🚩Scientists warn Canada 'way behind the virus' as bird flu explodes among U.S. dairy cattle

While federal officials say there's still no sign of a dangerous form of bird flu in Canadian dairy cows, scientists warn limited surveillance means Canada might not be staying ahead of an explosive H5N1 outbreak among dairy cattle south of the border.

So far, dozens of herds across various U.S. states have been infected with this form of influenza A.

#US
🍁 Maple Chronicles

💉Ottawa approves B.C.'s request to recriminalize use of illicit drugs in public spaces

Minister of Addictions and Mental Health Ya'ara Saks said Tuesday the federal government has approved the B.C. government's request to recriminalize the use of illicit drugs in public spaces.

The province is just over a year into a pilot program that allows adults to carry up to 2.5 grams of drugs for personal use without facing criminal charges.

B.C. Premier David Eby asked nearly two weeks ago for an adjustment to the exemption order to recriminalize the use of those drugs in public spaces, such as hospitals and restaurants.

#BritishColumbia
🍁 Maple Chronicles

Number of companies listed as Indigenous jumps sharply as Ottawa adopts procurement target

More than 800 new registrants enrolled in the Indigenous Business Directory, a database of companies eligible to participate in Ottawa’s procurement strategy for expanding the Indigenous economy. That jump, from 1,900 to 2,700 companies as of April, coincided with a federal plan, announced three years ago, that by this year a minimum of 5 per cent of the total value of federal contracts should be awarded to Indigenous businesses.

The value of government contracts awarded under the program, known as the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business, has risen to $862-million in the 2022-23 fiscal year, up from $170-million five years prior.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Suspect in killing of temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar got student visa in days

One of the suspects accused of gunning down B.C. Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar entered Canada using a study permit that he said took only days to obtain.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller has declined to answer questions about how the suspects came to Canada, but online posts indicate that Karan Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing.

#India
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇵🇸🇮🇱Nearly half of Canadians are opposed to university protest encampments, poll suggests

A new opinion poll suggests nearly half of Canadians oppose the pro-Palestinian encampments that have cropped up on some university campuses.

Just 31 per cent of people who took the Leger survey last weekend said they support the encampments, while 48 per cent were against the demonstrations. About one in five said they don’t know.

#Palestine #Israel
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇮🇷 MPs vote unanimously in support of designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist group

The House of Commons has voted unanimously in support of a motion to add Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps to an official list of terrorist organizations.

The motion came from a House justice committee report that, among other things, called on the government to designate the IRGC as a terrorist entity in Canada. MPs voted 327 to 0 to accept the report on Wednesday.

#Iran
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🌱NDP leader slams Liberals for giving nearly $26-million to Costco, Loblaw in recent years

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is slamming the federal Liberals for giving nearly $26 million to Costco COST-Q and Loblaw L-T for energy-efficient appliances.

Newly released data from Environment and Climate Change Canada show Costco was also given more than $15 million for efforts to reduce emissions, including new fridges. Loblaw was ultimately given more than $10 million.

The Opposition Conservatives accused Singh of faking outrage over the issue.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Federal unions file complaints over increase to office time

Several federal public service unions are putting together formal complaints arguing that by mandating federal public servants return to offices at least three days a week in September, the federal government is undermining collective agreements.

The government directed all public servants, with few exceptions, to be in the office three days a week starting Sept. 9.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🛩 Air Canada ranks near bottom on customer satisfaction: survey

Air Canada ranks below most other major North American airlines on customer satisfaction, with airfares a particular sore point, according to a new survey.

The country's largest carrier placed last in both business class and premium economy.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🏦 Bank of Canada warns of steep jump in mortgage payments

Homeowners who are due to renew their mortgages over the coming years will face steep jumps in payments, according to the Bank of Canada, with the median monthly payment increasing by more than 60 per cent for those with a variable rate mortgage.

The report warns that the ability of households and businesses to service their debt has become one of the main risks to the stability of the country’s financial system.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India

Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year while a former Air Canada employee involved in the scheme remains outstanding, police say.

Police said Archit Grover, a 36-year-old man from Brampton, was arrested on May 6. He was taken into custody after flying into Toronto from India and arrested for theft over $5000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Canada gains a net 90,400 jobs in April, jobless rate holds at 6.1%

Canada's economy gained a net 90,400 jobs in April, both in full-time and part-time work, and the jobless rate held at 6.1%, Statistics Canada data showed on Friday.

Employment in the goods producing sector fell by a net 10,400 jobs, largely in construction. The services sector was up by a net 100,700 positions, mostly in professional, scientific and technical services, as well as accommodation and food services.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🏦 Bank of Canada says households can cope with higher rates

The Bank of Canada says households can weather higher borrowing costs, but flagged rising asset valuations and financial stress among renters as risks to the outlook.

Canadians are “proactively” adjusting to higher interest rates, and the financial system “remains resilient,” the central bank said in its annual review of the system published Thursday. And while payments have risen for about half of the country’s mortgages, households have higher wages and savings, officials said, and they’re adjusting their spending patterns.

Overall, the evidence suggest that households have the flexibility to continue servicing their debt at higher rates.

Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers said at a news conference.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Trudeau, Singh have led their parties to 50-year-low poll numbers

A new data analysis from the Angus Reid Institute has combed through 50 years of political polls and uncovered some historical trends and oddities. Most recently, it found that the popularity of Canadian federal party leaders is at a five-decade-year low. And that’s not one of them — it’s all of them.

Going back to 1974, there has never been a time when the leaders of the three main federal parties have polled as low as this year.

#Trudeau #Poilievre #Singh
🍁 Maple Chronicles

🏠 April asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada

The average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January, a new report says.

Based on the report, the average asking rent for a one-bedroom unit in Canada was $1,915 in April, up 11.6 per cent from a year ago, while the average asking price for a two-bedroom unit was $2,295, up 11 per cent from April 2023.

#housing
🍁 Maple Chronicles

Decrease number of temporary residents by making them permanent, federal immigration minister suggests

One way Canada plans to shrink the number of temporary residents is to offer them the opportunity to remain permanently, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Friday, but that doesn’t mean everyone who wants to stay will be able to.

#immigration
🍁 Maple Chronicles

💸 Canada fines Binance $4.38 mln for money laundering violations

Canada's anti-money laundering agency on Thursday said it had imposed a nearly C$6 million ($4.38 million) fine on cryptocurrency exchange Binance for violating the money laundering and terrorist financing laws.

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) said Binance had failed to register as a foreign money services business with the intelligence body despite several deadlines.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

💸 Trudeau government spends $8 million searching for bodies at Kamloops residential school after viral ‘mass graves’ story, finds nothing

Canada has spent about $8 million to try to discover the "heartbreaking truth" about mass graves, or unmarked graves at the Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, only to find that there were no bodies recovered at all.

Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolane Gratton said that the substantial funding was used for fieldwork, records searches, and securing the grounds of the school, Western Standard reports, but no remains have yet been uncovered.

#BritishColumbia
🍁 Maple Chronicles