Canada at risk of another devastating wildfire season, federal government warns

The federal government says Canada could face another destructive wildfire season because of an unusually warm winter, widespread drought conditions and a forecast of above-normal temperatures in the months ahead. Officials said during a technical briefing Wednesday that more dry, hot weather is expected this spring and summer, putting much of the country at greater … Read more

Quebec multinational GardaWorld hit by $30M heist at southern California storage facility

Thieves got away with $30 million US in cash from a money storage facility in Los Angeles by breaking into the building on Easter Sunday and cracking the safe. Now, detectives are seeking to unravel the brazen cash heist, reportedly one of the largest on record in Los Angeles. Police Cmdr. Elaine Morales told The … Read more

Is milk safe to drink? Can you catch bird flu from beef? What to know about H5N1 cattle outbreaks

Confirmation that a dangerous form of bird flu is circulating among U.S. dairy cattle has raised questions among dairy producers — and consumers — on both sides of the border. Dairy and beef farmers are implementing biosecurity measures to keep H5N1 out of their herds, while Canadians are understandably concerned about what these outbreaks could … Read more

Major earthquake strikes off of Taiwan’s coast, killing at least 9 and injuring hundreds

The strongest earthquake in a quarter-century rocked Taiwan during the morning rush hour Wednesday, killing nine people, stranding dozens of workers at quarries and sending some residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings. The quake, which also injured more than 1,000, was centered off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings … Read more

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

This business owner brought most of her manufacturing home from China — and feels punished for it

A Canadian company that manufactures children’s toy couches finds itself facing a stiff bill for import tariffs after bringing production home to this country. While Barumba Play is no longer importing a majority of its product, a single component of the couches has been reclassified by the Canada Border Services Agency and is no longer … Read more

Wildfires made Canada’s air quality worse than the U.S. for the first time

Canada’s record-setting wildfire season hiked the country up global pollution rankings — and for the first time made its air quality worse than the U.S., according to a new report by air quality technology company IQAir. “In previous years, Canada had the cleanest air quality in all of North America,” said Glory Dolphin Hammes, CEO of … Read more

Niagara Falls, Ont., mayor, police and telecoms brace for eclipse day crowds as 1 million visitors expected

Niagara Falls, Ont., mayor Jim Diodati says that when he goes out on April 8 to watch the total solar eclipse, he’s packing everything he might need for the entire day. “My plan is I’m riding my bike down there with my backpack. And it’s going to be loaded with cereal bars and water bottles. … Read more

NWMO reaffirms safety of Canada’s 1st nuclear waste repository but there’s still heavy pushback

The body tasked with selecting the future storage site for Canada’s nuclear waste has reaffirmed its confidence in the project’s safety, but others remain concerned about the potential risks of burying spent nuclear fuel hundreds of metres below the earth’s surface. By the end of this year, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is expected to decide … Read more

Montreal-based musician awarded $1.5M in Alberta defamation lawsuit

A Quebec-based electronic music artist hopes to get his career and life back on track after triumphing in an Alberta defamation lawsuit tied to social media posts accusing him of being a sexual predator. “It was terrible. The whole thing was like pure nightmare and hell,” Frederik Durand said in an interview from Montreal. “I … Read more