ETA Canada Travel Pass News

On November 10, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced that Canada had lost its measles-free country certification.

The decision follows a review by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which confirmed that persistent measles transmission caused by the same strain of measles virus has been occurring in Canada for more than a year.

According to a statement from PHAC, a measles outbreak in Canada began in October 2024 and has spread to nine provinces and one territory, including British Columbia (BC). Although the pace of infection has slowed somewhat recently, the outbreak continues, particularly in areas with low vaccination rates.

As of November 10, 2025, there have been 5,162 cases of COVID-19 in Canada. The highest number of cases is in Ontario with 2,393, followed by Alberta with 1,946 and British Columbia with 336.

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), there had been nine cases in British Columbia as of November 6. Dr. Martin Lavoie, British Columbia’s deputy chief medical officer, told CBC News Online that most cases in the province are in the north of the province, and that 96 per cent of those infected have not been fully vaccinated.

In Canada, there were zero cases of infection from 2020 to 2023, and 147 cases in 2024. In 2025, cases were confirmed from January, but the number surged in the spring.

Experts say the main reason for the surge is the low vaccination rate, which could be due to an increase in people refusing to get vaccinated for various reasons, including distrust of vaccines and religious beliefs.　PHAC is currently working with PAHO and federal, state, and territory governments to improve vaccination rates and strengthen data sharing. To regain measles-free status, a country must interrupt the chain of transmission of the same strain of measles virus within the country for at least 12 months.

On November 12, the British Columbia (BC) government announced the introduction of new rules regarding “sick notes” in the workplace, which came into effect immediately.

The regulations limit employers’ ability to request sick leave certificates from employees. Specifically, they cannot request sick leave certificates for short-term sick leave of five consecutive days or less on the first two occasions in a year (January 1st to December 31st). Absences due to health reasons include illness or injury of a close family member. The regulations apply to all employers under the Employment Standards Act.

According to a statement from the British Columbia government, this is part of an effort to reduce administrative burdens on medical facilities and improve the functioning of the medical system. Minister of Labour Jennifer Whiteside said, “If you have the flu or your child has a cold, you shouldn’t have to go to the hospital to get a ‘sick card,'” noting that unnecessary visits to the hospital take up time from doctors and nurses and increase the risk of spreading the disease. She explained that the new rules will allow medical professionals to focus on treating patients and reduce the time and financial costs for employers.

The government emphasized that the move was based on input from medical professionals and is based on scientific evidence that most mild illnesses in adults, such as colds and flu, improve within five days.

In the local elections held in Quebec on November 2nd, Soraya Martinez Ferrada was elected mayor of Montreal, the largest city in the province. Having fled Chile at the age of eight, she became the first Latin American mayor of the city.

Former Mayor Valérie Plante, who served two terms for eight years, had indicated she would not run for a third term. Luc Labouin, leader of the ProJet Montreal Party, who succeeded Plante as Mayor, came in second.

Martinez-Ferrada will resign from his federal seat in February 2025 to run for leader of Ensemble Montreal, the former municipal party led by former Mayor Denis Coderre. During his time as a federal MP, he also served as Minister of Tourism in the Justin Trudeau government.

Canada’s second-largest city has a new mayor, but many problems remain. A strike by maintenance workers at the STM public transportation system has been ongoing since November 1st. STM Metro (subway) and bus services are currently limited, and if labour negotiations are not concluded, the strike will continue until November 28th. In addition, the labour unions for bus drivers and Metro operation managers have announced that they will go on strike for two days, on November 15th and 16th.

Martinez Ferrada met with both the STM and the union on the 5th and told them to conclude negotiations within 10 days.

Montreal also faces other problems that the previous mayor was unable to resolve, such as housing and road conditions.

Montreal is a sister city of Hiroshima, and a commemorative ceremony is held every year on August 5th (August 6th Japan time) in the Japanese garden of the Montreal Botanical Garden. Former Mayor Correde was proactive in strengthening ties with Japan, so expectations are high for Martinez-Ferrada as well.

