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B.C. election at a glance: NDP talks nursing ratios, Conservatives tout Surrey plan
B.C. election at a glance: Nursing, Surrey, arts
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The British Columbia election campaign is in its closing stages, with advance voting wrapping up ahead of final voting day on Saturday.
Here are some of the latest developments on the campaign trail.
ADVANCE VOTING DROPS SHARPLY
Six days of advance voting have ended, with Elections BC data showing numbers are down more than 11 per cent compared to 2024, bucking a two-decade upward trend.
There were 891,348 advance votes cast from Friday to Wednesday, representing about 24 per cent of all registered voters.
That compares to more than one million advance votes cast in 2024, when numbers spiked 49 per cent over the previous election.
This year's advance voting period overlapped with the municipal election that had its final voting day last Saturday.
EBY AND DOERKSON FOCUS ON SURREY
Interim B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson has unveiled what he calls the "Surrey success plan" for B.C.'s second-largest city.
Both Doerkson and NDP leader Eby have been concentrating on vote-rich Surrey in the final week of the campaign.
Doerkson says his party's plan has three pillars, health care, transit and transportation.
Both parties have pledged new hospitals and to extend the SkyTrain to Surrey's Newton neighbourhood, but differ on how to handle traffic problems, with the Conservatoves vowing to scrap an upgrade of the Massey tunnel in favour of a 10-lane bridge.
Doerkson is scheduled to hold a rally in the city that has 10 ridings later Thursday, while Eby was in Surrey on Wednesday and held a rally near city hall that drew hundreds of supporters.
The NDP leader, campaigning in Vancouver on Thursday, called Surrey "a vitally important city in the province."
NDP VOWS TO PUT NURSE-PATIENT RATIOS INTO LAW
Eby says the NDP would put minimum nurse-to-patient ratios into law.
He says in a campaign stop outside Vancouver General Hospital, where he was surrounded by nurses and other health care workers that establishing the ratios is "technical work" and they will vary depending on what type of care is being provided.
Eby says that work is already underway, and putting the ratios into legislation will ensure "nurses are not diverted to other purposes."
The NDP says in a statement that Eby has committed to adding 1,000 training places for nurses, nurse practitioners, allied health workers and care aides.
GREENS ROLL OUT RED CARPET FOR THE ARTS
The BC Greens have announced the party's plan to support the arts, from the movie industry to local performing spaces.
Leader Emily Lowan says the party would make it easier to film, perform and create in B.C.
She says underinvestment in the arts and the "cost-of-living crisis" have meant the closure of community arts spaces and put "downward pressure" on artists who make the province vibrant.
The party says it will make B.C. the easiest place in North America for film permitting, bring in simpler zoning and lower fees for smaller venues booking local artists, and increase the BC Arts Council budget by more than 50 per cent to $65 million.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
By Canadian Press Staff | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Canada Post CEO touts hints of recovery even as financial woes persist
Canada Post CEO touts hints of financial recovery
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The head of Canada Post says it is showing “early signs” of financial recovery despite falling revenue and bigger losses in the first half of the year.
CEO Doug Ettinger says the postal service is winning back some of the parcel delivery market that has slipped away since 2019 as it continues with shipping discounts for small businesses and pushes a new online marketplace for them to sell products directly to consumers.
However, he says Canada Post remains “overbuilt” in cities and must be smaller in those urban areas in the future.
Switching the remaining four million addresses that still enjoy doorstep delivery to community mailboxes within about five years marks a key pillar of Canada Post’s plan to overhaul its business model in the face of declining letter mail and mounting financial losses.
The Crown corporation is launching an online tool Thursday that lets customers with door-to-door delivery enter their postal code to see when their area is slated for conversion to a community mailbox, with the first in more than 10 years completed a few days ago in Winnipeg and Sept-Îles, Que.
In August, Canada Post reported losses of $277 million before taxes for the second quarter of the year, marking an improvement from the $407 million in pre-tax losses a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Canada Pension Plan payments for October are going out soon and max amounts are over $1,500
You can expect a direct deposit or cheque.
