In the news: B.C. flooding continues, another Conservative crosses the floor

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Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Flooding in Fraser Valley could peak today as B.C. prepares for second system

Flooding in the Fraser Valley, caused by overflow from the Nooksack River in Washington state, is expected to peak today as residents wait to see the severity of the inundation.

David Campbell with the BC River Forecast Centre says water levels across the border were already receding, but floodwaters the river is pouring north into the Sumas area were expected to keep rising overnight.

He says rainfall warnings are down, but the forecast shows another round of atmospheric river and stormy systems is expected Sunday and may bring with it increased flood hazards.

The City of Abbotsford, which is under a state of emergency, says residents of more than 450 properties have been told to get out immediately, with more than 1,000 others under evacuation alert.

Another Conservative MP crosses the floor to join Liberal caucus

Toronto-area MP Michael Ma left the Conservatives to join the Liberal caucus Thursday, leaving Prime Minister Mark Carney just one seat shy of a coveted majority government.

Ma was welcomed with a standing ovation at the Liberal holiday party in Ottawa, where Carney invited his newest MP to join him on stage.

He is the second MP elected as a Conservative in April to cross the floor to the Liberals this fall, after Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont made the move in early November — the day the Liberals tabled the federal budget.

The floor crossing also comes less than two months before Pierre Poilievre faces a leadership review vote at the party’s convention in Calgary.

House of Commons rises for six-week holiday break

The House of Commons has started its winter break — without the government’s lengthy budget implementation bill becoming law.

House leader Steven MacKinnon told reporters Thursday the past 11 weeks of the fall sitting have seen “very hard work” by the government to protect jobs and reduce the cost of living.

This was the first full sitting since Prime Minister Mark Carney took office in the spring and it saw MPs pass legislation to speed up major projects and remove interprovincial trade barriers.

Asked how he thought this sitting of Parliament has gone, Carney said things are “functioning well.”

But Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer accused the Liberals of delaying the passage of their own legislative agenda and failing to work with other parties to tackle affordability concerns.

Canada Post says it won’t axe library shipping program despite proposal in budget

Canada Post says it will not axe a program to offset shipping costs for libraries, despite a federal bill that proposes its end.

Bill C-15 removes a clause in Canada Post legislation providing reduced shipping rates for books and other materials mailed between libraries or to library users, instead proposing that Canada Post set its own rates.

Mary Chevreau with the Canadian Urban Libraries Council says the special rate is needed to protect interlibrary loan programs and to keep rural libraries open.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the St. John’s Public Libraries Board says losing the rate program would be “catastrophic” for rural libraries and literacy.

Claims period closes Friday in $500-million bread price-fixing settlement

Today is the last day to get a slice of the $500 million settlement in the class-action suit, related to Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd., of alleged industry-wide price fixing of bread.

Canadian shoppers who bought packaged bread between January 2001 and December 2021 can file a claim on the Canadian Bread Settlement website without proof of purchase.

Those who file a claim could receive $25 within six to 12 months after the deadline.

The $500 million settlement includes a combined $404 million to be paid by Loblaw and George Weston.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2025.