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How much of Fiona is covered by insurance?; Canada bans puppy imports: CBC’s Marketplace cheat sheet

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Miss something this week? Don’t panic. CBC’s Marketplace has rounded up the consumer and health news you need.

Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday.

Looking to adopt an international pup? Your options just got more limited

Canada has now banned the importation of commercial dogs — dogs intended for resale, adoption, fostering, breeding, exhibition, and research — from more than 100 countries.

The countries are flagged by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) as being high risk for dog rabies.

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The CFIA said dog rabies kills 59,000 people every year in countries affected by the ban, including Afghanistan, Ukraine and mainland China.

Marketplace has previously investigated dogs being imported to Canada and even found one puppy from Ukraine had either never been vaccinated against rabies, or was given the rabies shot at such a young age it would not have been effective, despite paperwork saying otherwise.

But rescue organizations are hoping the government will have a change of heart. Fida Kablawi of London, Ont., has spent two years bringing dogs from Egypt to Canada. “Most of the ones that we pick have had a really rough time — they’ve been neglected or they’ve been tied to a roof and chained and starved,” she said. “The ones with the tough stories, the ones that we feel need the most love, the ones who have had it the worst, we try to bring over to give them a better life.” Read more

Kablawi first arrived in Cairo on a work trip in 2020. After encountering the many street dogs there, she vowed to return again and again to help them. (Submitted by Fida Kablawi)

New report confirms racism is happening in the real estate industry, but there’s no efficient way to report it

New research from the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) shows racism and discrimination are abundant in the real estate industry.

Two in 10 consumers say they’ve been treated unfairly because of their identity, with those who are Black, Indigenous or of colour and LGBTQ2S+ individuals more likely to report such treatment.

It gets worse for realtors. One in four Black, Indigenous and realtors of colour say a client has refused to work with them because of their identity.

But there’s no efficient ways for consumers to report incidents, which is prompting OREA to push for a process where complaints about racism and discrimination in the sector can easily be registered, investigated and result in stronger penalties.  Read more

Marketplace has previously tested racial bias during home appraisals. You can watch that story any time on CBC Gem.

The soaring cost of housing in Ontario was a major issue of concern for voters in the 2022 provincial election. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

Most damage from Fiona won’t be covered by insurance

It’s well on its way to being the costliest storm to ever hit Atlantic Canada, but most of the damage caused by post-tropical storm Fiona won’t be covered by insurance.

That’s because flood damage from storm surges is not covered by most insurance policies. Storm surges, which occur when a storm causes natural water levels to rise abnormally, were a huge part of Fiona’s wrath.

Most home insurance policies typically cover damage from such things as strong winds, downed trees and water damage caused from leaky roofs.

Most of the people who need storm surge flooding coverage — like those who live in flood zones — aren’t eligible, or the coverage is too expensive.

There are some federal government programs that will help fill in some gaps, but exactly how much is unclear.

“These kinds of events sadly are going to be more frequent and more destructive,” Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister of intergovernmental affairs, infrastructure and communities, told reporters on Tuesday. “Obviously the government of Canada will be there to share the financial aspect of that compensation.” Read more

Marketplace had previously reported that up to 10 per cent of Canadian homes could be uninsurable due to flood risk. To find out if you’re one of them, call your home insurance company. You can watch the full investigation on CBC Gem.

Workers remove a tree felled by winds from the roof of a house following post-tropical storm Fiona in Halifax on Monday. Fiona, the most powerful storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, roared ashore in eastern Nova Scotia early Saturday as one of the strongest systems ever to hit the region, knocking out power, toppling trees and forcing residents to flee. (Darren Calabrese/Bloomberg)

More than 1 in 5 residents in long-term care are given antipsychotics without a diagnosis, data shows

Tens of thousands of residents in Canadian long-term care homes are being prescribed antipsychotics without a psychosis diagnosis, according to data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

The medication is being used “off label,” meaning it’s used for issues not specifically recommended by Health Canada.

The antipsychotics are being used to sedate residents and to combat behaviours such as wandering, shouting, hoarding or insomnia.

“Antipsychotics have been referred to as chemical restraints,” said Tamara Daly, director of York University’s Centre for Aging Research and Education.

