• The owner of Ace Liquor and Spiritleaf raises its bet on U.S. cannabis, as its manufacturing arm faces a strategic review

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-28 11:00:16.0
  Tags: [Alberta, British Columbia, Economy, Industry, Labour, Trade]

  Edmonton-based retailer SNDL Inc., owner of Ace Liquor, Value Buds, and Spiritleaf, is conducting a strategic review and weighing the potential sale of its unprofitable Canadian cannabis production assets while exiting the dried flower business. The company reported a $52-million write-down and a 28 per cent year-over-year sales drop in its weed production segment, alongside cutting its workforce at its Kelowna, British Columbia manufacturing facility by more than 30 per cent. Simultaneously, SNDL invested $60.8 million into the United States market, acquiring approximately a 92 per cent stake in a partnership controlling Parallel, an American cannabis grower and retailer operating over 50 locations across Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts.

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• Canada Post starting weekend parcel delivery in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa this fall

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-22 19:44:37.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Labour, Transportation, Finance]

  Canada Post has launched weekend parcel delivery in Ottawa and Montreal, with plans to expand to Toronto in late November 2026 and to Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary the following year, aiming to reach seven million households by the end of 2027. The Crown corporation reported a pre-tax loss of $482 million in the first half of 2026 and continues to rely on federal loans, though parcel revenue grew by 20.7 percent year-over-year in the second quarter. This operational restructuring follows a month-long national strike in December 2024 and the signing of a new collective agreement with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) that remains in effect until 2030.

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• Expanding skilled-trades training seats in Burnaby

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-10 16:45:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Labour, Education, Economy]

  The Government of British Columbia is investing $241 million over three years through its Look West strategy to deliver 5,000 new trades-training seats across the province for the 2026-27 academic year. As part of this initiative, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby is adding 272 new skilled-trades training seats, alongside nearly 900 seats previously added in response to demand. The expansion focuses on reducing apprenticeship wait lists and boosting training capacity in high-demand fields such as automotive service technology, carpentry, heavy mechanical trades, industrial mechanics (millwrights), marine mechanical technology, plumbing, and sheet metal work.

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• Expanding health-care administration training opportunities for people in Prince George

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-10 16:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Labour, Healthcare, Social Services, Education]

  The Governments of Canada and British Columbia are investing nearly $600,000 through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement to fund the Helping Hands project in Prince George. Delivered by Kopar Administration Ltd. in partnership with the College of New Caledonia, the 25-week free training program is designed to provide 30 participants facing barriers to employment with occupational skills, industry-recognized certifications, and a two-week workplace practicum in health-care administration. Two cohorts are scheduled: the first from July 20, 2026, to January 22, 2027, and the second from November 9, 2026, to May 14, 2027.

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• Making it easier for reservists to train and serve, while keeping their jobs secure

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-04 17:15:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Labour, Defence]

  Amendments to British Columbia's Reservists' Leave Regulation under the Employment Standards Act, which came into force on August 6, 2026, allow Canadian Armed Forces reservists to take up to 24 months of combined leave in a 60-month period for military skills training and pre- or post-deployment activities. This regulatory change replaces the previous 20-day annual maximum for training leave, aligns B.C. provisions with national standards, and protects civilian jobs for approximately 3,000 provincial reservists. Deployments related to national emergencies remain exempt from the 24-month limit, and eligible employees are required to provide employers with at least four weeks' advance notice.

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• Minister’s statement on August Labour Force Survey results

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-04 16:10:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Economy, Labour, Trade, Infrastructure]

  Acting Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth Adrian Dix released Statistics Canada's August 2026 Labour Force Survey results, showing a national loss of 42,000 jobs while British Columbia experienced the lowest provincial decline among large provinces with a loss of 5,500 jobs. B.C.'s unemployment rate rose to 6.5%, the province's youth unemployment rate reached 13.2%, and the average hourly wage stood at $39.07, leading the country. The provincial government attributed ongoing economic pressures partly to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump while highlighting mitigation efforts through the Look West strategy, federal-provincial supports, and major infrastructure projects like the North Coast Transmission Line.

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• Expanding skilled-trades training seats in the Lower Mainland

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-03 16:45:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Labour, Education, Economy, Infrastructure]

  The Government of British Columbia is investing $241 million over three years through its Look West economic strategy to fund 5,000 new skilled-trades training seats across the province for the 2026-27 academic year. Specifically, Vancouver Community College is adding 224 new trades training seats, bringing its total capacity to more than 1,770 seats. The initiative aims to reduce apprenticeship wait lists and increase training capacity in high-demand fields such as automotive service technology, construction electricity, heavy mechanical trades, and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics to support major industrial projects.

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• Helping businesses adapt, grow, create jobs through new grants

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-28 18:15:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, National, Economy, Labour, Industry, Indigenous]

  The Governments of Canada and British Columbia have launched a $2.7 million funding initiative under Phase 2 of the Rural and Remote Employment Initiatives Fund to support northern B.C. businesses and First Nations development corporations responding to global tariffs. Administered by the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), the funding is split into two programs opening for applications on September 2, 2026: the Business Diversification and Sustainability (BDS) program, which provides grants of up to $200,000 covering up to 75% of project costs for small and medium-sized businesses totaling $1.8 million, and the First Nations Business Development Capacity Building program, which provides up to $75,000 per applicant covering up to 90% of eligible costs totaling $900,000. The investment is supported by federal funding through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement as part of a broader $5-million provincial response to tariffs.

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• Minister’s statement about Committee on Internal Trade meeting

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-28 15:38:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, National, Trade, Labour, Economy, Governance]

  Federal, provincial, and territorial trade ministers met on August 27, 2026, to ratify amendments to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement establishing a 30-day service standard for labour mobility applications. Ministers committed to signing an agreement by the end of 2026 for the free trade of services and accelerated work on model mutual-recognition legislation by fall 2026. British Columbia previously advanced this domestic trade agenda by passing the Trade Recognition Act (Bill 5) in February 2026, signing a direct-to-consumer alcohol sales agreement targeting implementation by February 2027, and collaborating on the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement on the Sale of Goods in November 2025.

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