ETA Canada Travel Pass News

At around 9:00 a.m. on December 5th, 32 cats were found abandoned in front of the gate of the BC SPCA’s Sunshine Coast Animal Centre, an animal protection organization in British Columbia (BC).

The BC SPCA announced this on December 18th. The cats were said to have been placed in plastic containers. According to a statement from the SPCA, staff and volunteers were working behind the building at the time of the incident and discovered the cats about 20 minutes after they were left behind. The plastic containers had been sealed with tape and contained multiple cats, one of whom was already dead.

“To my memory, we have never had so many animals abandoned at the BC SPCA’s animal centre,” centre manager Marika Donnelly said in a statement.

The centre only had six empty cages, and it took seven hours to assess the condition of the abandoned cats and set up temporary shelter space, she said. All cats have now completed their quarantine period, and some of them are now available for adoption. The remaining cats will also be available for adoption once they have been spayed or neutered. If you are forced to give up a pet, please call the BC SPCA’s Animal Helpline or speak to staff at an animal centre.

According to preliminary population figures for the third quarter of 2025 (July 1 to October 1), released by Statistics Canada on December 17, Canada’s population will experience its largest decline compared to any third quarter since 1971, when the agency began compiling comparable statistics.

As of October 1, Canada’s population was estimated at 41,575,585, a decrease of approximately 76,068 people (0.2%) in the third quarter. This was due to a sharp decline in non-permanent residents, which decreased by 176,479 people. As of July 1, there were 3,024,216 non-permanent residents (7.3%), but as of October 1, there were 2,847,737 non-permanent residents (6.8%).

By region, Ontario had the largest decrease of 107,280 cases, followed by British Columbia (BC) with 26,242 cases, Quebec with 15,989 cases, and Alberta with 10,605 cases. The main breakdown of the decline in non-permanent residents is international students (student visa only) at 73,682, work and study permit holders at 67,616, and work permit only at 35,231.

The decline was most notable in Ontario, where there are many international students, with a 47,511 decrease, and in British Columbia, with a 14,291 decrease. In the third quarter, 339,505 temporary permits expired, while only 163,026 new permits were issued. A major factor in the population decline is the Canadian government’s immigration policy.

Under the Justin Trudeau administration, the Canadian government has shifted to a policy of restricting the acceptance of non-permanent residents (international students, temporary workers, and refugee applicants) from 2024 onwards. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who took office in the spring of 2025, has also stated that he will “keep immigration under control.”

In his November budget proposal, he announced that the number of non-permanent residents accepted would be increased to 385,000 in 2026, and 370,000 for each of the following two years. In addition to economic reasons such as rising house prices and rents, strained public services such as healthcare and education, and rising youth unemployment, the decline also reflects the will of the people, with support for accepting immigrants at its lowest level in 30 years.

On the other hand, the number of permanent residents accepted was 102,867, the same as in previous years, and this situation is expected to continue in the future.

A document submitted to the Canadian Parliament shows that in the last fiscal year, more than 27,000 federal public employees earned at least $150,000 a year.

The document states that in fiscal year 2024-25, the total compensation for more than 20,000 employees, including wages, bonuses, benefits and overtime pay, will range from CAD 150,000 to CAD 199,999. Documents submitted by the Secretariat of the Finance Commission of Canada also show that: The salaries of nearly 5,000 employees range from CAD 200,000 to CAD 249,999.

The salaries of nearly 1,400 employees range from CAD 250,000 to CAD 299,999.

At the same time, this year’s federal budget proposes to reduce project spending and administrative costs by approximately $60 billion over the next five years. The budget indicates that the government plans to reduce the number of federal public employees by 10% by 2029, equivalent to cutting about 40,000 positions from a peak of 368,000 two years ago and cutting 1,000 senior management positions over the next two years.

The document also shows that in the past fiscal year, 654 employees received salaries between CAD 300,000 and CAD 399,999; 42 employees received salaries between CAD 400,000 and CAD 499,999; and 6 employees received salaries of CAD 500,000 or more.

