Gas prices in southern Ontario to spike to the highest level in months

Drivers can expect to pay more at the pumps this summer as gas prices in the Greater Toronto Area reach levels not seen since November 2022.

Gas prices rose by five cents on Thursday and are expected to increase by another three cents on Friday, bringing the cost to about $1.66 per litre.

This is the highest price seen since Nov. 10, 2022.

#Ontario

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Mayoral candidates spar over budget deficit, affordable housing at debate

The six leading candidates in Toronto’s mayoral election held their fourth debate in 48 hours on Thursday, claiming to be the fiscally responsible choice to lead Canada’s largest city, while pledging to resolve a massive pandemic-related budget shortfall and make housing more affordable.

The sold-out debate held at a downtown theatre was hosted by the Toronto Region Board of Trade and featured former federal lawmaker and NDP stalwart Olivia Chow, Councillor Josh Matlow and ex-police chief Mark Saunders.

Also onstage were former deputy mayor Ana Bailao, Councillor Brad Bradford and former Liberal MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood Mitzie Hunter.

Candidates also discussed homelessness crisis and infrastructure challenges.

There is just a month of campaigning left before the June 26 byelection.

#Ontario #election

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Quebec ramps up French language requirements for immigrants

Premier François Legault has introduced strict new requirements that will make it mandatory for nearly all economic immigrants to Quebec to be able to speak and write in French.

"My first responsibility as premier of Quebec is to make sure that our identity is protected," Legault said at a news conference Thursday afternoon at the National Assembly.

"I am the only head of state in America who represents a majority of French speakers, so I have a responsibility to history, to protect and to continue this 400-year journey of a Francophone nation," he said.

Legault says the goal of the plan is to have 100 per cent of economic immigrants to the province be able to speak French and write French.

#Quebec

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City to go ahead with big Canada Day fireworks in Calgary after saying it wouldn't

The City of Calgary has reversed course and says it will keep fireworks as part of Canada Day celebrations this year — after previously saying it would replace the traditional display with a pyrotechnic show.

On Thursday, in a media release, city manager David Duckworth said the city heard from Calgarians and councillors that "they would also appreciate an aerial fireworks display to celebrate on July 1."

#Alberta

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Alberta NDP promise laws by summer to lower consumer costs, keep Canada Pension Plan

NDP Leader Rachel Notley says if her party wins Monday's election, it would reconvene the legislature this summer to pass bills to lower costs for Albertans and close the door on the province quitting the Canada Pension Plan.

Notley says an NDP government would also pass legislation to abolish the sovereignty act passed last year by Danielle Smith's United Conservatives.

🔹According to Notley, the first bill would implement measures to lower the cost of utility bills.

🔹The second bill would repeal Smith's sovereignty act, which gives Alberta the power to direct its agencies to flout federal laws and initiatives deemed inimical to provincial interests.

🔹The third bill would prevent any future government from leaving the Canada Pension Plan.

#Alberta #election

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Quebec adopts motion calling for release of documents from 1995 referendum probe

Quebec's legislature has unanimously adopted a motion calling on the province’s chief electoral officer to release all documents related to an investigation into illegal spending ahead of the 1995 referendum.

The 2006 investigation, overseen by retired judge Bernard Grenier, concluded that two federalist organizations funded by Ottawa failed to report spending of more than $500,000.

More than 90 witnesses appeared during the closed-door inquiry and more than 4,500 documents were entered into evidence, all of which were ordered to be permanently sealed by Grenier, who was appointed by the chief electoral officer.

The Parti Québécois, which introduced the motion, says the public has a right to know what's in those documents.

PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon told the legislature earlier this week that there's no reason for the files to remain classified forever and that there are many unanswered questions about the 1995 vote, which was narrowly won by the No side.

#Quebec

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💰Ottawa announces plans to spend $6.3 million on Nova Scotia tourism projects

The federal government plans to spend $6.3 million on 53 new tourism projects in Nova Scotia.

