BC Ferries is finding itself in a bit of a public relations pickle.

William Fraser and his family like to visit Vancouver Island and the 12-year-old loves to get a traditional White Spot burger on board.

“Legendary burger, no tomatoes, no cheese, extra pickle and fries with honey mustard for the fries,” William said.

The family was on the Queen of Cowichan on April 6. William ordered his usual, but the kitchen mixed up his order.

“So I opened the burger and I’m just like, ‘OK, well this has happened before. This is kind of annoying,’” William said.

“Like literally the last time I went on the ferry, this happened to me. And so I go back, I asked for some pickles.”

He said the staff apologized and gave him some apology pickles on a plate that he could take back to his table.

“As I’m walking past the cashier, the pay, I didn’t think I had to pay, because it’s just pickles. And they forgot to put pickles on my burger,” William said.

“So I go there, and the person’s like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, you need to pay for those. And I’m so confused, because the last time this happened, I didn’t have to pay for the pickles. You shouldn’t have to pay for the pickles if they forgot the pickles on your burger.

“She said nobody gets free pickles on BC Ferries.”

2:55
BC Ferries faces long weekend issues

Dad Greg Fraser said he came up to help his son and ended up paying $2.19 for the pickles.

“Mistakes happen,” Fraser said. “Not a problem. And I expected, you know, the outcome would be we’d get the pickle that he was looking for. He didn’t even make a big deal about the tomatoes. He just picked it off the burger. But really, you know, making sure that that first bite tastes the way it needs to.”

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He said there was no discussion or debate and the cashier was really rigid in her stance.

“She literally just kind of stared at me and repeated the fact that nobody gets free pickles,” he added.

“You have to pay for these pickles. And I said, well, we don’t even need the full plate of it. Can we just take a pickle? No, it’s $2.19. And again, it would seem to be common sense, but nobody wants to argue over a pickle.”

Fraser ended up posting about the incident on social media, which exploded with thousands of views and hundreds of comments.

“I think it’s more of a commentary on a greater focus to customer service that they need to do so that they can do better next time,” he said.

Fraser said he did send BC Ferries an email first, explaining the situation, but immediately received an auto response asking him to write a letter and mail it to their Victoria office.

But now he said his inbox has been blowing up with people messaging him from across North America.

“Most people seem to just want to share their experience as a commiseration or feeling like, ‘Hey, I know what you’re going through,’” Fraser said.

“It’s been really surprising. And you know, almost a validation that as a passenger on BC Ferries, people want to be heard about what their experience is and be recognized that it didn’t go well and, you know, maybe they’ll do better next time.”

2:26
BC Ferries CEO apologizes

Fraser said BC Ferries has now reached out about the situation.

Jeff Groot, executive director of communications at BC Ferries, told Global News that it is unfortunate that the family had the situation they did.

“I think BC Ferries has a good place in the culture of British Columbia and White Spot is another one of those companies,” he said.

“We obviously place great value on being able to offer White Spot products on board and the pickles are a core part of the burger experience. And so I’m not surprised that it elicited a reaction that people had some feelings about it.”

Groot said they have reached out to the family to make it right.

“Whenever we have these kinds of questions come up about process and policy, we do follow-ups and make sure that the teams are all aware of standard process and policy and how they should be communicating there,” he said. “And so that’s not unusual for us to follow up in this case. And that’s what we’ve done.”

Groot said there are also many ways to contact BC Ferries, not just by physical mail, and that includes a callback or calling customer service directly.

Fraser said that while this story may seem frivolous, it clearly struck a nerve with people.

“This isn’t about the pickle,” he said.

“You know, it’s about a consistent experience that they’re delivering or rather failing to deliver.”

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Community support organizations in Saskatoon say they are concerned about the uptick in demand for their services following the closure of the city’s only supervised consumption site.

On Thursday, Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) announced it will cease all operations after discovering a financial shortfall of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The non-profit organization previously shut down its supervised consumption services in March. Now, its family support services and youth houses have shuttered, leaving other social service organizations in Saskatoon bracing for impact.

“There are a lot more people on the streets, and there are more people coming to the office,” said Shirley Isbister, president of the Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI).

Isbister says encampments have begun popping up outside her office and she is concerned about where people will turn when they need help.

“The people who were using the safe injection site, where are they going to go now? And who’s going to test the drugs?” she said.

It’s not only Isbister who is noticing the spike in demand during the short period when PHR reduced its offerings.

“We’ve had a real influx of people wondering if we do needle exchange, where people just knew that [we don’t]. But now I think people might be getting a little bit desperate,” said Don Meikle, executive director of EGADZ, a provider of youth and family programs and services.

