How B.C. marked Canada Day 2022 — in pictures - CBC.ca

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How B.C. marked Canada Day 2022 — in pictures – CBC.ca

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2022

Harry Miller

British Columbians marked Canada Day this year in various ways, including with a street parade, after pandemic restrictions lifted.

For many newcomers to the province, it was their first ever July 1 here. Others celebrated a country they’ve called home for decades.

It was the province’s first Canada Day in more than two years without major pandemic-related restrictions on large gatherings.

But the national holiday, commemorated every year on July 1, has also been reimagined in recent years to recognize the Indigenous peoples whose land was taken to form the country.

For some, Canada Day means celebrating a country they’ve called home for years. For others, the celebration is brand new. Baneet Braich has more on the B.C. immigrants marking their first Canada Day. <a href=”https://t.co/9EIbJpQBc3″>pic.twitter.com/9EIbJpQBc3</a>

—@cbcnewsbc

The statutory holiday remains for many a painful reminder of the country’s colonial history, and its ongoing impacts. Last year, some Canada Day organizers toned down their celebrations — after what are believed to be more than 200 potential unmarked graves were identified at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.

To many immigrants and refugees, especially those fleeing war, the country also represents a new home and an opportunity to live in peace.

‘A dream of mine for ten years’

One of those is Olga Kravchenko. She came to B.C. from Ukraine two weeks ago with her family of 10, and said she wants to stay here permanently.

Her Canadian sister-in-law Alina Nedbailo, who waited a decade to reunite her family, said in an interview it was “like a dream” to finally have her relatives here, safe.

“It’s been a dream of mine for ten years,” she said, “but I knew I could not make it happen by myself.

“I’m very grateful to all the people who just united to make this happen.”

In a statement Friday, B.C. Premier John Horgan said Canada Day is a chance to “reflect” on the country’s past and future, and to “build a better Canada that works for everyone,” he said.

“At our best, Canada is a place where we take care of our neighbours,” Horgan added, “no matter who they are or how much money they have in their pocket.”

Two women are sitting. One of them is in focus, and has red streaked blonde hair. The woman out of focus is wearing blue and has blonde hair. — Alina Nedbailo is pictured with her relative Olga Kravchenko. The pair recently fled Ukraine and arrived in North Vancouver 2 weeks ago. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

A woman with red-streaked blonde hair grabs a slice of watermelon off a kitchen counter. A girl in a black Levi's T-shirt looks at her. The counter also has a pair of scissors and a knife. — Alina Nedbailo prepares watermelon with her niece Zlata, 9. The family wants to settle in Canada permanently. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

A group of Asian seniors stand around a cake. A woman in a yellow dress in the centre attempts to cut a cake, assisted by a woman with a mask around her chin. — Seniors celebrate Canada Day at PICS Society, a seniors assisted living centre in Surrey. Saroj Sood, who is seen cutting the cake, said she never regretted coming to Canada decades ago. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

A group of South Asian seniors sit at various tables with Canada flags on them. Most of them are wearing facemasks. Canada flags are also draped across the wall in the background. — Some of the seniors at PICS Society have celebrated Canada Day over 50 times. Sood said she got ‘whatever she dreamed of’ in B.C. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Two women are laughing as they hold Canada flags. One of them is holding a pinwheel with various countries' flags. — At Canada Place in downtown Vancouver, the mood was celebratory on a sunny day in B.C.’s biggest city. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Two women with white hats are among a street parade with people behind them in the medium distance. Both women are wearing large-brimmed white hats with a Canada flag on it. The woman on the left is wearing an orange jacket, and has sunglasses and a white facemask on. The woman on the right has a green patterned shirt, and has sunglasses and a blue facemask on. — Numerous people came down to Canada Place, with street vendors and Maple Leaf merchandise on display. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

An aerial shot of people crossing a sidewalk. Most of them are wearing red in celebration of Canada Day. A person on the right has a hat with a Maple Leaf on it, and a man in the centre has a tiny Canada flag sticking out of his backpack. — July 1, 2022 is the date that marks Canada’s 155th anniversary of confederacy. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

A large group of people, most of whom are wearing red to commemorate Canada Day. In focus are a family of three hijabi women. They all have red hijabs, and one of them is pushing a purple pushcart. — It was the first Canada Day without major pandemic-related gathering restrictions in B.C. for over two years. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

A woman in an orange dress holds a sign that reads 'No Pride in Genocide', with a hashtag 'Idle No More'. The sign has an upturned fist with a feather in it. The woman is flanked by numerous people at a parade. — For some, Canada Day is a painful reminder of the ongoing impact of Canada’s formation through colonization and the genocide of Indigenous peoples. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

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In the news today: Tourism operators face heavy debt loads – National Post

Published

4 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Harry Miller

The Canadian Press

Published Apr 23, 2024 • 3 minute read

Canadian tourism operators says the tourism sector hasn’t returned to what it was pre-COVID. Unofficially named “The First Sidewalk” a 700-foot walking trail system to promote eco-tourism is shown in Bella Bella, B.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. Photo by CHAD HIPOLITO /THE CANADIAN PRESS

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Tourism operators face heavy debt, even as business roars back

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Canadian tourism operators says the tourism sector hasn’t returned to what it was pre-COVID.

