Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade – a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine – has died.
The news was first circulated through online chatrooms and social media posts and later shared by Russian state-owned outlet Sputnik.
Jean-Francois Ratelle, 36, was also known by the call sign "Hrulf."
Global Affairs Canada said it is aware that a Canadian has died in Ukraine, but would not provide his name, nor the cause of death.
"Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones at this very difficult time," wrote spokesperson Grantly Franklin. "Consular officials are in contact with local authorities for further information and are providing consular assistance to the family."
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W5 Investigates
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.
As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention
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Irregular sleep patterns may raise risk of heart attack and stroke, study suggests
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California man who went missing for 25 years found after sister sees his picture in the news
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Trudeau Liberals' two-month GST holiday bill passes the House, off to the Senate
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Notre Dame Cathedral: Sneak peek ahead of the reopening
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Canada Post temporarily laying off striking workers, union says
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Can't resist Black Friday weekend deals? How to shop while staying within your budget
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Montreal shopping mall playing 'Baby Shark' song to prevent unhoused from loitering
A shopping mall and office complex in downtown Montreal is being criticized for using the popular children's song 'Baby Shark' to discourage unhoused people from loitering in its emergency exit stairwells.
Vancouver
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Could Vancouver's public funds be used for investments in cryptocurrency?
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has apparently expressed interest in cryptocurrency investments.
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'Completely preventable': Wheel flies off dump truck on B.C. highway, striking SUV head-on
A dump truck driver has been handed more than $700 in fines after one of his wheels detached and flew into the front of an oncoming SUV in B.C.’s Fraser Valley on Thursday.
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Suspect arrested in vandalism at Maple Ridge tea shop, RCMP say
Two months after a Maple Ridge tea shop was targeted in an alarming act of vandalism, authorities have identified a suspect.
Toronto
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Black Friday sales stretch out for weeks: retail analyst
Black Friday is officially the busiest shopping day of the year, even surpassing Boxing Day and Super Saturday, the final Saturday before Christmas. Analysts say retailers are rolling out Black Friday sales sooner now, making them last longer into Cyber Monday and beyond.
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House fire in North York sends 6 people to hospital
Six people are in hospital as a precaution after a fire broke out in a North York home overnight.
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Video appears to show armed suspect attempting to carjack several drivers in Toronto's east end
Toronto police have released new details about a series of attempted carjackings and shootings that left one person seriously injured in Toronto’s east end on Wednesday night.
Calgary
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Pedestrian killed after being hit by two vehicles while crossing Elbow Drive
Calgary police say a pedestrian was hit and killed while crossing Elbow Drive S.W. on Wednesday evening.
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Alberta will patrol shared border with Montana as tariff threat looms: premier
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the province is ready to take border security into its own hands.
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Consumers' choices thin, as are butchers' margins, with meat prices up
Many shoppers are avoiding expensive cuts or buying smaller quantities of meat.
Ottawa
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'Dude, Where's My Bus?' Ottawa man fed up with OC Transpo makes documentary exploring transit troubles
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NEW THIS MORNING
NEW THIS MORNING Ottawa to begin full enforcement of 3-item garbage limit on Monday: Here’s what you need to know
The City of Ottawa will begin the final phase of the graduated approach to enforcing the city’s new three-item garbage limit on Monday, leaving behind any extra items not in a yellow bag.
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Here's how it feels this Friday in Ottawa
Clouds and flurries are in the forecast for Ottawa this Friday.
Montreal
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'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
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As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention
As Australia moves to ban social media for children under 16, Quebec is debating whether to follow suit.
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Some Quebec daycares to open at 10 a.m. due to worker strike
For the third week in a row, some 3,000 workers at daycares in Quebec are expected go on strike for a few hours.
Edmonton
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Alberta will patrol shared border with Montana as tariff threat looms: premier
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the province is ready to take border security into its own hands.
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Oilers rightly optimistic they can pull themselves into NHL playoff picture. Again
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'We want a negotiated contract': Local Canada Post workers remain steadfast as strike continues
Postal workers in Edmonton are holding their picket lines as the Canada Post strike nears its third week.
Atlantic
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Storm Watch: School closures, cancellations
School cancellations and delays in the Marititmes for Friday, Nov. 29
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'Everybody's on guard': Residents shaken after bodies found inside burning SUV in Chipman, N.B.
Residents of Chipman, N.B., are expressing their shock after the bodies of two people were found inside a burning vehicle in the community this week.
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Gas prices fall in N.S., P.E.I., increase slightly in N.B.
Gas prices change in all three Maritime provinces.
Winnipeg
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Hanover School Division laying off 93 EAs due to confusion over funding
The Hanover School Division is laying off 93 educational assistants, citing an "unexpected loss of federal funding for Jordan's Principle programming."
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A tale of two downtowns: Restaurants opening and closing show complexity of downtown revival
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Art auctioned from WAG-Qaumajuq to make way for new pieces representing Winnipeg
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Regina
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Crown gives final remarks in Ruben Manz case as argument to jury concludes
The prosecution has presented their closing remarks against Ruben Manz to a 13-person jury, bringing an end to arguments before their sequestering.
