BCDec 11, 2025
Vancouver Police seize loaded rifle and drugs during Downtown Eastside arrest
Vancouver Police say a loaded rifle and several other weapons were taken off the street this week after officers arrested a man suspected of trafficking drugs in the Downtown Eastside. The incident took place Tuesday afternoon near East Hastings and Columbia Street, an area where frontline police and community workers have long raised concerns about violence linked to the drug trade.
According to the Vancouver Police Department, members of the Beat Enforcement Team were on routine patrol around 2:35 p.m. on December 9 when they arrested a 32-year-old Surrey resident outside a residential build
WorldDec 11, 2025
Donald Trump unveils new ‘Gold Card’ immigration program
Former United States president Donald Trump announced on Thursday the launch of a new immigration initiative he calls the Gold Card, opening the application process for the program.
Under the plan, individuals can apply for the Gold Card at a fee of US$1 million, while companies wishing to secure a card for executives or employees would pay US$2 million. Trump’s campaign says cardholders would receive a U.S. passport, full voting rights and the same benefits enjoyed by other American citizens.
Trump framed the Gold Card as part of his broader “America First” policy agenda, asserting the
BCDec 11, 2025
Flooding prompts wider evacuations and highway closures across southern B.C.
Communities across southern British Columbia are facing new evacuation orders and travel disruptions after heavy rainfall triggered flooding and landslides that severed key routes between the Lower Mainland and the Interior. Provincial officials say multiple highways, including the Coquihalla and Highways 1, 3, 5 and 11, remain shut as crews assess washouts and unstable slopes. The closure of Highway 11 has also halted access to the Sumas border crossing.
In Abbotsford, 371 properties on the Sumas Prairie were ordered evacuated overnight as waters linked to the overflowing Nooksack River conti
CanadaDec 11, 2025
CRA plans major hiring push to boost call centre capacity ahead of tax season
The Canada Revenue Agency says it plans to bring on roughly 1,700 additional call centre staff in the coming months as it prepares for a surge in taxpayer inquiries during the upcoming filing season. Agency officials say the goal is to expand the workforce to about 4,500 agents, citing internal forecasts that anticipate heavy call volumes.
Melanie Serjak, an assistant commissioner with the CRA, told reporters that it is routine for the agency to scale up its operations for tax season, when daily call volumes can exceed 300,000. She said last year’s peak staffing level reached about 3,300 age
CanadaDec 11, 2025
House of Commons prepares to adjourn for six-week winter break as key bills remain unfinished
Members of Parliament are expected to wrap up the fall sitting as early as Thursday, ending the session ahead of the scheduled Friday adjournment and beginning a six-week winter break. MPs are due to return to the House on January 26, leaving several major pieces of government legislation still awaiting final approval.
Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon said the minority Liberal government considers the fall session productive, noting progress on budget and public-safety bills that have not yet cleared Parliament. This sitting was the first full session under Prime Minister Mark Carney,
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