US parks officials are monitoring a century-old grounded barge that briefly broke loose during a storm last week in the river just above Niagara Falls. The rusty iron scow had been stuck since 1918 on rocks in the upper rapids above the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. A Niagara Parks official said it could be stuck in its new location for days or years
Continue reading...Category Archives: Canada
Canada’s Green party leader Elizabeth May to step down after 13 years
May, a longtime environmental activist and lawyer, resigns two weeks after party made gains in general election
Elizabeth May, the leader of Canada’s Green party, has announced she is stepping down from the post she held 13 years, two weeks after her party made electoral gains in the country’s general election but failed to make any significant breakthrough.
“It’s important for me to depart as leader when we’ve had such good results,” May old reporters in Ottawa. “I think the majority of politicians keep their positions for too long.”
Continue reading...Canadians exposed to high levels of lead in drinking water, investigation finds
- Levels exceed federal guidelines for hundreds of thousands
- 18% of test results exceed far laxer US standard
Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been unwittingly exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water, according to an investigation that tested drinking water in hundreds of homes and reviewed thousands more previously undisclosed results.
Residents in some homes in Montreal and Regina, in the western prairies, are among those drinking and cooking with tap water with lead levels that exceed Canada’s federal guidelines. The investigation found some schools and daycare centers had lead levels so high that researchers noted it could harm children’s health.
Continue reading...Can ‘nests’ and eco bikes reduce the environmental impact of parcel delivery in cities?
Cities are testing new systems to reduce the pollution and congestion caused by of the final leg of a package’s journey from warehouse to doorstep
The cube truck sidled up to a row of parked cars on a busy Montreal street and threw on its hazard lights, blocking a lane of traffic. The driver hopped out with a package in hand and disappeared into a building, leaving a bottleneck of frustrated drivers in his wake.
“This is exactly what we’re trying to change,” said Agathe Besse-Bergier, a project coordinator with the city, as she watched the scene unfold.
Continue reading...Google sister company agrees to scale back controversial Toronto project
Sidewalk Labs agreed to 12 acres for a hi-tech waterfront neighbourhood rather than the 190 announced in June
The Google sister company Sidewalk Labs has agreed to scale back and refine its approach to a controversial hi-tech neighbourhood it has proposed for a swath of Toronto’s prime waterfront land.
Instead of developing 190 acres of property, as it pitched in June, Sidewalk agreed on Thursday to scale back its plan to the 12 acres it first envisioned in its response to a request for proposals two years ago.
Continue reading...Crew for troubled polar tour firm say they haven’t been paid in months
Canada-based One Ocean Expeditions cancelled recent trip to Antarctica after it was unable to purchase sufficient fuel
An adventure travel company that charges upwards of US$20,000 for a single trip to polar regions has failed to pay many of its contractors in nearly a year, leaving some unable to cover living expenses, according to current and former crew.
Related: Polar cruise boom harming the Arctic, explorer warns
Continue reading...Canada: Somali man found guilty of attempted murder in truck attack
Abdulahi Hasan Sharif stabbed officer and struck four pedestrians while trying flee to September 2017 incident, authorities say
A Somali immigrant who ran down a Canadian police officer with a truck and then stabbed him repeatedly was found guilty on Friday of attempted murder, the crown prosecutor’s office said.
Related: Edmonton terror attacks: suspect was known to Canadian security services
Continue reading...Glacial rivers absorb carbon faster than rainforests, scientists find
‘Total surprise’ discovery overturns conventional understanding of rivers
In the turbid, frigid waters roaring from the glaciers of Canada’s high Arctic, researchers have made a surprising discovery: for decades, the northern rivers secretly pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at a rate faster than the Amazon rainforest.
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, flip the conventional understanding of rivers, which are largely viewed as sources of carbon emissions.
Continue reading...Trudeau faces rough road as Canada’s minority parties lay out their conditions
PM faces landscape that will require skill to pass legislation – and rivals who could unseat his government on a whim
After eking out a win in the first major test of his popularity since sweeping to power in 2015, Justin Trudeau was given his first taste of minority government on Tuesday, as rival party leaders begin laying out their conditions for the Liberal leader to remain as Canada’s prime minister.
“Everything is on the table,” Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the leftwing New Democratic party, told reporters.
Continue reading...Conservatives have put Trudeau on notice, says Andrew Scheer – video
Canada's Conservative party leader, Andrew Scheer, said he had spoken to Justin Trudeau to congratulate him on winning the most seats. In his concession speech he added that the election result, in which the Liberals lost 20 seats, showed that the 'Conservatives have put Trudeau on notice'. Scheer said: 'Mr Trudeau, when your government falls, Conservatives will be ready and we will win'
- Canada election 2019: 'We'll govern for everyone' says Trudeau, after narrow win – as it happened
- Canada elections: Justin Trudeau wins narrow victory to form minority government
Canada election 2019: ‘We’ll govern for everyone’ says Trudeau, after narrow win – as it happened
Liberal Party holds on to power in Canadian federal election, but loses majority
We’re now going to close our live coverage of the Canadian election. Here is an updated version of the summary my colleague Kate Lyons posted earlier.
Related: Justin Trudeau's victory is a death knell for Canada's fledgling far-right
Related: Canada elections: Justin Trudeau wins narrow victory to form minority government
The Liberal party has tweeted this photo of Justin Trudeau embracing supporters.
To everyone who knocked doors, made calls, came to an event, donated, voted - THANK YOU! pic.twitter.com/EijoiAVRz6
Andrew Scheer and Canada's Conservatives are committed to putting more money in your pockets so you can get ahead.#cdnpoli #elxn43 pic.twitter.com/Pbbh5T5328
We're here because of every door knocked and dollar donated. Every story shared. Every Canadian who believed in Jagmeet and our team. We're so grateful to each and every one of you.
