Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca


Calgarians will once again pay more on their property tax bills this year, however, the increase is mostly due to another provincial request for an increased share of property taxes from Calgary homeowners.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

Calgary city council finalized the property tax increase Tuesday, which included an 8.1 per cent overall residential property tax increase, a combination of both the municipal and provincial portions.

The jump comes after city council whittled down the proposed property tax increase to 1.2 per cent for both residential and non-residential properties during budget deliberations last year.

However, the provincial portion of property taxes is increasing by 19.8 per cent for residential properties this year, and 8.8 per cent for non-residential properties.

“Our city council team did the hard work, we lived within our means, we spent responsibly,” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas told reporters Tuesday.

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“To see that massive increase in property taxes due to provincial government decisions is extremely jarring.”

For the typical single-family homeowner with a median assessment of $706,000, the changes result in a nine per cent property tax increase, or an additional $32.25 per month.

The changes will also mean an increase of four per cent for condo owners, which is an extra $7.41 per month for the typical residential condo assessed at $347,000.

The typical multi-residential property is set to see a 16.2 per cent hike this year, while the median assessed non-residential property will pay an extra 2.5 per cent in property taxes this year.

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In total, Calgary will remit over $1.2 billion in property taxes to the province after a $200 million increase to the education property tax requisition from the city in this year’s provincial budget.

According to the city, it’s the highest amount of any Alberta municipality classified as a city on a per capita basis.

“There was a loud cry for more teachers, more schools, more supports, which comes at a cost,” Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean said. “I can’t support that but I know a lot of my residents wanted those things.”

The move means 42 cents of every dollar in property taxes collected in Calgary is sent to the provincial government, city officials said.

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Farkas said he is looking for flexibility from the provincial government to allow Calgary to issue two property tax bills to reflect “which portion of the taxes are going where,” but the city must legally send just one bill to property owners.

However, Farkas noted he is hoping for more provincial funding given higher than budgeted oil prices, which is expected to generate additional revenue for the province this year.

“The provincial government indicated that the lack of support for municipalities and infrastructure time around was based on the lack of resource royalties,” Farkas said.


“We’re hoping now, based on what’s happening, that we’ll see a significant increase in infrastructure.”

According to a spokesperson for Alberta’s finance minister, higher oil prices can strengthen the province’s fiscal position and “hypothetically” help offset deficits.

However, the province said nothing in this year’s budget has been impacted by the current high oil prices.

“The higher oil prices, up until April 1, go toward offsetting the 2025-2026 deficit, not the current projected $9.4 billion deficit for Budget 2026,” read a statement from a provincial spokesperson.

“Even with the high price of oil over the last few weeks, fiscal year 2025-26 is still projecting a deficit due to sustained low oil prices over an entire fiscal. A few weeks of strong oil prices is not enough to offset an entire year.”

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The statement added provincial officials look forward to seeing Farkas’ submission during the 2027 budget consultation period.

Other city councillors said they plan to keep an eye on the response from residents and businesses to the latest property tax increase.

“A lot of our established communities need paving on our roads, recreation centres, new playgrounds, those things all cost money,” Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly told reporters.

“Certainly if we don’t see Calgarians getting upset about the province increasing their property taxes, that maybe gives us a little bit of licence to do things a little bit faster than what we originally thought.”

According to the city, property tax bills will be mailed out in May and payments are due by June 30 for those who pay a lump sum once a year.

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Emergency care improvements coming to Kelowna hospital thanks to fundraising campaign | Globalnews.ca


Thousands of people access emergency medical care at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) every year, but now the emergency room (ER) will get some much-needed care of its own.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

“Hopefully that translates into patients having a more seamless care journey in the emergency, getting kind of more efficiently brought into the department,” said Dr. Jared Baylis, an ER physician and the department’s medical director.

The KGH Foundation is about to launch a $2.5 million fundraising campaign to enhance emergency care in the Interior’s largest hospital.

“We’re all feeling kind of energized and excited about this,” Baylis said.

Called Give Where It Matters Most, the campaign is the last piece of the broader $40 million Closer To Home campaign.

It involves targeted improvements identified by medical teams and Interior Health (IH).

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“This is a very big need for us and has been identified as a site priority for a while,” said Lindsay Taberner, KGH executive director of clinical operations.

