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.
Vancouver's city council has approved bylaw amendments to allow the sale of wine on shelves in certain grocery stores. Mayor Ken Sim says in a statement the decision will make shopping more convenient and support British Columbia's wine industry.
VPD officers responded when two men were shot near Victoria Drive and East 28 Avenue on September 10 just after midnight. Both men were taken to hospital for serious injuries. Zuhoruddin Mansoori, 35, died on Monday morning from his injuries. The second victim is recovering. VPD homicide detectives arrested one man on October 18.
B-C is providing 3.5-million-dollars for a six-day fan festival during the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver next year. Tourism Minister Lana Popham says hosting the Grey Cup will showcase B-C as a prime destination for tourism and sport hosting.
The Canadian Armed Forces said Friday it is getting ready for the possibility that it will need to help bring Canadians out of Lebanon, as Israel began evacuating a large town near its own northern border with that country. Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah, which has a massive arsenal of long-range rockets, has been trading fire with Israel along their shared border since the latest Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7.
Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that visa processing in India will be "inevitably impacted" after Ottawa evacuated 41 of its diplomats following a diplomatic spat with New Delhi over the killing of pro-Khalistani hardliner Hardeep Singh Nijjar. With India maintaining that it seeks parity in diplomatic presence, Canada said that only 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents would be stationed in India from now onwards.
Canada's premiers have sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking the federal government to extend the repayment period for a year for interest-free loans given to small businesses and non-profits during the pandemic. The federal government's Canada Emergency Business Account offered interest-free loans of up to $60,000 to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.