The Canadian Press

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.

A suspect has been arrested and charged in three purse snatchings in Winnipeg where police say the victims were elderly, and the thefts were violent.

Police say the first of the thefts was on Sept. 20 at midday when a male approached a 79-year-old woman and used a knife to cut her purse strap before fleeing in a nearby vehicle.

Two days later, police say a male suspect stole a 66-year-old woman's purse before fleeing in a vehicle, and the same thing happened again to a 79-year-old woman on Sept. 26, but that time the suspect fled on foot.

A proposed condominium development on Juno Beach in France has been cancelled after public outcry and a three-year legal fight. 

The Canadian and French governments are helping the town of Courseulles-sur-Mer buy a parcel of land where a developer planned to build a 70-unit building.

Veterans Affairs Canada says the construction "posed a threat to both the integrity of Juno Beach itself, and Juno Beach Centre operations."

Health Canada says some manufacturers of kids' pain and fever medications are now operating "at double or triple their normal volumes" in an effort to address a months-long shortage. 

Chief medical adviser Dr. Supriya Sharma said in a press briefing Friday the government is working with the industry to address the supply crunch ahead of flu season.

The cost of modernizing technology at Manitoba's auto insurance Crown corporation has jumped sharply.

Project Nova, which is aimed at letting customers and brokers do more business with Manitoba Public Insurance online, was originally expected to cost $86 million plus contingencies.

That number was bumped up to $115 million last year and, according to a memo obtained by the Opposition New Democrats, could reach $224 million plus contingencies.

The memo also says the time to complete the project is expected to jump by about two years.