British Columbia (BC) Premier David Eby announced on November 3rd that the province would cancel an “anti-tariff” digital advertising campaign that was scheduled to launch in the United States this month.　The background to this is that US President Donald Trump ended trade negotiations with Canada due to anti-tariff ads by the Ontario government aimed at the US, and Trump has now threatened to raise tariffs on Canada by another 10% if the Ontario ads are not immediately removed.

Even after the negotiations were terminated, Premier Eby maintained his firm stance that BC’s advertising plan would continue. The BC ad was intended to protest the US’s tariff hike on lumber, and was different in content from the Ontario ad.

The announcement of the cancellation of the ads was made at a press conference following a meeting with federal forestry ministers in Vancouver. The meeting was attended by Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Canada-US Trade, among others.

Premier Eby stated, “I understand that the reaction to Ontario’s ads has caused concern among many stakeholders, including the federal government,” and stated that going forward, the province will coordinate its public relations efforts with the federal government and will no longer run ads on its own.

The government also announced that the change in policy was a decision of the provincial government, not a request from Minister Leblanc, and that the federal government has promised to work in tandem with the provincial government in supporting the forestry industry.

A tentative agreement was reached on October 26th in labour negotiations between the British Columbia (BC) government and the British Columbia Government Employees Union (BCGEU). The agreement includes a 3% wage increase each year for four years, as well as improved benefits and stronger job security. A vote on approval by union members is scheduled to take place next week.

In response, the BCGEU suspended an eight-week strike by its approximately 25,000 members. From the 27th, BC Liquor Stores and liquor distribution warehouses resumed operations.

This is good news for the restaurant industry, which has been unable to procure alcohol, but the impact of the longest strike in British Columbia’s history as a public servant has been significant, and it will likely take some time for the entire system to return to normal.

Ian Tostenson, president of the BC Restaurant and Foodservice Association, welcomes the agreement, but believes that disruption will be unavoidable for the time being. Speaking to Global News Online, he said that there are currently about 800,000 cases of inventory waiting to be distributed. He added that during the previous two-week strike in 2022, it took three months for supplies to be fully restored. “This time, with Christmas and New Year’s coming up, we’re aiming for a recovery within three weeks,” he said.

On October 28, British Columbia (BC) announced that construction has begun in the provincial capital, Victoria, on a memorial park to honour Japanese Canadians in the province who were forcibly relocated, had their land and property confiscated, and were interned during World War II.

The memorial park, being developed in collaboration with the Japanese Canadian Heritage Society (JCLS), is located just south of St. Ann’s Academy National Historic Site in Victoria, within walking distance of the Parliament Buildings and Beacon Hill Park.

The park’s centre piece will be a wall-shaped memorial that will feature the names of approximately 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were forced to leave their homes in British Columbia in the 1940s. Many of them were born in Canada, but the memorial will also include the names of 3,000 people born after the forced removal. A Japanese-style garden will be built around the wall, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2026.

The project is part of a $100 million redress package announced by British Columbia in May 2022. In a statement, British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma called the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Canadians “a grave injustice in which the government failed in its duty to protect the rights and dignity of these people,” and said that the construction of the park is an effort to honour the Japanese Canadians who overcame hardship, prevent history from fading, and learn from the past for the future.

“By honouring our Japanese American ancestors, we reconnect their names to the communities they once called home and heal intergenerational wounds,” JCLS CEO Suzanne Tabata said in a statement.

A high-speed passenger ferry has collided with a humpback whale in English Bay, Vancouver, Canada, according to multiple media reports, according to an announcement by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on October 18.

The whale involved in the collision was a passenger ferry operated by Hello Ferries, which operates a high-speed passenger ferry service between downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo. According to reports, Hello Ferries reported the accident to the DFO and is fully cooperating with the DFO investigation. The whale was spotted swimming north after colliding with the ferry on the 17th.