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Youngest roping duo looking for repeat performance at Agribition Rodeo
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Sentencing submissions presented in case of woman who defrauded Regina Mobile Crisis Services
The Crown and defence presented sentencing submissions at Saskatchewan Provincial Court on Thursday, in the case of a woman who pleaded guilty to defrauding Regina Mobile Crisis Services.
Kitchener
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One dead, another hurt in Cambridge shooting
Waterloo Regional Police are investigating a fatal shooting in Cambridge.
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Mother from Guelph, Ont. seeks answers following son's death in prison
Brody Robinson was found without vital signs in his cell at Millhaven Institution the evening of Oct. 29. He was 23-years-old.
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Flurries, possibly even snow squalls, in southern Ontario’s forecast
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Saskatoon
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Extreme cold warning issued for Saskatoon
Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for parts of central Saskatchewan, including Saskatoon, on Thursday.
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Sask. forecasting $743.5M deficit in mid-year financial report, up $470.5M from budget
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'Got to deal with it': Saskatoon residents dealing with bumpy, snowy roads
Most of the main roads in Saskatoon are cleared, but feeder streets and residential roads are a different story.
Northern Ontario
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Northern Ontario site selected for nuclear waste underground repository
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Ongoing bed bug issue at a Timmins apartment building is 'like living in hell'
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Sudbury family donates $1M to Health Sciences North Foundation
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London
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Knights' Boulton hit with eight-game suspension
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'Shock, disappointment, and excitement': South Bruce not selected for nuclear waste project
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Dundas Place to be car-free more consistently with weekend schedule
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Barrie
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50 cms of snow across central Ontario expected this weekend
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School bus cancellations by board
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Individuals living in encampment in Barrie's south end given notice to vacate
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Windsor
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Injury reported at NextStar Engery plant work site
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One man sought, one man arrested in kidnapping and extortion investigation
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Wrong-way driver arrested on E.C. Row Expressway
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Vancouver Island
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Avian flu case discovered in Greater Victoria, officials confirm
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Penelakut Island food stores spoil after power outage during B.C. windstorm
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Stolen Dodge pickup used in theft of 2nd Dodge truck, B.C. RCMP say
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Kelowna
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Kelowna, B.C., to host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026
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545 vehicles impounded in 332 days: BC Highway Patrol pleads for drivers to slow down
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Man in hospital following targeted shooting in Kamloops
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Lethbridge
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Lethbridge Hurricanes name 3 new members to its Wall of Honour
The Lethbridge Hurricanes’ Wall of Honour will be getting a little more crowded.
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Avonlea Homes team members go on shopping spree for Lethbridge Family Services' Angel Tree Campaign
The Christmas spirit was on full display Thursday morning inside Toys "R" Us thanks to the team from Avonlea Homes, who spent their morning buying toys and gifts for Lethbridge Family Services’ Angel Tree Campaign.
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Marshal Iwaasa’s family still looking for answers five years after his disappearance
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Sault Ste. Marie
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Northern MPP calls for Sept 30 to be stat holiday in Ontario
Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa wants to make Sept. 30 a statutory holiday in Ontario.
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Heavy police presence ends in Wikwemikong, area being cleared
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Province says upgrades to Northern Health Travel Grant coming Dec. 1
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones says improvements to the Northern Health Travel Grant are coming as soon as this weekend.
N.L.
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'Who profits on hunger?': Inuit send pleading emails to minister about food costs
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As N.L. firm pivots, scientists say Canada's green hydrogen dreams are far-fetched
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Canadian leads group pushing Vatican for zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
Local Spotlight
'My dear Carmel': Lost letters returned to 103-year-old Guelph, Ont. woman
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'We have to do something': Homeless advocates in Moncton reaching out for help over holidays
Twice a week, Joanne and Jeff Jonah fill up their vehicle full of snacks and sandwiches and deliver them to the homeless in downtown Moncton, N.B.
100-year-old Winnipeg man walks blocks to see his wife
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Video shows B.C. cat bursting through pet door to confront raccoons
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Trailer Park Boys host Canadian premiere of new movie in Dartmouth
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Deer spotted wearing high-visibility safety jacket in Northern B.C.
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From cellphones to dentures: Inside Halifax Transit’s lost and found
Every single item misplaced on a bus or ferry in the Halifax Regional Municipality ends up in a small office at the Halifax Transit Bridge Terminal in Dartmouth, N.S.
Torontonians identify priorities, concerns in new city survey
A new public opinion survey has found that 40 per cent of Torontonians don’t feel safe, while half reported that the quality of life in the city has worsened over the last year.
Longtime member of Edmonton theatre community dies during 'A Christmas Carol' performance
Edmonton's theatre community is in mourning after an actor died during a performance of "A Christmas Carol" at the Citadel Theatre on Sunday.
