The Canadian Press

The Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards has named Lecavalier the year’s top womenswear brand and Mr. Saturday the top menswear brand.

A weekend gala in Toronto reunited the industry's artists, influencers and business leaders following last year’s virtual edition, which celebrated winners from both 2020 and 2021.

Montreal-born Marie-Ève Lecavalier accepted the womenswear honour on behalf of her eponymous label, which earned a coveted slot at Paris Fashion Week last year. 

A British Columbia community has declared a state of local emergency as a drought drags on and the area risks running out of drinking water. 

The Sunshine Coast Regional District, the District of Sechelt and the shíshálh Nation issued the declaration Monday, saying the first order affects non-essential commercial uses of water, including for swimming pools, breweries and concrete, asphalt and gravel businesses. 

The federal and Manitoba governments will contribute more than $33 million for the construction of a Métis National Heritage Centre in Winnipeg.

Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, who is a Winnipeg MP, announced $23.1 million in federal funding Saturday during the Annual General Meeting of the Manitoba Métis Federation.

The money is on top of $5.1 million that Ottawa has already contributed to the project, and Premier Heather Stefanson told the Federation's AGM in a video statement that her government will be contributing $10 million.

One person has suffered "significant injuries" after a house exploded in Winnipeg late Friday.

A statement from the city says fire crews found the bungalow on Selkirk Ave. was heavily damaged when they arrived, with a strong smell of gas coming from it.

The statement says one person was inside the house at the time of the explosion and was transported to hospital in unstable condition. 

No other injuries were reported.

Five neighbouring houses were temporarily evacuated as a precaution, but the residents were later allowed back.

The public inquiry investigating the federal government's unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act in February begins today in downtown Ottawa.

Parties to the inquiry including "Freedom Convoy" organizers, the prime minister, seven federal ministers, police forces and officials from all levels of government are expected to appear in the coming weeks.

Commissioner Paul Rouleau and his staff are expected to spend the first day presenting documents and evidence ahead of witness testimony starting Friday.

The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Brad Lambert to a three-year entry-level contract.

The team announced Wednesday that Lambert's deal carries an average annual value of US$1.2 million at the NHL level. 

He was the team's first-round pick (30th overall) in the 2022 draft.

The 18-year-old has been assigned to the AHL's Manitoba Moose after playing three pre-season games for the Jets, where he recorded one goal and one assist in the three contests.

Police north of Toronto say two officers are dead after they were shot while responding to a disturbance call on Tuesday night. 

South Simcoe Police Service say the shooting happened at a home in the town of Innisfil, Ont., just before 8 p.m.

Police say both officers were taken to a nearby hospital, where one officer died. 

They say the second officer later died after he was airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre in critical condition.

Ontario's police watchdog agency, the Special Investigations Unit, has been called in to investigate.

The Manitoba government plans to impose stiffer penalties on motorists who ignore warning signs and drive on closed roads.

Transportation Minister Doyle Piwniuk says the province is responding to a call from the RCMP, who have had to deal with motorists who drive around barricades and get caught in flooded roadways.

A bill before the legislature would impose fines of up to $2,000 or one year in jail for operators of most private vehicles.

For buses and some larger vehicles, the maximum penalty would be $5,000 or one year in jail.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine as the country unleashed a lethal barrage of strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday, including downtown Kyiv where at least six people were killed. 

While speaking on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, Trudeau deplored the attacks and reiterated Canada's support for Ukraine.

Hockey Canada has confirmed that Andrea Skinner, interim chair of the organization's board of directors, has submitted her resignation. 

Skinner joined the Hockey Canada Board of Directors in November 2020 as a volunteer, and assumed the role of chair in August after the resignation of former chair Michael Brind'Amour.