The improvements will include redesigning patient registration and expanding triage capacity to help reduce wait times.

“If we have more ability and more space to triage patients, that will improve the triage time,” Taberner said. “So improved time to assessment and then time to result and time to treatment.”

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The redesigned space will also improve sightlines, allowing for better monitoring of vulnerable patients.

“I think triage is known to (be) a bit of a danger zone, because that’s the point where somebody’s come in seeking care but they haven’t yet been assessed or treated for what they’re coming in for,” Baylis said.

“And if wait times are starting to balloon, then people are in the waiting room for longer and longer and things can happen while they’re waiting.”


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KGH Foundation launches new cancer care campaign


The funds will also support new diagnostic equipment including two mobile ultrasounds and a dedicated ER ECG and lab area, which Baylis said will help streamline the treatment process.


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“Right now there can be some confusion about what happens next for patients. So they come in, they get triaged. Are they going to see the doctor next? Are they going for lab tests next? Are they going for an X-ray?” he said.

“It’s a little bit of a confusing journey, so we’re hoping to streamline that and just have it all happen in a more sequential way.”

According to IH, there were more than 101,000 patient visits to the KGH ER last year alone, making it second-busiest emergency room in the province.

As the region continues to grow, those patient numbers will continue increasing and put more strain on an already challenging staffing situation.

“We are continually recruiting, we are continually addressing need and demand,” Taberner said.

Work on the upgrades is expected to begin later this year and be completed by fall 2027.

For more information on the campaign or to donate, click on the KGH Foundation website.


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New community-based mental health response team in Kelowna


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Saskatoon summit discusses how to tackle overpopulation of dogs | Globalnews.ca


Dogs and people have been side by side for thousands of years, but growing populations of dogs can cause problems for certain communities.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

A dog management summit held at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon allowed nine First Nations communities to gather and come up with solutions.

“Working within each of the communities sort of as a tribal council to think about what are the things that can match the community context and the community values that can start to change the situation on the grounds so that dogs who are valued members of communities can stay, live safely and in a healthy way,” said Dr. Jordan Woodsworth, veterinarian and director of Northern Engagement and community outreach at the University of Saskatchewan vet college.

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Being able to gather as a community with youth, elders, and speakers to talk about how people can better protect their dogs and community as a whole is important to tackle the issue.

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“Regarding dog awareness, it’s a really big impact and I think more First Nations should be involved in it. So, this way we can all come together to share our ideas on how we can control our own pets in our community.”

In the past, humans heavily relied on dogs, which isn’t so much the case today.

“Dogs back then were very respected because that was the animal that took us places from point A to point B, plus also to help us hunt,” said Trevor Moberly, band councillor for Birch Narrows Dene Nation.


“Our dogs came a long time ago. That was our way of life, our tradition,” said Rodrick Apesis, an English River Elder.

Some solutions brought up in the summit include spaying and neutering and community engagement, but community members say they need funding and resources to be able to do that.

“A lot of the stuff that’s going on in communities doesn’t only happen in Northern and Indigenous communities, it happens in many. It’s just that the resource availability is different in different places,” said Woodsworth.

“This isn’t a dog problem, and it isn’t solely a First Nations problem — it isn’t an isolated problem for each of these communities. It’s a system problem.”

Watch above for more on how communities gathered to help protect their animals.

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Woman, 26, killed on Montreal’s Mile End tracks where safety concerns persist – Montreal | Globalnews.ca


Montreal police say a 26-year-old woman is dead after being fatally struck by a train n Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood Tuesday morning.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

Authorities say it happened at 9 a.m. on the tracks that run under the Van Horne overpass. She was declared dead at the scene.

A safety perimeter has been set up at the scene. Police say initial information points to this being an accidental death.

Police say it isn’t clear why the woman was on the tracks, but note that this is the site of a popular illegal crossing where another fatal incident occurred in 2022 that called for heightened safety measures and an official pedestrian crossing.

The illegal crossing is a popular shortcut between the Plateau Mont-Royal’s Mile End neighbourhood and the Rosemont borough.

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“A couple of hundred people every morning are crossing this passage, so it’s a lot,” Axel Lelaquet, who often uses the crossing, told Global in 2022 after the 31-year-old woman’s death.

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“Just having a simple crossway upwards can basically save a lot of danger,” he said.

