Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says it has intercepted hundreds of suspected falsified or fraudulent COVID-19 test results and proof of vaccination credentials since they were required for travel.
Between Jan. 7 and Oct. 31, the CBSA logged 374 suspected fake test results – 160 at airports, and 187 at land borders – and 92 suspected fake vaccine documents between July 5 and the same date.
“All of these individuals were referred to [the Public Health Agency of Canada] for further assessment and possible enforcement,” a CBSA statement to CTVNews.ca reads.
The agency noted that a further breakdown of figures, including information related to the specific ports of entry or the possible origin of fraudulent documents, is not available.
Presenting false information and documentation to Government of Canada officials, such as border officials, can result in financial penalties up to $75,000 and, or six months in prison.
“Foreign nationals who provide false information may also be denied entry and/or banned from returning to Canada,” the statement reads.
Issuing fines falls under the jurisdiction of PHAC as outlined in the Quarantine Act.
According to a government website, between April 14, 2020 and Nov. 25 2021, 2,097 fines have been issued to travellers who have failed to provide a valid pre-entry test.
The assessment and verification of testing requirements and vaccine credentials is done through the ArriveCAN app, automated technology checks, and by border services officers who perform more in-depth examinations when necessary.
“The CBSA deploys a variety of techniques and is continuously updating intelligence networks, however, the agency does not disclose details of specific targeting, enforcement, intelligence and investigative techniques as it may render them ineffective. What we can tell you is that any document that is suspect is referred for further investigations by PHAC,” the statement reads.
Mandatory pre-arrival testing for air travel began on Jan. 7, and on Feb. 15 for cross-border land travel. Mandatory proof of vaccination credentials began on July 5 for Canadians, Aug. 9 for U.S. citizens and Sept. 7 for other foreign nationals.
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.