Many who need to renew their passports and visas or even take their citizenship oaths have been waiting in limbo amid a 10-day strike by members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed the government had made “serious offers” at the bargaining table, including a new offer brought to the table that day, but by Friday afternoon the strike continued.
Amaya Hernandez Villavicencio, a student from Mexico, said her application for a student permit had already been delayed a year during the pandemic, which prevented her from starting her studies in Canada on time.
“Now I find myself once again faced with a new upcoming delay in the renewal of [my] student permit,” Villavicencio told CTVNews.ca in an email. The student had planned to go back to Mexico for a medical procedure in the summer, she said, because her health care in Canada did not cover it, but now she’s not sure that she’ll be able to because she must stay in Canada until her student permit is renewed.
“I’m here because this is a great country,” Villavicencio said, “... but it’s discouraging to be unable to see my family again for who knows how long, and not being able to access affordable health care.”
Villavicencio is one of more than 20 people who emailed CTV News about how they’ve been impacted by the PSAC strike.
Arezoo, who asked not to share her full name, said her upcoming citizenship oath is scheduled for next week, but she’s not sure whether it will be postponed.
“I have been studying, working and living in Canada for the past six years and I was finally about to take my citizenship oath next week,” Arezoo told CTV News, “but this strike has left me with nothing but uncertainty and anxiety. I check the news every hour hoping to hear that they have reached a fair deal and everything can go back to normal.”
Arezoo said she was planning on visiting her brother in the U.S. next month, but if she isn’t able to take her oath next week she’s not sure if she will be able to enter the country. “I hope this strike comes to a fair end for all Canadians.”
Jonas, an Edmonton resident who only provided his first name, told CTV News that he and his family moved to Canada eight years ago from Colombia.
“My girlfriend, the children [and I] live paycheque to paycheque,” he said in an email. He said his “very disabled daughter” is turning 15 in May and the family had planned to go to Mexico to celebrate her quinceanera, “which is kind of a big deal if you’re Spanish.”
Jonas said he and his girlfriend saved up for years to afford this trip, but earlier this month they realized their daughter’s passport had expired.
“So we went to the passport office to renew it. Three days later, the strike happened. Now we are going to lose $8,000 [that] we saved and invested [for] her quinceanera.”
On Friday morning PSAC tweeted, “Thanks to inflation rising by 11% since 2021, federal public service workers’ wages are worth the same as they were in 2007. No other industry—none—has seen average inflation adjusted wages pushed back as far as federal public sector workers.”
Approximately 155,000 government workers have been on strike since last week.
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
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A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
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U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
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From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Police in New Westminster say they have seized “numerous” weapons and kilograms of drugs as part of an investigation into drug trafficking in the city that began in 2022.
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Those who missed the dazzling display of northern lights in Ontario may have another chance on Saturday – so long as the skies clear.
Toronto police are investigating after tow trucks were shot at in Scarborough about two hours apart Saturday night.
One person has died in a collision along Stoney Trail and McKnight Boulevard Northeast.
The five candidates seeking the top position in the NDP met at the BMO Centre for the party’s second official debate.
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
A powerful geomagnetic storm lit up the night sky on Friday and early Saturday morning, resulting in an incredible light show across eastern Ontario.
The Overbrook community is banding together to support residents after two devastating high-rise fires last week.
Those who missed the dazzling display of northern lights in Ontario may have another chance on Saturday – so long as the skies clear.
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Quebecers across the province turned their gazes upwards on Friday night as a spectacular show in the sky was on display thanks to a solar storm hit the earth's atmosphere.
Dozens gathered on Lavoisier Boulevard in Ferland Park in Montreal on Saturday as a pair of white shoes were installed in memory of a mother and grandmother, who was struck and killed by an SUV almost four years ago in the St. Leonard borough.
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Out-of-control wildfires in northern Alberta prompted a local state of emergency in the County of Grande Prairie early Saturday morning, as well as evacuation orders in the county and the Municipal District of Greenview.
The Edmonton Police Service is issuing a warning to the public about a convicted violent sexual offender who is being released.
Police in Shelburne, N.S., have charged a woman with attempted murder after an altercation led to a woman being stabbed on Friday.
One man had to be airlifted to the hospital after a serious collision in Cambridge, N.S., Friday afternoon.
As the weekend comes around, so do new movies to the box office, and this week there are a number of films to keep an eye out for.
People living in southern Manitoba should be on the lookout for severe thunderstorms Saturday evening.
Several community groups who work with the city’s vulnerable populations gathered downtown on Saturday for an event to celebrate the impact of their work on Winnipeg.
Some homes and cottages north of Flin Flon, Man. are under an evacuation order because of a growing wildfire caused by drought conditions and high winds.
The 8th annual Nagar Kirtan Parade packed the streets of Regina on Saturday, bringing the Regina Sikh community and people from surrounding areas together.
As a geomagnetic solar storm swept through Earth on Friday, people in southern Saskatchewan were able to experience a rare display of northern lights.
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A spectacular and colourful show lit up the night sky across southwestern Ontario on Friday night.
Canada’s top university football athletes gathered on the gridiron Saturday to show off their skills in the East-West Bowl at the University of Waterloo.
New stamps have been released featuring the work of five Canadian graphic novelists, including one from Guelph, Ont.
Mitchinson Flight Centre in Saskatoon helped girls soar on Saturday with their annual "Girls Take Flight" event.
Prince Albert singer Rebecca Strong is on the cusp of achieving a dream on Canada’s Got Talent as she stands among the final eight contestants.
As a geomagnetic solar storm swept through Earth on Friday, people in southern Saskatchewan were able to experience a rare display of northern lights.
Those who missed the dazzling display of northern lights in Ontario may have another chance on Saturday – so long as the skies clear.
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A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
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