ETA Canada Travel Pass News

National television network Global News announced that it has laid off 22 employees in its British Columbia bureau, 23 in Alberta, and one in the eastern region.

Global’s parent company, Corus Entertainment, announced that it has implemented “difficult but necessary changes” to ensure the sustainable future of the company and its news division. “To pave the way for the future of Global News, we are leveraging the latest technology and implementing new workflows and ways of working. As a result, certain roles in some locations are impacted,” the company said in a statement.　T

he 46 layoffs include 26 journalists, following layoffs at Chorus last year.

Other Canadian television stations, CBC (Canadian Public Broadcasting) and CTV, are also making mass layoffs in their news departments.

The strike by public servants in British Columbia (BC), which has been ongoing since the 2nd of this month, is set to expand. On September 12, the BC Government Employees Union (BCGEU) announced that it would ban overtime work at several warehouses of the Liquor Distribution Authority.

The overtime ban takes effect immediately and applies to distribution centres in Delta, Richmond and Kamloops, as well as the Liquor Distribution Authority headquarters in Burnaby, where beer, wine and spirits are distributed to liquor stores, bars, pubs and restaurants, according to the statement.

The BCGEU is also picketing government buildings and businesses across the province, including Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey, Kamloops, and Kelowna. With the expansion of the strike to liquor warehouses, the number of union members participating in the strike will exceed 6,000.

The BCGEU represents more than 34,000 public servants, including firefighters, social workers, corrections and sheriffs, administrative staff, and conservation officers. BCGEU President Paul Finch said in a statement: “Public servants should not be burdened with the cost-of-living crisis while the government enjoys record alcohol revenues.”

The union is seeking an 8.25% pay increase over two years, plus cost-of-living allowances and the right to work remotely, but the state’s latest offer is only about half that amount, the union said.

The Kokahala Highway in the interior of British Columbia (BC) was partially closed from the afternoon of September 3rd due to wildfires but reopened on the 5th, the BC government announced.

The road closure was between Hope and Merritt and remained closed in both directions on the 4th. BC urged drivers to use Highway 1 or 3 as a detour. The closure was caused by the Mine Creek Fire, which started about 44 kilometres northeast of Hope and had grown to 1,900 hectares as of Wednesday morning, according to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).

The fire was first confirmed on September 1st and is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike. By the evening of September 3rd, several local administrative districts had issued evacuation advisories. BCWS has deployed building protection units to protect critical infrastructure in the area and is conducting firefighting activities using aerial firefighting aircraft and helicopters.

The highway closure comes amid a surge in forest fires in the state due to record high temperatures at the end of summer and numerous lightning strikes. State Forest Minister Ravi Parmar warned on September 3 that “the risk of forest fires in the state has not yet passed.” He said the latest weather forecasts indicate that the forest fire situation will continue to be severe and called on state residents to take measures to prevent forest fires and to be prepared in case of an emergency.

The Kokahala Highway has reopened in both directions between Hope and Merritt, but DBC is warning drivers not to stop and to expect limited visibility as wildfire effects are still present.

Amid the rapid changes in global trade relations under the Trump administration, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a package of measures to strengthen the Canadian economy on September 5. These measures will support industries most affected by US tariffs and trade issues.

“We cannot control what other countries do, but we can control what we feed ourselves and what we build,” Prime Minister Carney said at a press conference, adding that Canada will build its strength in the face of global uncertainty.

One of these is the suspension of the electric vehicle (EV) mandate, which requires that 20% of new cars sold in Canada must be zero-emission vehicles (vehicles with zero greenhouse gas emissions) by 2026, 60% by 2030, and 100% by 2035. However, in response to requests from the auto industry, the government has waived the mandate for fiscal year 2026 and will review the policy for 60 days.

Other measures announced include a “reskilling package” that extends and flexibly extends employment insurance benefits and helps 50,000 workers update their skills through digital vocational training programs; a “Buy Canada” policy that requires the federal government to use Canadian suppliers and provides a roadmap for provinces and local governments to do the same; and an expansion of lending by the Industrial Bank of Canada.

The government has positioned this series of measures as part of “building a new industrial strategy to adapt to the times,” stating that “we will move away from an economy dependent on specific trading partners and transform into an economy resilient to global shocks, with strong Canadian industry and diverse trading partners.”

British Columbia (BC) is experiencing a late-summer heat wave. On August 25, the temperature reached 41.3°C in Litton, located in the Fraser Canyon region. According to data from Environment Canada, 41.3°C is the highest temperature in Canada for 2025. This far surpasses the previous record of 37.2°C for an August 25th high in Litton, set in 1934.

In addition to Littleton, 16 other areas across the province broke their daily record highs on the 25th. Cache Creek recorded 38.8°C, beating the previous record of 37.1°C set in 2022. Lillooet recorded 38.5°C, beating the previous record of 37.3°C set in 2022. Other record highs were also recorded in Whistler, Pemberton, Kamloops and Kelowna.

