Canada on Friday announced 533 new cases of the novel coronavirus as well as seven new deaths.
The newly reported figures — which are tallied from federal and provincial health figures from across Canada — bring Canada’s total cases and death toll to 113,171 and 8,881, respectively.
Overall, 98,872 cases are considered recovered and more than 4.2 million tests have been conducted across Canada.
Worldwide, the coronavirus continues to spread, as the World Health Organization announced a record increase in daily cases, according to Reuters.
The global caseload rose by at least 284,196 in the past 24 hours, with the U.S., Brazil, India and South Africa reporting some of the highest daily increases in cases.
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The global death toll has also jumped by 9,753 — the biggest single-day increase in worldwide fatalities since a record high of 9,797 deaths at the end of April.
2:02 Calgary fitness studio linked to 42 cases of COVID-19
Calgary fitness studio linked to 42 cases of COVID-19
The province now has nearly 38,500 cases — a third of Canada’s total caseload. Close to 89 per cent are considered recovered, while more than 2,700 people have died.
Quebec recorded 163 new cases and one new death, leaving it with a little over 58,000 cases, the highest caseload in the country. It also amounts to more than 5,600 deaths — the highest death toll in the country.
Alberta reported 111 new COVID-19 cases on Friday as well as two more deaths. The newly released numbers bring the province’s total confirmed coronavirus infections to over 10,000, as well as 178 total deaths.
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At least 8,567 people have since recovered from the virus within the province, however.
1:26 Coronavirus: COVID-19 drives surge of online shopping
Coronavirus: COVID-19 drives surge of online shopping
British Columbia also reported 26 lab-confirmed cases of the coronavirus on July 24, including one “epi-linked” case. The newly announced cases brings the provincial total to 3,397 confirmed cases of COVID-19, as well as 22 additional cases that are considered epidemiologically linked.
An additional death was also reported by the coastal province on Friday, raising its death toll 191.
Saskatchewan saw 27 new cases, bringing the provincial caseload to 1,099 cases. There are 235 active cases in the province, with the health ministry warning that there is “no region in Saskatchewan without active cases.”
Newfoundland and Labrador was the only Atlantic province to report a new case Friday. It now has 265 cases, three of them active.
Nova Scotia saw no new cases on Friday, marking its ninth day in a row without any new infections. The province has one active case remaining, and has made masks mandatory in most indoor public spaces beginning July 31.
New Brunswick has three active cases left, with no new ones announced on Friday. The province has seen two deaths so far, and a total of 170 cases.
Prince Edward Island has two active cases left, out of a total of 36.
4:38 Experts say COVID-19 myths cause for concern
Experts say COVID-19 myths cause for concern
All three territories have seen zero deaths and two have seen a low number of confirmed cases so far, with Nunavut remaining the only region in Canada yet to confirm a positive case of COVID-19.
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The Northwest Territories has five cases, all of which have long recovered. The Yukon announced one new case on Friday — a resident who tested positive outside of the territory — leaving the territory with 14 cases, 11 of which have recovered.
Globally, the coronavirus has seen more than 15.6 million cases and over 638,000 deaths, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. continues to report the highest caseload and death toll in the world, with more than four million cases and over 144,000 deaths.
— With files by Reuters and Global News reporters Gabby Rodrigues, Kalina Laframboise, Alexander Quon, Aya Al-Hakim, Thomas Piller, Simon Little and Demi Knight
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