A Brazilian family that has lived in Ottawa for many years is now facing deportation due to the negligence of their licensed immigration consultant.58-year-old Brazilian man Paulo Meira and his 49-year-old wife Leila Meira came to Canada in 2016, along with their two daughters, Ester (now 21) and Hadassa (now 15). Leila initially worked for the Shivitei Israel Congregation on a religious work visa. Paulo’s open work visa was also approved, and he worked for a cleaning company and on construction sites. Eighteen months later, the family welcomed their youngest daughter, Hannah, born in Ottawa, and the family had hoped to settle in Canada.

The family recently received a notice from the federal immigration department stating that the entire family is “undocumented” in Canada and must voluntarily leave the country, or face forced deportation. Leila, the wife, choked up, saying, “I don’t want to go back to Brazil because my life is here, my youngest daughter was born here, and she often says—I want to stay here.”

In 2023, the Meira family hired immigration consultant Ana Raquel Aparico Perdomo to assist their eldest daughter, Ester, with obtaining a work visa and plans to apply for permanent residency.

Immigration consultant Perdomo was accredited by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) in 2021 and opened Pursue Canada Immigration Services. At that time, Perdomo informed Meira’s family that they did not qualify for the Express Entry system for skilled workers but could apply for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. The family readily agreed.

What Meira and her family were unaware of was that, as early as June 24, 2025, CICC suspended Perdomo’s license due to another complaint. Subsequently, because Perdomo failed to respond to requests for information within 90 days, its immigration consultant license was officially revoked in November.

Mr. Paulo recalled that immigration consultant Perdomo initially quoted him CAD 3,000. Because his visa was about to expire in January 2025, Paulo transferred the full amount to him, but no contract was signed at the time. However, they have the transfer receipt.

Months later, Perdomo contacted the family, saying she would pay the family’s biometrics fee first, which Meira’s family would reimburse later. However, the immigration consultant then became unreachable, receiving no response to phone calls or emails.

On June 25, 2025, Paulo went to Perdomo’s office in downtown Ottawa, only to find that she had moved and had not left a contact address. The eldest daughter, Ester, searched on Facebook and found photos that Perdomo had posted in Italy during the summer, indicating that he was not in Canada at the time.

In early August, Leila contacted the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for help, only to discover that her family visa had been rejected long ago, that the documents involved in the case were missing, and that the $170 biometric fee had not been paid. Most shockingly, the whole family was told that they had lost their temporary resident status.

IRCC stated that it sent a notification to immigration consultant Perdomo on May 29, but the Meira family claims that the immigration consultant never forwarded the notification.

“I don’t know how this immigration consultant can sleep at night. She has ruined our whole family’s life!” Mr. Paulo said with great indignation.

After suddenly losing everything, including their temporary resident status, Paulo was laid off from his construction job, Leila had to quit her job at McDonald’s, and their eldest daughter, Ester, lost her social media marketing job. The family is now relying on friends’ support and crowdfunding to hire a lawyer to apply for immigration relief. Ester described their current life as “waking up and falling asleep on the edge of a cliff, repeating the same routine every day.” She said, “It feels like standing on the top of a cliff, not knowing whether I’ll fall or be rescued.”

The Immigration and Citizenship Consultants of Canada (CICC) emphasizes that Perdomo’s immigration license has been revoked for failing to respond to the organization within 90 days. CICC stresses that the immigration consultant’s misconduct was serious, and the organization deeply sympathizes with the affected clients. However, the organization does not provide immigration advice and has no way of influencing IRCC’s decision.

Ottawa immigration lawyer Warren Creates stated that Meira’s family’s situation is indeed tragic, but their current options are limited. He noted that in the past, some clients have had their visa processing times affected by the personal issues of their immigration consultants, leading many to seek assistance from IRCC, which has not considered their cases.

The lawyer also suggested that the family might be able to find a compassionate employer to help them apply for a temporary work permit, but they might need to return to Brazil first.

Currently, the federal government is accelerating deportations and tightening temporary work visa policies. In 2024, 17,357 people were deported from Canada, and in the first three quarters of this year, 18,785 people have already been deported.

Attorney Creates cautions that the lesson from this case is “buyer responsibility,” and that all immigration applicants must conduct thorough due diligence and take responsibility for their cases.

A citizen recall campaign against Premier Daniel Smith is officially underway in Alberta. Elections Alberta approved a petition filed in Smith’s Brooks-Medicine Hat electoral district on December 3, making a rare premiership recall in provincial history a reality. Alberta enacted a recall law in 2021, allowing citizens to submit petitions to remove legislators from office.

