National News

Wildfires have forced thousands out of several communities in Western Canada. In Fort Nelson, B.C., about 4,700 people are out of their homes. Roughly 6,600 residents have been evacuated out of parts of Fort McMurray, Alta.

MONTREAL — Quebec newsroom leaders are calling out a new bill to protect politicians from abuse, saying the legislation is excessive and potentially stifling to democratic debate.

FORT NELSON, B.C. — British Columbia's wildfire service says the blaze threatening the northern community of Fort Nelson now spans nearly 130 square kilometres, but it had spread away from the town along its southern flank.

OTTAWA — The Ottawa police hate crime unit is investigating a video that appears to show a Muslim woman's hijab being torn off at a protest this week.

VICTORIA — The president of the University of Victoria says a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on its campus is drawing an increasing number of complaints about harassment and intimidation, but also illegal and "dangerous" activities.

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — Bright red hoses thicker than a thigh snake along the highways near Fort McMurray, studded with cannons that can blast enough water into fire-threatened ditches to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every 90 minutes.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today...

WINNIPEG — The ex-wife of an admitted serial killer is expected to testify today in a Winnipeg courtroom. The woman obtained a protection order against Jeremy Skibicki in 2019, after he allegedly stalked and sexually assaulted her.

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A low-pressure system moving into northern British Columbia is expected to dampen wildfire activity that has forced several thousand people to leave their homes in and around Fort Nelson, the BC Wildfire Service says.

Wildfires have forced thousands out of several communities in Western Canada. In Fort Nelson, B.C., about 4,700 people are out of their homes. Roughly 6,600 residents have been evacuated out of parts of Fort McMurray, Alta.