Airdrie

Talks between Canada Post and negotiators from its union are expected to resume over the next few days, its union said Sunday after the two parties met amid warnings of mail delivery delays tied to a national ban on overtime for postal workers.

In an afternoon statement, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said its negotiators had "worked hard to carefully evaluate" Canada Post's latest offers and prepare responses ahead of the day's meeting with the employer and the mediators. 

Among the tour groups converging on Parliament Hill under umbrellas this week, new and newly re-elected members of Parliament are getting acquainted with their offices and colleagues ahead of the opening of the House of Commons this week. 

The first order of business for MPs is the selection of a new House Speaker on Monday morning, and at least six returning members are asking their colleagues to support their bid to take the chair. 

Canada Post customers may face delays as tens of thousands of workers swear off overtime shifts, though a much bigger disruption was averted after the union backed down from a strike threat.

Nonetheless, the possibility of escalating job action could continue to scare off customers who pulled their shipments over the past couple of weeks, draining more business from the cash-strapped organization.

“I’m scared for the future,” said Edmonton mail carrier Dustin Ellis, who recently went on leave to study for a new career in social work.

Top officials at the Canada Revenue Agency say mounting job cuts will impact how the agency is able to deliver services.

Commissioner Bob Hamilton and deputy commissioner Jean-François Fortin said in a message to staff Thursday that up to 280 employees will lose their jobs at the agency.

The agency has been examining its operating budget for more than two years to meet a demand from the government to find savings. 

A 42-year-old hiker reported missing in the Mt. Baldy area has been found dead, Kananaskis RCMP confirmed Friday.

Police said they received a report of the missing person on Friday, May 23. Kananaskis Mountain Rescue later located the hiker deceased.

The body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Calgary. RCMP said the death does not appear suspicious.

"RCMP express our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased," police said in a statement.

If you're heading into Kananaskis Country this weekend, be aware: a grizzly bear with cubs that bluff-charged and is frequenting the area has prompted another area closure in the region.

The May 17 closure affects Grizzly Peak, Grizzly Peak Trail and areas within Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. This latest closure is in effect until further notice. 

Another bear-related closure in Kananaskis took effect May 14, when Alberta Parks closed the Rockwall Trail and the Peter Lougheed Discovery Centre and Meadow Area due to "multiple bears frequenting the area."

Crop would be eligible for biofuel tax credit under recent budget proposals in Congress

U.S. President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” could contain some beautiful news for Canada’s canola growers.

The U.S. House of Representatives’ ways and means committee has released its draft proposals for the U.S. budget reconciliation bill.

The proposals include provisions to amend the controversial 45Z clean fuel production tax credit so that canola oil-based biodiesel and renewable diesel would be eligible for the credit.

Construction is underway at the University of Saskatchewan that will see critical facility improvements within the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.

Two new facilities are being built - the Harrington Plant Growth Facility and the Soil Science Field Facility - while a portion of the Crop Science Field Lab is being renovated to provide additional workspace for the Crop Development Centre.