is calling for legislation, money and a cohesive national strategy to support Indigenous-led reconciliation in the museum sector.

The association detailed the work needed in a report released Tuesday that includes 10 recommendations to help spur Indigenous self-determination at every level of a museum’s operations.

Canada Post is launching four new stamps showcasing Indigenous artists' visions for truth and reconciliation.

The Crown corporation says this is the first in an annual series meant to encourage reflection on the painful legacy of Canada's residential schools.

The stamps were released on Thursday, a day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Friday.

The series features artwork by Jackie Traverse, Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona, Kim Gullion Stewart and Blair Thomson. The stamps are inscribed with the Indigenous language of each of their creators.

Robert Cormier, a Toronto-born actor whose credits include “American Gods" and the long-running CBC series “Heartland” has died at age 33.

The funeral director at Ridley Funeral Home confirmed the death, but did not reveal a cause.

An obituary on the funeral home's website said Cormier died on Sept. 23 and described him as “an athlete, an actor, and a great brother” whose memory will live on "through his passion for art and film." 

Cormier appeared on “Heartland” as Finn Cotter, the grandson of Duncan Fraser’s Al Cotter. 

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is demanding an end to the vaccine mandate for military members, but his health critic suggested the situation might need a more nuanced approach.

Last week, Poilievre called for an end to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the Canadian Armed Forces, saying it was "obviously unscientific and contradictory" to keep that rule in place while ending the requirement for those crossing the border into Canada.

Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida's southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status. Damaging winds and rain lashed the state, and the heavily populated Naples to Sarasota region was at highest risk of a devastating storm surge.

Distraught residents of a southwestern Newfoundland town shared stories of survival with Justin Trudeau on Wednesday as the prime minister got a close look at yet another coastal town shattered on the weekend by post-tropical storm Fiona.

"We barely made it out," Amy Osmond told Trudeau between sobs as she struggled to recount her memories of the day the storm hit Port aux Basques, forcing her to run for her life while trying to grab her dog and keys.