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    • Permanent immigration levels 'in the right place': Fraser

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    Housing Minister and former immigration minister Sean Fraser says Canada’s permanent residency numbers are “in the right place.â€

    “We're growing our permanent population at a pace we can handle,†Fraser said in a Tuesday interview on CTV News Channel’s Power Play with Vassy Kapelos.

    The minister’s comments were in response to a question about remarks made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s earlier in the day, when he admitted a “massive spike†in temporary immigration levels under his government have “grown at a rate far beyond what Canada has been able to absorb.â€

    "So we want to get those numbers down,†Trudeau said at a press conference in Dartmouth, N.S., insisting it’s a “responsible approach†to maintain permanent residency levels while reducing the numbers on the temporary immigration side.

    The federal government faced criticism earlier this year, after The Canadian Press — citing internal documents obtained through an access to information request — reported in January the federal government was warned by public servants two years ago that its ambitious immigration targets could jeopardize housing affordability.

    Two weeks later, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced plans to reduce the number of international student permits by about 35 per cent from 2023 levels.

    Last year, the number of international students studying in Canada reached more than 900,000, triple that of a decade ago, according to the Canadian Press.

    Then, in late March, Miller announced Canada would put a “soft cap†on the number of temporary resident arrivals, with targets to be set in September.

    When asked whether he believes permanent immigration levels also need to be readjusted, Fraser told Kapelos the federal government continues “to accommodate longer term population growth through a sustained and well-planned permanent residency, immigration strategy.â€

    He also insisted the federal government was considering setting limits on the number of temporary residents before last summer’s cabinet shuffle when he was moved from the immigration portfolio to housing, and before media reports of those numbers impacting housing affordability. No announcement to that effect, however, was made until this year.

    But when it comes to the number of permanent residents Canada welcomes, Fraser said there are no plans to shift targets.

    “We have demographic challenges and economic challenges that immigration can help solve,†Fraser said. “The challenges that we've experienced have largely been on the temporary side of the equation.â€

    “These are programs that are not subjected to a level that's typically set by the government, but driven by demand either by institutions like colleges and universities, or by employers who tap into the temporary foreign workers program,†he added.

    The Liberals have set targets aiming to bring in 485,000 immigrants this year, and 500,000 in both 2025 and 2026.

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    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

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    Authorities were called to break up an altercation involving "numerous" golfers in Burnaby, B.C., over the weekend – apparently prompted by some serious breaches in etiquette.

    An order from the federal labour minister to send WestJet and its plane mechanics into binding arbitration unexpectedly resulted in a strike on one of the busiest travel weekends of the summer.

    An eastern Ontario doctor facing four charges of first-degree murder and negligence causing death in connection with the deaths of four seniors at a Hawkesbury hospital was acquitted on all charges at the Ottawa courthouse on Tuesday.

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    • An eastern Ontario doctor facing four charges of first-degree murder and negligence causing death in connection with the deaths of four seniors at a Hawkesbury hospital was acquitted on all charges at the Ottawa courthouse on Tuesday.

    • Authorities were called to break up an altercation involving "numerous" golfers in Burnaby, B.C., over the weekend – apparently prompted by some serious breaches in etiquette.

    • WestJet flights have been cancelled at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Tuesday in the wake of a mechanics strike over the weekend.

    • A newly formed group of protesters called the Coalition Against Pinkwashing says the decision to interrupt Canada’s largest Pride Parade was made after Pride Toronto refused a special meeting over demands put together by Queers for Palestine, which called on Pride Toronto to divest from corporations with ties to Israel.

    • A boil-water advisory warning residents of the possibility of unsafe drinking water within the Halifax Regional Municipality remains in place Tuesday.

    • At least 20 homes have been affected by flash flooding in the British Columbia Interior following heavy rains that forced the overnight closure of the Trans-Canada Highway near Kamloops.

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    • WestJet passengers faced more flight disruptions Tuesday despite a deal reached over the weekend to end a strike by its mechanics, as the airline says full resumption of operations "will take time."

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    • It used to be cash was king and that you could get a better deal if you paid for a car in full, but now many dealers want you to finance your purchase so they can make more money.

