Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed...
Aid chief wants more visibility abroad and at home
The MP overseeing foreign aid says Canada must take a more efficient, more visible approach to development and humanitarian assistance to make the case for maintaining aid spending as the United States pulls back.
"Those that are staying the course need to be more nimble and need to be more versatile," said Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, in his first major interview since taking on the role.
Sarai said his top priorities in the job are to ensure Canadian aid dollars are being spent efficiently and to give Canadians and aid recipients a better idea of where the money goes.
Ottawa spent $12 billion on foreign aid in the fiscal year that ended in spring 2024, the latest year fully reported by Global Affairs Canada.
3 bodies found after Airmedic helicopter crash
The search for three people who were unaccounted for after a medical transport helicopter crashed on Quebec's North Shore came to an end late Wednesday night after police divers located their bodies in a lake.
Montreal-area company Airmedic says Quebec's provincial police have found the bodies of its two missing crew members, along with a patient, in Lake Watshishou, located 1,000 kilometres northeast of Montreal.
"This confirmation has deeply moved our team," Airmedic said in a statement at around 10 p.m. Wednesday.
"A time of remembrance begins for the Airmedic family. We will take the time to pay tribute to them and honour their commitment. They lost their lives while attempting a rescue—a gesture that reflects their passion, their vision, and the meaning they gave to their profession."
Manitoba plan for intersection panned by residents
Bureaucrats and consultants got an earful from local residents Wednesday night as they presented their preferred safety upgrade to a highway intersection where a crash killed 17 people in 2023.
Although the final decision will rest with politicians, the Transportation Department, in conjunction with two firms hired to help weigh different options, is suggesting a design known as an RCUT, or restricted crossing U-turn.
The design allows traffic on the main highway to flow freely, while people on a side highway are prevented from crossing directly or turning left. Instead, they must turn right, merge with traffic, execute a U-turn and then merge again.
"It's just a recipe for disaster, honestly," Debra Steen, a resident who helped collect more than 2,000 signatures on a petition against the RCUT.
Former Edmonton area MP looks to re-enter politics
Decades after making headlines for faking a radio interview, driving under the influence, and breaking federal lobbying rules, a former member of Parliament says he's looking to throw his hat back into the political ring.
At a restaurant he runs near downtown Edmonton, Rahim Jaffer said Wednesday he plans to re-enter politics by running for mayor this October in the Alberta capital’s upcoming election.
Vowing to be tough on crime and to have public spaces "belong to families," the four-term Conservative MP said Edmonton has been "misguided," isn't living up to its potential and is in need of "a hard reset."
Raptors select Murray-Boyles ninth overall
Collin Murray-Boyles shook his head when his name was called at the NBA Draft, appearing to let out a curse word.
But Murray-Boyles said he wasn't disappointed, just in disbelief when the Toronto Raptors selected him ninth overall on Wednesday and quickly cleared the air when he spoke with media shortly after.
“What I said was not a bad thing by any means," laughed Murray-Boyles, noting that Toronto was the first team he had worked out for after declaring for the draft. "I'm just very thankful for it. That was a surreal moment to hear my name called by this organization that has a good history and have really good players right now."
General manager Bobby Webster said he didn't interpret Murray-Boyles's initial reaction to being drafted by the Raptors as a sign the 20-year-old was disappointed to be headed to Toronto.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2025
The Canadian Press
