ETA Canada News

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers “firmly and decisively” rejected the company’s final offer in a mandatory vote by the federal government.”

Both Canada Post and the government have applied various pressures to us: invoking section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to suspend our legal strike; invoking section 108 to force the Canadian Union of Postal Workers into a biased industrial board of inquiry; and invoking section 108.1 to force a vote on the employer’s offer,” the union said in a statement to CTV News. “Yet, as we have done before, we organized; we mobilized; we stood united; and we remained steadfast.”

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers voted on the latest contract with employers on Friday afternoon (1st), and voting ended at 5 pm.

The package includes wage increases of about 13 per cent over four years and will also increase the number of part-time employees, who Canada Post says are essential to keeping the postal service running.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers urged the approximately 55,000 postal service workers it represents to reject the proposal. The union said if workers reject the proposal, it will immediately contact management and invite them back to the bargaining table. It warned that further strikes or proposal, could lead to government intervention with return-to-work legislation or binding arbitration orders.

The union believes that a firm vote against it would not only reject the proposal but also maintain the fairness of the negotiation process.

Air Canada is facing an unprecedented labour crisis. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing over 10,000 flight attendants, announced that its members have overwhelmingly voted 99.7% to authorize a strike, with strike proceedings potentially beginning as early as mid-August.

This development has caused concern among travellers planning summer travel.

The strike authorization stems from the breakdown of months-long negotiations between the union and the airline. The union claims Air Canada has consistently refused to compromise on key issues like pay and hourly compensation, and that the reality of long hours of unpaid work for flight attendants has been ignored, leading to growing discontent among rank-and-file employees. Despite repeated negotiations, the two sides have been unable to reach a consensus on the core issues.

The union revealed that if the airline still does not show sincerity in the subsequent negotiations, the union will issue a 72-hour strike notice as early as August 16. Once the formal strike phase begins, many Air Canada’s domestic and international flights may face delays, cancellations or service interruptions.

Although all Air Canada flights are still operating normally, the tourism industry has begun to issue warnings, reminding the public to prepare in advance. Some tourism experts recommend that passengers should give priority to changeable and refundable tickets when booking flights and avoid booking the lowest fare options with many restrictions and non-refundable options to avoid being unable to adjust their itineraries. In addition, some people are advised to pay close attention to whether the airline has announced a free change policy or whether it allows early adjustment of departure dates.

If there is an opportunity to make a free change, the sooner you act, the more likely you are to get the ideal alternative flight. Meanwhile, a non-profit organization for airline passenger rights is reminding the public not to cancel their travel plans prematurely, even if they are concerned about strikes. Passengers who request a refund or rebooking before the airline cancels their flight will lose their right to compensation under relevant laws and regulations.

Under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), passengers are entitled to compensation and necessary arrangements such as meals and accommodations when a flight is cancelled or delayed for more than three hours due to factors within the airline’s control. However, if the flight disruption is due to “uncontrollable” factors such as strikes, the airline is not required to pay cash compensation but must assist in arranging alternative flights or provide a full refund. It is worth noting that if an airline is unable to arrange an alternative flight of its own or a partner airline within 48 hours of the original departure time, it must pay to arrange for passengers to take flights of other airlines to ensure that travel is not delayed indefinitely.

With the strike looming, whether Air Canada can reach a last-minute compromise with the union will be a key variable in determining whether the late summer travel season will be turbulent. For travellers who have already booked tickets or are planning to travel, understanding the response plans and maintaining itinerary flexibility has become the most practical preparation currently.

The British Columbia (BC) provincial government lifted the tsunami warning at 6:34 a.m. on July 30. The British Columbia provincial government issued a tsunami warning for the entire British Columbia coast at around 7:30 p.m. on the 29th in preparation for a tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake (initially announced by British Columbia as 8.7) that occurred off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula at around 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on the 29th.

The Canadian Press reports that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the tsunami reaching British Columbia was 27 centimeters at the northern tip of Haida Gwaii and 21 centimeters in Tofino.

At a press conference on the 30th, British Columbia Premier David Eby said that the response to the tsunami that began last night had proven that British Columbia was prepared to issue warnings and other measures.

The British Columbia government provides information on earthquake and tsunami preparedness at Emergency Info BC: https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/

On July 18, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced additional recalls of salami and cacciatore products sold in Canada.

The CFIA announced a recall of several brands of salami and cacciatore products due to possible Salmonella contamination, initially targeting products sold in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, but has now expanded to include British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

The recall covers 67 varieties of meat from brands such as Bona, Rea, Cosmo’s Smoked Meats and Imperial Meats, which are sold in supermarkets and are also used in restaurants and cafes.

