Canadian News

Will the Ottawa Senators have their captain back aboard the ship on Thursday night? Read More

If something is ‘too good to be true ... it invariably is,’ the judge warned

The Gatineau Police Service say a continuing investigation into a child pornography case leads them to believe a 20-year-old man facing multiple charges already may have had other victims. Read More

In total, the first two days of advance voting in this byelection has seen Vancouverites cast 7,671 ballots, an increase of 84 per cent over advance voting days in 2017.

The Ottawa Police Service is requesting public assistance in locating a 53-year-old woman last seen on Elgin Street on March 14. Read More

The riding sits neatly in the middle of the City of Ottawa. It stretches from Barnsdale Road in the south to the Canadian National Railway line in the north, and east from Highway 416 to the Rideau River. The riding includes the sprawling suburb of Barrhaven, along with the mature neighbourhoods of Arlington Woods, Craig Henry and Tanglewood. Read More

Hundreds of passengers who contracted norovirus aboard the Queen Mary 2 have been quarantined, the CDC says.

Carleton is a large, mainly rural riding that hugs the southern part of the City of Ottawa in a broad expanse from Renfrew County in the west to Prescott-Russell in the east. It encompasses the communities of Stittsville, Metcalfe and Osgoode, as well as Fitzroy Harbour and Constance Bay, which were added after a recent riding redistribution. Read More

Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala was shot on Dec. 27, 2022 while responding to a vehicle in a ditch west of Hagersville, Ont., near Brantford.

BBNO$ was awarded the 2025 TikTok JUNO Fan Choice winner of the Year. Here, we take a look back at when he first released his crowd-pleaser anthem, ‘It Boy’.

Though abortion is currently protected in Canada, growing political movements threaten Canada’s already rocky access to abortion care. 

In the midst of a federal election, concerns are heightened on how the presidency of Donald Trump is shaping the future of Canada’s political landscape. Within hours of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the website reproductiverights.gov was taken down. Soon after, the global gag rule was reinstated and fetal personhood was proposed in federal law within an anti-trans executive order. As barriers to reproductive health services continue to grow in the US, the strong ties between politics and healthcare services are increasingly evident. 

Though Canada’s political system is quite different from that of the US, the country is not immune to extreme right-wing political movements. Abortion in Canada has been protected under the Canada Health Act as a medically necessary service since 1988. Though there are currently no legal barriers to abortion, access remains an important issue across the country. Barriers to abortion emerge in Canada through extra-legal obstacles, including territorial restrictions and policies, access, cost, and anti-choice harassment. Abortion is a time-sensitive procedure, and barriers to receiving care can lead to unwanted continuance of pregnancy and additional negative repercussions.  

Notably, concerning trends of political polarization are increasingly spilling over from the US to Canada. Abortion rights are currently being used as a wedge issue in Canadian politics. For reproductive health care to remain protected in Canada, the next elected government must be attentive to the tactics and patterns emerging in the US, as these strategies risk being replicated in Canada. 

Though the Canada Health Act protects rights to abortion, these rights have not been equitably enforced across the country. Significant gaps in healthcare services persist outside urban centres, as well as Northern and coastal communities. Restrictive policies surrounding abortion services have been present in maritime provinces. Abortion services were not offered in the province of PEI from 1982 to 2017. Until November 7th, 2024, New Brunswick did not allow healthcare coverage for abortions completed outside hospitals. These policies were in violation of the Canada Health Act for decades. Compounding factors influence additional barriers faced by Indigenous communities when accessing reproductive health care. A 2013 study found that participants who identified as First Nation or Métis were almost three times more likely to report traveling over 100 km to access a clinic in Canada when compared to white women.

In October, the NDP announced plans to introduce a motion pledging to improve access to abortion care. The motion would call on the Federal government to commit to expanding abortion access and enforce the Canada Health Act. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, stated in a press conference that this could be done in a variety of ways but would ultimately ensure that “the right to care is universal, transferable and publicly delivered.”

Since Trump was re-elected, Justin Trudeau also made statements supporting abortion rights both in public discussions and in the House of Commons. The Liberals have been criticized for not enforcing the Canada Health Act. However, they have taken action to support reproductive rights through the passing of Bill C-64, universal access to contraception, as well as proposed legislation to regulate charitable Crisis Pregnancy Centres (CPCs). 

