Author: Sam Allcock

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. — Bus riders in Prince Albert are being urged to plan ahead this week as a combination of frigid temperatures and steady snowfall continues to disrupt local transit operations. City officials say the weather has forced several route alterations, temporary service reductions, and intermittent shutdowns as crews work to keep buses running safely. In a statement issued this week, the City of Prince Albert acknowledged the strain on the municipal transit system and expressed appreciation to riders who have experienced delays and schedule changes. “The City of Prince Albert thanks transit riders for their patience as we…

Cambridge, Ont. — A popular Winterfest attraction is set to make its return to Preston this weekend, as the City of Cambridge brings back Candyland, a one-day family event promising games, entertainment, and seasonal treats in Central Park. Scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Candyland is expected to draw families from across the region with its mix of outdoor activities, live performances, and a dedicated hot chocolate station. The event marks another instalment in the city’s annual Winterfest lineup, known for encouraging outdoor community engagement during the colder months. City officials say Candyland’s return reflects…

The Ontario government is moving to significantly expand orthopedic surgical capacity across the province with a new $125-million investment aimed at reducing wait times and increasing access to hip and knee replacements. The funding, announced Monday, will support up to 20,000 additional publicly funded orthopedic procedures over the next two years and introduce four newly licensed community surgical and diagnostic centres dedicated to orthopedic care. Speaking at the OV Surgical Centre in Toronto, one of the sites selected to begin offering these services, Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the investment is intended to accelerate access to high-demand…

SURREY — Fraser Health is urging residents to take precautions against carbon monoxide exposure as colder temperatures drive people indoors and increase reliance on fuel-burning heating systems. The warning comes amid new regional data showing hundreds of emergency visits and more than a hundred deaths linked to the toxic gas in recent years across British Columbia. Between Jan. 1, 2018, and Oct. 31, 2024, Fraser Health recorded 654 carbon monoxide–related visits to its Emergency Departments. Provincewide, carbon monoxide poisoning has caused more than 120 deaths since 2012. Health officials say the figures highlight an ongoing and preventable public-safety risk as…

OTTAWA — Ontario is moving ahead with a modular housing project in the capital, partnering with the City of Ottawa and Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa on a 33-unit townhome development that provincial officials say will test new approaches to boosting homeownership in the province. The homes, to be built at 40 Beechcliffe Street in the city’s west end, are the first major construction initiative announced under the Ontario-Ottawa New Deal — a multi-year agreement that commits the city to deploying surplus land for attainable housing while the province provides operating and capital support. Ground preparation at the Beechcliffe site…

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is placing renewed emphasis on energy security, market reform and workforce readiness as geopolitical tensions and rapid clean-energy transitions reshape global energy systems. A series of high-level meetings, new analyses and international training initiatives underscored the agency’s expanding role across Europe, North America and emerging economies in recent weeks. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol joined European Commission leaders in Brussels to praise the European Union’s newly approved plan to end all natural gas imports from Russia by 2027. Calling the agreement a defining geopolitical milestone, Dr. Birol said it marked the close of a half-century…

Ontario will invest $20 million in new safety measures for community-based child-care centres as part of a provincial initiative announced Monday, creating a fund named in honour of Liam Riazati, a young child killed in a vehicle collision at a Richmond Hill child-care facility earlier this year. The Liam Riazati Memorial Fund, unveiled by the Ministry of Education, is designed to help licensed operators install concrete barriers intended to shield children from the risk of vehicular impact. The move follows a September 2025 incident that prompted widespread concern about the safety of child-care locations situated near parking areas or sites…

Fraser Health is advising expectant parents in two Metro Vancouver communities to prepare for possible changes to their planned birth locations over the holiday season, citing a temporary shortage of obstetrician-gynecologists at Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock and Ridge Meadows Hospital in Maple Ridge. The health authority says gaps in physician coverage on select dates mean some patients in labour may be redirected to other maternity sites to ensure consistent, safe care. The update, issued this week, affects people who had been planning to deliver at either facility. According to Fraser Health, all patients currently registered to give birth…

TORONTO — Ontario officials used the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Friday to restate the province’s commitment to addressing gender-based violence, invoking the memory of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre and emphasizing ongoing efforts to strengthen prevention and support services. The day, observed annually on Dec. 6, commemorates the murder of 14 women and the injuring of 13 others at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. The event has become a national symbol of the urgent need to confront misogyny, protect survivors, and prevent violence before it occurs. Governments, community organizations and advocacy groups across Canada…

VANCOUVER — A major ruling from the British Columbia Court of Appeal (BCCA) is being hailed as a watershed moment for Indigenous rights in the province, with First Nations leadership and civil liberties advocates calling it a decisive affirmation of the legal authority of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act). The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) and the First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) are celebrating the outcome, which they say clarifies the provincial government’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration). The organizations jointly intervened in the case,…