Eating food contaminated with Salmonella can cause symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, and can also lead to complications such as severe arthritis. Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of contracting a life-threatening infection, the ministry said.

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled, so the CFIA urges anyone who has purchased the affected products to not eat or serve them, but to discard them or return them to the store where they were purchased.

The recalled products can be found on the CFIA website: https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/various-brands-salami-and-cacciatore-recalled-due-salmonella

Following the closure of popular trails due to the sighting of mountain lions in Whistler and other places, and the emergency evacuation of the campsite due to a bear biting a tent in Yoho National Park, just last week, a couple was hiking on a popular trail and was followed and chased by a grizzly bear.

A Calgary couple celebrating their anniversary on the Troll Falls Trail in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, were stalked by a wild grizzly bear on July 19, but their wits helped them escape, prompting Alberta Parks to issue a new bear warning. Howard Mah and Lori Arnason had never seen a grizzly bear before, but this experience was one they would never forget.

On that day, they planned a short hike to celebrate their wedding anniversary. At first, they were immersed in the tranquility and serenity of nature, completely unaware of the danger approaching.

“I was walking in front of him, and he was behind me taking pictures of me,” Arnason recalled. “Then all of a sudden he said, ‘Lori, don’t move!'”

It turned out that Ma spotted a grizzly bear not far behind his wife, walking down from a clearing in the woods and approaching the trail they were on.

“I thought it would continue across the trail and leave,” the horse said, “but it turned and came towards us.”

Faced with the approach of the giant beast, the two men tried their best to stay calm and slowly backed away to avoid triggering the bear’s attack instinct.

“We knew we couldn’t run,” Ma explained, “and I happened to have my phone in my hand, so I quickly switched to recording.”

In the video, the bear can be seen approaching them, standing up several times, waving its front paws and snorting, and at one point running a short distance towards them, making the whole situation volatile. Despite their fear, Ma and Arnason did not panic. As the bear got closer—estimated to be only 15 meters at its closest—they decided to act.

Roaring out a way out “I remember someone said something about making yourself look taller,” Ma said, “so I raised my hands and roared at the top of my lungs.”

“After he did that, I stood next to him and yelled the same thing,” Arnason added. “And it worked!”

The grizzly bear eventually turned off the trail and disappeared into the woods, so the two men interrupted their trip and quickly returned to the parking lot to warn other tourists. They also submitted the video to Alberta Parks and assisted rangers in handling the follow-up. The park then issued a grizzly bear warning for the Troll Falls Trail, calling the incident a “bluff charge.”

This incident is not an isolated incident. On July 8, the Bill Milne Trail was also warned due to similar grizzly behavior. On July 11, the Rawson Lake and Sarrail Ridge trails were even closed because a grizzly bear with cubs charged at tourists.

Kim Titchener, a bear safety expert, said bluff charges usually result from a bear feeling threatened or suddenly disturbed. “If you’re walking in the woods without making any noise, it might think you’re sneaking up on you, which could trigger an aggressive response,” she said.

Looking back on the experience, Ma and Arnason admitted that they were too quiet during their hike. “We were immersed in nature, we didn’t talk much, and we didn’t make much noise,” Arnason said.

They also said they must carry bear spray when hiking in the future. “We originally thought that this road was crowded and should be safe, but now we know that we must be prepared at all times,” Ma said.

They hope that by sharing this experience, more tourists will be reminded to raise their safety awareness and avoid similar dangers. “When you’re alone on a forest trail facing a bear, unarmed, the feeling of helplessness is unforgettable,” Arnason said.

Canada and the United States simultaneously recalled a best-selling product that is a must-have for many families.

According to the latest news, the best-selling home swimming pools in North America are being urgently recalled. More than one brand is involved in the problem, and several brands have been affected one after another. The pool products involved include brands such as Bestway, Intex Recreation and Polygroup, and have been sold to households through major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Costco and Amazon since 2002. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Canadian Ministry of Health simultaneously issued a notice:

Because these pools have “compression straps” on the outside, children often step on them and climb up when entering the pool. If parents are not careful, drowning accidents may occur.

In fact, nine children have been confirmed to have drowned in the United States so far because of using these pools. The accident report showed the deceased were between 22 months and 3 years old.

Over the past 20 years, more than 5.2 million above-ground swimming pools have been sold in the U.S. and Canada. Although no one has died in Canada because of this incident, the Ministry of Health has decided to recall the product.

Pool brands recalled: Bestway, Intex Recreation, Polygroup

Recall product size: 48 inches (about 122 cm) or higher

Purchase time: The earliest can be traced back to 2002, the latest sale was in 2025

Sales area: United States (about 5 million sets), Canada (about 266,000 sets) The Ministry of Health reminds that if anyone has these swimming pools at home, they should immediately contact the relevant brand manufacturers to obtain free repair kits.

