Automaker says it’s ‘firmly committed to the future of its Canadian operations’ Stellantis is offering a “retirement incentive program” to employees at its Ontario assembly plants in Windsor and Brampton ahead of a multibillion-dollar shift to electric vehicle production, but the automaker is not commenting on how much it expects to shrink its workforce. In a statement on Tuesday, the company formerly known as Fiat Chrysler said the incentives are for eligible employees. The company said the “workforce reduction” would take place over the next couple of months but it would not directlyRead more

Virtanen was charged with one count of sexual assault in January A 12-person jury has found former Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen not guilty of sexual assault. Virtanen was charged with one count of sexual assault in January following an investigation by Vancouver police. The Crown and defence counsel finished their closing arguments Monday by focusing on the reliability of the trial’s two witnesses and their conflicting testimony. Virtanen, 25, and the complainant were the only witnesses called to testify. The hockey player maintained his innocence throughout the trial inRead more

Apology fails to recognize ‘full role of the church in the residential school system,’ former senator says The former Manitoba senator who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada says there’s a “deep hole” in the apology issued by Pope Francis Monday for the role Catholics played in Canada’s residential school system. Murray Sinclair says the historic apology, although meaningful to many residential school survivors and their families, fell short of Call to Action 58 in the final report. It specifically called on the Pope to issue an apology “for the Roman CatholicRead more

Candidates in Ward 1 and Ward 8 focus on online connections and in-person events over door-knocking It can be hard to knock on doors if you use a wheelchair to get around – so two Hamilton candidates in the upcoming municipal election are running their campaigns a little differently. Anthony Frisina (Ward 8) and Ian MacPherson (Ward 1), who both use wheelchairs, plan to run their campaigns largely without door-to-door canvassing, relying on in-person events and online engagement in their attempts to secure seats on city council. Frisina, who isRead more

Norman Yak’eula is hiking the historic Canol Trail in N.W.T. When Pope Francis addresses residential school survivors in Maskwacis, Alberta on Monday, one survivor won’t be in the audience or watching it on a screen. Instead, Norman Yak’eula plans to be trekking hundreds of kilometres northwest, deep in the Mackenzie Mountains and dense bush of the Northwest Territories, following the ancestral route of the Sahtú Dene and Métis. “This is my spirituality,” said Yak’eula. “I want to go back to my own church, my own people.” Skepticism, wariness and hope asRead more

Smiths Falls, Ont. golfer holds off American Sophia Schubert in final round Brooke Henderson closed out The Amundi Evian Championship strong on Sunday to win her second career major, aided by three birdies in the final five holes. The Smiths Falls, Ont. native carried a two-shot lead into the final round in Evian-les-Bains, France, thanks in large part to being the first player in LPGA history to begin a major with two rounds of 64 or lower. The 24-year-old shot a 71 in the fourth round to clinch her victory, finishing one shot aheadRead more

7 people began 625 km walk toward The Pas on Highway 6 Friday, vow to raise awareness of situation A small group of people evacuated from Mathias Colomb Cree Nation due to a wildfire risk are walking hundreds of kilometres back toward their community in protest of the treatment they say they’ve received from the Canadian Red Cross. The group of seven began the 625-kilometre walk northwest from Winnipeg to The Pas along Highway 6 on Friday and vowed to keep going in hopes of raising awareness of their situation. “WeRead more

Former firefighter Émile-Antoine Roy-Sirois, 31, died July 18, said American volunteer Marie-France Sirois hadn’t heard news about her son for days, until his best friend in the army called. “I knew it was the end,” she said. Her son, Émile-Antoine Roy-Sirois, 31, died on July 18, according to his friend, Adriel Martinez, an American volunteer in Ukraine. Roy-Sirois left Montreal in March to lend support to Ukrainian troops following Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24. Sirois is hoping to bring her son’s body back to Montreal after she spent months pleadingRead more

Taking the scenic route can make the journey as magical as the destination, say rail enthusiasts Flight delays, cancellations and lost baggage, like many Canadians have faced during travel this summer, is not the best way to start a vacation. But there are alternatives — it just might take a little longer to get to where you’re going. “Slow travel can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some, it could mean, say, visiting a destination and spending a lot of time there rather thanRead more

Warm weather in spring 2021 favoured growth of parasitic bug that attacks, feeds on bees, expert says Nearly half of Canada’s honeybee colonies didn’t survive the winter, the largest rate of colony loss in the country in the last 20 years, according to preliminary data. “That’s pretty disturbing,” said Ernesto Guzman, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists, which surveyed commercial beekeepers across the country. Many factors can lead to the deaths of bees, but Guzman said he assumes the main factor behind the losses is the varroa miteRead more