ETA Canada Travel Pass News

On February 19, the British Columbia (BC) government announced that it would amend the law to allow driver’s license renewals to be completed online. According to a government announcement, drivers’ licences, BC Identification Cards (BCIDs) and photo BC Service Cards will be available for renewal and reissue online through the ICBC website.

The program applies to applications for reissue of a valid driver’s license if it is lost, broken, or damaged, and simple renewal of a driver’s license that does not require any changes other than extending the expiration date. This applies to full driver’s license holders of classes 1 to 8, and allows them to apply online for the renewal or reissue of their existing license, as well as the renewal or reissue of a standalone BCID, a standalone photo BC Service Card, and a combined driver’s license and BC Services Card. However, for Class 7 Learner’s Licence holders, lost or damaged licences can be replaced online, but renewals will still require a re-examination, which will require face-to-face contact.

Any changes to your license information, such as your name or address, will also require an in-person process, and you cannot update online if you have any outstanding fines, tickets, other violations, or rehabilitation program requirements.

Details of the online renewal process and eligibility are yet to be finalized. If the amendment is passed and relevant regulations are put in place, the system is expected to go into operation in 2027. This brings British Columbia into line with eight other provinces, including Ontario and Alberta, in offering the same services. If you wish to renew in person, you can do so at an ICBC centre as before.

7-Eleven Canada announced that it will be releasing the Japanese-style “Egg Sando” starting March 4th.

The classic mayonnaise egg sandwich is a best-seller at 7-Eleven in Japan, and the upcoming Canadian version lives up to expectations, using cage-free eggs, Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, and fresh bread. It’s priced at $5.

Mark Goodman, vice president and general manager of 7-Eleven Canada, explained in a news release that consumers have been asking for more Japanese 7-Eleven products. He described the egg sandwich as “a product that symbolizes our company’s efforts to meet customer needs at an affordable price.” He also said the timing of the launch comes at a time when interest in Japanese culture and travel to Japan is on the rise.

The news of the “Japanese-style egg sandwich release” was widely covered in Canadian media. CBC News Online wrote, “This week, Canadians can be proud of,” noting that in addition to winning medals at the ongoing Milan-Cortina Olympics, “some people may be surprised to learn that the egg sandwich will be released,” and humorously introduced the product, saying, “The egg sandwich has a cult following.”

The online edition of the Vancouver Sun also published an interview with Benny Chen, executive chef at 7-Eleven Canada, about the development of the “Canadian version of the egg sandwich,” which took two years. The “Japanese-style egg sandwich” was already released in the United States last year. However, it was met with mixed reviews as it was different from the original Japanese product. In Canada, the product will be closer to the Japanese “egg sandwich.”

Seven-Eleven operates approximately 500 stores from British Columbia to Ontario.

The British Columbia (BC) government announced its 2026 budget on February 17th. The budget, titled “Securing BC’s Future,” is centred around significant cuts to the public sector, strengthening medical and education services, extending the completion time for large-scale public works projects, and supporting skilled workers and natural resource-related projects. However, the provincial budget deficit is expected to be the largest in history.

Finance Minister Brenda Bailey blamed the state’s economy on factors including US tariffs and a slowing housing market, and said, “Now is the time to pause some of the things we want to do and focus on what we really need to do,” describing the budget as “a serious budget for very serious times.”

The priority areas are health, education, and safety. In the health sector, an additional $2.8 billion will be invested over the next three years, including for mental health and addiction treatment, expanded access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), and increased medical personnel. In public education, $634 million will be invested over three years to increase the number of teachers and strengthen special needs systems.

In the safety sector, an additional $139 million will be allocated over three years to reduce recidivism, violent crime, and property crime, and to support swift access to justice. Budget allocation will also be made to combat extortion, which has become a problem in recent years. In addition, spending aimed at promoting economic activity will include accelerating permits and licenses in the natural resources and tourism sectors, skilled trades programs, and measures to promote business investment.

On the other hand, the basic tax rate for the first income bracket, which applies to all taxpayers, will increase from 5% to 5.6%, which will result in a tax increase of $76 for the average taxpayer, although tax credits will help offset the tax increase for about 40% of taxpayers. The bill also raises provincial property taxes on homes assessed at over $3 million, as well as speculation and vacancy taxes.

Finance Minister Bailey said, “Under this government, British Columbia has one of the lowest tax burdens for working and middle-class people,” and emphasized, “That will not change.” Several public works projects will be delayed cutting costs, including construction of long-term care facilities, student accommodation at the University of Victoria, and the second phase of Burnaby Hospital, and 15,000 public sector jobs will be cut over the next three years.

