Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Dec, 2023 10:48 AM
B-C Ferries says it’s adding more than 152 sailings between Metro Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland for people travelling over holidays.
The additional sailings begin today and will operate until New Year’s Day with 112 extra sailings added along the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen route.
It’s also reminding people to check schedules online while making their travel plans on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day since sailings will be reduced on some routes due to low demand.
Vessels have also been decorated with festive displays to get people into the holiday spirit.
Rain and a wind storm are expected for much of British Columbia's coast, bringing gusts as strong as 110 kilometres per hour. Environment Canada warnings cover both northern and eastern Vancouver Island, as well as Victoria, portions of the Sunshine Coast and Haida Gwaii.
British Columbia is providing more money to rural, First Nations and volunteer fire departments across the province to help upgrade equipment and training. The announcement includes 1.75-million-dollars for the Fire Chiefs' Association of B-C to provide fire training for rural and First Nations fire departments.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had told his country’s lawmakers on Monday that Canada is probing “credible allegations” of Indian government's involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistani leader and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. The Indian government has strongly denied the allegations, calling them "absurd".
Given the current situation between India and Canada, there may be a drop in the number of Indian students going to Canada for higher studies, said a consultant with Star Global Education Alliance. According to Veeravalli, there is a general sense of uneasiness in Canada among the students who are expecting some kind of retaliation by the Canadians.
Public health officials say new COVID-19 infections are creeping back up just as the respiratory virus season in the fall and winter is set to get underway. Ottawa is sending a new COVID vaccine out to the provinces and territories, which are in charge of rolling it out to the public.
Canada Post said Friday it is reviewing how it uses data for tailored marketing campaigns after the federal privacy watchdog found the post office was breaking the law by gleaning information from the outsides of envelopes and packages. The information is then used to help build marketing lists that Canada Post rents to businesses.