In the news today: More Canadians hoping to leave Gaza as peace activist mourned

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

Dozens of Canadians remain in Gaza Strip

Scores of Canadians are still hoping to leave the Gaza Strip, as Canadians and Israelis mourn the loss of peace activist Vivian Silver in last month’s attack by Hamas militants.

Global Affairs Canada said Monday afternoon it is in touch with more than 250 Canadians, permanent residents and their eligible family members in the war-torn Palestinian territory.

Ottawa says 356 Canadians and their relatives have made it out of the Gaza Strip so far, including 10 on Monday.

Israeli officials said late Monday that Silver, a dual national previously believed to have been taken hostage, had died in the brutal attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7.

Northwest Territories holds fire-delayed election

Residents of the Northwest Territories are heading to the polls today, more than a month after the election was originally set to be held.

The election had been scheduled for Oct. 3, but was delayed because of a wildfire season that saw about 70 per cent of the territory’s population under evacuation order.

Legislature members voted unanimously to delay the election during a late August session held in the town of Inuvik, with the capital Yellowknife and its roughly 20,000 residents still under an evacuation order at the time.

Here’s what else we’re watching …

Pomp and procedure: Ontario Lt.-Gov. installation

Ontario’s new lieutenant-governor is set to officially begin her new position today, with an installation ceremony full of pomp and procedure.

Edith Dumont will become the province’s 30th lieutenant-governor and the first francophone to hold the office.

Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell will end her term, which began in 2014 and during which her office said she has conducted about 6,000 engagements in all of Ontario’s 124 ridings.

Ontario to ban unpaid restaurant trial shifts

Ontario is planning to explicitly ban unpaid trial shifts for restaurant and hospitality workers, while also strengthening rules against deducting employee wages in the event of customer theft.

The latest proposed changes are set to be announced today by Labour Minister David Piccini ahead of legislation expected to be tabled this afternoon that contains a host of new labour laws.

Piccini says that while it is already the law that employees must be paid for all hours worked, unpaid trial shifts are still happening as part of the interview process in some restaurants, so the practice will be specifically prohibited.

Coins with image of King Charles to be released

The Royal Canadian Mint will soon begin producing Canadian coins bearing the face of King Charles.

The Winnipeg-based manufacturing facility is set today to showcase its design of the King that will appear on one side of all its coins, replacing the current image of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

A design by Canadian portrait artist Steven Rosati was chosen out of 350 artists.

The winning design was sent to Buckingham Palace for approval.

Bernstein wins $100K Scotiabank Giller Prize in gala upended by protest

Sarah Bernstein won the Scotiabank Giller Prize in a 30th anniversary bash upended by anti-Israel protesters.

The Montreal-born, Scotland-based author accepted the $100,000 award remotely from Scotland, where she had a baby just 10 days ago.

Just as her name was called at the Toronto gala, a protester interrupted the live telecast with anti-war slogans, forcing organizers to repeat the announcement.

Jurors lauded Bernstein’s second novel, “Study for Obedience,” published by Knopf Canada, as an incandescent modernist experiment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2023.

The Canadian Press