A citizens group had been asking Canadian Pacific (CP), now called CPKC, the company which owns the rails, to install a safe passage for pedestrians for more than a decade. At the time, they said that latest accident was a wake-up call for CP.

“People will continue to cut holes in the fence and cross illegally and unsafely because the city and the infrastructure around these train tracks has not adapted to the reality of our neighbourhoods today,” said Mistaya Hemingway, a member of the Collective for Level Crossing.


Efforts to secure the passage have also been made at the federal level. In 2016, the NDP put forward a bill that would give the federal government authority to mandate pedestrian crossings on train tracks, but it didn’t pass.

Global News has reached out to CPKC for comment.

–with files from Gloria Henriquez


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Mile End residents raise red flag over new bus stop to be built near daycare


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Edmonton man recovering after being hit by wrong-way driver – Edmonton | Globalnews.ca


March 14th, 2026, was a regular day for Kuldeep Raj. It was 2:30 a.m. and he was driving home on the Anthony Henday from his casino job. A vehicle traveling west in the east bound lane crashed into his.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

The 27-year-old woman driving the vehicle going the wrong way died on scene. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.

Raj suffered severe injuries. In the past two weeks he’s had multiple surgeries and he can’t move the right side of his body. He also has a brain injury. While his wife has been by his side, his two daughters haven’t seen him since before the crash.

“Sometimes he is able to recognize his wife, sometimes not,” family friend Swati Kathuria said.

“They got a call, they were confused what happened. They were not able to believe what happened, and were told that (Raj) was undergoing surgery,” Raj’s brother Pawan Kumar said through a translator.

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“When they got to the hospital, they were crying and asking for updates every 30 minutes.”

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Raj’s friends have been supporting his family, helping them get through this difficult time.

“We as friends have (known) him since college. All are here to support him and his family. Obviously, he can’t see the support right now, but his wife needs it more,” Kathuria said.

Raj was working multiple jobs to support his family. Unfortunately, he is not able to get insurance for disability through work. Kathuria has set up a GoFundMe page to help the family pay their bills and take off some financial pressure.

“We have seen a lot of support from the Edmonton people even though they are not connected to them,” Kathuria said.


“He has two small daughters, a wife to take care of them at home and doesn’t have any kind of other financial support.”

As Raj is still recovering, the family is trying to navigate what life will look like now.

“It might take one or two years; we don’t know how long it will take for Raj to get back on his feet,” Kathuria said.


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Edmonton police accuse PEI man of killing girlfriend, dumping body in central Alberta


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Carney condemns Israel’s ‘illegal invasion’ of Lebanon, calls for ceasefire – National | Globalnews.ca


Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday condemned what he called Israel’s “illegal invasion” of southern Lebanon, which he said is a violation of territorial sovereignty.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

Carney told reporters in French in Wakefield, Que., that a ceasefire is necessary between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, against which Israeli forces have launched a renewed offensive.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier Tuesday that Israel plans to control a 30-kilometre area between the Israel-Lebanon border and the Litani River — about one-tenth of Lebanon’s territory — even after the fighting with Hezbollah ends.

“It’s an illegal invasion — it’s an invasion of Lebanon,” Carney said in English. “It’s a violation of their territorial sovereignty.

“From a practical perspective, the government of Lebanon has banned Hezbollah, is trying to take action against Hezbollah and their terrorist activities and their threats to Israel. And that is the purported justification for this invasion. So we condemn it.”

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Global Affairs Canada posted on X last week that the government “strongly condemns Israel’s plans to occupy territory in southern Lebanon,” while also calling on Hezbollah to disarm and cease its attacks on Israel.


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US-Iran war: Conflict expands as it enters its 2nd month with strikes hitting civilian targets


The Canadian government has declared Hezbollah to be a foreign terrorist entity since 2002. The group takes inspiration from the Iranian revolution and is dedicated to Israel’s destruction, according to the listing.

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The war in the Middle East widened when Hezbollah launched missiles toward Israel on March 2, two days after Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran.

Israel immediately retaliated and declared war on Hezbollah, launching waves of airstrikes and sending ground troops across the border.

More than 1.2 million people have been displaced and another 1,200 have been killed in Lebanon since the fighting began. Ten Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon, including four announced Tuesday, and three United Nations peacekeepers were killed earlier this week.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) earlier this month ordered residents to leave swathes of the south, the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, and the group’s political heartlands in eastern Lebanon.


