Cape Breton group says cost, need for school supplies greater than ever
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Duration 1:39
The school year is just a couple of weeks away and Town House in Glace Bay is once again helping families. On Wednesday, they packed more than 2,000 backpacks with school supplies. Kyle Moore has the story.
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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
REM service set to resume after 6-week summer shutdown. Here's what you need to know
The Reseau express metropolitan (REM) train has a test run from downtown Montreal, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi Montreal's light-rail network is set to begin moving passengers again after a six-week summer shutdown. The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) has been completely offline for commercial use since July 5 as the operator was testing unlaunched extensions to Montreal's North Shore and West Island, but is scheduled to start operating for the rush hour commute next week. Here are the details about when service will resume: Why did the REM shut down for six weeks? The entire REM line shut down in early July so that the operator, Groupe PMM (GPMM), which includes Alstom and AtkinsRéalis (formerly known as SNC-Lavalin), could test the commissioning of new branches to the West Island (Anse-à-l'Orme station) and to the North Shore (Deux-Montagnes station). REM stations west Officials said that the entire South Shore branch had to be out of service to carry out various operating and safety systems, and wrap up procedures required to resume normal operations for customers. When can passengers take the REM again? The South Shore branch will welcome back passengers on Monday, Aug. 18 as of 5:30 a.m. between Central Station in downtown Montreal and Brossard station in Longueuil. However, normal weekday evening service won't launch right away. From Aug. 18 to 22: The last train will leave Central Station at 8:40 p.m. The last train will leave Central Station at 8:40 p.m. From Aug. 18 to 22: The last train will leave Brossard station at 8:20 p.m. The last train will leave Brossard station at 8:20 p.m. From Aug. 25 to 29: The last train will leave Central Station at 8:40 p.m. The last train will leave Central Station at 8:40 p.m. From Aug 25 to 29: The last train will leave Brossard station at 8:20 p.m. REM resuming The REM will resume a modified service as of Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Source: Is there service on weekends? There will be no REM service on weekends when service resumes mid-August, as officials say system updates are needed to be carried out. The weekend of Aug. 23-24: Entire network is closed Entire network is closed The weekend of Aug. 30-31: Entire network is closed Entire network is closed The weekend of Sept. 6-7: Entire network is closed The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) and the Greater Montréal transit agencies will provide an alternative to the REM during these weekends. Weekend REM service will resume on Sept. 13. Can people still get on the REM for free? Last spring, transit officials said the REM, as well as shuttle buses and the T72 shared taxi, would be free during the months of July and August to make up for the service disruptions during the shutdown. That offer is still available. REM A Reseau express metropolitain (REM) light rail system is seen on the tracks headed toward Gare Centrale, Friday, July 28, 2023 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi Shuttle buses 568, 176, 720, 721 and 722 will be free until Aug. 31. Regular fares will take effect beginning Sept. 1. What's happening with the shuttle buses? On Aug. 18, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) will resume regular service on route 176, ending the extension to downtown. However, the shuttle will be extended to downtown on Aug. 23 and 24 on an exceptional basis due to the weekend REM closure. The T72 shared taxi will end service and be replaced with shuttle 720 connecting Panama and the Île-des-Sœurs stations. Starting on Aug. 25, the 720 shuttle will also resume service between Brossard, Quartier, Panama, and Île-des-Sœurs stations. Stops at the Île-des-Sœurs station will return to their original locations. REM, People take a ride on the Reseau express metropolitain (REM) light rail system in Montreal, Saturday, July 29, 2023. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press) 'This summer, the shuttle service offered to compensate for the complete closure of the REM went very well. Together, all the teams and partners rose to the challenge with agility and efficiency, ensuring the mobility of thousands of users day after day,' said Benoit Gendron, general manager of the ARTM in a statement on Thursday. 'I sincerely thank our customers for their patience and resilience throughout this operation. We are now entering a new phase with the resumption of REM service, and we will continue to be there for our customers every step of the way.' More information about the REM service resumption is available on the REM website and on the ARTM website. When will normal REM service resume across the entire network? Passengers can expect normal REM service, including on weekends, to resume as of Sept. 13. When will the new branches to the West Island and North Shore launch? REM officials said the operator is 'actively preparing' for the next steps to launch the north and west extensions of the light-rail network. Michell Lamarche, a spokesperson for CDPQ Infra, the subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec that developed the REM, told CTV News that testing is progressing and that high-speed, high-frequency traffic has begun throughout the network. 