ETA Canada News

The Liberal Party convention passed a resolution agreeing to set the legal age for Canadians According to the Canadian Press, the Liberal Party grassroots organization passed a non-binding resolution on Saturday morning (11th) supporting age restrictions on social media use and placing the responsibility for implementation on social media companies.

Quebec Member of Parliament Rachel Bendayan stated that prolonged use of social media can be detrimental to children’s mental health. She pointed out that social media companies need to take more responsibility and stop allowing minors to use technologies designed to be addictive.

Prime Minister Carney said last month that the idea “deserves to be discussed openly and seriously in Canada,” although he has not yet reached a conclusion and said that both sides have their own reasons.

Australia took the lead globally last December by legislating mandatory age restrictions for social media accounts and imposing fines on social media companies found to be in violation of the regulations.

Across Canada, there have been text message scams impersonating settlement payments for “bread class-action lawsuits” and “milk class-action lawsuits (milk settlement).” The “bread class-action lawsuit settlement” scam was warned about by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) on X on March 31st. The “bread class-action lawsuit” was a real class-action lawsuit filed against the major Canadian supermarket chain Lovlow Company and its parent company George Weston, alleging price manipulation by the entire bread industry. However, the filing period for this lawsuit ended in December 2025.

Meanwhile, regarding the “settlement money for the milk class-action lawsuit,” the Waterloo Police Department in Ontario issued a warning on social media on April 3rd, stating that text messages about “settlement money for the milk class-action lawsuit” are scams.

The post included images of actual messages received and sophisticated fake websites, along with warnings such as “Do not click (the link),” “Do not reply,” “Delete the message,” and “Check the official website.” However, unlike the “bread class action lawsuit,” there is no actual “milk class action lawsuit.” However, there is a similar case: a lawsuit concerning plant-based milk that was recalled due to a Listeria outbreak, which was recently settled.

The official website for this class action lawsuit explicitly states that the claim process has not yet begun and that the company will not send any text messages. Both messages claim that the recipient is subject to a class-action lawsuit and prompt them to click a link and enter personal information such as credit card numbers. The CAFC and the police are urging anyone who receives such text messages not to reply and to report them to the CAFC.

According to CAFC data, Canadians will lose more than $704 million to fraud by 2025, and the total amount of losses reported since 2022 currently exceeds $2.4 billion. Furthermore, it is warned that this amount represents only a small fraction of the total losses, as only 5-10% of frauds are reported. March was Fraud Prevention Month.

The Quebec Court of Arbitration (TAT) has ruled that Montreal blue-collar workers’ plan to launch a three-day strike in mid-April has been approved by the court, based on the basic service lists submitted by both parties. Montreal blue-collar workers will strike for three days in mid-April, after employers and unions reached an agreement on a list of essential services.

The strike is expected to begin at 6 a.m. on April 15 and end at 6 a.m. on April 18. The arbitration tribunal ruled that the basic services promised by both parties were sufficient to safeguard public health and citizen safety. For example, regarding waste collection, the regular work team in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district will resume normal operations on April 15. For other areas, waste collection will be primarily handled by outsourced companies. However, many other services will be affected during the strike, with reduced staff and a response-on-demand or on-call basis.

Services that will continue to operate during the strike include public space cleaning, water maintenance, sewage maintenance, and major road repairs. The CUPE 301 union, representing over 6,000 members, plans a strike from April 15 to 18. The union is organizing this action because negotiations to raise municipal workers’ wages have stalled.

The CUPE 301 union officially announced a strike on March 27, following a 24-hour strike in February. Since February 2025, the union has been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the city government, whose previous contract expires in December 2024.

The main point of contention in the negotiations is wages, with the union finding the city government’s proposed 11% pay rise over five years unacceptable.

Vancouver police arrested a man on April 1st on suspicion of stealing expensive Pokémon cards. According to the announcement, police have been responding to five incidents involving the buying and selling of Pokémon cards since March 23.

In each case, the victims met a man they had connected with through Facebook Marketplace for the purpose of selling cards. The transactions appeared to be perfectly normal at first glance. The suspect’s modus operandi was to meet victims in public places, pretend to buy cards, spray them with bear spray, steal the cards, and flee.

