ETA Canada News

In the third quarter of last year (July to September), Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) recorded negative growth, continuing the contraction phase following the second quarter.

On the 30th, the Federal Statistical Office said in a related report, “GDP decreased by 1.1% in the third quarter,” and “the main reasons were that consumer spending remained stagnant and exports decreased significantly.” Most economic experts expected GDP to increase by 0.1% in the third quarter, but it was negative following the second quarter.

Continuous negative growth can be considered a recession in economic terms, but according to the Federal Reserve, it is expected to show a positive increase of 0.8% in October.

In relation to this, economic experts pointed out, “Contrary to expectations, the number was negative, but it did not reach a recession.” Dog Porter, chief economics officer at the Bank of Montreal, said, “Regardless of whether there is a recession or not, it is clear that the overall economy has contracted,” and added, “There are economic stimulus factors such as population growth, but there has been no growth.”

Porter, senior economic advisor, explained, “If you look at the overall signs, an unpredictable trend is occurring,” adding, “The economy is struggling, but we have narrowly avoided a recession.” Porter, senior economic advisor, added, “The third quarter performance was lower than expected, which will have an impact on the Federal Reserve Bank’s interest rate policy.” The Federal Central Bank is scheduled to hold its last monetary policy meeting of the year on December 6, and economic experts predicted that “the Federal Central Bank will refrain from further raising interest rates, but the possibility of an interest rate increase is slim.”

It was revealed that the murder rate in Canada last year reached the highest level in the past 30 years.

According to the Federal Statistics Office on the 30th, the murder rate in 2022 has increased for the fourth year, reaching 2.25 per 100,000 residents, an 8% increase from the previous year.

This incidence rate is the highest since 1992, with a total of 874 people killed across the country last year.

In a related report released on this day, the Federal Statistics Office pointed out, “Although the incidence rate has increased, murder cases are still very rare, accounting for 0.2% of all criminal cases registered by the police in 2022.

” Of the homicides that occurred in 2022, 90 involved juveniles, which is almost a three-fold increase compared to 33 in 2021,” the report said.

Last year, the rate of youth indicted on murder charges was 1.23 per 100,000 youth. Looking at the murder rate by region, Manitoba had the highest rate in the country, followed by Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

According to a related report recently released by public opinion poll specialist Ipsos, 58% of all respondents responded that “violent crimes have increased significantly in the area where they live during the coronavirus crisis.”

It was found that Canada Post suffered a large loss in the third quarter last quarter due to intensifying competition in the courier industry.

“Canada Post’s loss last quarter amounted to $290 million,” the Post Office said in its third quarter accounting report.

During the same period last year, the Post Office’s loss was $227 million, but this year it increased by $63 million. The Post Office attributed this increase in quarterly losses to increased competition in the courier market, which resulted in decreased delivery volumes and profits, while increased marketing costs.

In addition, operating expenses, including employee wages, increased by $26 million in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, leading to an increase in deficit.

Meanwhile, the post office is known to operate with its own service and sales costs, not residents’ taxes.

It was found that airfares are decreasing as Canadian residents’ travel demand decreases due to high interest rates and high inflation. According to the Federal Statistics Office on Wednesday the 21st, airfares in October fell 19.45% compared to a year ago.

Regarding this, aviation industry experts said that after the peak summer season, the number of domestic and international travellers decreased significantly, leading to lower prices.

Last August and September, which were peak seasons, fell by 20% and 21%, respectively, compared to the same time last year, showing a sharp contrast to 2022, when the desire to travel, which had been suppressed due to the coronavirus outbreak, exploded.

Unlike before, when air ticket prices showed an upward trend ahead of the year-end and New Year holidays, it was revealed that they recorded a clear downward trend in October as well.

The airline industry said, “This year’s seat reservation rate reached 92% of the 2019 level just before the outbreak of the coronavirus,” and added, “Airlines are increasing flights and reducing fares.”

In relation to this, Heran Becker, a market analysis expert at TD Bank, said, “As airlines rush to increase flights, seat capacity has increased significantly,” adding, “We are seeing this phenomenon not only on major resort routes but also on flights to major domestic and international cities.”

“The number of airline reservations for the U.S. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and year-end holidays is lower than expected,” he said. “Residents are refraining from traveling as the cost of living is increasing due to rising prices.”

Additionally, Rick Erickson, an aviation industry consulting expert, pointed out, “The entire airline industry is shrinking,” adding, “This is due to the aftermath of high inflation.”

He continued, “When the burden of living expenses increases, travel decreases first,” and “leisure activities also decrease.”

“Statistics from the summer season to October show that airfares have decreased, but compared to 2019, they are about 4.6% more expensive,” said Cameron Dorksen, an analyst at National Bank. “This is still more expensive than before the coronavirus outbreak.”

He continued, “The downward trend in fares is mainly occurring on domestic routes,” and predicted, “Competition among airlines is heating up, so it will continue for some time to come.” He added, “Competition is fierce on routes to and from major resort destinations in the Caribbean, including Mexico, as well as the Vancouver-Toronto route and Vancouver-Calgary route.”

The city of Toronto has unveiled a hobby class program to be held this winter.

The city said, “We plan to conduct a variety of hobby and health-related programs for residents to enjoy this winter,” and added, “We plan to present a total of 13,000 different programs to residents.”

