120 employees no longer with CRA after inappropriately claiming CERB, agency says

The Canada Revenue Agency has let go 120 employees who took advantage of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a CRA statement issued Friday morning, an internal review launched to identify any CRA employees who inappropriately claimed the benefit while employed at the department turned up 600 suspect cases.

Any CRA employees who improperly claimed benefits will be required to pay them back if they have not already done so, the statement said.

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Meta rejects Trudeau's proposals in online news dispute

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government released new details of a law that tries to force technology companies to pay news providers, but Meta Platforms Inc. said it will continue to block users in Canada from seeing news stories on Facebook.

Draft regulations published Friday say Meta and Alphabet Inc. would need to pay news outlets a minimum of 4% of their annual revenue in Canada in return for carrying links to news articles. That means the law compels Alphabet’s Google to pay about C$172 million ($127 million) annually to the news industry in Canada, while Meta’s Facebook would need to shell out C$62 million per year, according to the government’s estimates.

Facebook has already blocked users in Canada from posting or seeing links to news stories. A spokesperson for Meta said the draft rules will make no difference.

Alphabet has also threatened to cut off Google News links in Canada.

The law is expected to come into effect on Dec. 19.

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"Canada's woke nightmare"

The Telegraph recently released a short documentary on the current state of things in Canada.

The film looked at such pressing issues as drug addiction, gender ideology spreading like a virus, and medical assistance in dying (MAID).

What struck me most was an interview with a clinician who works in the field of assisted suicide. She used to perform abortions. But when mifepristone, used for medical abortion, became available in Canada in 2016, the need for surgical abortion was greatly reduced. That same year, the MAID program was introduced in Canada, so the clinician quickly found her new calling in the euthanasia industry. She is proud of her work because it reflects her belief in "bodily autonomy" and "social justice." This is the very real manifestation of the death cult.

The documentary also includes a bonus episode featuring Jordan Peterson, in which he talks about the narcissistic traits exhibited by Justin Trudeau.

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Ontario housing minister resigns amid Greenbelt land swap scandal

Housing Minister Steve Clark has resigned after Ontario’s integrity commissioner found he broke ethics rules for his role in the Ford government’s Greenbelt land swap scandal.

In a letter published on Monday morning, Clark said he felt his role in the Greenbelt decision and subsequent investigations were “a distraction” from the ministry’s work to solve the housing affordability crisis.

Integrity commissioner report blamed Clark for a lack of oversight over his chief of staff, who both the integrity commissioner and Ontario’s auditor general said spearheaded the removal of 7,400 acres of land from the Greenbelt.

#Ontario

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💉B.C. sets new record with 1,455 drug deaths in 1st 7 months of 2023

Another 198 British Columbians died from toxic drugs in July, according to data released by the B.C. Coroners Service, bringing the death toll in the first seven months of the year to 1,455.

The coroners service said the 1,455 deaths from January to July are the most ever reported in the first seven months of the year since a public health emergency over drug poisoning deaths in the province was declared in 2016.

It puts the province on pace to potentially exceed the 2,383 deaths recorded last year.

#BritishColumbia

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'Violent conflict' in Calgary involving 150 people may be linked to clashes within Eritrean community

Calgary police say they're investigating a "violent conflict" between two groups involving around 150 people Saturday night that may be linked to clashes within the Eritrean community.

Police responded to an incident in northeast Falconridge at around 5 p.m. Saturday after reports of two groups with opposing views engaged in violence. They said they believe up to 150 people were involved, and many were brandishing weapons.

Several people were taken to hospital by emergency medical services.

Last month there was violence at an Eritrean festival in Edmonton, and a similar clash in Toronto.

#Alberta

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Parents worried about new supervised drug-use site near Montreal elementary school

Worried parents say they were blindsided by a decision to open Montreal's first supervised drug-inhalation facility less than 100 metres from their children's school.

The building is nearing completion in the St-Henri neighbourhood, only steps from Victor-Rousselot elementary, which counts 300 students from preschool through Grade 6.

The project is an initiative of Maison Benoit Labre, a local non-profit that runs a day centre for people experiencing homelessness. The new, four-storey building on Atwater Avenue will have 36 studio apartments for unhoused people with mental health or addiction issues.

