Author: Sam Allcock

TORONTO — Dr. Ben, a Toronto-based folk-blues recording artist whose music draws on decades of work as a travelling physician in rural Canada, has released a new single, “Cure Your Blues,” marking a sharper turn into blues-rock intensity while keeping the narrative focus that has defined his early independent catalogue. The track, released today on major streaming platforms, blends fingerpicking guitar with heavier blues licks and lyrics built around heartbreak and emotional exhaustion. The song also leans into medical imagery, using the language of treatment and recovery to frame a relationship that, in the narrator’s view, becomes transactional and damaging.…

TORONTO — Irish Millie, a 19-year-old fiddler, singer and multi-instrumentalist, is continuing her rapid rise in Canada’s roots and folk music scene with the release of her new single, “WASTED,” a track that explores independence, distance and the emotional clarity that can come with growing up. The single is positioned as a central release from her EP Between Then and Now, a project that reflects what Millie describes as the quiet transformation that happens between major life chapters. Written during her first year away from home after moving from Peterborough to Toronto for university, “WASTED” draws on everyday details—laundry, packed…

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. — The City of Prince Albert is reporting a sharp increase in snow-related service requests after a week of warm temperatures softened road surfaces and created ruts in high-traffic areas, with crews now working to address hardened conditions as colder weather returns. City officials said the past week brought numerous requests from residents concerned about road safety and winter driving conditions, particularly in neighbourhood entrances and other busy locations where traffic volume and the use of road salt contributed to rutting. “As expected, these conditions softened snow on roads, especially at neighbourhood entrances and busy spots, where…

OTTAWA — Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner has scheduled a coroner’s inquest into the death of Taher Hashemi, who died in custody at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre in 2021, with proceedings set to begin Feb. 2, 2026. Dr. Louise McNaughton-Filion, Regional Supervising Coroner for the East Region at the Ottawa Office, announced Friday that the inquest will start at 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 2. Dr. Geoffrey Bond will preside over the hearing, and Jai Dhar has been appointed inquest counsel. Hashemi, 49, died on Aug. 24, 2021, while detained at the provincial correctional facility. Under Ontario’s Coroners Act,…

SAYWARD, B.C. — The Village of Sayward and the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) are moving forward with a detailed hazard evaluation of the Newcastle Creek landslide after securing emergency funding from the provincial Ministry of Emergency Management & Climate Readiness (EMCR), as local officials continue to monitor drinking water conditions following prolonged rainfall. In an update issued Friday, the Village and SRD said the evaluation will focus on the current condition of the slope within and surrounding the landslide area, which is located entirely on Crown land. The work is intended to provide a clearer picture of potential risks to…

ORILLIA, Ont. — The Ontario government is investing an additional $700 million to upgrade and expand aging water and wastewater infrastructure in 127 municipalities and First Nations communities, a move it says will support housing construction, job creation and community resilience across the province. The funding will be delivered through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP), a provincial initiative designed to help communities build core infrastructure needed to enable new housing. Ontario increased MHIP to a total of $4 billion last year, with the Health and Safety Water Stream (HSWS) now accounting for $875 million of the overall program. The…

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. — Drivers in Prince Albert will soon have more ways to pay for parking as the city moves to modernize its downtown meters and municipal lots with online payment options and a new mobile parking app expected to launch in early 2026. The City of Prince Albert says residents and visitors will be able to pay for hourly, weekly or monthly parking online at meters and lots across the city, providing an alternative to traditional payment methods such as coins, meter cards and hard-copy permits. While the new options are aimed at improving convenience, the city says…

Washington, D.C. — Conservation groups filed a lawsuit today challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of isocycloseram, a “forever chemical” insecticide that falls into the class of highly persistent PFAS, or per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances. The insecticide was approved for use on golf courses, lawns and a host of food crops, including apples, oranges, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, cucumbers, peaches, almonds, wheat, and oats. The EPA found that isocycloseram reduced testicle size, lowered sperm counts and harmed the liver in animal studies sponsored by the pesticide’s manufacturer. Australian regulators found that the pesticide also induced skeletal malformations in fetal rats, but that finding…

SAULT STE. MARIE — Ontario has opened a new Indigenous-led Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in the Algoma region, expanding access to mental health, addictions and housing-related supports as the province rolls out a network of 28 hubs designed to prioritize treatment and recovery. The new hub is operated by Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services and will deliver services in Sault Ste. Marie, Blind River and Sagamok Anishnawbek, providing culturally relevant, community-based care for individuals experiencing housing instability, mental health challenges and substance use issues. The launch is part of Ontario’s nearly $550 million investment to establish…

TORONTO — The Ontario government is investing $7 million to help protect Evergreen Brick Works from extreme weather and strengthen the site’s role as a major Toronto tourism and community destination, as the province highlights climate-resilient infrastructure as a growing economic and public safety priority. The funding will support the Evergreen Brick Works Recovery and Climate Resilience project, aimed at upgrading key public spaces and critical infrastructure at the Don Valley site, which has become one of Canada’s first large-scale community environmental hubs. The province says the project is intended not only to repair damage and reduce future risk, but…