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    • 400K seniors approved for dental care program as applications set to open for more Canadians

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    Applications for the federal government's new dental insurance program are about to open up to more Canadians.

    Starting Feb. 1, Service Canada will begin sending letters to seniors aged 72 to 76 inviting them to apply for the Canadian Dental Care Plan, which provides dental coverage for Canadians without dental insurance if their family income is less than $90,000.

    The program is set to start in May, but applications have been rolling out in phases starting with Canadians 87 and older in December 2023. In January, those aged 77 to 86 were invited to apply, and in March, seniors aged 70 to 71 will be able to apply.

    So far, Employment and Social Development Canada says more than 400,000 Canadian seniors have already been approved.

    Applications will move to an online process and open up for all seniors aged 65 and older in May 2024, coinciding with the start of the program.

    Canadians with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate and children under 18 can begin applying this June, while all remaining eligible Canadians are set to gain access in 2025.

    After Service Canada has deemed an applicant eligible, their information will be shared with Sun Life, the insurance company responsible for administering the program. Sun Life will handle the enrolment and send eligible applicants a welcome package, informing them of their specific coverage start date and details of their plan.

    But as application eligibility continues to expand, dentists have expressed concerns over the lack of details on how the program will work or how much the government will pay, with the May launch of the program less than four months away.

    Federal Health Minister Mark Holland told Â鶹ӰÊÓ Channel's Power Play host Vassy Kapelos negotiations are still ongoing with dental associations and said he'll "make sure" dentists get fair compensation under the program.

    "We have a long time between now and May when services roll out and I feel deeply confident in the program," he said. "Looking at all of those moving pieces, I feel very confident we can meet those timelines."

    Canadians enrolled in the program would only be able to use their coverage with dentists who have opted in. Holland said he's confident that the program is "going to have really strong uptake" among dentists.

    "I base it on reason, and the conversations that I've had, to feel very confident that we're going to have something there that's fair to both patients and dentists," Holland said.

    With files from CTVNews.ca's Rachel Aiello

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    Canada

    • A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

    • The London Police Service (LPS) is currently investigating a suspicious death in the east end.

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    • Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

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    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

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    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

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    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

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    • A man who was found dead behind a curling rink in Nanaimo, B.C., earlier this month was the victim of a homicide, police confirmed.

    • No one was injured when a large fire destroyed a home in a rural part of Surrey overnight.

    • A suspect wanted in a homicide in Richmond Hill has been arrested, York Regional Police say.

    • Toronto police say they have now identified a third person who they believe was involved in a shooting that left two men dead in North York earlier this week.

    • A man is fighting for his life in hospital a day after a vehicle smashed into several others in and around an intersection in Milton before flipping over.

    • The water coming from your taps might be a bit murky Saturday, but Calgary remains on schedule to end all water restrictions on Sunday.

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    • The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.

    • A woman who went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night has been found dead, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • A joint police operation to promote safe driving on Highway 417 in the Ottawa area has resulted in laying dozens of charges in three hours Friday, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • Whether it was a big truck, or a small one, the construction trucks rolling past the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) on Saturday had a very important job, and it's putting smiles on the faces of little ones.

    • Montrealers can get used to taking a stroll on several car-free streets during the summer in the years to come thanks to a new commitment from the city.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

    • Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.

    • The Edmonton Police Service is looking for a person of interest in connection with a suspicious fire that destroyed a multi-unit building and damaged several townhomes earlier this week.

    • Former Edmonton Oiler Zack Kassian has rejoined the team as a pro scout, the Oilers announced on Saturday.

    • Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.

    • Pictou County District RCMP is investigating a fatal crash that occurred in Thorburn, N.S., Saturday.

    • A proposal for additional parking to accommodate upgrades at the Irving Pulp & Paper Mill in Saint John, N.B., would add an estimated 500 parking spots at Wolastoq Park.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A herd of dogs paid visit to patients and residents at Riverview Health Centre during an annual event that lifts spirits and wags tails.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    • The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson.

    • Regina police arrested three youths in connection to a bear mace incident at a Regina high school on Friday.

    • Heading into Friday's game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."

    • The Cambridge Professional Fire Fighters’ Association held their annual Muscular Dystrophy Boot Drive on Saturday.

    • Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.

    • The provincial government is considering new rules to restrict a municipality’s ability to install new bike lanes if it means traffic lanes would be removed.

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    • The City of Saskatoon is proposing changes to the proposed downtown shelter site plan following feedback from nearby residents and businesses.

    • The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.

    • A motorcyclist has died following a serious collision that took place in London’s south end on Friday afternoon.

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    • The St. Thomas police is asking the public for help locating a missing man.

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    • One person is in hospital after an e-bike crash in Orillia on Thursday.

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    • The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is celebrating a year of festivities in anticipation of its 50th anniversary in 2025.

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    • Following an outbreak of COVID-19 on its continuing care floor and just ahead of the flu season, St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Elliot Lake has opted to re-introduce a universal masking policy until further notice.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

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