February 21st, 2026
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National News

Canada should work to recruit bilingual health workers, Senate report says

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

OTTAWA — A Senate report is calling on the federal government to fast-track immigration and credential recognition for francophone and bilingual health-care workers. The Senate committee on Official Languages recently wrapped up a study on language barriers in the health system. It heard from witnesses from across the country, including anglophones in Quebec and francophones ... Read More »

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Jury hears accused mass killer shot up Winnipeg suite after days of drugs, drinking

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

WINNIPEG — A Crown prosecutor says a man accused of fatally shooting five people in a Winnipeg rooming house opened fire after days of using drugs and drinking alcohol there. A jury trial has started for Jamie Felix, who faces five counts of second-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty to the killings in the ... Read More »

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Israeli military says more than 1,500 Canadians were serving in its ranks last year

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

OTTAWA — The Israeli military says more than 1,500 people with Canadian citizenship — soldiers holding dual or multiple citizenships — were serving in its ranks as of a year ago, according to documents obtained by an Israeli organization. The news comes months after the RCMP confirmed it would be collecting reports from members of ... Read More »

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Second complainant testifies Frank Stronach groped her in downtown condo

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

TORONTO — A woman who worked at Frank Stronach’s Toronto restaurant and nightclub in the early 1980s says he went from a “fatherly mentor” to someone who made her feel “terrified” once they were alone in his downtown condo. The woman, now 63, is the second complainant to take the stand at the billionaire businessman’s ... Read More »

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Canada has ‘relied too heavily’ on other countries for protection, Carney says

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada should never be held “hostage” by other nations over its own security and has relied too heavily and for too long on geography and allies for protection. Carney is in Montreal today to unveil Canada’s first-ever defence industrial strategy, which looks to hike Canadian firms’ share of ... Read More »

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Quebec auto board sorry for online platform boondoggle, aims to regain public trust

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

QUÉBEC — Quebec’s automobile insurance board is apologizing over the botched rollout of its online platform and the hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overruns on the project. The apology comes after a public inquiry concluded on Monday that auto board management hid the true cost of the platform from elected officials. Quebec’s premier ... Read More »

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Quebec police bust sophisticated forged documents operation, arrest two

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

MONTREAL — Quebec provincial police say they’ve made a pair of arrests in what they are calling a sophisticated counterfeit ID and credit card operation. The force’s economic crimes division says two men ages 34 and 42 face charges of production of counterfeit documents and identity theft. They were expected to appear virtually at the ... Read More »

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Here’s a list of January inflation rates for selected Canadian cities

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

OTTAWA — Canada’s annual inflation rate was 2.3 per cent in January, Statistics Canada says. The agency also released rates for major cities, but cautioned that figures may have fluctuated widely because they are based on small statistical samples (previous month in brackets): — St. John’s, N.L.: 2.6 per cent (3.1) — Charlottetown-Summerside: 1.9 per ... Read More »

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Here’s a list of January inflation rates for Canadian provinces

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

OTTAWA — Canada’s annual inflation rate was 2.3 per cent in January, Statistics Canada says. Here’s what happened in the provinces (previous month in brackets): — Newfoundland and Labrador: 2.4 per cent (3.0) — Prince Edward Island: 1.8 per cent (2.8) — Nova Scotia: 2.7 per cent (3.1) — New Brunswick: 2.9 per cent (3.1) ... Read More »

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Inflation ticks down to 2.3% in January amid lower gas prices: StatCan

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says lower prices at the pump and easing shelter inflation helped rein in the pressure facing consumers in January. The agency says the annual rate of inflation ticked down to 2.3 per cent last month from 2.4 per cent in December. StatCan says gas prices were 16.7 per cent lower year-over-year ... Read More »

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In the news today: Carney defence strategy, Tumbler Ridge, Ottawa called to help Cuba

By Canadian Press on February 17th, 2026

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Carney set to announce defence industrial strategy today Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to publicly release today his new Buy Canadian plan for supplying the military and growing Canada’s domestic defence industry. The $6.6-billion plan promises to ... Read More »

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