The goal is to attract more visitors to the region by investing in world-class tourist destinations.

▪️Among the recipients will be the Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton, which will get $500,000 to create new programming for Eskasoni Cultural Journeys.

▪️Another $500,000 will be given to Saltair Nordic Spa in Baxter's Harbour, where the owners will build Nordic pools and a trail system.

▪️And the Quarterdeck Resort in Summerville will receive $100,000 for construction of tourist accommodations.

#NovaScotia

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Excess deaths in young Canadians jump to 27 percent

Canadians up to age 44 saw 27 percent (1,597 people) more deaths than expected in the last five months of 2022, a big jump compared to the 19 percent seen from the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 up until August 2022, according to Statistics Canada.

The rate in younger people is significantly higher when compared to older Canadians, although there has been an overall increase in excess deaths in all age groups.

COVID-19 has not been a big factor among younger people. The report links excess mortality to the increase in poisoning and overdose deaths.

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Legalization of nonmedical cannabis tied to more acute care visits during pregnancy

The rate of acute care related to cannabis use during pregnancy almost doubled after legalization of nonmedical cannabis in Canada, from 11.0 per 100,000 pregnancies before legalization to 20.0 per 100,000 pregnancies after.

Furthermore, there were greater odds of newborns being born preterm (16.9 versus 7.2 percent) and requiring care in the neonatal intensive care unit (31.5 versus 13.0 percent) for pregnancies with acute care for cannabis use versus those without.

#healtcare

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Sales surge in Canada’s real estate market led by Ontario, B.C.

Canadian Real Estate Association numbers from May show sales jumped by 11 per cent month over month, reaching their highest level since last June.

Sales were higher in eight of 10 provinces. Ontario saw the largest jump at 19 per cent followed by British Columbia at 16 per cent.

Alberta also saw strong activity with sales jumping eight per cent in April from March — the third highest rise in the nation.

The average price for a home in Canada increased by six per cent in April from March, led by Nova Scotia with a seven per cent rise. The overall average price was more than $700,000 in April.

#housing #Ontario #BritishColumbia

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Alberta voters head to polling stations on election day

Albertans head to the polls Monday to elect their next government, wrapping up a divisive four-week campaign.

Voters are set to decide whether they’ll re-elect Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives, or return to an NDP government headed by Rachel Notley, in a battle between premiers past and present. The Conservatives have governed Alberta for nearly all the past 40 years, other than 2015-2019.

Many Albertans have already made their voice heard during last week's advance polls with 758,550 votes cast.

For Danielle Smith this will be the second attempt at taking the premiership in an election, having led the Wildrose Party into 2012.

Rachel Notley meanwhile leads the NDP for her third election as leader, winning a four-year term as premier in 2015.

#Alberta #election

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Halifax declares emergency over wildfire, shutting schools

Halifax declared a state of local emergency late on Sunday after a wildfire caused evacuations and power outages, with authorities shutting several schools in the affected area.

The Halifax Regional Municipality has set up temporary accommodation for people fleeing the fire, and reminded residents in early on Monday that the evacuation orders are mandatory.

#NovaScotia #wildfire

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Dashcam video shows the Tantallon wildfire burning in Hammonds Plains, N.S. on May 28, 2023

#NovaScotia #wildfire

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Bill 96: Small Quebec companies must disclose employees’ French proficiency

Starting Thursday, small Quebec companies must tell the government what proportion of their employees are “not capable of communicating in French.”

It’s one of several Bill 96 provisions that take effect on June 1.

The legislation is part of a wide-ranging effort by Premier François Legault to limit the use of English in Quebec. The government says French must be elevated because it is under threat.

#Quebec

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Launch of Francisation Quebec: a new portal for anyone who wants to learn French

As of June 1, anyone wishing to learn or improve their command of the French language will have to register via the Francisation Québec portal, the government's new single point of service for coordinating all French language learning services.

