Feds investing $1 billion for road to Ring of Fire in Ontario: Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government is putting down $1 billion to help build the road to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario.
The region is said to be rich in nickel, chromite, copper and gold and Carney says it will secure Canada's critical mineral supply chain.
The area sits partially in the James Bay lowlands, part of North America's largest wetland, and is home to a number of remote, fly-in First Nations.
Earlier this year, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced construction had begun on two of the roads that will eventually connect the provincial highway system to the mining area some 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont.
Ford had long called for the federal government to match his government's $1-billion investment in the road project.
The province has signed partnerships with three First Nations who want the road, while many others are decidedly against it.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Liam Casey | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Federal union announces strike votes for 120,000 federal public servants
Canada's largest federal public service union says 120,000 workers will take part in nationwide strike votes starting next month after contract talks with the federal government broke down.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada says voting will take place from Nov. 16 to Jan. 22.
The union and Treasury Board have been in contract negotiations for a year and a half, and PSAC in May called a government wage offer of less than one per cent per year "insulting."
PSAC says the government has refused to negotiate on key issues such as wages, job security, remote work and protections against artificial intelligence.
Workers to take part in strike votes include wildland firefighters, passport and benefit officers, fishery officers, federal teachers, librarians and administrative staff.
In 2023, 155,000 federal public servants spent almost two weeks on picket lines across the country before winning wage increases amounting to 12.6 per cent over the agreement’s term, which ran from 2021 to 2024.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Catherine Morrison | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Booking your Air Canada flight by phone? That'll be $30 extra — per passenger
Air Canada says customers who book their flights by phone are now paying $30 per passenger for the privilege.
The country's biggest airline says the policy came into force last week, placing it alongside WestJet, United Airlines and the numerous low-cost carriers that charge phone booking fees.
The move marks an attempt to steer customers to its website or app and to cut call centre costs.
Andrew D'Amours, co-founder of flight deal site Flytrippers, says the change could disproportionately hit older Canadians who rely on phone bookings.
He says it highlights one more area that airlines have found to charge for services, and that now the cost will be borne more by those who use it.
Air Canada says customers who require specialized support, including those with accessibility needs, are exempt from the fee.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
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Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.