DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Canada says Alberta leaving CPP would add to economic uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - If the Canadian province of Alberta carries out a threat to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) it would add to economic uncertainty and hurt everyone in the country, federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday. The so-called Alberta Pension Protection Act would require Albertans to vote in favor of a pension plan for the province during a public referendum before the provincial government would seek to withdraw assets, said the statement. But when asked whether she found it realistic that Alberta was entitled to 53% of CPP assets in 2027, according to a study commissioned by the Alberta government, Freeland said she did not. Freeland also cautioned that the Alberta government would need to negotiate how Canadians could live and work anywhere in Canada without jeopardizing their retirement. "Alberta would need to negotiate complex time-consuming portability agreements with the CPP and with the Quebec pension plan," she said.

Persons: Finance Chrystia Freeland, Susana Vera, Chrystia Freeland, Freeland, Danielle Smith's, Smith, Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, Maiya Keidan, David Ljunggren, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Finance, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Canada, federal, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Canadian, Alberta, Canada, Quebec, Toronto, Ottawa

☆ Canada warns of economic uncertainty if Alberta quits national pension plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Canada will face rising economic uncertainty if the province of Alberta carries out a threat to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday. Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner later on Friday said the province would not leave fellow Canadians without a stable pension and its associated benefits. "For the past several weeks, Alberta has been having an open discussion about the possibility of establishing an Alberta Pension Plan that will benefit our seniors and workers," he said. The so-called Alberta Pension Protection Act would require Albertans to vote in favor of a pension plan for the province during a public referendum before the provincial government would seek to withdraw assets, the statement said. "Alberta would need to negotiate complex time-consuming portability agreements with the CPP and with the Quebec Pension Plan," she said.

Persons: Finance Chrystia Freeland, Susana Vera, Chrystia Freeland, Freeland, Nate Horner, Justin Trudeau's, Danielle Smith's, Smith, Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, Maiya Keidan, David Ljunggren, Kirsten Donovan, Paul Simao Organizations: Finance, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Canada, federal, Alberta, Liberal, Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Canada, Alberta, Quebec, Toronto, Ottawa

After AP contacted Kennedy and others involved in the book last week, the president of Skyhorse Publishing, which co-published the book, texted the Faheys. She declined all vaccines for her son after buying into the insistence by Kennedy and other anti-vaccine “gurus” that vaccines cause autism. But people involved in the response said Kennedy and the anti-vaccine activists he supported made things worse. In June 2019, Kennedy and his wife, the actress Cheryl Hines, visited Samoa, a trip Kennedy later wrote was arranged by a local anti-vaccine influencer. He also met with anti-vaccine activists, one of whom wrote on Instagram that the meeting was “profoundly monumental ... for this movement."

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Sen, John F, Braden Fahey didn’t, Kennedy's, ”, Gina Fahey, Skyhorse, Tony Lyons, Braden, Lyons, Lydia Greene, Greene, “, ” Greene, Cheryl Hines, Helen Petousis, Harris, ” Kennedy, Richard Pan, Pan, Anthony Fauci Organizations: AP, Skyhorse Publishing, SAMOA, Facebook, Associated Press Locations: Canadian, Alberta, U.S, Samoa, New Zealand, California, Sacramento, America

One mom told AP about how she had delayed important care for her child because she believed Kennedy’s vaccine falsehoods. The AP found dozens of individuals included in the book died of known causes not related to vaccines, including suicide, choking while intoxicated, overdose and allergic reaction. Kennedy’s Children’s Health Defense produces articles, newsletters, books, podcasts, even TV shows on its own CHD.TV. And hack into that.”Because of his national profile, Kennedy’s work has ripple effects beyond the most devoted anti-vaccine activists. But people involved in the response who spoke to AP said Kennedy and the anti-vaccine activists he supported made things worse.

