Ottawa 'disappointed' after union announces strike votes for 120,000 workers
The federal government says it's "disappointed" after Canada's largest federal public service union announced 120,000 workers will take part in nationwide strike votes starting next month.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada says voting will take place from Nov. 16 to Jan. 22.
The union and Treasury Board have been in contract negotiations for a year and a half and PSAC in May called a government wage offer of less than one per cent per year "insulting."
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat says it's "disappointed" the union has chosen to proceed with a strike vote while the groups are still working through the mediation process.
The government says that for the past year and a half, it has engaged with the union on all of its proposals and several days of mediation recently led to progress on certain points.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat says it respects the right to strike but the best deals are reached at the bargaining table.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.
By Catherine Morrison | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Remains found in B.C. identified as man who went missing from hospital in 2015
RCMP say human remains found in B.C.'s Peace Region in June have been identified as those of a man reported missing 11 years ago.
Police say Raymond Chalifoux was last seen on May 25, 2015, leaving the Fort St. John Hospital against the advice of his doctors.
Mounties say an extensive missing person investigation was undertaken at the time, but no sign was found of the 57-year-old man.
The remains were discovered along the Peace River near the community of Old Fort on June 8, setting off an investigation by the coroner and police
The BC Coroners Service notified RCMP on Monday that the remains had been "positively identified" as Chalifoux.
Sgt. Ian Rissanen with the Fort St. John RCMP says although it's not the outcome anyone hoped for, being able to identify the man and offer answers more than 11 years later brings some closure to the "long-standing" missing person investigation.
Police say investigators don't have any reason to believe that the death involved foul play.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Inspections continue on Mercier Bridge
No further emergency repair work to the Mercier Bridge is anticipated following initial inspections, according to the Quebec transport ministry (MTMD), but the ministry has not finished assessing the condition of all the bridge’s similar beams.
Last Tuesday, the left Montreal-bound lane was suddenly closed due to a crack in a steel beam that was discovered during maintenance, causing major traffic problems and renewing calls for the aging infrastructure to be replaced.
The beam was repaired over the weekend, a process that involved drilling into the crack and reinforcing the beam with steel plates.
“As a precautionary measure, a new round of inspections for steel beams similar to the one that was repaired is scheduled for the coming weeks,” said MTMD spokesperson Louis-André Bertrand in a statement to The Eastern Door, noting last week’s inspections targeted easily accessible beams.
Planned maintenance will continue no matter the findings of these inspections.
So far, it hasn’t been confirmed how the need for emergency closure arose, according to the MTMD.
“The ministry is continuing its analysis to determine the exact cause of this crack,” Bertrand said.
Grand chief objects to reaction
Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) grand chief Cody Diabo took to Facebook this week to praise Kahnawake workers and criticize regional leaders for failing to offer assistance on traffic, which is exacerbated by regional development Kahnawake opposes, and for taking stances about what should happen on Kahnawake territory without involving the community.
Diabo said Highway 132 and 138 through Kahnawake territory, and the bridge itself, must not increase their footprint under Kahnawake’s “not one more inch” policy.
“Kahnawake has our own priorities, and it does not include making it easier for our community to be a shortcut over the bridge,” he wrote. “We have never been asked how is the development affecting us, instead (we) are expected to accept it and stay silent.”
He tagged Chateauguay mayor Eric Allard, who had called for action on the bridge, including the construction of a new crossing over the Seaway. He also tagged new premier Paul St. Pierre Plamondon and member of the National Assembly Felix Rheaume, who was elected under the Liberal banner to represent the riding of Chateauguay, which includes Kahnawake.
Allard was not available for an interview, and the city of Chateauguay offered no comment.
marcus@easterndoor.com
Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Copyright 2026, The Eastern Door. All rights reserved.
Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door.

Une mauvaise blague de Kevin sur les corps de Marjorie et Cintia mal perçue par le public
Lors de l'épisode du dimanche 15 novembre, un commentaire de Kevin d'Occupation Double a grandement fait réagir le public.
Après avoir appris que les deux femmes allaient continuer l'aventure ensemble, alors que Marjorie était en couple avec Kiari et que Cintia s'affichait avec Kevin, celui-ci a partagé une réflexion avec les gars de la maison.
La sélection de l'éditeur : Camille et Martine parlent de consommation d'alcool à OD et ce n'est pas comme on le pense
Pour parler de ce revirement émotif, Kevin a révélé à Jamie et Vincent qu'il avait pensé à un « call », qui a bien fait rire ses colocataires.
Kevin Lapierre
Si ce message se voulait humoristique, plusieurs fans d'OD ne l'ont pas reçu ainsi.
S'il avait quelque chose à dire sur la relation des candidates, certains internautes trouvent que de faire le lien entre leurs actions et leurs corps est un problème qui ne se limite pas à OD.
Lors du même extrait montré à l'émission, Kevin parle aussi de l'orientation sexuelle de Cintia, en disant que c'est au retour de son voyage qu'elle est devenue pansexuelle.
Ce qui a aussi fait réagir.
Ayant déjà perdu sa place comme choix du public selon d'anciens supporteurs du pouvoir de la moustache, ce commentaire que certains qualifient de « body shaming » n'a pas rehaussé sa cote de popularité.
Kevin s'est donc mis dans une position peu favorable aux yeux des téléspectateurs, qui se demandent si les commentaires sur le physique et l'orientation sexuelle des gens devraient encore être abordés d'une telle manière en 2020.