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BC SPCA urges election candidates to commit to pet-friendly housing laws
SPCA urges candidates to ease pet-housing rules
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - BC SPCA (Mandatory Credit)
As British Columbia chooses a new provincial government on Saturday, the SPCA has launched its own campaign urging voters to call on election candidates to commit to changing laws so that families with pets will have equal access to housing.
The plea comes after Erin Hayman's family spent months hunting for a place to live with their pets when they lost their home in the Bald Range wildfire, which destroyed about 150 structures in the district of Summerland, B.C. in August.
A statement from the BC SPCA says Hayman's family was determined to keep their whole family together, including their two dogs and four cats, after flames destroyed their home this summer, but housing limitations made it "impossible."
Hayman's four cats, Peaches, Miso, Gauntlett and Calamari, have been staying at the SPCA's emergency boarding program since the fire, and they found temporary housing that accepted their dogs.
But a statement from the SPCA says it has taken the family about three months to find pet-friendly, long-term housing that will allow them to reunite with their cats in November.
Hayman says it has been "incredibly difficult" for his daughters, as they are dealing with the pain of losing everything in the fire, and fearing at one point that they might have to give their cats away.
Sarah Herring with the BC SPCA says they are seeing too many families being forced to surrender or rehome pets they love because they can't find pet-friendly housing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Remains found in B.C. identified as man who went missing from hospital in 2015
Remains identified as B.C. man missing 11 years
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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.
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Inspections continue on Mercier Bridge
Quebec’s transport ministry does not expect more emergency repairs but is still assessing similar beams.
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.
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Verglas : Hydro-Québec se prépare à des pannes de courant et émet des recommandations
Les prochaines heures s’annoncent intenses!
Ce mercredi 5 avril, jusqu'à 20 mm de verglas vont frapper le territoire et ça s'annonce intense. Hydro-Québec a averti la population sur ses réseaux sociaux que ces conditions présentent un risque de pannes dans plusieurs régions de la province et a donné une série de conseils pour que tu saches quoi faire si jamais tu te retrouves à devoir t'éclairer à la bougie.
« La météo des prochaines heures pourrait causer des pannes dans plusieurs régions du Québec en raison de précipitations de verglas. Nous suivons l’évolution de la situation et serons prêts à intervenir dès que nécessaire », a indiqué la société d'État.
Il est recommandé, entre autres, de recharger à l'avance tes appareils électroniques et de penser à télécharger tout le contenu dont tu aurais besoin pour te divertir en attendant le retour de l'électricité.
Côté nourriture, il est préconisé de prévoir des collations que tu peux consommer sans avoir à ouvrir ton frigo ou ton congélateur, afin de conserver une basse température à l'intérieur de ceux-ci pour limiter la perte d'aliments.
Hydro-Québec conseille aussi de créer une trousse d'urgence composée d'une lampe de poche, de piles de rechange, de livres ou autres divertissements, de la nourriture, du matériel de premiers soins, des couvertures chaudes et une liste de numéros de téléphone d'urgence. Notons qu'elle devrait être rangée dans un endroit facilement d'accès.
Il est aussi mentionné qu'il faudrait penser à avoir une radio à piles ou une batterie externe pour recharger ton cellulaire afin de suivre l'évolution des pannes dans ton secteur en consultant le site Internet Info-Pannes ou l'application. Tu peux également appeler au 1-800-790‑2424 pour obtenir des informations.
Rappelons que la circulation s'annonce particulièrement difficile ce mercredi 5 avril et que les routes pourraient se transformer en véritable patinoire. Tu ferais donc mieux de rester chez toi dans les prochaines heures ou d'utiliser l'application, les réseaux sociaux ou le site Internet de Québec 511 afin d'anticiper tes déplacements.