November, 2023
Cree elder has been playing fiddle for 70 years — and opened his grandson’s wedding with 1st tune he learned
Malcolm House, 82, played ‘Soldier’s Joy’ at wedding last month in Chisasibi Malcolm House was 12 years old when he first started playing the fiddle in northern Quebec Cree territory, back in 1953. At the time, he had to go visit a friend and play his fiddle, because House didn’t have one of his own. Seventy years later, House is still fiddling — and last month, he played the first fiddle tune of the evening at an important family event in Chisasibi, in northern Quebec. Playing the first tune, before the dancing starts,Read more
KPMG wants CRA affidavit in tax ‘sham’ case struck from public record
CBC/Radio-Canada granted standing to oppose motion to strike In a court hearing last April, a judge agreed to restrict public access to documents in a $37-million tax “sham” case. KPMG Law requested the temporary sealing order in the case regarding its client Gold Line Telemanagement, which the Canada Revenue Agency alleges was involved in a “carousel scheme.” Now, The Fifth Estate has learned that KPMG has applied to the court to have the affidavit at issue struck from the record completely — preventing the public from ever knowing what was in that CRARead more
B.C. welcomes federal housing dollars, but co-ops disappointed by timeline
$1 billion in funding has been promised for affordable housing across Canada. How much will B.C. get? B.C. leaders say although they welcome Ottawa’s affordable housing funding pledge, they worry it will amount to few projects over the next four years, while co-op housing advocates say they’re disappointed by the plan’s lack of urgency. On Tuesday, Ottawa pledged $1 billion for non-profit, co-op, and public housing providers to build more than 7,000 new homes by 2028. “The billion dollars they’ve said that’s going to be additional for building affordable housing isRead more
This commonly prescribed cancer drug was supposed to help save this doctor’s life. Instead, it killed him
Some provinces pre-screen patients at risk of toxic reactions, but experts say tests don’t go far enough When Dr. Anil Kapoor was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in January his prognosis was positive, and his family was hopeful treatment would buy him several more years. But weeks later, the 58-year-old Burlington, Ont., resident was dead — killed not by the cancer, say doctors, but by the commonly prescribed cancer drug Fluorouracil (5-FU) that was supposed to help save his life. “It was honestly a cruel rollercoaster of emotions,” Anil’sRead more
Up to 900 foreign workers coming to Windsor to help build EV battery plant, NextStar says amid backlash
Company confirms job figures for first time since reports of use of South Korean workers caused heated debate Amid pushback over plans to use foreign workers, NextStar Energy has confirmed it wants to hire hundreds of technicians from South Korea to help set up the government-subsidized electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont. The company said Thursday that, in total, about 1,600 equipment manufacturers from outside suppliers will be assembling, installing and testing the equipment needed to make the batteries, including a “temporary specialized global supplier staff” of around 900, largely from SouthRead more
Joy in Montreal as Alouettes celebrate Grey Cup victory with parade, party downtown
The Montreal Alouettes celebrated their Grey Cup win with a parade that drew a crowd of joyous Montrealers on Wednesday. Despite spitting rain and fog, Montrealers lined the parade route, cheered and sang as the team hoisted the trophy in a show of raucous triumph. The Canadian Football League team won the 110th Grey Cup on Sunday, beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Hamilton — clinching victory in the last few seconds with a 28-24 final score. Before the parade arrived, Carl Dupras stood behind a metal barrier with his family near theRead more
Former RCMP intelligence official found guilty of violating secrets act
A jury has found Cameron Ortis, the former RCMP intelligence official accused of leaking secret information to police targets, guilty of all charges against him. The former civilian RCMP member faced six charges in total, including multiple counts under the Security of Information Act, the law meant to protect Canada’s secrets. The Crown suggested they’ll be seeking a sentence in the range of 20 years. “For someone in Mr. Ortis’ position, nothing less of a very severe sentence would be appropriate,” Crown prosecutor Judy Kliewer told reporters outside the courthouse. Justice Robert Maranger revokedRead more
2 dead after blast at Rainbow Bridge linking Ontario-N.Y., governor says ‘no sign’ of terrorism
There’s no indication that a vehicle crash and explosion Wednesday that killed two people on the American side of the Rainbow Bridge — which connects Ontario and New York — is linked to terrorism, says New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. “Based on what we know at this moment, there is no sign of terrorist activity in this crash,” Hochul said at a news conference. She said an individual from Western New York was “involved” in a “crash,” but she did not clarify if the person was the driver. She said events began at 11:27 a.m. ET. “We’reRead more
Misunderstanding from social media spurs rise in international student food bank visits
YouTube video suggested food banks could provide a regular supply of free food instead of for emergencies A misconception about how Canadian food banks operate — combined with some misleading information on social media — has led to a sudden increase in usage among international students at London, Ont.’s food bank along with others in Canada. London Food Bank co-executive director Glen Pearson said his staff were already dealing with a 43 per cent increase in visits at the start of this school year when they began to notice a spike in food requests from post-secondaryRead more
Non-existent trail removed from Google Maps after another rescue in Vancouver’s North Shore mountains
2 hikers recently saved from steep, dangerous terrain north of Mount Fromme, North Shore Rescue says A search-and-rescue organization says it has finally been successful in getting Google to remove a non-existent trail from its Maps app, after crew members were again called to pull a stranded hiker out of dangerous terrain in the North Shore mountains near Vancouver. Both helicopter and rope teams with North Shore Rescue (NSR) were needed to save the male hiker who became stranded on the non-existent trail on the north side of Mount Fromme on Nov. 4.Read more