“When we see an excessive amount of prescribing for antipsychotics, where there’s no clinical reason or disease state to be prescribing it, that would be a flag,” she said. “It’s often an indicator that people in the home are being managed chemically.”

The dangers of antipsychotic use are well documented. Studies have shown they can increase the risk of falls and fractures in older adults. They have also been shown to increase the risk of strokes, cardiovascular events and even death.

Marketplace has investigated long-term care homes extensively. You can watch our stories —  including the investigation covering whether nursing homes are above the law — any time on CBC Gem.

Health-care workers in the hallway of a long-term care home. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

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1 dead, 2 critically injured after car crash in Montreal – CBC.ca

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Montreal

Three people are in hospital with critical injuries after their vehicle crashed into a tree. Police believe they might be connected to two drive-by shootings that took place early Thursday morning.

2 drive-by shootings also took place overnight

an SPVM car near a taped-off crime scene
Montreal police are investigating a car crash possibly linked to two drive-by shootings. (Mathieu Wagner/Radio-Canada)

Urgences-santé say one person died and two others were critically injured after their vehicle hit a tree in the Rosemont neighbourhood. 

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Montreal police believe the crash may be linked to two drive-by shootings early Thursday morning.

The first happened around 5 a.m. on Pie-IX Boulevard. Police say a car was shot at repeatedly and the driver, a 41-year-old man, was injured in the upper body. He was transported to hospital, but his life is not in danger, say police.

Shortly afterward, shots were reported in the Plateau Mont-Royal borough, near the intersection of Saint-Joseph Boulevard and Henri-Julien Avenue. No one was injured. 

Police say they are investigating to determine if there is a connection between the collision and the shootings. Montreal police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant says it’s possible those in the vehicle were involved in the shootings.

The province’s independent police watchdog is now involved.

with files from Chloë Ranaldi

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Pakistan airline crew sought asylum in Canada: spokesperson – CTV News

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Typically, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight attendants who arrive in Toronto stay at a hotel overnight, meet back up with their crew the next day and then fly to their next destination.

But increasingly often, PIA attendants aren’t showing up, the airline says. According to PIA, at least eight flight attendants disappeared over the last year and a half.

They have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.

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Increased occurrences

Abdullah Hafeez Khan said at least eight flight attendants “have gone missing” after flying to Pearson International Airport in Toronto. He said these incidents have been happening over the last 10 years, but are now occurring more frequently.

“Since probably October of 2022, the number of the people that have opted asylum has increased tremendously,” Khan said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca from Karachi, Pakistan, where the airline is based.

“None of those crew members that disappeared in the last one-and-a-half years have come back. So they were granted asylum for one way or the other, and that probably has encouraged others to do so.”

The missing employees were fired immediately and lost their company benefits, Khan said.

Why did they flee?

Khan said he could only speculate as to why the flight attendants would flee.

The Canadian government underscored the volatile situation in Pakistan, warning in a travel advisory of a “high threat of terrorism,” along with threats of civil unrest, sectarian violence and kidnapping.

“The security situation is fragile and unpredictable,” the Canadian travel advisory reads. “Incidents are typically attributed to extremism, ethnic divisions, sectarian strife, regional political disputes and the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan.”

It added that many deaths and injuries have occurred from bombings, shootings and other terrorist attacks at a wide range of targets.

Since Khan isn’t in contact with any of the missing employees, he says, he assumes they decided to seek asylum in Canada for economic and social reasons.

“So I naturally assumed that all of them have been given asylum because I don’t think they would be living there illegally,” he said, adding they may already have family connections in Canada who can support them.

In this June 8, 2013, photo, a Pakistan International Airlines plane moments before take off from the Benazir Bhutto airport in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

‘PR crisis’

Khan called the flight attendants’ disappearances a “PR crisis” for PIA that is “bad” for business amid a crew shortage.

The airline is in talks with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Pakistani law enforcement agencies to potentially create a “legal safeguard” to curtail flight crew from seeking asylum, he said.

When asked about the PIA flight attendants’ disappearances, Erin Kerbel, spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said the department couldn’t comment on specific cases due to privacy legislation.