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Israel intends to seize parts of Lebanon as strikes against Hezbollah intensify, government says



Katz said Tuesday that Israel will destroy all homes in Lebanese villages near the border, and that 600,000 people who fled the south will not be allowed home until northern Israel is secure.

“At the end of the operation, the IDF will establish a security zone inside Lebanon — a line of defense against anti-tank missiles — and will maintain security control over the entire area up to the Litani River, including the remaining Litani bridges,” he said in a statement.

He added the destruction of homes near the Lebanese border will be done “in accordance with the model used in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza, in order to permanently remove the threats near the border to northern residents.”

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Israel on Tuesday launched new strikes targeting what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut.

Lebanon’s minister of social affairs, Haneen Sayed, told Reuters that Israel’s ground operation, which she described as a “land grab,” was deepening the risk that Lebanese would be stuck in long-term displacement.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that Hezbollah had fired almost 5,000 drones, rockets and missiles at Israel during the conflict.

The war is the second major conflict between Israel and Hezbollah since 2024. Israel dealt Hezbollah heavy blows in the last war, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah and thousands of its fighters.

—with files from Reuters

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Nova Scotia, New Brunswick urged to cut gas taxes as fuel prices skyrocket | Globalnews.ca


Fuel prices are surging in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, with both provinces seeing significant price hikes over the past few weeks.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

The minimum price of regular self-serve rose seven cents per litre overnight in Nova Scotia, mirroring a similar increase in New Brunswick over the weekend.

Nova Scotia’s Energy Board invoked the interrupter clause six times in March, in response to what the board calls significant shifts in market price.” That’s already more price adjustments than all of 2025.

The price of gas is currently almost $1.83 per litre in Halifax, which is a 44-cent increase in March alone as fuel markets are being impacted by the ongoing war in the Middle East.

“We need to have some kind of reprieve at the pumps,” said Halifax driver, Rebecca MacEachern.

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“The groceries, the prices, obviously have to do with trucks, transportation, fuel, airlines, it’s affecting everybody.”


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Gas price swings fuel financial uncertainty for Canadians


The rising costs have drivers and advocates calling on provincial governments to provide relief, with some floating the idea of cutting or reducing provincial gas taxes.

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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation estimates drivers in the two provinces are paying about 48 cents a litre in taxes.

“Essentially over a quarter of the price that a Nova Scotian or a New Brunswicker pays at the pump is gas taxes alone,” said Devin Drover, the group’s Atlantic director.

“Cut gas taxes, even to the extent Newfoundland and Labrador did, way back in 2022. You’d be saving hundreds of dollars a year for households in both provinces. So I think now is a prime opportunity to do that.”

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Newfoundland and Labrador actually advanced legislation on Monday to make their temporary reduction in provincial tax on gas and diesel into a permanent reduction.


However, New Brunswick’s energy minister says financial constraints make that a distant reality.

“Tax relief would be exceedingly expensive for us to make any kind of mark in fighting the Iran war, to make a difference,” said Min. René Legacy.

“And obviously the position the province is now I don’t think we have the means to make anything significant there.”

New Brunswick recently tabled a $15.6-billion budget that forecasted a historic $1.4-billion deficit. 

When asked about reducing the provincial fuel tax in Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston referred to his government’s one-percentage drop in HST in April of last year.

“There’s HST in the price of gas so that one per cent shows up every time somebody fills up,” said Houston.

“That’s why I think those tax reductions are so significant because they’re so across the board, they impact all Nova Scotians.”

Nova Scotia passed its own controversial budget within this past week that projected a $1.24-billion deficit.

In the meantime, drivers are just hoping to see some relief — wherever that may be.

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“It effects everything, from the top down,” said MacEachern.

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Launch of Hurontario LRT driving Ontario’s plan for enhanced fare integration | Globalnews.ca


Two years after the Ford government launched its signature fare integration program, the eventual opening of the Hurontario LRT is driving a fresh push to expand the program to bring more standard fares and schedules.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

As part of omnibus legislation tabled Monday, the Ministry of Transportation will begin working out how to harmonize transit fares in a variety of Toronto-area municipalities, as well as bring more uniformity to schedules.

