RCMP failing to fulfill provincial policing contracts across Canada

The RCMP is falling well short of staffing levels in multiple jurisdictions across Canada where it has provincial policing contracts, with as many as one in six positions unfilled, leaving communities with fewer officers and detachments short-staffed.

The force is suffering significant officer-vacancy rates in all eight provinces and three territories where it provides contract policing as of February 2023.

In Newfoundland, for example, the vacancy rate for RCMP positions was at 17 per cent. The vacancy rate is the gap between the number of officers the force is committed to under policing contracts with the province and the numbers the RCMP is actually providing.

In Prince Edward Island, the Mounties providing 16-per-cent fewer officers than the province has contracted for. In Alberta and the Northwest Territories, it is 15 per cent.

The vacancy rate is 13 per cent in New Brunswick, 10 per cent in Manitoba and eight per cent in Nova Scotia.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Canadians work from home more often than employees in other countries

🔹The Global Survey of Working Arrangements found that Canadians work an average of 1.7 days per week from home, ranking first among English-speaking countries and globally.

In comparison, employees in the U.S. work remotely for an average of 1.4 days per week, while those in the U.K. and Australia work 1.5 and 1.3 days on average respectively.

Employees in other Western countries, such as Germany, France, and Italy, spend significantly less time working from home, less than a day, on average.

🔹Although Canadians have the highest number of paid remote working days among all countries surveyed, it is not enough for them, the report found.

On average, Canadian employees desire to work from home 2.5 days per week, while their employers plan to offer only 1.8 days per week for remote work.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Historic flooding hits Nova Scotia amid torrential downpours

Nova Scotia is experiencing a historic flooding event as significant rainfall sweeps the province this weekend.

Based on radar estimates and unofficial observations, Environment Canada said some parts of Nova Scotia may have received more than 300 mm in 24 hours. Radar maps show the heaviest rainfall extending along the province’s southwestern shore to a point north of Halifax.

Authorities on Saturday urged some Nova Scotia residents to evacuate amid threat of dam breach.

#NovaScotia

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Wildfire crews burn area around B.C. airport to protect it from encroaching blaze

The forest and brush around the international airport at Cranbrook, B.C., has been scorched in an all-out effort to protect the vital transportation link from an encroaching wildfire, airport manager said Friday.

Wildfire crews were at the Canadian Rockies International Airport in southeastern B.C. overnight Friday monitoring the fires that were purposely lit as a guard from the out-of-control St. Mary’s River fire.

The controlled burns did their job and are adding to previous wildfire mitigation measures taken by airport officials.

#BritishColumbia #wildfires

🍁 Maple Chronicles

4 missing after record-breaking downpours along Canada’s Atlantic coast cause flooding

Four people are missing after intense thunderstorms dumped record amounts of rain across Nova Scotia over the past two days, causing flash flooding, road washouts and power outages.

The floods submerged multiple vehicles, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokeswoman said two such incidents in West Hants north of Halifax have left two adults and two children unaccounted for as of Saturday morning.

The two children went missing after the vehicle they were travelling in got stuck underwater, the three other occupants were able to escape safely.

Two other individuals remain unaccounted for following a separate vehicle submersion. Two other people in that vehicle were rescued. Police are actively searching for all four missing people.

#NovaScotia

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Retired RCMP officer charged in a case of alleged foreign interference

The RCMP has charged one of its former members in a foreign interference investigation, alleging he helped the Chinese government identify and intimidate a person.

Police say William Majcher, who is from Hong Kong, used his network of Canadian contacts to obtain intelligence or services that benefited the People’s Republic of China. They also say the case does not have to do with election interference.

Majcher was arrested in Vancouver on Thursday and appeared by videoconference in a Longueuil, Que., court Friday. He is being held in custody until another court date Tuesday.

#China

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇺🇸 Manitoba film industry hit by U.S. writers and actors strike

The strike by writers and actors in the U.S. is starting to impact the Manitoba film industry.

As the Writers Guild of America strike enters its third month, and since the Screen Actors Guild joined the picket line two weeks ago, projects slated for Manitoba over the next few months have ground to a halt.

Rod Bruinooge, interim CEO of Manitoba Film and Music, said in any given year, 60 to 65 per cent of the company’s revenue comes from American productions that employ local workers and actors.

Manitoba IATSE union president Nicolas Phillips said he has no work on film sets scheduled in the near future, leaving thousands of employees out of work.

