In the news for today: March jobs numbers due, Election threat task force to testify

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

StatCan to release March jobs report today

Statistics Canada is set to release its March labour force survey this morning.

RBC expects the report to show the economy added 25,000 jobs, which it says won’t be enough to keep the unemployment rate from rising to 5.9 per cent.

Canada’s unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent in February.

The Canadian economy has continued to add more jobs, even as high interest rates weigh on economic growth.

But employment gains have not kept up with the increase in population supported by higher permanent and temporary immigration.

Inquiry to grill election threats task force

A federal inquiry into foreign election interference is expected to scrutinize the work of the task force that was responsible for monitoring and reporting threats to Canada’s last two elections.

The task force is designed to bring security and intelligence agencies together to guard against foreign meddling during federal election campaigns.

Members of the task force are expected to testify at the inquiry’s latest public hearing in Ottawa today.

Earlier this week, the commission heard from political party officials who received confidential briefings from the task force in 2021.

Trudeau making housing announcement in Calgary

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to make a housing announcement in Calgary today as part of a campaign-style pre-budget tour across the country.

Trudeau is also scheduled to take part in a fireside chat this afternoon with members of the local business community.

The visit comes a day after a stop in Winnipeg.

On Thursday, the prime minister announced a new $1.5-billion housing fund that he says will help non-profits acquire more rental units across Canada and ensure they remain affordable.

The Canada Rental Protection Fund will provide $1 billion in loans and $470 million in contributions to non-profits and other partners to help them acquire affordable rental units.

Funeral for family who died in murder-suicide

A funeral is to be held for four members of a family who died in a murder-suicide in a rural Saskatchewan home last month.

An obituary says the private service is for Gary, Joanne, Cory and Andrew Bender of Neudorf, about 130 kilometres east of Regina.

RCMP say a 34-year-old man killed three family members and then killed himself at the property in March.

Police have not publicly released the names of the deceased.

The obituary says the family’s absence will be deeply felt by remaining relatives and friends.

Court documents say Andrew Bender, 34, had numerous convictions, including being found guilty of assaulting his father and resisting arrest in 2022.

Work continues restoring power after spring storm

A little more than 55,000 Hydro-Québec customers are still in the dark this morning as work crews continue their efforts to restore power following a major spring storm.

A notice from the utility says that they have approximately 600-plus teams, or about 1,200 workers, in the field.

Hydro One workers in Ontario are chipping away at the remaining outages the company’s customers are facing.

There are still just under 9,000 homes and businesses without any electricity.

The spring storm that caused the chaos has shifted into northeastern New Brunswick, which is now dealing with heavy, wet snow and icy conditions.

DIY pinhole camera a safe bet for eclipse viewing

If you haven’t been able to secure solar eclipse glasses ahead of the biggest celestial event in years, do not fret.

There are other ways to safely observe the eclipse on Monday, albeit in an indirect way.

Millions of people across a swath of North America, including parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada, will experience a few minutes of darkness in the middle of the day as the moon passes in front of the sun.

One of the simple ways to observe the phenomenon is with a pinhole camera — more accurately described as a projector — that can be created with items most of us already have at home.

If you’re really pressed for time, even a single sheet of paper and a push pin will do the trick, says Elaina Hyde, director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory at Toronto’s York University.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2024

The Canadian Press