Persons: Braden Fahey, Gina, Padrig Fahey, ”, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, John F, Kennedy’s, Kennedy, Braden, ” Gina Fahey, “, Sen, that’s, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Gina Fahey, “ There’s, “ It’s, CHD, Skyhorse, Edward Dowd, Matthew Martinez, Dowd, Tony Lyons, Lyons, Braden's, Francesco Pierri, Matthew DeVerna, Lydia Greene, Greene, ” Greene, ’, Sharon Goldfarb, ” Goldfarb, you’re, …, Dr, Todd Wolynn, ” Wolynn, Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, he’d, Ron DeSantis, Floridians, Daniel Jolley, Jolley, ” Jolley, Cheryl Hines, Edwin Tamasese, Taylor Winterstein, Helen Petousis, Harris, Moelagi Leilani Jackson, Richard Pan, Pan, Jr, ” Pan, Anthony Fauci, Kerry Kennedy, –, ” Kerry Kennedy, Terry Chea Organizations: Associated Press, Democratic, AP, Skyhorse Publishing, Children’s Health Defense, ”, BlackRock, Atlantic Health, Morristown Medical Center, Kennedy Super, Children's Health Defense, Skyhorse, Indiana University’s Observatory, Social Media, Twitter, Health Defense, Disease Control, Republican, GOP, COVID, Florida Gov, University of Nottingham, Public, RFK, Facebook, Press Locations: California, U.S, Morristown, COVID, New, Hudson, Canadian, Alberta, Berkeley , California, Pittsburgh, Samoa, New Zealand, Sacramento , California, Sacramento, America

OTTAWA, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) said on Thursday it will make a preliminary decision on Trans Mountain Corp's proposed shipping tolls for its oil pipeline expansion project this autumn, before holding a hearing on the tolls next year. The timing of the decision aims to ensure interim tolls are in place when the pipeline expansion becomes operational, the regulator said in a statement. The 590,000 barrel-per-day Trans Mountain expansion project (TMEP) will nearly triple the flow of oil from the province of Alberta to Canada's Pacific Coast and is expected to start operating late in the first quarter of 2024. But shippers including Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ.TO) and Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO) are disputing the interim tolls proposed by Trans Mountain, arguing a portion of the base toll is too high. "After service begins on the TMEP and final costs are known, Trans Mountain can request approval from the Commission of the CER for final tolls," the regulator said.

Persons: CER, Nia Williams, Ismail Shakil, Leslie Adler, Bill Berkrot Organizations: OTTAWA, Canada Energy Regulator, Natural Resources, Cenovus Energy, Canadian, Thomson Locations: Alberta, Coast, Trans

☆ Leaving Canada Pension Plan could save Albertans billions, says study
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Maiya Keidan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"I believe that an Alberta pension plan would be fairer," Premier Danielle Smith told a news conference on Thursday. However, he noted the pension respects the right of Albertans to consider withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan. Albertans will have until spring 2024 to submit views on a provincial pension plan to a panel, which will submit a report to the Albertan government. Former Premier Jason Kenney announced in June 2020 that his government would study a recommendation from a panel to replace the CPP with a provincial plan. Any province has the right to withdraw under the Canada Pension Plan Act but written notice is required, enabling legislation has to be passed and the value of assets to be transferred must be negotiated.

Persons: Danielle Smith, Todd Korol, LifeWorks, Smith, Michel Leduc, Albertans, Chrystia Freeland, Premier Jason Kenney, Maiya Keidan, Steve Scherer, Barbara Lewis, Josie Kao Organizations: United Conservative Party, REUTERS, Rights, Canada, Global, Public Affairs, Communications, Investments, Plan . Finance, Premier, CPP, Investment Board, Thomson Locations: Calgary , Alberta, Canada, Canadian, Alberta, Ottawa, Province of Alberta, Quebec

[1/2] A police officer holds up crime scene tape to allow people to leave after a shooting incident at the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada August 21, 2023. REUTERS/Kyaw Soe Oo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 22 (Reuters) - Three people suffered serious injuries in a shooting incident at a mall in Edmonton, the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, city police said on Monday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The victims of Monday's incident at the West Edmonton mall have been taken to hospital for treatment, although the injuries are not life-threatening, the police said. Other staff asked people to gather in a safe area away from doors and windows, another mall visitor said. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama and Kyaw Soe Oo; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anirudh Saligrama, Soe, Christian Schmollinger, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: West Edmonton Mall, REUTERS, Twitter, West, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Edmonton , Alberta, Canada, Edmonton, Canadian, Alberta, West Edmonton

☆ Canadian finance minister, who does not own a car, fined for speeding
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland attends a news conference before delivering the federal budget in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, an avid cyclist who says she does not own a car, was fined C$273 ($200) for speeding in her home province of Alberta, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. Cuplinskas did not say when the incident occurred and what the speed limit had been on that stretch of road. The maximum speed limit on Alberta highways is 110 km/hr. "A fact that still shocks my dad is that I don't actually own a car," she told reporters last month.

