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alberta-proposes-law-to-add-citizenship-status-and-health-numbers-to-drivers-licences
AlbertaNov 18, 2025

Alberta proposes law to add citizenship status and health numbers to driver’s licences

Alberta has introduced legislation that would require citizenship status and provincial health numbers to be displayed on all driver’s licences and government ID cards. The proposal formalizes a plan the province first signalled earlier this year, prompting debate about how much personal information should appear on identification used for everyday transactions. Privacy advocates previously warned that the change could expose a person’s citizenship status in routine situations such as age verification at stores or restaurants. Government officials argue the measure will make it easier for
calgary-committee-backs-motion-to-scrap-blanket-rezoning-ahead-of-full-council-vote
AlbertaNov 17, 2025

Calgary committee backs motion to scrap blanket rezoning ahead of full council vote

Calgary’s executive committee has endorsed a motion from Mayor Jeromy Farkas to roll back the city’s blanket rezoning bylaw, setting the stage for a final decision by full council on December 15. The move begins the formal process to undo a housing policy approved earlier this year under former mayor Jyoti Gondek. The bylaw, adopted in April 2024, allowed fourplexes and rowhouses on all residential lots without requiring individual public hearings or neighbourhood-level consultation. Council approved the changes despite strong opposition from residents who argued the citywide approach w
alberta-cabinet-minister-apologizes-after-voicemail-with-expletive-becomes-public
AlbertaNov 17, 2025

Alberta cabinet minister apologizes after voicemail with expletive becomes public

Alberta cabinet minister Tanya Fir has issued a public apology after a voicemail she left for a Calgary constituent captured her using an expletive once she believed the call had ended. Fir, who serves as minister of arts, culture and Status of Women, acknowledged the remark in a written statement and described it as a lapse in judgment. The voicemail, released over the weekend by Alberta columnist Doug Firby, begins with Fir returning a constituent’s call and referencing feedback she had received. After offering a goodbye, the line remains open as she turns to speak with someone nearby. In
WorldNov 17, 2025

Australian Paralympic champion Paige Greco dies at age 28

Australian para-cyclist Paige Greco, a gold medalist from the Tokyo Paralympics, has died following what officials described as a sudden medical episode at her home in Adelaide on Sunday. She was 28. Greco, who lived with cerebral palsy, captured international attention in 2021 when she won the first gold medal awarded at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, breaking her own world record on the track. She went on to earn two bronze medals in the road race and individual time trial. Paralympics Australia and the national cycling federation said her family is grieving the unexpected loss, remembering her
langley-rcmp-search-for-two-suspects-after-hit-and-run-involving-unmarked-police-vehicle
BCNov 17, 2025

Langley RCMP search for two suspects after hit and run involving unmarked police vehicle

Police in Langley say they are looking for two people who ran from the scene of a hit and run that involved an unmarked Abbotsford Police vehicle late Friday evening. The collision took place around 7:20 p.m. in the 5200 block of 264 Street, an area that links rural Langley to several major Fraser Valley routes. Investigators say a white GMC Canyon pickup struck the unmarked vehicle, injuring the officer inside. The officer was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released. Members of both Langley RCMP and the Abbotsford Police Department responded to the sce
surrey-police-ask-for-public-help-to-find-missing-84-year-old-man
CanadaNov 17, 2025

Surrey police ask for public help to find missing 84-year-old man

Surrey Police Service is asking the public for help to locate 84-year-old Won Kil Kim, who has been missing since early Sunday morning. Police say he was last seen around 7 a.m. on November 16 in the 10300 block of 155A Street in northeast Surrey. Family members told officers Kim had planned to travel to a church in Burnaby before heading to the Grouse Mountain area for a hike, but investigators say it is not clear whether he reached either location. Police note that he may have been carrying two hiking poles, though his clothing is unknown. Kim is described as a Korean man, about five foot fi
canadian-home-sales-slip-year-over-year-in-october-as-economists-anticipate-stronger-activity-in-2026
CanadaNov 17, 2025

Canadian home sales slip year over year in October as economists anticipate stronger activity in 2026

Canadian home sales were lower last month compared with the previous year, as rising inventories and cautious buyers continued to shape market conditions heading into winter. New figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association show 42,068 residential properties changed hands in October, a 4.3 per cent decline from October 2024. Despite the annual drop, monthly activity inched higher. Sales increased 0.9 per cent from September, marking the sixth monthly gain in seven months. Analysts say that pattern suggests the market may be stabilizing after several years of volatility driven by interest
canadas-inflation-rate-eases-to-2-2-percent-in-october-as-fuel-and-food-costs-decline
CanadaNov 17, 2025

