In the news today: Still no resolution in B.C. port strike

Several business organizations and government officials in both Alberta and Saskatchewan are calling on Ottawa to step in to help end the dispute.

Some even suggest back-to-work legislation must be considered to reopen western ports and save the Canadian economy.

Quebec Police say two bodies found near site of weekend landslide

Four days of searching may be over in Quebec after police divers found two bodies near the site of one of the landslides in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region.

The slides were triggered Saturday by a “phenomenal” amount of rainfall that washed away roads and caused flooding.

Provincial police believe the bodies found Tuesday night belong to a local man and woman who were reported missing after the landslide in Riviere-Eternite.

A coroner’s exam will be done to confirm identification.

Here’s what else we’re watching …

Ontario and Quebec facing more hot weather

It’s going to be another scorcher today across large parts of Ontario and Quebec where a heat wave continues.

Environment Canada is forecasting highs in the low 30s and a humidex making it feel like around 40 degrees.

The heat and humidity has the agency warning of elevated risks for heat-related illnesses and poor air quality.

Parts of northern Ontario are forecasted to get cooler conditions by tomorrow.

GTA transit not keeping up with population growth

Toronto had the least reliable transit service in 2022 compared to other municipalities in the region, according to newly released transit report cards from the Toronto Region Board of Trade.

The average score was based on frequent and basic services, reliability, transit priority, 24-hour service, integration with neighbouring transit systems and service improvement.

While Toronto and Mississauga both received a composite score of about 69 per cent — or a B letter grade — Toronto had the lowest score for transit reliability with only 58 per cent of trips being on time. Other municipalities scored over 70 per cent on reliability.

Worries about fish 10 years after Lac-Megantic

Pierre Grenier says that ever since the 2013 train derailment in Lac-Megantic, Que., spilled 100,000 litres of crude oil into the Chaudière River, the fishing hasn’t been the same.

Anglers like him are catching fewer fish, and their catches are increasingly adult fish, a sign that fewer fish are being born. The fish, Grenier said, “don’t bite like they used to.”

Experts with Quebec’s Environment Department will be deployed in the coming weeks to study the rehabilitation of the river since a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded 10 years ago, killing 47 people and destroying parts of downtown.

Wage growth easing amid inflation fight: experts

Economists say early signs of wage growth slowing are an indicator the Bank of Canada’s fight against inflation is slowly gaining ground.

But, they add, it’s too soon to tell whether Canadians will regain the purchasing power they lost amid sustained price growth.

BMO economist Shelly Kaushik says growth is just one factor the national bank is eyeing in its ongoing fight against inflation.

On Friday, Statistics Canada said the economy was essentially unchanged in April, neither growing nor shrinking.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2023.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today: Still no resolution in B.C. port strike

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