BC Ferries has cancelled all sailings on the B.C. Coast as a hurricane force wind warning has been issued by Environment Canada.
All sailings out of Tsawwassen, Swartz Bay, Duke Point, Gulf Islands, Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay as well as Langdale and Powell River on the Sunshine Coast are cancelled until further notice.
UPDATE 12:58 p.m.
BC Ferries has cancelled all sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen starting at 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
A tweet by the company indicates, “considering the reports and the wind already at the terminals, it is best that we cancel in advance for the safety of all passengers and crew, and to allow those time to make alternate plans for travel.”
The cancellations are due to high winds which are expected to pick up later this afternoon into tonight.
UPDATE: 10:45 a.m.
A powerful snow storm that swept across southern British Columbia early Wednesday prompted a provincial government advisory warning motorists to stay off many roads.
The advisory covered four Vancouver Island highways including Highway 1 between Nanaimo and Victoria. It was issued shortly after a section of Highway 1 just east of Vancouver was also closed because of blowing snow and treacherous conditions.
“Because of extreme winter weather, motorists are advised to avoid all but essential travel throughout the Metro Vancouver region today, including the Fraser Valley,” said the advisory from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
A section of Highway 99, the Sea to Sky Highway north of Vancouver, was also shut down for several hours due to a vehicle incident in icy and blustery conditions not long after Environment Canada posted a rare blizzard warning for the Howe Sound region, which includes that route.
Every public school and post-secondary institution from the eastern Fraser Valley to Victoria and Nanaimo was shuttered as the storm dumped at least 25 centimetres of snow in many areas, with the weather office calling for more snow.
Hardy Lower Mainland commuters who decided to rely on public transit faced lengthy waits and those who reached SkyTrain stations were advised by attendants to return home.
Extreme cold, winter storm or snowfall warnings were in effect for all but a handful of regions from British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories all the way to northern Manitoba.
– The Canadian Press
UPDATE: 8:35 a.m.
A powerful snowstorm that has closed part of Highway 1 east of Vancouver, shuttered every public school and university across southern Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver, has now led to a rare blizzard warning.
Environment Canada issued the warning for the Howe Sound area early Wednesday, saying gusty winds, blowing snow and near-zero visibility are expected or occurring.
The blizzard warning comes as more than 25 centimetres of snow blanketed Greater Victoria and parts of eastern Vancouver Island overnight, with more expected, while at least 15 centimetres fell across Metro Vancouver.
Treacherous conditions forced officials to close a section of Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley early Wednesday while snow and ice have also played havoc with transit services across the Lower Mainland.
Extreme cold, winter storm or snowfall warnings are in effect for all but a handful of regions from British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories all the way to northern Manitoba.
Bitterly cold Arctic air has skidded southward across Western Canada carrying wind chill values in Prairie provinces that are at or below -50 C, while wind chill values in B.C.’s Interior are around -40.
Victoria, Metro Vancouver and much of B.C.’s inner south coast will also be battered by strong winds over the next 24 hours, as wind warnings are posted and forecasters say gusts of up to 90 km/h have potential to bring down trees and cause power outages.
UPDATE 8:27 a.m.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has issued a travel advisory for Metro Vancouver, including the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island Wednesday morning.
“Because of extreme winter weather, motorists are advised to avoid all but essential travel throughout the Metro Vancouver region today, including the Fraser Valley.
A travel advisory also applies to Vancouver Island on Highway 1 from Nanaimo south to Victoria, as well as Highways 14, 17 and 18.”
Steady snow, high winds and cold temperatures are causing poor road conditions. If you do not absolutely have to travel you are advised not to. If you must travel you are advised to use extreme caution and drive to the conditions. The ministry advises travellers to expect winter conditions for the rest of the week.
UPDATE 7:45 a.m.
The Trans Canada Highway has now been closed between Sumas way and Hunter Creek due to deteriorating weather conditions, detours are available via Hwy 7, Hwy 9, and Hwy 11. DriveBC will issue an update at 11:00 a.m.
Photo: Twitter
ORIGINAL 6:44 a.m.
Metro Vancouver and the South Coast are getting a taste of old man winter Wednesday morning.
DriveBC has issued a travel advisory for the Trans Canada Highway – travel is not recommended unless absolutely necessary between Lickman and Whatcom due to limited visibility and slippery conditions. Compact snow, slush, slippery sections and limited visibility due to heavy snowfall making for very poor conditions.
Most school districts in Metro Vancouver have also cancelled classes for today as well.
MONTREAL – Travel company Transat AT Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year earlier as its revenue edged lower.