“We’ve seen the success of one fare, which has been the integration, from an affordability perspective. We’ve seen over 72 million transfers,” Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said on Monday.

“We (want to create) a structure, between municipal transit agencies that are collaborating, working together, whether it be on schedules, whether it be on fares.”

The original policy was launched in February 2024 with a promise to eliminate the barriers for commuters switching between transit systems in and around Toronto.

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It scrapped second fares for anyone travelling on any of Toronto’s or the GTA-905’s various transit agencies, charging customers a single fare and reimbursing transit agencies for the funds they would have collected.

The next stage will see the government begin consultations across Toronto and the surrounding area on how to get fares in line with one another. Schedule alignment will also be considered.

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The government indicated to Global News that the new Hazel McCallion Line, set to run along Hurontario Street from Mississauga into Brampton, helped catalyze the next step.

The new light rail route will begin in Port Credit and eventually run all the way into downtown Brampton, crossing municipal boundaries served by two different transit systems.

Currently, Mississauga’s MiWay service charges people tapping a Presto card $3.50, while Brampton Transit costs $3.55. The cash fare in Mississauga is $4.50, compared to $4.75 in Brampton.

If the Hurontario Street LRT were currently operational, that reality would mean customers boarding it in Brampton could pay more than those in Mississauga — or the light rail route costing less than the bus in Brampton, if it only operated on MiWay’s fares.

Ahead of the route’s completion — the date of which is not currently public — the province asked Brampton and Mississauga to work to harmonize their fares so the line could serve both cities.

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The two sides,  however, couldn’t organically come to an agreement. That, the government suggested, prompted them to ramp up its work to create uniformity for fares across the Toronto area under its OneFare program.


“It doesn’t matter if you’re getting on in Markham or say Mississauga or Brampton, York Region — we (should) have a structure between municipal transit agencies that are collaborating, working together, whether it be on schedules, whether it be on fares,” Sarkaria added.

The omnibus legislation will allow Ontario to write as-yet undecided regulations to bring uniformity to transit fares — and potentially schedules — around Toronto. It will apply to all cities currently involved in fare integration, as well as Hamilton and Halton Region.

The potential next stage, allowing transit services to operate across municipal boundaries, could be the most challenging. A web of complicated union agreements, where operators earn different salaries in different jurisdictions, stands in the way.

The Toronto Transit Commission’s chief strategy and customer officer, Josh Colle, said at a recent Toronto Region Board of Trade event that work is underway for further integration, but barriers remain.

“The collective agreements are our barrier and one we are working through,” he explained. “I think the positive take on that is this is only going to work if we bring everyone along, including the people who actually operate the buses, and so that’s something we’re working on.”

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The government is yet to give a timeline for when it could introduce regulations to enable the next step — or how much its target standard fare would be — but said work on consultation will begin quickly.

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Mechanical issue halts BC Ferries sailing after only 2 days back in service – BC | Globalnews.ca


It was a frustrating morning for hundreds of passengers aboard the BC Ferries Spirit of Vancouver Island on Tuesday.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

The vessel, sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, suffered a mechanical issue shortly after loading, which forced the cancellation of the 9 a.m. sailing.

A Global News crew, heading to Vancouver Island, was on board the ferry when the lights flickered.

The crew then came on the PA system and said there had been an electrical problem and they were trying to get a backup generator started.

About 20 minutes later, still in dock at Tsawwassen, they made another announcement saying two generators were down and the ship would not be able to sail.

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“We’ve lost two of our generators; we cannot sail,” the captain said over the PA system. “We’re going to ask passengers to return to their vehicles.”

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Every vehicle then had to back off the ferry to unload.

The Spirit of Vancouver Island has only been back in service for two days. It broke down over spring break and only became operational again on Sunday.


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Lead found in water on BC Ferries’ Salish Raven vessel



In a service notice, BC Ferries said some sailings have been cancelled on Tuesday and a revised schedule is in place.

Cancelled Sailings for March 31:

  • 11 a.m. departing Swartz Bay
  • 1 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
  • 3 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
  • 5 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
  • 7 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
  • 9 p.m. departing Tsawwassen

Supplemental Sailings for March 31:

  • 4 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
  • 6 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
  • 8 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
  • 10 p.m. departing Tsawwassen

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Carney praises Michael Ma after controversial Chinese forced labour exchange – National | Globalnews.ca


Prime Minister Mark Carney told a closed-door fundraiser crowd Monday night that floor-crossing MP Michael Ma represents “Liberal values,” after the former Conservative politician drew controversy over comments about forced labour in China.

