National News

Provinces across the country grappled with rising COVID-19 cases Saturday, with the Omicron variant compelling many jurisdictions to reintroduce public health restrictions a week before Christmas.

VANCOUVER — The Toronto Maple Leafs have added another five people to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, including head coach Sheldon Keefe.

An Edmonton man who was extradited to the United States to face charges he helped fund Islamic State terrorism has pleaded guilty in exchange for a 20-year prison sentence.

VANCOUVER — Fears over hundreds of students being packed tightly together in exam halls while people with COVID-19 symptoms could show up to write finals has prompted a call for the cancellation of in-person exams at the University of British Columbi

MONTREAL — Quebec's liquor corporation says its warehouse workers have ratified a new contract, but it will be a few weeks more before store shelves are full again. Union members voted 86.

EDMONTON — It started with a puppy they named Tucker. In 2017, constables Ilka Cunningham and Ted Dyck with the Edmonton Police Service were sent to an animal cruelty call and found a puppy that had been beaten.

SASKATOON — Steve Balog says his mom didn’t come from money but she knew how to give in kindness. One of the first times he remembers seeing her selflessness was when she pulled over to help a boy on the side of the road.

OTTAWA — If you had asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last year whether the federal government could have a stronger hand in provincial health matters, he says his answer might have been different.

OTTAWA — Inmates' access to sterile needles in Canadian federal prisons continues to be severely limited, potentially exposing them to blood-borne infections including HIV and hepatitis C.

TORONTO — Lotto Max players, especially those in Ontario, should definitely check their tickets for Friday night's draw. The huge $70 million jackpot was won by someone who bought their ticket in Ontario.