Unrest, high levels of violence and volatile political atmosphere can make travelling to certain places dangerous. Recently, some Canadian tourists in Mexico‘s Sinaloa state were barricaded in their hotels for several days after the arrest of a major alleged drug cartel leader led to violence in the region.
To avoid such situations, the Canadian government has released a list of travel advisories for countries like Mexico, Jamaica and Peru to help travellers make informed decisions even if they find themselves stuck in similar positions.
“The safety of Canadians abroad is a top priority for the Government of Canada,” Marilyne Guèvremont, spokesperson at Global Affairs Canada (GAC), told Global News.
Last week, Canadians in Mexico were told to limit their movements and shelter in place after violence broke out in the country’s northwest.
The government advised Canadians to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to added levels of criminal activity and kidnapping in the region.
Widespread violence and security operations have been taking place in Sinaloa State, particularly in Culiacán, Mazatlan, Los Mochis and Guasave since Ovidio Guzman, a son of jailed Cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, was arrested in a pre-dawn raid on Jan. 5. The Canadian government has cautioned against burning cars, exchanges of fire and threats to essential infrastructure, including airports, in its advisory.
On Jan. 6, two airports in Sinaloa state that were closed after flights were grounded and tourists stranded, restarted operations, but Canadians have still been advised to avoid travel to the region if possible.
Transport Canada has cautioned that “several flights” from Sunwing, Swoop and WestJet may still be affected by the unrest.
Guèvremont said Global Affairs “is aware of Canadians affected by these events and is providing consular services.”
The local government in Sinaloa has urged people to stay indoors and said schools and administrative offices would remain closed due to the violence. Americans have also been advised not to travel to the region by the U.S. State Department.
Some of the regions in Mexico that Canadians have been advised to avoid non-essential visit to, include:
Chihuahua
Colima, except for the city of Manzanillo
Coahuila, except the southern part of the state at and below the Saltillo-Torreón highway corridor
Durango, except Durango City
Guerrero, except the cities of Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo and Taxco
Canada has also advised Canadians travelling to Jamaica to exercise a high degree of caution due to increased levels of violent crime.
The Jamaican government reinstated a state of emergency in certain parishes of the country on Dec. 28, 2022, due to violence and gang-related crime. The parishes include:
Clarendon
Hanover
Kingston
St Andrew
St Ann
St Catherine
St James
Westmoreland
The state of emergency will be in effect until Jan. 11. The measure was first declared in early December by Jamaica’s prime minister to fight a surge in gang violence on an island with one of the highest murder rates in the country.
The state of emergency is meant to allow authorities to arrest people and search buildings without a warrant. This has drawn heavy criticism from political opponents and activists who have warned against a repeat of police abuse and mass detentions that happened under previous states of emergency in Jamaica.
Canadians travelling to affected areas may be subject to searches by security forces, according to Canada’s travel advisory, so the recommendation from the government is to always cooperate, carry valid IDs and follow instructions of local authorities.
Due to likely social conflicts and strikes across the country, “a high degree of caution” must also be exercised when travelling to Peru, the Canadian government says.
Peru has been under a national crisis marked by deadly unrest after lawmakers ousted President Pedro Castillo. Dina Boluarte took over from the ousted leader to become Peru’s first female president.
The death toll from the unrest rose to 26 by the end of December after security forces fired tear gas and dispersed thousands of wildcat miners who cut off the Pan-American Highway at two vital chokepoints for more than a week. As a result, truckers were forced to dump spoiled food and fish bound for market. Hundreds have been injured.
Protesters blocked streets in Peru’s capital and many rural communities, demanding Castillo’s freedom, Boluarte’s resignation and the immediate scheduling of general elections to pick a new president and replace all members of Congress.
A 30-day nationwide state of emergency is in place in Peru until Jan. 13.
Given the current political situation, Canadians are being advised to avoid all non-essential travel to regions including:
Arequipa
Cuzco, including the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
Puno
Ica
Some other regions have also been cautioned against due to instances of domestic terrorism and criminal activity, including:
Huallaga and Tocache provinces in the department of San Martín
The Upper Huallaga and Ene river valleys in the departments of Huánuco and San Martín
Padre Abad province in the department of Ucayali
Huacaybamba, Humalíes, Leoncio Prado and Marañón provinces in the department of Huánuco
Travellers are being urged to avoid any non-essential travel to areas within 20 kilometres of the border with Colombia due to drug trafficking and occasional incursions by armed guerrilla forces from Columbia into Peru.
Additionally, avoiding non-essential travel to areas within 20 kilometres of the border with Ecuador, especially in the Cordillera de Cóndor region, has been advised due to the safety threats posed by landmines.
Stuck in Mexico, Jamaica or Peru?
Avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are taking place and do not attempt to cross road blockades, even if they appear unattended, says Global Affairs Canada.
Canadians should also allow extra time to reach destinations and expect an increased presence of security forces in affected regions, according to Guèvremont.
Monitoring local media and following the instructions of local authorities is also advised to help navigate through the situation.
So far, CCA South Central Ontario (SCO) “has been reaching out to members who are currently in (Mexico) to offer help if needed,” Susan Postma, regional VP and travel spokesperson for the agency told Global News in an email.
CAA is Canada’s largest not-for-profit automobile association with more than two million members in South Central Ontario and 200,000 members in Manitoba. They offer different insurance services including travel.
“The decision to travel is a personal choice, and travellers should always refer to the latest information and guidance from Global Affairs Canada when deciding to travel,” Postma said.
CAA spokesperson, Elisha Dacey, says their company always recommends travel insurance, especially when heading to international destinations.
“Travel insurance can cover things like cancelled flights, lost baggage, medical expenses and more. However, not all travel insurance is created equal, so we encourage our members to ask questions to make sure they are fully covered for all emergencies,” Dacey said.
Meanwhile, GAC said Canadians who need emergency consular assistance should “contact Global Affairs Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre by calling 001-800-514-0129 (toll-free from Mexico only), +1 613 996 8885, by text message at +1 613-686-3658, via WhatsApp at +1 613-909-8881, via Telegram at Canada Emergency Abroad or by e-mail at sos@international.gc.ca.”
— With files from Global News’ Sean Boynton & The Associated Press
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.
