Alberta's Premier Danielle Smith announced plans to introduce Bill 2, the 'Back to School Act,' on Monday, October 27, 2025, aimed at ending the province-wide teachers' strike. The strike, involving 51,000 teachers and affecting 730,000 students since October 6, is over demands for better pay, smaller class sizes, and improved working conditions.
Air Canada has announced a reduction of approximately 400 non-unionized management positions, representing about one percent of its total workforce. This 'difficult decision' follows an extensive review and comes after a costly flight attendant strike in August, which impacted the airline's finances and led to a revised earnings forecast.
Statistics Canada reports a nearly 30% year-over-year decrease in Canadian resident return trips from the U.S. in August 2025, marking the seventh consecutive month of decline. Automobile travel fell by 34%, and air travel by over 25%, influenced by political tensions, trade policies, and shifting travel preferences.
General Motors has announced the immediate cessation of BrightDrop electric delivery van production at its CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. Citing low demand and changing market conditions, the decision impacts over 1,100 unionized employees and leaves the plant's future uncertain.
The Government of Canada has launched a public feedback initiative for its new 'Buy Canadian Policy,' aiming to prioritize domestic suppliers and materials in federal procurement. This policy, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney, seeks to stimulate local industries, create jobs, and enhance economic resilience by strengthening supply chains and reducing reliance on foreign imports.
Canada's Minister of National Defence, David McGuinty, is set to host his German and Norwegian counterparts, Boris Pistorius and Tore O. Sandvik, this week. The high-level meetings in Canada will focus on bolstering defence industry partnerships, particularly promoting the Type 212CD submarine for Canada's fleet, and enhancing maritime security in the North Atlantic.
Thousands gathered in Quebec City on October 18, 2025, for a significant women's rights march, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the historic 'Bread and Roses' movement. Participants voiced strong protests against persistent issues of poverty, violence against women, and the environmental crisis, advocating for a just and feminist world.
Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu led a Canadian delegation of over 75 businesses to Italy from October 12 to 17, 2025, to boost commercial opportunities and deepen trade relations. The mission focused on advancing CETA ratification, enhancing defence cooperation, and exploring key sectors like clean technology and aerospace, resulting in new agreements and strategic partnerships.
Thousands participated in 'No Kings Day' rallies across Canadian cities like Vancouver and Montreal on October 18, 2025, protesting U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and perceived authoritarianism. These demonstrations were part of a global movement advocating for democracy and civic engagement.
A 21-year-old man, Raphael Atende, died Saturday after a stabbing incident in the Alta Vista area of Ottawa. Police are investigating the death, which occurred on Russell Road, as the city's 15th homicide this year.
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem announced the central bank will return to formal economic forecasting on October 29, 2025, after a hiatus due to trade uncertainty. Macklem emphasized a 'humble' approach, focusing on risks from global trade tensions and the upcoming CUSMA review.
A high-ranking RCMP officer, Chief Superintendent Mathieu Bertrand, has confirmed that at least seven international cartels are actively operating within Canada. These organizations, designated as terrorist entities by the Canadian government, are involved in drug trafficking, illicit goods production, and money laundering, posing significant national security risks and impacting Canadian communities.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced new legislation to toughen bail and sentencing standards for violent and organized crime in Canada. The bill, expected next week, will expand reverse onus bail provisions for serious offenses and introduce consecutive sentencing, aiming to keep repeat offenders off the streets.
Canada's federal government has outlined comprehensive plans to bolster border security, including expanding the Coast Guard's role, tightening immigration policies, and enhancing information sharing. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree introduced Bill C-12, the 'Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act,' on October 8, 2025, backed by a $1.3 billion Border Plan.
A Canada Post labour dispute in late 2018, involving rotating strikes by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), significantly impacted municipal and territorial elections across the country. The strikes delayed the delivery of essential voter cards and mail-in ballots, prompting contingency plans and even election postponements in some regions.
Federal, provincial, and territorial health ministers are meeting in Calgary on October 16-17, 2025, to discuss critical issues facing Canada's healthcare system. Key agenda items include interprovincial credential recognition, health funding agreements, mental health and addiction services, and strategies to alleviate workforce shortages. The meeting is co-chaired by Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel and Alberta's Minister Adriana LaGrange.
The Alberta Teachers' Association and the provincial government's bargaining committee met on October 14, 2025, for the first time since a provincewide strike began on October 6. The dispute, affecting 51,000 teachers and 730,000 students, centers on wages, class sizes, and classroom complexity, with no immediate resolution reached.
A 35-year-old woman has been arrested in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in connection with a series of unprovoked stabbings and assaults that injured several people along the Yaletown seawall last Friday. The attacks left at least four people with stab wounds.
Efforts to update Canada's national security strategy were disrupted as a March 2025 memo revealed that previous assumptions were 'no longer valid' due to significant global changes. The revelation, made to Prime Minister Mark Carney by then-Privy Council clerk John Hannaford, highlights the challenges of adapting policy to a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment.
Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu are in India for high-level talks aimed at deepening economic cooperation and establishing strategic frameworks. These engagements, following a period of strained relations, focus on trade diversification, clean technology, AI, agriculture, critical minerals, energy, and security, marking a significant step in the bilateral reset.
