Author: Sophie Mitchell

TORONTO — Massey Hall is set to welcome GRAMMY Award–winning Cuban Canadian musician Alex Cuba to TD Music Hall early next year, marking the celebrated artist’s return to the Toronto stage as he promotes his latest studio album. The performance, scheduled for February 5, 2026, will showcase work from Índole, Cuba’s eleventh album, released earlier this month. Tickets go on sale November 20 at 10 a.m. ET through the TD Music Hall website or the Massey Hall box office. The announcement adds momentum to a milestone year for Cuba, whose decades-long career has earned him broad international recognition for blending…

As respiratory illness season intensifies across British Columbia, Fraser Health is urging parents to plan ahead and understand the range of care options available for sick children—a move the health authority says can ease pressure on emergency departments while reducing stress for families. In a statement issued this week, Fraser Health highlighted the predictable annual surge in respiratory infections and the uncertainty many parents feel when symptoms appear in their children. The authority says the goal this season is to help families “skip the guesswork” by knowing when at-home care is appropriate and when to seek professional support. “We know…

The Ontario government is expanding clinical training for long-term care workers with a new $3.74-million investment aimed at improving the detection and treatment of skin and wound issues among seniors — a leading cause of preventable hospital visits in the sector. The funding will support training for 1,100 staff across the province and is intended to reduce pressure on hospitals while improving residents’ quality of life. Announced Tuesday in Markham, the initiative adds a fourth training stream to a previously launched education program delivered by Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC) and Wounds Canada. The new funding…

The Ontario government is preparing legislation that could require impaired drivers convicted of killing a parent or guardian to provide ongoing child-support payments to surviving children — a move officials say is aimed at strengthening accountability and easing the financial strain families face after tragic road collisions. The proposal, still in development, is expected to form part of a broader legislative package focused on victims’ rights and criminal accountability. It would expand on measures adopted in the Safer Roads and Communities Act, 2024, which introduced tougher penalties for impaired driving, including lifetime licence suspensions for those convicted of impaired driving…

The City of Prince Albert has formalized a new long-term commitment to heritage preservation, signing a 10-year Support Agreement with the Prince Albert Historical Society that will guide municipal funding and collaboration through 2035. The agreement, effective January 1, 2026, replaces a 2009 memorandum and marks the latest chapter in a partnership that has shaped the city’s cultural landscape for more than a century. The Historical Society, founded in 1923, has played a central role in preserving Prince Albert’s archives, historic buildings, and museum collections. Its origins can be traced to a meeting convened by then-Mayor T.C. Davis, where residents…

Ontario is opening applications for the next round of its Sport Hosting Program, committing $3 million to help communities attract and deliver major amateur sport events that stimulate local tourism and generate economic activity. The announcement marks the launch of the 2026–27 program intake and reinforces the province’s strategy to use sport tourism as a catalyst for job creation, visitor spending, and regional economic growth. The Ministry of Sport confirmed that applications are now being accepted through Transfer Payment Ontario until January 12, 2026. The funding supports municipalities and sport organizations hosting national and international amateur competitions, helping offset operational…

The Ontario government is making a significant push to reinforce the resilience of manufacturers affected by U.S. tariffs, announcing $16.5 million in provincial funding for projects designed to boost capacity, re-shore production, and protect jobs across the province. The investment, delivered through the Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF), is expected to support more than $120 million in total corporate investments and help create and safeguard roughly 1,500 jobs. The announcement represents the first round of funding under the OTTF program, with eight companies approved for support. The provincial contribution will help create more than 300 new positions while protecting nearly…

A new publication from Irish author Dennis McIntyre is drawing attention for its detailed account of the sweeping economic, cultural, and technological changes that have reshaped Ireland since the 1960s. Part of My Heart Lies There, released under the Shara Press imprint, offers an in-depth personal narrative that doubles as an accessible social history, capturing the lived experience of rural communities during one of the most significant periods of transition in the country’s modern era. McIntyre, who grew up in the rural west of Ireland, positions his latest work as both a memoir and a reflection on national change. The…

Brantford has joined an elite group of Canadian communities acknowledged for the strength and reliability of their homelessness data, earning a national certification that local officials say reinforces the city’s progress in addressing housing instability. The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) has awarded Brantford-Brant the Foundations Quality By-Name Data 4.0 designation through its Built for Zero Canada initiative. The certification places the community among only nine in the country to achieve the milestone, underscoring that Brantford’s homelessness response system is producing consistent, real-time data required to measure and track progress toward ending homelessness. As the Community Entity responsible for…

The City of Prince Albert’s Budget Committee will convene on November 19, 2025, to begin formal deliberations on the proposed 2026 capital and operating budgets, setting the financial course for the year ahead. The multi-day sessions will determine funding priorities for key city services, from policing and recreation to transit, fire, and road maintenance. City administration has presented a comprehensive financial package outlining both the operating framework and capital investments required to sustain core municipal functions. The proposed 2026 budget will be reviewed, amended as necessary, and ultimately recommended to City Council for final approval later this year. The total…