B.C. landslide ‘dramatically’ impacts salmon spawn but conditions improve: task force
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. (CP) – The Tsilhqot’in National Government says river conditions are “slowly improving” after the massive landslide that temporarily dammed the Chilcotin River last month, but salmon spawning activity is being delayed.
An update from the Tsilhqot’in emergency salmon task force says debris and sediment from the slide are “dramatically” impacting sockeye and Chinook salmon spawning runs.
The task force’s latest situation report says observations from a helicopter show the river flow is “evening out,” and murky conditions are getting better, though the flow is still much higher than normal.
The report says the improving conditions are only part of a “complex puzzle,” and fish likely still lack an “unimpeded” path at the slide site.
It says fish monitoring equipment has only detected 31 Chinook and 16 sockeye passing through the slide site at a time when thousands of sockeye should be moving through.
Multiple Jewish organizations, hospitals across Canada receive identical bomb threats
OTTAWA (CP) – Police in multiple cities across Canada are responding to bomb threats that were sent to Jewish organizations, synagogues and some hospitals this morning.
B’nai Brith Canada says more than 100 Jewish institutions received an identical email at 5 a.m. ET threatening explosions including at their offices in Toronto and Montreal.
Synagogues, Jewish community centres and hospitals in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are among those which confirmed they have received the threat.
Ottawa police say they are on site at several hospitals in the capital but indicated the RCMP is taking the lead on the investigation.
A spokeswoman from the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa said the police determined the situation was “low risk” but an extensive sweep had been carried out at the hospital and grounds.
Business groups call on federal government to prevent rail work stoppage
OTTAWA (CP) – A coalition of business groups is calling on the federal government to prevent a work stoppage at Canada’s two biggest railways.
A phased shutdown of the networks at Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. is already underway as the clock ticks down on contract talks with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
Unless deals are reached, rail service at both companies is poised to stop at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Thursday.
In a joint statement Wednesday, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada, Canadian Federation of Independent Business and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters say Ottawa needs to take action to ensure the continuation of rail services.
They say the federal labour minister can refer the dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board for binding arbitration and prohibit a strike, lockout or end any ongoing stoppage pending a resolution.
Canada Border Services Agency says airport customs systems outage resolved
OTTAWA (CP) – The Canada Border Services Agency says it has resolved a partial systems outage that affected customs processing at Canadian airports.
The CBSA says in a post on X service has been restored but did not specify what caused the outage.
The border agency apologized for any inconvenience it caused and thanked travellers for their cooperation.
Toronto’s Pearson airport said the outage impacted customs kiosks in two terminals, causing longer wait times.
A spokesperson from Montreal’s Trudeau airport said customs processing was slower than usual but the airport hadn’t experienced any major impacts.
The Communications Security Establishment said it was in touch with CBSA and ready to help if a request was made.
AFN national chief promotes child welfare agreement, as expert raises concerns
By: Alessia Passafiume
OTTAWA (CP) – The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says there are 47.8 billion reasons for chiefs to accept a child welfare reform deal with Canada, but a leading child welfare expert is warning chiefs to review the fine print.
National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak has been promoting a settlement that would see the federal government set aside $47.8 billion over 10 years to reform the First Nations child welfare system.
That deal was struck after decades of advocacy and litigation from First Nations and experts, seeking to redress decades of discrimination against First Nations children who were torn from their families and placed in foster care because the child welfare systems on reserves were not funded to provide services that could keep families together.
The federal government is responsible for child welfare on reserves, and provincial governments for child welfare programs everywhere else. But Ottawa’s funding was only on par with the provinces when it came to foster care because they had to pay provincial agencies to provide that service at provincial rates.
Canada pledges $5.7M in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, with focus on children
OTTAWA (CP) – International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen says Canada will provide $5.7 million for Ukrainians to meet their basic needs.
Ottawa says it’s maintaining solidarity with Ukraine two-and-a-half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion as Hussen visits Kyiv.
The trip has a focus on children, with Hussen visiting the main children’s hospital, which was damaged by a Russian missile in July.
The funding includes $2 million for Save the Children Canada, which has helped Ukrainian kids with food, education and psychosocial support.
Another $3.5 million will go toward medical and mental-health services provided by International Medical Corps UK, and $200,000 is set aside for the UN humanitarian service.
Hussen’s office says the aid will help displaced people access water and shelter, and help with child protection and mitigating gender-based violence.
Manitoba chiefs call for PM to rescind Charles Adler’s appointment to Senate
By: Alessia Passafiume
OTTAWA (CP) – First Nations chiefs in Manitoba are calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to rescind the appointment of veteran broadcaster Charles Adler to the Senate.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says Adler’s past comments toward Indigenous Peoples are “grossly offensive” and perpetuate stereotypes.
In 1999, while working on a radio show in Winnipeg, Adler called Indigenous leaders “uncivilized boneheads” and “intellectually moribund,” among other names.
Grand Chief Cathy Merrick questioned how Adler, who was appointed to the Senate to represent Manitoba on Trudeau’s advice on Saturday, could advocate for First Nations in a respectful way given his previous words.
In a statement on Tuesday, Adler said he is accountable for what he says and does.
