National News

VANCOUVER — On Halloween, many residents in British Columbia bring out the fireworks. Experts say the practice likely emerged from a mash up of the British tradition of Guy Fawkes Night, and the use of pyrotechnics on various Chinese festivals.

Vancouver historian and artist Michael Kluckner remembers saving up his pocket money as a child for three things: rides at the Pacific National Exhibition, Christmas presents and Halloween firecrackers.

SAINT-OURS, Que. — On the Beauchemin family farm in southern Quebec, the problem used to be too much water. But Raphaël Beauchemin says that over the years, his grandfather, father and uncles learned how to cope.

The number of people using food banks across the country surged to an all-time high earlier this year, with high inflation and low social assistance rates cited as key factors in the rise, a new report from Food Banks Canada indicates.

OTTAWA — The same day the federal Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act, the Ontario Provincial Police warned in an internal intelligence report that those protesting in Ottawa were not going to leave voluntarily. The Feb.

FREDERICTON — Chijioke Amadi has called Prince Edward Island home for the past 15 years since arriving from Nigeria. He landed in the province in 2007, when he was 21, to study engineering at the University of Prince Edward Island.

REGINA — Saskatchewan kicked off its fall legislative session Wednesday with a tough-on-crime throne speech presented while a former cabinet minister turned notorious convicted killer sat in the chamber.

VICTORIA — British Columbia's incoming premier David Eby has been asked by the province's lieutenant-governor to begin the process of forming government in a step toward transitioning into his new role.

MONTREAL — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is hailing a Quebec Superior Court decision banning random police stops in the province and says other provinces should take similar steps without waiting for a court case.

OTTAWA — A pro-transparency group is telling MPs to retool the Access to Information Act by dropping the application fee, imposing tighter timelines to respond to requests for files and narrowing exceptions to the law.