Vancouver's passport office behind picket lines due to federal strike
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 26 Apr, 2023 01:22 PM
Vancouver's main passport office is behind picket lines today as the Public Service Alliance of Canada ratchets up job action to back contract demands.
1/ Due to the labour disruption, passport delivery is currently limited to clients in humanitarian or emergency situations. These services are only available at specialized passport sites and will be assessed on a case by-case-basis: https://t.co/N8Ljqb1LYtpic.twitter.com/joudAYG9lY
More than 100-thousand federal employees have been on strike since last Wednesday, demanding improved wages, benefits and more opportunties to work from home.
Treasury Board officials and the union continue to meet but a statement from the union says there has been no progress on key issues.
Picket lines are up in many cities across B-C but P-SAC has said it is trying to increase pressure on the government while minimizing disruption to the public.
A statement from BC Emergency Health Services says in response to questions about the death in Barriere that it received a call to respond to a patient at a home in the community north of Kamloops on Thursday. It says the closest available ambulance was immediately dispatched, and local firefighters were also requested to assist with the call.
Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside says families are already struggling with rising costs due to inflation and the government's fund aims to take the sting out of costs associated with the return to school next month. Whiteside says every school district in the province will receive a minimum of $250,000.
The attack occurred outside a convenience store near Commercial Drive and East 10th Avenue in the early hours of July 31. Shortly after midnight, a 42-year-old man stopped to buy a slurpee. There was a brief verbal confrontation between the man and another person who was waiting in line, and when the victim left the store he was jumped by three men.
The report, titled "Aquanomics," is being published today by GHD, a global engineering and architecture services firm. GHD's Canadian water lead Don Holland said there are lots of reports that count up insured losses and physical damage after major events like last fall's atmospheric river in British Columbia.
Celebrity Cruises says the Celebrity Eclipse, which had been due to depart Sunday afternoon, is unable to leave the Port of Vancouver without the tugs and staff are "working diligently" with local authorities to resolve the situation so the ship can sail.
Yet while cabinet ministers say the additional hires have started to make a difference, they acknowledge that far more work is needed when it comes to providing Canadians with the services they deserve. The comments came during an update on the work of the government's special task force to help tackle major delays with immigration applications and passport processing.