The parent company of Air Transat says it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31.
The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue in what was the company’s third quarter totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
Transat chief executive Annick Guérard says demand for leisure travel remains healthy, as evidenced by higher traffic, but consumers are increasingly price conscious given the current economic uncertainty.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Dollarama Inc.’s food aisles may have expanded far beyond sweet treats or piles of gum by the checkout counter in recent years, but its chief executive maintains his company is “not in the grocery business,” even if it’s keeping an eye on the sector.
“It’s just one small part of our store,” Neil Rossy told analysts on a Wednesday call, where he was questioned about the company’s food merchandise and rivals playing in the same space.
“We will keep an eye on all retailers — like all retailers keep an eye on us — to make sure that we’re competitive and we understand what’s out there.”
Over the last decade and as consumers have more recently sought deals, Dollarama’s food merchandise has expanded to include bread and pantry staples like cereal, rice and pasta sold at prices on par or below supermarkets.
However, the competition in the discount segment of the market Dollarama operates in intensified recently when the country’s biggest grocery chain began piloting a new ultra-discount store.
The No Name stores being tested by Loblaw Cos. Ltd. in Windsor, St. Catharines and Brockville, Ont., are billed as 20 per cent cheaper than discount retail competitors including No Frills. The grocery giant is able to offer such cost savings by relying on a smaller store footprint, fewer chilled products and a hearty range of No Name merchandise.
Though Rossy brushed off notions that his company is a supermarket challenger, grocers aren’t off his radar.
“All retailers in Canada are realistic about the fact that everyone is everyone’s competition on any given item or category,” he said.
Rossy declined to reveal how much of the chain’s sales would overlap with Loblaw or the food category, arguing the vast variety of items Dollarama sells is its strength rather than its grocery products alone.
“What makes Dollarama Dollarama is a very wide assortment of different departments that somewhat represent the old five-and-dime local convenience store,” he said.
The breadth of Dollarama’s offerings helped carry the company to a second-quarter profit of $285.9 million, up from $245.8 million in the same quarter last year as its sales rose 7.4 per cent.
The retailer said Wednesday the profit amounted to $1.02 per diluted share for the 13-week period ended July 28, up from 86 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
The period the quarter covers includes the start of summer, when Rossy said the weather was “terrible.”
“The weather got slightly better towards the end of the summer and our sales certainly increased, but not enough to make up for the season’s horrible start,” he said.
Sales totalled $1.56 billion for the quarter, up from $1.46 billion in the same quarter last year.
Comparable store sales, a key metric for retailers, increased 4.7 per cent, while the average transaction was down2.2 per cent and traffic was up seven per cent, RBC analyst Irene Nattel pointed out.
She told investors in a note that the numbers reflect “solid demand as cautious consumers focus on core consumables and everyday essentials.”
Analysts have attributed such behaviour to interest rates that have been slow to drop and high prices of key consumer goods, which are weighing on household budgets.
To cope, many Canadians have spent more time seeking deals, trading down to more affordable brands and forgoing small luxuries they would treat themselves to in better economic times.
“When people feel squeezed, they tend to shy away from discretionary, focus on the basics,” Rossy said. “When people are feeling good about their wallet, they tend to be more lax about the basics and more willing to spend on discretionary.”
The current economic situation has drawn in not just the average Canadian looking to save a buck or two, but also wealthier consumers.
“When the entire economy is feeling slightly squeezed, we get more consumers who might not have to or want to shop at a Dollarama generally or who enjoy shopping at a Dollarama but have the luxury of not having to worry about the price in some other store that they happen to be standing in that has those goods,” Rossy said.
“Well, when times are tougher, they’ll consider the extra five minutes to go to the store next door.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
TORONTO – The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ordered TD Bank Group to pay US$28 million for repeatedly sharing inaccurate, negative information about its customers to consumer reporting companies.
The agency says TD has to pay US$7.76 million in total to tens of thousands of victims of its illegal actions, along with a US$20 million civil penalty.
It says TD shared information that contained systemic errors about credit card and bank deposit accounts to consumer reporting companies, which can include credit reports as well as screening reports for tenants and employees and other background checks.
CFPB director Rohit Chopra says in a statement that TD threatened the consumer reports of customers with fraudulent information then “barely lifted a finger to fix it,” and that regulators will need to “focus major attention” on TD Bank to change its course.
TD says in a statement it self-identified these issues and proactively worked to improve its practices, and that it is committed to delivering on its responsibilities to its customers.
The bank also faces scrutiny in the U.S. over its anti-money laundering program where it expects to pay more than US$3 billion in monetary penalties to resolve.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