The ferry’s operator, the Vancouver Island Ferry Company, said its vessel, the Sphers, “likely came into contact with a whale” during a routine operation. The crew took immediate evasive action upon spotting the whale and performed an emergency stop in accordance with safety procedures.

Later, on the 21st, the Pacific Whale Watch Association posted on social media that a baby humpback whale named “Skipper” had a split dorsal fin in a photo taken on the 20th, but not on the 16th, and that the situation suggested it had been hit by a ferry.

In September, a BC Ferries vessel was suspected of colliding with a humpback whale about 130 kilometres southeast of Prince Rupert in northwestern British Columbia, after a dead whale was found in the same area the following day.

A retired SkyTrain train is set to make its comeback in the film industry.

The first SkyTrain car, the Mark I, with its white body and red and blue stripes, has been used by Metro Vancouver residents for about 40 years since 1986. With the partial retirement of the Mark I cars, TransLink, which manages and operates Metro Vancouver’s public transportation system, has been accepting applications for a “retirement plan” for the cars since last year.

TransLink announced on October 21st that the Mark I was being repurposed by Langley Township film studio Lumostage Virtual Productions as a film and television set designed to resemble a New York subway car.

According to Lumostage’s Chief Operating Officer, Angus Luk-Ramsay, it has previously been difficult to film subway scenes in British Columbia (BC), but “with the help of TransLink and our talented film engineers and artists, we were able to transform a retired SkyTrain car into an interactive subway set suitable for filming, making BC an even more attractive location for film and commercial productions.”

The company’s website features images of the redesigned Mark I, with its silver exterior and colourful orange and yellow seats. The subway set is seamlessly integrated with LED volumes, allowing for realistic car movement and an immersive tunnel environment.

TransLink continues to accept ideas for reusing Mark I vehicles. Companies, organizations, and individuals are welcome to apply online (https://portal.us.bn.cloud.ariba.com/discovery/public/rfx/23515773/preview).

Purchasers will be responsible for the cost of moving the vehicle from its depot in Metro Vancouver and the costs of any proposed reuse. Applications are open until November 28th but will be accepted again after that when the vehicle is retired.

Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan pointed out in her latest report on Tuesday that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) customer service centre provided “high-quality tax advice” to only about 5% of callers in June, and only 18% of all calls were connected within 15 minutes, far below the official service standard.

The report shows that most callers this year waited an average of 31 minutes. “The Canada Revenue Agency has a responsibility to help individuals and businesses meet their tax obligations and receive related benefits, but even after implementing a new system and claiming improved service, Canadians are still experiencing long wait times,” Horgan said in a statement.

The audit office conducted a four-month sampling survey, simulating calls to the CRA customer service centre from the public asking tax questions. The results showed that customer service representatives had an accuracy rate of 54% for corporate tax and benefits questions but performed significantly worse for personal tax advice. The report noted that the tax bureau appeared more focused on staff scheduling and rest arrangements than on ensuring accurate and complete information was provided to the public. This “system-oriented” problem was considered a major factor in the inefficiency of consultation.

Faced with criticism, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne gave the CRA 100 days on September 2 to improve its service quality, with a deadline of December 11. The CRA then promised to ensure that at least 70% of calls would be answered by mid-October.

According to the Canadian Press, Assistant Commissioner Melanie Serjak of the CRA recently said that the goal was achieved earlier this month. To improve response capabilities, the CRA extended the terms of about 850 contract customer service staff and rehired hundreds of former employees.

Analysts believe that despite the CRA’s temporary staffing measures, public trust in the agency’s efficiency will be difficult to restore unless the service culture is strengthened through institutional and training measures. Hogan called on the federal government to “continue to monitor the implementation of reforms” to ensure that taxpayers can obtain accurate information within a reasonable time.

The economy can be said to be the issue that Canadians care about most. Statistics Canada released the latest data today, showing that the national annual inflation rate rose to 2.4% in September, higher than the market expectation of 2.2%, mainly due to rising food prices and a narrower decline in gasoline prices.