Many businesses report carrying a heavy debt load, with Vancouver-based ecotourism company Maple Leaf Adventures saying it’s carrying it’s heaviest debt load in 38 years.

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Co-owner Maureen Gordon says while she and her competitors are recovering, higher interest rates are putting a damper on the post-COVID rebound.

Tourism Industry Association of Canada C-E-O Beth Potter says while the sector brought in 109-billion dollars in revenue last year, the federal government must help out by bringing in a new low interest loan program.

Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada has said tourism operators have been affected by the warmest winter on record, but will be helped by the federal carbon rebate.

Here’s what else we’re watching …

Trudeau to make announcement in Saskatoon today

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in Saskatoon today, where he will make an announcement highlighting measures focused on youth, education, and health that were contained in last week’s budget.

Joining Trudeau at the announcement in Saskatchewan’s largest city are minister for northern affairs Dan Vandal and Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien.

Trudeau has faced conflict with the Saskatchewan Party government, whose leader, Premier Scott Moe, has been a vocal and long-standing opponent of the federal carbon levy.

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Moe is one of several premiers who have asked Trudeau to host a meeting to discuss alternatives to the consumer carbon price.

—

‘Perfect storm’: Quebec farmer protests continue

Quebec farmers are continuing a series of protests that have brought slow rolling tractors to communities across the province’s agricultural regions.

The president of Quebec’s farmers union Martin Caron says producers are struggling with higher interest rates, growing paperwork and fees on plastic products, like containers of seeds, fertilizer and pesticides.

His organization is asking the current Coalition Avenir Quebec government to ensure farmers can get loans with interest rates of three per cent.

A spokesperson for Quebec’s agriculture minister says farmers can get emergency financial aid through a new program and that the government is consulting with the farmers union about reducing paperwork.

—

Study shows caribou growth at wolves’ expense

New research suggests western Canada’s caribou population is growing.

But the same study also shows the biggest reason for the rebound is the slaughter of hundreds of wolves, a policy which will likely need to continue.

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Thirty-four researchers compared notes on herds in Alberta and British Columbia based on a study in Ecological Applications and found between 1991 and 2023, the caribou population dropped by half.

However, over the last few years the numbers have begun to slowly rise, as it’s estimated there are now more than 1500 caribou than there were had not restoration effort been made.

—

Second World War hangar in Edmonton burns in fire

An aircraft hangar built during the Second World War at Edmonton’s former municipal airport has been destroyed by fire.

A spokesman for the City of Edmonton says in an email firefighters were called to Hangar 11 just before 7 p.m. Monday.

The city’s email says 11 fire crews were dispatched to the scene to deal with the heavy smoke and flames and the wooden building later collapsed.

—

How a Newfoundland town shaped creepy ‘King Tide’

A new movie shot in Newfoundland showcases a community heavily reliant on a magical child.

“The King Tide” is about an isolated villagers having their lives forever changed after a mysterious infant washes up on their shores, the sole survivor of a devastating boat wreck.

They name the baby Isla, raise and learn she has healing powers promising immunity from injury and illness.

As the years pass, they become reliant on Isla’s abilities, but when her powers start to fade, a panic sets in as the community begins to fracture.

The movie was shot by Newfoundlander Christian Sparkes in Keels, Newfoundland, a former bustling fishing community which he says he’s been looking to film in for years, but couldn’t until recently due to the cost.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2024.

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We're still stockpiling reusable bags. Big grocers have adopted solutions, but experts have concerns – CBC News

Published

8 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Harry Miller

Canada’s plastic bag ban has had an unintended consequence: a proliferation of reusable bags piling up in basements, closets and, eventually, landfills.

“They’re everywhere,” said environmental researcher Tony Walker. “We’re drowning in them, and we shouldn’t be.”

To combat the problem, several of Canada’s big grocers have introduced solutions. Last week, Walmart launched a free national recycling pilot program for the retailer’s reusable blue bags. Competitors Sobeys and chains owned by Loblaw Companies Ltd. use recyclable paper bags for grocery delivery.

But some environmental experts argue that paper bags are also problematic and that the best solutions are those that help customers actually reuse their reusable bags.

“We just can’t keep giving [them] out,” said Walker, a professor at Dalhousie University’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies in Halifax. “We’re only meant to have a few of them, and we’re meant to use them until they fall apart.”

In late 2022, the federal government rolled out a ban on the manufacture, import and sale of several single-use plastics, including checkout bags. The regulations are being contested in court, but in the meantime, they remain in effect.

