Two BC Ferries vessels are out of service this Easter long weekend, but one has now been fixed.

The Spirit of Vancouver Island was out of commission due to a generator problem that happened on Tuesday. It had only returned to service on Sunday after a separate breakdown during spring break.

That vessel, which sails between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay, will return to service on Friday, BC Ferries announced at 2 p.m. and will provide additional sailings.

The Queen of Surrey was undergoing its scheduled retrofit when issues were found with its steering component. BC Ferries said it is hoping to share more information on Friday about its status.

That vessel sails between Sunshine Coast (Langdale) and Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay).

Meanwhile, the Coastal Celebration vessel is also undergoing its annual retrofit and has been docked at Swartz Bay since March 8.

“With the vessel’s planned refit well underway, it’s not possible to bring it back into service before its scheduled re-entry into service between Tsawwassen – Duke Point at the end of April,” BC Ferries said in a statement on Friday.

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“This is exactly why we’ve advocated for a fifth New Major Vessel, which could provide additional relief in moments like this. Without that extra vessel, our ability to absorb disruptions like this is limited.”

Last March, the British Columbia Ferries Commissioner approved four new major vessels for its fleet.

The new vessels will replace the aging Queens of Alberni, New Westminster, Coquitlam and Cowichan, which are the oldest major ships still in use.

BC Ferries applied for five new diesel-battery hybrid, all-electric-ready ships, but the independent British Columbia Ferries Commissioner approved four.

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BC Ferries long weekend travel trouble

Typically, there are about 400,000 passengers and 160,000 vehicles that travel on BC Ferries over the Easter long weekend.

In addition, potable water aboard the Salish Heron, sailing between Tsawwawwen and the Southern Gulf Islands, will not be available for drinking or food preparation until further notice.

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International rugby is coming back to Edmonton this summer.

The inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup will bring elite competition to the city in July.

“This is not just another set of games this is a brand new international tournament,” said Nathan Bombrys, Rugby Canada CEO.

Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team will plain Spain on July 4. Then it’s a double-header the following weekend on July 11 with Tonga taking on Spain followed by Canada vs. Portugal.

The matches will be played at Clarke Stadium, which has capacity for more than 5,000 people.

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“This announcement is a huge win for our city. It brings world class rugby back to Edmonton and once again places us on the international stage,” said Mayor Andrew Knack.

Twelve teams from six continents will play across the July and November windows. They all qualified for the men’s rugby World Cup next year.

For Edmontonian Austin Creighton, playing on home soil is always special.

“We’re proud to represent not just Canada but this wonderful city as well,” Creighton said.

“I think it’s important to have these games here, because it gives people – especially the younger generation – a chance to experience that next level of rugby up close.”

The city estimates the event will generate about $7 million dollars in economic activity.

“Our visitor economy driven by sport is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in Alberta and Alberta is leading the country,” Explore Edmonton CEO Tracy Bednard said.

With extensive community programming planned throughout the event, it’s a chance to grow the game here.

“For our local clubs this is a major opportunity – with curtain raisers and half time activations – Edmonton’s rugby community will be showcased on a national and international stage,” said Rugby Alberta president, Chris Cooke.

Tickets for the event are on sale now.

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Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has found no reasonable grounds to charge a Toronto Police Service officer in the fatal shooting of a 32-year-old man at Danforth GO station.

In a release issued on Saturday, director Joseph Martino said the officer acted to protect himself from a “reasonably apprehended attack” when he opened fire on Dec. 6, 2025.

The SIU said police were called around 1:40 a.m. about a man with a firearm at the station. Officers arrived minutes later and located the man in a stairwell leading to Track 3.

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An interaction followed, during which the man drew what was later determined to be a BB gun and swung it toward the officer. The officer discharged his firearm, striking the man.

Paramedics found the man suffering from several gunshot wounds and without vital signs inside the tunnel connecting the platforms.

He was rushed to St. Michael’s Hospital in life-threatening condition, with CPR in progress, and was later pronounced dead.

The SIU assigned four investigators and three forensic investigators to the case.

The agency concluded the officer’s use of force was legally justified in the circumstances.

“No police officer starts their shift wanting or intending to use force,” the association said in a statement after the initial incident. “But when the public calls, they respond to dangerous, unpredictable situations and make split-second decisions to keep everyone safe.”

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A final suspect has been taken into custody in connection with the 2024 homicide of 22-year-old Zeyad Shammo from Ontario.

The Winnipeg Police Service confirmed that on March 26, 25-year-old Chad Jason Dandan was arrested in Surrey, B.C., with the help of a special enforcement unit and the BOLO Program.

