Daily Briefing No. 9

Simplified Version

Wednesday, November 11, 2026, by 100.ca editorial team

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Politics & World

Ottawa accepts court ruling that benefit rules were unfair to new mothers

The Canadian government will not ask a higher court to change a ruling about Employment Insurance. Employment Insurance, or EI, gives money to workers who lose their jobs. To get it, a person must have worked enough recently. The old rules did not count maternity leave as work. Maternity leave is time off work after having a baby. So some mothers who lost jobs during or soon after this leave got no EI. The Federal Court of Appeal said these rules discriminated against them. This means the rules treated them unfairly. The government must change the law by next September.

100 wordsSource: CityNews Montreal, by Erin Seize

Economy

Bank of Canada says it may raise interest rates again

The Bank of Canada may raise interest rates again. The Bank of Canada is the country's central bank. It sets a key interest rate. This rate affects how much it costs to borrow money. Last month, the bank raised the rate to 2.5%. It was its first rise since 2023. On Tuesday, the bank shared a summary of its recent talks. The summary said more rises are possible. The bank wants to stop high energy prices from pushing up the prices of many other things. A general rise in prices is called inflation. Its next rate decision is December 9.

Provinces & Territories

St. John's food bank warehouse is full and needs a new building

A food bank warehouse in St. John's is full. A food bank gives free food to people who cannot afford to buy it. St. John's is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Community Food Sharing Association runs the warehouse. It moved into this building after a fire in 2019. The building was meant to be used for a short time. Now the group needs a new space. Joanne Thompson is a federal minister and the member of Parliament for St. John's East. She said she will try to help find a building. But she did not give any details.

100 wordsSource: VOCM, by VOCM News

Bigger buses now run on rural P.E.I. routes as more people ride

Bigger buses now run on many rural bus routes in Prince Edward Island. Rural means areas outside the cities and towns. The new buses are called motorcoaches. They have about twice as many seats as the small buses used before. The routes are called "toonie transit." A toonie is a Canadian two-dollar coin. The bus company, Trius Transit, says the small buses could not carry everyone. Five years ago, people took about 1,500 trips each month. This year, they take almost 13,000 trips a month. The number of rural routes that run all year has grown from three to eight.

100 wordsSource: CBC News, by Lucas McInnis

Rides to medical appointments in northern Nova Scotia will end December 1

A program that drives people to health appointments in northern Nova Scotia will end on December 1. Nova Scotia Health runs the province's health care. For three years, it gave rides to people in four counties: East Hants, Colchester, Cumberland and Pictou. The rides were for appointments that are not emergencies. Many riders are seniors, people with disabilities, or people with low incomes. Many live in places without public buses. Nova Scotia Health said federal money ran out. It will contact patients about other ways to travel. A local politician asked the premier, the provincial leader, to keep the program.

100 wordsSource: Global News, by Rebecca Lau

Irving Oil and another company say they are guilty in Woodstock diesel leak case

Two companies have told a court they are guilty over a large fuel leak in New Brunswick. One is Irving Oil. The other is Grant Enterprises, the former owner of a truck stop in Woodstock. In 2024, at least 201,000 litres of diesel fuel leaked from an underground pipe part at the truck stop. The rules did not allow the metal used in this part. Nobody found the leak for months. They admitted breaking a provincial law that protects the environment. The cleanup has cost $15 million. Government lawyers asked for a $400,000 fine. The judge will decide in February.

100 wordsSource: Telegraph-Journal (Brunswick News), by Shana Grey

More older people in Quebec are being abused, survey finds

More older people in Quebec are being abused. Last year, about 7% of Quebecers aged 65 and older were abused. That is nearly 123,000 people. In 2019, the number was 5.9%. These numbers come from a survey by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, the Quebec government's statistics office. It asked 13,355 seniors who live at home about their lives. The most common type was psychological abuse. This means hurting someone with words, threats or control. Women reported abuse more often than men. Family members were often involved. A seniors' group asks victims to call 811 or the police.

