canada-post-operations-to-resume-on-tuesday,-company-says-–-vancouver-is-awesome
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Canada Post operations to resume on Tuesday, company says.

Bymichael

OTTAWA — While mail is set to begin moving again on Tuesday as Canada Post employees return to work, key “structural issues” at the centre of the month-long strike remain outstanding heading into the next phase of negotiations. OTTAWA — While mail is set to begin moving again on Tuesday as Canada Post employees return to work, key “structural issues” at the centre of the month-long strike remain outstanding heading into the next phase of negotiations. The federal government pushed to end the work stoppage last week, when Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the 55,000 picketing employees back to work within days if it determined a deal isn’t doable before the end of the year. Canada Post said Sunday night that after two days of hearings over the weekend, an impasse was declared by the board. It said union members have been ordered back to work under their existing contracts, which have been extended until May to allow the bargaining process to resume. MacKinnon said Friday that negotiations had been “going in the wrong direction” in the weeks after the strike began on Nov. 15. MacKinnon said he would appoint an industrial inquiry commission to look into the bargaining issues and come up with recommendations by May 15 on how a new agreement can be reached. “The inquiry will have a broad scope, as it will examine the entire structure of Canada Post from both a customer and business model standpoint, considering the challenging business environment now facing Canada Post,” he said. In the meantime, Canada Post said it agreed with the union to implement a five per cent wage increase, retroactive to the day after the collective agreements expired. Key issues in the dispute include the size of wage increases and a push by Canada Post to expand delivery to the weekend. The two sides have been at odds over how to staff the expansion. Business groups had been calling on the government to intervene as companies and individuals scrambled to find alternative modes of delivery with the holiday shopping season in full swing. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2024. The Canadian Press

majority-of-canadians-admit-to-speeding,-driving-over-the-limit:-poll
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Majority of Canadians admit to speeding, driving over the limit

ByLucas Casaletto

Posted November 20, 2024 6:39 am. It appears Canadian drivers have no issue putting the pedal to the metal. New public opinion research from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) revealed some fascinating statistics regarding fast drivers. Nearly 70 per cent of Canadians admit to speeding in a residential area at least once in the last year. According to the poll, half of respondents say they routinely speed on the highway, and one in five drivers say they regularly drive well over the speed limit. It would seem that age isn’t a deterrent to speeding, as the CAA’s poll revealed that speeding isn’t limited to young people. While 50-plus drivers self-reported doing it less, all age groups admitted to persistently exceeding the speed limit in their respective regions. “Higher speeds reduce drivers’ reaction time and increase the risk to themselves and everyone else,” said Kristine D’Arbelles, senior director of public affairs at CAA National. “Speeding increases your stopping distance, making a collision more likely and severe, but it saves you only a small amount of time.” Overconfidence on the roads? According to the CAA’s public opinion poll, only 35 per cent of Canadians think they will get caught speeding, while four in 10 admitted to running a red light. Additionally, the CAA found that 68 per cent of people drove when they were too tired, and 54 per cent admitted to using their phones while driving at least once in the last year. In recent years, automated speed cameras have become more prevalent on city streets, often nabbing drivers for exceeding the speed limit. In 2023, Toronto’s city council unanimously approved a motion to increase the number of cameras from 75 to 150. According to the city, speed cameras have effectively reduced the number of people speeding and overall vehicle speeds, pointing to increased compliance and improved driver behaviour. The latest CAA findings are based on a poll of 2,880 Canadians from Sept. 13 to 21, 2024.

rising-costs-may-keep-canadians-from-dental-care:-vancouver-clinic
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Rising costs may keep Canadians from dental care

