Author: Dustin Allen

This is a conversation series by Donna Kennedy-Glans, a writer and former Alberta cabinet minister, featuring newsmakers and intriguing personalities. I spoke to Lt.-Gen. Steven Whelan not long after military prosecutors withdrew the two sexual misconduct charges that effectively ended his distinguished career. I expected to find a bitter man.Instead, I found a soldier full of dignity, one who remains committed to rebuilding Canada’s military as a trusted institution. “My mom was French Canadian, and my father was Indigenous. Neither one raised me to complain,” Whelan explains. “I just want to see the organization, the system, the architecture, change for…

John Gibeau says he can sometimes see American honeybees flying around just across the border when he takes his own colonies to pollinate blueberry crops in the southern part of British Columbia. But if Gibeau wants to buy those bees in bulk — say, to restock his colonies after a long winter — he can’t do it. The Canadian government has long placed a ban on the importation of large shipments of U.S. bees. A long-simmering feud over where this country’s honey producers can obtain bees to replenish their stock goes to the courts Monday, pitting some of Western Canada’s…

Despite some flame retardant chemicals being banned in Canada many are found in wildlife across the country including species that are endangered. A map compiled by the Green Science Policy Institute (GSPI), a nonprofit based in California, details a number of species across Canada and the world with one or more flame-retardant chemicals in them. Flame retardants are put on anything from furniture to electronics to prevent the spread of fire. Many chemicals have been banned and are not in Canada but continue to be present in the natural world, the map shows. “Our actions as humans impact the world…

Team Canada was proudly represented by 468 athletes at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. They are bringing home 164 medals, which includes 46 gold, 55 silver, and 63 bronze. That ranks Canada third among all countries for total medals. It is the second largest medal haul Team Canada has ever had at a Pan Am Games held outside of Canada. The 46 gold medals are the most Canada has won at a non-hosted Pan Am Games since the 47 earned at Mar del Plata 1995. Along the way, Team Canada athletes also secured Olympic qualification in 12 events for…

Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley largely escaped the effects of freezing rain forecast overnight into Friday, but colder temperatures and a chance of snow are headed for much of Southcentral Alaska later this weekend. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities described conditions on the Parks Highway as difficult Friday morning, with black ice and patches of ice along the road. Additional freezing rain was possible Friday night into Saturday, forecasters said. Predictions are calling for a new pattern of colder weather, bringing the probability of snow for much of Southcentral Alaska by Sunday. Precipitation is expected to cross…

OTTAWA – Canada’s unemployment rate rose to 5.7 per cent last month as job opportunities became less plentiful in an economy weighed down by high interest rates. Statistics Canada released its October labour force survey Friday, which showed the economy added a modest 18,000 jobs. The gain was not enough to keep the unemployment rate from rising as the pace of job creation trails population growth. Canada’s unemployment rate was 5.5 per cent in September. October marks the fourth increase in the jobless rate over the past six months and adds another data point in favour of the Bank of…

Canada’s women’s national soccer team arrived at the very wet Wanderers Grounds on Monday, practicing and preparing for Tuesday’s match versus Brazil. “It means everything. I’m so grateful to be here to play with the people I’ve looked up to all of my life,” said Canada defender Sydney Collins. “We’re also happy to be here in the new spot.” The game will feature a high-level of soccer competition, led by Christine Sinclair, a Canadian soccer treasure and an international icon in her sport. “See her, be her. I think is such an important message,” said Soccer Nova Scotia(opens in a…

Air Canada has resumed its seasonal route between London Heathrow and the Indian business hub of Mumbai. The North American carrier operates the route as part of its Toronto-Mumbai service via London, which was first launched in November 2022 using “fifth freedom” flying rights. The winter service will run until 29 March 2024 using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft fitted with economy, premium economy and Signature Class cabins. Air Canada is also planning to expand transatlantic capacity in summer 2024 with four daily services from London Heathrow to Toronto, six weekly flights from Manchester to Toronto and an earlier start for…

A growing proportion of Canadians is sharing the belief that the current rate of immigration to Canada is too high, citing concerns about how newcomers might impact the availability of affordable housing. This is one of the main findings of the latest Focus Canada public research survey conducted by the Toronto-based Environics Institute, the results of which were published in a report(opens in a new tab) on Monday. The finding reflects a dramatic shift since last year, when public support for immigration numbers stood at an all-time high. That high water mark capped a rising trend in favour of immigration…

Residents of some Midwestern and Mountain states gained the most income per capita during the past four years, a Stateline analysis shows, as competition for workers drove up wages in relatively affordable places to live. With the COVID-19 pandemic now in the nation’s rearview mirror, Stateline’s analysis offers a more complete understanding of how some states’ residents benefitted economically — and others didn’t — as policy decisions and Americans’ choices shuffled state-by-state outcomes. The oil and gas industry boosted the per capita incomes for residents of North and South Dakota. Mountain states such as Utah saw high earners moving in…