<p>A man sits under a tree in the Montreal borough of Lachine on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi</p>

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

End in sight for heat wave gripping Eastern Canada

Relief is in sight for some residents of Eastern Canada as a heat wave is expected to break. Ontario, Quebec and parts of Atlantic Canada have been dealing with stifling heat, with Thursday bringing temperatures of around 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. However, Environment Canada says less hot and humid conditions are expected to slowly move into the area this weekend. A prolonged heat event continues through Friday in Toronto and Hamilton, but temperatures are expected to be in the mid to high 20s this weekend.

Here's what else we're watching...

Air quality bulletin issued for Metro Vancouver due to trestle bridge fire

Metro Vancouver Regional District has issued an Air Quality Bulletin after a large industrial fire broke out near River Rock Casino in Richmond. Richmond Fire-Rescue says crews have extinguished the warehouse portion of the fire and are working to extinguish the trestle bridge that runs across the North arm of the Fraser River near the Oak Street Bridge, bordering Vancouver and Richmond. Metro Vancouver says the fire is expected to be burning through Thursday night and into Friday.

Official bilingualism in Canada a 'myth'

A new poll reveals a stark divide between Quebec and the rest of Canada about whether the country should be bilingual. In a Leger poll conducted for The Canadian Press, only 43 per cent of respondents across Canada said they held a positive view of federal bilingualism — which was enshrined into law in 1969, making English and French Canada’s official languages. Eighteen per cent of respondents held a negative view. However, in Quebec, 70 per cent of respondents said they view bilingualism positively; 11 per cent held the opposite opinion.

How a global collective sees Canada's AI landscape

Members of a global tech collective meant to shape the future of artificial intelligence say Canada has much to prioritize. Organizations involved in the 100-member AI Alliance led by IBM and Meta say the country has to better work at creating opportunities for AI companies in Canada. The founder of the Montreal AI Ethics Institute says Canada has long been a hotbed for AI research but he worries about the country's ability to turn the technology into profits. Abhishek Gupta says some of that worry stems from Canadian talent flocking to the US and other nations, where engineers make heftier salaries than in Canada.

Ontario considers housing data revisions

Ontario is considering revising its tallies of how many homes are built in cities and towns across the province, after some complained that undercounting has cost them millions in provincial funding. As Premier Doug Ford's government attempts to get 1.5 million homes built by 2031 it has assigned annual housing targets to 50 municipalities and promised extra funding to those who exceed or get close to them. To qualify for money under the Building Faster Fund, municipalities need to have hit at least 80 per cent of their target of housing starts as calculated by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

'The Last Timbit' a big deal in shrinking sector

A Tim Hortons-sponsored musical may be something of a head-scratcher, but the team behind the project says the corporate money means "The Last Timbit" will roll out with panache. The production is set to run at Toronto's Elgin Theatre next week. It's loosely based on a massive blizzard in 2010 that stranded a group of drivers in a Tim Hortons in Sarnia, Ontario. Broadway actress Chilina Kennedy stars alongside Jake Epstein -- who was in "Degrassi: The Next Generation" before establishing a stage career.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2024.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2024