The deficit is expected to increase dramatically next fiscal year, from $9.6 billion this year to $13.3 billion, with deficits projected for the following two years of $12.1 billion and $11.4 billion, respectively. Finance Minister Bailey stressed that “this is not an austerity budget” and said the deficit would be reduced through structural reforms.

A woman in Manitoba who has suffered from scoliosis since childhood waited for surgery for eight years, but she has finally ushered in her own spring. From taking care of dogs and mopping the floor to now being able to walk independently, her life has undergone earth-shattering changes compared to a year ago. According to Global News, Kim Hughes-Tardiff (pictured), a woman from Manitoba, said she has been living a very difficult life, always feeling exhausted due to her mobility issues. “It has been a really tough journey,” she said.

After a long wait of up to eight years, she finally underwent back surgery on June 2, 2025. “I had lumbar fusion surgery, which involved the implantation of 32 steel nails and rods.” The doctors initially planned to perform four surgeries, but the long wait disrupted the original plan.

“In the end, only one surgery was needed because my bones and nerves were severely compressed and too soft, and he did his best. However, if it had been done eight years ago, the situation might have been better, but it’s too late now,” Tadif said.

Tadif has been unable to work due to pain since 2014. She said that waiting eight years for surgery left her exhausted. She was unable to make plans and cancelled many, saying, “I can’t predict how I’ll be tomorrow.”

Highlighting the challenges facing the healthcare system Her experience highlights the challenges many Canadians Clinical psychologist Renée El-Gabalawy has studied the effects of surgical delays and cancellations. She says the impact of waiting goes far beyond physical condition: “The effects are very broad, encompassing mental health, social functioning, and physical well-being.”

She pointed out that some studies suggest it could take Canada 30 years to resolve its surgical backlog. She advised patients to do as much as they can while waiting. “Whether it’s cognitive behavioural therapy or exercise, we know that these methods can effectively improve physical and mental health, as well as perioperative outcomes.”

As for Tadif, her recovery is expected to take another year, but she is grateful that the pain has lessened. She looks forward to returning to doing the things she loves. “I love swimming, I love being outdoors in the summer, and taking a hot bath really helps,” Tadif said. Of course, there’s also playing with her new puppies.

As costs caused by extreme weather continue to rise, Canada ‘s home insurance “safety net” is beginning to crack at the edges.

Although market competition remains healthy and Canada has avoided the “coverage deserts” emerging in the United States, insurers are reducing policy coverage in various ways to adapt to the changing risk environment. Raising premiums—often at rates higher than inflation, and sometimes significantly higher—is a common practice, but experts say insurance companies are also increasingly excluding certain risks, increasing deductibles, and reducing exposure in high-risk areas.

“The Canadian market is showing early signs of tightening protection,” Morningstar DBRS said in a report last November. Although insurance companies have not completely withdrawn from certain regions, some companies have reduced the scale of their related business. “We have rebalanced in some areas with high severe weather risk,” TD CEO Raymond Chun said in a recent earnings call.

“In areas with a high concentration of risk in certain severe weather zones, we have already made appropriate adjustments.” Chun stated that the bank is shifting its growth focus to regions with lower disaster risks. Definity Financial Corp. claims to have become Canada’s fourth-largest property and casualty insurer after completing its C$3.3 billion acquisition of Travelers last month. The company is also taking steps to moderately withdraw from high-risk regions.

In an analyst call last November, CEO Rowan Saunders said the company was adjusting its business portfolio, shifting new business to areas with lower disaster risk and reducing its concentration in high-risk areas. He said that the main work of transferring high-risk exposures has been largely completed, but this will be an ongoing process.

“This is simply a matter of ongoing, good portfolio management.”

The pressure to rebalance the business portfolio has increased after costs have soared further from already high levels in recent years, especially given the record $9.4 billion in insurance payouts in 2024. But this is not a one-off event.

A TD report indicates that between 2020 and 2024, the average loss of personal property is almost double that of the previous period, while the number of catastrophic weather events averages 15 per year, far higher than the level of about two per year in the 1980s. In the report, economist Likeliel Seitlheko stated, “The increasing losses in personal property insurance claims are putting enormous pressure on Canada’s home insurance industry.”

In response to rising costs, insurance companies have increased deductibles for risks such as hail to over CAD 10,000, reduced coverage, and even removed coverage for certain risks, such as floods. Seitlheko stated, “In the worst-case scenario, some risks are simply not covered by insurance.”

Flood insurance was only introduced in Canada about a decade ago, and its availability in high-risk areas has been limited. According to data from Public Safety Canada, Quebec has the highest number of properties at risk of flooding, followed by Ontario and British Columbia.