PHR previously received provincial funding for its social services, but not its safe consumption site, which Saskatchewan’s health and addictions minister said will be re-allocated to other organizations in Saskatoon.

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“We don’t know exactly who that is, but we’re working with the existing organizations to see what they can do to take on some of that work,” said Lori Carr in an interview with Global News on Friday.

But additional responsibilities may not be possible for organizations like EGADZ and CUMFI, which say they are already operating at capacity.

“We’re overrun with what we do in the community, so I know we’d never be able to do it,” said Isbister.

Meikle says taking on more responsibilities would mean staff would be overworked, potentially leading to burnout or to them not being able to provide services to the best of their abilities.

“If the last week has been any kind of indication of what it’s going to look like, we’re not going to be able to keep this going in the long term. It’s just not possible,” said Meikle.

But Meikle has not yet heard from the provincial government on whether EGADZ will be asked to take on more, and says it would also mean a potential reduction in services to keep up.

“We might have to start saying no to people that we can’t give diapers or formula. We might just start saying we don’t have any food for you, that we don’t have the ability to take you to your appointments.”

Funding is also a constraint, said Isbister, adding that her organization only receives so much in grants from Métis Nation–Saskatchewan.

Carr said there are 177 places across the city where people can get a take-home naloxone kit.

“So, you know, just ensuring those places are stocked up with those kits, cause there might be demand for them,” said Carr.

But Toby Esterby, chief operations officer for the Saskatoon Community Clinic, says he is already seeing big gaps.

“Our staff has seen an exponential increase in overdose responses in the community in the last 48 hours,” said Esterby.

Esterby added that the Saskatoon Fire Department has responded to over 100 overdose calls already in April.

Critics share concerns

The opposition is weighing in on what the closure means going forward.

Shadow Minister for Mental Health Betty Nippi-Albright says she is worried about people falling through the cracks.

“The many services provided were crucial to our response to the housing crisis, the drug crisis, and the mental health crisis,” Nippi-Albright said.

She says many who offer services like PHRs were already feeling overwhelmed and now must take on more.

“Many organizations are already at capacity, they’re struggling,” added Nippi-Albright.

The provincial government had allocated roughly $2.5 million for PHR’s outreach, child and family programming, and increased access to take-home naloxone kits.

Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block is also weighing in on the closure, releasing a statement Friday afternoon saying the closure marks a “significant change for our community,” adding that the absence of services may be felt more deeply over time.

“As a community, we recognize this transition will affect residents, partners, and systems across the city, and we remain focused on supporting people through this period of change,” Block said in the statement.

Health Canada said the facility’s exemption to operate supervised consumption expired on March 31 and would not be renewed until the organization could show it has its finances in order.

PHR’s board fired its executive director, Kayla DeMong, in late March, citing a significant financial shortfall and asked for donations at the time.

The board said the shortfall resulted from a 300 per cent increase in demand for services, and that they did not suspect theft or fraud, but rather made the move to avoid turning people away.

The board also said that more money was spent than revenues would allow.

The First Nations Leadership Council is speaking out against the B.C. government’s proposal to suspend key provisions of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), calling it a unilateral betrayal and an abandonment of the province’s commitment to principled reconciliation, as well as serving to create a climate of uncertainty.

“This is an historical moment for First Nations and we will not back down,” Robert Phillips, First Nations Summit Political Executive, said at a press conference on Friday.

“But we will not tolerate misinformation, prejudice, racism that our First Nations are experiencing right now. And the premier is only adding fuel to the fire.”

The Act requires B.C. to align its laws with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Late last year, a B.C. Court of Appeal decision determined that DRIPA is legally enforceable, meaning laws that don’t align with it can be struck down in court.

In response, Premier David Eby proposed amendments to the Act but, following pushback from First Nations leaders, he’s instead proposing a three-year pause on key sections of the Act as the province deals with the fallout from last year’s court rulings.

2:05
BC proposes suspending parts of DRIPA

On Friday, First Nations leaders repeated that DRIPA is not the problem.

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“They started by saying, because of the Cowichan Nation decision, they need to amend the legislation,” Laxele’wuts’aat Huy’wu’qw (Chief) Shana Thomas said.

“They talked about threats to private land. And even though the Cowichan Nation Chiefs sent out a joint statement with the premier, assuring the public that the Cowichan Nation was not seeking to dispossess any individuals of private land, the fear-mongering persists.”

Eby was also heavily criticized.

