Author: Sophie Mitchell

Coastal Fire Centre relaxes restrictions following improved weather conditions CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. — Campfires will once again be permitted across most areas of the Strathcona Regional District beginning Friday afternoon, following a decision by the Coastal Fire Centre to lift its regional campfire ban as weather conditions improve and wildfire risk declines. The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) announced that the updated rules will take effect at 12:00 p.m. on May 15, 2026, allowing residents and visitors in several communities and electoral areas to resume recreational campfires after a period of heightened restrictions. The easing of the ban comes after changing…

Prince Albert Launches Seasonal Roadwork Program Ahead of Summer Construction Season Street Sweeping, Bridge Cleaning and Pothole Repairs Among Key Projects Planned Across the City The City of Prince Albert has begun a series of seasonal street maintenance operations as municipal crews prepare roadways and infrastructure for the upcoming summer construction season. The work, which will continue over the next several weeks, includes street sweeping, bridge cleaning, line painting, pothole patching and crack sealing across multiple areas of the city. City officials said the annual maintenance program is aimed at improving driving conditions, extending the lifespan of roads and ensuring…

Province says investment will support tougher bail measures and rising correctional demands TORONTO — The Ontario government is moving ahead with a major expansion of the province’s adult correctional system, announcing plans to add more than 2,500 permanent jail beds over the next decade as part of a broader strategy aimed at strengthening bail enforcement and keeping repeat offenders in custody. The initiative, backed by a $3 billion provincial investment, is designed to expand correctional capacity while supporting frontline staff through additional hiring, upgraded safety measures and new infrastructure projects across Ontario. The announcement comes as the province continues to…

Vancouver heavy metal band prepares for nationwide run and international album rollout through new label partnership Canadian heavy metal band IRON KINGDOM has announced updated dates for its 2026 cross-country tour as the Vancouver group prepares to release its sixth studio album, Shadows and Dust, on June 6 through a new partnership with Steel Shark Records. The upcoming release marks a significant step for the band, which has spent more than a decade building a following within the traditional heavy metal scene through extensive touring across Canada, the United States, Europe and Brazil. Under the agreement with Steel Shark Records,…

Province launches major phase of highway project aimed at reducing congestion in York Region and Simcoe County BRADFORD, Ont. — The Ontario government has officially begun major construction on the long-awaited Bradford Bypass, advancing a key infrastructure project intended to ease traffic congestion and improve transportation links between York Region and Simcoe County. The province said construction of the new four-lane highway is expected to reduce travel times across the region by up to 35 minutes while supporting approximately 2,200 jobs annually and contributing as much as $286 million to Ontario’s gross domestic product. Premier Doug Ford said the start…

Federal and Provincial Funding Supports Market-Ready Farming and Food Processing Technologies Investment aims to improve competitiveness, resilience and sustainability across Ontario’s agri-food sector The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing nearly $1 million through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to help Ontario farmers and food processors adopt innovative technologies and commercialize new agricultural solutions. Announced by Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness on May 14, the funding is intended to support projects that transform research into practical, market-ready products and services for the agri-food industry. The initiative is part of a broader effort by both levels…

City exceeds provincial housing target as Ontario pushes ahead with homebuilding strategy PICKERING, Ont. — The Ontario government is providing the City of Pickering with more than $4.4 million through the province’s Building Faster Fund after the municipality exceeded its provincially assigned housing target in 2025. The funding, announced Thursday, rewards municipalities that achieve at least 80 per cent of their annual housing goals. Pickering surpassed its target by 14 per cent last year after construction began on 1,477 new homes, according to the province. The city will receive $4,410,987 in the third round of funding under the Building Faster…

Palestine Solidarity Campaign Analysis Highlights Growing Political Support in Wales New analysis from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) indicates that nearly 40 per cent of newly elected Members of the Senedd support the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, including a majority of members within the newly formed Welsh Government Cabinet. According to the figures released by PSC, 36 of the 96 Members of the Senedd (MSs) signed the organisation’s “Senedd Pledge for Palestine,” which includes support for BDS measures aimed at Israel. Among those who signed are 33 members from Plaid Cymru, both Green Party MSs,…

604 Records Revives Long Out-of-Print Debut From Vancouver Island Power Pop Group Victoria-based band 64 Funnycars is returning to the spotlight with the reissue of its debut album Happy Go Lucky, a project that captures a formative era in Canada’s independent music scene and the influence of campus radio culture in the late 1980s. The reissue, released through 604 Records’ 604 Decades imprint, arrives May 27, 2026, preceded by a three-song teaser on May 6 featuring “The Barbeque Party,” “Flat World,” and “Dull Daddy-O.” The release marks a renewed push to introduce the band’s melodic punk and power pop sound…

Federal judge finds Fish and Wildlife Service violated Endangered Species Act in pesticide assessment WASHINGTON — A U.S. federal court has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to adequately protect more than 1,500 endangered species from the harmful effects of the pesticide malathion, marking a significant legal setback for federal regulators and a major victory for environmental advocacy groups. The ruling stems from a legal challenge brought by the Center for Biological Diversity against the agency’s 2022 biological opinion on malathion, an insecticide widely used in agriculture and mosquito control. In that assessment, the Service concluded that…