The Insurance Board of Canada estimates that approximately 1.5 million households (about 10% of the total) are ineligible for flood insurance; for those who are, flood insurance could increase premiums by up to $15,000 per year. But David Nickerson, who studies real estate economics at Toronto Metropolitan University, says that even this figure overestimates the actual number of people who can obtain insurance. “The industry claims that 90% of Canadians have access to flood insurance. This is an exaggeration.

Considering the specific circumstances of high-risk areas and the ‘red line’ system, in reality, only about 50% of people may have effective coverage.” Nickerson stated that part of the problem lies in the fragmented and outdated risk data, which is why the federal government is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade flood maps. Although insurance companies have access to multiple information sources, they can still face the problem of over-concentration of risk. Nickerson points out that TD experienced this during the Calgary hailstorm in 2024.

“They suffered huge, huge losses, so they scaled back operations to replenish their financial reserves.” Alberta has consistently been a focal point of losses. A TD report indicates that the $3 billion worth of hailstorms and the $1.1 billion Jasper wildfires in 2024 caused the province’s industry operating costs to exceed premium income by nearly 20% that year.

Despite the challenges, Nadja Dreff, Global Head of Insurance at Morningstar DBRS, said the industry remains stable. The massive losses in 2024 served as a stress test for the industry, demonstrating that insurers were well-prepared, although this preparation largely meant raising prices.

Dreff said, “From a consumer’s perspective, especially from the perspective of personal insurance, the situation is not optimistic, right?” “Because in order for insurance companies to absorb these losses, they had to raise individual insurance premiums, and that has indeed happened. We predict that this will continue into 2026.”

Statistics Canada data shows that between 2021 and 2025, home insurance costs (combined with mortgage insurance) rose by 31%, while the overall inflation rate was 15% during the same period. The TD report points out that the increase is even higher in areas with frequent claims: British Columbia saw an average increase of 68%, and Alberta saw an increase of 58%. However, with costs continuing to rise and insurance companies needing to ensure financial stability, there is no easy solution.

Dreff said, “Everyone is doing their best, while consumers are on the receiving end.” “The only way to truly get out of this situation is for the whole society to invest in climate resilience building.”

The Insurance Bureau of Canada also called for improvements in building standards and repair methods to make homes more resistant to extreme weather. “We must put on the brakes and stop the problem from getting worse, and really take building a more resilient nation seriously,” said Liam McGuinty, Vice President of Federal Affairs at the Insurance Bureau of Canada. He said that as Canada accelerates housing construction, it is essential to avoid building in high-risk flood areas and to enhance the resilience of homes to hail and wildfires.

McGuinty stated that, based on current trends, costs will continue to rise as climate change makes weather events more extreme. “We should pay close attention to this trend. All these costs will ultimately have to be borne by a certain group, right? And the ones who ultimately bear the costs are the policyholders, the people who pay the premiums.”

Canadian Tire, a major Canadian retail chain, has been fined nearly $1.3 million by a Quebec court for violating 74 provisions of the Consumer Protection Act by inflating prices and misleading consumers in its discount advertising.

This case stems from a six-month investigation launched by the Quebec Office of Consumer Protection (OPC) in 2021. The investigation found that between April and October 2021, Canadian Tire artificially inflated the original price in its promotional materials, company website, and three stores in the Montreal area, misleading consumers into believing that the product was on sale with a significant discount—the price consumers actually paid was almost the “normal price” of the product.

OPC sampled seven products, and Canadian Tire only admitted responsibility for five of them, including: Knife sets from Henckels and Cuisinart Cookware from the brands Lagostina and Heritage DEWALT brand cordless drill The court-approved settlement agreement shows that the fines and court costs for each charge range from CAD 15,625 to CAD 18,150.

Prosecutor Jérôme Dussault stated that Canadian Tire initially refused to plead guilty but ultimately agreed to a settlement with the prosecution. This settlement has been formally approved by Judge Simon Ruel. In a written statement, Canadian Tire responded that the OPC’s allegations concerned five products from five years ago, over a six-month period, and emphasized that “no customers were overcharged as a result.”

The company will pay the fine within the next 12 months as required.

On February 4th, Vancouver City Council passed a motion to hold a one-night fireworks display this summer. The motion was put forward by Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim following the cancellation of the Celebration of Light fireworks display.

The Celebration of Light was a three-day annual fireworks display held at English Bay in downtown Vancouver. It was a large-scale event that attracted approximately 400,000 people each day, but in November of last year, organizers decided to cancel the event indefinitely, citing financial difficulties due to cuts in subsidies from the federal and provincial governments.

Mayor Sim’s motion calls for a $2 million one-day fireworks display to serve as a bridge to the revival of the Celebration of Light. The City of Vancouver already has $1.4 million budgeted for the 2026 Celebration of Light, so the additional budget would only be $600,000. Councillors Pete Fry of the Green Party and Councillor Sean Orr of COPE voted against the proposal, criticising the lack of a clear business plan for the event and a realistic path to reviving the Celebration of Light. He also questioned the move at a time of austerity and ongoing cuts to city staff.