'Over the next few weeks, the teams will complete testing and work before proceeding with the dry run. The next commissioning is still scheduled for this autumn,' Lamarche said in an email. She added that more details will be announced at a later date.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Air Canada, flight attendants enter final day before strike deadline
Air Canada flight attendants hold a silent protest at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi It's the final day before a potential work stoppage could ground all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights. More than 10,000 flight attendants are poised to walk off the job around 1 a.m. ET on Saturday, followed by a company-imposed lockout if the two sides can't reach an eleventh-hour deal. Air Canada said it was expecting to cancel around 500 flights previously scheduled to take off today in anticipation of the work stoppage, with a full stoppage looming Saturday. It said it would notify customers of cancellations through email and text message, adding it recommends against going to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking and their flight still shows as operating. Customers whose flights are cancelled will be offered a full refund and Air Canada says it is also allowing customers to change their travel plans without a fee if they choose to do so. The Air Canada component of CUPE says it is eager to avoid a work stoppage by sitting down to negotiate, while the airline has requested the federal government step in and direct the parties to enter binding arbitration. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2025. Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
If Air Canada cancels your flight, don't accept a refund, passenger rights expert says
Adrian Ghobrial reports on what is legally required from Air Canada when it comes to handling cancelled flights if a strike is called. Adrian Ghobrial reports on what is legally required from Air Canada when it comes to handling cancelled flights if a strike is called. CTV National News: Here's what passengers should know if their flight is cancelled One passenger rights expert says if your Air Canada flight has been cancelled, don't accept a refund. 'A refund can be one way for an airline to wash their hands of their obligation to rebook you on another flight,' said Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights. Air Canada has begun cancelling flights ahead of a planned strike by roughly 10,000 flight attendants this weekend. If you already have a ticket booked and paid for with Air Canada, then the Lukacs says that the Canadian Transportation Agency's regulations are clear: Air Canada is supposed to foot the bill for a new ticket on another airline. In the event of a strike, which is classified as outside of an airlines control, large airlines such as Air Canada are still required to book customers a new 'reservation for the next available flight that is operated by any carrier,' according to Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations. 'Any carrier means any airline, including, but not limited to, the airlines competitors' said Lucas, who adds that the airline must put you on the next available flight towards your final destination, no matter the cost. 'Customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and they will be eligible for a full refund,' Air Canada said this week in a press release on their website. Air Canada's offer of a reimbursement could leave customers out of pocket hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. Lukacs believes the airline is trying to avoid having to rebook customers on a pricier flight with a competitor. Ticket prices heading into the weekend have been steadily climbing. The cheapest roundtrip ticket departing Toronto on Aug. 15 and returning from Vancouver on Aug. 22 is being offered by Flair Airlines for roughly $1,300. The same roundtrip ticket leaving Toronto on Sept. 5 and returning from Vancouver on Sept. 12 is going for as little as $273. It all comes down to supply and demand, which in turn influences strategic pricing by airlines. 'What we are seeing is the combined effect of last-minute ticket prices, which always seem to be higher, and a sudden, substantial increase in demand,' he said. do to the pending strike action at Air Canada' says Lukacs. The consumer advocate goes on to share that if your flight has been cancelled, and Air Canada is trying to rebook you on an Air Canada Jazz flight next Friday, but there's a more expensive WestJet flight that gets you home two days earlier, then the airline is duty bound to book you on the WestJet flight. Lukacs, who has represented air passenger rights for more than a decade in Canada, says that if the airline refuses, a customer can go and buy a ticket from a competing airline and then send the bill to Air Canada.
