CanadaApr 13, 2023
Cyberattack knocks out website and mobile app for Quebec's hydro utility
Quebec's power utility says its website and mobile application have been knocked offline by a cyberattack.Hydro-Québec says it was targeted at around 3 a.m. by a denial-of-service assault when attackers flood an internet server with traffic and overwhelm it.The utility says the attack has shut down its website and cellphone application but says its critical systems are not affected.Hydro also says there was no data breach and personal data was not compromised.In recent days, Canadian websites have been targeted by cyberattacks with pro-Russian groups claiming responsibility.Targets included w
BCApr 11, 2023
At least 300 visits expected as B.C.'s 2023 cruise ship season officially launches
Cruise ship season officially launches in British Columbia as the Sapphire Princess berths in Victoria for a one-day visit.The vessel then travels to Vancouver to begin that city's season.The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority expects 330 ships between April and October, bringing at least 850,000 passengers to the capital.The Port of Vancouver says 331 cruise ships are scheduled over the same period, potentially delivering more than one million visitors into the downtown core, with almost daily arrivals and departures at the height of the season between May and September.Prince Rupert's cruise
CanadaApr 11, 2023
Union for 911 operators in RCMP calls for recruitment plan to address staff shortages
The union that represents the RCMP's emergency dispatchers and 911 operators is calling for the force to come up with a recruitment plan to fix worsening staff shortages.CUPE Local 104 president Kathleen Hippern says hundreds of people are off on long-term sick leave, but the force has not hired replacements for many of them.Hippern says that few centres are fully staffed, specifying that in Nova Scotia, staffing is only at about 50 per cent.She says morale is "abysmal" and she believes the lack of staff is affecting public safety by leaving callers sometimes waiting for minutes before someone
CanadaApr 11, 2023
About 16,000 Quebec clients remain without power six days after ice storm
Quebec's electric utility says it still can't say with certainty when power will return to all the homes and businesses affected by last week's ice storm.About 16,000 customers are still off the grid, and Hydro-Québec says the majority of them are in the Montreal area.Utility spokesman Francis Labbé says work is particularly complicated in areas where mature trees have damaged power lines and need to be removed before crews can conduct repairs.Hydro-Québec says it has restored power to 99 per cent of the 1.1 million customers who lost electricity after freezing rain sent trees crashing onto
CanadaApr 11, 2023
CEO, board of Trudeau Foundation resign citing recent politicization of their work
The CEO and most members of the board of directions for the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation say they are stepping down because of the political climate that has recently surrounded their work.In a statement posted on its website, the foundation says the politicization of a donation it received seven years ago has put a great deal of pressure on its management, volunteer board of directors and staff.The resignations come after the Globe and Mail newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources, that Chinese billionaire Zhang Bin and another Chinese businessman, Niu Gensheng, donated $200,000 to th
BCApr 10, 2023
Heavy rain sets off high-water warnings for rivers in southern B.C.
Forecasters are warning of swollen creeks and rivers as heavy rain sweeps over southern British Columbia.High streamflow advisories have been posted for all of Vancouver Island, the south coast and the southern Interior, warning that the possible rapid rise in rivers poses a risk to public safety.Environment Canada says a Pacific frontal system washed over Vancouver Island and the south coast over the weekend, bringing up to 90 millimetres to Haida Gwaii and more than 80 millimetres on Saturna Island.The River Forecast Centre says streams and rivers on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Fra
CanadaApr 10, 2023
Prime minister's chief of staff set to testify Friday on foreign interference
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's chief of staff, Katie Telford, will appear before a parliamentary committee on Friday.The Prime Minister's Office says Telford will testify at the procedure and House affairs committee on the issue of foreign interference in Canadian elections.The office says an exact time has not been scheduled.Telford agreed to meet with the committee last month, but not before the Liberals launched a filibuster that spanned several meetings in an attempt to keep her from appearing.At the time, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had said his party would back a Conservative motion to cal
CanadaApr 10, 2023
Man charged after downtown Montreal mosque break-in caught on video
Montreal police say a 32-year-old man is facing a mischief charge after allegedly smashing his way into a downtown mosque early Sunday morning.Const. Véronique Dubuc says investigators don't believe the incident was a hate crime, adding that the suspect will appear in court at a later date.A national Muslim group posted surveillance videos to social media showing someone using a rock to break into the mosque and to smash into the prayer room.The video by the Canadian Muslim Forum also shows an altercation involving the perpetrator and a handful of worshippers at the Al-Omah Al-Islamiah mosque
BCApr 10, 2023
Acts of violence in workplace increased 25 per cent over last 5 years in B.C
WorkSafeBC is reminding employers of their obligation to prevent violence in the workplace and ensure the safety of their workers. Over the last five years, acts of violence have increased by 25 per cent in B.C., from 2,292 accepted claims in 2018 to 2,868 in 2022. WorkSafeBC regulations require that employers conduct a risk assessment, have policies and procedures in place to protect workers from the risk of violence, and to provide instruction to workers. Employers must identify potential hazards and implement measures to eliminate or minimize the risk of harm for workers who work alone or i