Some of the stolen cards were reportedly worth several thousand dollars. Police contacted the suspect online on March 27 and arranged a meeting under the guise of a Pokémon card transaction. They arrested the suspect when he showed up at the designated location. According to reports, the suspect is in his 20s and police believe he acted alone. Police believe there are other victims and are urging them to come forward. They also recommend using the well-lit, security-camera-equipped “Safe Exchange Location” near the main entrance of Vancouver Police Headquarters (2120 Cambie St. Vancouver) when buying, selling, or exchanging goods with strangers.

Incidents targeting Pokémon cards have been occurring frequently across Canada recently. In Metro Vancouver, a card shop in New Westminster was robbed in January of this year, and another shop in Abbotsford was targeted in March. In Alberta, incidents were reported last year in Calgary and Fort McMurray, with millions of dollars’ worth of cards stolen.

Canada Post says it will continue to move forward with the restructuring plan mandated by the federal government last fall. The plan involves a complete overhaul of its business model, including the potential permanent elimination of traditional door-to-door mail delivery services. In a statement to CTV News on Monday (March 30), Canada Post said, “This broad business transformation will ensure that we can meet the evolving needs of Canadians while avoiding becoming a continuing burden on taxpayers.”

The federal government had already warned Canada Post about its financial situation as early as September 2025. At the time, Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, stated that the agency was facing an “existential crisis.” Since 2018, Canada Post had accumulated losses of billions of Canadian dollars and was in a state of “de facto insolvency.”

Lightbound stated that this situation is “unsustainable” and instructed Canada Post to implement a series of structural reforms to ensure its long-term operational capability. Core reform measure: Replacing door-to-door delivery with community mailboxes Based on currently disclosed information, the reform measures mainly include: Adjusting the standards for mail delivery services

Change all remaining door-to-door delivery addresses to community mailboxes.

Promote digitalization and operational modernization reform

Canada Post stated that it is in ongoing communication with the federal government regarding the specific implementation details. Meanwhile, given the government’s request to initiate initial reform steps, the company has begun contacting various negotiating bodies (unions) to consult on the relevant changes.

The union strongly opposed The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) continues to oppose the reforms, arguing that they will impact employee jobs and weaken postal service coverage in rural and remote areas. In a statement released Monday, CUPW said that it should not proceed with reform consultations at this critical stage of the agreement approval vote.

“We are fully committed to advancing the upcoming vote on the ratification of the agreement, which is a major undertaking. Now is not the right time to conduct related consultations.” The union also pointed out that this move by Canada Post and the federal government could disrupt the current labor negotiations.

The lack of transparency in the transformation plan has sparked controversy. According to union disclosures, the federal government had requested Canada Post to submit a complete transformation plan within 45 days. However, more than four months have passed since the plan was submitted, and it has still not been disclosed to the public or the union. CUPW stated that it had repeatedly requested access to the relevant documents but had received no response. “Neither the government nor Canada Post has provided us with the plan, and it remains undisclosed to this day,” the union statement said. The union called for nationwide public consultation and full consideration of stakeholders in various regions before any structural reforms are undertaken.

The reforms are also expected to involve amendments to the Canadian Postal Service Charter, which, since 2009, mandates that postal services be universal, affordable, reliable, convenient, secure, and responsive to public needs. Canada Post has confirmed that the proposed changes are still under discussion with the federal government.

A Toronto man accidentally entered the wrong email address when transferring money to his sister via e-transfer around Christmas, resulting in the money being sent to someone with a very similar name. He has spent several months trying to get the money back.

“I was thinking, ‘Oh my god, what have I done?’” Tony De Simone said. This was also his first time using e-transfer. “Actually, I have vision problems; I’m blind in my right eye, so sometimes things like sending emails and typing are difficult for me.”

He said he owed his sister 1,600 Canadian dollars and was planning to pay her back around Christmas, so his sister gave him her email address. “I kept telling my sister I had made the transfer, and she would usually receive an email notification saying she had received the payment from the e-transfer,” De Simeone recalled. But the money never arrived, so he checked the email address he had entered and realized he had missed two numbers, resulting in the money being sent to the wrong email address. He contacted his credit union, which told him that the recipient had activated an auto-deposit, and the money had already gone directly into the recipient’s account.

“They told me I had transferred the money to the wrong person, and that since the money was already in my account, there was no way to get it back,” De Simeone said. In a statement to CTV News, Windsor Family Credit Union said, “We understand the distress this has caused our member and extend our sympathies to anyone who has suffered financial loss.”