In a release, police said its major crimes unit continued an investigation into the killing of Shammo, which dates back to September 2024.

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The investigation led to the arrest of Dandan, who was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant and has been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and extortion, according to the release.

He has since been returned to Winnipeg, where he remains in custody.

Police were first called on Sept. 10, 2024, to the 300 block of Bridge Lake Drive for reports of a missing man who had allegedly been abducted the day before.

On Sept. 13, officers located a deceased man inside a home on Bristol Avenue. He was later identified as Shammo, an Ontario resident.

Investigators determined his death was a homicide.

Two other suspects, 26-year-old Sonny Balemba and 26-year-old Robert James Chaykowski, both of Winnipeg, were previously arrested and charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and extortion.

Chaykowski also faces additional charges for failing to comply with a release order.

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Train service on Line 5 Eglinton will run later into the night starting Sunday as part of the next phase of its rollout.

Beginning April 5, the Toronto Transit Commission said in a release that trains will operate until 1:20 a.m. Sundays through Fridays and until 12:30 a.m. on Saturdays.

The extended hours mark another step as the TTC and Metrolinx work toward full, regular service on the line.

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During this phase, trains are expected to arrive every four minutes during peak periods and every six to 10 minutes during off-peak times.

Line 5 Eglinton opened in February under temporary introductory service conditions, allowing for ongoing testing of signal systems, schedule adjustments and extended overnight maintenance.

The TTC said its Blue Night bus service will continue to run overnight after trains stop, operating from about 1 a.m. until service resumes in the morning.

Shuttle buses will also remain available to supplement service if needed.

Earlier this year, the City of Toronto adjusted traffic signals along the route to prioritize LRT vehicles through intersections, with additional transit priority measures expected in the coming months.

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Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit is appealing for witnesses following the arrest of a woman at a Cardi B concert in Hamilton.

The SIU said preliminary information suggests that on the evening of March 31, during a concert at TD Coliseum, security requested assistance from paid duty officers with the Hamilton Police Service to remove a woman.

Officers attended and used physical control to escort the woman from the venue, the watchdog said.

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The SIU, which investigates incidents involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault, did not provide details about the woman’s condition.

Global News reached out to the SIU regarding the cause of the investigation but have not heard back in time for publishing.

SIU are now appealing to the public for witnesses who may have seen the incident including videos or photos.

The incident occurred during a stop on Cardi B’s “Little Miss Drama” tour.

The rapper earlier posted a video to social media calling out Canadians over ticket sales for the Hamilton show, saying it was the only stop on the tour not close to selling out.

By showtime on March 31, however, the concert was sold out, with the rapper later calling Hamilton the “winner of Canada’s crowds.”

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Advanced polls are now open for three key byelections to the House of Commons, Elections Canada said Friday.

Byelections are scheduled to be held on April 13 in two Liberal stronghold seats in the Toronto area – Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale – and the contested riding of Terrebonne in Quebec, north of Montreal.

Voters in Scarborough Southwest and University—Rosedale will choose new members of Parliament after two former Liberal cabinet ministers stepped down.

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Terrebonne candidates expect a tight race leading up to April 13 federal byelection

Bill Blair left his seat to become Canada’s high commissioner to the U.K., while Chrystia Freeland has a number of new roles, including as economic adviser to the Ukrainian president and CEO of the Rhodes Trust.

The race in Terrebonne last April was the closest in the country — the Liberals won by a single vote on election night. A court challenge was filed after it was found that Elections Canada put an incorrect return address on some mail-in ballots, which were never counted.

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The Supreme Court of Canada invalidated the result in February, and the vote is being redone.

If the Liberals win all three seats, they’ll have 173 MPs in the House of Commons and a majority in the House of Commons.

Advanced polls began at 9 am Eastern in all three ridings on Friday, and polls will remain open until 9 pm. Voters can cast their ballots early on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, from 9 am to 9 pm Eastern.

The deadline to apply to vote by mail or to vote at the local Elections Canada office is Tuesday, April 7, 6 pm Eastern.

Voters casting their ballots early can either vote at their assigned polling stations or at any Elections Canada office until the Tuesday before election day.

To vote, you must be a Canadian citizen, be at least 18 years old on election day, and prove your identity and address.

To prove your identity, you can show your driver’s licence or any other card issued by the federal, provincial, territorial or local government with your photo, name and current address.

You can still vote if you don’t have an ID if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you.

The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person, except in long-term care institutions.

–with files from Canadian Press

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Ontario Provincial Police are taking aim at the authors of an April Fool’s article that claimed dozens of its officers were arrested.