Persons: Finance Chrystia Freeland, Blair Gable, Chrystia Freeland, Freeland, Katherine Cuplinskas, Cuplinskas, David Ljunggren, Sonali Paul Organizations: Finance, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Canadian Finance, Counter, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Alberta, Grande Prairie, Peace, Freeland, Toronto, Canada's

[1/4] Vehicles leave Yellowknife on the only highway in or out of the city after a state of emergency was declared due to the proximity of a wildfire, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada August 16, 2023. REUTERS/Pat Kane Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - Canadian fire crews battled early on Thursday to prevent wildfires from reaching the northern city of Yellowknife, where all 20,000 residents are leaving after an evacuation order was declared. Water bombers flew low over Yellowknife as thick smoke blanketed the capital of the vast and sparsely populated Northwest Territories. This is Canada's worst-ever wildfire season with more than 1,000 active fires burning across the country, including 265 in the Northwest Territories. The deadline for residents to leave Yellowknife is noon local time on Friday (1800 GMT).

Persons: Pat Kane, Justin Trudeau, Rebecca Alty, Alty, Mike Westwick, Diamond, De Beers, Lytton, Divya Rajagopal, Devika Syamnath, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Vehicles, REUTERS, Water, Territories, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, CBC, Thomson Locations: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, Territories, Alberta, Hay, Fort McMurray, British Columbia, Toronto

But the future of the Games was thrown into doubt on Thursday when the province of Alberta withdrew its support for a bid, dealing another blow to the embattled Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). Victoria withdrew due to projected cost overruns, with Commonwealth Sport Canada saying it believed the Australian state's decision had prompted Alberta's pullout. The expense to host a Commonwealth Games in any country is significant," Cary Kaplan, president of Canadian marketing firm Cosmos Sports & Entertainment, told Reuters. MARKET DISPARITYDespite the disparity, Payne said the Commonwealth Games could not be written off. "That will in turn erode the relevance of the Games unless the Commonwealth Games steps up its marketing and branding efforts in the years ahead.

Persons: Matthew Klugman, Victoria, Alberta's pullout, Cary Kaplan, Klugman, Michael Payne, Payne, Kaplan, Queen Elizabeth, Rich, Karolos Grohmann, Aadi Nair, Ed Osmond Organizations: Commonwealth, Commonwealth Games Federation, Victoria, Games, Reuters, Commonwealth Sport Canada, Commonwealth Games, Cosmos Sports & Entertainment, European, Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Paris Olympics, Olympic Committee, Olympic, Birmingham, Thomson Locations: Canada, Alberta, Hamilton , Ontario, COVID, Australia, Great Britain, Britain

The Alberta Industrial Heartland, a not-for-profit organization consisting of five Alberta municipalities, and the Hong Kong-based private equity firm Can-China Global Resource Fund (CCGRF) had announced their partnership in 2016 to encourage investments across North America. "This partnership no longer exists," Karlee Conway Director Communications of the Alberta Industrial Heartland said in an email response to Reuters. The lead investor of the fund was China's Export-Import Bank, Vancouver-based mining firm Hunter Dickinson and Swiss commodity trader Mercuria. While all three were released in 2021, the relationship between China and Canada has not returned to normal. The oil-rich province of Alberta exported C$4.5 billion worth of goods to China in 2020, making it the Canadian province's second-biggest export market.

Persons: Karlee, Hunter Dickinson, Lynette Ong, FROSTY, Meng Wanzhou, Divya Rajagopal, Xie Yu, Denny Thomas, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Reuters, The, The Alberta Industrial Heartland, China Global Resource Fund, Karlee Conway, Communications, Alberta Industrial Heartland, China's, Import Bank, MEC Advisory Ltd, EXIM Bank, Science, University of Toronto, CQ Energy, Ottawa, Huawei, Canadian, Exim Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: TORONTO, HONG KONG, Alberta, The Alberta, Hong Kong, China, North America, Vancouver, Swiss, Canada, Ottawa, Calgary, Beijing, United States

TORONTO/HONG KONG, June 29 (Reuters) - The Alberta government has ended a partnership with a Chinese private equity fund that targeted $10 billion to invest in the natural resources sector, a spokesperson for the Alberta entity told Reuters. The Alberta Industrial Heartland, a not for profit organization of the province of Alberta, and the Hong Kong-based private equity firm Can-China Global Resource Fund (CCGRF) had announced their partnership in 2016 to encourage investments across North America. "This partnership no longer exists," Karlee Conway Director Communications of the Alberta Industrial Heartland in an email response to Reuters. The lead investor of the fund was China's Export-Import Bank, Vancouver-based mining firm Hunter Dickinson and Swiss commodity trader Mercuria. This month, Canada froze ties with the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as it launched a probe into allegations that the institution was dominated by the Chinese Communist Party.

