Red and white rain slickers, ponchos and umbrellas are the fashion accessories of choice today, July 1, 2017, on Parliament Hill as determined revellers prepare to mark Canada's 150th birthday.

Franklin Njomo spent the early part of his life advocating for human rights in Cameroon, and fled to Canada to seek refugee status after being jailed and tortured as a result.

They roared up in motorcycles and climbed out of Ubers, wearing high heels and flip flops, "Make Canada Great Again" hats, brocade blazers and sweatsuits.

The anti−refugee, anti−immigrant sentiment deployed by politicians is fuelled by fear, and the global challenge is to look at what drives that fear and respond to it, according to the UNHCR.

The winner among 13 Conservative candidates on Saturday will have to unite the party and get it in fighting form for the next election in 2019.

Rona Ambrose took on the job of interim Conservative leader with the goal of identifying and developing the party's future leaders — but apparently, that doesn't include voting for one.

"He can be my economic adviser for free for two years, so I’d be crazy not to use that," said Tory leadership candidate Maxime Bernier said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

A Liberal election promise to overhaul the way asylum claims are handled has been postponed indefinitely despite rising numbers of people seeking refuge in Canada putting the system at risk.

When Andrew Scheer first started telling people he was considering a run for the leadership of the federal Conservatives, he'd often get a raised eyebrow in response.

"As a minister, I am not here to step away from anything, I am here to own my mistake, but I also have a job to do to deliver for them," says National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan.