WestJet proactively cancels flights across Canada ahead of stormy weather, a pair of Ukrainian teens find safety with an Ottawa couple, and a refugee charity says it's partnering with the feds to resettle LGBTQ2S+ Afghans. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
1. Flight cancellations: WestJet proactively cancels flights at airports in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec as storm systems bore down on the regions, deepening a cascade of disruptions that have sent travellers scrambling.
2. 'We feel safe': Best friends Viktoriia Tipukhoval, 17, and Artur Halanishyn, 18, from Ukraine, are the only members of their respective families who managed to start a life in Canada – and it's largely because of one Ontario couple who volunteered to open their doors.
3. Path to safety: Rainbow Railroad, a charity that helps LGBTQ2S+ refugees find a safe home, says they are partnering with the Canadian government in order to resettle approximately 600 Afghans.
4. Jan. 6 report: In its final report, the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee asserts that former U.S. president Donald Trump criminally engaged in a 'multi-part conspiracy' to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election.
5. PM's getaway: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading to Jamaica after Christmas for a one-week vacation with his immediate family.
One more thing…
Preparing for the future: Canada's top doctor Theresa Tam on preparing for the next battle with COVID-19, and future epidemics.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam stands for a portrait after a press conference in the Sir John A. Macdonald Building in Ottawa on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Kawai