canada
Canada’s inflation rate increases to 4%
Grocery prices increased at 6.9 per cent annual pace Canada’s inflation rate jumped higher last month, to an annual pace of four per cent, mostly because of an increase in gasoline prices. Statistics Canada reported Tuesday that the inflation rate ticked higher by 0.7 percentage points, in large part because gasoline prices increased on an annual basis for the first time since January. Pump prices increased by 4.6 per cent in August alone, and are up by 0.8 per cent compared to where they were a year ago. Energy pricesRead more
Canada’s women’s rugby 7s team welcomes Aussie push ahead of Olympic qualifier
Series of exhibitions against top-ranked opponent provides growth in many areas Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team opted for the school of hard knocks ahead of this weekend’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Langford, B.C. And not the usual ones associated with a physical sport. What the team received from a series of exhibitions this summer against top-ranked Australia were lessons in tactics and play the organization believes will only help Canada in the long run. “We’re really just striving to improve from our performance last year, and playing against the bestRead more
Canada’s top court refuses appeal from B.C. churches protesting COVID-19 restrictions
Decision marks end of legal road for faith leaders 2½ years after they first challenged limits on gatherings Canada’s highest court will not hear an appeal that challenged limits on religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, marking a significant endorsement for British Columbia’s provincial health officer and the end of the legal road for the faith leaders involved. The Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear the case from churches in B.C.’s Fraser Valley that argued public health rules violated their Charter rights by banning indoor religious services during the height of the pandemic. “We areRead more
Parents say Canadian scouts learning ‘resiliency’ as storm forces jamboree to move in South Korea Social Sharing
Jamboree to move from site in Buan, with activities expected to continue in Seoul, Scouts Canada says Canadian parents with children at an international scout jamboree in South Korea say despite multiple weather and climate related hiccups threatening to call down the event, they’re happy their children are getting the chance to stay abroad. The first week of the World Scout Jamboree in Buan was marked by extreme heat, resulting in hundreds of participants being treated for heat-related ailments and thousands of British and American scouts moving offsite. The Canadian contingent elected to stay. But onRead more
CBSA dog handler says she was ‘terrorized’ after fighting maternity leave rule
Union says there’s no fair way for officers to complain about management harassment For years, Danielle Getzie had her dream job. One of those all-consuming, nothing-else-matters-because-I’ve-made-it jobs. She was part of the Canada Border Services Agency’s selective dog handler program, tracking down contraband at the Vancouver airport with her drug-sniffing canine partner Nova. “I would have considered, and I did consider, not having a family for my job, because it was that important to me,” she said from her Vancouver home. “It was very well known that to be a female dogRead more
Calgary clinic charging membership fees runs contrary to Canada Health Act: Health Canada
CBC News reported Monday that Calgary clinic was asking for nearly $5K a year for a 2-parent membership Health Canada says it has written to Alberta officials to inform them that the ability for patients “to purchase preferential access” at a Calgary clinic runs contrary to the Canada Health Act. “We are working collaboratively with the province of Alberta to ensure the clinic’s patients continue to receive medically necessary services free of patient charges,” the government department wrote in an email. On Monday, CBC News reported that a Calgary clinic had told its membersRead more
Community, Indigenous drug-related services groups in Western Canada to get $20M from Ottawa
Money to be shared between 42 local drug-related programs across B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan Dozens of community and Indigenous groups across British Columbia and the Prairies will share $20 million in federal funding to boost the mental health and drug awareness, treatment and rehabilitation services they offer. The money is to be shared between 42 local drug-related programs across B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, Canada’s Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett announced on Thursday. The minister was in Squamish, B.C., where she visited two addiction treatment centres, including one for youth.Read more
Canada’s small airlines are disappearing into WestJet. What does that mean for travellers?
Fewer airlines could mean less choice — but it could also mean better service, experts say Some people are questioning the future of air travel in Canada after WestJet confirmed this weekend that it’s planning to wind down Sunwing Airlines. The news comes on the heels of the airline’s decision to fold its budget subsidiary Swoop into its main operation. Here’s what some experts think WestJet’s moves could mean. What does WestJet’s move mean for travellers? It depends who you ask, and what you value as an airline passenger, such as value,Read more
Canada attends first-of-its-kind UFO briefing at the Pentagon
Amid extraordinary new claims, U.S. office delivers its first briefing to allied nations The Canadian government has confirmed its participation in a first-of-its kind international meeting on unidentified flying objects hosted at United States military headquarters. The gathering at the Pentagon late last month comes amid a burst of activity in Washington and eye-popping news reports related to so-called Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). It featured a U.S.-led briefing to visitors from nations of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The Canadian DepartmentRead more
Hundreds of charges laid, 173 guns seized in firearm trafficking operation, police say
42 people arrested, 442 criminal charges laid Dozens of people have been arrested and hundreds of criminal charges laid, police say, in connection with with a yearlong investigation into cross-border gun trafficking. At a news conference hosted by Toronto police Tuesday morning, investigators announced the arrest of 42 people, 442 criminal charges laid and the seizure of 173 guns in Canada and the United States. Three of those arrested are youths, police say. The joint forces investigation was conducted by Toronto police, York Regional Police, Durham Regional Police Service, Ontario ProvincialRead more