Handling of Thorco Crown distress prevented disaster: Coast Guard commissioner

Team work by search and rescue, environmental response and marine communications and traffic services prevented a disaster in challenging conditions, Canadian Coast Guard Commissioner, Jody Thomas said today in reference to a disabled vessel adrift off the southwest coast of Newfoundland and Labrador last week. On Feb. 7, the MV Thorco Crown, a merchant cargo ship with 13 people aboard, experienced a fire in its engine room.

OPP charges driver after flying tractor-trailer wheel causes highway…

The OPP charged a driver and his employer after a set of wheels flew off a commercial tractor-trailer Friday morning, killing the driver of a van travelling in the opposite direction on Highway 417. Brianski’s son, Dennis, posted a heartfelt message on his Facebook account Friday night breaking the tragic news about his dad, who he described as “the kindest man I’ve ever met in my life.”

Conservatives pause hostilities with Liberals on eve of Trump, Trudeau meeting

The past, present and potential future of the federal Conservative party offered their Liberal rivals an unprecedented show of solidarity Sunday on the eve of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The olive branch, a departure from the usual cut and thrust of party politics, reflects a shared understanding that crosses the traditional partisan divide: that Canadian jobs depend on a strong relationship with the U.S. regardless of who might be residing in the White House.

From polls to protests: the search for a Trump-like political movement in Canada

When chants of “lock her up” – an echo of anti-Clinton vitriol from the U.S. presidential election – erupted last December during a protest at the Alberta legislature, observers quickly flagged it as evidence of the Trump effect in Canada. Witness the struggling town of Smith Falls, Ont., where local residents stood up during a public meeting last month to demand that the town take part in a provincial project that would provide everyone with a guaranteed income.

‘I’m in Winnipeg and I like it’: Newcomer youth meet to talk job skills, challenges

The Newcomer Youth Civic Engagement Program at the N.E.E.D.S Centre is aimed to equip young people who are new to Canada with leadership skills. Tucked at the edge of Winnipeg’s Exchange District, a classroom of teens was full of laughs on Saturday as participants joked, brainstormed and bonded at the latest meeting of a brand-new pilot program catering to newcomer youth.

Canada, U.S. hoping for progress on border preclearance for Monday meeting

Canada hopes to cement progress on keeping the border open to trade and travellers when Justin Trudeau visits Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose controversial travel ban measures recently created considerable confusion at the 49th parallel. The two countries have been pecking away for years at a list of measures intended to bolster continental security while ensuring the speedy flow of goods and people across the border.

Canada, U.S. hoping for progress on border preclearance for Monday meeting

Canada hopes to cement progress on keeping the border open to trade and travellers when Justin Trudeau visits Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose controversial travel ban measures recently created considerable confusion at the 49th parallel. The two countries have been pecking away for years at a list of measures intended to bolster continental security while ensuring the speedy flow of goods and people across the border.

Researchers call this year’s flu vaccine effectiveness ‘decent’

This season’s influenza vaccine is estimated to have been more than 40 per cent effective in preventing illness with the dominant H3N2 viral strain in Canadians who got their shots, a national network of infectious diseases experts says. The Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network determines vaccine effectiveness by analyzing how many inoculated people tested positive for the flu virus compared to those who were unvaccinated.

Researchers call this year’s flu vaccine effectiveness ‘decent’

This season’s influenza vaccine is estimated to have been more than 40 per cent effective in preventing illness with the dominant H3N2 viral strain in Canadians who got their shots, a national network of infectious diseases experts says. The Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network determines vaccine effectiveness by analyzing how many inoculated people tested positive for the flu virus compared to those who were unvaccinated.

Montreal conference highlights growing popularity of winter cycling

A cyclist makes his way down a bike path in Montreal in a February 17, 2015, file photo. While most Canadians still put their bikes away when cold weather hits, a growing number of winter riders has cities switching gears to accommodate the demand for ice-free pathways.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson A cyclist makes his way down a bike path in Montreal in a February 17, 2015, file photo.

Winter wreaks havoc on B.C. roadways

The Ministry of Transportation is placing an advisory in effect for Highway 1 in both directions, between Craigalachie to the Alberta border. Accumulations of up to 30 cm are expected, followed by warming temperatures and rain in some areas, leading to slippery driving conditions.

Trudeau begins first visit to territories as prime minister in Iqaluit

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has arrived in Iqaluit for a meeting with Canada’s national Inuit organization, part of a two-day visit to the Arctic – his first since the 2015 election campaign. Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, Health Minister Jane Philpott and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos are also taking part in the talks.

The B Bomb: new federal cash for Bombardier reignites political tensions

From the West came the calls of a double standard: why are the federal Liberals giving Bombardier Inc. a $372.5-million loan while thousands of jobs in the oil and gas industry remain consigned to the dustbin? From Quebec, cries that the loan for the aerospace company was nothing compared to what the federal government has giving the Ontario auto sector. From behind closed Liberal caucus doors, it was internal pressure from the Quebec caucus that partially forced the government to finally agree on some sort of financial assistance for the company, nearly a year and a half after it first began agitating for support.

Census 2016: Canada’s big cities home to big share of 35 million Canadians

In some ways a victim of his own success, the mayor of Kelowna h as been struggling in recent years to rein in his city as it slowly spreads across the B.C. interior, testing his ability to provide core municipal services and build badly needed infrastructure. Nor is the city’s middle-aged spread at all unique, according to the 2016 census data released Wednesday: Canada’s population of 35.15 million is settling in the bigger cities, ensuring they and their suburban neighbours keep growing, while small cities get smaller.

Let them eat fish soup

De Beers shelves diamond mine expansion in northern Ontario after failing to win Attawapiskat’s support TORONTO – De Beers is shelving immediate plans to study an expansion project at a remote northern Ontario diamond mine after failing to get support from a neighbouring aboriginal community, a ‘disappointing’ setback for the world’s top diamond producer, the mine’s manager said. The isolated Victor mine in the James Bay lowlands produces some 600 carats of diamonds annually and is scheduled to stop production in late 2018 and close in early 2019, De Beers Canada general manager James Kirby told Reuters late last week.

Event remembers avid skier

Eaman died in March 2012 in a vehicle collision on Highway 97 between Vernon and Kelowna. Within weeks, the Jessica Eaman Ski Scholarship was established, and JESS4KIDS was established to give a few youth the chance to experience the winter sport she loved.

Five stories in the news today, Feb. 7

New Brunswick Finance Minister Cathy Rogers will present the provincial budget today, and it is expected to include targeted spending increases. A government source says this includes a 5.4 per cent hike in grants to community colleges, funding for “research and strategic initiatives” and $2.4 million more for pre-school autism intervention programs.

Five stories in the news today, Feb. 7

New Brunswick Finance Minister Cathy Rogers will present the provincial budget today, and it is expected to include targeted spending increases. A government source says this includes a 5.4 per cent hike in grants to community colleges, funding for “research and strategic initiatives” and $2.4 million more for pre-school autism intervention programs.

’60s Scoop survivor skeptical of gov’t move

Not everyone’s cheering last week’s announcement that the federal government plans to negotiate a countrywide settlement with those affected by the ’60s Scoop. While he remains open to the possibility that it might end up leading to positive things, Stewart Garnett remains skeptical.

A man looks over a brochure offering retirement savings options.

A decision by an Ontario public pension manager to study the potential consequences of climate change is the latest sign that pension plans are increasingly becoming concerned about how it can hurt the bottom line. OPTrust released a report last week that reviewed how four climate scenarios, factoring in policy changes and disasters including hurricanes and wildfires, would affect its $18 billion portfolio.