National News

OTTAWA — Come Jan. 1, Canada Pension Plan contributions are going up again, although higher than originally planned.

The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 8:20 p.m. ET on Tuesday Dec. 29, 2020. There are 565,506 confirmed cases in Canada. _ Canada: 565,506 confirmed cases (72,271 active, 477,857 resolved, 15,378 deaths).

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what's on the radar of our editors for the morning of Dec. 30 ... What we are watching in Canada ...

MONTREAL — It was a former CFL player and community activist who helped push the concept of systemic racism to the forefront in Quebec politics this year, after forcing the city of Montreal to confront the issue.

FREDERICTON — Blaine Higgs says 2020 taught him a lot about the importance of perseverance. The New Brunswick Premier says his province held the line this year against COVID-19, guarding Atlantic Canada from Quebec to the north and Maine to the west.

OTTAWA — A new poll suggests the COVID-19 pandemic has made some Canadians feel more grateful for what they have.

OTTAWA — Sen. Elaine McCoy, who sat as an Independent from the day she was appointed to the upper chamber, has died. McCoy died Tuesday in Ottawa. She was 74. Born in Brandon, Man.

Ontario is planning to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations after facing criticism for scaling down operations over the holidays, while Alberta acknowledges it over-estimated how quickly it would be able to get shots into people's arms. Retired Gen.

MONTREAL — Quebec Liberal member Pierre Arcand is vacationing with his wife in the Caribbean despite warnings from the federal and provincial governments to stay home during the pandemic.

IQALUIT — Pangnirtung mayor Eric Lawlor couldn't see out his windows on Sunday. That's when a record-breaking blizzard hit the Baffin Island community of about 1,500, shaking houses and crushing cabins.