Next Monday, September 19th, will be a federal holiday to mourn Queen Elizabeth the Second on the day of her state funeral at Westminster Hall in London. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement today in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, where the Liberal caucus is meeting. Trudeau says he and the opposition leaders’ offices are also working on a final list for the delegation that will attend the Queen’s funeral in person. A military transport plane is carrying the monarch’s coffin from Scotland to London, where she will lie in state before the funeral.
The Air Quality Advisory is still in place for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley because of high concentrations of fine particulate matter. Wildfires burning near Manning Park, in Washington State , and in Hope are some of the fires producing smoke that is impacting the region. You may want to Postpone or reduce outdoor physical activity especially if breathing feels uncomfortable.
Drivers around Metro Vancouver may notice gas prices have once again risen across the region. Some stations posted prices near $2 for a litre of regular yesterday morning. Many others saw ranges in the mid-$1.80s. According to GasBuddy, prices in the region have rise almost six cents in the last week, while the national average fell. It says refinery issues along the west coast are leading to increases in B.C. The gas supply remains tight for the east coast, though markets there aren’t seeing the same jump.
As Canadians feel the sting of soaring inflation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to unveil the full details of a plan to try to ease some of the pain. Both Liberal and N-D-P sources tell The Canadian Press the plan includes doubling G-S-T rebate cheques for six months as well as a temporary dental-care benefit for some families with young children, and an expanded housing allowance payment.
Thousands of people lined Edinburgh’s Royal Mile as a hearse carried the flag-draped coffin of Queen Elizabeth the Second to St. Giles’ Cathedral, where her body will lie in state before it is taken to London this evening. King Charles the Third, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward walked behind the hearse, later standing in silent vigil at the four sides of the coffin in the cathedral following a memorial service for their mother. Members of the public are filing into the cathedral to pay their respects to the late monarch, with the Scottish government warning the line, and waiting times, are expected to be long, with perhaps hours of standing.
The T-V industry has honoured its own, with the Emmy Awards recognizing some repeat winners and a few newcomers. “Ted Lasso” won best comedy series for the second year in a row, with stars Jason Sudeikis and Brett Goldstein winning their second Emmys for best actor and best supporting actor in a comedy, respectively. “Succession” won best drama series for its third season, after winning the award for its second season in 2020. Lee Jung-jae became the first man of Asian descent to win best lead actor in a drama series for his role in “Squid Game.”
A 22-year-veteran of the Toronto police service is among the victims of a series of shootings in three different Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area cities. Police say Constable Andrew Hong and another person were killed, and three others were wounded — one suffering “life-altering injuries” — before officers shot and killed the gunman yesterday afternoon. Authorities say the shootings began in Mississauga when Hong and another victim were shot over the lunch hour, with another person killed and two injured less than an hour later in Milton, Ontario. The suspect then fled the scene and was found in Hamilton, where he was shot and killed by responding officers.