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It is wise of Canada to scale back the number of new refugees it plans to resettle if that helps stabilize the housing market and prevents backlash against newcomers, the head of the UN refugee agency said during a visit to Ottawa this week. Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of cabinet Monday in Ottawa where the Liberal government pledged $50.4 million in to the agencyHis visit comes a little more than a week after the federal government announced plans to cut overall immigration levels by 20 per cent for 2025 — a cut that includes refugees and protected persons.The government cited pressures on available housing as one of the reasons for the new policy.Grandi says Canada remains a global leader in resettlement, but sa...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has received multiple briefings on the possibility of prolonged unrest or even violence in the wake of Tuesday’s U.S. election, a senior government source told Global News. It’s the “third scenario” that has been discussed by senior officials, cabinet ministers and the prime minister in the event neither Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris wins a decisive victory Tuesday night.Just eight years ago, it would’ve seemed remarkable that the Canadian government would be spending time at the most senior levels discussing the possibility of dramatic instability following a U.S. presidential election – be it widespread protests, uncertainty around the winner or even political violence.Trump’s victory in 2016 – and the chaos of the following years, culminating in the attack...

Millions of Americans are heading to the polls Tuesday as a chaotic presidential campaign reaches its peak in a deeply divided United States, where voters in only a handful of battleground states will choose the country’s path forward. Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump have presented starkly different visions for America’s future, but polling shows the two remain in a dead heat.“Any election in the U.S. is important and impactful for us,” said Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States. “They are central to our economic prosperity. They are a vital security partner.”Hillman has been travelling across America meeting with key members of the Republican and Democrat teams to prepare for any outcome. On election night, after her embassy duties are fi...

Americans are facing a decision about the future of their country and no matter which president they choose, Canada cannot escape the pull of political polarization from its closest neighbour. Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump present starkly different paths forward for the United States and the race for the White House appears to be extremely close.The U.S. is Canada’s largest trading partner and its next president will be in charge during the review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement in 2026.Harris has campaigned on the fact that she voted against the trilateral agreement, saying it didn’t do enough to protect American workers or the environment. The vice-president is largely expected to maintain President Joe Biden’s Buy American procurement rules.The centr...

A presidential campaign marked by upheaval and rancor approached its finale on Election Day as Americans decided whether to send Donald Trump back to the White House or elevate Kamala Harris to the Oval Office. Polls opened across the nation Tuesday morning as voters faced a stark choice between two candidates who have offered drastically different temperaments and visions for the world’s largest economy and dominant military power.Harris, the Democratic vice president, stands to be the first female president if elected. She has promised to work across the aisle to tackle economic worries and other issues without radically departing from the course set by President Joe Biden. Trump, the Republican former president, has vowed to replace thousands of federal workers with loyalists, impose sw...