Federal government will let international graduates stay in Canada another 18 months

REGINA – Saskatchewan residents can vote early for five days starting Tuesday in the lead-up to the Oct. 28 provincial election.

Chief electoral officer Michael Boda says Voting Week is meant to make it convenient for eligible voters to cast their ballots early.

He says there are more than 880 voting locations spread across 61 ridings, open nine hours per day for the first five days and for 11 hours on election day.

Hey says more than 32,000 voters have chosen to cast their ballots by mail, down from the last election held in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boda says Elections Saskatchewan will also have mobile polls open at personal care homes for residents who aren’t able to leave their facilities.

He says there are about 810,000 registered voters in Saskatchewan.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

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JASPER, ALTA. – The Alberta government has announced 250 units of interim housing for Jasper, Alta., residents displaced by a wildfire this summer.

Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon says the housing will cost the province $112 million, and the units will be rented at or near market rates.

The July wildfire destroyed one-third of the tourist town’s structures, including more than 800 units of housing.

Nixon says it’s still being determined how many of the interim housing units will be single occupancy and how many will be designed for families.

Mayor Richard Ireland says the need for housing was already an issue before the fire, but these units will help Jasper residents recover from the disaster.

Nixon says units are expected to be available in January.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

OTTAWA – A federal public inquiry into foreign interference is grappling with how to define its central issue as it begins the final week of hearings in Ottawa.

The inquiry will hear from expert panels this week on disinformation, national security and how to ensure electoral integrity.

This morning, experts talked about the challenge in differentiating between legitimate diplomatic efforts and more nefarious interference attempts.

This panel also includes the challenge of how to regulate efforts to interfere in elections without infringing on the rights to free expression.

Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue is tasked with examining efforts of foreign states like China, India and Russia to interfere in the last two federal elections and in Canada’s democracy.

A final report, which will make recommendations on how to ensure electoral integrity and strengthen democratic institutions, is due by the end of the year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.