According to the city, not only art classes such as drawing, but also sports classes such as skating, skiing, and swimming will be offered this winter.

Each program will begin in January 2024 and can be registered through the online website. However, the city plans to conduct offline registration through the downtown community centre for two days, December 5th and 6th, for elderly residents who have difficulty using the Internet.

In addition, phone registration will be conducted through the city call centre (416-396-7378) on the 5th and 6th.

Meanwhile, a list of Toronto city hobby class programs this winter can be found on the city’s website:

While many residents dream of owning a home in Toronto, some experts have advised that it is better to purchase a home in the western part of Toronto instead of the eastern part.

According to experts, overall, the western part of Toronto has better public transportation convenience compared to the eastern part. In the western region, the Toronto Transit (TTC) subway, centred on downtown, is connected like a spider’s web.

Recently, the western line of subway line 1 was expanded to 9, and when the western section of the Eglinton Line is opened in the future, residents will be able to travel from Eglinton Station to Pearson Station. Free use of public transportation is expected to become possible.

In addition, housing prices and land prices in the area have recently been on the rise, making it a good place to realize profits from real estate sales in the future. There are many walking trails and green spaces, such as the West Humber Trail and High Park, and the western area is better equipped with bicycle paths, making it convenient for commuting to work by bicycle.

Furthermore, for residents who enjoy social activities, the west side of Toronto is more advantageous than the east side of Toronto.

The western part of downtown Toronto has more restaurants and bars, including Queen Street West, than the eastern part. Accordingly, if you enjoy social activities, gathering with friends, and drinking, there are more areas in the west that you can enjoy more than the east.

There are many family-friendly areas. Not only are there more cultural spaces where you can spend time with your children, such as the CN Tower, Replica Aquarium, and Casa Loma compared to the eastern part, but there are also many good places for families who enjoy sports, such as the Rogers Centre and the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The living wage for a household in Metro Vancouver is $25.68 an hour, according to a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) released on November 8.

This is a 6.6% increase compared to 2022, when it was $24.08.

This living wage assumes a household with two children and both parents working. It calculates items necessary for basic living, such as housing costs, food costs, childcare costs, and communication costs. On the other hand, it does not include funds for purchasing a home, preparing for retirement, or preparing for higher education, and some have pointed out that the amount is not “the amount necessary to live comfortably.”

The report says that although inflation rates have fallen from last year’s peak, the cost of living continues to rise rapidly in British Columbia.

Meanwhile, the minimum wage in British Columbia is $16.75. That’s even lower than Dawson Creek, which has the lowest living wage in the state at $20.64. The gap between minimum wage and living wage has widened significantly in British Columbia over the past two years, with Metro Vancouver at about $9 an hour, the report said. It also reports that one-third of two-parent households in Metro Vancouver earn less than a living wage.

In Ontario, the Greater Toronto Area is at $25.05, Ottawa is at $21.95, Hamilton is at $20.80, and Southwestern Ontario has the lowest rate at $18.65. The minimum hourly wage in Ontario is $16.55.

On the 11th of this month, it was reported that a black bear wandered into a gas station in British Columbia and snatched away only a “Gummy Bear” (bear-shaped gummy candy).

There was a person in the back of the store, but no one was injured, and the security camera footage shown on the news showed the bear enjoying a leisurely shopping experience.

Lately, there has been a steady stream of news about bear encounters and damage caused by bears, especially in Prince George, B.C. There is currently an ongoing drought in the state, and the trees that bears normally eat are not producing the nuts.

Spring arrived earlier than normal in Prince George, and Saskatoon berries and blueberries dried out early after continued high temperatures, causing bears to forage for apples and other fruits growing near people’s homes as fall approaches.

During the extinguishing of a wildfire in early September, firefighters had to evacuate the area because several bears approached the area, and news like this is expected to continue until winter hibernation.

The war between Israel and Hamas that broke out on October 7th has claimed the lives of six Canadians as of the 17th.

According to news reports on the 14th, there are 5,700 Canadians in Israel, with about 150 in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The number reported as “Canadian” does not only include Canadian citizens, but also often includes family members of permanent residents and citizenship holders.

Since the Hamas attack began on the 7th, nearly 2,000 people have sought help from Canadian consulates, and as of the 13th, 281 people have returned home with the help of the Canadian military.

But the federal government says it cannot safely evacuate all Canadians without creating a humanitarian corridor. Canada recognizes Hamas as a terrorist group, and regarding the war, Prime Minister Trudeau has said, “Israel has the right to defend itself.”

The first hospital in Ontario to offer areola tattoos for mastectomy patients has been announced.

Dr. Alexandra Ginty, leader of the Mississauga Halton Central West Regional Cancer Program in the Halton region, is the first in the region to complete 200 hours of training and become licensed to perform areola tattoos.

She herself suffered from breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. She has always loved art and decided to pursue her training to help people who have overcome the same illness.

She says she finds it rewarding to be able to give tattoos to people who have lost their areolas due to mastectomies, allowing them to regain a sense of who they are.

She has provided tattoos to 72 people so far. Since it’s a certified medical procedure, it’s covered by OHIP, but if you don’t have Ontario health insurance, it will cost about $1,000.