Tomorrow our work together starts again. Tonight, let's celebrate a truly unforgettable campaign. pic.twitter.com/wYeOOxDu5G
Le Québec, c’est vous. ⚜️#polcan #elxn43 #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/qKqaH7anC3
Continue reading...Trudeau triumphs in Canadian election – in pictures
Justin Trudeau has won a second term as Canada’s prime minister, losing his majority but delivering unexpectedly strong results despite having been weakened by a series of scandals that tarnished his image as a liberal icon
Continue reading...Trudeau says voters chose ‘progressive agenda’ after Canadian election win – video
Justin Trudeau has won a second term as prime minister of Canada and will lead a minority government as his Liberal party led in 146 out of 304 electoral districts. Addressing supporters, Trudeau said the country had voted in favour of a 'progressive agenda' and committed his government to fighting for all Canadians, not just those who voted for him.
Early on Tuesday, barely a minute after Andrew Scheer started addressing supporters at Conservative HQ, Trudeau took to the stage in Montreal to deliver his victory speech, in a highly unconventional moment of political scheduling
- Canada election 2019: victorious Justin Trudeau says voters chose 'progressive agenda' – live
- Canada elections: Justin Trudeau wins narrow victory to form minority government
Justin Trudeau’s victory is a death knell for Canada’s fledgling far-right
Canada’s 43rd election campaign capped a particularly bruising year for Trudeau, but in the end his right-leaning rivals fared worse
Liberal supporters trickled into the party headquarters in downtown Montreal on Monday night, apparently worried that they were about to witness an electoral comeuppance for Justin Trudeau.
Yet any jitters quickly turned to cheers as the party secured a minority government, thereby rescuing Trudeau’s legacy – and probably tilting Canada’s political landscape further to the left in the process.
Continue reading...Canada elections: Justin Trudeau wins narrow victory to form minority government
Liberals secure four more years in power despite lingering criticism over handling of corruption inquiry and blackface scandal
Justin Trudeau has won a second term as Canada’s prime minister after the country’s federal election, but his narrow victory means he will lead a minority government that will be forced to depend on other parties to govern.
The Liberals were leading or victorious in 146 out of 304 electoral districts that had reported results by about 10:30pm Toronto time on Monday, according to the national broadcaster CBC. Trudeau needed to win 170 seats to secure a second majority government.
Continue reading...McDonald’s get their scampi in a bunch over burger joint’s Effing Filet O’ Fish
When the fast-food giant’s lawyers swooped on a small Canadian restaurant over its fish burger, the response was pithy
When Canadian chef Paul Shufelt decided to market a new burger at his Edmonton restaurant, he wanted to pay homage to the fast-food greats that have come before him – not find himself embroiled in a legal battle with a multinational corporation.
After creating a cod burger with coleslaw and red onions, Woodshed Burgers named their newest item the Effing Filet O’ Fish, a reference to both local company Effing Seafood, which provided the seafood, and the famous McDonald’s sandwich.
Continue reading...Justin Trudeau is a fake progressive. Now Canada must vote for real ones | Martin Lukacs
Ahead of Monday’s election, little divides the Liberal prime minister and the reactionary Conservatives. But there is an alternative
How far Justin Trudeau’s star has fallen. In 2015, the rise of this hopey-changey wunderkind was supposed to usher in a bold new Canadian era: democratic reform, ambitious climate action, a plan to tackle inequality, and a new, respectful relationship with Indigenous peoples. But his Liberal party’s bid for re-election, ahead of the election on Monday, looks altogether different: this campaign is dominated by warnings, in ominous tones, about the threat posed by a resurgent, rightwing Conservative party.
Related: Canada election: can Trudeau excite young voters let down by broken promises?
Continue reading...Canadian elections: can Justin Trudeau hold on to power? – video explainer
The Canadian prime minister’s progressive shine is looking tarnished and shop-worn as the country heads to the polls on 21 October – and Justin Trudeau is now in the fight of his political life.
In 2015, Trudeau was a proudly progressive candidate who promised to fight the climate crisis, repair a broken relationship with indigenous people and resettle Syrian refugees, but fours years of scandals have left young voters uncertain of Trudeau’s promise to do politics differently, as the Guardian’s Canada correspondent, Leyland Cecco, explains
British family deported after saying they accidentally crossed US border
Family of seven were detained for nearly two weeks after crossing into Washington state, saying they were trying to avoid an animal in the road
Lawyers for a British family who made an unauthorized crossing from Canada into the United States say the family have been deported after nearly two weeks in federal custody.
Bridget Cambria says US Immigration and Customs Enforcement told her all seven members of the family, including an infant and toddler twins, were headed back to England. Ice declined comment Wednesday afternoon, saying it did not discuss “removal arrangements” before deportees are back in their own country.
Continue reading...Backlash after Booker awards prize to two authors
Decision to make first black female winner, Bernardine Evaristo, share £50,000 prize with Margaret Atwood causes controversy
The Booker prize judges’ decision to break the rules and jointly award the prize to Margaret Atwood and Bernadine Evaristo has been criticised, with detractors pointing out that the first black woman ever to win Britain’s most prestigious literary award has had to share it – while receiving half the usual money.
Chair of the judges Peter Florence shocked the literary world on Monday night when he revealed that the jury had decided – unanimously, he said – to flout rules, which have been in place since 1992, that the Booker “may not be divided or withheld”. After more than five hours of deliberation, he announced that this year’s £50,000 award would be split between Atwood’s follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, and Evaristo’s polyphonic novel Girl, Woman, Other. Told in the voices of 12 different characters, mostly black women, Evaristo has said that the novel, her eighth, stems from the fact that “we black British women know that if we don’t write ourselves into literature, no one else will”.
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