The statement also indicated that the e-transfer was operated by De Simeone himself, who entered the recipient information and confirmed the transaction, as well as confirming that the funds would be directly deposited into his account via automatic deposit.

Once an e-transfer with automatic deposits is successfully activated, the funds cannot be withdrawn without the recipient’s consent. ”

Since the recipient is not a client of our institution, we do not have the authority to deduct the money from their account. We have made every reasonable effort through normal banking channels to try and recover this money,” the credit union stated. “We also remind all members to carefully verify the recipient’s information before confirming an e-transfer. We can also provide assistance and guidance at any time if needed while using online banking.”

When De Simeone contacted the person who had mistakenly received the money and explained that it was a misunderstanding, the person, fearing it was a scam, refused to return the money. De Simeone initially stated that losing the $1,600 CAD did indeed affect his financial situation.

Later, after CTV News contacted the person who had mistakenly received the money, the person said that he had been scammed before, but now confirmed that it was indeed a mistake, and finally agreed to return the 1,600 Canadian dollars to De Simeone.

Canada ‘s Lotto Max lottery draw is about to undergo a major change—not a small one, but many changes—which will take effect on April 14th, a few weeks from now.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the top prize for Tuesday’s Lotto Max draw is expected to be $55 million CAD, and there are also four additional Max Million jackpots worth $1 million CAD each. This is the biggest Lotto Max jackpot since March 3, when a ticket sold in Toronto won a prize of $75 million CAD. No one won the massive $50 million jackpot in the final draw last Friday.

One of the two Max Million lottery tickets, each worth $1 million CAD, has been won – OLG says the ticket was sold in Hamilton. The massive CAD 55 million prize comes just three weeks before Lotto Max’s major changes take effect. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation previously announced at a press conference that starting this spring, the price of a lottery ticket will increase from $5 to $6.

This is the first price increase for Lotto Max lottery tickets since its launch in 2009. But the changes are not just about ticket price increases; there are also many attractive changes to the prize money. Most importantly, the jackpot cap has been increased from CAD 80 million to CAD 90 million. In addition, a new $100,000 CAD prize will be added for each draw, based on the jackpot amount. This will give people the opportunity to try for more prizes, similar to the previous Max Million, even if they don’t win the jackpot. The press release stated:

“For example, when the jackpot is $10 million CAD, 10 additional $100,000 CAD prizes will be drawn, and so on, until the jackpot reaches $90 million CAD, when 90 additional $100,000 CAD prizes will be drawn.” “This is on top of the potentially ever-growing million-dollar prize money.”

The Maxmillion bonus is an additional $1 million CAD bonus that will be available once the jackpot reaches $50 million CAD. However, there are no eligibility requirements for this newly added 100,000 yuan prize. Furthermore, don’t feel cheated even if ticket prices rise, because each lottery ticket will contain four sets of numbers, unlike before when there were only three. OLG stated, “With these new features, the overall odds of winning will be higher than in previous versions of Lotto Max.”

However, there’s a saying that buyers are never as shrewd as sellers. The biggest winning number has changed from 50 to 52, which may mean that the odds of winning the grand prize have become even lower. OLG stated that the odds of winning the jackpot will change from 1 in 33,294,800 to 1 in 33,446,140. Fortunately, the overall odds of winning any award will increase—from one in seven to one in five and a half. April 14 will be the first draw date for the new version of Lotto Max, and the changes will take effect across Canada.

Porter Airlines, Canada’s third-largest airline, recently announced that it will introduce a temporary surcharge on award tickets for its frequent flyer program, VIPorter, due to rising global fuel prices. The policy took effect on March 23, 2026, and applies to all newly booked redemption flights.

According to the official statement, each passenger will need to pay an additional CAD 40 per segment of the journey as a “Peak Surcharge,” which will be charged separately for round-trip flights. However, completed bookings are not affected by this adjustment. Porter stated that this move aims to address soaring fuel costs while maintaining the number of points required for redemption as much as possible.

The airline emphasized that this fee is a temporary measure and that the original pricing system will be restored once oil prices fall and stabilize. Meanwhile, the price of tickets for regular passengers usually already reflects changes in fuel costs, and these costs are directly reflected in the final ticket price, which varies depending on the route and region.