The law was revised in 2025 to ease the requirements. However, the law remains a high hurdle, requiring signatures from more than 60% of eligible voters in the electoral district. The petitioners criticized Premier Smith for not being rooted in the community and not adequately reflecting the voices of residents. They also expressed dissatisfaction with policies such as education and healthcare reform, cuts to AISH programs, and the allocation of funding to private schools. They also cited bills restricting the rights of transgender children and the overuse of the “not-withstanding” clause, which was also used to address teacher strikes, as reasons for their backlash.

In addition to Premier Smith, 20 members of the ruling United Conservative Party of Alberta (UCP) are also being recalled, including Environment Minister Rebecca Schultz and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish. One member of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) is also being recalled, making this a cross-party movement. Premier Smith issued a statement on December 9th, stressing that “the community has not been forgotten” and that he has made progress in improving roads, schools and medical facilities. He also pointed out the danger of weakening the democratic system, saying that “the recall system is being abused by protest movements.”

If the petition is approved, it would be an unprecedented event in which the state premier loses his seat and could bring about major chaos in state politics. However, the number of signatures required is large, and it is unclear whether it will be approved.

Speaking of Premier Smith, he made headlines in November when he signed a memorandum of understanding with Premier Mark Carney regarding the construction of an oil sands pipeline from Alberta to the coast of British Columbia.

This year, he has also been pushing legislation that could support the simmering independence movement in Alberta. It is extremely rare for an Alberta premier to be the subject of a citizen recall campaign, the first time in about 90 years.

The City of Vancouver, Canada, announced on December 11 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Vancouver Whitecaps FC to build a new soccer stadium

The agreement stipulates that the two parties will enter into an exclusive negotiation period to build a new stadium and entertainment district at Hastings Racetrack Park in northeast Vancouver. The negotiation period will run until December 31, 2026. “We will collaborate to negotiate the terms of the ground lease, including the stadium design, financial terms and community benefits,” the agreement states.

The proposed lease area is located on the current Hastings Racetrack Park site, including space that was recently used for racetrack and casino operations. The City of Vancouver will retain ownership of the land.　The memorandum of understanding was signed by Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and Vancouver Whitecaps FC CEO Axel Schuster.　 The Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer (MLS) won their first Western Conference title this season and advanced to the MLS Cup Final. Although they lost to Inter Miami of the Eastern Conference, they showed consistent strength as a team.

The team currently uses BC Place in downtown Vancouver as its home ground. BC Place was renovated from its previous dome-shaped structure to a retractable roof for use by the Whitecaps, who were promoted to MLS in 2011. However, it remains one of the few artificial turf grounds in MLS.

A new stadium has been a long-cherished dream of the Whitecaps, and there were previous plans to build one near Vancouver Harbour, but these plans did not come to fruition

The Whitecaps officially announced the sale of the team in December 2024. The key to the team’s survival in Vancouver is the construction of a new stadium. The lease with BC Place expires at the end of 2025. The reason for this is said to be continued unfavourable conditions in terms of revenue.

At a press conference, Schuster said he was seeking a fair contract with BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), the provincial corporation that operates BC Place. He explained that the team had the seventh-highest attendance of the 30 league teams, the 10th-highest average attendance during the regular season, and the third-highest attendance during the playoffs. He also argued that the fact that revenue was still second to lowest in the league was “unsustainable.”

Mayor Sim emphasized, “Without this memorandum, there would be no chance whatsoever for the Whitecaps to stay in Vancouver.”

However, even if a new stadium is built, there is still a possibility that the new owner will move the team from Vancouver to another city.

Vancouver police have announced that an investigation into the death of a young girl who fell to her death from a high-rise condominium in the Yaletown district in November has ruled out any suspicious activity.　The accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on November 11th, when a girl fell from a 23rd-floor balcony to a 7th-floor balcony at a high-rise condominium near Nelson Street and Expo Boulevard. The girl sustained serious injuries, and despite emergency medical treatment, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to reports, the victim was 8-year-old Gandum Taheri, a resident of Squamish, a suburb of Vancouver, who was visiting his father who lived in the condominium on the day of the incident.

Police have called it a “tragic accident” but have not released details of what led up to it, saying the results of their investigation were communicated to the family before being released to the public.

