National News

OTTAWA — Former colleagues of a long-time Supreme Court justice are remembering Louis LeBel as a strong legal mind who was kind with sharing his insights. The former justice died Thursday at the age of 83.

WASHINGTON — The United States is happy to help Canada beat back the fearsome start of its wildfire season, officials say — but they are keeping one eye on the calendar, worried about when those resources might be needed closer to home.

Smoke and flames continue to engulf much of Canada with poor air quality in parts of Ontario and Quebec and the same blanketing much of the west.

OTTAWA — The New Brunswick government is facing backlash from Ottawa over a new education policy — including from the prime minister, who is accusing Blaine Higgs's government of targeting transgender kids.

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors detonated another bombshell under Donald Trump's election campaign Friday, this time hitting the former president with 37 felony charges related to the cavalier handling of national security secrets.

OTTAWA — Canada requested use of the European Union's compound in Kabul to help with tasks such as fingerprinting for those fleeing Afghanistan, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press.

TORONTO — This week, for the first time in its history, the Toronto Zoo's animals were under serious threat from smoky skies.

Environment Canada has been advising people to check the Air Quality Health Index as wildfire smoke blanketed large swaths of Canada in recent days.

Quebec's human rights commission has criticized the provincial government for blocking a religious gathering at a publicly owned convention centre after a cabinet minister said the event would have promoted anti-abortion views.

MONTREAL — The arrival of firefighters from France and New Brunswick is expected to bolster efforts to contain and control the large number of fires burning across Quebec in what's expected to be a marathon wildfire season, officials said Friday.