#Manitoba #US

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦🇧🇷 100 Brazilian firefighters deployed to Prince George fire centre

For the first time ever, a team from Brazil has joined the B.C. wildfire fight. Brazilians will join 600 out-of-province firefighters including some from Mexico and the U.S.

While the Brazilian firefighters have taken off to northeast B.C., Ma says their deployment could change at a moment's notice.

#BritishColumbia #Brazil

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Trudeau calls ministers back to Ottawa ahead of cabinet shuffle, sources say

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called ministers back to Ottawa for meetings on Monday and Tuesday ahead of an impending cabinet shuffle that is expected to take place as early as Wednesday.

Such meetings typically happen before a cabinet shuffle for the prime minister to present ministers with their new portfolios.

The prime minister's public itinerary shows he will be in "private meetings" on Monday.

#Trudeau

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Government expected to take losses in Trans Mountain project, expert says

The federal government’s Trans Mountain pipeline project is nearly 80 per cent complete, but at least one expert believes it might never turn a profit.

The beleaguered pipeline was originally supposed to cost upwards of $15 billion, but cost overruns, higher tariffs and delays have nearly doubled the price tag, with further delays possible. As of March, Trans Mountain Corporation projected costs at $30.9 billion and completion in 2024.

Stephen Ellis, equity strategist at Morningstar Research Services, was in favour of the project in the beginning, as it was meant to more easily transport oil from Alberta to Asia, but now he said project costs have made it nearly impossible to turn to a profit, and companies have found cheaper solutions.

“We just can’t put numbers together that make the pipeline worth anywhere close to the $30 billion it’s going to be costing,” he said.

While the original plan was to use the pipeline for export to Asia, Morningstar suggests most of the oil from Trans Mountain will still end up in the U.S., while other options for U.S. shipping will still be cheaper.

#Alberta #BritishColumbia

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Ontario rolls out programs to boost health-care staffing

Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the province is starting three programs aimed at bolstering staffing in the health-care sector.

A $40-million fund to encourage health-care providers to better connect patients to services, a program to allow internationally trained physicians to work more quickly, and a nursing mentor program were all previously announced but are now launching.

#Ontario #healthcare

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Freeland rejects Toronto mayor Chow's ask for financial help from federal government

Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, fired off a letter Monday to Chow’s office after the mayor and Premier Doug Ford demanded Ottawa foot most of the bill to resolve a crisis in refugee housing.

In a letter sent to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow on Monday, Freeland says the federal government has contributed over $6 billion to the city since it was elected in 2015. And if further help is needed, Toronto should either pull money from its reserve accounts or approach Premier Doug Ford's provincial government.

The city of Toronto faces a near billion dollar budget shortfall this year and Chow is just the latest member of city council to ask for federal and provincial assistance.

#Ontario

🍁 Maple Chronicles

City of Vancouver says it won't renew lease for Yaletown overdose prevention site

The City of Vancouver says it will not be renewing the lease for an overdose prevention site located in the heart of downtown.

The Thomus Donaghy Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) at 1101 Seymour St. in Yaletown opened in 2021. It is operated by Vancouver Coastal Health in conjunction with housing operator Raincity Housing.

The city says that it will not renew the operator's lease, set to end in March 2024, with a city councillor saying that public safety concerns and the congregation of people outside the site made it unsuitable.

#BritishColumbia

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Justin Trudeau set to make major changes to cabinet Wednesday

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is getting ready to shuffle his cabinet today as he readies the team that will likely lead the Liberals into the next election.

A swearing-in ceremony will take place at Rideau Hall this morning for what is expected to be the most significant change since 2021.

Trudeau spent Monday and Tuesday in private meetings in the capital, while several other ministers cancelled appearances at public events, typical signs of an impending shakeup.

A source with knowledge of the shuffle said all ministers who can make it to Ottawa will be at Rideau Hall, including those who are not getting new roles.

The government is currently made up of 38 cabinet ministers and the prime minister.

#Trudeau

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Colombian man gets 27 years for helping run global fentanyl trafficking ring from Quebec prison

A Colombian man who helped lead an international fentanyl trafficking network inside a prison east of Montreal has been sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Daniel Vivas Ceron, 42, was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $11,048.43 in restitution after his arrest.

