Humanist Association, religious leaders say it’s a trend that’s been growing for years Every 10 years, Statistics Canada asks Canadians whether they belong to a religious organization or group. And every 10 years, more and more people in British Columbia say no. According to the 2021 population census, 34.6 per cent of people in Canada claimed no religious affiliation, while in B.C. that number jumped to 52.4 per cent — the highest it’s ever been. Ian Bushfield, executive director of the British Columbia Humanist Association, says his organization is “thrilled.” “It’s monumental to see this threshold crossedRead more

Dozens of new mayors have former provincial or federal political experience Poke your head into any city hall across the country, and there’s a chance you’ll find a former MP or member of the provincial legislature sitting in the mayor’s chair. Recent municipal elections in B.C., Ontario and Manitoba saw scores of seasoned politicians making the jump — or the return — to the local level. Andrea Horwath is among them. The former Ontario NDP leader is the newly elected mayor of Hamilton, Ont. ­”Certainly I had accomplishments that reallyRead more

Strong-starting Shapovalov denied 1st title of 2022 by top seed Medvedev in Vienna Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal defeated Denmark’s Holger Rune 6-3, 7-5 in the Swiss Indoors final on Sunday for his third consecutive ATP Tour title. Auger-Aliassime, the third seed in the Basel, Switzerland, tournament and ninth in the world, fired 11 aces and won 78 per cent of his first-serve points. He also saved all three of Rune’s break point chances while converting on two out of his own five opportunities. The Montreal native went all five matches inRead more

Disorder can permanently disfigure waterfowl and lead to horrific deaths: wildlife rehabilitation manager Manitoba bird experts are warning the public to think twice about feeding bread to wild birds after two mallards were seen at Winnipeg’s St. Vital Park with signs of a condition known as angel wing — a syndrome that affects aquatic birds like ducks and geese and can permanently deform their wings. Angel wing is caused by a nutritional deficiency that comes from humans feeding wild birds foods high in carbohydrates and sugar, such as bread. “As a result,Read more

CUPE gave 5-day notice of potential provincewide strike Sunday The Ontario government will table legislation Monday to prevent a strike by education workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Earlier on Sunday CUPE gave the required five days’ notice for job action, positioning 55,000 workers — including educational assistants, custodians and early childhood educators — to go on full strike as soon as Friday. The government and education workers returned to the bargaining table Sunday afternoon but Education Minister Stephen Lecce issued a statement Sunday night saying the unionRead more

Evacuees of apartment building damaged during storm still trying to find long-term housing A month after post-tropical storm Fiona hit Nova Scotia, 96 people in Cape Breton are still being housed by the Red Cross because they don’t have a home to return to. Many of those being housed in residences at Cape Breton University or hotels are from an apartment building on Rotary Drive in Sydney. The building’s roof was badly damaged during the storm and residents had to be evacuated. Vishal Singh was among them. He lives and works inRead more

Company removes worker after remote tracking software helped determine they were sleeping on the job The electronic employee surveillance system installed at Lori McEniry’s company helped determine that an employee was sleeping on the job, while working from home. That person ended up being let go. McEniry is the principal owner of Faxinating Solutions Inc. in Quebec, which employs roughly 40 people, and services the supply chain by processing invoices and purchase orders. She says the tracking began once employees were forced to work from home in March 2020 because ofRead more

U.S. officials kept Washington side of the park open throughout the pandemic One of British Columbia’s last remaining COVID-19 closures has finally been lifted. Peace Arch Provincial Park, the nine-hectare park that straddles the B.C.-Washington state border south of Vancouver, reopened Monday after being closed more than two years ago amid pandemic-related border closures. A statement posted by B.C. Parks says it has been working with the local First Nation, Canadian Border Services Agency, RCMP and other agencies “to ensure the reopening of the park occurs in a safe and respectful manner.”Read more

RCMP has banned officers from wearing patch on uniforms A Saskatchewan Mountie was recently spotted wearing a symbol that has been associated with white nationalist movements while escorting an inmate who had just been sentenced for hate speech. The officer displayed a “thin blue line” patch on the left site of his hat Thursday as he transferred Travis Patron back to jail from Court of King’s Bench in Estevan. Patron, who formed the Canadian Nationalist Party in 2019 and led it in the federal election, was sentenced to one yearRead more

Provincially run liquor stores to close, law allowing for public alcohol consumption to be reintroduced The Saskatchewan government’s latest speech from the throne promises to amend and introduce legislation this fall to defend the province’s jurisdiction over its natural resources. Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty opened the fall sitting of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly on Wednesday with the speech. The speech laid out the government’s agenda and priorities for the session. The list was topped by legislative changes focused on federal government policies: Introducing The Saskatchewan First Act, “to clearly define and defendRead more