This inflation report is also the last major data before the Bank of Canada’s interest rate decision meeting on October 29. National price pressures have not yet fully eased, and expectations of a rate cut at the end of this month are now wavering. Prices are rising again. Canada is poised to sign a tariff agreement with the US, and some provinces have given up resistance.

Data shows that Canadian consumers’ food spending in September increased by 4% compared with the same period last year, significantly higher than the overall inflation rate, with the most obvious price increases for fresh vegetables and sugary foods. Grocery prices in Canada have been on a continuous upward trend since April, especially due to shortages of fresh and frozen beef, coffee, and other foods. In fact, grocery shopping is a major expense in the household budget. People often feel the soaring prices most directly at the supermarket checkout.

“Food inflation not only affects consumer confidence, but also directly weakens the purchasing power of middle- and low-income families.”

Excluding grocery prices, rental prices rose 4.8% year-over-year, a slight rebound from the previous month. Although provincial governments have introduced policies to limit rent increases and increase housing supply, the imbalance between supply and demand remains serious, and the average rent in major Canadian cities has increased for 18 consecutive months.

“With the central bank maintaining high interest rates, mortgage costs remain high, further driving up rental demand,” said Jonathan, a Toronto real estate analyst. “Housing issues are becoming a structural driver of inflation.”

Compared with the same period last year, national gasoline prices fell by 4.1% in September, but the rate of decline slowed significantly.

The market had generally expected the central bank to announce further rate cuts at the end of this month to cope with weak economic growth and the job market, but after the inflation data was released, investors became cautious.

BMO Chief Economist Douglas Porter said that although growth has slowed, inflation remains sticky, and the central bank may choose to stand still for now. Two of the three core inflation indicators closely watched by the central bank remain above 3%, exceeding the target range of 1%–3%.

Analysts believe this suggests that even though inflation is near the target level, underlying price pressures remain stubborn. “If monetary policy is relaxed too early, inflation could rebound; but if interest rates remain high too long, it could further suppress economic activity and employment. The central bank is at the most difficult crossroads, and any decision carries risks.”

Over the past year, Canada’s inflation has fallen significantly from a peak of 8.1% in 2022, but prices are still above pre-pandemic levels. Canadians feel the rising cost of living more acutely than the data suggests. Regardless of the rate decision, grocery and rent bills are still increasing. Behind the rise in inflation is also the impact of tariff policies. Canada, which has endured multiple rounds of US-imposed tariffs, is now reaching its limit.

Two days ago, BC Governor David Ingram, who had stood firm with Ontario against the US, announced a shift in position.

After the US imposed additional tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, severely impacting BC’s industry, Ingram said he is ready to abandon new retaliatory measures: “We believe that going it alone is not the best way forward.”

Although there are no new retaliatory tariffs planned, BC’s existing countermeasures will continue.

Just this morning, Carney said that Canada is expected to reach a new ‘partial tariff agreement’ with the US before the APEC summit at the end of this month.

Last week, Carney led ministers to the White House to discuss tariffs but returned without a deal. However, he left several ministers behind to continue negotiations and heard positive news only today. Canada has learned its lesson when dealing with unpredictable moves from the US administration. Carney cautioned that even if a deal is reached, it won’t be a full tariff reduction, but rather targeted at key industries like steel and aluminium.

“We are in ongoing dialogue with the US, but I won’t overstate our stance. Negotiations are still ongoing, and we remain cautious.”

Previously, Carney stated that a complete elimination of tariffs is almost impossible. Canada now seeks sector-specific exemptions or lower rates. The five major industries involved in talks are steel, aluminium, copper, automobiles, and timber—all critical to trade and employment in Canada.

Trade Minister Dominic, who participated in negotiations, also urged caution: “We still have a lot of work to do, and my goal is to keep working until we reach an agreement that works for Canadian workers.”

Economists point out that if substantial progress is made before year-end, it could help stabilize market expectations and boost Canadian business confidence.