In the news today: Air Canada flight attendants could strike tonight

Winnipeg Free Press

2 days ago

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…
Air Canada flight attendants could strike tonight
It's the final day before a potential work stoppage could ground all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights.
More than 10,000 flight attendants are poised to walk off the job around 1 a.m. ET on Saturday, followed by a company-imposed lockout if the two sides can't reach an eleventh-hour deal.
Air Canada said it was expecting to cancel around 500 flights previously scheduled to take off today in anticipation of the work stoppage, with a full stoppage looming Saturday.
It said it would notify customers of cancellations through email and text message, adding it recommends against going to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking and their flight still shows as operating.
The Air Canada component of CUPE says it is eager to avoid a work stoppage by sitting down to negotiate, while the airline has requested the federal government step in and direct the parties to enter binding arbitration.
Here's what else we're watching…
Ottawa touts Ukraine resolve amid Trump-Putin talk
Prime Minister Mark Carney's government says Canada's support for Ukraine is resolute ahead of talks today between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has arranged the talks in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss a possible land swap between territories held by Ukraine and those claimed by Russia, despite not including Kyiv in the talks.
The Kremlin says the talks are set to start this morning at 11:30 local time, which is 3:30 p.m. ET.
Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that Trump and Putin will first sit down for a one-on-one meeting followed by a meeting between the two delegations. Then talks will continue over 'a working breakfast.'
A joint news conference will follow, Ushakov said, though Trump later said no decisions have been made about holding a news conference with Putin.
Wildfires continue to rage across Atlantic Canada
Thousands are out of their homes, and many more are on alert to evacuate as wildfires continue to rage across Atlantic Canada.
Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have expanded an evacuation alert along the Bay De Verde Peninsula as the Kingston wildfire burns nearby.
The Kingston fire is the largest in the province and has forced more than 3,000 people from their homes.
In Nova Scotia, the County of Annapolis expanded an evacuation order in the West Dalhousie area on Thursday night after a lightning strike triggered an intense, out-of-control wildfire.
Wildfires are also burning in New Brunswick, including an out-of-control blaze near Miramichi that has swelled to nearly 14 square kilometres in size since it was first detected on Aug. 6.
Debate over responsibility for wildfire prevention
As climate change continues to raise the risk of extreme wildfires, a debate has arisen over who bears the responsibility to prevent disasters: government or individuals?
Wildfires have been raging across Canada all summer, including in the Atlantic region that hasn't historically seen as many fires as the rest of the country, prompting restrictions that aim to reduce risk of human-caused ignition.
In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, last week provincial governments banned hiking, fishing and using vehicles in the woods in addition to their existing bans on open fires. Both provinces are actively battling multiple blazes.
Their provincial governments have received a flood of feedback from people expressing confusion and frustration, and some have claimed the restrictions represent an infringement on their personal freedoms.
Jennifer Baltzer, a Wilfrid Laurier University biology professor and Canada Research Chair in forests and global change who is from Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley, said it's reasonable to expect these sorts of government-imposed restrictions as climate change results in hotter and dryer summers.
Canada Post, union headed back to bargaining table
Canada Post and the union representing 55,000 postal workers are set to head back to the bargaining table today.
It's been two weeks since members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers rejected the employers' latest offers in a majority vote.
After more than a year and a half of negotiations, the two sides met with federal mediators on Tuesday and have more rounds of bargaining scheduled for today and Monday.
The Crown corporation's most recent offers from late May included wage hikes of around 13 per cent over four years and restructuring to add part-time workers.
Canada Post says it looks forward to receiving a comprehensive response from the union that addresses the significant and increasing challenges facing the postal service.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2025.