Calgary homeowners to see 8.1% property tax increase when finalized with provincial hike – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

In video obtained by Global News, Carney told the crowd at the GTA fundraiser that the Liberals were “glad” to welcome Ma to their ranks after the MP crossed from Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in December.

“(Ma) joined, he said, because he was guided by the values of building up others, delivering results — he’s a results-oriented individual — and choosing the path that creates opportunities for Canadians,” Carney said.

“These are fundamental Liberal values, fundamental Canadian values and that’s why Michael Ma has found a home in our party.”

The $1,775 per ticket fundraiser was closed to the media and the public, but Global News obtained video from a source who was in the room. The material reviewed by Global includes extended speeches from both Carney and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson.

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Ma was forced to apologize publicly last week after grilling a witness about forced labour in China at a House of Commons committee meeting on electric vehicles. The witness was suggesting that Chinese-made electric vehicles include parts produced by slave labour.

Ma demanded to know if Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa, had witnessed the practice with her own eyes.

“Have you witnessed forced labour in (the Chinese province of) Shenzhen? Have you witnessed forced labour? Just a short answer — have you witnessed forced labour in Shenzhen, yes or no?” Ma asked, suggesting the alternative was “hearsay.”

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Ma’s brusque remarks were initially misinterpreted by media outlets as referring to the western province of Xinjiang, which had been a major topic during the meeting. Human rights abuses against Xinjiang’s Uyghur Muslim population have been well-documented by international monitoring groups.

Several hours after his questions, Ma issued an apology and indicated he “inadvertently came across as dismissive of the serious issue of forced labour.”

“To be clear, my line of questioning referred to auto manufacturing in Shenzhen, China, and not in Xinjiang,” Ma’s statement read.

“I regret this mistake and apologize to Ms. McCuaig-Johnston and my fellow committee members.”

Ma added that he opposes forced labour “in all its forms.”

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Earlier Monday, Carney was repeatedly asked by reporters about Ma’s comments.

“Mr. Ma has apologized for his comments, as he should have,” Carney said.

“He’s recognized the seriousness of the issue in that apology.”

Ma joined the Liberal caucus in December, one of three MPs to leave Poilievre’s Conservatives to join Carney’s team since November.

The Markham-Unionville MP accompanied Carney on his trade mission to Beijing in January, shortly after joining the Liberal caucus.

At Monday’s fundraiser, Carney boasted about his Liberal party attracting floor crossers like Ma not only from Poilievre’s Conservatives, but also from the federal New Democrats and the Ontario NDP.


“The Liberal party is a big tent, and it’s getting bigger,” Carney said in video reviewed by Global News.

Carney has put an emphasis on diversifying Canadian trade away from the United States under President Donald Trump, whose unprovoked tariff war has led to a year of chaos for Canadian businesses heavily dependent on American trade.

That includes thawing relations with China and other economically important but dubiously reliable partners. Canada-China affairs have been frosty in recent years, after Beijing detained Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor on national security grounds — largely perceived as retaliation after Ottawa arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. warrant.

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The prime minister’s January trip to Beijing was successful in reducing Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola and agricultural exports, and Carney agreed to let a limited number of Chinese electric vehicles into the Canadian market.

Carney was pressed on the Uyghurs’ situation at a press conference on Tuesday, and whether he believes — as the House of Commons unanimously agreed in 2021 — that it constitutes a “genocide.”

“There are serious issues that remain,” Carney said.

“That is why I’ve raised human rights issues with my Chinese counterparts in our engagements, and it’s why it’s essential in our dealings with China, in commercial dealings with China, that we have transparency in terms of where goods come from, the treatment of those workers, and that they fully meet our standards in terms of child labour, slave labour, human rights.”

Carney’s comments came as Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne departed for a five-day visit to China to meet with government and business leaders. Champagne’s office said the trip was an effort to “build strategic partnerships” and drum up investment “as part of Canada’s broader diversification imperative.”

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that Ma will be “moving forward” focusing on the government’s priorities, including addressing affordability issues, public safety and housing.

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