‘Canada Post is in an existential crisis': Canadians brace for another postal service shutdown
Delivery vehicles are seen at Canada Post's main plant in Calgary, Alta., May 9, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
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CTV News
16 minutes ago
- CTV News
North Bay mayor under fire for using city credit card for personal expenses
North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico has come in for criticism after his expense reports were scrutinised. A new expense policy is now being formulated. North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico is under fire after the city's standard financial oversight processes flagged his use of a corporate credit card for a number of personal expenses. According to reports, about $16,000 in personal expenses were charged to his corporate card. North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico participated in a pr North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico is under fire after the city's standard financial oversight processes flagged his use of a corporate credit card for a number of personal expenses. (File) In a statement to CTV News on Friday, Chirico confirmed that in 2023 and 2024, a number of expenses charged to his corporate credit card were flagged and reviewed and that all expenses were submitted through 'appropriate channels.' Chirico said expenses that were deemed personal, including some that fell into a 'grey area,' were fully repaid. He said he acknowledges that he should have been more 'careful and deliberate' in keeping personal and business expenses separate and takes full responsibility. Closed-door meeting There was a closed-door meeting about the issue in which three city councillors – including Tanya Vrebosch -- boycotted. She argued more information was needed before discussing the issue and has filed a complaint to the Ontario ombudsman. 'At some point, the administration has to take accountability for what happened,' Vrebosch said. 'It went on for a year and a half to two years. This could have been stopped within a few months. Council was not made aware. You know, the mayor's not the only staff member to the CEO. We should have all been made aware.' Council voted to direct the city's CAO to prepare a new travel and expenses policy. Chirico said he supports that idea.
CTV News
27 minutes ago
- CTV News
Thousands of B.C. reservations at risk due to short-term rental regulations: Airbnb
A sign indicating Airbnb rentals are not permitted is seen at the entrance to a condo tower, in Vancouver, on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Short-term vacation rental platform Airbnb said Friday that 'thousands' of reservations in British Columbia are at risk of cancellation, accusing the province of rushing out regulations as it cracked down on the industry. Alex Howell, Airbnb's Canadian policy lead, said in an interview that the rules requiring short-term rental hosts to confirm their listings are legal under the changes have already led to some bookings being cancelled. The government has said platforms such as Airbnb can't post B.C. listings without confirming their registration with the province, but Howell said many hosts whose properties qualify can't register due to glitches and other problems with the new system. 'Typically, we would have worked with a government for six months to do live testing, to make sure that things are working the way they should,' Howell said. 'And unfortunately in this situation, B.C. really just rushed into launching the system that hadn't been fully tested, and that's what's brought us to this situation.' She said that property owners have reported that typos and formatting errors have prevented them from registering with the province, despite meeting all the legal criteria for hosting short-term rentals. The province had said that short-term rentals are being restricted to principal residences, a secondary suite or a structure such as a laneway house on the property, and the policy is meant to open up more units in B.C.'s rental housing market. Howell said the timing of B.C.'s latest rules on short-term rentals is especially impactful, just ahead of the busy summer tourist season. 'Thousands of reservations across the province are now at risk,' she said. 'These are registered, compliant hosts that are failing validation protocols through no fault of their own. 'And this impacts … thousands of reservations across the province, at least 50 per cent of which are domestic travellers who are following their own government's advice to support local and travel within Canada this year.' Howell said instead of waiting until the June 23 deadline — when bookings on unregistered B.C. properties would be cancelled — Airbnb is proactively contacting affected hosts and guests to offer penalty-free cancellations. 'We think it's irresponsible to wait until the 23rd to alert travellers that there might be an issue,' she said. 'We're trying to get them that information ahead of time so that they can make some informed decisions.' In a statement, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the province is confident that 'Airbnb will find solutions to their challenges with getting listings verified ahead of the June 23 deadline.' 'We hope that Airbnb will choose to support their hosts in verifying their listings, instead of cancelling their bookings,' Kahlon said. 'This is new ground for B.C., and we are working through ServiceBC, our short-term rental branch, and the platforms themselves to help hosts comply with the requirements.' The ministry also noted that there are 65 short-term rental platforms operating in B.C., and other platforms have been successful in supporting their hosts to get registered. In a separate statement, the Opposition B.C. Conservatives criticized the short-term rental policies of the New Democrat government, with Prince George-Valemount legislator Rosalyn Bird saying the regulations running counter to the province's efforts to promote local travel. 'How do you promote staycations while sabotaging the short-term rental market that makes them possible in small towns?' Bird said in the statement. 'The Premier (David Eby) says 'travel within B.C.', and then his government kneecaps our ability to welcome those travellers.' This report by Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press, was first published June 13, 2025.
CTV News
27 minutes ago
- CTV News
Report on B.C. port strike says right-to-strike should be preserved
Gantry cranes used to load and unload cargo containers from ships sit idle during a strike by International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada workers in the province, as the downtown skyline and houses are seen in Vancouver, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Labour experts tasked with studying a days-long labour dispute at British Columbia's ports say the right to strike or be locked out should be preserved for the longshore industry in Canada. Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers say laws should be changed to allow the government to bring in a special mediator during disputes, and workers should formalize negotiating collectively rather than allowing the union to have separate conversations with each operator. Those are among seven recommendations made to the labour minister in a report released publicly this week. Thousands of workers went on a 13-day in strike July, 2023, freezing the movement of billions of dollars worth of cargo at some of the country's busiest ports. The Industrial Inquiry Commission was appointed to do the report by the federal government following the strike, which saw many business groups calling for those workers to be made an essential service in order to keep the ports operational. It concludes an essential-services model cannot work in the longshore industry without 'severely undermining collective bargaining right.' 'There is no question that the level of acrimony between the parties has heightened tensions and polarized opinions on how to restore a sense of stability and predictability to labour relations in B.C. ports,' the report says. 'However, in the commission's view, limiting or removing the right to strike is unlikely to achieve labour relations stability in B.C. ports and denying the parties a legal right to strike or lockout would do more harm than good, potentially fuelling illegal and unpredictable work stoppages.' This report by Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press, was first published June 13, 2025
