In the news today: Alberta teachers strike straining businesses

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

Chamber of commerce says Alberta teachers strike straining businesses

The head of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce says a provincewide teachers strike is putting a strain on businesses. Doug Griffiths says the chamber doesn’t take a side in the labour dispute, but it hopes the strike is resolved as quickly as possible. The strike is entering its ninth school day, with about 740,000 students out of 2,500 schools. The government says it would consider forcing teachers back to work in the last week of October, when the legislature is sitting. Griffiths says businesses have lost employees staying home to take care of their kids and are hurt by a loss in foot traffic with fewer people going to work.

Liberals to make border security announcement

The federal government is set to outline plans to strengthen border security today. Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to tour a border crossing facility in the Niagara region, and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree is to hold a news conference soon after. The Liberal government split its border security bill this month, hoping to pass some measures quickly and give more time for scrutiny of more controversial ones. The new bill includes several measures from the previous one that would expand the coast guard’s role, tighten the immigration and refugee system, enhance information sharing on sex offenders and introduce stronger controls on chemicals used to make illicit drugs.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Provinces look for health funding promises

Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel is set to meet today in Calgary with her provincial and territorial counterparts, who say they’re looking for promises Ottawa will boost health-care funding in next month’s budget. Adriana LaGrange, Alberta’s minister of primary and preventative health services, says provinces and territories are facing increased demands on their health-care systems and the federal government needs to step up its support. Michel’s office says she’s hoping to discuss interprovincial credential recognition for health-care workers and pressing issues like mental health and addiction and vaccination programs.

Justice ministers’ meeting wraps up

A two-day meeting of ministers responsible for justice and public safety at the federal, provincial and territorial levels is set to wrap up today in Kananaskis, Alta. Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the meeting is an opportunity for every province and territory to be represented in discussions about justice and public safety issues. Those discussions also covered three justice bills the federal government is bringing forward this fall. Another bill covering a number of other crimes, including intimate partner violence, sexual offences and online exploitation of children, is coming later this fall.

CRA says more work needed to improve call centres

Senior officials working at the Canada Revenue Agency say the agency surpassed its target for answering calls from Canadians ahead of schedule. Last month, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne set a 100-day timeline for the CRA to fix call centre delays. The CRA said it wanted to answer at least 70 per cent of calls by mid-October. Melanie Serjak, an assistant CRA commissioner responsible for most contact centres and front-line services to taxpayers, says that the target was surpassed by the beginning of the month. She says that between Sept. 29 and Oct. 3, CRA’s call centres answered 77 per cent of incoming calls.

Mad Max! Scherzer gets win as Blue Jays pull even

Max Scherzer made his first start of the playoffs a vintage one on Thursday night. It was a big reason why the Toronto Blue Jays have pulled even in the American League Championship Series against Seattle. The 41-year-old was at his mound-circling, fire-breathing best at T-Mobile Park, bringing his trademark intensity up even higher in an 8-2 victory in Game 4 that turned a best-of-seven series into a best-of-three. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Andres Gimenez homered for the Blue Jays, who led 5-1 after four innings and outhit the Mariners 11-5.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2025.