In the news today: Gun control push, OPP officer funeral, Canada plays Qatar

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

Gun control advocacy groups urge PM to implement long-awaited protection measure

A women’s advocacy organization and several groups that support gun control are urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to implement a key facet of firearms legislation passed 30 months ago.

The measure would make a person subject to a protection order ineligible to hold a firearms licence while the order is in effect, allowing for firearms to be quickly removed from abusers.

In a media statement, groups that support firearm control, including the National Association of Women and the Law, urge the Liberals to move the measure forward without delay.

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Unifor National President Lana Payne speaks during a rally calling for the protection of Canadian jobs, at the union’s Constitution Convention in Vancouver, on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Detroit Three, union set to open bargaining against backdrop of tariffs, CUSMA review

The union representing nearly 19,000 Canadian auto workers says it’s bracing for the most consequential labour negotiations in its history.

Contract talks between Unifor and the Detroit Three automakers — Ford, Stellantis and General Motors — are to kick off Monday in Toronto as their collective agreements expire in September.

The latest round of bargaining comes amid difficult conditions for the sector as it copes with U.S. tariffs, uncertainty around upcoming trade talks and the introduction of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada.

When it comes to the union’s priorities, its president Lana Payne says job security is paramount as nearly 6,500 jobs have been lost in the auto manufacturing sector since February 2025.

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OPP Provincial Constable Tarun Bali was killed in the line of duty this afternoon in Hearst.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Thomas Carrique (Mandatory Credit)

Funeral to be held for OPP officer fatally struck by car in Hearst, Ont., last week

Fellow officers, dignitaries and family members will pay their respects to an Ontario Provincial Police constable killed on the job at his funeral in Mississauga today.

Const. Tarun Bali was fatally struck by a vehicle last week in the northern Ontario town of Hearst, as police tried to stop a man who had escaped from a hospital.

The 29-year-old’s funeral service will not be open to the general public, but the OPP says people can observe the funeral cortège as it travels west on Highway 407 from Thornhill to the Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre.

The service is expected to be livestreamed on the OPP’s YouTube page.

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The offshore supply ship Paul A. Sacuta is seen moored in the port of St. John’s, Nfld., Friday, June 23, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Radon in Newfoundland public housing a reminder of urgent national problem: experts

The Newfoundland and Labrador government recently found hazardous levels of radon, a cancer-causing gas, in 23 public housing units, exceeding federal health guidelines.

The discovery of the gas at levels exceeding federal health guidelines has prompted some experts to call for mandatory testing across the country.

Kelley Bush, manager of Health Canada’s national radon outreach program, applauded the province’s efforts, but she says there is more work to be done.

Pam Warkentin, with the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists, says while provinces have made headway testing for radon, it’s hard to tell which have tested all housing units.

Environmental lawyer Jacqueline Wilson says provinces should mandate testing in all public housing and introduce rules requiring landlords to test and mitigate the dangers.

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Canada’s Voyageurs toward Toronto Stadium ahead of Canada’s World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, on Friday, June 12, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

World Cup fans in Vancouver get ready to paint the town red

Canada’s World Cup campaign shifts to Vancouver today and fans are preparing to give them a home-turf boost at BC Place Stadium against Qatar.

Canadian supporters group The Voyageurs will stage a march along the so-called “last mile” to the stadium, starting near Science World, where its dome has been transformed into a massive replica of a World Cup soccer ball.

Canada fans are being encouraged to wear red to the match, which has a 3 p.m. kickoff and is expected to have Prime Minister Mark Carney in attendance. 

It’s the second of seven World Cup matches at BC Place after the stadium’s tournament debut on Saturday between Australia and Turkey.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

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