CanadaAug 16, 2023
China snubs Canada on its list of approved travel destinations
The Chinese government has removed Canada from its list of approved international travel destinations for tour groups.The decision could be detrimental to Canada's travel industry's post-pandemic recovery.The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on August 10 that 78 countries have been added to the list of approved destinations for group tours and package travel.Travel agents in China use this list when promoting overseas travel and booking travel for Chinese nationals.On the question of excluding Canada from this list, the public affairs office of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said that recentl
CanadaAug 16, 2023
Trudeau to meet recently shuffled cabinet in Prince Edward Island next week
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet will meet in Prince Edward Island next week.During this meeting, the agenda for the parliamentary session of the fall season will be decided.This will be the first cabinet meeting after the major reshuffle of the Prime Minister's cabinet in July.In the cabinet reshuffle, seven MPs were dropped and seven new faces joined the cabinet.The ministries of several cabinet members were also changed.A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said that the Cabinet meeting will focus on economic issues, health care and climate change.
CanadaAug 15, 2023
Military members can now take sexual misconduct complaints to human rights commission
Members of the military now have the option to bypass the Canadian Armed Forces grievance process and taking complaints of sexual misconduct, harassment or discrimination to a third party.The military announced today that the independent Canadian Human Rights Commission will hear new and existing complaints.It is worth mentioning that former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour recommended the change in her May 2022 report on sexual misconduct and toxic culture in the Armed Forces.Defence Minister Bill Blair says the government will also stop filing objections to human-rights complaints on the
CanadaAug 15, 2023
July home sales see little change from June, largest annual rise in two years: CREA
There was no significant difference in home sales in Canada in July as compared to June.According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, an increase of 8.7% though has been recorded in the sale of houses compared to the previous July.And this is the biggest year-on-year jump in the last two years.Home prices also increased by 6.3% compared to a year ago and the average price of a home was recorded at $668,000.
CanadaAug 15, 2023
Canada’s inflation rate rose to 3.3% in July
Inflation has started to rise again in Canada.According to a report released by Statistics Canada on Tuesday, inflation rose to 3.3 per cent in July, down from 2.8 per cent in June for the first time since March 2021.According to StatCan, higher gas prices contributed to the increase in inflation.Meanwhile, food prices at grocery stores rose to 8.5 percent, but food prices rose at a moderate pace in July compared to the 9.1 percent jump seen in June.Economists had already predicted that the inflation rate for the month of July may see a jump in the inflation rate.BMO and CIBC had forecast infl
BCAug 14, 2023
Heat wave predicted for entire B.C. this week
Much of British Columbia is expected to experience extreme heat throughout the week.Environment Canada predicted that Kamloops will reach a high of 38 degrees by Wednesday and Port Alberni is expected to hover around 30 degrees this week.Emergency Management Minister, Bowinn Ma has urged BC residents to take precautions to avoid the heat, drink more water and fluids and limit outdoor activities.People have also been asked to move to cooling centers if possible.In the heat warning issued on Saturday, the Department of Meteorology predicted that the temperature would reach 33 degrees in Vancouve
BCAug 14, 2023
City Manager Vincent Lalonde retires from City of Surrey
After 26 years of dedicated service, including the past 9 years as City Manager, Vincent Lalonde has decided to retire from the City of Surrey."On behalf of Surrey City Council, I want to thank Vince for his remarkable dedication to the City of Surrey," said Mayor Brenda Locke.Vincent Lalonde has held various positions at the City of Surrey over the last 26 years including GM of the Engineering Department. He has also served as the Chair of Metro Vancouver Regional Administrators Advisory Committee and as the BC Board Representative of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators.Counc
BCAug 14, 2023
Helicopter crash near Enderby sent four people to hospital
Four people have been hospitalized after a helicopter crashed near B.C.'s Enderby.B.C. Emergency Health Services said that they received a call around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday about a helicopter that crashed in the Shuswap River near Mebel Lake Resort.After the incident, seven ambulances reached the spot and the paramedics admitted four people to the hospital after giving first aid.The condition of all of them is said to be stable.People living near the scene said that when they suddenly saw the plane descend from the sky and plunge straight into the river, they ran and pulled two people out of t
BCAug 11, 2023
B.C. Hydro so far approved 2000 applications for free air conditioners
B.C. Hydro is now accepting applications for government-funded air conditioners for low-income residents.B.C. government had promised to distribute 8,000 air conditioning units in the next three years.Online applications started for people who live in apartments or condos.B.C. Hydro spokesperson said they had approved 2,000 of the 3,000 applications they received from low-income households as of last week.It is worth mentioning that B.C. government has decided to provide free air conditioners to thousands of low-income people amid the rising heat.In this regard, $10 million will be spent by th