Ontario Premier Ford Says He Extended ‘Olive Branch’ to Crown Royal Producer Over Liquor Store Boycott

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/ontario-premier-ford-says-he-extended-olive-branch-to-crown-royal-producer-over-liquor-store-boycott-5975401?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=ontario-premier-ford-says-he-extended-%E2%80%98olive-branch%E2%80%99-to-crown-royal-producer-over-liquor-store-boycott-0

Premier Doug Ford says he is offering an “olive branch” to Crown Royal distiller Diageo, after previously saying he would pull the company’s whisky from Ontario liquor store shelves.

The premier told reporters during an unrelated news conference this week that he is willing to reconsider the threat, but only if the province is able to obtain concessions from the British multinational alcoholic beverage company, which produces Canadian whisky.

Ford said he told Diageo to “show me a plan that’s going to replace those jobs, and then we’re good.”

“If Diageo comes and says, ‘We’ll replace these 200 workers by manufacturing bottles, doing their cartons, doing other things, more advertising, so on, so forth, and they can show me on paper. Then I‘ll sit down, and I’ll be open,” Ford said on Jan. 21. Continue…

Saskatchewan Introduces Metal Detectors in Hospital Emergency Departments

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/saskatchewan-introduces-metal-detectors-in-hospital-emergency-departments-5975600?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=saskatchewan-introduces-metal-detectors-in-hospital-emergency-departments-0

Saskatchewan’s health authority says it is introducing metal detectors in hospitals across the province.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) says it has already installed the devices at hospitals in the cities of Saskatoon and Regina on Jan. 19 and 20.

The agency said the move would strengthen hospital safety and security, adding that it was committed to creating a safe and secure environment for patients and staff.

“Hospitals should be safe places for our patients, visitors, and the health-care teams who provide care every day,” SHA CEO Andrew Will said in a Jan. 22 news release. Continue…

About 10,000 Federal Employees Warned of Potential Job Loss: Unions

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/about-10000-federal-employees-warned-of-potential-job-loss-unions-5975666?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=about-10,000-federal-employees-warned-of-potential-job-loss:-unions-0

Around 10,000 federal employees have been given notice this week that they may soon lose their jobs, according to the unions representing the workers.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) said that about 5,000 of its members received “workforce adjustment notices,” warning they may lose their jobs as the federal government looks to cut the public sector over the next three years.

“Public services aren’t just a budget line — they’re a lifeline for communities and families,” Sharon DeSousa, PSAC national president, said in a Jan. 23 news release.

DeSousa said that the job cuts will result in “slower services, longer waits, and weaker programs.”

The union said that the notices were given to 1,172 employees at Global Affairs Canada, 775 workers at Transport Canada, 598 employees at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 895 employees at Health Canada, 446 workers at Environment and Climate Change Canada, and 261 workers at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Other federal departments impacted by notices include Public Safety Canada (391 employees), Canadian Heritage (303 workers), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (206 employees), Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada (22 workers), and the Canada School of Public Service (10 workers). Continue…

US Treasury Secretary Bessent Weighs In on Alberta Separatism

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/us-treasury-secretary-bessent-weighs-in-on-alberta-separatism-5975596?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=medium-2

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Canadian government has not allowed Alberta to build an oil pipeline to the Pacific coast, and the province should build a pipeline into the United States.

“Alberta is a wealth of natural resources, but [the Canadian government] won’t let them build a pipeline to the Pacific. I think we should let them come down into the U.S.,” Bessent said on the American network Real America’s Voice on Jan. 23.

Bessent said Alberta is a “natural partner for the U.S.” and that Albertans are a “very independent people.” He also referenced the potential for a referendum on whether the province will become independent from Canada.

“People [in Alberta] are talking. People want sovereignty. They want what the U.S. has got,” Bessent said, before suggesting Europeans do not “have sovereignty” because of a lack of border controls and defence capabilities, and their dependence on China. Continue…