CPCs are unlicensed counseling centres across Canada that create barriers to accessing equitable care through the concealment of an anti-abortion agenda. Though the prorogation of parliament interrupted the actions mentioned above, they still act as evidence that both parties have committed to improving the current landscape for reproductive healthcare. The Conservative Party of Canada has remained quiet. 

Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative party, has said the party “would not touch” abortion or support legislation on abortion, and that he considers himself pro-choice (ARCC begs to differ). Unfortunately, Poilievre’s statement does not ensure Canadians will have improved access to abortion or that barriers surrounding abortion health care will be removed under Conservative leadership. Inaction is not a stand-in for abortion rights. 

Additionally, members of the Conservative party are supported per the party policy to vote freely “[o]n issues of moral conscience, such as abortion, the definition of marriage, and euthanasia.” These free votes allow Conservative party members to vote in support of private member bills tabled by their colleagues. Though party leaders can exert some control over the type of motions their MP’s put forward, Pierre Polievre has allowed for MPs to put forward bills deemed anti-choice. 

Conservative MPs have a history of tabling bills that, if passed, would infringe on abortion rights. In 2023, conservative MP Cathay Wagantall introduced a bill that activists warned could lead to the establishment of fetal personhood and the criminalization of abortion. In 2024, Conservative MP Arnold Viersen tabled petition 441-02454 that called for a restriction on abortion access. This petition did not hold legislative weight; however, it demonstrates Conservative MPs are active in their attempts to restrict access to reproductive health care. 

A promise that the Conservative party will not legislate on abortion is not a promise that ensures Canadians have accessible options for care. A Canadian government that supports human rights and recognizes the importance of abortion is a government that enforces the rights protected under the Canada Health Act and reduces barriers to access. Abortion is an essential component of healthcare.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade is the result of decades of attacks on abortion rights in the US These political actions provide a blueprint for politicians and anti-choice groups in Canada to collectively attack abortion rights through events, engagement training, and shared funding across Canada and the United States.

Lack of enforcement of the Canada Health Act is a serious federal and provincial issue. Access to life-saving services should not change based on where you reside in Canada. Consistency and enforcement of abortion rights need to be present across all provinces and territories. This is only possible with a federal government that supports and upholds the Canada Health Act. 

In the next federal election, it is essential to recognize that though abortion is legal in Canada, significant barriers still prevent equitable access to care. As we witness the rollback of reproductive rights in the United States, we must remain vigilant to protect and advance access across Canada. Engagement is key. Attend events, sign petitions, volunteer, learn about current actions via social media, your local or national reproductive rights organization. The federal election is happening now, check the ARCC’s election toolkit to see if local MPs have a history of anti-choice actions. Connect with your local MPs via email, letters, or phone calls to demand action plans for improvements to reproductive health care. Together, we can advocate for a future where access to abortion and other essential healthcare services reflects not privilege but rather equity and human rights.

Viewpoint: Reproductive Justice is a blog by the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada.

The post How Trump’s presidency & the loss of abortion rights in the US impacts Canada appeared first on rabble.ca.

Orléans is located in eastern Ottawa, south of the Ottawa River and east of Vanier. It includes the suburbs of Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Carlsbad Springs. The riding stretches to the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail in the south, Greens Creek in the west and Cardinal Creek in the east. It borders the ridings of Ottawa-Vanier-Gluocester, Carleton and Prescott-Russell-Cumberland. Read More

The Crown began its submissions mid-February but could not continue until this week due to scheduling issues.

The games will come with a nearly $40 million price tag, including the cost of revamping the Canada Games Aquatic Centre in Saint John. 

Nikita Casap, 17, faces multiple charges, including first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of his mother and stepfather.

One person was taken to hospital after a car caught fire while on the ice of the North Saskatchewan River near the River Ridge Golf Course.

The HART Hub in downtown Guelph is one of nine sites in Ontario that transitioned from a supervised consumption site to a government-approved service hub on Tuesday.

Two Calgary men face a total of almost forty charges after police raided four homes in Calgary and Airdrie and seized a large quantity of drugs, guns, ammunition and cash.

'I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket,' wrote Young in a post on Tuesday

Democrat-led resolution would nullify the 'national emergency' on fentanyl that Trump is using to implement tariffs on Canada