Persons: Karlee, Hunter Dickinson, Meng Wanzhou, Divya Rajagopal, Xie Yu, Denny Thomas, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Reuters, The, The Alberta Industrial Heartland, China Global Resource Fund, Karlee Conway, Communications, Alberta Industrial Heartland, China's, Import Bank, MEC Advisory Ltd, EXIM Bank, CQ Energy, Ottawa, Huawei, Canadian, Exim Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: TORONTO, HONG KONG, Alberta, The Alberta, Hong Kong, China, North America, Vancouver, Swiss, Canada, Calgary, Beijing, United States

☆ Barbie, Her House and the American Dream
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Anna Kodé | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Barbie, Her House and the American Dream Take a stop-motion journey with the young, single homeowner of the Dreamhouse. Today according to Mattel, the toymaker behind the iconic doll, a new Barbie Dreamhouse is sold every two minutes. A vintage Barbie doll puts a record on, dances and sits down. He came to Barbie’s house.”Now, Ms. Dalsing lives in Saint Joseph, Mo., in what she called her own dream house. “In the early 2000s, single women were the fastest growing group of home buyers in the United States,” she said.

Persons: Ken isn’t, Barbara Millicent Roberts, Roberts —, Barbie, ” Ruth Handler, Ken, Handler’s, —, Barbie’s Dreamhouse, ”, Deborah Dinner, wasn’t, weren’t, Barbie’s, Felix Burrichter, “ Barbie Dreamhouse, ” Barbie’s, Sue Dalsing, Dalsing, “ Ken didn’t, “, ” It’s, Elliot Handler, Handler, Lisa McKnight, Mattel’s Barbie, Hugh Hefner’s, Helen Gurley Brown’s, ’, Brown’s, Brown, Young, Tiffany, Barbie —, Houseplants, Burrichter, might’ve, Maddie Bone, Bone, Homer, …, Ms, Amy Castro, ” Ms, Castro, Isabelle Roy, ‘, Roy, He’s, Barbie couldn’t, Christie, Kim Culmone, Catherine E, McKinley, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Greenwood, Spencer, It’s Organizations: Mattel, New York Times, “, Cornell University, Survey, Wisconsin ., Furniture, The Times, Spice, University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Locations: crave, Britain, Saint Joseph, Mo, Barbie’s, Wisconsin, Levittown, Waldoboro, United States, Canadian, Alberta, Palm Springs

☆ Western Canada covered in smoke as wildfires loosen grip on Quebec
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Smoke billows upwards from the Donnie Creek wildfire (G80280) south of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada June 11, 2023. Wildfire Service/Handout via REUTERSOTTAWA, June 12 (Reuters) - Smoke shrouded Western Canada on Monday as wildfires flared again in the main oil-producing province of Alberta, while firefighters in Quebec doused some of the worst early season blazes, allowing thousands of evacuees to return home. "If you look at western Canada, it's completely covered by the smoke and that continues into Tuesday," federal meteorologist Gerald Cheng told reporters on Monday. "The risk for smoke is very high because the winds are really transporting the smoke throughout Alberta today and even into Tuesday." (Click here to read what health experts say about wildfire smoke.)

Persons: it's, Gerald Cheng, Cheng, Anita, Ismail Shakil, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Wildfire Service, REUTERS OTTAWA, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, TC Energy, Health, U.S ., Canadian Defence, Thomson Locations: Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, Alberta, Quebec, Netherlands, Europe, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Edson, Edmonton, McMurray, U.S . East Coast, Alberta , Nova Scotia, Ottawa

Around 2,500 people were told to evacuate the community of Tumbler Ridge in northeastern British Columbia on Thursday. A video distributed by the British Columbia fire service showed deserted streets in Tumbler Ridge, while nearby forests were ablaze. Smoke rises from a wildfire in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, in this screen grab taken from a video, June 8, 2023. Temperatures in parts of British Columbia soared to more than 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) this week, nearly 10 C above the seasonal average. Additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa, Nia Williams in British Columbia and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Stephen Coates, Jane Merriman, Chris Reese and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Darcy Dober, Maite Blanchette Vezina, Gerald Cheng, Hicham Ayoun, Ismail Shakil, Nia Williams, Allison Lampert, Stephen Coates, Jane Merriman, Chris Reese, Frances Kerry Organizations: OTTAWA, British Columbia, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, BC Wildlife Service, REUTERS, Environment, Transport Canada, Thomson Locations: Canadian, British, Quebec, North, Canada, Tumbler, British Columbia, Dawson Creek, Ridge, Ontario, Environment Canada, Alberta, Ottawa, Toronto , New York, Washington, New York, Montreal