The background of this adjustment is closely related to the international situation. Currently, US President Donald Trump has extended the negotiation deadline by five days, and consultations are ongoing. Industry insiders generally believe that if the situation remains tense, airfare increases will be inevitable. In fact, several Canadian airlines have previously signalled similar moves.

For example, Air Transat announced it would increase fuel surcharges on flights to Europe and incorporate them into the overall ticket price; while Air Canada and WestJet also pointed out that ticket prices typically adjust with fluctuations in fuel costs. Overall, Porter’s fare adjustment reflects the aviation industry’s high sensitivity to energy price fluctuations. Future airfare trends will largely depend on developments in international oil prices and the geopolitical situation.

There was a time when Canadians flocked to the United States to buy cheap cars, waiting weeks to have them shipped across the border. The Canadian federal government is accelerating an agreement to facilitate connections between Chinese auto giants such as BYD, Chery, and Geely and local dealers. Jason Zhao, Asia Market Director at automotive industry analysis firm DSMA, revealed that the first batch of Chinese electric vehicles will officially hit Canadian roads as early as this year.

At that time, Chinese cars will account for about 3% of Canada’s annual car sales. The news caused an uproar in Detroit. Ford CEO Jim Farley characterized the competition from Chinese electric vehicles as an “existential threat” to the U.S. auto industry. General Motors CEO Mary Barra used equally strong language:

“I can’t understand why Canada made this decision.” Chinese electric vehicles will become a monstrous force; the floodgates have been opened, and there’s no stopping them. The panic among American automakers has a basis in reality. According to the plan, by the end of this century, at least half of these Chinese cars must be priced below CAD 35,000 (USD 26,000). This is precisely the price range that the Detroit Big Three are currently unable to compete with. By 2025, Ford, GM, and Stellantis will have sold over 700,000 vehicles in Canada combined. Moreover, Canada’s vehicle safety and emission standards are highly aligned with those of the United States—vehicles approved in Canada can often enter the U.S. market with almost no obstacles. In other words, once Chinese electric vehicles are launched in Canada, they are essentially parked on the doorstep of American consumers.

They can’t afford to lose in the American market. In the eyes of Americans, Canada’s move was a precise act of retaliation. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Carney directly named the US-led global order: “American hegemony once provided public goods, open air routes, a stable financial system, and collective security. This system of transactions is no longer effective.”

Introducing Chinese electric vehicles as a proactive response to American influence appears to be the Carney administration’s stated logic. Trump has already stated that if Canada reaches a broader agreement with China, he will impose a 100% tariff on Canadian exports. Carney then clarified that Canada has no intention of signing a comprehensive free trade agreement with China. But the Chinese cars still arrived. Trump, of course, wouldn’t stand idly by.

After the reciprocal tariffs were ruled unconstitutional, he quickly added Canada to the Section 301 trade investigation list targeting more than 60 countries, preparing to rebuild the tariff system through legal means. U.S. Trade Representative Greer stated that the investigation would be completed “within months”.

At the same time, Trump threatened to renegotiate the USMCA and hinted that he would not rule out withdrawing from the agreement if it could not be reached. Behind this agreement lies an annual trade volume of $1.6 trillion in goods. Intense competition will inevitably become the mainstream of the long-term relationship between the two countries. Regarding the electric car issue, Carney neither said it was revenge nor that it wasn’t.

The British Columbia (BC) SPCA, an animal protection organization in BC, has revealed that a kitten just a few weeks old was rescued at the last minute from being crushed to death.

According to a news release dated March 13, on February 13, workers at a waste disposal facility in Abbotsford were putting cardboard boxes into a compactor when they heard faint meowing coming from under a stack of boxes. Upon investigation, they discovered two small kittens underneath the boxes. Workers immediately took the kitten to the BC SPCA Abbotsford, but another one was found later that day and was taken back to the SPCA.

On February 16th, two more kittens were found on the grounds of the facility. Since the SPCA was closed that day, a worker took the kittens home and brought them to the SPCA the following day.

Sarah Ringer-Venard, manager of BC SPCA Abbotsford, said in a statement, “We are so grateful that they found the kittens. They saved them from the worst possible fate.” All the kittens had upper respiratory tract infections and discharge from their eyes, but they were given antibiotics and are now recovering. The kitten adoption process is scheduled to begin in approximately six weeks.

Once the kitten reaches the required weight of 1 kg or more, it will be listed on the BC SPCA adoption page: https://adopt.spca.bc.ca