Canadian trapped in Gaza pleads for help as Ottawa announces new immigration measures

A Canadian citizen trapped in Gaza is begging for help as Ottawa announces new measures to help family members of Canadians flee the war zone. Mahmoud Kouta of London, Ont. told CBC News he’s been trapped in Gaza since the current Israel-Hamas war broke out. The air and ground war was launched in response to Hamas’s brutal … Read more

Step inside the secretive world of toymakers

At a $3-billion toy company in downtown Toronto, kindergarteners file in with parents and siblings, clad in snowsuits and ready to offer their expertise. They pass a toy museum decked out with Paw Patrol toys, Tech Decks, Bakugan and more, and eventually arrive at a small room with a large two-way mirror. Soon, they’ll be … Read more

E-readers were supposed to kill printed books. Instead, they’re booming

Cost of Living8:55The return of the bookstore When e-readers like the Amazon Kindle burst onto the scene, showing up next to menorahs and under Christmas trees in the early 2000s, they were predicted to bring about the death of the print book — and maybe the independent bookstore too. But publishing sales data and on the … Read more

Tensions emerge in the Liberal caucus over Canada’s UN vote for a Gaza ceasefire

The federal government’s decision to back a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict without certain conditions has prompted a mix of reactions from Liberal MPs. Some say they hope it will bring about peace. Others say it amounts to Canada abandoning Israel while it’s at war with extremists. Some Liberal MPs take issue … Read more

Bear euthanized after Imperial Oil unintentionally bulldozes den

A black bear has been euthanized after its den was “unintentionally bulldozed” by Imperial Oil, the province’s energy regulator told CBC News. The incident occurred on Dec. 6 near the Kearl oilsands project in northern Alberta, according to the company. Imperial Oil spokesperson Lisa Schmidt said in a statement that a contractor was building a drill pad in a previously cleared area … Read more

Feds introduce bill to set drinking water standards in First Nations

The federal government’s proposed new bill to set drinking water standards in First Nations is being met with mixed reactions.  Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu introduced Bill C-61 on Monday in the House of Commons. The proposed law is intended to protect fresh water sources, create minimum national drinking water and wastewater standards in First Nations, and … Read more

Helium startups on the Prairies hope to keep domestic supplies afloat

To the untrained eye, the collection of pipes and structures rising out of the prairie 200 kilometres east of Calgary looks like any other natural gas processing plant in southern Alberta.  But the Steveville plant isn’t focused on extracting hydrocarbons. Instead, the prize it’s seeking deep underground is helium.  The element is most commonly associated with … Read more

This Detroit street can charge EVs as they drive

Crews have installed what’s billed as the first wireless-charging public roadway in the U.S. for electric vehicles. It’s beneath a street just west of downtown Detroit. Copper inductive charging coils allow vehicles equipped with receivers to charge up their batteries while driving, idling or parking above the coils. The segment of 14th Street will be … Read more

‘It scared the hell out of me,’ says lead plaintiff in proposed class-action suit over data breach at 23andMe

A proposed class-action lawsuit against 23andMe could include more people in Canada than originally anticipated, experts say, after the genetic testing company said a data breach affected millions more customers than initially believed. A statement from the company on Tuesday said hackers have gained access to roughly 6.9 million profiles on the site — nearly half its … Read more