The ground floor will include what the organization calls an overdose prevention centre, where clientswill be able to bring their own substances to use in the presence of trained personnel. It will be the first supervised drug-use site in Montreal able to accommodate drug inhalation in addition to other methods of consumption, such as injection.

Several parents of students at Victor-Rousselot question why a drug consumption site was allowed to open so close to the school.

#Quebec

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💰Household debt rises to $2.34 trillion in Canada as average credit card balance jumps to $4,000

Data from the TransUnion’s report shows a 4.2 per cent increase, or $94.8 billion, in Canadian household debt compared to the previous year, with a total debt of $2.34 trillion for Canadians.

According to the report, this growth was primarily fueled by mortgage loan debt.

The number of Canadians with credit card debt went up by 3.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, and consumers in all risk categories are accumulating more debt with the riskiest group, subprime consumers who have lower credit scores, seeing an 8.9 per cent year-over-year increase in their debt levels.

There has been a nine percent increase in average consumer balances across credit products, surpassing $4,000. This is mainly due to higher spending habits, with the average consumer spending $2,100 on their cards in the second quarter of 2023. Even consumers with lower credit scores have upped their spending to $1,300, up by four per cent year-over-year. However, as spending rose, the amount consumers paid toward their card balances each month decreased by 2.8 per cent year-over-year.

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‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber’s trial begins on Tuesday

The trial of "Freedom Convoy" organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber begins today, as they answer charges related to their role in the protest in Ottawa in 2022.

Lich and Barber were part of the original group that mobilized a convoy of big rigs and cars to drive to Ottawa in winter 2022 to protest COVID-19 public health restrictions and the Liberal government.

Lich and Barber are co-accused, both charged with mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation. The trial is expected to last at least 16 days.

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Canada set to become strategic partner with ASEAN trading bloc

Canada’s status within the Indo-Pacific region is set to get a boost as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations prepares to make Ottawa its latest strategic partner when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Indonesia.

The move by the organization is a symbolic gesture that recognizes Canada’s expanded presence in the region and reflects the progress being made on a Canada-ASEAN free-trade agreement.

The partnership will be ratified when Trudeau is in Jakarta on Tuesday and Wednesday alongside Trade Minister Mary Ng.

The launch of the ASEAN-Canada strategic partnership will take place on Wednesday, with Trudeau also expected to deliver remarks.

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Doug Ford calls for end to Bank of Canada interest rate hikes

Doug Ford has become the second Canadian premier to formally express his displeasure with interest rate hikes, calling on the Bank of Canada to end the increases, which he says are “hurting people.”

In a letter sent to the governor of the Bank of Canada on Sunday, Ford echoed the recent words of British Columbia Premier David Eby. He said interest rate hikes were a burden on people and businesses.

He argued that cooling inflation was a reason not to raise interest rates further. The central bank’s key interest rate stands at 5.0 per cent following back-to-back increases.

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University of Toronto staff vote 94.5% in favour of strike action, if necessary

Members of the United Steelworkers union Local 1998’s staff-appointed unit at the University of Toronto have sent a strong message to the university, voting 94.5% in favour of going on strike, if necessary. Members voted to give their elected negotiating committee the right to call for job action, up to and including a strike.

The strike deadline is this Thursday, September 7 at 12:01 a.m.

The 5,800-person staff-appointed group at the University of Toronto includes workers who provide administrative and technical support to faculty, students and other members of the university community.

#Ontario

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67% of Quebecers believe the Legault government has done a poor job on inflation

According to a study by the Angus Reid Institute, 67% of Quebec adults believe the provincial government led by François Legault has done a poor job helping Quebecers manage cost of living increases due to inflation.

The same study also found that 74% of Quebecers say the Legault government has done a poor job on housing affordability.

Conversely, just 27% say that the Legault government has done a good job with regards to inflation and the cost of living in Quebec.

#Quebec

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🏦 Bank of Canada holds interest rate at 5 per cent

The Bank of Canada kept interest rates on hold on Sept. 6. The key policy rate remains at five per cent, which is still the highest level in 22 years.

The bank said in a statement that policymakers opted not to raise the key rate given demand in the economy is slowing and previous rate hikes need more time to take effect. But it also said it’s ready to raise rates further if needed, and remains concerned about inflationary pressures.

