BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Trump urges extending foreign surveillance program as some lawmakers push for US privacy protections
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is set to take up the reauthorization of a divisive program that lets U.S. spy agencies pore over foreigners’ calls, texts and emails, with supporters like President Donald Trump saying it has saved lives while critics point to long-standing concerns about warrantless surveillance of Americans. A key provision of the Foreign…
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A look at Gabriola local governments AI technology policies
Hope Lompe Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Fire District content from Derek Kilbourn, Editor, Gabriola Sounder AI is rapidly changing how governments work, with several risks to be considered like personal and private information entered into data servers in countries outside of Canada. After the Sounder reported in the April 1 edition that the Islands Trust…
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N.S. exploring potential transit system linking Halifax to three rural communities
The Nova Scotia government is considering to build a new transit network to link Halifax with three rural communities, and looking for a partner for the proposed new service. The province issued a request for information Wednesday from potential service providers for a new system connecting the capital city with Truro, Wolfville and Bridgewater. It…
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Moms describe being trapped in a cycle of anguish when a loved one faces mental health crises
Nancy Saunders says her son Ben Brennan accomplished so much in his short life. He was an exceptional musician, loved writing and was a freelance recording engineer, she said. Brennan played in bands across Canada and toured Europe. He studied at the University of King’s College in Halifax. Deeply kind and compassionate, “he just had…
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‘The RCMP has a number of ongoing investigations pertaining to this type of activity’: Mounties confirm government of India linked to criminal probes
After claims by a senior federal government official last week that the Indian government is no longer involved in criminal activities on Canadian soil, the RCMP has informed The Pointer of ongoing investigations involving New Delhi’s links to criminal networks here. “The RCMP has a number of ongoing investigations pertaining to this type of activity,”…
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Ramara residents divided on fate of aged Highway 12 buildings
Ramara council heard what the community wants to do with two buildings on Highway 12 in Brechin, known as St. Andrew’s Hall and the former Standard Bank. Community engagement took place between October and November. It included various online and in-person ways to convey preferences. “Respondents expressed interest in community-focused use of the properties. There…
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Supreme Court blocks law against schools outing transgender students to their parents in California
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for California schools to tell parents if their children identify as transgender without getting the student’s approval, granting an emergency appeal from a conservative legal group. The order blocks for now a state law that bans automatic parental notification requirements if students change their pronouns…
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Police campaign for scam literacy during fraud prevention month
March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, and the Manitoba RCMP and Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) are ramping up their efforts to spread awareness to help keep people safe. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Manitobans lost approximately $31 million dollars to scammers in 2024, based on the number of scams that were reported. Considering…
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Worms in food, poor medical care, lights on 24/7: Families tell of life in Texas detention center
LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A month after ICE agents sent the young Ecuadorian mother and her 7-year-old daughter to a sprawling detention center 1,300 miles from their Minnesota home, they were finally free. But when the bus pulled up to a migrant shelter in the border city of Laredo, dropping off a half-dozen families lugging…
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SFU Contract Workers Sounded the Alarm on Abuse. Nothing Changed
Nouha Ishaq said when she first started her job preparing food at Simon Fraser University in 2005, coming into work didn’t feel like a fight. But about five years ago, Ishaq said, the relationship between the campus’s approximately 200 food service workers and their more senior colleagues started to sour. She said she and her…