Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed...
Canada Post union calls for halt to overtime as deadline passes with no agreement
The union representing about 55,000 Canada Post employees has called for a countrywide halt to overtime work, saying its negotiators will continue to review the latest contract offers from the mail carrier. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said late Thursday that members were being told to refuse any work beyond eight hours in a day and 40 hours in a week. Canada Post issued its own statement in response to the overtime ban, saying there are no rotating strikes or national work stoppages as of now, and postal operations will continue. However, the Crown corporation warned of possible delays.
U.S. senators in Ottawa to meet with Carney
Five U.S. senators will be in Ottawa Friday for meetings with the Liberal government, including Prime Minister Mark Carney. The delegation includes Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Tim Kaine, Amy Klobuchar and Peter Welch, and Republican Kevin Cramer. They're expected to meet with the ministers of foreign affairs, national defence and industry, as well as the Business Council of Canada. A release from the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee says the group plans to stress “deep and bipartisan support” for a strong partnership between Canada and the U.S.
Here's what else we're watching...
Ottawa has to allow home prices to fall to make housing more affordable, experts say
Experts say home prices will need to come down to make housing affordable in Canada again. That runs counter to what former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson told reporters last week after he was sworn in as housing minister. Robertson said he doesn't think home prices need to come down and championed Liberal promises to build more affordable housing in Canada. While housing expert Mike Moffatt praises Ottawa's efforts to lower the cost of building, he says that won't be enough to make homes affordable for the middle class again.
Half of country grasps Alberta separatism: poll
A new poll suggests more than half of Canadians say they understand why Alberta might want to split from Canada. However, almost two-thirds say they don't want that to happen. The Leger survey, which polled 1,537 Canadians between May 16 and 18, suggests that 55 per cent of Canadians understand Albertans' desire for independence. Seventy per cent of Albertans said they understand why their province might want to become an independent country. Because the poll was conducted online, it can't be assigned a margin of error.
RCMP bracing for 'largest' security operation
RCMP and local police say security planning is well underway for next month's G7 summit in Alberta. Officials told The Canadian Press they're expecting protesters and are taking steps to deal with new technological threats, such as the weaponization of drones. David Hall, Alberta RCMP superintendent and event security director for the G7 Integrated Safety and Security Group, says the G7 is "the largest domestic security operation" a country can take on. G7 leaders are set to gather in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17.
Judge to rule if ex-teammate's texts admissible
An Ontario judge is expected to rule today on whether texts sent by a former member of Canada's world junior hockey team can be admitted as evidence at the sexual assault trial of five of his ex-teammates. Brett Howden faced questions Thursday in a voir-dire — essentially a trial within a trial — over a text conversation he had with another then-teammate, Taylor Raddysh, on June 26, 2018. In the exchange, Howden describes some parts of the June 19, 2018 encounter at the heart of the trial, including a moment when he says one of the accused, Dillon Dube, slapped the complainant on the buttocks.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