The heatwave continued the next day, with 29 districts across the state breaking their own records for the highest temperature on August 26th. Litton recorded the same high of 41.3°C as the previous day. The previous record was 36.6°C, set in 1986. Lillooet also reached 40.4°C, breaking the previous record of 36.7°C set in 1933. Records from nearly 100 years ago were also broken in Fort St. John, Tatlayoco Lake and Vernon in the Okanagan region.

The Ministry of Environment has issued heatwave warnings for the Fraser Canyon, Thompson and southern Okanagan regions, where temperatures are expected to reach 35 to 39 degrees Celsius this week.

Public servants in British Columbia (BC) could go on strike as early as September 2nd.

On August 29, the British Columbia Government Employees Union (BCGEU) announced the results of the strike authorization vote that had been ongoing since August 11. The union announced that 86% of eligible members voted, and 92.7% of those voted in favour.

The union has already submitted a 72-hour strike notice and is ready to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on September 2nd.

The BCGEU represents approximately 34,000 public servants in British Columbia, including forest firefighters, correctional officers, security officers, alcohol and cannabis sales and distribution staff, social workers and administrative staff. In addition, the Professional Employees Association (PEA), a union representing government-employed professionals such as geologists, psychologists, and engineers, also voted to strike and announced that it would serve 72 hours’ notice in line with the BCGEU. The PEA has approximately 1,800 members.

The two unions have been without a contract since March 31, and negotiations have been stalled since mid-July. BCGEU president Paul Finch said the main issues at stake in the negotiations were wages, work-from-home rules and other issues, but declined to say how a strike would be carried out.

Air Canada is systematically reducing flights in preparation for a strike by the Air Canada branch of the flight attendant union CUPE, which will begin on the 16th. It was revealed that approximately 300 flights have been cancelled so far on the 15th. Air Canada said that approximately 500 flights will be cancelled by the end of today.

A series of cancellations, primarily on international long-haul routes, began in the afternoon, including flights from Vancouver to Osaka and from Toronto to Haneda. Flights from Narita to Vancouver, Osaka to Vancouver, and Narita to Toronto on the 16th have also already been cancelled.

CUPE announced that it would reject the government’s deadline for intervention, which was set for noon on the 15th (Eastern Standard Time), and would insist on resolving the issue through negotiations with Air Canada.　If no agreement is reached, a strike will begin at 1:00 AM Eastern Standard Time on the 16th and 9:00 PM Pacific Standard Time on the 15th. In that case, all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights to and from Canada will be cancelled. A strike was avoided at the last-minute during negotiations with the pilots’ union.

The union is demanding a wage increase and 100% coverage of unpaid work that is not covered by wages, and says it has no intention of backing down.

Air Canada has told passengers that if their flight is cancelled, they will be rebooked on another flight or given a full refund.

Air Canada announced on the 16th that it has suspended all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights due to a strike by the Air Canada Flight Attendants Union (CUPE).

On the 15th, the airline announced that 623 flights had been cancelled by 8:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time), affecting approximately 100,000 people.

The strike will begin at 12:58 a.m. EST on the 16th in Vancouver, and 9:58 p.m. on the 15th in Vancouver.　The Vancouver and Toronto airport websites are already showing flight cancellations, but Air Canada Jazz and Express are not affected.

Air Canada said it would offer transfers or refunds.

It is expected that confusion caused by flight cancellations will continue in the future, and airports will be increasing their staff to deal with the situation.

The BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) in British Columbia announced that it had issued fines totalling approximately $30,000 to violators of the campfire ban over the BC Day holiday weekend.

A campfire ban has been in place in the province’s South Coast region since July 17. However, according to a social media post from the BCCOS on August 7, 26 tickets were issued over a four-day period, including the three-day weekend from August 1 to 4, with fines of $1,150 each.

Sixteen violations were identified in the Sea to Sky region (north of Metro Vancouver), resulting in fines totaling $18,400. Two tickets were also issued on Vancouver Island. Two people were also issued tickets for trespassing in an exclusion zone near the Wesley Ridge wildfire.

According to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), campfires are classified as “Category 1,” meaning small open fires measuring less than 50 centimetres in height and width. Outdoor stoves are not prohibited.

The BCWS cautions that open fires are the leading cause of human-caused fires in the state, that human-caused fires are preventable, and that they can take away resources needed to fight natural and existing wildfires.

As numerous wildfires continue to rage in British Columbia (BC), the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has warned of an increasing number of AI-generated images of wildfires appearing online.

The BCWS shared two AI-generated images of wildfires on social media. Both were posted by other accounts and do not accurately reflect the actual fire situation. They expressed concern about a vicious cycle in which “in times of uncertainty, such misinformation can spread quickly, further fuelling people’s anxiety.”

While many people use social media to get the latest information and share information about the wildfires, the BCWS says, “It is important to check whether the source is official and to be critical of the content posted.”

The BCWS recommends the following as reliable sources:

Near-real-time information on wildfire size and images can be found on the BC Wildfire Service app or the online map on the site: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-statushttps://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/

If you sign up for a local emergency alert system such as Voyent Alert or Alertable,you will receive evacuation advisories and orders immediately.

Know at least one reliable local news source (e.g., radio station or newspaper)