The Canadian Press

Canadian Blood Services says it's in need of blood and plasma donors after the winter storm disrupted donations over the holidays. 

Severe wind, snowfall and icy conditions that hit many parts of the country meant that about 10 per cent of expected blood and plasma donations did not happen. 

There's a critical need for platelets for patients undergoing cancer treatments and O-negative blood for newborns and emergencies. 

Canadian Blood Services says it has lost thousands of regular donors since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A highway in the British Columbia Interior has reopened after a passenger bus crash sent more than 50 people to hospital.

Few details have been released about the Saturday evening incident, but Interior Health tweeted that 53 people are being treated at three hospitals in Kelowna, Penticton and Merritt.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is asking Canadians to remind themselves how fortunate they are "to live in a country of peace."

Trudeau says in his annual Christmas address that it's the season when life slows down and "Christmas movies, including Die Hard, are on repeat."

But he says that 2022 was a challenging year and acknowledges that for some, the holidays won't be easy.

This holiday season marks a return to more normalcy for millions of Canadians who no longer have to navigate holiday travel and family gatherings under COVID-19 health restrictions. 

Weather warnings remain in place across the country as major storms continue to dump snow and freezing rain on Quebec, Ontario and B.C., and batter the Atlantic provinces with heavy rain and powerful winds.

Hundreds of thousands of customers have been left without power in the final hours before Christmas, with hydro crews working around the clock to get the lights back on.

A Hydro-Quebec spokesman said about 1,000 workers were repairing power lines to restore electricity to approximately 355,256 customers as of early Saturday morning.

A major winter storm bearing down on Ontario and Quebec cancelled flights, closed schools and threatened widespread power outages Friday, with an Environment Canada meteorologist warning of a possible once-in-a-decade weather event. 

Environment Canada predicted strong winds, heavy snowfall and possible flash freezing, issuing winter storm warnings for most of Ontario and Quebec. 

"We may only see one of these storms every five or 10 years," said Environment Canada meteorologist Mitch Meredith. "I've only seen a couple of storms like this in the last 20 years." 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading to Jamaica after Christmas for a one-week vacation with his immediate family.

The Prime Minister's Office says Trudeau will remain in constant contact with Ottawa during the trip and continue to be briefed and updated on issues.

The PMO also says it checked with the federal ethics commissioner in advance of the travel to make sure it follows guidelines.

Trudeau had been found in violation of conflict-of-interest rules in 2017 after a 2016 vacation he took to the Aga Khan's private island in the Bahamas.

A major winter storm bearing down on Toronto is adding to the calamity in Canadian airports already plagued by flight cancellations and delays set off early this week by heavy snow in Vancouver. 

Environment Canada says Toronto's storm will begin today with rain or snow followed by plummeting temperatures, a potential flash freeze and blizzard-like conditions Friday.

Toronto's Pearson International Airport has cautioned it could affect operations, while Environment Canada warns of possible extensive power outages and dangerous travel conditions.

Nearly $700,000 was spent repairing vandalism to Winnipeg bus shelters over 15 months as city and community leaders urge more support for an unhoused population that has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Data obtained by The Canadian Press through freedom-of-information requests shows that from June 1, 2021, to Aug. 31, 2022, the estimated damage to bus shelters was $699,000.

About $6,256 in damage-related work orders was due to snowplows or other claims from Manitoba Public Insurance and the rest was from vandalism. 

Police north of Toronto are working to determine the motive in what they've called a "horrendous" shooting at a condo that left five people, plus the suspected gunman, dead.

York Regional Police say Francesco Villi's victims at the high-rise building in Vaughan, Ont., on Sunday night included three members of the building's condo board.

Court documents indicate the 73-year-old had a lengthy history of threatening members of the board and believed they had a conspiracy to "systematically murder" him.

Reid Carruthers' curling team and vice-skip Jason Gunnlaugson have split up.

The Manitoba team called the separation "a mutual parting of the ways" and said a search was underway for a replacement in a Twitter post Monday.

Carruthers, Gunnalugson and front-end players Derek Samagalski and Connor Njegovan formed a team in April.

Carruthers of Winnipeg is ranked ninth in the world in men's curling by the World Curling Federation.

His team won $50,000 in the inaugural PointsBet Invitational in September.