Close X
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
ADVT 
National

Ferries in B.C. Kootenay region run 'as normal' after Labour Relations Board ruling

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 06 Jan, 2025 10:47 AM
  • Ferries in B.C. Kootenay region run 'as normal' after Labour Relations Board ruling

The company that operates a cable ferry service in British Columbia's Kootenay region says sailings will be running as normal this week "and indefinitely." 

Western Pacific Marine says that comes after it applied for and received a stay from the province's Labour Relations Board of an earlier ruling that would have allowed expanded strike action on the free Kootenay Lake crossings. 

It says a new hearing is being planned for a reconsideration of the original order, and the board will announce the hearing dates next week. 

Members of the BC General Employees' Union, representing ferry workers, have been on strike since Nov. 3 seeking wage increases, scheduling adjustments and extended benefits for auxiliary workers.

The job action faced escalation following a B.C. Labour Board ruling on Dec. 27 granting the union approval to reduce service of the Harrop-Procter ferry to eight round trips daily and 16 round trips for the Glade ferry.

The possibility of escalating strike action set off protests from residents and businesses in the communities of Harrop, Procter and Glade as the dispute threatened to reduce services and cut some off completely.

MORE National ARTICLES

Trudeau off to APEC in Peru, G20 summit in Brazil as peer nations brace for Trump

Trudeau off to APEC in Peru, G20 summit in Brazil as peer nations brace for Trump
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on his way to South America this afternoon heading first to Lima, Peru for the APEC summit and then to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both summits aim to improve the multilateral institutions that have drawn skepticism from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

Trudeau off to APEC in Peru, G20 summit in Brazil as peer nations brace for Trump

Rent inflation to slow in the next few years, Desjardins predicts

Rent inflation to slow in the next few years, Desjardins predicts
The rate at which Canadian rental prices are increasing should slow in the coming years as the government's plan to cut back immigration numbers takes hold, a new report from Desjardins says. Rents have been rising fast and rent inflation is "much higher" than increases in the price of owned homes, it said. Inflation of rented accommodation was 8.3 per cent in the third quarter of this year, "the fastest pace since the early 1980s."

Rent inflation to slow in the next few years, Desjardins predicts

Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil

Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil
President-elect Donald Trump's promise to slap an across-the-board tariff of at least 10 per cent on all imports including from Canada is unlikely to apply to Canadian oil, energy experts are predicting. The threat of the tariff is causing a lot of concern north of the border, where the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said such a tariff could take a $30-billion bite out of the Canadian economy.

Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil

NDP expected to unveil campaign pledge to remove GST on internet, heat, diapers, more

NDP expected to unveil campaign pledge to remove GST on internet, heat, diapers, more
With the cost of living playing a central role in provincial elections across Canada and in the U.S. presidential race, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is set to unveil a pre-campaign policy plank for the next federal election to differentiate his party from the governing Liberals.  Singh is expected to announce this morning that an NDP government would remove the GST on what his party deems "essentials." 

NDP expected to unveil campaign pledge to remove GST on internet, heat, diapers, more

Abbotsford man pleads guilty to trafficking in black bear paws

Abbotsford man pleads guilty to trafficking in black bear paws
British Columbia's Conservation Officer Service says a man from Abbotsford has pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in black bear paws. A statement from the service says Hong Tao Yang entered his pleas in a Port Coquitlam courtroom on Wednesday, where he was ordered to pay a penalty and victim surcharge worth a total of $8,625.

Abbotsford man pleads guilty to trafficking in black bear paws

RCMP warn against vigilantism in Squamish as concerns circulate online

RCMP warn against vigilantism in Squamish as concerns circulate online
Police in Squamish have issued a warning against vigilante action over safety concerns they say are circulating on social media. The statement from Sea to Sky RCMP says police want to "reassure" residents of the community about 60 kilometres north of Vancouver that "there is no current threat to public safety."

RCMP warn against vigilantism in Squamish as concerns circulate online