Christine Fréchette, Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration, launched the platform on Monday morning.

The new service, which was developed over the past year in response to the new right created by Bill 96 to free access to francization services, will manage all French-language learning services for new arrivals, future immigrants wishing to learn French in preparation for their arrival, workers and Quebec residents who do not speak French.

#Quebec

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UCP wins majority government in Alberta

The United Conservative Party has won a majority government in Alberta’s provincial election and Danielle Smith has been re-elected premier, defeating Rachel Notley's left-leaning New Democratic Party.

As of 12:00 A.M. (Mountain Time) the UCP was leading in 52 ridings, while the NDP was ahead in 35 (44 seats required for a majority).

Notley acknowledged defeat, but vowed to stay on as Opposition leader.

#Alberta #election

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Alberta Premier Smith attacks Trudeau over government climate plan

After winning the election, premiere Danielle Smith immediately fired a warning shot at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in her victory speech.

"My fellow Albertans we need to come together no matter how we have voted to stand shoulder to shoulder against soon to be announced Ottawa policies that would significantly harm our provincial economy," Smith said.

Trudeau's government is aiming to cut carbon emissions 40-45% by 2030, but will only be able to achieve its climate plan with significant reductions from Alberta, Canada's largest oil and natural gas producer.

Smith is fiercely opposed to a Liberal plan to cap oil and gas emissions, arguing it will lead to a production cut, and the federal goal of a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.

She called on Trudeau to halt those climate policies, warning he would "strain the patience and goodwill of Canadians in an unprecedented fashion".

#Alberta #election #Trudeau

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Man accused of killing B.C. gangster extradited to Thailand

Canadian national Matthew Dupre has been successfully extradited to Thailand in connection with the killing last year of a gang member, arriving in Bangkok on a special air force flight, Thai authorities said on Monday.

Dupre, a former Canadian military member, is accused of killing Jimi Sandhu. Sandhu was allegedly connected with the United Nation Gang and was linked to the murder of one of the leaders of another gang, called the Red Scorpion, in Canada.

Dupre, 38, and a second man with a Canadian military background, Gene Karl Lahrkam, were accused by the Thai police of travelling to the island of Phuket to murder Sandhu, a former gangster based in Abbotsford, B.C., who was gunned down by two suspects on Feb. 5, 2022.

Dupre was arrested in Alberta and remained in jail before extradition. Lahrkamp died in a mysterious plane crash on April 30, 2022.

An Alberta court approved the extradition of Dupre last December.

#Alberta #BritishColumbia

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One in four Canadians plans to buy investment property in next five years

Approximately 11 per cent of Canadians currently invest in residential real estate, with more than half of current investors saying they are likely to purchase an additional residential investment property in the next five years, according to a survey by real estate firm Royal LePage.

64 per cent of residential real estate investors own one property, while 32 per cent own two or more.

The report said more than a quarter, or 26 per cent, of all Canadians plan to buy an investment property before 2028.

The survey found the opportunity for their property’s value to appreciate over the long term was the top factor investors consider when buying property. Positive cash flow on a monthly basis ranked second, and the low maintenance and variable expenses was third.

#housing

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Air Canada pilots end 10-year contract framework, eye bargaining

Air Canada's pilots have ended a decade-long contract framework, opening the door to "full bargaining this summer," their union leadership said.

Pilots have previously said they are pressing for "historic" gains to narrow the earnings gap with higher-paid aviators at U.S. carriers.

Their counterparts at Onex Corp's WestJet Airlines reached a tentative agreement that would offer a 24% hourly raise over four years, plus other pay and benefits.

The estimated 4,500 pilots at Canada's largest carrier have received a 2% wage increase per year since reaching a deal in 2014.

The union had a Monday deadline for using a type of escape clause that would allow for negotiations this year. The agreement now runs until Sept. 29, 2023, although its provisions will apply beyond that date.

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