CFIA Says Don’t Plant ‘Unsolicited Packages Of Seeds’ Received In Mail | CTV News

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TORONTO — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning Canadians not to plant packages of “unsolicited” seeds. The agency said in a statement that these seeds can contain invasive species and can be harmful to agricultural and natural areas. “Do not plant seeds from unknown origins,” the CFIA wrote in the statement. “Unauthorized seeds could be the seeds of invasive plants, or carry plant pests, which can be harmful when introduced into Canada.” In a tweet, the Ontario Provincial Police said the foreign seeds are typically sent from China or…

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Nearly 5,000 U.S. Citizens Have Tried To Enter Canada For Shopping, Recreation Despite COVID-19: CBSA | CTV News

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OTTAWA — According to new data from the Canada Border Services Agency, more than 10,000 U.S. citizens have been turned away at the Canadian border during the pandemic — and almost half of them were hoping to enter Canada to shop, go sightseeing or simply for recreation. While half of the U.S. citizens were turned back for “other” reasons, which the CBSA did not expand on, a little over 2,700 citizens had to turn back when they said they were hoping to cross the border for “tourism” or “sightseeing.” More…

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N.S. Power Applies To Get Time-Of-Day Pricing To Give Option For Lower Electricity Prices | CTV News

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HALIFAX — Nova Scotia Power customers will soon be asked if they’re willing to do laundry late at night to save some money on their bills. With an electric scooter as a primary mode of transportation, Ed Julian is certainly aware of what he pays for power every month, and like many Nova Scotians, it’s too high for his liking. After being shelved for a while because of COVID-19, the power utility has ramped-up its smart meter replacement program again, with an aim to have half-a-million installed by next year.…

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Uncovered: 1,000 Phrases That Incorrectly Trigger Alexa, Siri, And Google Assistant | Ars Technica

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As Alexa, Google Home, Siri, and other voice assistants have become fixtures in millions of homes, privacy advocates have grown concerned that their near-constant listening to nearby conversations could pose more risk than benefit to users. New research suggests the privacy threat may be greater than previously thought. The findings demonstrate how common it is for dialog in TV shows and other sources to produce false triggers that cause the devices to turn on, sometimes sending nearby sounds to Amazon, Apple, Google, or other manufacturers. In all, researchers uncovered more…

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Tim Hortons App Under Investigation Over Data Concerns | CTV News

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GATINEAU, QUE. — The Tim Hortons mobile ordering app is being investigated by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and provincial agencies in Quebec, B.C. and Alberta. The joint investigation was prompted by concerns raised in media reports about how the app may be collecting and using data about people’s movements as they go about their daily activities. It will examine whether the fast food restaurant chain owned by Restaurant Brands International Inc. is in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, Canada’s federal private…

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Elon Musk’s Company SpaceX Applies To Offer High-Speed Internet Service To Canadians | CBC News

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Elon Musk’s SpaceX has applied to offer high-speed internet to Canadians living in remote areas by beaming it to them via satellites. The Globe and Mail newspaper first reported that space exploration company SpaceX applied with Canada’s telecom regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), for what’s known as a Basic International Telecommunications Services, or BITS, licence. That’s a requirement for any company that wants to offer what the CRTC calls “telecommunications traffic between Canada and any other country.” Read full story here: Elon Musk’s Company SpaceX Applies To…

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Thousands Of Tourists, Shoppers Still Trying To Enter Canada Despite COVID-19 Travel Ban | CTV News

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VICTORIA — Canadian border agents have turned away more than 7,500 foreigners – mostly Americans – trying to visit Canada for non-essential purposes, including sightseeing, shopping and recreation, since pandemic restrictions on travel were imposed. The latest data available from the Canada Border Services Agency reveals that 7,639 foreign nationals were denied entry to Canada under the discretionary travel ban between March 22 and June 16. Americans accounted for 87 per cent of those denied entry, with 6,615 U.S. citizens being sent home by Canadian border agents. The remaining 1,024…

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Some Living In U.S. Eye Canada For Health Care, But Not Everybody Can Get In | CBC News

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Deborah Millar-Jervis and husband Robert Jervis were faced with a choice. They could continue paying roughly $1,600 US a month for health insurance or leave the United States and move to Canada. The staggering, and rising, cost of their insurance did not include doctors visits, dental care, prescriptions or the deductible amount they had to meet before accessing coverage. So, four years ago, the couple packed up their home in Blaine, Wash., and moved four hours north to Penticton, B.C. “We loved living there [in the U.S.], we had a…

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Canada-U.S. Border Closure To Be Extended Beyond June 21, Sources Say | CBC News

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The Canada-U.S. border closure to all non-essential traffic will be extended beyond the June 21 date set last month, sources tell CBC News. Sources with direct knowledge of the situation have confirmed to CBC News that Canada and the United States are holding talks about extending the border restrictions but the agreement has yet to be signed. Both countries reached an agreement in March to temporarily close the border to non-essential travel — meaning no recreational visits — while keeping it open to commercial traffic and essential workers who cross…

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House Lawmakers Question Homeland Security Over Protester Surveillance | CNET

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House Democrats on the Oversight Committee on Saturday called for the Department of Homeland Security to explain how it has conducted surveillance of protesters demonstrating against racial discrimination and police violence. “This Administration has undermined the First Amendment freedoms of Americans of all races who are rightfully protesting George Floyd’s killing,” said lawmakers in their letter to acting Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf. “The deployment of drones and officers to surveil protests is a gross abuse of authority and is particularly chilling when used against Americans who are protesting…

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