☆ Canada on track for its worst-ever wildfire season
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Smoke billows upwards from a planned ignition by firefighters tackling the Donnie Creek Complex wildfire south of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada June 3, 2023. OTTAWA, June 5 (Reuters) - Canada is on track for its worst-ever year of wildfire destruction as warm and dry conditions are forecast to persist through to the end of the summer after an unprecedented start to the fire season, officials said on Monday. "The rate of increase of area burned is also high ... if this rate continues, we could hit record levels for area burned this year," he said. "Over the last 20 years, we have never seen such a large area burned so early in the season," said Yan Boulanger, a researcher with Natural Resources Canada. "Partially because of climate change, we're seeing trends toward increasing burned area throughout Canada."

Persons: Michael Norton, Norton, Yan Boulanger, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Ismail Shakil, Alistair Bell Organizations: Wildfire Service, REUTERS, Natural Resources, Flames, Wallbridge Mining Company, Thomson Locations: Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, OTTAWA, Quebec, Atlantic, of Nova Scotia, Natural Resources Canada, Alberta, United States, Ottawa

☆ Canada sends military to help battle blazes in Nova Scotia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Smoke from the Tantallon wildfire rises over houses in nearby Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada, May 28, 2023. Nova Scotia is battling two large fires that are threatening communities on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Halifax. The armed forces would provide equipment and personnel to relieve firefighters "who have been working tirelessly around the clock to protect communities right across Nova Scotia", Blair said. The federal government sent the military to Alberta last month to help battle blazes there and Canada is also getting help from other countries. Some 800 U.S. firefighters have come to battle the blazes, mostly in Alberta, with another 100 are scheduled to arrive in Nova Scotia over coming days, officials said.

Persons: Eric Martyn, Bill Blair, Blair, Justin Trudeau, Steve Scherer, Anirudh Saligrama, Sharon Singleton, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, OTTAWA, CBC News, CBC, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Bedford , Nova Scotia, Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Alberta, Quebec, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

☆ Raging wildfire empties homes in eastern Canada, pollutes air in US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Eric Martyn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The fire, which is about 30 kilometres (19 miles) west of downtown Halifax, has already forced 18,000 people to evacuate their homes. No fatalities have been reported but about 200 homes, structures have been damaged, the CBC reported, citing the Halifax Regional Municipality. Forest fires also led to evacuations of about 400 homes in the province of New Brunswick over the weekend, officials said. "The stories and the images we're seeing coming out of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are heartbreaking," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa, pledging federal support for the Atlantic provinces. The Halifax wildfire was expected to cause poor air quality hundreds of miles to the south in parts of the U.S. East Coast and Midwest as smoke drifts across the regions.

Persons: David Steeves, Justin Trudeau, what's, Brendan O'Brien, Ismail Shakil, Sriraj Kalluvila, Marguerita Choy, Deepa Babington Organizations: HALIFAX, U.S, Nova, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, CBC, CBC News, U.S ., National Weather Service, Thomson Locations: Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canadian, Halifax Regional Municipality, New Brunswick, Ottawa, Atlantic, Bedford , Nova Scotia, West Bedford, Alberta, U.S . East Coast, Midwest, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania , New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago

☆ Eastern Canada's Halifax declares emergency over wildfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Large plumes of smoke rise from a wildfire raging in the Upper Tantallon area, as seen from Hubley, Nova Scotia, Canada May 28, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Ben Britton/via REUTERSMay 28 (Reuters) - The eastern Canadian city of Halifax declared a state of local emergency late on Sunday after a wildfire caused evacuations and power outages. "Emergency responders are working around the clock to keep people safe and reduce the threats posed by the fires," the municipal authority in the capital of Nova Scotia province said in a press release. The state of emergency would be in effect for seven days, unless lifted or extended, the municipality said. Nova Scotia Power had temporarily disconnected power in the affected area, it said on Twitter.