Ontario's first small nuclear reactor will be late and cost more than planned

Ontario's first small nuclear reactor will be late. It will also cost more than planned. A nuclear reactor makes electricity. This new kind is called a small modular reactor. It is smaller than most older nuclear reactors. Ontario Power Generation is building it at its Darlington site, east of Toronto. This power company is owned by the government of Ontario. It planned to start using the reactor in October 2030, at a cost of $7.7 billion. The company has not said how late it will be or how much more it will cost. It expects to know more by mid-2027.

100 wordsSource: The Globe and Mail, by Matthew McClearn

Dauphin hospital offers kidney treatment again after flood

Patients can again get dialysis at the hospital in Dauphin, a town in western Manitoba. Dialysis is a treatment for people whose kidneys do not work well. A machine cleans their blood. A flood damaged the hospital at the end of June. After that, patients had to travel to other towns, such as Roblin, Brandon or Swan River, for dialysis. Now a temporary dialysis unit is open at the hospital. Several kinds of medical tests are back too, such as ultrasound and heart tests. Repair work on the hospital goes on. The province has not said when it will end.

100 wordsSource: CBC News, by Chelsea Kemp

Saskatchewan plans changes to help for injured workers

Saskatchewan wants to change the rules for workers who get hurt at work. The province has a program called workers' compensation. It pays injured workers while they cannot work. On Tuesday, a provincial minister, Ken Cheveldayoff, brought a new bill to the legislature. A bill is a plan for a new law. It has not become law yet. Under the bill, workers would get all of their usual pay for time they miss to get treatment for their injury. Rules for mental health injuries would be clearer. More kinds of health workers could officially decide what injury a worker has.

100 wordsSource: CBC News, by Alexander Quon

Calgary may raise property taxes by 15% in 2027

Calgary may raise the tax that people pay on their homes and land by 15% in 2027. This tax is called a property tax. The city uses it to pay for local services, such as roads, water, and police. The 15% rise would be Calgary's largest in at least 30 years. The city's draft budget for 2027 to 2030 also includes smaller tax rises in later years: 10% in 2028, 7.7% in 2029, and 6% in 2030. The plan must still go to public hearings, which start on November 23. The city hopes to approve the final budget in December.

100 wordsSource: Calgary Herald, by Noah Brennan

Fewer homes will be sold in B.C. this year, real estate group says

Fewer homes will be sold in British Columbia this year, a real estate group says. The British Columbia Real Estate Association is a group for real estate agents, who help people buy and sell homes. It expects home sales to fall 4.5% from 2025. That would be just over 67,000 homes. It expects the average price to drop by 1.2%, to just over $941,000. Its chief economist gave several reasons. They include a sudden rise in oil prices, trade problems with the United States, fewer new immigrants, and higher interest rates. The group expects sales to rise again in 2027.

Nunavut gets ready to take control of most public land in April 2027

Nunavut is close to taking control of most of its land. Nunavut is a territory in Canada's far north. Today, the federal government in Ottawa controls most public land there. This land is called Crown land. On April 1, 2027, control of most of this land will move to the Government of Nunavut. This change is called devolution. Premier John Main's office says the work to get ready is now in its final stage. Nunavut must pass six of its own laws that match federal laws. Four of them moved forward this fall. The last two will come this winter.

100 wordsSource: Nunatsiaq News, by Nunatsiaq News

Northwest Territories can now nominate 350 workers for permanent residence

The federal government will let the Northwest Territories nominate more people for permanent residence this year. A permanent resident can live and work in Canada with no time limit. Through this program, the territory chooses workers from other countries to fill local jobs. The federal government raised the number of places for 2026 from 300 to 350. The territory says this is its highest number ever. At first, the territory got only 197 places for 2026. An extra selection for workers with employers will take place on November 18. The territory says more people want places than there are places.

100 wordsSource: Cabin Radio, by Eshana Gohil

Dawson City business says it will give public health care to 200 patients

A business in Dawson City, Yukon, says it will give basic health care to 200 patients, from December. Yukon is a territory in northwestern Canada. The business, Yukon Spa, says it has a contract with the Yukon government. The Yukon government will pay for the care. One owner, Mike Ellis, is a nurse practitioner. This is a nurse with extra training who can do much of a family doctor's work. He says anyone with a valid Yukon health card can sign up. Health Minister Brad Cathers called it a new model. But he said some details are not final yet.

100 wordsSource: CBC News, by Chris MacIntyre

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