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quebec-to-ban-cellphones-in-elementary-and-high-school-classrooms
CanadaAug 23, 2023

Quebec to ban cellphones in elementary and high school classrooms

It's the final bell for cellphones in Quebec classrooms as the province's Education Department plans to ban their use in most teaching settings.Education Minister Bernard Drainville is scheduled to make the announcement this morning.The directive would only apply to public elementary and high schools and would still allow teachers to use mobile phones for lessons.A spring survey of 7,000 teachers conducted by a federation of 34 teacher unions found that 92 per cent of respondents were in favour of such a measure.Federation president Josée Scalabrini said at the time that teachers wanted to re
meta-responds-to-trudeau-eby-on-row-over-blocking-canadian-news
CanadaAug 22, 2023

Meta responds to Trudeau & Eby on row over blocking Canadian news

Social media conglomerate Meta has responded to criticism from both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B-C Premier David Eby on its decision to continue its ban on Canadian news content on Facebook and Instagram.Meta says in a statement that the company has been clear since February about the federal Online News Act and its effect on Canadian news content on its platforms.The statement also says Canadians can still access news by going directly to news outlets' websites and mobile apps, while Facebook continues to carry emergency information through crisis-response pages for both Kelowna and Ye
canada-considering-foreign-student-visa-cap-to-address-housing-shortage
CanadaAug 22, 2023

Canada considering foreign student visa cap to address housing shortage

The Canadian government is considering putting a cap on international student visas to deal with the housing crisis.Former Immigration Minister Sean Fraser gave this information while talking to journalists.Speaking to reporters in Charlottetown on Monday, he said capping the number of international students to ease pressure on the housing market is one of the options he should consider.It is worth noting that Canada is a popular choice for international students because it is easier to get a work permit compared to other countries.According to official data, 800,000 foreign students came to C
justin-trudeau-slams-meta-for-blocking-news-during-wildfires-in-canada
CanadaAug 21, 2023

Justin Trudeau slams Meta for blocking news during wildfires in Canada

In the wake of the devastating wildfires in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned Meta's decision to block news on its platforms in Canada.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Prince Edward Island for a cabinet retreat, where he commented on Meta that people in Canada are neither sharing nor receiving news on Facebook and Instagram.In fact, since the federal government passed its Online News Act Bill C-18 in June, Meta has blocked news on its platforms in Canada.It is worth noting that due to the wildfires, the pressure to remove the news ban on Meta is increasing.On the other han
feds-demand-meta-to-lift-ban-from-wildfires-news
CanadaAug 18, 2023

Feds demand Meta to lift ban from wildfires news

A Canadian government minister on Friday demanded that Meta remove a ban on domestic news from its platform so that the country's people can get information about wildfires in the West.Meta began blocking news on its Facebook and Instagram platforms for all users in Canada this month.Transport Minister Pablo Rodríguez said that what Meta is doing now is completely unacceptable, and that it is very wrong not to get such information to the public.They demanded that Meta withdraw the decision.A Meta spokesperson, on the other hand, said the company has activated a "Safety Check" feature on Faceb
kids-overdosing-is-a-public-health-emergency-canadian-pediatricians
CanadaAug 16, 2023

'Kids overdosing is a public health emergency' - Canadian pediatricians

A new survey says more children aged 12 and older in Canada have been treated for drug overdoses.The Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program says that serious and life-threatening overdoses have been reported with sedatives and opioids.The report states that drug overdose is a public health emergency.According to the report, fatal overdoses are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 in Western Canada.This problem exists across the country in ten states where paediatric specialists are treating children who are victims of overdose.
china-snubs-canada-on-its-list-of-approved-travel-destinations
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
trudeau-to-meet-recently-shuffled-cabinet-in-prince-edward-island-next-week
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.
military-members-can-now-take-sexual-misconduct-complaints-to-human-rights-commission
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

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rbc-appoints-former-ontario-minister-caroline-mulroney-as-vice-chair
CanadaAug 20, 2026

RBC Appoints Former Ontario Minister Caroline Mulroney as Vice-Chair

Canada’s largest bank, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), has appointed former Ontario cabinet minister Caroline Mulroney as its new vice-chair. According to a statement issued by RBC, Mulroney will begin her new role on September 14. Her appointment is within the bank’s Capital Markets division. Mulroney is the daughter of the late former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney. She served as an MPP in the Ontario legislature from 2018 to 2026 and held several key positions in Premier Doug Ford’s government, including Attorney General, Minister of Transportation and President of the Treasury Bo
BCAug 20, 2026

33-Year-Old Woman Charged in Connection With Two Grass Fires in Vernon

A 33-year-old woman has been charged with six serious offences in connection with two separate grass fires that occurred in Vernon, in B.C.’s Okanagan region, on Aug. 4. According to Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, the first fire was reported on Kammenz Road near Bench Row Road in the afternoon. About 20 minutes later, a second fire was discovered at Carlson Park. Following an investigation, police arrested 33-year-old Maria Benning Bear, a resident of West Kelowna, on Aug. 14. She is facing six serious charges, including arson, mischief causing property damage, possession of incendiary material
senior-man-dies-after-being-struck-by-translink-bus-in-surrey
BCAug 20, 2026

Senior Man Dies After Being Struck by TransLink Bus in Surrey

A senior man who was seriously injured after being struck by a TransLink bus in Surrey last month has died in hospital. According to the Surrey Police Service, the man, believed to be between 60 and 65 years old, was found seriously injured at the intersection of 128 Street and 96 Avenue at around 9:41 p.m. on July 11. Paramedics rushed him to hospital, where he later died while undergoing treatment. Police believe the incident occurred near a bus stop. The initial investigation has ruled out factors such as excessive speed and impairment as possible causes of the crash. SPS is asking anyone w
AlbertaAug 20, 2026

Alberta to Host Second Town Hall on AI Data Centre Plans in Sturgeon County

Alberta Technology Minister Nate Glubish is set to host the province’s second town hall on its plans for artificial intelligence data centres on Thursday in Redwater, north of Edmonton. The event comes amid growing concerns over the environmental and economic impacts of large-scale AI facilities. Redwater is in Sturgeon County, where tech giant Meta is planning a $13-billion AI data centre project. The proposed facility would be a major investment in the region and is expected to be one of Canada’s largest data centres. The town hall follows a contentious meeting in Lacombe on Wednesday,
cta-orders-westjet-to-remove-power-wheelchair-weight-limit
CanadaAug 20, 2026

CTA Orders WestJet to Remove Power Wheelchair Weight Limit

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ordered WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, to eliminate the weight limit it imposes on power wheelchairs carried on its aircraft. The regulator ruled that WestJet’s weight restriction creates an unreasonable barrier for passengers living with disabilities and must be removed before July 2027. The case came to light following a complaint filed by Winnipeg resident and former federal cabinet minister Steven Fletcher, who was prevented from boarding a WestJet flight last year because of the weight of his customized electric wheelchair. WestJ