Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…
Trudeau to announce massive drop in immigration targets: official
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce a major drop in the number of new permanent residents Canada will accept in 2025. As first reported by The National Post, the government’s immigration levels are expected to drop to 395,000 in 2025, a huge decrease from the 500,000 that had previously been set as the target. Trudeau and his immigration minister will also announce reduced targets for number of temporary residents for the first time. The government’s goal is to reduce the number of temporary residents to five per cent of the population over the next three years, down from 6.5 per cent in March.
Ontario presses feds for more child care money
Ontario’s education minister says the province needs more money from the feds to properly deliver the national $10-a-day child-care program now and beyond the life of the current agreement. Education Minister Jill Dunlop suggests in a new letter to federal Families Minister Jenna Sudds that the sustainability of the program is in jeopardy without more funding. The province has used the federal funding so far to cut fees in half for parents, with a further reduction coming Jan. 1. But it says beyond that money, little is left to help operators add more spaces or implement a wage grid for early childhood educators to help ease a recruitment and retention crunch.
Here’s what else we’re watching…
Saskatchewan politicians make last-minute pitches
The leaders of Saskatchewan’s two major political parties are continuing to rally voters’ support with just a few days left until Monday’s provincial election. NDP Leader Carla Beck is set to have a busy day on the road, with campaign stops in Prince Albert, Yorkton and Fort Qu’Appelle. Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe is scheduled to speak to supporters in Moose Jaw. Saskatchewan residents have until the end of Saturday to cast an early ballot.
Equifax launches foreign credit sourcing program
Equifax Inc. is launching a program to allow newcomers to transfer their foreign credit history to Canada. The credit reporting company says its Global Consumer Credit File will make it easier for immigrants to access services like loans and cellphone plans in Canada by providing the additional data. Equifax says its program will initially apply to newcomers from India, with plans to expand it to Brazil, Argentina, Chile and elsewhere. The credit programs come as Canada has seen elevated immigration levels in recent years, including 500,000 expected next year.
Why a debate over secularism is back in Quebec
An investigation into a climate of fear at a Montreal primary school has reignited a debate about secularism in Quebec’s education system. The provincial government is now pledging to consider new measures to keep religion out of schools, and says Quebec’s controversial secularism law, known as Bill 21, could be strengthened. The move follows a report released earlier this month that found a group of teachers at Bedford school, many of North African descent, subjected children to physical and psychological violence. On Monday, the opposition Parti Québécois called the issue “a case of Islamist infiltration” into the public school system.
Used car market expecting supply crunch
The used car market is catching up to the aftermath of pandemic years as fewer off-lease vehicles return to the market. Daniel Ross of Canadian Black Book says it takes four years on average for a new car to come back to the used car market. There were fewer new cars for sale during the pandemic years as supply chain woes rocked the industry. Now there are fewer off-lease cars to return to the market. Ross says it remains a good time to buy a used vehicle as prices have come down compared with last year and supply is healthy. Easing interest rates will also offer a better market for consumers to buy a used vehicle.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