ByCharles Brockman

Posted October 24, 2024 4:25 pm. Last Updated October 24, 2024 5:04 pm. A new report from Statistics Canada shows that almost one in four adults experience persistent pain in their mouth, and a Vancouver dentist’s office says inflation may be the cause. Statistics Canada published a report on self-reported oral health problems Wednesday. It says adults aged 18 and older were more than twice as likely as children and youth aged 0 to 17 to report mouth problems – either in the form of having oral pain or avoiding certain foods. Among Canadian adults, 24 per cent reported persistent pain in their mouths, with lower-income families disproportionately affected. The executive director of the Strathcona Community Dental Clinic, Erin Riddell, says people have been putting dental care on the back burner by spacing out their appointments or only coming when absolutely necessary. “In past years, [we] have found that [patients] would come for a cleaning twice a year… but then they’re finding that they need to adjust their finances and budget,” said Riddell, adding that those patients often reduced their visits to once a year.  “Others also would even shy away from paying for the cost of cleanings completely, and they would only come if they have major tooth pain.” Riddell says the clinic follows the BC Dental Association Fee Guide and only charges their patients what’s needed for the treatment.  On average, she explained, a cleaning and check-up can cost around $250 at a private clinic; meanwhile, at Strathcona, the cost goes down to about $150 for someone without dental insurance or a care plan.  Unfortunately, Riddell says inflation has also hit the dental industry. She says the clinic has seen its largest increase in fees from the BC Dental Association, due to cost of materials and supply chain issues.  “The fees have truly doubled in the last ten years.”  Riddell says dental problems can increase in severity if not treated properly.  She says a small cavity with a neglected filling can turn into a larger matter that needs a root canal. But even those initial costs for the simpler treatment can be too costly for some. “Just the fear alone of what it would cost may even stop somebody of low income from even going to get a simple exam.”

national-housing-market-in-holding-pattern-as-buyers-patient-for-lower-rates:-crea
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National housing market in holding pattern as buyers patient for lower rates: CREA

ByNews Staff

Posted September 16, 2024 6:54 am. The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of homes sold in August fell compared with a year ago as the market remained largely stuck in a holding pattern despite borrowing costs beginning to come down. The association says the number of homes sold in August fell 2.1 per cent compared with the same month last year. On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, national home sales edged up 1.3 per cent from July. CREA senior economist Shaun Cathcart says that with forecasts of lower interest rates throughout the rest of this year and into 2025, “it makes sense that prospective buyers might continue to hold off for improved affordability, especially since prices are still well behaved in most of the country.” The national average sale price for August amounted to $649,100, a 0.1 per cent increase compared with a year earlier. The number of newly listed properties was up 1.1 per cent month-over-month.

bc.-sets-up-a-panel-on-bear-deaths,-will-review-conservation-officer-training
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B.C. sets up a panel on bear deaths, will review conservation officer training

ByNews Staff

Posted September 9, 2024 3:13 pm. Last Updated September 9, 2024 7:37 pm. The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province. Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussions with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.” Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public. “So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview. He tells 1130 NewsRadio that this is a tremendous opportunity to advance the well-being and stewardship of bears in B.C. “It takes essential staff in addressing the calls that First Nations have made, conservation organizations and the public to address the number of bear deaths in their communities, enhance the care and handling of bears when they are (in) adverse conditions or relocated, and to deepen the public understanding of how we can support coexistence with bears,” he said. B.C. government data show conservation officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year. Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommendations by next spring, while an independent oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservation officers to provide advice to the government. “We’ll be looking to bring together the bear rehab people, hunters, conservation organizations, first nations that are working with the COS,” he told 1130 NewsRadio. “We’re also going to lean on some of the World Meeting experts, not only from here, British Columbia, but across Canada, the United States, to give us advice on how we can advance our care and handling better policies and procedures, training…to improve the COS and hopefully reduce their deaths and improve the welfare of bears when they’re being handled right.” Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservation officers “have the trust of the communities they serve,” and the panel will make recommendations to enhance officer training and improve policies. Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades. “This move demonstrates the government is listening,” said Fox. “I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentially a little sharper than they normally are.” Fox said the partnership came from “a place of long frustration” as provincial conservation officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.” “I think that the conservation officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox. Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnership, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through. “I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.