Roman Romaniuk | Dreamstime
Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments for October will be issued to eligible individuals soon.
The maximum amounts are more than $1,500, and the average amounts are more than $850!
Service Canada administers this federal benefit through direct deposits and paper cheques.
If you're eligible for the government payment, you can expect to receive money near the end of the month.
Here's what you need to know about CPP, including eligibility, payment amounts, the October payment date, and more.
What is the Canada Pension Plan?
CPP is a monthly retirement pension that's meant to replace part of your income when you retire.
It's a taxable benefit that can also include disability, children's and survivor benefits.
If you qualify for this retirement pension, you'll receive CPP payments for the rest of your life.
Who is eligible for the Canada Pension Plan?
To be eligible to receive CPP, you must:
- be at least 60 years old
- have made at least one valid contribution to the CPP
A valid contribution can be from work you did in Canada or from credits received from a spouse/common-law partner after a divorce or separation.
If you're eligible, you won't automatically get CPP payments. You must apply online through your My Service Canada Account or by mail with a paper form.
The standard age to start CPP is 65, but you can start as early as age 60 or as late as age 70.
Service Canada said starting earlier means smaller monthly payments, and starting later means bigger monthly payments. But there is no benefit to waiting until after age 70 because the maximum monthly amount is reached once you turn 70.
If you apply after age 65, you can request a retroactive start date, which could be as early as 11 months before your application is received, but no earlier than the month after your 65th birthday.
How much money can you get from Canada Pension Plan payments?
The amount of money you get from the pension depends on the age you start receiving it, how much you contributed to the CPP, how long you contributed to the CPP, and your earnings throughout your working life.
The maximum CPP payment amount for 2026 is $1,507.65 per month.
In October, the average CPP payment for new beneficiaries at age 65 is $858.34 per month.
Your retirement pension won't be reduced even if you're still working while receiving CPP.
When is the next Canada Pension Plan payment date?
The next CPP payment date is Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
How do you receive Canada Pension Plan payments?
Service Canada issues CPP payments via direct deposit or cheque.
Your payment will be deposited into your bank account if you have direct deposit set up with Service Canada.
If you don't have direct deposit as your preferred payment method, your CPP payment will be mailed as a paper cheque during the last three business days of the month.
Payments are issued on the scheduled dates each month, but can take a few days to arrive. Since cheques are sent by mail, it can take longer than with direct deposit for you to get money.
You can sign up for direct deposit with Service Canada at any time.
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Un ours noir a été aperçu dans les rues d'une municipalité de Lanaudière
La Ville appelle à la prudence.
Des résident.es d'une petite municipalité de Lanaudière ont eu toute une surprise durant leur lunch alors qu'iels ont vu un ours noir roder dans la ville. L'animal aurait été aperçu dans les environs du rang de l'Église et du domaine du Villageois, à Saint-Liguori, vers midi, le 12 juillet 2022.
Dans une publication sur Facebook, la Municipalité a tenu à rappeler aux citoyen.nes les consignes de sécurité et les gestes à prendre afin de diminuer les risques : « Soyez prudents dans les secteurs boisés de la municipalité. Assurez-vous de faire du bruit pour signaler votre présence. »
Contacté par Narcity Québec un employé du bureau municipal a affirmé que l'ours n'aurait pas été revu depuis hier. Bien que les agent.es de la faune aient été contacté.es par la Ville, ceux-ci et celles-ci ne se sont pas encore déplacé.es sur les lieux au moment d’écrire ces lignes.
Selon le ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, il y aurait 70 000 ours noirs sur le territoire de la province. Ce mammifère est connu comme un animal craintif, à priori rarement agressif, mais très glouton. Il ne faut donc surtout pas laisser de la nourriture à des endroits qui lui serait facile d'accès.
Voici les consignes de prévention du ministère afin de diminuer les risques d'attirer un ours noir :
La Ville de Saint-Liguori invite les citoyen.nes à communiquer toute information utile pour signaler l'animal par téléphone au bureau municipal, soit au 450 753-3570 poste 0.