Disorder can permanently disfigure waterfowl and lead to horrific deaths: wildlife rehabilitation manager Manitoba bird experts are warning the public to think twice about feeding bread to wild birds after two mallards were seen at Winnipeg’s St. Vital Park with signs of a condition known as angel wing — a syndrome that affects aquatic birds like ducks and geese and can permanently deform their wings. Angel wing is caused by a nutritional deficiency that comes from humans feeding wild birds foods high in carbohydrates and sugar, such as bread. “As a result,Read more

CUPE gave 5-day notice of potential provincewide strike Sunday The Ontario government will table legislation Monday to prevent a strike by education workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Earlier on Sunday CUPE gave the required five days’ notice for job action, positioning 55,000 workers — including educational assistants, custodians and early childhood educators — to go on full strike as soon as Friday. The government and education workers returned to the bargaining table Sunday afternoon but Education Minister Stephen Lecce issued a statement Sunday night saying the unionRead more

Evacuees of apartment building damaged during storm still trying to find long-term housing A month after post-tropical storm Fiona hit Nova Scotia, 96 people in Cape Breton are still being housed by the Red Cross because they don’t have a home to return to. Many of those being housed in residences at Cape Breton University or hotels are from an apartment building on Rotary Drive in Sydney. The building’s roof was badly damaged during the storm and residents had to be evacuated. Vishal Singh was among them. He lives and works inRead more

Company removes worker after remote tracking software helped determine they were sleeping on the job The electronic employee surveillance system installed at Lori McEniry’s company helped determine that an employee was sleeping on the job, while working from home. That person ended up being let go. McEniry is the principal owner of Faxinating Solutions Inc. in Quebec, which employs roughly 40 people, and services the supply chain by processing invoices and purchase orders. She says the tracking began once employees were forced to work from home in March 2020 because ofRead more

U.S. officials kept Washington side of the park open throughout the pandemic One of British Columbia’s last remaining COVID-19 closures has finally been lifted. Peace Arch Provincial Park, the nine-hectare park that straddles the B.C.-Washington state border south of Vancouver, reopened Monday after being closed more than two years ago amid pandemic-related border closures. A statement posted by B.C. Parks says it has been working with the local First Nation, Canadian Border Services Agency, RCMP and other agencies “to ensure the reopening of the park occurs in a safe and respectful manner.”Read more

RCMP has banned officers from wearing patch on uniforms A Saskatchewan Mountie was recently spotted wearing a symbol that has been associated with white nationalist movements while escorting an inmate who had just been sentenced for hate speech. The officer displayed a “thin blue line” patch on the left site of his hat Thursday as he transferred Travis Patron back to jail from Court of King’s Bench in Estevan. Patron, who formed the Canadian Nationalist Party in 2019 and led it in the federal election, was sentenced to one yearRead more

Provincially run liquor stores to close, law allowing for public alcohol consumption to be reintroduced The Saskatchewan government’s latest speech from the throne promises to amend and introduce legislation this fall to defend the province’s jurisdiction over its natural resources. Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty opened the fall sitting of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly on Wednesday with the speech. The speech laid out the government’s agenda and priorities for the session. The list was topped by legislative changes focused on federal government policies: Introducing The Saskatchewan First Act, “to clearly define and defendRead more

Helicopters, rescue boats were called out to take Harvey Humchitt, Jr. from remote Cape Scott to Victoria Harvey Humchitt, Jr. was up at 3 a.m. for the start of his shift at the Cape Scott lighthouse when he started noticing pain in his chest. Humchitt, keeper of the lighthouse on the wild northwest tip of Vancouver Island, says he initially attributed the pain to angina. But by late afternoon he was doubled over. “I was keeling over, grabbing my chest,” he recalled. His partner of 33 years, Todd Maliszewski, with whom he livesRead more

Police conduct controlled detonation; 2 people detained in investigation Toronto police said two people were detained after a possible explosive device was found near Billy Bishop Airport’s mainland ferry terminal on Saturday, prompting an evacuation and a halt to flights. Police said the two people were co-operating with the investigation. In an update shortly after midnight ET, police said they conducted a controlled detonation of the device. Evacuees from buildings near the ferry terminal were cleared to return and the island airport announced it had reopened its runway. Flights resumed Sunday morning, although theRead more

Rob Thomson leads club to 1st NL pennant since 2009 with series win over Padres Bryce Harper slugged his fifth homer of the post-season, a two-run blast in the eighth inning that turned Citizens Bank Park into a madhouse, and the $330 million US slugger powered the Philadelphia Phillies past the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Sunday and into the World Series for the first the time since 2009. Rhys Hoskins also hit a two-run homer to spark Philadelphia’s improbable run to the National League pennant and a shot at itsRead more