Two weeks into the Israel-Hamas war, the federal government is still trying to find ways to get Canadians out of Gaza, while evacuation flights out of Tel Aviv are starting to wind down.
On Friday, Global Affairs Canada and other government officials provided an update on the status of various evacuation efforts.
They also signalled that plans are being made to assist Canadians in Lebanon, should the conflict spill over.
Here’s what we know heading into the weekend.
ISRAEL FLIGHTS DOWN TO ONE A DAY
After conducting 16 flights out of Tel Aviv, airlifting Canadians to Athens for nine days straight, the Canadian government is indicating that these flights could soon end.
The Canadian Armed Forces says because of reduced demand, these shuttles have slowed from two flights per day to one, seeing one of the two Airbus CC-150 Polaris taken off duty.
There are three flights planned for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. After that, future flights remain undetermined as demand is “dwindling.”
As of Friday, Canada has helped nearly 1,600 Canadians their family members leave Israel via the Ben Gurion Airport. Those that have boarded these military flights have been responsible for covering the cost of their travel from Greece onward.
Canadian citizens waiting at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to board one of a series of scheduled evacuation flights. (CTV News / Marley Parker)
“If you intend to leave Israel, I strongly recommend that you contact us and provide us with your information as soon as possible so that we can put you on one of these flights,” Global Affairs Canada’s assistant deputy minister for consular security and emergency management Julie Sunday told reporters Friday.
“If you’re given a seat on one of these flights, I urge you to take it.”
GAZA STRIP ‘EXTREMELY FLUID’
There is still no concrete plan to get Canadians out of Gaza, though with news of a potential pathway opening for humanitarian aid to get in from Egypt, federal officials are hopeful the situation will progress to a place where they can get people out.
“The situation remains extremely fluid, and while there have been positive signs, the Rafah border crossing remains closed for foreign nationals seeking to leave,” Sunday said.
“We are continuing to communicate directly with Canadians who wish to exit. We know they are facing extremely difficult conditions and we are doing everything we can to support them.”
If, and when a window for exits opens, it will likely be for a short period of time and require a massive multinational effort.
Sunday noted that with an estimated 430 Canadians registered with the government as being in Gaza, any evacuation effort would take considerable resources.
“Our mission in Cairo continues to engage with Egyptian authorities to ensure that any Canadians that can pass through the Rafah crossing will be transported to Cairo and onward to Canada.
“We are looking at how we can facilitate Canadians then getting from Cairo back to Canada, and we will likely do something very similar to what we had in Athens in terms of supporting their onward travel.
WEST BANK BUS DEPARTURES
So far, Canada has been able to conduct some limited assisted departures through the West Bank, seeing the exit of 33 passengers.
The majority of these individuals got out by bus on Monday, crossing from Ramallah through the Allenby Gate to Jordan.
A picture of a bus that Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly shared in a social media post about Canadians arriving in Jordan on Oct. 16, 2023. (Melanie Joly via X)
Sunday said Canada is planning for further transfers on Sunday and Monday.
“Our mission in Ramallah continues to be in direct contact with all Canadians in the West Bank who require assistance leaving,” Sunday said.
“We will be conducting further assisted departures based on need, and in line with the security situation on the ground as it continues to evolve.”
LEAVE LEBANON ASAP
After days of watching fighting intensify on the southern border with Israel and earlier cautions about it being the time to leave Lebanon, mid week Canada updated its travel advisory.
“Canadians should not travel to Lebanon for any reason. For those Canadians who are already in Lebanon, we strongly advise that they seek commercial options to leave as soon as possible,” Sunday said.
The government estimates there are 14,500 Canadians registered in Lebanon, and to assist in a swift exit if needed, Global Affairs is asking all in the country to ensure they and their families have the necessary travel documents.
“People have longstanding ties, families. These are really difficult decisions to make, and we understand that, but our best advice is it’s time to come back to Canada,” Sunday said.
Officials said that cross-government planning is underway to prepare for “all possible scenarios,” including pre-positioning a rapid deployment team in the region.
Further, the Canadian Armed Forces is planning for potential non-combatant evacuation operations in Lebanon.
Maj.-Gen. Darcy Molstad, deputy commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command said military members have been stationed in Lebanon and Cyprus to prepare.
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.
Canadian citizens waiting at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to board one of a series of scheduled evacuation flights. (CTV News / Marley Parker)
A picture of a bus that Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly shared in a social media post about Canadians arriving in Jordan on Oct. 16, 2023. (Melanie Joly via X)