Until it is fixed, it may be a good idea to ensure that children are not alone near the pool or consider draining the pool temporarily. In addition, when young children use the swimming pool, it is best for a guardian to be present to avoid accidents.

Temu launched a fully subsidized “tax package” policy in Canada at the end of June 2025, covering GST, HST, PST and special tax rates in Quebec, and the profits of merchants will not be affected. This policy aims to help merchants reduce costs and improve pricing advantages and is suitable for high-priced goods.

Merchants can expand the market through local warehouses or US warehouses. Currently, Temu has 3.2 million daily active users in Canada, and the market potential is huge. It is expected that the scale of e-commerce will reach US$72.15 billion in 2025.

Temu’s “full tax package” policy in Canada is like a mixed bag of “reassurance pills + depth bombs” for the Canadian e-commerce market, which stabilizes consumers while giving competitors a blow. True “money-throwing” subsidies, consumers go on a carnival ride Temu launched the first “tax-inclusive” subsidy for the Canadian market at the end of June 2025, covering federal GST, provincial HST, PST, and even Quebec’s special tax rate. The subsidy amount has no upper limit on categories and order amounts. All taxes and fees are paid by the platform, and consumers can directly deduct them on the payment page. The price is directly reduced without discounts, and there is no threshold for placing orders.

The desire to place an order is instantly increased, and the e-commerce battlefield is once again in the spotlight Taxes are often the “magic potion” of the last mile of e-commerce platforms. Buyers will give up on products when they see the price jump when they check out.

Temu’s tax-inclusive trick is equivalent to adding a “tax-free plug-in” to all products. Its price advantage directly kills local e-commerce giants – they can only sigh at the price, and market competition instantly heats up. Local sellers must either band together or be forced to quit.

For cross-border merchants who want to “win without doing anything”, this wave of bonuses is sweet: profits are not affected, and they can also show their presence at extremely low prices. But for small and medium-sized sellers in Canada, the pressure is huge – either they are forced to cut prices to compete, or they actively join Temu’s local recruitment plan (which was just launched a while ago) to accelerate inventory localization, otherwise they will be “crushed” at any time (Retail Insider)4. Supply chain landscape reshuffled, logistics fulfillment becomes the key Tax inclusion is just a gimmick. Whoever can polish a faster “instant delivery + accurate delivery” logistics experience during the subsidy bonus period will be able to retain repeat customers.

With Temu’s move, competitors will have to speed up the expansion of local warehouses and same-city delivery in Canada. In the end, consumers will enjoy tax-free prices while considering who can deliver faster and more steadily. Government tax pressure and regulatory attention are a double-edged sword the tax package makes consumers happy, but the tax revenue of the Canadian federal government and provinces is “empty-handed” because of the subsidies. Although Temu is paying for itself, in the long run, the fiscal budget and cross-border e-commerce supervision will also keep up, such as stricter local inventory review and stricter import quota control. The entire industry must dance to the rhythm of the policy.

In the long run: Platform strategy + ecological innovation is the way to go how long can this “tax-inclusive feast” last? In the short term, it can at least attract traffic and hot products, but if you want to really win, it depends on who can find differentiation in the price war – whether it is the connection of local life services, social e-commerce gameplay, or precise subsidy strategies based on big data, these are the long-term magic weapons to retain users.

In short, Temu’s “full tax package” is not only a traffic bomb, but also a “restart button” for the entire Canadian e-commerce track: consumers cheer, sellers practice hard, and platforms and governments test each other.

US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 35% tariff on all imports from Canada in a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The 35% tariff is scheduled to take effect on August 1, and the tariff rate will be increased further if Canada takes retaliatory measures.

The United States currently imposes tariffs of 25% on Canadian products not included in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), and 10% on energy and potash ore. Media outlets have quoted senior Trump administration officials as saying that the new 35% tariffs will only be levied on products currently subject to the 25% tariffs, but that no final decision has been made.

Since their face-to-face talks at the G7 summit held in Alberta in June this year, Premier Carney and President Trump have been continuing trade negotiations with the aim of reaching an agreement by July 21. On June 30, the Canadian government withdrew the digital services tax that was about to be introduced in response to a request from Trump, who had hinted at terminating the negotiations, and negotiations had just resumed.

Tariffs on Canadian-made steel, aluminium, and automobiles have already dealt a major blow to the Canadian economy. Trump also announced that he is considering a 50% tariff on copper imports. In 2023, Canada’s exports of copper and copper products will be approximately $9.3 billion, of which 52% will be to the United States.