Canada’s inflation rate eases to 2.2 percent in October as fuel and food costs decline

Canada’s inflation rate slowed to 2.2 percent in October, with Statistics Canada reporting that lower gasoline and grocery prices played a leading role in easing overall consumer costs. The agency says fuel prices dropped more sharply than in September as retailers shifted to less expensive winter fuel blends. Grocery prices also moved downward, falling 0.6 percent from the previous month. Statistics Canada notes that this was the most significant month to month decline in more than five years, offering some relief to households facing persistent affordability pressures. Annual food inflatio
WorldNov 17, 2025

Bangladesh tribunal issues death sentences against ousted prime minister in student-protest crackdown case

A special tribunal in Bangladesh has imposed death sentences on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and ex-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, holding them responsible for a violent state response to a student uprising last year, according to the court’s decision released Monday. Both former officials were tried in absentia after leaving for India, which has said it will not extradite them. The International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka ruled that the pair authorized actions that contributed to widespread casualties during nationwide demonstrations over a contested public-sector quota system. The pr

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b-c-conservatives-promise-1-000-annual-tax-cut-for-low-and-middle-income-families
BCOct 08, 2026

B.C. Conservatives Promise $1,000 Annual Tax Cut for Low- and Middle-Income Families

B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has announced a proposed $1,000 annual provincial income-tax cut for low- and middle-income families. Speaking at a grocery store in Surrey, Doerkson said that if elected premier, his government would raise the provincial basic personal income-tax exemption to $32,000. He said this would mean British Columbians would pay no provincial income tax on their first $32,000 of income. Doerkson said a two-income household could save up to $2,000 a year under the proposal, with the money remaining in families’ pockets rather than going to the government. He al
27-year-old-charged-in-burnaby-crash-that-killed-elderly-couple
BCOct 08, 2026

27-Year-Old Charged in Burnaby Crash That Killed Elderly Couple

A 27-year-old Abbotsford man has been charged in connection with a fatal crash in Burnaby that killed an elderly couple nearly two years ago. According to Burnaby RCMP, the crash occurred on December 21, 2024, at Boundary Road and Forest Street, where two vehicles collided and one vehicle struck the other from the side. A 67-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man, who were travelling in the same vehicle, died at the scene. Following an investigation that lasted nearly two years, the RCMP’s Criminal Collision Investigation Team determined that charges were warranted. The B.C. Prosecution Servic
eby-pledges-to-freeze-icbc-insurance-rates-for-another-three-years
BCOct 08, 2026

Eby Pledges to Freeze ICBC Insurance Rates for Another Three Years

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby has promised to freeze ICBC insurance rates for another three years if his party is re-elected. Speaking during a campaign stop in Richmond, Eby said the move would mean B.C. drivers would go a total of 10 years without facing additional increases in their vehicle insurance rates. Eby credited his government’s no-fault insurance reforms for helping move B.C. from having some of the most expensive auto insurance in Canada to among the most affordable. He also criticized B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson, warning that insurance rates could double again if the Co
bill-c-39-faces-vote-in-house-of-commons-amid-strike-powers-controversy
BCOct 08, 2026

Bill C-39 Faces Vote in House of Commons Amid Strike Powers Controversy

Canada’s House of Commons is set to vote today on the federal government’s controversial Bill C-39, which aims to fast-track approvals for major projects. The bill has drawn criticism over a provision that would amend Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, giving the Labour Minister the power to intervene in an ongoing strike by citing the national interest. NDP parliamentary leader Don Davies has called the bill an attack on workers’ and Indigenous rights, as well as environmental protections. He said he is concerned about a growing trend of power being concentrated in the hands of cabi
BCOct 08, 2026

Vancouver Advance Voting Sets New Daily Record as 25,142 Voters Cast Ballots

Vancouver’s municipal election advance voting has set a new daily record, with 25,142 people casting their ballots on Wednesday, the second day of advance voting. According to preliminary figures released by the City of Vancouver, it was the highest number of advance votes recorded in a single day in the city’s history. The previous record was set just four days earlier, on Oct. 3, when 21,824 voters cast their ballots on the first day of advance voting. In comparison, only 10,502 people voted on the second day of advance voting during Vancouver’s 2022 municipal election. This year’s f