In the News

A senior U.S. border patrol official is warning travellers that cannabis remains an illegal narcotic in the U.S. despite Canada's legalization – and even if you've been granted amnesty for a previous pot-related criminal conviction, you could still be denied entry to the United States.

Parks Canada confirmed this week that marijuana can be consumed at its campsites – part of a policy of offering visitors a "consistent and predictable" experience at national parks across the country.

The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) announced Friday what they are calling two substantive reviews of government national security and intelligence activities. The findings will be published in NSICOP’s first annual report.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, two influential member of the U.S. Senate select intelligence committee warn that inadequate safety measures put Canadian national security and "Five Eyes" joint intelligence co-operation at risk.

Halifax and Irving Shipbuilders used the slogan "Ships Start Here” to win a large part of Canada's government shipbuilding. Now signs saying “Ships Stay Here” are appearing around Halifax, in support of a campaign to keep shipbuilding work from going to Quebec.

An assessment by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says the security situation in Mali has worsened over the past three months and demand for food and other assistance has gone up. Canadian peacekeepers have only flown two medical evacuations since becoming operational in early August.

According to one asylum seeker, the federal Government is sending voter registration information to "a lot" of immigrants who do not yet have citizenship.

Ralph Goodale, Canada's public safety minister told reporters that gathering information about citizens returning from service with foreign terror organizations is a top priority.

Canada and Mexico signed on Tuesday what is being called a defence co-operation arrangement. The arrangement will provide a mechanism to further collaborate in a number of key areas, including defence education, training, and capacity building, defence materiel, peace support operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

A former professional Russian internet ‘troll’ is warning Canadians “need to be vigilant” ahead of next year’s federal election. Vitaly Bespalov was once an employee at the Internet Research Agency (IRA), the official name for the notorious Russian troll factory in Saint Petersburg.

A 28 year old Canadian, Muhammad Ali, is being held in Syria on suspicion of fighting for ISIS. He was captured while trying to return home. Kurdish officials want him off their hands, but it is unclear if he would face any charges on his return to Canada.

Gen Jonathan Vance, Chief of Defence Staff says despite pre-recruitment screening and statements that extremism will not be tolerated, it is likely that some right-wing extremists get in to the Canadian Forces. In recent years, several incidents involving right-wing activity by CF members have made headlines.

The Research Center For Islamic History, Art and Culture and the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Ottawa will be hosting the IRCICA Calligraphy Exhibition and the talk: “The Wandering Calligrapher & Architect Sinan's Epitaph: Isfahan, New York, Toledo, Mumbai, Istanbul.” by Prof. H. Masud Taj on October 13th.

The minister in charge of Canada’s cyber agencies says he is “very concerned” about the “untoward” cyberattacks that Russian intelligence officers have been charged with, following a multi-jurisdictional investigation into “malicious” activity that targeted Canadian-based doping agencies and an international chemical weapon organization.

Heavy ice conditions are preventing the annual sea resupply of three Arctic communities: Paulatuk, Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk. Government officials say flying diesel fuel to Paulatuk is an immediate priority.

Canada's international trade minister quietly sounded out officials at the Department of National Defence last spring about how much of the content in the navy's new Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships could be sourced back to China, newly released documents reveal.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife of the prime minister will sponsor the future HMCS Harry DeWolf at a naming ceremony on Friday at Halifax Shipyard. The ship is the first of the Royal Canadian Navy's lead Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships fleet.

The Canada Revenue Agency has suspended the charitable status of the Islamic Society of North America-Canada (ISNA-Canada) for a year and ordered it to pay a $550,000 penalty. An audit raised concerns it had “provided resources” that may have supported armed militancy.

A sophisticated ring of car thieves operating in major cities across Eastern Canada has been "almost exclusively" targeting large Lexus SUVs and Toyota Highlander and 4Runners. After breaking into the vehicle, they reprogram the console to accept a new key, and then simply drive away (often in the middle of the night).

The Ottawa police force has decided that legal marijuana is legal for everybody, including their officers. The requirement to show up for work unimpaired remains, but the force will not impose restrictions on how long officers must refrain from consumption before duty begins.

The number of potentially fatal close encounters between drones and conventional air traffic has increased sharply in Canada, from 38 cases in 2014 to 135 in 2017. Former military pilot David Cooke says sooner or later a drone strike will kill someone.

Canadian and American negotiators agreed on a revamped trade deal to replace NAFTA just ahead of a midnight deadline. The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA allows US dairy farmers more access to the Canadian market, among other provisions.

The 'Five Eyes' intelligence community - Canada, US, UK, New Zealand, Australia - wants tech companies to give them access to private communications on consumer products. Opponents of the move insist such 'backdoors' would benefit criminals and terrorists as much as security and law enforcement.

Federal government lawyers have asked for closed-door hearings in a court case alleging that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spied on anti-pipeline activists. The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association says the request violates the principle that justice must be seen to be done.

British Columbia will investigate how money laundering in the real estate market may inflate housing prices. The Ministry of Finance will look real estate and financial services vulnerability to money laundering, and the Attorney General will investigate specific cases of money laundering.

In a bid to attract more recruits, the Canadian military is changing its policy to allow soldiers to grow beards after completing basic training. Right now, a small group can have beards: sailors, some specialized soldiers and members whose religion requires keeping facial hair.

Veterans Affairs Canada has announced that in future it will not pay benefits for jailed relatives of retired military personnel. Controversy erupted when it became known that the convicted murderer of a Halifax police officer received PTSD treatments for his crime under his veteran father's benefits plan. It is unclear if those payments have been terminated.

After a high number of North Atlantic right whale deaths in the summer of 2017, Dalhousie University launched the Whale Habitat and Listening Experiment. The Canadian Forces assisted with the simultaneous deployment of boats, aircraft, underwater robots, military sonobuoys, and satellites over a 1,500 square kilometre area to study whale activity over two days.

A new Canadian Forces building planned for Yellowknife will provide offices, an assembly space and drill hall, and warehouse and garage space. Estimated at between $50 million and $99 million, the space will support about 360 military and civilian personnel.

Canada will create a new ambassador position dedicated to women, peace and security, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Saturday. She said that the new ambassador would help champion feminist-based aid programs and advocate for more female participation in peacekeeping and conflict resolution.

Organized crime is moving online and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is struggling to keep up, according to a briefing note prepared for RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki when she took over the top job earlier this year.

During a series of exercises on a mock battlefield in urban Montreal Canadian soldiers tested a new British weapon that uses artificial intelligence to scan the battlefield for enemy movements. Space age technology tracks opposing forces in built up areas and alerts soldiers to danger.

Britain will step up its cyber crime offensive against the threat from Russia and terrorist groups with a new £250m ($CAN 422m) joint task force between the Ministry of Defence and GCHQ, it was reported last night.

Ottawa is launching nationwide consultations on a handgun ban, a move that will fuel a national debate on the need for tighter gun control and the proper response to growing gun crimes across the country.