President Trump once again claimed that “large quantities of fentanyl are flowing into the United States from Canada,” and also expressed dissatisfaction with Canada’s supply chain system.

In response, Prime Minister Carney posted on social media that he was “committed to protecting Canadian workers and businesses,” and that while negotiations with the United States would continue, he would “strengthen trade partnerships around the world.”

An 81-year-old man was left alone in a public transport vehicle for 7 and a half hours, which resulted in him falling and breaking his teeth. His daughter, who eventually rescued him, said she was puzzled by the cause of the accident and had a series of questions in her mind.

According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Kristen Giles, a resident of Nova Scotia, said that on June 11, her father Donald McKeen (pictured above) visited her home in Oakfield. As usual, he used the community bus service provided by East Hants Community Rider to go to her home every Wednesday.

After visiting his daughter that day, the driver came to pick him up at about 3pm to take him back to the long-term care home about 8 kilometres away. Giles thought everything was going well, but at 10:30 p.m., he received a call from the nursing home staff saying that McKean was nowhere to be seen. Giles was very nervous and then drove with her husband to look for her father. They found the bus in the bus parking lot, but it seemed that no one was in the car.

Giles turned on the light of his cell phone and shone it through the car window, and suddenly saw his father’s wheelchair, but there was no one in the seat. They broke the window with a rock and found McKean lying on the floor of the car. She saw her father unbuckle his seatbelt and apparently try to leave, but he fell to the ground and was unable to open the door and leave. His legs could not move properly, and his arms did not have enough strength to support his body.

Giles said: “The temperature reached 26 degrees that day, and he was trapped in the sealed compartment for 7 and a half hours. After I found him, I said to him: ‘Dad, you are safe! It’s okay, we are here.’ He said: ‘He (the driver) left me here, he just left me like this.'”

Paramedics arrived and took McKean to the hospital. Giles said his father was dehydrated, had broken teeth, and his body was bruised from lying on the floor of the car for a long time. One of the East Hants Community Rider fleet’s community buses McKean has now been released from the hospital and is back in a nursing home. Giles said his father’s health has deteriorated.

RCMP confirmed a 64-year-old man has been charged with negligence causing bodily harm and failure to provide necessary care. Giles said the driver had given his father a ride many times before.

“The driver had always been very nice to my dad and I really believe this was an honest mistake. I don’t think he did it on purpose, but it happened.” She said her father was the only passenger on the bus at the time and she didn’t understand why the driver forgot to drop him off, and she also wanted to know why the nursing home didn’t notice he hadn’t returned for so long.

“I felt like something was wrong on so many levels.”” He wasn’t there for dinner, he wasn’t there for his medication in the evening, but they didn’t call,” Giles said. She said her father also needed help with bedtime.

The organization that provides the community bus service issued a statement on its official website saying that it is conducting an internal investigation into the incident and will not provide more details for the time being out of respect for personal privacy and investigation work. The nursing home and its affiliated organization have not yet responded.

A nightmare aviation tragedy occurred in Manitoba, Canada, early in the morning of Tuesday, July 8. Two small planes collided violently in the air, killing two young student pilots on board.

At 8:45 a.m., a loud bang was heard in the rural area of Hanover, southeast of Winnipeg. Local resident Nathaniel Plett was drinking coffee leisurely at home with his wife when he suddenly heard a deafening explosion. “I immediately said to my wife, ‘That’s a plane crash!'” Platt recalled. He looked out the window and saw a column of black smoke rising into the sky, followed by a louder bang and even thicker black smoke in the sky.

RCMP, firefighters and emergency personnel rushed to the scene and found the shattered wreckage of two small single-engine planes south of Steinbach. This tragic scene made everyone present feel heavy.

Adam Penner, director of Harv’s Air, was in his office at the time and only realized what was happening after hearing the commotion outside. “We really don’t understand how they could get so close, and we can only wait for the results of the investigation,” he said, his voice full of sorrow.

The two student pilots who died were practicing take-off and landing, which should have been a routine training in their flying careers. The planes that collided were a four-seat Cessna 172 and a two-seat Cessna 152, and both were flying alone.

What’s even more heartbreaking is that the two pilots had completely different experiences. One had just started training for a few months and was still fresh in his mind about flying; the other was about to get his commercial pilot’s license and was just one step away from his aviation dream.

“We are like a big family, and this blow is too heavy,” Penner said with tears in his eyes. This flight school, founded by his parents in the early 1970s, trains about 400 students from all over the world every year, and has never encountered such a tragic accident.

Flight instructor Mohamed Shahin found it even harder to accept the reality: “It was really shocking this morning. We are deeply saddened for the lost students and their parents.” In addition to this accident in Canada, an even more horrific incident occurred on the same day on the other side of the world, in Italy.