The OPP said Wednesday the article also falsely claimed a state of emergency was declared in Huron County and that the policing responsibility for the community has been assumed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

It added the article erroneously stated the force’s detachment commander, five senior officers and 21 uniformed members were arrested.

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“While today is April 1, and the article may be intended as an April Fools’ joke, the OPP considers this type of content to be inappropriate and irresponsible, particularly when it mimics legitimate news reporting with the potential to cause unnecessary concern in the community,” the OPP said in a news release.

“Alleging police officers have been charged affects public trust and confidence, as well as public safety.”

The OPP went added content presented as humour can have real-world consequences.

“To be clear, no state of emergency has been declared in Huron County,” the force said.

“No OPP or municipal council members have been arrested and the RCMP has not assumed control of OPP operations. The OPP continues to provide policing services in Huron County without interruption.”

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A large swath of southern Ontario is under a special weather statement as Environment Canada warns of heavy rainfall to start the Easter long weekend.

The federal weather agency issued the statement for regions like Toronto, saying total rainfall amounts of 25 to 50 millimetres is expected between Saturday morning and night.

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“A Colorado low will bring heavy rain to the area. The heaviest rain is expected to fall Saturday evening and Saturday night, with locally higher amounts possible in thunderstorms,” the statement reads.

“There remains some uncertainty where the highest rainfall amounts will occur. Rainfall warnings may follow as the event nears.”

Environment Canada added for information concerning flooding, local conservation authorities or the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources office will have the latest information.

Christians across Quebec are about to face a new legal landscape on Good Friday, only a day after the provincial legislature adopted a law that could crack down on their annual Way of the Cross processions.

In Montreal, several hundred people are expected to join Archbishop Christian Lépine in a march of “prayer, reflection and silence” that winds its way through the streets behind a large crucifix, stopping at several historic churches in a commemoration of Jesus’s journey to the cross.

But the Easter weekend tradition will likely become harder to organize in future years, now that the province has passed a law to ban public prayer.

The Quebec government adopted legislation on Thursday, extending a ban on wearing religious symbols in public workplaces to daycare workers, prohibiting prayer rooms in public institutions, and banning public prayer without explicit municipal consent.

“No public road … or public park may be used for the purposes of collective religious practice unless a municipality authorizes, exceptionally and on a case-by-case basis, such a use in its public domain by resolution of the municipal council,” the text of the law reads.

Martin Laliberté, the head of the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops, believes the new law turns religious people into second-class citizens.

He notes that street closures and public demonstrations happen all the time, including for sporting events, protests, and cultural events.

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“If we do it for religious reasons, we don’t have the right,” he said Wednesday in an interview. “So people in society who are believers become second-class citizens who don’t have the right, like any other citizen, to demonstrate (when it’s) in the name of their faith.”

He said organizers of Way of the Cross and other marches have always co-ordinated with local officials and respected municipal rules, but never before had to seek express permission to hold their events.

“It was a right, and now it’s not a right any more,” he said. The new law, he said, leaves churches relying on the goodwill of city councils, who can decide whether or not to grant permits for the event.

Laliberté says senior Catholic leaders are concerned the new law goes far beyond the effect on ceremonial processions. He notes that the legislation invokes powers that allow the province to override some sections of the Charter and shield the secularism law from court challenges.

“We have rights, according to the Charter, which say you have a right to express your faith publicly,” Laliberté said.

But with the new law, he said people don’t have this right any more.

“That’s a big shift for us.”

Laliberté said the Quebec Catholic bishops participated in consultations on the new law, where they expressed particular concern with the public prayer ban and the expansion of the religious symbol prohibition. He said politicians appeared to listen, but were unwilling to adopt the changes.

He said he believes the new law has “no utility,” because the government already has all the tools it needs to protect secularism.

The Quebec government did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

John Zucchi, national director with Montreal Way of the Cross procession organizer Communion and Liberation Canada, says organizers always communicate with police about the event, but have been told in the past that it’s not necessary to inform the city.

He says the event last year drew nearly 1,000 people, who walk in silence behind a person carrying a crucifix to different churches, where there is singing, gospel readings and poems.

Unlike many church events, he says attendance has gone up in recent years, and numbers have roughly doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think people are struck by the soberness of the event, by the simplicity of it and by the quiet dignity that surrounds the event,” he said. “It’s not meant to be clamour or something loud. It’s a meditation from start to finish.”

Zucchi says he shares the views of religious leaders who are concerned about the law, but isn’t worrying yet about its impact on the march in Montreal. “We’ve only encountered goodwill with the city, with the police service … and count on that continued goodwill in the future,” he said.

He also questioned what events will count as “public prayer.”

“With the case of a procession done in silence, what constitutes prayer?” he asks.

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