In the news today: Poilievre campaigning in Conservative-safe ridings
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…
Poilievre campaigning in Conservative-safe ridings
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is campaigning in what polls suggest are Conservative-safe ridings today as election day approaches.
Poilievre is set to begin his day in Saskatoon, where he will hold a press conference, before holding a rally in Nanoose Bay, B.C., in the evening.
Recent polls suggest that ridings in both Saskatoon and the Nanaimo area, which includes Nanoose Bay, are leaning Conservative.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney has a busy day in Ontario, beginning with a press conference and visiting a small business in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will be campaigning in Liberal-leaning ridings in Toronto, Hamilton and London today.
Here's what else we're watching…
Canadians rate U.S. relations on par with Russia
Canadians say their relations with Washington are just as bad as ties with Moscow, according to polling that suggests an openness to improving links with China and especially Mexico.
Just 16 per cent of Canadians polled by Leger say Canada has a good relationship with the U.S., compared to 15 per cent for ties with Russia.
Meanwhile, 36 per cent of Canadians say Ottawa has a good relationship with Beijing, while the number ranks higher than 75 per cent for ties with Mexico, the European Union and the U.K.
'When Canadians give their relationship with the United States such a really horrible evaluation, it's largely attributable to our expectations about that relationship, which are generally considerably better' than the current situation, said Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies.
Leger Marketing surveyed 1,603 people from April 17 to 19 for the Association for Canadian Studies. It can not be assigned a margin of error because it was a panel survey.
Transplant, cancer patients fear measles exposure
Laurie Miller, a 59-year-old heart transplant patient exposed to measles in Stratford, Ont., says her story speaks to the risks people who are immunocompromised face during an outbreak.
She brought her husband to the emergency room in mid-March after an all-terrain vehicle accident. Their local public health unit called a few days later saying a patient with measles had been in the emergency room too.
Miller was at the hair salon she works at in a retirement home when she got the call. Though she's born before 1970, a cohort Health Canada says likely acquired natural immunity to measles, the public health official told her to leave immediately and quarantine at home.
Her public health unit Huron Perth has seen more than 120 cases since an outbreak began in October. Public Health Ontario said Thursday the total number of cases reported in the province has surpassed 1,000, with 95 new cases since last week. Alberta's case count was 122 as of Wednesday, with the province noting 14 were 'known to be communicable,' while Quebec declared its outbreak over earlier this week.
Bay expected to begin liquidation of final stores
Hudson's Bay is expected to start liquidating its final six stores today.
A court filing made earlier in the week by a financial adviser to the beleaguered department store says the selloff will begin because there is a 'low probability' that the company will find a buyer for its remaining locations.
Those locations due to begin liquidation include the flagship on Yonge Street in Toronto, as well as a location in the city's Yorkdale mall and another farther north in Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill, Ont.
The remaining three span downtown Montreal, the Carrefour Laval mall and Pointe-Claire, Que. One Saks Fifth Avenue store is also being added to the liquidation sales.
Hudson's Bay received court permission last month to liquidate 90 of its 96 Bay, Saks and Saks Off Fifth stores by mid-June, while it hunts for investors or buyers that could restructure or maintain the business.
How to watch Pope Francis's funeral in Canada
During Elections
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Mourners are expected to gather for Pope Francis's funeral at St. Peter's Square on Saturday, following his death on Monday at the age of 88.
The Vatican says the ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. local time, which is 4 a.m. ET. That means Canadians will need to set their alarms extra early to catch it live.
The funeral for the first Latin American pontiff is expected to bring international leaders along with cardinals, archbishops and priests from across the globe to the Vatican.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon will represent Canada at the ceremony, as Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigns in the final leg of the federal election.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2025.
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Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Canada Post, union trade shots Monday as progress stalls
After talks last week aimed at paving the way for binding arbitration, Canada Post and the union representing its 55,000 employees were back trading public potshots Monday, with both sides accusing the other of not negotiating seriously. Monday afternoon, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) blasted the Crown corporation, saying it was counting on government action to force an end to the dispute. 'CUPW's ultimate goal in returning to the bargaining table remains new negotiated ratifiable collective agreements,' CUPW said in a written statement. 'However, Canada Post's actions suggest it does not want to negotiate. It wants to rewrite our agreements — and is seeking to use government interference to further its goals.' The union pointed to Canada Post's request to federal jobs minister Patty Hajdu late last month to order a vote on its 'final' contract offer, as well as then-federal labour minister Steven MacKinnon's decision last December to 'pause' a 32-day strike by creating an Industrial Inquiry Commission run by veteran arbitrator William Kaplan. 'The historic rights and benefits our union has gained for our members — and for Canadian society — such as maternity leave have been won through our collective bargaining rights,' CUPW added. 'The attempt to trample over them should send a chill through the labour movement. CUPW will be standing against a forced vote — and for collective bargaining rights.' In a written statement Monday, Canada Post said two days of talks last week to set the terms for arbitration didn't result in any progress. The Crown corporation also said the union still hadn't provided an official response to its final offer. It also suggested Kaplan's report should be part of the terms of reference for any arbitration. 'The final report of the Industrial Inquiry Commission clearly outlines the critical issues we face and the immediate actions that need to be taken. It should therefore be the foundational document that guides any discussions about Canada Post's path forward. The union's refusal to recognize the IIC report and its recommendations in their proposed terms of reference for arbitration is unacceptable,' Canada Post said. 'After 18 months we urgently need a fair resolution that begins to address our challenges while respecting the important role our employees play, and the voice they have in our future.' A spokesperson for Hajdu said the minister was still reviewing Canada Post's request for a vote on the 'final offer,' and urged the two sides to get back to the bargaining table. 'Last week Minister Hajdu asked the parties to return to the negotiating table with federal mediators to do two things: to seek to negotiate terms for an arbitration process to conclude this round of bargaining, and to have the union table its response to Canada Post's last global offers,' said Hajdu spokesperson Jennifer Kozelj. 'Canadians expect the parties to resolve this dispute. Both parties must meet and pursue these paths with urgency.' Labour experts say it's unclear exactly how the impasse can be resolved. Both sides, suggested University of Toronto professor Rafael Gomez, could be waiting for clearer signals from the federal government on whether it will act on Kaplan's recommendations. 'If the government hems and haws, then of course the parties aren't going to negotiate strongly,' said Gomez, director of U of T's Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources. 'If they said 'here's what we're doing about the report. We're implementing everything Kaplan has said,' that would move the needle.' While a full-blown strike might be another option for the union to try and force the issue, it's not clear if it would work, argued Stephanie Ross, a labour studies professor at McMaster University. The union doesn't have nearly as much leverage as it did last winter, Ross said, because it's not nearly as busy a time of year for parcels, but also because Kaplan's report was largely in line with the Crown corporation's arguments for restructuring. 'It's not clear how much pressure a walkout is going to put on the employer right now,' Ross said. Earlier this month, Canada Post rejected the union's request for binding arbitration, saying it would take too long, and could exacerbate their financial struggles. On May 28, Canada Post made what it called its 'final' contract offer, which includes a 13 per cent wage increase spread over four years, as well as a $1,000 signing bonus. Two days later, it asked Hajdu to order a vote on the offer, a request blasted by CUPW.
Vancouver Sun
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Global News
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B.C. government takes heat over marked growth in public payroll
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