TORONTO– As part of an enhanced CIBC Welcome to Canada Package, CIBC has introduced a range of new unsecured credit card options to help new Canadians address their challenges with establishing a credit history in Canada.

New Canadians say that establishing a credit history in Canada can be challenging – and they are often unable to get a credit card without pledging a security deposit,” said Teresa Tazumi, CIBC’s Director of Cultural Business Development.

“To help them establish a financial foothold in their new home, CIBC is pleased to introduce a range of CIBC credit cards for newcomers without a deposit or credit history requirement when they hold eligible CIBC personal banking products.”

CIBC’s Welcome to Canada Package is available to permanent residents who have been in Canada for less than three years. It offers foundational banking products such as a free CIBC Everyday chequing account with unlimited transactions for one year; a mortgage with great rates and a streamlined approval process; and a range of credit card options, subject to conditions.

The new unsecured credit card solution is available as part of this package for qualified clients holding an eligible CIBC product. Other unsecured card options are available for clients meeting CIBC’s minimum household income and credit criteria.

CIBC recently launched a nationwide campaign, translated into seven languages, with special focus on large newcomer communities across the country. The campaign promotes the CIBC Welcome to Canada Package and highlights the unsecured card options.

CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with nearly 11 million personal banking and business clients. CIBC offers a full range of products and services through its comprehensive electronic banking network, branches and offices across Canada, and has offices in the United States and around the world. You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Press Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at of British Columbia will be holding a fun filled day of celebrations in honor of Canada Day. All residents are cordially invited to Baitur Rahman Mosque at 9570 River Rd in Delta, BC. Our Canada Day program will be held on Monday, July 1st from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Our opening program will begin at 2:30pm am with a prayer, the singing of ‘O Canada’ and remarks by dignitaries.

The celebrations will commence with a flag raising ceremony and special prayers for the safety and peace of this great nation. The rest of the day will consist of various fun filled programs for the entire family.

Each year, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at hosts Canada Day celebrations across the nation. Thousands of members gather at mosques and centers across Canada to affirm their loyalty to their homeland.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at has a strong membership across Canada and it always aims to add value to the fabric of Canada. The Canada Day celebrations are a testament to this continuing commitment.

Downtown Calgary looked a bit like a ghost town Friday with entire neighbourhoods shut down and people being told to stay as far away as possible from the area.

Rain-swollen rivers burst their banks across Southern Alberta Thursday and more than a dozen towns declared states of emergency, while communities including High River and Bragg Creek remain under mandatory evacuation orders.

It’s estimated rolling evacuations could affect roughly 100,000 people, but as most locals grabbed their belongings and took off many were determined to stick it out.

Alberta Premier Alison Redford says her government is prepared financially to help and has promised the province will help flood victims put their lives back together. She says the government will provide financial aid to communities that need to rebuild.

Redford has spoken to Prime Minister Stephen Harper who has promised disaster relief for the province. Harper is on his way to Calgary to see the damage for himself.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says the flooding situation is under control as much as it can be. He says the Bow River looks like an ocean and that it will remain steady for the next 12 hours.

Deputy police Chief Trevor Daroux said officers are doing their best, but aren’t in a position to physically remove people. “There will not be power once the areas are evacuated and gas as well. So we’re asking people to please comply and leave on their own.”

There are also growing concerns that looters will take advantage of all the now empty homes. “That’s why we have a plan in place and as we evacuate the area we will be backfilling with security forces,” Daroux adds.

Bruce Burrell, director of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, says water levels on the Bow River likely won’t drop until Saturday afternoon.

“Depending on the extent of flooding we experience overnight, there may be areas of the city where people are not going to be able to get into until the weekend,” he told reporters at a morning briefing.

All schools were closed Friday and the Calgary zoo is being affected as well.

The flooding was the most destructive just south of Calgary as two people were swept away. One was found, but the second, a woman, is still missing.

Environment Canada is predicting more rain will fall today, but in much smaller amounts.

Calgary homeowners who hope to make claims with insurers for flood damage will be out of luck in most cases because not all flooding is covered under most insurance policies.

The annual inflation rate rose slightly last month, but remained tame at 0.7 per cent, which was below analysts’ already modest expectations.

Statistics Canada reported Friday that May’s higher natural gas prices — which had the biggest 12-month increase in more than four years — contributed to inflation, but that was partly offset by another drop in gasoline prices.