    • Several stolen vehicles believed to have been used in organized and serious crime, including one homicide, have been found in Alberta during an investigation into an auto theft ring.

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    When Zhya Aramiy was living in Turkey and Iraq, he had to keep his Pride flags hidden away.

    A rave at the Ontario Science Centre was the place where Greg LeBlanc says his relationship first began with his husband Mark in 1997.

    The city is entering the final stages of resuming water service through its repaired feeder main, as water consumption continues to fall below the city’s threshold level.

    A grandfather and grandson duo proudly graduated alongside each other at the same northern Manitoba school.

    A large basking shark was captured close to the shoreline on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.

    The world's largest hockey stick could soon become the world's most in-pieces hockey stick as a Vancouver Island community prepares to tear down and carve up the Canadian landmark.

    For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.

    • Authorities were called to break up an altercation involving "numerous" golfers in Burnaby, B.C., over the weekend – apparently prompted by some serious breaches in etiquette.

    • Mounties in northern British Columbia say a 16-year-old girl who was rushed to hospital after suffering a fentanyl overdose last week has died.

    • Starting Tuesday, people who call police in Surrey may not see the familiar RCMP branding on the vehicle that responds.

    • WestJet flights have been cancelled at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Tuesday in the wake of a mechanics strike over the weekend.

    • A report by the provincial privacy watchdog has found that Toronto’s public transit system was not prepared for the cyberattack that knocked down some of its communication systems and compromised the private information of more than 25,000 employees in 2021 -- despite an internal warning from the commission's security department issued years prior.

    • The co-chair of the Liberals' Ontario campaign is suggesting the party's candidate in the Toronto—St. Paul's byelection needed more time to campaign before the vote.

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      BREAKING

      Calgary's mayor has given citizens the go-ahead to begin easing their indoor water saving measures and slowly return to normal water use inside their home.

    • WestJet passengers faced more flight disruptions Tuesday despite a deal reached over the weekend to end a strike by its mechanics, as the airline says full resumption of operations "will take time."

    • The Calgary Fire Department quickly dealt with a garage fire in the southwest community of Palliser on Tuesday morning.

    • An eastern Ontario doctor facing four charges of first-degree murder and negligence causing death in connection with the deaths of four seniors at a Hawkesbury hospital was acquitted on all charges at the Ottawa courthouse on Tuesday.

    • Police in Cornwall, Ont. have seized approximately $1.3 million worth of cocaine and $300,000 in cash as part of a major drugs investigation.

    • Families visiting Calypso Waterpark were forced to cancel their plans after 'technical issues' forced the closure of the park on Tuesday.

    • An eastern Ontario doctor facing four charges of first-degree murder and negligence causing death in connection with the deaths of four seniors at a Hawkesbury hospital was acquitted on all charges at the Ottawa courthouse on Tuesday.

    • A 42-year-old man is behind bars after police allege he defrauded multiple homeowners on Montreal's South Shore by offering driveway sealing services and other home repairs.

    • A group representing Quebecers waiting to sponsor family members living abroad says the province is acting in bad faith by slashing the number of family reunification applications it will accept.

    • Canada Day celebrations led to tragedy in a small northern Alberta community, RCMP said.

    • A fire that broke out in an industrial area east of Edmonton on Canada Day has destroyed an unused cooling tower.

    • The Edmonton Oilers play their first four games of the season at Rogers Place, starting with the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

    • A boil-water advisory warning residents of the possibility of unsafe drinking water within the Halifax Regional Municipality remains in place Tuesday.

    • After a long weekend which had some periods of rain in the Maritimes, along with some severe thunderstorms in Sunday in New Brunswick, the start of this week is off to a sunny start.

    • A-17-year-old male is under arrest for allegedly assaulting people with brass knuckles during Canada Day fireworks in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

    • A funnel cloud weather advisory from Environment and Climate Change Canada has been issued for parts of Manitoba, including Winnipeg.

    • The City of Winnipeg is close to having filled 200,000 potholes in 2024, more than any previous year dating back to 2020.

    • It was an eventful Canada Day in southern Saskatchewan. In addition to celebrations and fireworks, severe weather provided a dangerous spectacle for those living in the Yorkton/Melville area.