A man and a woman stand in their living room piling up blue Walmart reusable bags. — The Selas take stock of the reusable bags they’ve amassed from Walmart grocery delivery. They’ve signed up for the retailer’s free national recycling pilot program. (Darek Zdzienicki/CBC)

The regulations have made single-use shopping bags scarce in Canada, but they’ve also led to the proliferation of reusable bags, especially for grocery delivery.

“It just creates more waste, which is what we’re trying to avoid in the first place,” Walmart customer Udi Sela said in a CBC News interview in late 2022.

At the time, Sela, who lives in Maple, Ont., estimated his family had acquired about 300 reusable Walmart bags via grocery delivery.

“We can’t return them, we can’t do much with them.”

Now, a little more than a year later, Walmart has launched a pilot project to address the problem.

It allows customers to pack up their unwanted reusable Walmart blue bags and ship them — at no charge — to a facility where they’ll get a second life.

How it works

According to Walmart, bags in good condition will be laundered and donated to charity, primarily Food Banks Canada. Damaged bags will get recycled into other materials. Reusable bags typically can’t go in blue bins because they’re costly and difficult to recycle.

Customers must sign up for Walmart’s program, and enrolment is limited.

Jennifer Barbazza, Walmart’s senior manager of sustainability, said the retailer will fine-tune the details as the program progresses.

“[We] know that some customers have more reusable bags than maybe they need,” she said. “One of the things that we’re really excited to learn about from the pilot is customer acceptance and customer feedback.”

WATCH | Is your home overrun with reusable bags? Join the club:

Is your home overrun with reusable bags? You’re not alone.

3 months ago

Duration 7:25

Reusable bags are living rent free in closets and car trunks across the country. Most major retailers made the switch away from single-use plastic bags about a year ago, but it’s taking time for some customers to catch on. They’re forgetting to bring their bags with them, and buying more every week.

Udi Sela has already signed up.

“I definitely think it’s a step in the right direction,” he said in an interview on Friday. “It’s something that needed to be done a while ago. God knows we’ve got a ton of bags kind of piled up.”

He said he’s concerned that some customers may find mailing the bags a hurdle. However, it’s not deterring Sela, who soon plans to ship hundreds.

Passing the buck?

Not everyone is keen on Walmart’s project. Emily Alfred, a waste campaigner with Toronto Environmental Alliance, said donating the bags to the food bank is just passing on the problem.

“We need to remove waste from the system entirely, and just sending these somewhere else for someone else to deal with is not really a solution,” she said.

Alfred said a better option is a program Walmart piloted in Guelph, Ont., in 2022. For a fee, customers could check out reusable bags from an in-store kiosk and later return them to be cleaned and reused.

“That’s a real circular reuse system,” she said.

Two Walmart employees stand next to a kiosk here customers could, for a fee, get a resuable bag. — Walmart launched a pilot program in Guelph, Ont., in 2022. For a fee, customers could check out reusable bags from an in-store kiosk and then return them to be cleaned and reused. (Walmart Canada)

Walmart’s Barbazza said the retailer is continuing to explore different reusable bag programs, including ones placed in stores.

She also said she’s confident Canada’s food banks will make good use of the bags.

“There’s definitely a need for sturdy items to distribute materials to the food bank clients.”

The paper problem

Among Canada’s major grocers, only Walmart offers a reusable bag program for all customers.

Loblaw recently switched from reusable to recyclable paper bags for grocery delivery. Sobeys did not respond to requests for comment, but according to its website, the grocer also uses paper bags and “reusable options” for home delivery.

Several environmental experts say paper bags aren’t a good solution, because their production leaves a sizable carbon footprint.

“Paper bags are a problem,” Alfred said. “It takes a lot of energy to recycle paper, takes a lot of trees and energy to make new paper.”

Loblaw said it continues to explore a variety of more sustainable solutions. “It’s a challenge we’re committed to addressing,” spokesperson Dave Bauer said in an email.

Emily Alfred holding two reusable bags. — Emily Alfred, a waste campaigner with Toronto Environmental Alliance, says sending reusable bags to charity is just passing on the problem to someone else and that paper bags aren’t a solution. (Sophia Harris/CBC)

Both Walker and Alfred applaud Metro for its grocery delivery program, because the grocer, which operates in Ontario and Quebec, reuses delivery materials.

Metro said customers can get their goods delivered in a cardboard box or reusable bags, which can be returned and used for another delivery. Or customers can opt for a plastic bin and remove their groceries from it upon arrival.

Metro does not offer similar programs for in-store shoppers.

Alfred said the federal government should introduce regulations that mandate retailers adopt effective reusable bag programs for all customers.

“It’s up to our governments and people to demand that these companies do better,” she said.

But Walker suggested that the regulations would be hard to enforce and that incentives could be a better tactic.

For example, if retailers increased the price of reusable bags, shoppers might be less likely to forget them when they head to the store, he said.

“When the cost is a disincentive to do an activity, people change their behaviour.”

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