WINNIPEG – The following is a glance at the news moving markets in Canada and globally.

– For the first time in two years, Canadians will go to the polls to elect Members of Parliament in the 44th Canadian general election on Monday. Writs of election were issued by Governor General Mary Simon on Aug. 15 and were followed by a 36-day campaign, the shortest in Canadian history. Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party is trying to make gains on its 155 seats in the House of Commons, but polling shows a neck-and-neck race with Erin O’Toole’s Conservative Party and analysts project another Liberal minority government. Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party and Yves-Francois Blanchet’s Bloc Quebecois are both in a battle to hold the balance of power in the case of a minority government. The Green Party will try to add to its two seats, while the populist right-wing People’s Party of Canada seeks to elect its first-ever MP.

– Pfizer announced on Monday the results of trials showing its COVID-19 vaccine (also known as Comirnaty) is safe for children ages five to 11 and will seek authorization by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the age group by the end of September. While the children were given one-third the dosage of those aged 12 and older, they developed a similar amount of antibodies after their second dose. After the FDA gives authorization, it is expected its counterparts in Canada and Europe will follow suit.

– Alberta’s new vaccine passport program will come into effect on Monday, days after it was announced by Premier Jason Kenney who had previously said the province will not adopt such a program. The program allows businesses and venues to operate without capacity limits and other public health measures if they require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result from anyone entering. Currently, Alberta’s health care system has been overtaxed by a new influx of residents infected by the virus with some physicians saying it is in the middle of collapse.