In the news today: Time running out to avoid disruption at Air Canada

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Chances of disruption increasing as Air Canada pilot talks near deadline

Air Canada says some operations will start to be affected today as time is running out before a potential shutdown because of a labour dispute with its pilots. The airline on Thursday called for the government to be ready to intervene to avoid major disruptions a shutdown would cause for its more than 110,000 travellers a day. It says some services like cargo and vacation packages will start to be affected today, while a full shutdown could happen on Sept. 18. The airline and pilots will be in a position starting Sunday to issue a 72-hour notice of a strike or lockout.

Court date for man in alleged U.S. terror plot

A 20-year-old man arrested in Quebec last week over an alleged Islamic State terror plot to kill Jews in New York City has a court appearance today in Montreal. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani national living in Ontario, was arrested in Ormstown, Que., allegedly on his way across the border into New York state. Khan has been charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a terrorist organization, and U.S. officials are seeking to have him extradited to stand trial.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Documents show dozens of harassment, violence cases at CSIS

Canada’s spy agency chief wrote a letter stamped secret to Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc last December, warning him that he expected more cases of harassment and violence coming from the agency’s staff. The letter from David Vigneault, who was then director of the service, told the minister that allegations by two employees in the B.C. office of being sexually assaulted, bullied and harassed by a senior co-worker had left staff “reeling.” The documents also showed that there had been 49 alleged occurrences of workplace harassment and violence at CSIS since 2021, although only eight of those were deemed to have been found.

Final day of ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers’ trial

Today is expected to mark the end of the criminal trial for two prominent organizers of the “Freedom Convoy” protest, more than one year after the proceedings began. Tamara Lich and Chris Barber are co-accused of mischief, intimidation and counselling others to break the law, among other charges. The trial has been legally complicated and burdened with a huge body of evidence that stems from the three-week-long demonstration in 2022 that blocked streets and frustrated Ottawa residents.

TIFF pauses ‘Russians at War’ screenings

The Toronto International Film Festival says it’s pausing upcoming screenings of the controversial documentary “Russians at War” due to “significant threats” to festival operations and public safety. The film about Russian soldiers’ disillusionment at the front lines of the war in Ukraine was set to have its North American premiere at TIFF on Friday, with additional screenings on Saturday and Sunday. The film, a Canada-France co-production, has drawn the ire of Ukrainian officials and community organizations who called the documentary “Russian propaganda” – a claim TIFF firmly rejected.

Alberta town adopts new resident code of conduct

An Alberta town has laid out rules for how residents must treat municipal staff — and the consequences if they step out of line. Officials with the town of Devon say their new policy is meant to protect employees from being mistreated on the job. The new policy allows the town to limit how residents can communicate with it if they continue to harass, threaten or bully employees. These codes of conduct allow both municipalities to go as far as banning residents from accessing municipal facilities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13. 2024.

The Canadian Press