In the news: End to remote work, New Year’s bar fire, Quebec’s first babies of 2026

By Canadian Press on January 2, 2026.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Remote work option ending for thousands of public, private sector workers in 2026

The new year is already bringing some big changes to return-to-office rules.

As of Monday, Ontario government employees will be expected to work in the office five days per week, and Alberta’s public service will follow suit in February.

While provinces such as Manitoba, British Columbia and New Brunswick have more flexible hybrid work rules, others, including Newfoundland and Labrador, are reviewing their policies.

Prime Minister Mark Carney promised last month that a plan for federal public servants would be released soon, but has said the amount of time spent in the office will depend on individual roles and seniority.

Canada’s highest-paid CEOs made an average of $16.2 million in 2024: report

A new report says the gap between average worker wages and Canada’s top-paid CEOs widened to a record in 2024.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says average compensation for the 100 best-paid chief executives hit $16.2 million in the year — about 248 times more than the average Canadian worker.

Senior economist David Macdonald says the results show high earners are living the high life while regular wage earners are struggling with inflation.

Shopify Inc. CEO Tobi Lutke topped the list with a $205.5 million payout, followed by Jay Hennick, head of Colliers International Group Inc., and Patrick Dovigi of GFL Environmental Inc.

Global Affairs Canada not aware of any Canadians hurt or killed in Swiss bar fire

Global Affairs Canada says it’s not currently aware of any Canadian citizens among the dozens killed and hundreds injured in a Swiss bar fire on New Year’s Day.

Police have said about 40 people died and another 115 were injured after the fire ripped through a New Year’s celebration in a Swiss Alpine resort in Crans-Montana.

Authorities say it’s too early to say what caused the fire, but work is underway to identify victims and inform their families.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says consular officials remain ready to assist any affected Canadians and are in contact with Swiss authorities as they work to identify the victims.

Officials urge Calgarians to save water, take shorter showers after water main break

Officials in Calgary are urging residents to save water by taking shorter showers after a major water main broke for the second time in less than two years.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas says the Bearspaw South Feeder Main remains “very much in the red zone” after it ruptured Dec. 30, and the city is using more water than it can produce and store.

Officials say the city of 1.6 million people needs to use less than 485 million litres of water every day for several weeks, and there hasn’t been a measurable reduction in water use since the rupture.

Michael Thompson, general manager of infrastructure services, says it’s not clear why the water main broke for the second time following a rupture in the summer of 2024 that prompted months of water restrictions and advisories.

‘Best gift’: Quebec hospitals and parents welcome first babies born in 2026

One of Quebec’s first babies of 2026 was born right at the stroke of midnight.

The regional health authority for the Montérégie-Ouest region announced that baby Anaïah was born at exactly 12 a.m. at the Suroît hospital in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.

In Quebec City, little Lessy-Ann entered the world at 12:02 a.m., and one of her parents, Alyson Brown-Tremblay, says the birth of her first child was the best gift she could ever receive to start the new year.

In Montreal, baby Sophia was born to parents Miriam Azer and Maged Youssef at 12:46 a.m., while another baby girl, named Adaline, was born at 2:53 a.m. at Anna-Laberge hospital in Châteauguay.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2026.

The Canadian Press