☆ Factbox: Biggest issues in Canadian province of Alberta's May 29 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Below are the main issues in the election:HEALTHCAREIn the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare has become a big issue in Alberta. The UCP last month committed to keeping Alberta's publicly-funded healthcare system, contrasting with comments previously made by Smith about dismantling universal healthcare paid for by taxpayers. The UCP has pledged to lower taxes by creating a new 8% tax bracket on income under C$60,000 ($44,033.47). ENERGY AND CLIMATEBoth the UCP and NDP are supportive of the energy sector, recognising it as Alberta's main economic engine. ($1 = 1.3626 Canadian dollars)Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Smoke from the Tantallon wildfire rises over houses in nearby Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada, May 28, 2023. REUTERS/Eric MartynHALIFAX, May 29 (Reuters) - A wildfire in the eastern Canadian city of Halifax led to mandatory evacuation orders for thousands of homes, with officials saying residents are not allowed to return until advised by municipal authorities. These suburban communities are home to many of the city's workers and are situated about 15 miles from Halifax. The wildfire, aided by strong winds and tinder-dry woods, damaged dozens of homes and also hampered rescue services. But most of those fires have since been brought under control, helping oil and gas production to resume.

☆ Alberta Election Tests Conservatives’ Hard-Right Turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Ian Austen | Amber Bracken | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sitting at a cafe terrace overlooking a park commemorating the birthplace of the vast oil industry in the western Canadian province of Alberta, Audrey Cerkvenac and Ernestine Dumont, wrestled with a political dilemma. In a province long the epicenter of Canada’s conservative politics, the two older women had been unwavering conservative supporters. But now, as Monday’s provincial election approached, they said they had been turned off by the strident right turn the province’s conservative party had taken as it ruled Alberta during the pandemic, fueled by extremist protests against Covid restrictions and baseless claims about vaccines. The hard-right turn of the United Conservative Party has put a province that was once a sure win for Canada’s conservatives up for grabs in Monday’s elections. Beyond a referendum on the ideological shift of the party, the vote could also serve as a gauge of the conservative standing nationwide.

☆ Wildfire risk spurs Alberta to close parks, urge caution ahead of holiday weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Leslie Kramer walk her dogs as some 90 wildfires are active in Alberta, with 23 out of control, according to the provincial government, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada May 16, 2023. Traditionally, residents spend the Victoria Day weekend outside as families take advantage of the warmer weather to go camping or enjoy other outdoor activities. The long weekend in May has usually seen an uptick in seasonal wildfires, some of which are accidentally caused by people, according to Alberta Wildfire. With abnormally hot and dry weather forecast until at least early next week, Alberta has preventively closed some provincial parks and campgrounds for the weekend and imposed a fire ban. Consultancy firm Rystad Energy has estimated nearly 2.7 million barrels per day of Alberta oil sands production in May is at risk in "very high" or "extreme" wildfire danger rating zones.

☆ Alberta wildfires hit gas flow out of Canada to US, spiking prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Smoke rises above the southeast perimeter of the Paskwa fire (HWF030) as it burns near Fox Lake, Alberta, Canada May 16, 2023. Alberta Wildfire/Handout via REUTERSOTTAWA, May 18 (Reuters) - Alberta officials on Thursday warned more wildfires could spread in next few hot and dry days, even as firefighters make progress in tackling widespread blazes that have slowed the outflow of natural gas from Canada into the United States, spiking prices. There were about 92 active wildfires and over 10,000 people out of their homes as of Thursday, Alberta officials told a daily briefing. "Firefighters can experience challenging conditions in hot, dry and windy weather, but progress has been made on many active wildfires," said Christie Tucker, information unit manager at Alberta Wildfire. "We are expecting and preparing for more active wildfire behavior today and over the next few days," she said.

☆ Wildfires burn millions of acres in Canada, send oil prices higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Wildfires burning across western Canada have forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes and have prompted some oil and gas companies to curb production as blazes approach pipelines. There were nearly 90 fires burning in the western province of Alberta, a quarter of which are expected to grow larger, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System. The fires have had a notable impact on the region's oil industry, as some drillers were forced to halt a small percentage of production as a precautionary measure due to shifting fire conditions. This week, Benchmark Canadian heavy crude prices tightened to multi-month highs over concerns about the blazes. Nearly 2.7 million barrels of daily oil sands production in Alberta is in "very high" or "extreme" wildfire danger zones, according to Rystad Energy, an energy consulting firm.

Search resuls for: "Province of Alberta"

25 mentions found