Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 May, 2023 04:35 PM
The federal government has tweaked its verified traveller program in order to speed up the process of clearing security at airports.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the government will launch dedicated security screening lines at six of the country's biggest airports between June 7th and 21st.
When going through airport security with the new Verified Traveller Program, eligible Canadians will: ✅be able to keep electronics and liquid in their bags; ✅no longer have to remove shoes or belts; ✅and, be able to bring kids under 17 and adults over 75 with them. pic.twitter.com/EXiOJPQJsO
Eligible passengers, including Nexus members, won't have to take their shoes off and can keep their laptops and liquids in their bags instead of putting them onto the X-ray conveyor belt.
British Columbia was the first to sign on, inking a $3.2-billion deal in July 2021 with plans to create 30,000 new child-care spaces within five years and 40,000 within seven years. B.C. started a $10-a-day program at select facilities in 2018 and plans to double those spaces to 12,500 this month.
It boosts annual salaries for new teachers as much as $8,500 by the end of the third year while B.C.'s highest-paid educators will earn up to $13,500 more over the same period, which Johnston says pushes them above the $100,000-per-year threshold for the first time.
Arctic outflow warnings have been posted for B.C.’s central and northern coasts, with the wind chill predicted at minus 20. Special weather statements are also up for most of Vancouver Island and the south coast, with icy conditions and wind chills near minus 10.
The coroner says the October statistics show that illicit drugs caused the deaths of 1,827 people in B.C. in the first 10 months of this year. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says the increased toxicity and variability of street drugs has created an environment where everyone who uses substances is at risk.
Several crashes blocked the Alex Fraser Bridge, one of the main arteries over the Fraser River. The route was closed for hours in both directions over safety concerns, the government said.
32-year-old Baljit Singh Nijjar of Surrey has been charged with multiple firearms charges including unauthorized possession of a prohibited/restricted firearm and possession of a prohibited/restricted firearm without a license.
