Air Canada customers kicked off plane for refusing vomit-covered seat

Air Canada has apologized to customers who were allegedly escorted off a plane for refusing to sit in a chair covered with vomit for the duration of their over four-hour flight.

The airline issued a statement after a viral Facebook post claimed two as-yet unidentified female flyers were told there was nothing to be done about the visible vomit on their soiled seats.

Susan Benson, a passenger onboard the Aug. 26 flight from Las Vegas to Montreal, said she first noticed the smell of vomit — and two women struggling to be seated — when she boarded the plane. The pair were in the row directly in front of her and were treated unfairly, she said.

“There was a bit of a foul smell but we didn’t know at first what the problem was. Apparently, on the previous flight someone had vomited in that area,” Benson wrote. “Air Canada attempted a quick cleanup before boarding but clearly wasn’t able to do a thorough clean. They placed coffee grinds in the seat pouch and sprayed perfume to mask the smell.” |Read more https://globalnews.ca/news/9938774/air-canada-vomit-seat-passenger-apology/|

#AirCanada #vomit #eviction #passengers #unfair

Ongoing cost-of-living crisis should trigger another housing benefit payment: Singh

He said the NDP have a long list of policies they want the government to implement, but chief among them is a second top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit targeting low-income Canadians who spend more than a third of their income on rent.

The first $500 top-up, which was announced in September 2022 alongside a temporary boost to the GST rebate, was rolled out just before Christmas.

The government budgeted $475 million for the program. Statistics reported by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation say 815,190 individuals and families applied for the benefit for a total cost of $402 million.

The one-time housing benefit payment was among the items in the supply-and-confidence agreement reached between the Liberals and NDP in March 2022. The agreement lists policy items the two will collaborate on in exchange for the NDP supporting the Liberals on key votes to prevent the minority government from being defeated.

The agreement says the government should consider a second round of the housing benefit payment if cost-of-living issues continue.

When asked if he thinks that applies now, Singh said: “Yes, absolutely.” |Read more https://www.albertaprimetimes.com/edmonton-news/ongoing-cost-of-living-crisis-should-trigger-another-housing-benefit-payment-singh-7483595|

Note from Steve:

The government is pumping more money to those with lower incomes. There are a lot of people who are working, who will need this support, just the same as those on AISH or social assistance. This is an easier course of action than actually fixing the problem.

The problem is jobs with low wages and no benefits. The value of our spending dollar has been greatly reduced. So the government puts a band-aid on it.

#politics #cdnpoli #inflation #band-aid

What are collegiate schools and why are they popping up across Alberta?

So what are collegiate schools and how do they differ from more traditional ones? CBC News examined how the new education model is developing in different ways across the province.

The Alberta government defines them as specialized schools that give students direct pathways to post-secondary education and careers.

The schools — private, public, charter, francophone or Catholic — offer programming for students in grades 7-12. Some schools, like STEM Collegiate, have their own buildings. Other collegiate schools operate within existing schools and school divisions.

Alberta’s approved collegiate schools have a number of specializations, including environmental science, aviation, agriculture, health care, commercial driving and other skilled trades.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqEcPJQathA

The schools must have a formal agreement with one or more post-secondary institutions and offer experiential learning.

Collegiate high schools provide opportunities for students to earn post-secondary credits.

According to its latest annual report, Alberta’s education ministry allocated $15.5 million to support collegiate schools’ permanent facilities in 2022-23 and gave 11 one-time $50,000 grants for their applications.

Twelve collegiate schools have been approved by the provincial government so far. They are located across the province, in rural and urban areas. |Read more https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/collegiate-schools-alberta-explainer-1.6953644|

#politics #education #abpoli #CollegiateSchools #classroom #alberta

He’s called Toronto ‘a festering cancerous wound.’ Is his group poised to take over Danielle Smith’s party in Alberta?

Parker is aiming to repeat his success from last October’s annual general meeting where hundreds of TBA members turned up to elect a nine-person slate to the UCP’s 18-member board. He’s now gunning to have TBA-supported candidates take over the remaining nine seats, including that of the president.

“We can’t expect anyone else to do it for us,” wrote Parker in an email to supporters two weeks ago, “We as Albertans must steer the ship!”

In an interview with the Star, Parker insisted, as he routinely does when speaking to journalists, he is not trying to seize control of the UCP: “I’m just encouraging people to be involved in democracy.”

But his rhetoric takes a combative tone when speaking before an audience. “Leaders come and go, folks,” he told a March 21 town-hall meeting in Grande Prairie. “We need to control the party that’s in power.”

Parker says he’s not out to topple Smith, as he did with Kenney. He considers her a friend who is “doing great” since the election but he adds “she’s made decisions I wouldn’t have.”

He thinks she’s moving too slowly in pushing for Alberta to withdraw from both the Canada Pension Plan and Canada Revenue Agency to set up its own provincial programs. But he says he understands Smith has to be pragmatic.

Parker supports her ongoing battles against the federal government. He’s agnostic when it comes to controversial issues such as Smith’s abrupt moratorium on solar and wind projects.

However, trouble seems to be brewing. |Read more https://www.thestar.com/opinion/he-s-called-toronto-a-festering-cancerous-wound-is-his-group-poised-to-take-over/article_b39cd185-fa73-57bb-ae1c-a3b8ee99e044.html|

#politics #DavidParker #TBA #UCP #abpoli

You’ve changed, man: How the Alberta NDP lost its way

From having just two seats in the Legislature in 2008 to forming government in 2015 and solidifying Alberta as a two-party province after decades of Progressive Conservative rule, there’s no denying Alberta’s NDP has come a long way.

But at what cost?

The historically social-democratic party explicitly pivoted to the centre in an effort to win over soft-conservative voters in the 2019 and 2023 elections against a united right. In neither case was this sufficient to get over the finish line, although the party markedly improved its vote share from 2019 to 2023.

Beneath the surface, discontent has been brewing. Ricochet spoke with more than a dozen NDP volunteers, candidates, and former MLAs, both on and off the record, including some who have left the party and others who remain in an effort to influence it from within. Some were involved with the party during the days when it had only a handful of MLAs, while others got involved after the 2019 defeat. |Read more https://ricochet.media/en/3984/youve-changed-man-how-the-alberta-ndp-lost-its-way|

#politics #ABNDP #RachelNotley #discontent #abpoli