The U.S. Department of Justice operation led by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force resulted in charges being laid against 34 people, including three people from Montreal.

#crime #Quebec #US #Colombia

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Trudeau announces major cabinet shake-up, seven new ministers

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a significant change to his cabinet.

About three-quarters of cabinet portfolios have switched hands, with seven rookie ministers coming in to replace the seven ministers who are leaving. Five of the new ministers represent constituencies in Ontario, one is from British Columbia and one from Quebec.

🔹Former immigration minister Sean Fraser is in a new role that sees the government's housing agenda combined with the infrastructure file. Marc Miller, who was the minister for Crown-Indigenous relations, is taking on immigration.

🔹Mark Holland, who was the government House leader, is taking on the health portfolio, while former Jean-Yves Duclos moves to public services and procurement. Karina Gould, the former families minister, will be the new House leader.

🔹Only seven ministers have kept their portfolios: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, Women and Gender Equality Minister Marci Ien and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.

#Trudeau

🍁 Maple Chronicles

📈 Bank of Canada prepared to raise rates further if inflation progress stalls

The Bank of Canada’s policymakers said they are still prepared to raise their benchmark interest rate further even as they hiked rates to their highest level in 22 years earlier this month.

The central bank on Wednesday released notes of the deliberations surrounding its interest rate decision on July 12, which saw the policy rate rise 25 basis points to 5.0 per cent.

Debate ensued among observers and economists following the July 12 decision over whether the latest rate hike was really needed as inflation fell into the central bank’s one-to-three per cent target range.

The central bank governing council’s consensus in July was that leaving the key policy rate unchanged at 4.75 per cent would risk stalling the progress it had made in tamping down price increases, which has so far seen annual inflation cool to a low of 2.8 per cent from highs of 8.1 per cent last year.

But the “underlying inflation pressures” are proving “more persistent than expected,” policymakers expressed earlier this month. At the time of the July rate decision, more than half of the items in Statistics Canada’s consumer price index basket were seeing prices rise more than five per cent annually, the deliberations note.

Inflation could even rise again if the Bank of Canada did not continue to put pressure on the economy through higher rates, the governing council decided.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

✈️ Canadians travelling to Europe in 2024 will need a permit to enter some countries

Starting in 2024, Canadian travellers seeking a short-term visit to 30 countries including France, Switzerland, Spain and Greece must apply to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System.

The permit costs 7 euros, or about $10.25, and can be obtained on the ETIAS website or mobile app.

It allows travellers to visit for up to 90 days within any 180-day period and is valid for three years, or until the passport used in the application expires.

In addition to Canada, the new rules will apply to nearly 60 countries including the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Australia and Japan.

🍁 Maple Chronicles

Opposition parties say cabinet shuffle is admission Trudeau government 'broken,' but doesn't fix it

🔹“Justin Trudeau fired a lot of ministers today and admitted that his government is broken, but he didn’t fire the minister of inflation, Chrystia Freeland, who weeks after saying that government deficits drive inflation decided to introduce $60 billion more in government deficits,” said Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, speaking in Timmins, Ont.

“He didn’t fire the minister of the carbon tax, Stephen Guilbeault, who wants to hit people with another 61-cents per litre, and he did not fire the one minister who is most responsible, the one minister who has presided over the record increase in costs, the doubling of housing prices, the growing crime and chaos in our streets …. that minister is the prime minister,” Poilievre added.

🔹Speaking to reporters in Yellowknife, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the cabinet shuffle doesn’t change the government’s eight years of unresponsiveness on Canada’s housing crisis.

“Changing the positions, shuffling the cabinet doesn’t change this government’s eight-year record,” Singh said.

#Trudeau #Poilievre

🍁 Maple Chronicles

B.C. launches $10.5M rebate for vandalism repairs for affected businesses

B.C. government introduces a $10.5-million program to repair and prevent vandalism damage to small businesses.

B.C. Economic Development Minister Brenda Bailey says the new program will begin in the fall and is open to small businesses that suffered vandalism damage, retroactive to Jan. 1 this year.

If approved for the rebate, businesses can receive up to $2,000 for cost of repairs and up to $1,000 for prevention measures, with the criteria for eligibility yet to be released.

The West End and other Vancouver neighbourhoods, such as Gastown and Granville Street, have seen an increase in vandalism.

These measures do not address the root of the problem, though.

#BritishColumbia

🍁 Maple Chronicles