Shoppers Drug Mart faces proposed class action for alleged ‘unethical corporate practices’

A former Shoppers Drug Mart franchise owner has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the Canadian retail pharmacy chain, and its parent company Loblaw, alleging the companies imposed “unsafe and unethical” corporate practices on franchise owner pharmacists to increase profits. The claim was filed in Ontario Superior Court last week and intends to cover … Read more

Rust armourer sentenced to 18 months over fatal on-set shooting by Alec Baldwin

A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the western film Rust during a hearing Monday in which tearful family members and friends gave testimonials that included calls for justice and a punishment that would instill greater accountability for … Read more

How the creators of HBO’s The Sympathizer turned the bestselling novel into a dark, comic romp for TV

On the surface, Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer is the perfect target for adaptation. First off, it’s a novel — one of the more lucrative source materials for an industry perpetually hungry for existing IP and a built-in audience.  Second, it’s a Pulitzer Prize winner, a badge of honour that already proved a boon for similar adaptees like Spotlight, Driving Miss … Read more

Penticton’s beloved broken-winged goose mourned by human ‘flock’

A week has passed but Dave Choukalos still can’t bring himself to sweep the sand out of his truck — evidence of the daily trek the Penticton retiree made for years onto the beach on Okanagan Lake to bring food to Kevin the goose. The last time the 78-year-old saw Kevin was Good Friday — or “Black … Read more

Poilievre calls on Trudeau to meet with premiers opposing federal carbon price

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should convene an emergency meeting with the country’s premiers to discuss the federal carbon price, Conservative Pierre Poilievre wrote in a letter Tuesday. Poilievre circulated the letter following the $15-per-tonne increase to the consumer carbon price that kicked in on Monday. The scheduled increase added about 3.3 cents to the carbon … Read more

Love Lies Bleeding is a bizarro, acid-tinged western set in the ’80s

Where Love Lies Bleeding ends up — full of psychedelic visions, blood-covered bodies and more than a fair amount of screaming — is very different from where the movie starts out.  That’s because the Kristen Stewart-led, Rose Glass-directed bodybuilding crime epic is a genre send-up in just about every way. The film follows Lou (Stewart), a 20-something gym manager … Read more

Bank of Canada worries a rate cut now could overheat the spring housing market

The Bank of Canada is trying to thread a needle. It’s keeping rates higher for longer at least in part because it’s worried a rate cut now could undermine the last two years of pain and progress. “We don’t want to keep monetary policy this restrictive for longer than we have to. But nor do … Read more

PM won’t say whether MP who attacked government’s Gaza policy will stay in current role

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau skirted the question Thursday when he was asked whether one of his key MPs should stay in his parliamentary secretary role after railing against the government’s approach to the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Rob Oliphant, parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, was recorded in a Zoom call with a … Read more

Alaskapox death brings attention to small animal virus

For nine years, Alaska health officials have been aware of an unusual virus causing rare, relatively mild illnesses in the Fairbanks area. But a recent case in another part of the state — this one resulting in a man’s death — has brought new attention to the  Alaskapox virus. Here’s some background on the virus. What … Read more

Heal your broken heart with science — plus ice cream and good wine

Anyone who’s experienced the heartbreak of a relationship ending knows it can be emotionally devastating. But scientists have found that a breakup also has physical effects on our brains — and our bodies.  In Love Hurts: The Science of Heartbreak, a documentary from The Nature of Things, Anthony Morgan speaks with researchers and scientists to … Read more