A key crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has remained closed today as hundreds of people connected to Canada await news of when and whether they will be able to escape the besieged Palestinian territory.The federal government confirmed that no Canadians were able to leave the Gaza Strip on Wednesday because of a closure of the Rafah border crossing.A U.S. State Department spokesperson told reporters on Wednesday that the closure was because of a "security circumstance," but offered little additional detail.Global Affairs Canada says Canadian officials in Egypt remain ready to welcome th

Real estate prices in Fort McMurray continue to decline. The state's housing market was once very active, but now it is facing a major drop in prices. In the early 2010s, when a single-family home in the northern community was worth more than $700,000, prices have dropped by hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the oil boom, according to Melanie Gelea, a Fort McMurray real estate agent. The overall median home price in Fort McMurray dropped nearly 16 percent compared to October 2022, from around $336,000 in October 2022 to around $282,000 in October this year. The price of a single-family h

The living wage needed to make ends meet for the average worker in Metro Vancouver has reached $25.68 an hour, a six percent increase over last year.Living Wage refers to how much a person needs to earn to cover necessities such as food, rental housing, transportation, and childcare.The Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives and Living Wage for Families has calculated the hourly wage based on the income needed by two parents working full-time to support their family.Metro Vancouver households are spending $4,000 more for the same basket of goods this year than in 2022, the report says, while

Canada's second largest airline WestJet has announced the launch of new flights from Edmonton and Vancouver. The airline has also hiked some baggage and seat selection fees, which came into effect from Tuesday. WestJet has added a total of four new routes to its summer schedule connecting Edmonton and Vancouver with US cities. New flights between Edmonton International Airport and San Francisco will begin on June 20, Nashville on May 2 and Atlanta on April 29. Meanwhile, the new flight between Vancouver and Detroit will start from April 28 on a seasonal basis. The airline has changed the bag f

A petition has been filed with Elections BC to remove BC Education Minister and Surrey Green Timbers MLA Rachna Singh.However, it could not be confirmed who filed it but Freedom Party leader Amrit Birring has raised his voice against Rachna Singh by posting several videos in this regard on social media.In a video posted on several social media websites with the username @recallrachna, Birring said that he wants Rachna Singh to be B.C. should be removed as Education Minister because he believes that sexual abuse of children under his care is on the rise in schools in the state.Birring said the

The English Montreal School Board says it will take the Quebec government to court over strict language rules requiring the board to communicate exclusively in French.The board says it will file the motion in Quebec Superior Court today after it received a warning about its internal communications from the province's language watchdog Office québécois de la langue française.It says the watchdog has interpreted the new language law known as Bill 96 to mean that English school boards must correspond with commissioners, principals and parents in French only.The Montreal board, the largest Engl

The Alberta government says protecting jobs will be a priority as it embarks on a massive restructuring of its health system.Premier Danielle Smith's government is dismantling the provincial health provider and scattering its responsibilities among a slew of new organizations.Leaked cabinet briefing documents say the changes will impact about 250,000 health workers.Smith's government is realigning the system to create four organizations to be in charge of different specialties, such as primary care and acute care.All organizations answer to a board chaired by Health Minister Adriana LaGrange.S

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to travel to San Francisco next week for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and International Trade Minister Mary Ng are also to take part in the visit Nov. 15-17.A statement from the Prime Minister's Office suggests Trudeau will be focused on ways to fuel climate-friendly economic growth with Canada's allies and partners.The Canadian delegation will be focused on facilitating trade, identifying opportunities in the digital space and economic empowerment for women.Trudeau is also vowing to foster

More Canadians could soon be leaving Gaza after their names appeared in the latest published document by Gaza's General Authority of Crossings and Borders.The Canadian government confirmed that 75 people connected to Canada left the Palestinian territory via its border with Egypt on Tuesday.Global Affairs Canada said that Canada is unable to determine when or how many people can cross each day, and the situation is fluid and unpredictable.It said Canadian officials were on the Egyptian side of the border to welcome those who are leaving and facilitate their transportation to Cairo.The departme