Roundabout, special U-turn among options proposed for site of Manitoba highway crash that killed 17
Rework intersection near Carberry where busload of seniors was hit by semi, report says Manitoba is overhauling a highway intersection where more than a dozen seniors on a bus trip to a casino were killed in a crash in June, in response to safety concerns identified after the deadly collision. The province will do that through one of three options — a roundabout, a wider median or a setup that forces drivers to make a U-turn instead of turning left — identified in a new report released Monday on the safety of the intersectionRead more
National Defence vows to get better at helping men who report military sexual misconduct
The number of male soldiers reporting sexual misconduct has been increasing The Department of National Defence (DND) says it’s taking steps to improve training for staff at the military’s sexual misconduct support centre, acknowledging that men who report being abused have not always felt “safe, secure and supported.” The federal government issued a notice late in December saying it intends to award a sole-source contract to an Ottawa-based company to provide personnel training at the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC). The centre “has a requirement for the provision of training on how to bestRead more
How the tiny western chorus frog could stop Doug Ford’s Highway 413
Ontario has launched court challenge over federal government’s plan to conduct environmental assessment The western chorus frog is about as small as your thumb, but it could prove to be a large obstacle to Premier Doug Ford’s plans for building Highway 413. The chorus frog – so named because of the sound males make during mating season – is listed as threatened on Canada’s official registry of species at risk. Consultants working for Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation have identified the frog along the 59-kilometre preferred route of the proposed Highway 413, across the northwestern fringes ofRead more
Ontario cities need help — and cash — to meet 2025 accessibility deadline, advocates say
Province says it’s working with all governments, investing in accessible services and infrastructure CBC Toronto is breaking down accessibility in Ontario in four stories: the progress made so far, how legislation is enforced, if the province can reach its 2025 goal and what accessibility looks like in cities, zooming in on Toronto. As a hard of hearing person, Kellina Powell says she can rarely make out the announcements on the GO train, often leaving her in the dark about what’s happening on her commute from downtown Toronto to her homeRead more
B.C. ski resorts face low snow levels as climate change exacerbates typical weather cycles
Alpine resorts across B.C. are struggling with unusually low snow levels this year Alpine resorts across B.C. say they are struggling with unusually low snow levels this ski season. While experts say cyclical weather patterns are largely to blame for the warmer, drier winter so far, climate change likely plays a role and will continue to do so, one researcher says. “This is going to be probably one of the mildest winters we’ve seen since sort of recorded history,” geographer Michael Pidwirny, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s OkanaganRead more
Mother serving life sentence for murdering 8-year-old daughter dies in B.C. prison
Lisa Batstone was found guilty of 2nd-degree murder for suffocating daughter Teagan in 2014 A woman serving a life sentence for killing her eight-year-old daughter has died in custody at the Fraser Valley Institution in Abbotsford, B.C. Lisa Batstone, 50, died on Jan. 1, according to a news release from the Correctional Service Canada (CSC). The cause of death has not been released. Batstone was found guilty of second-degree murder four years ago for the 2014 suffocation death of daughter Teagan Batstone and sentenced to life with no parole eligibility for 15 years. The decision wasRead more
A Glace Bay man knocked on a famous photographer’s door. It led him to a whole new world
Recently released book shows a different side of Robert Frank When Brian Graham first learned about a world famous photographer who’d recently made Cape Breton Island his second home, he was intrigued, but he wasn’t ready to meet Robert Frank just yet. “I didn’t think I had anything to say, tell you the truth,” he recalled, on a recent morning from his wife’s home in France. “I hadn’t done anything.” His new book Goin’ Down the Road with Robert Frank, documents their 40-year-long friendship and unlikely working relationship, which began in Mabou,Read more
New year, new tax measures — what to expect in 2024
GST/HST exemptions, end of short-term rental deductions and CPP hikes are among new 2024 measures New tax measures, and changes to existing ones, will begin affecting Canadians in 2024. But tax experts say the effects on most individuals are likely to be minor, unless they’re high-income earners. GST/HST exemptions, the elimination of deductions for some short term rentals, new alternative minimum tax rates and changes to Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions are among the new measures coming in 2024. Eliminating short-term rental deductions The elimination of some short-term rental deductionsRead more
BlendJet recall of millions of blenders over fire hazard, breaking blades includes 117,000 in Canada
There have been 329 reports of blades breaking during use BlendJet is recalling millions of portable blenders over laceration and fire hazards after receiving dozens of reports of injuries, U.S. regulators said Thursday. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says the recall covers about 4.8 million blenders in the U.S. and about 117,000 were sold in Canada. BlendJet 2 Portable Blenders can overheat or catch fire, according to the CPSC, and their blender blades can break off while in use. There have been 329 reports of blades breaking during use, theRead more
Teen’s body found in Ottawa river after reports of group falling through ice
Search continues for another missing boy in south Ottawa’s Rideau River Family and friends are grieving the death of one teenager, while another is still missing, after four youth reportedly fell through the ice on Ottawa’s Rideau River on Wednesday night. Ottawa police said they’ve found the body of one boy, but rescue efforts are ongoing for another boy after the search “in very difficult conditions” stopped overnight and resumed Thursday. A police underwater search and recovery crew was seen sending an unmanned search vehicle into the river Thursday afternoon. A policeRead more