    • 15 Wing Moose Jaw's long standing legacy of flight training will continue into the next quarter century, as the base is among three locations chosen for an $11.2 billion Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) training initiative.

    • The Outlook RCMP detachment is seeking the public's assistance in locating 58-year-old Michael Edstrom of Dinsmore, Saskatchewan.

    • Waterloo regional police are investigating a series of incidents that took place during a Canada Day celebration in Kitchener.

    • A driver has died after a Tuesday morning crash in Norfolk County, police say.

    • Brandon Montour is making a big move fresh off his Stanley Cup win with the Florida Panthers.

    • The Outlook RCMP detachment is seeking the public's assistance in locating 58-year-old Michael Edstrom of Dinsmore, Saskatchewan.

    • The Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) is investigating a homicide after a 41-year-old man died in hospital on Monday.

    • Two Saskatchewan men who dove into icy waters in a bid to save two young girls and a woman who fell through the ice of a frozen lake are being honoured posthumously.

    • A 23-year-old novice driver has been charged with multiple offences following an incident Canada Day that started on Highway 11 in Callander.

    • Authorities were called to break up an altercation involving "numerous" golfers in Burnaby, B.C., over the weekend – apparently prompted by some serious breaches in etiquette.

    • Highway 69 is closed Tuesday morning in both directions following a collision.

    • The London Fire Department is on the scene of a natural gas leak this afternoon at 31 Rogers Avenue. According to District Chief Nick Hewetson, the issue was first reported by a resident at roughly 2:00 p.m.

    • On Monday evening, a man on a small black motorcycle was reported to London police after he threatened two people with an alleged firearm. The incident took place in southwest London at around 7:30 p.m. in the area of Campbell Street North and James Street.

    • OPP are sending out a reminder about water safety after having to help a group of swimmers in distress in Lake Huron. Just after 7 p.m. on Monday, the South Bruce OPP marine unit responded to four swimmers off the coast of Station Beach in Kincardine.

    • The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns of scammers using legitimate-looking logos.

    • The Crown wants 22-year-old Curtis Gamble sentenced to 10 years behind bars for sex crimes against five young girls who were 12 to 14 years of age when Gamble was 19.

    • A man of-no-fixed-address was arrested shortly after the dumpster fire behind the Simcoe Hotel Monday.

    • Windsor firefighters are on scene of an upgraded fire in an apartment on Ouellette Avenue.

    • Windsor police say they have arrested two people related to a road rage incident in east Windsor.

    • Andrea Khanjin said a controversial landfill project will be put through a rigorous approval process.

    • Marine mammal rescuers in British Columbia are searching for an entangled humpback whale in the waters off northern Vancouver Island.

    • Authorities were called to break up an altercation involving "numerous" golfers in Burnaby, B.C., over the weekend – apparently prompted by some serious breaches in etiquette.

    • Mounties in northern British Columbia say a 16-year-old girl who was rushed to hospital after suffering a fentanyl overdose last week has died.

    • A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect Sunday for a swath of the B.C. Interior, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

    • Mounties in Kelowna say a suspect is at large after a man was stabbed in the city Sunday afternoon.

    • Police are remaining tight-lipped about a woman’s death in a Kelowna park on Friday.

    • With the recent moisture and cooler temperatures, fire bans and restrictions in the Lethbridge area are no longer in effect.

    • Plenty of tourists will descend on Lethbridge to see what the city offers. Locals, too, will have no shortage of activities this weekend.

    • The 122-year-old Raymond Stampede is set to get underway this weekend, but this year’s event will occur at a new location.

    • A 37-year-old has been charged after a security guard in Sault Ste. Marie was attacked by a shoplifting suspect June 30.

    • A group of Elliot Lake seniors and homeowners who have been fighting the Canadian government and by extension the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for the last three years over the radioactive backfill used under their homes will be getting their day in court on Wednesday.

    • A researcher from the Netherlands is looking to identify the families of a couple of dozen Indigenous heroes who gave their lives while fighting for freedom in World War II. It’s all part of a larger remembrance project she’s working on.

    N.L.

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