“Overall, today’s inflation report showed that consumer prices continue to face little upward pressure,” TD economist Diana Petramala wrote in a commentary.

“Food and shelter costs contributed the most to Canadian inflation in May (they are the category consumers spend the most on), but were still only up 1.3 per cent from year ago levels.”

Petramala noted that higher natural gas prices, which were up 15.4 per cent in May compared with a year earlier, added to the cost of shelter. Rent and property taxes also rose, but mortgage interest costs fell 4.1 per cent.

Statistics Canada said May saw the largest year-over-year increase for natural gas prices since December 2008. Alberta had the biggest jump, but the increases were seen across the country, the agency said.

Food prices rose 1.3 per cent year-over-year in May, after increasing 1.5 per cent in April.

“Compared with May 2012, consumers paid more for food purchased from stores, notably fresh vegetables (up 5.8 per cent) and bakery products (up 3.9 per cent),” Statistics Canada reported. “Prices for fresh fruit and meat also rose in the 12 months to May, although at a slower rate than in April.”

The cost of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products advanced 2.5 per cent in May, led by higher prices for cigarettes in most provinces.

There is a big change is coming to the commute on Monday morning (June 24), if you use Powell Street to get into Downtown Vancouver. Businesses in the area are bracing for a year-long closure.

Christine Morton owns Christine Lingerie at Powell and Hawks Avenue, and she fears the retail part of her business will quickly trickle down to nothing.

“It isn’t our primary business, retail, but we do have a following in Vancouver and we get quite a number of women that come in here on a regular basis to shop,” she explains.

“There are 30,000 cars that go by here every day. Some of those people are our customers and some of those people will see our signs and come by, come in, and visit and that won’t be happening for quite some time. So, that’s pretty discouraging for us.”

That closure between Hawks Avenue and Clark Drive will last until next July to allow for the $50 million Powell Street Overpass project.

A house in the Sullivan Heights neighbourhood of Surrey was behind yellow police tape as the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team investigates a suspcious double death. Surrey RCMP were called out to the house in the 67-hundred block of 145-A Street after receiving a call to check on the well being of the occupant.

Inside police found the bodies of a man and woman. They have not said what the relationship was between the two people.

Neighbours on the quiet, well kept, street of newer homes are shocked and saddended including samitra anwar who says it’s a relatively friendly area.

“People are very good here and when we go outside — they say hi to us… they talk to us. They are very friendly and we are not supposed to be like this… I don’t know what’s going on.” An SUV parked outside the house has a yellow tarp beside it but it’s still unclear if the vehicle is part of the investigation.

The Squamish Sikh Society is inviting the community to take part in their annual celebration to honour freedom of religion on Saturday (June 22).

The event celebrates Sikhism’s fifth guru, Guru Arjan, who was tortured and persecuted by the Indian emperor in 1606 for honouring his religion.

According to Avtar Gidda, with the Squamish Sikh Society, the emperor asked Guru Arjan to change his religion to Islam and bring his followers with him.

The celebration will start with readings from the holy scriptures, followed by the procession, which kicks off at 10 a.m. from the Squamish gurdwara and will continue through the city streets and parking lots.

The procession will be followed by a nagar kirtan, which is free food and drink. The meals will be supplied by about 15 food stalls and all are welcome.

“We want to be very thankful to the Canadian society as well as to the Canadian government who gave us the freedom to express our religion freely,” said Gidda.

BC Hydro isn’t saying much about an investigation into whether some of its workers may have become involved in the drug trade.

It’s been reported that 18 employees, mostly hydro line technicians, are accused of repairing hydro meters on buildings that may have housed grow-ops.

A written statement from the Crown Corporation acknowledges the investigation, but company officials call it an “internal personnel matter,” and refuse further comment.

The NDP is calling on Premier Christy Clark to completely roll back a hefty pay raise for her deputy chief of staff, Michelle Cadario.

Finance Critic Mike Farnworth doesn’t buy Clark’s argument that Cadario is now doing the job of two former employees.

“I don’t think it’s two jobs, it’s one job, deputy chief of staff…and I think that they’re already extremely well compensated and at a time when the government is charging people 25 dollars on wheelchairs or saying that every penny needs to be watched, I don’t think people think it’s right to be giving these kind of pay increases.”

While Clark cancelled pay hikes for other political staff, she only reduced the raise for Cadario’s position from 50 thousand to 30 thousand dollars.