“I think the problem is Premier Eby himself and I think the NDP has a colossal leadership problem,” ʔaʔsiwɬ Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, said.

In response, Eby said that the reality is that British Columbia was settled largely without treaty.

“First Nations rights and title exist, and any government has to grapple with those issues,” he said. “We want to do this work to mitigate the risk in the least invasive way possible.”

Eby has said the bill to suspend parts of DRIPA will be a confidence vote, meaning the government could fall if it doesn’t pass.

2:21
Forest industry conference deals with DRIPA controversy

The proposed changes to DRIPA are set to be introduced in the House later next week when it resumes sitting.

All eyes will be on Joan Phillip, who is a Vancouver MLA and is married to Phillip.

He said he doesn’t speak for his wife, but added that his wife does not support the suspension.

“She does not support any tinkering or meddling with DRIPA,” Phillip said.

“Alongside myself, our family, we celebrated DRIPA in 2019. As for the other MLAs, they need to vote their conscience.”

Eby said there is a wide diversity of voices and views in the BC NDP caucus.

“We are stable. We are focused, and we are committed to delivering for British Columbians,” Eby said.

“And Joan is no exception. And of course, I will always defer to Joan to speak for Joan’s own community and for herself.”

— WGlith files from Global News’ Andrea Macpherson and Keith Baldrey

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The University of Ottawa says there is a “violent incident occurring on campus,” telling students to avoid the area and shelter in place if they are present at the school.

Students on campus are being told to find an enclosed area and lock or barricade the door, turn off the lights and mute all electronic devices.

“Take cover and remain silent until authorities instruct otherwise,” the school said in a notice on its emergency alert website and app at 5:18 p.m. Eastern.

“If a violent attacker is close by, be ready to run, hide or, if your life is in imminent danger, defend yourself by any means necessary until you can get away.”

The university also issued a post on X announcing a lockdown due to a “violent threat on campus,” and issued subsequent holds for the lockdown at 6 p.m. and 6:37 p.m. Eastern.

“The security threat on campus is ongoing and police are investigating. Continue to lockdown until instructed otherwise,” the emergency alert website said.

Ottawa Police said on social media there was an “increased police presence” at the western corner of the campus “as officers investigate a suspicious incident.”

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“There are no reported injuries at this time,” it said.

Police later said officers were called to the campus “following reports of a suspicious person in the area” and would remain on scene for an undetermined amount of time.

OC Transpo, the city’s public transit agency, said on X that the uOttawa LRT station is closed and that trains will not be stopping there.

Police were seen at the LRT station as well.

The campus was not blocked off to pedestrians, who were still allowed to walk through on their way home.

Global News has reached out to Ottawa Police Service and the University of Ottawa requesting more information, but has not yet heard back.

University of Ottawa campus is spread among the downtown core in Ottawa and is minutes from Parliament Hill and the Rideau Centre, as well as popular commuting routes.

This is a developing story. More to come…

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Ontario has failed to collect more than 90 per cent of money owed by alleged animal abusers whose pets, livestock or menagerie were seized during investigations, The Canadian Press has learned.

Since 2019, the province has charged owners money to care for animals seized by Animal Welfare Services to the tune of $10,633,241, documents obtained by an animal advocacy group through freedom-of-information laws show.

But the Ministry of Finance has only collected $1,020,582 over the past seven years, leaving more than $9 million outstanding.

“I’m going to look into that and thank you for bringing it to my attention,” Solicitor General Michael Kerzner, who is responsible for the welfare of animals across the province, said when asked about the uncollected millions.

The Ministry of Finance is responsible for the collection of the money owed.

“The Ministry of Finance continues to pursue outstanding Animal Welfare Services accounts using established collection methods,” said Sarah Chapin, a spokesperson for Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy.

She noted some debts “remain uncollectible due to bankruptcy or lack of assets.”

The province launched Animal Welfare Services in 2019 after the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a private charity, abdicated its role in enforcing animal cruelty laws.

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The province has about 100 animal welfare inspectors who investigate allegations of animal cruelty in every nook and cranny in Ontario, from pets in homes to animals on farms and menageries in zoos and aquariums.

Chapin said there have been more than 100,000 inspections and investigations since January 2020, resulting in more than 14,000 orders issued, over 1,500 charges laid and nearly 11,000 animals seized.

Kerzner defended the work of Ontario’s animal welfare inspectors.

“These are committed people that have a passion of protecting our animals,” he said.

