StatCan today publishes the inflation report for July

Here's a roundup of stories from the Canadian Press to bring you up to speed…

StatCan today publishes the inflation report for July

Statistics Canada releases its consumer price index report for July today.

Economists polled by Reuters expect the report to show inflation falling to 2.5 percent from 2.7 percent in June.

Price pressures in Canada have eased steadily this year, with annual inflation remaining below three percent since January.

The Bank of Canada was encouraged by this progress and lowered its key interest rate at its last two policy meetings.

Governor Tiff Macklem has indicated that further interest rate cuts are imminent as long as inflation continues to decline.

Here’s what else we’ll be looking at…

A look at today's news

Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to honor Joe Biden's legacy before the president figuratively passed the baton of party leadership to his vice president.

“Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifelong commitment to our nation, and for all that you will continue to do,” Harris said of Biden to thunderous cheers from her supporters.

Biden's speech was more celebratory than bittersweet and capped off Monday evening's event.

Just over a month ago, it was all but certain that he would stand on the stage and accept the nomination. Biden withdrew in July due to concerns about his age and prospects of winning.

The president paused several times and was accompanied by chants of “Thank you, Joe” before delivering an energetic speech about restoring jobs, supporting unions and strengthening environmental policy.

Biden criticized the Democrat's presidential rival, Donald Trump, as a liar and a danger to America's future. But the president ended his remarks with effusive support for his vice president, quoting one of his favorite songs with the words, “America, America, I gave you my best.”

“I am more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected as a 29-year-old U.S. Senator. I meant that,” Biden said.

“Folks, we just have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America and there is nothing we can't accomplish if we do it together.”

The theme of the four-day convention is “For the People, For Our Future.” Observers say it is a key moment for Democrats to unite the party and build on the enthusiasm behind Harris' campaign.

Introduction of a mobile phone ban in Alberta schools raises concerns

The president of Alberta's teachers union says the introduction of new guidelines banning the use of cell phones in the classroom starting this fall has left some teachers confused and unsure how to comply.

About two weeks before most students in preschool through Grade 12 return to school, President Jason Schilling said it was unclear why the province's new standards would take effect as early as Sept. 1, while school districts had until Jan. 1 to put their own policies and procedures in place.

In Alberta, school boards have previously been free to decide whether or not to ban cell phones, but Schilling said there are concerns among teachers at schools that have not yet enacted such rules.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced in June that private devices must be turned off and kept out of sight during class time, except for special learning or medical requirements.

In a statement to the Canadian Press, Nicolaides said that while the ban will take effect in the fall, he will leave it to local school boards to set their own policies by the new year.

British Columbia police omit last names from missing persons reports

The police department in Greater Victoria's largest municipality recently began excluding surnames from public notices for missing persons searches to avoid causing harm to those in the future.

It joins a growing number of law enforcement agencies across Canada and has received praise from the British Columbia Provincial Privacy Commissioner.

Others, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), continue to publish surnames, arguing that more clarity is needed.

Since the beginning of the year, the police in Toronto and Calgary have only been using first names when reporting missing persons.

BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner supports this change.

Stress means a “delicate balance” in the protection of MP

The demands to protect parliamentarians and other public figures would place a “significant burden” on RCMP personnel and divert resources from other federal police priorities, an internal briefing said.

The national police are forced to “strike a delicate balance” when it comes to providing protection services in response to threats reported by parliamentarians, the newly released February memo said.

“The limited capacity of the RCMP’s protective services must be prioritized based on these assessments.”

The briefing, which the RCMP received under the Access to Information Act, was prepared for a meeting of the Deputy Ministers' Protection Committee, co-chaired by the National Security and Intelligence Adviser and the Deputy Minister of Public Safety Canada.

The note is one of several memos released under the Access Act in early 2024. It comes amid ongoing concerns about protecting MPs, senators and other prominent figures from a growing barrage of online abuse and physical threats.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 20, 2024.

The Canadian Press