TikTok, Snapchat respond as Ontario school boards sue social media giants

Four major Ontario school boards are taking some of the largest social media companies to court over their products, alleging the way they’re designed has negatively rewired the way children think, behave and learn and disrupted the way schools operate. The public district school boards of Toronto, Peel and Ottawa-Carleton, along with Toronto’s Catholic counterpart, are looking for … Read more

What’s wrong with this picture? Plenty, say experts

What was intended as a simple family photo has become a royal headache for Princess Catherine and her family, after social media users and photo experts pointed out numerous inconsistencies that suggest the photo was heavily manipulated. A disappearing sleeve, a misaligned zipper and green summertime leaves are just a few details that have raised questions … Read more

Toronto ride-share, food delivery drivers strike, calling for more fair pay, better work conditions

Dozens of ride-share and food delivery drivers in Toronto staged a strike Wednesday, calling for more fair pay and better treatment after a recent report found that what some drivers make falls well below Ontario’s minimum wage. In a joint report published Monday, Ridefair Toronto and the Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario (RDAO) said some … Read more

High interest rates aren’t to blame for housing crisis, Bank of Canada governor says

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says the central bank can’t solve the housing crisis with interest rates because the root cause is a supply shortage. Macklem faced multiple questions on housing affordability during an appearance before the finance committee on Thursday — one week after the bank yet again kept its key overnight interest rate at … Read more

In case you weren’t aware, outdoor cats are stone-cold killers

There are differing opinions on cats’ personalities and behaviour: They’re affectionate, they’re aloof, they love you, they hate you. Then there’s the undeniable fact of what they become when left to roam free outside: indiscriminate, stone-cold killers. A new study has found cats roaming free prey upon almost any animal, reptile, insect, and amphibian around the world … Read more

Time’s up for some short-term rentals in B.C. as new housing rules look set to transform scene

Nancy Paine’s short-term rental business is dead in the water. As co-founder and CEO of Victoria-based Superhost, Paine said she had been at the forefront of the Airbnb revolution for seven years, acting as a “liaison” for homeowners needing help with the logistics of running a listing on the accommodation site. At the peak of … Read more

Grocery code of conduct will raise prices, not lower them, Loblaws and Walmart tell lawmakers

The head of Canada’s biggest grocery chain says the looming implementation of the grocery code of conduct would lead to higher prices for consumers, not lower ones. Speaking at a House of Commons agriculture committee meeting on Thursday morning on stabilizing food prices, Galen Weston, executive chairman of the Loblaws group of companies, said his … Read more