A memorial for Gundom and an online fundraiser for his family have raised a total of $50,000 since the accident, with the fundraiser’s organizers describing him as “a beautiful, loving, kind child with a heart that brought joy to those around him.”

Approximately 700 pilots of Air Transat, a Canadian airline that mainly operates flights to tropical resorts, have overwhelmingly approved the right to strike. With a 98% turnout and 99% of them voting in favor, the pilots will be able to strike from December 10th onwards.

No formal strike notice has been issued at this time, but tensions are rising ahead of the busy holiday season.

The pilots’ union is seeking improved working conditions, higher wages, a better quality of life, and job security. It is particularly aiming for a contract closer to the standards of Canada’s largest airline, Air Canada, and its second-largest, WestJet. The current contract, signed 10 years ago, has been criticized as the “lowest in the industry.”

Negotiations have been ongoing since January 2025, but the parties withdrew from mediation on November 18 and are currently in a 21-day cooling-off period, which ends on December 10, after which strike rights may be exercised.

Meanwhile, the company emphasized that “negotiations are progressing and we want to avoid any impact on customers.” Flights are currently continuing as normal.

If a strike goes ahead, flight cancellations and delays are inevitable. This year in August, Air Canada flight attendants went on strike, resulting in the cancellation of all flights for three days. Passengers were forced to find alternative means of transportation, causing inconvenience and confusion at the end of the summer holidays.

At this point, both the airline and the union have said they do not want a strike.

On November 26th, it was announced that the Honda Celebration of Light, a popular summer fireworks display on the water in Vancouver, Canada, has been cancelled indefinitely.

The event has been beloved for over 30 years as Canada’s largest free festival and a driving force for tourism in Vancouver. However, according to a statement from the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society (VFFS), over the past three years the festival has faced serious challenges, including rising production costs, the elimination of federal subsidies, a significant reduction in provincial support, and a decline in private investment.

According to the Vancouver Sun, federal subsidies were $450,000 in 2023, $250,000 in 2024, and eliminated in 2025 and 2026. Meanwhile, the British Columbia provincial government had provided $250,000 for the past 15 years but was scheduled to provide $100,000 next year.

In recent years, the organization has introduced ticketed seating, viewing lounges and corporate package plans to secure revenue, but has been struggling to raise funds and has concluded that without government subsidies or private sponsors, it would be difficult to maintain the event as a free community event.

Executive producer Paul Runars revealed in July that funding from the federal and state governments had been significantly reduced, making it unclear whether the event would be held in 2026.

“Words cannot express how painful this decision is,” said Ranalce of the indefinite cancellation, adding that he hopes that by making the difficult financial situation visible, governments and partners will be able to come up with long-term solutions that will allow the event to return in a sustainable manner in the future.

On November 27, the federal and Alberta governments signed a memorandum of understanding providing political support for the construction of a new oil pipeline from Alberta to the northern coast of British Columbia (BC).

The pipeline, aimed at Asian markets, would transport 10,000 barrels per day of oil sands from Alberta to the Pacific Coast.

The federal government’s conditions for the pipeline to be expedited through its Large Project Review Process include that it be built with private funding, that Alberta increase its industrial carbon tax to $130 per tonne, and that it reduces methane emissions by 75% over the next 10 years. If these conditions are met, the federal government has agreed to suspend Alberta’s Clean Power Regulations, lift caps on greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry, and, if necessary, apply exceptions to the federal Tanker Ban.

At the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “This agreement will make Canada a stronger, more independent, more resilient and more sustainable country.”

However, British Columbia Premier David Eby has strongly opposed approval of a new pipeline to the West Coast, criticizing British Columbia for being excluded from the review process and expressing concern that the proposed new pipeline would interfere with “realizable (LNG) projects” already backed by private companies in British Columbia.

The Coastal First Nations, a coalition of nine indigenous peoples along the Pacific coast, also issued a statement expressing their opposition, saying, “There is no technology that can completely clean up oil spills in the ocean or rivers. When crude oil leaks, it destroys everything we have built.”

Following the signing of the memorandum, Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity, Culture and Official Languages, announced his resignation from his position. Before entering politics, Guilbeault was known as an environmental activist and served as Minister of the Environment in the Trudeau administration.