National News

OTTAWA — Canadians looking to buy homes will face stiffer mortgage tests in a few days as the federal government and a national regulator tighten rules in the wake of new warnings from the central bank that households are piling on too much debt.

CALGARY — The costs of Alberta's growing stock of abandoned and inactive oil and gas wells are falling unfairly on landowners and taxpayers, says a report from the University of Calgary.

OTTAWA — Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says he cannot yet commit to a date — or COVID-19 vaccination rate benchmarks — for when so-called vaccine passports will allow Canada to ease travel restrictions.

OTTAWA — Canada's vaccination effort against COVID-19 has pulled even with the United States in one of the key markers in the race to herd immunity and is closing in fast on a status as one of the top 10 most vaccinated countries in the world.

HALIFAX — The spectre of pandemic-fuelled social chaos and widespread looting appeared to haunt the Nova Scotia mass shooter a month before he carried out his killing rampage of April 18-19, 2020.

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada is reminding people to fill out this year's census to avoid getting a visit at their door during the COVID-19 pandemic.

HALIFAX — The number of suicides recorded in Nova Scotia in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic was the lowest since 2014.

MONTREAL — A community activist and former CFL player is entering the race to become mayor of Montreal. Balarama Holness announced today he'll compete for the city's top job under the banner of his new political party, Movement Montreal.

MONTREAL — A new report by researchers at the Université de Montréal's HEC business school is calling for the end of federal transfers payments to the provinces.

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what's on the radar of our editors for the morning of May 20 ... What we are watching in Canada ...