With the motion now in place, city officials are expected to submit concrete plans for the event by spring. The Honda Celebration of Light began in 1990 as Symphony of Fire. Every year, three to four countries from overseas participate in the international fireworks competition to determine the winning team. Honda became the main sponsor in the 2000s, and the current name was adopted.

Due to financial constraints, the 2025 event will feature three Canadian teams for the first time. Before the spread of COVID-19, Vancouver used to have fireworks displays on New Year’s Eve and Canada Day on July 1st, but these were cancelled after the coronavirus outbreak.

Due to construction work on the Broadway Subway Project in Vancouver, British Columbia, a portion of Broadway Street has been closed to all vehicular traffic since January 26.

The Broadway Subway Project Corporation announced this on January 9. The road closure covers one block of East Broadway between Quebec Street and Main Street. The area will undergo road reconstruction work for the new Mount Pleasant underground station, which will begin on January 26 and run for approximately four months.

According to the authorities, East 8th Avenue will be the detour route for vehicles. Turn restrictions will be in place depending on the time of day, and traffic controllers will be on hand to guide vehicles. If you are just passing through the area, they are urging you to use other east-west routes to reduce congestion and maintain access for local vehicles. Vehicle traffic will be prohibited, but footpaths will remain open, and access to shops, homes and services in the area will be maintained.

Work will generally be carried out Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. After the four-month closure, one lane in each direction will be reopened, with all lanes expected to be reopened by summer.

The project involves extending the SkyTrain Millennium Line, operated by TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s public transportation system, from VCC Clark Station west to Arbutus Street, with the construction of six new subway stations.

Air Canada announced on January 21 that it will launch a winter-only Vancouver-Sapporo route starting December 17, 2026. Between December 2026 and March 2027, the airline will operate three flights per week between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and New Chitose Airport (CTS). This will be North America’s first direct flight to Hokkaido.

According to the announced schedule, AC55 from Vancouver departs YVR at 1:25 pm on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, arriving at CTS the following day at 3:35 pm. AC54 from New Chitose departs CTS at 7:55 pm on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, arriving at YVR at 11:10 am on the same day. According to a news release, the new route will reduce travel time between Vancouver and Sapporo by more than two hours each way by eliminating the need for a layover. The aircraft will be a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Passengers can choose from Signature Class, Premium Economy, or Economy. Air Canada Vice President and CCO Mark Gallardo said, “This new route further strengthens Vancouver’s role as North America’s second-largest Pacific gateway, driven by the continued growth in premium leisure demand and travel to Japan. He also cited Sapporo’s attractions as including “superb powder snow, the Sapporo Snow Festival, soothing hot springs, and culinary delights like ramen and legendary beer.”

This brings Air Canada’s direct flights to Japan, including limited-time routes, to three (Vancouver-Narita and Kansai Airport), plus seven (Toronto-Narita, Haneda, Kansai, and Montreal-Narita).

Low temperatures and power outages are merely inconveniences for many, but for others, they can be deadly risks. Canada has recently experienced a sustained drop in temperature, with many areas entering a period of severe cold. Meanwhile, some communities in Montreal experienced sudden power outages. Against this backdrop of alternating low temperatures and power outages, a worrying incident has drawn attention.

Montreal police say a 66-year-old woman was found dead in an apartment in Montreal’s West End on Sunday (January 25). The neighbourhood was experiencing a power outage that had lasted since Saturday morning (January 24).

Firefighters made a routine home visit and found the woman unconscious. Police reported that around 6 p.m. Sunday, firefighters found the woman unconscious in an apartment on Hudson Avenue during a community safety check and called the police. Montreal police then arrived at the scene.

The inspection was conducted because the area had experienced a large-scale power outage since Saturday, and the fire department proactively visited some residents to check if any were affected by the outage.

Police confirmed: Not a criminal case Montreal Police spokesperson Ann-Sophie Simard stated clearly when contacted by the media: “After completing the relevant investigation, the police confirmed that this incident did not involve any criminal activity.”

Police have not released further details about the woman’s personal circumstances, nor have they stated whether her time of death was directly related to the power outage.

The case has been transferred to the coroner for investigation into the cause of death and specific circumstances. The case has now been officially handed over to the Quebec Coroner’s Office, which is responsible for further investigating the woman’s cause of death and the specific circumstances surrounding her death. Relevant departments will consider the on-site situation, medical examination results, and environmental factors to determine whether there is a sudden health emergency or whether it is related to the life risks caused by a prolonged power outage.