At issue is what’s known as the “statement of account” issued to animal owners by Animal Welfare Services for “costs incurred for the care, treatment, shelter and other necessary services provided to the animals while in the protective custody of AWS and before forfeiture of the animals,” the government document says.

“It’s really quite shocking that only nine or 10 per cent are being collected,” said Donna Power, president of advocacy group Humane Initiative. Power filed the freedom-of-information request last year in an effort to figure out how the province is conducting its business of protecting animals.

“And I really have very, very little confidence in AWS and in the solicitor general, so I file FOIs when they won’t give me answers that I want,” Power said.

“It’s very upsetting. I know everyone’s got their thing. My thing is animal welfare and it’s just incredible how this government has completely vacated their responsibility.”

Power then asked the Ministry of Finance questions about its low collection rate and what it was doing so that taxpayers weren’t left to foot the bill.

“The Ministry of Finance conducts progressive collection activities on defaulted Animal Welfare Services invoices,” a collection specialist with the ministry wrote to Power.

“These activities include phone calls, letters, skip tracing and negotiating payment arrangements with clients. Effective February 2026, the MOF has authority to use enhanced collection tools — such as liens, warrants and garnishments — to improve recovery on outstanding AWS accounts.”

If payment isn’t negotiated within 180 days, the collection specialist wrote, the bill could be referred to “one of four contracted private collection agencies.”

It’s more tough talk, but little action from the government, said interim Liberal leader John Fraser.

“What’s the point in enforcing something if there is no penalty?” he said. “The enforcement of the law is what generally changes behaviour.”

Premier Doug Ford’s government is sending a message that it is not serious about enforcing animal protection laws, said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner.

“Alleged abusers are being let off the hook to the tune of $9 million, which will do nothing to deter future crimes,” he said.

Both Fraser and Schreiner said the province needs to step up its efforts to enforce the law.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

Livestock organizations in New Brunswick are banding together to call for proper consultation after the province’s decision to end government-run veterinary and lab services.

The province plans to phase out services over three years and will be handing off animal medical care to private providers.

The newly-formed Agriculture Alliance of New Brunswick-Industry Vet & Lab Services Response Committee says the move, which was announced as part of New Brunswick’s recent budget, will affect farm owners throughout the province.

And yet, no one was consulted.

“It really feels very disrespectful to us as an industry that there was no plan made for this,” said Michael Bouma.

“Get us around the table, let’s talk. That I think is bare minimum.”

Bouma, who owns 120 Holsteins on his dairy farm and also produces beef, is on the Dairy Farmers of New Brunswick’s board of directors.

He says their members are concerned about the change.

“I think I probably spent three hours on the phone every single day with beef producers, dairy producers from my area and actually from different parts of the province as well,” he said.

2:11
New Brunswick farmers say cuts to provincial veterinary services will hit industry hard

The Dairy Farmers of New Brunswick is one of nearly a dozen organizations that are part of the new committee. They intend to work with the province to make sure animal owners have access to veterinarians and the diagnostic services they need through labs.

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“We’re asking to pause the changes, work with industry, consult in depth, and build a financially sustainable model for the future,” said Danielle Connell, president of the Agriculture Alliance of NB.

Connell points out it’s not just farmers and livestock owners who are concerned. She’s heard from veterinarians who are apprehensive as well.

“The veterinarian community is very upset. Emotions are very high. This is their livelihood. This is there passion. This is what they’ve devoted their lives to,” she said.

Dr. Mary Ellen Themens, a veterinarian with the New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association, said the organization joined the committee because they care about the community they work in. Their reservations include what will happen to veterinarians’ workload and the future of the current diagnostic lab.

“To do more than one farm call or two farm calls in a day, that’s a lot, and without substantial subsidization or some plan, it’s going to be very challenging,” said Themens.

“Our diagnostic lab is so critical to our infrastructure that it would be disastrous to lose it.”

Agriculture Minister Pat Finnigan has previously acknowledged the province did not consult private veterinarians or industry members before announcing the decision.

Finnigan said because the services are being phased out over three years, it will allow room for the consultations to occur.

However, Bouma and Connell see it differently.

“If this was a plan, this is about as badly as you could have possibly have done it,” said Bouma.

Connell says she’s hoping to see a pause to the plan by the end of the month.

“The lack of consultation was a surprise. Everyone would assume that there would be plenty of consultation when rolling out something like this,” she said.

Finnigan declined an interview with Global News for the story, but sent a statement saying he met with the Agricultural Alliance of NB and groups earlier this month.

He said that meeting, and other recent ones, have been “instrumental in helping me better understand their concerns and challenges” and he is committed to working with them moving forward.

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