Politics
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Trudeau Liberals' two-month GST holiday bill passes the House, off to the Senate
The federal government's five-page piece of legislation to enact Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's promised two-month tax break on a range of consumer goods over the holidays passed in the House of Commons late Thursday.
-
'A little candy today for pain down the road': Former Bank of Canada governor on GST holiday, rebate cheques
Former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge says the Liberal government’s proposed GST holiday, as well as their plan to send $250 cheque to 18.7 million working Canadians, is a 'bad package.'
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Supreme Court to hear challenge of law that curbs spy watchdog members
The Supreme Court of Canada will weigh the constitutionality of legislation that limits members of a spy watchdog from using their parliamentary immunity to speak out.
Health
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Canadian woman shares methanol poisoning story in wake of death investigation in Laos hostel
Cuddling on the couch with her dog, Ducky, no one would notice that anything is different about Ashley King. Even when she walks across the living room, she doesn’t miss a step. But the 32-year-old has gotten used to functioning with only two per cent vision.
-
Irregular sleep patterns may raise risk of heart attack and stroke, study suggests
Sleeping and waking up at different times is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, even for people who get the recommended amount of sleep, according to new research.
-
Carrot recall for E. coli risks updated with additional product, correction: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has published an update to a recent national recall on organic carrot brands over E. coli contamination risks.
Sci-Tech
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As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention
As Australia moves to ban social media for children under 16, Quebec is debating whether to follow suit.
-
No more ID? Air Canada rolls out facial recognition tech at Vancouver airport
Air Canada is rolling out facial recognition technology at the gate, making it the first Canadian airline to deploy the software in a bid to make the boarding process smoother.
-
Competition Bureau suing Google, wants company to sell off two advertising services
The Competition Bureau is suing Google over alleged anticompetitive conduct in the tech giant's online advertising business and wants the company to sell off two of its services and pay a penalty.
Entertainment
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No 'Taylgate' party for Vancouver, with BC Place to be fenced off for Swift shows
Ticketless Taylor Swift fans hoping for a "Taylgate" party in Vancouver are out of luck.
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Members of K-pop group NewJeans say they are leaving agency after dispute
Members of NewJeans, one of the most popular K-pop groups, said on Thursday that they were leaving their agency ADOR, a subsidiary of powerhouse label HYBE.
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Jon Batiste, Ledisi, Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle to perform during Super Bowl pregame
The Super Bowl pregame will have some Louisiana flavor: Multi-talented performer Jon Batiste will hit the stage to sing the national anthem, while Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle are slated to perform “America the Beautiful.”
Business
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DEVELOPINGDEVELOPING Statistics Canada to release third quarter GDP report today
Statistics Canada is set to release third quarter gross domestic product figures this morning.
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CFIB calls on Ottawa to compensate small firms for costs to implement GST holiday
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is asking the federal government to compensate small businesses for the costs to implement the two-month long GST holiday.
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Implementing GST break for two months proving to be a 'nightmare' for businesses
Canadian businesses are about two weeks away from having to scrap some of the tax they charge customers, but many have already realized that's no easy feat.
Lifestyle
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Can't resist Black Friday weekend deals? How to shop while staying within your budget
A budgeting expert says there are a number of ways shoppers can avoid getting enveloped by the sales frenzy and resist spending beyond their means.
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'It's a bird! It's a plane!' In Alaska, it's both, with a pilot tossing turkeys to rural homes
In the remotest reaches of Alaska, there’s no relying on DoorDash to have Thanksgiving dinner — or any dinner — delivered. But some residents living well off the grid nevertheless have turkeys this holiday, thanks to the Alaska Turkey Bomb.
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California man who went missing for 25 years found after sister sees his picture in the news
It’s a Thanksgiving miracle for one California family after a man who went missing in 1999 was found 25 years later when his sister saw a photo of him in an online article, authorities said.
Sports
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Canadian men climb four places to No. 31, reach all-time high in FIFA world rankings
Canada will finish out the year at a career-high in the FIFA rankings after climbing four places to No. 31.
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Canadian women expect physical challenge from Iceland in soccer friendly in Spain
Interim coach Cindy Tye is expecting a stiff challenge Friday when the sixth-ranked Canadians take on No. 13 Iceland in an international women's soccer friendly in Spain.
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Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek accepts a one-month suspension in doping case
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, a heart medication known as TMZ, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Thursday.
Autos
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Hyundai recalling hundreds of thousands of cars and SUVs in Canada, U.S.
Hyundai is recalling hundreds of thousands of SUVs and small cars in the U.S. and Canada because the rearview camera image may not show up on the screens.
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Trump's tariffs would devastate auto sector, raise consumer costs: industry leader
An auto industry leader says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's threat of tariffs on Canadian goods would have devastating effects for the sector, forcing both Canadian and U.S. consumers to pay higher prices.
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Fewer people intend to buy an EV amid price, driving range concerns: EY report
A new survey finds fewer drivers intend to make their next car purchase an electric vehicle.
