Canada banning sales of flavoured nicotine pouches in convenience stores, gas stations

Canada banning sales of flavoured nicotine pouches in convenience stores, gas stations

Starting next week, the federal government will impose new restrictions on nicotine pouches to make it illegal to sell them anywhere but from behind a pharmacy counter. Beginning August 28, the pouches, which go by the brand name Zonnic, will be completely banned from convenience store and gas station shelves. Berry Frost and Tropic Breeze flavours … Read more

N.S. swordfish harpoon fleet testing new gear, sets sights on tourism

N.S. swordfish harpoon fleet testing new gear, sets sights on tourism

For more than 20 years, Dale Richardson has walked to the end of a pulpit with a harpoon in hand to take aim at swordfish.  “It’s really an exciting fishery,” said Richardson, who lives in Shelburne County, N.S. “But due to climate change, weather conditions and so on, it’s become very difficult in the last few years … Read more

Over 100,000 short-term rentals could be homes: StatsCan report

Over 100,000 short-term rentals could be homes: StatsCan report

A new report by Statistics Canada shows the country’s total number of short-term rental listings increased by more than 60 per cent between 2017 and 2023, while the number of short-term rental units that could be used as long-term housing grew by more than 80 per cent. The report identified more than 100,000 short-term rentals that … Read more

Sale of Atlantic Canada’s biggest newspaper chain could reduce local content: expert

Sale of Atlantic Canada’s biggest newspaper chain could reduce local content: expert

An expert who tracks Canada’s mainstream media industry says Postmedia’s pending purchase of Atlantic Canada’s largest newspaper chain is almost certain to result in job cuts and a reduction in local content. April Lindgren, a journalism professor with Toronto Metropolitan University, says Postmedia Network Inc. has also made a habit of closing unprofitable publications, having … Read more

Wildlife, including Bear 222 and her cubs, dodge flames of Jasper wildfire

Wildlife, including Bear 222 and her cubs, dodge flames of Jasper wildfire

Parks Canada wants everyone to know that despite the wildfire scorching Jasper National Park, Bear 222 is OK. “She looks like a very healthy grizzly bear right now,” the federal agency said on a social media thread. The bear, fitted with a radio tracking collar, has been followed since the blaze began last week. “Grizzly … Read more

Will the AI chatbot wave come for the federal government?

Will the AI chatbot wave come for the federal government?

Delayed air passengers, disgruntled phone customers and even hungry people craving a slice of pizza increasingly find their pleas to private companies being answered by artificial intelligence. Soon Canadians who need to reach out to the federal government could also find themselves talking to an employee who’s been helped by non-human assistants. Ottawa is working … Read more

Delta still struggling after Crowdstrike outage, cancelling hundreds more flights Monday

Delta still struggling after Crowdstrike outage, cancelling hundreds more flights Monday

Delta Air Lines is struggling to restore normal operations after last week’s crippling global cyber outage, cancelling over 5,000 flights since Friday. Delta on Sunday cancelled 1,250 flights beyond the 3,500 it had already scrapped after a software update by global cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike triggered system problems for Microsoft customers, including many airlines, on Friday. Delta … Read more

Be warned: After global tech outage, phishing schemes and scammers may try to exploit you

Be warned: After global tech outage, phishing schemes and scammers may try to exploit you

Efforts to deal with a global tech outage that caused chaos for travellers, hospitals and banks are underway, but it may not be the end of your computer woes: Phishing schemes trying to reel in businesses and individuals are now coming to light. Security specialists are warning to be aware of malicious actors purporting to be tech specialists offering help to recover … Read more

6.4M quake that struck off B.C. is part of recent ‘swarm’: agency

6.4M quake that struck off B.C. is part of recent ‘swarm’: agency

A series of four earthquakes, including one with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4, struck off the coast of Vancouver Island on Thursday morning, part of an ongoing “swarm” of quakes being detected off the British Columbia coast. The first and largest quake occurred at 8:08 a.m. PT at a depth of 10 kilometres, 183 kilometres southwest of Port … Read more

DFO seeks feedback on draft of Atlantic salmon strategy

DFO seeks feedback on draft of Atlantic salmon strategy

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is seeking feedback on a draft of its national strategy on Atlantic salmon. The goal of the strategy is to restore and maintain Atlantic salmon populations and habitats. The deadline to submit feedback on the draft is July 30, with the department aiming to publish it by the fall. “We hope that the strategy will bring back … Read more