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Chender and Hacala

Single mother would leave N.S. for high bills, if not for children

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A single mother of two says her bills have gotten so expensive she would have already moved to a different province, if not for her two children.

The provincial NDP asked Shylah Hacala to speak at a news conference Monday morning.

She says she has a good paying job and has started teaching yoga to earn a bit extra money, but she is still barely getting by and can only pay part of her power bill some months.

Hacala says she used to wonder how advancing her career might help, but that is not enough anymore.

“And now it’s like, okay, how can I dial it down? Do I get a roommate? Do I have to move to another part of the city so I drive? Do I have to buy a hybrid car? It’s like, you’re searching for any solution that will help alleviate some of that stress.”

Hacala adds that there are only so many hours in a day.

“I don’t have any more time to do any more jobs or work.”

If she were to leave her current home, she says the suitable three-bedroom apartments were priced at $3500 a month, and that is more her take-home salary every month.

Although she is exploring her options to move to another province, she says she will find some way to stick it out because she has been divorced, and as a co-parent, she cannot just relocate.

She says she know a lot of her friends are in similar situations.

NDP leader Claudia Chender brought Hacala to the news conference to highlight her story, one of many Chender says she hears about every day.

She also took the opportunity to call on the provincial government to do more to keep people like Hacala from moving away.

That includes more ways to make their homes more efficient and lowering power bills.

She is also pushing for more ways to help people manage their debt when they get behind on power bills.

New $20 bill

New $20 bill to feature King Charles

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A new $20 bill with a vertical layout and a portrait of King Charles III is coming next year.

Bank of Canada officials plan to introduce it in late February 2027.

They say the note carries upgraded security features that shift when it’s moved.

The front shows flowers from each province and territory, plus a window shaped with guidance from the Bank’s Indigenous Advisory Circle.

The back keeps the Vimy Memorial to honour Canadians who served at Vimy Ridge.

with files from Alex Allan

a group of yellow and orange machines

Minnesota considers outright ban on crypto kiosks

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Minnesota is part of a nationwide push to crack down on scams targeting people through cryptocurrency kiosks.

Lawmakers, police chiefs and consumer advocates said recent policy moves are not enough, leading to a proposed statewide ban on crypto automatic teller machines.

Another legislative hearing was expected this week on a bill to prohibit electronic kiosks handling virtual currency transactions.

The licensed ATMs have popped up in gas stations and other retailers, with about 350 in Minnesota.

In 2024, the state adopted tighter rules.

Thomas Elness, advocacy manager for AARP Minnesota, says impostors are still finding ways to work around those laws and are pressuring people to deposit a lot of money when hearing threatening verbal commands.

“‘Your grandson was in a car accident and needs money.’ Or, ‘The city said we’re going to shut off your water if you don’t deliver money in the next hour to this machine,'” Elness cites as examples.

“People are shovelling $100 bills into these kiosks, and it’s going to scammers, never to be seen again.”

AARP says a grandfather from St. Paul lost nearly $9,000 in one recent scam.

Elness stresses they are not against cryptocurrency, but the group wants common-sense safeguards and is backing the latest plan.

The bill has bipartisan support, but some lawmakers want to hear more about prevention efforts from industry partners.

An official from a major kiosk operator testified against the bill, saying a ban will not make scams disappear.

Brandon Silgjord, chief of police in Sartell, says after his central Minnesota city got a crypto kiosk, it became a vessel for scammers to lure unsuspecting residents into handing over their money.

The financial hardship for the victim is the most upsetting, and Silgjord adds police have to use manpower on an almost unsolvable crime.

“We do want to try, and usually it’s all done in vain because we can’t recover the funds in any way or even identify a reasonable suspect that we could maybe track down,” says Silgjord.

He notes that even when they can somehow trace the funds, they are moved around multiple times into an overseas digital wallet.

According to FBI data, cryptocurrency kiosks were used in scams leading to more than $333 million in reported losses last year.

a calculator and a pen sitting on top of a piece of paper

Tax filing season begins on Monday

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You can officially begin filing your taxes on February 23.

More than 614, 000 New Brunswickers chose to file their 2024 tax return online, which is 95 per cent.

More than 35,000 people in New Brunswick received assistance from a free tax clinic through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program to help them file their returns.

Across Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) received more than 33 million tax returns, with 93 per cent filed online. Over 19 million refunds were issued.

The deadline for most to file and pay without an interest penalty is April 30.

If you need assistance to complete your return, there are free tax clinics available.

Further information can also be found on the Canada Revenue Agency website.

Mark Carney_CPAC_UK Reporter Meet

Carney to table first federal budget amid trade tensions and fiscal pressure

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Prime Minister Mark Carney will table his first federal budget Tuesday, describing it as a plan that will require “sacrifice” while delivering what he’s called “generational investments.”

The budget comes as Canada faces mounting economic challenges — including a trade dispute with the United States and ongoing concerns over affordability, public debt, and productivity.

Carney has framed the upcoming fiscal plan as one that will balance discipline with long-term growth, saying it is “the right budget for this country at this moment.”

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will present the budget in the House of Commons, following the pre-budget tradition of unveiling his new shoes — a handmade pair crafted at Boulet Boots in Saint-Tite, Quebec, which also supplies footwear for the RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces.

While specific fiscal measures have not yet been released, Carney has emphasized three themes in recent weeks: boosting competitiveness, keeping spending sustainable, and supporting workers affected by the cost-of-living crisis. The government has also pledged to increase defence funding to meet NATO’s two-percent-of-GDP goal and invest further in housing and infrastructure.

The budget’s release comes at a politically sensitive time for the minority Liberal government.

Opposition parties have not yet committed to supporting the legislation, meaning the vote could serve as a confidence test that determines whether Parliament continues sitting — or heads into a winter election.

Carney has said he’s prepared to defend the plan “in an election if necessary,” underscoring how high the stakes are for both the government and the Canadian economy.