B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivered an address to Canadian parliamentarians in the House of Commons on Friday, during his first visit to Ottawa since taking office in 2021.
Here are some excerpts from his speech.
"No two nations on Earth are bound by such close ties, friendship, family, commerce and culture. Our labour unions cross borders. So do our sports leagues. Baseball, basketball, hockey ... I have to say, I liked your teams except the Leafs ... I tell you why. They beat the (Philadelphia) Flyers back in January. That's why. And if I didn't say that -- I married a Philly girl -- If I didn't say that I'd be sleeping alone. Fellows, I like you, but not that much."
"In war and in peace, we have been a stronghold of liberty, safeguard for the fundamental freedoms that literally give our lives meaning. We have gladly stepped into the responsibilities of global leadership, because we understand all that is at risk for Canadians and Americans alike when freedom is under attack anywhere in the world. Today, our destinies are intertwined. And they're inseparable. Not because of inevitability of geography, but because it's a choice. A choice we've made, again and again. The United States chooses to link our future with Canada because we know that we'll find no better partner. I mean this from the bottom of my heart: no more reliable ally, no more steady friend. And today, I say to you, and to all the people of Canada, that you will always, always be able to count on the United States of America."
"Together, we built a partnership that is an incredible advantage to both our nations. That doesn't mean we never disagree, as any two countries will do from time to time. When we disagree, we solve our differences in friendship, and in goodwill, because we both understand our interests are fundamentally aligned. As we stand at this inflection point in history ... where the decisions we make in the coming years, will determine the course of our world for decades to come. It happens every five or six generations, but we're at that point. Nothing gives me greater confidence in the future, the knowing connect candidate and United States stand together still."
"The Inflation Reduction Act ... represents the single largest commitment in tackling climate in our history -- as a matter of fact, the single largest investment in all of human history. And it's going to spur clean energy investments all over the world. And explicitly, explicitly includes tax credits for electric vehicles assembled in Canada -- recognizing how interconnected our auto industries are and our workers are. I am the most pro-union president of America has ever had. I speak to a hell of a lot of Canadian union members. Look, this is a model for future co-operation, with both our nations investing at home to increase the strength of our industrial bases, making sure the products manufactured in North America are not only manufactured, but they're the best in the world. You know, we're going to amplify our shared commitment, climate action, while growing our economies."
"We're also an Arctic nation. We both recognize the critical importance of this region to our collective security and the interest of other nations all of a sudden in the Arctic. We're working in close co-ordination to steward and protect the northernmost reaches of our world. And we are American nations, deeply invested in ensuring that the Western Hemisphere is peaceful, prosperous, democratic and secure. And that starts with our commitment to defending our people and our own sovereign territory. Norad is the only binational military command in the world ... Yet another way in which our partnership is exceptional, it is an incredible symbol of the faith we have in one another, and the trust we placed in each other's capabilities."
"The incredible diversity that defines each of our nations is our strength. And Prime Minister Trudeau, and I know this is a belief that you and I share, we both built administrations that look like America and look like Canada. I'm very proud that both of us have cabinets that are 50 per cent women, for the first time in history. Even you don't agree, guys, I'd stand up. We took the lesson from you. Because the bottom line is this: We make it easier for historically under-represented, underserved communities to dream, to create, to succeed, we build a better future for all our people."
"In just a few days, NASA is going to announce an international team of astronauts who will crew the Artemis II mission. The first human voyage to the moon since Apollo mission ended more than 50 years ago will consist of three Americans and one Canadian. We choose to return to the moon together -- together we return to the moon. And from there, we look forward to Mars and to the limitless possibilities that lie beyond. And here on Earth our children who watch that flight are going to learn the names of those new pioneers. They'll be the ones who carry us into the future we hope to build."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2023.
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.