The Canadian Press

The Supreme Court of Canada will hear a challenge of Quebec's secularism law, setting up a final legal battle between the provincial government and minority and civil rights groups that say the legislation is discriminatory and unconstitutional.

The country's top court announced Thursday morning it has granted leave to appeal to several groups that oppose the law, which prohibits civil servants in positions of authority, including teachers and police officers, from wearing religious symbols on the job.

A defrocked Catholic priest pleaded guilty Thursday to indecent assaults against seven children decades ago in Nunavut.

Court heard Eric Dejaeger committed the offences between 1978 and 1982 at or near the hamlet of Igloolik. Six of the children were girls and one a boy. 

Prosecutor Emma Baasch described each of the assaults in graphic detail in the Nunavut Court of Justice.

In some cases, it began with the priest offering the children candy. Court heard Dejaeger gave a picture of Jesus to one girl to colour before taking her on his lap and assaulting her. 

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he’s not straying from the Team Canada approach in responding to looming tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Moe and other premiers met virtually with the prime minister to discuss Trump's threat to slap 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods by Feb. 1, in response to concerns including border security.

Moe says he’s all for pushing back against the tariffs, if Trump follows through.

But the premier says he doesn’t want to see dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs that would hurt Canadians and industry.

RCMP in Manitoba say residents near the U.S. border could start seeing and hearing Black Hawk helicopters on a regular basis as the national police force bolsters its presence in the area.

The first patrol flight took off a day before the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on Monday. 

Trump had threatened to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods on his first day back in office unless Canada moved to stem the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the United States, but the tariffs did not materialize on inauguration day.

The federal privacy watchdog says he's "concerned" about a data breach involving a student information system used across Canada, and his office is seeking more information from the U.S.-based company behind the targeted software.

Privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne says his office is in touch with PowerSchool, which provides the affected platforms to schools across North America.

Earlier this month, PowerSchool told school boards in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta and elsewhere that it had experienced a data breach between Dec. 22 and 28.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith won't be at president-elect Donald Trump's inaugural ceremony on Monday after all, due to bitter cold weather forecasted for tomorrow in Washington, D.C.

Smith, who is spending five days in Washington on a diplomatic trip, was scheduled to attend the event.

But her press secretary, Sam Blackett, says in a statement that most ticketed guests will no longer be able to attend the ceremony in-person because it's being moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda, and that includes Smith.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says 61 cases of salmonella across the country, including 17 that have required hospitalization, have been linked to recalled mini pastries.

The agency said the Sweet Cream brand mini pastries have been distributed at bakeries, hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals, retirement residences, and catered events.

It said 33 of the 61 illnesses are in Quebec, 21 in Ontario, four in British Columbia, two in Alberta and one in New Brunswick.

Here's a look at some of this week's top news photos as selected by the Canadian Press editors.

A chicken living in a backyard is seen in Vancouver, on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Chrystia Freeland is running to be the next Leader of the Liberal party and prime minister of Canada.

She says in a statement posted on social media she will launch her campaign officially on Sunday.

The former finance minister wrote an op-ed in the Toronto Star on Friday saying she won’t back down from Donald Trump as he vows to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all products coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico.

The cost to send a letter in Canada is increasing by about 25 per cent, effective today.

Canada Post says the cost of stamps for domestic mail bought in a booklet, coil or pane has increased by 25 cents to $1.24 per stamp. 

The cost of a single domestic stamp is now $1.44, up from $1.15.

Canada Post proposed the increase in September last year. It says the higher price is required to better align stamp prices with the rising cost of providing letter mail service to all Canadians.