In response to questions about PIA’s claim that discussions are underway about the issue, a spokesperson for the CBSA said it could not confirm any information.

“The Canada Border Services Agency does not provide comment or details on specific individuals, including any discussions that would take place with airline companies, as an individual’s border and immigration information is considered private and protected by the Privacy Act,” Maria Ladouceur said in an email to CTVNews.ca.

Since the crew members’ disappearances, Khan said, the airline has “done numerous things to curtail that.”

For instance, the airline is only staffing Toronto-bound flights with crew members who have “established linkages” in Pakistan, such as children, spouses or parents, as well as those who have worked in the organization for more than 15 years.

The airline avoids sending to Toronto those who are single or don’t have established family ties in Pakistan, he said.

Khan said he and the airline are no longer in contact with the flight attendants because, they discovered, they usually change their phone numbers soon after disappearing in Toronto.

Who disappeared?

The PIA flight attendants who vanished in Canada are seasoned pros in their late 30s or 40s, some of whom have worked for the airline for as long as two decades, Khan said.

“There was never any sign from them that they would seek something like that,” he said. “So that is something that is bothering us in the matter because working with people who have been working with you for a long time and then something happens like this is pretty unexpected.”

In one of the latest cases in February, the crew members were waiting to take the bus back to the airport from the hotel in Toronto and one of the flight attendants didn’t show up, Khan said.

The airline was unable to reach the flight attendant on her cellphone or hotel landline so, Khan says, they asked hotel management to check if she was OK.

“When the crew went there, she left her uniform there with a note saying, ‘Thank you PIA,'” Khan said, which he interpreted as a genuine sentiment of gratitude for her more than 15 years of service with PIA rather than a taunt.

Khan said the crew members who disappeared were “family values people” who had good careers in Pakistan.

Asylum policies

Individuals can make a refugee claim in Canada at a port of entry upon arrival or online if they are already in Canada, according to the Canadian government’s website.

Canadian immigration or border officials will determine if the person is eligible for a hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board. All claimants must undergo health and security screenings, the government says.

If eligible to make a claim in Canada, refugee claimants can access social assistance, education, health services, emergency housing and legal aid pending a decision on their claim. Most can apply for a work permit after a medical examination.

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Alberta's population surges by record-setting 202,000 people: Here's where they all came from – CBC.ca

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Alberta smashed population-growth records in the past year, mainly due to people moving to the province from across Canada and around the world.

The province’s population surged to just over 4.8 million as of Jan. 1, according to new estimates released Wednesday by Statistics Canada.

That’s an increase of 202,324 residents compared with a year earlier, which marks — by far — the largest annual increase on record.

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Alberta also broke a national record in 2023 for interprovincial migration, with a net gain of 55,107 people.

“This was the largest gain in interprovincial migration nationally since comparable data became available in 1972,” Statistics Canada said in a release.


Most of the interprovincial migrants came from Ontario and British Columbia.

Statistics Canada estimates that 38,236 Ontarians moved to Alberta last year, versus 14,860 Albertans who moved to Ontario, for a net gain of 23,376 people.

Similarly, an estimated 37,650 British Columbians moved to Alberta, compared to 22,400 Albertans who moved to B.C., for a net gain of 15,250.


All told, interprovincial migration accounted for 27 per cent of Alberta’s population growth over the past year.

That put it just ahead of permanent immigration, which accounted for 26 per cent, and well ahead of natural population increase (more births than deaths), which accounted for eight per cent.

The largest component, however, was temporary international migration.

Non-permanent residents from other countries accounted for 39 per cent of the province’s population growth in the past year, reflecting a national trend.


Canada’s population reached 40,769,890 on Jan. 1, according to Statistics Canada estimates, which is up 3.2 per cent from a year ago.

“Most of Canada’s 3.2-per-cent population growth rate stemmed from temporary immigration in 2023,” Statistics Canada noted.

“Without temporary immigration, that is, relying solely on permanent immigration and natural increase (births minus deaths), Canada’s population growth would have been almost three times less (1.2 per cent).”

Alberta’s population, meanwhile, grew by 4.4 per cent year-over-year.

Alberta now represents 11.8 per cent of the country’s population, its largest proportion on record. 

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