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📈 Inflation, high interest rates affecting Canadians’ mental health, report finds

Financial struggles brought on by inflation and higher interest rates are damaging the mental health of more than half of Canadians, with many reporting high rates of anxiety over housing and food, according to a poll released Wednesday by Mental Health Research Canada.

The poll found that 51 per cent of Canadians said inflation was having a negative impact on their mental health. Nearly a quarter of respondents – 24 per cent – said they have gone into debt as a result of inflation.

Meanwhile, 23 per cent of Canadians said they are concerned about their ability to make rent or mortgage payments, while 37 per cent are struggling to adequately feed themselves or their families.

Canadians are responding to financial hardship in a variety of ways: 35 per cent said they have reduced essential spending, while 22 per cent have dipped into savings to pay for essentials and 10 per cent said they have had to borrow from friends or family to purchase essential items. Others have put off saving money or relied on credit cards to cover the costs of essentials.

The poll found that 28 per cent of unemployed people and 27 per cent of people having financial troubles reported having had suicidal thoughts in the past year.

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At the current rate of assisted suicide, how long will it take for these suicide machines to reach Canada?

Canada already has more people resorting to assisted suicide than Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, where it is also legal.

#MAID

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✈️🇺🇸Canadian pilots are flocking to US airlines - and leaving shortages back home

At least 147 Canadian pilots applied for licences to fly commercial jets in the US in 2022, up manifold from the 39 in 2021.

“Pilots in the US have recently secured significant wage increases and other contractual improvements, creating an embarrassing gap with Canada,” union leader of the Air Canada Pilots Association said.

For the ACPA, which represents Air Canada’s 4,500 pilots, the annual 2% wage increase they’ve been receiving since 2014 doesn’t cut it anymore. Air Canada pilots, whose contract expires on Sep. 29, have been pressing for higher raises. And the airline, which just cut six routes citing a pilot shortage, may be more amenable to these demands as the supply of pilots tightens further.

Some Canadian aviation companies have already begun to follow in the footsteps of their US counterparts. Westjet, based in Calgary, gave its pilots a new contract raising wages by 24% over four years, making its crews the highest-paid on narrow-body aircraft in Canada. At Sunwing, a leisure airline headquartered in Toronto, pilots negotiated a 23% wage increase for 2023, with an additional 2.5% hike to follow in January 2024.

#US

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With school back, Quebec still trying to fill more than 1,300 teacher spots

Apparently, it is not only the health care system that suffers from staffing shortages.

Quebec is grappling with an ongoing teacher shortage — with 1,331 positions still needing to be filled.

The province’s education ministry, which issued the update Tuesday evening, has seen about 500 teachers join the classroom in the last week. But it is looking to fill 217 regular full-time and 1,114 part-time teaching jobs in schools across Quebec.

The latest figures show that Quebec was scrambling to hire more than 8,500 teachers two weeks ago. Despite a recruitment drive, the province will continue to rely on what can be called "not legally qualified individuals" — who don’t have teaching degrees or certificates — to fill classrooms.

#Quebec

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Greenbelt review could see recommendation for more land removals, new minister says

Ontario’s new housing minister says a review of the Greenbelt might well see a recommendation for more lands to be removed from the protected area.

A day after Premier Doug Ford announced a review of all parcels of protected Greenbelt land, as well as the sites the government removed for housing development late last year, Paul Calandra says he has asked the ministry to come up with parameters for the review.

Calandra says he won’t “presuppose” what that will entail, but that there might be lands that need to be added to the Greenbelt, and there might be some lands that are removed, but it will be a “fair and open process.”

The review comes after two scathing reports were released last month from the auditor general and the integrity commissioner saying that the housing minister’s chief of staff favoured certain developers over others when selecting which lands would come out of the Greenbelt.

#Ontario

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Quebec appeal court judge Marie-Josée Hogue to lead foreign-interference inquiry

Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josée Hogue has agreed to head a public inquiry into foreign interference by China and other hostile states, two sources say.

After months of negotiations, the minority Liberal government has reached an agreement with opposition parties on the terms and timing of the long-awaited inquiry.

An announcement on the inquiry is expected to be made Thursday by Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is also Democratic Institutions Minister.

All-party talks on launching an official public inquiry into foreign interference by countries such as China dragged into late summer as the government reportedly had a difficult time finding an eminent jurist to lead the inquiry.

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