Spiders were discovered in Nova Scotia on a new bus imported from California The discovery of western black widow spiders in a new bus delivered from California to Sydney, N.S., has led to the closure of Transit Cape Breton’s main Welton Street garage as the facility undergoes fumigation. Cape Breton Regional Municipality spokesperson Christina Lamey said the bus arrived last week after passing through Ontario. The spiders were discovered Monday while the new vehicle was being prepared for use. “It’s definitely been a first in the municipality,” said Lamey. “Our peopleRead more

WARNING: This story contains distressing details New documents related to the former Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ont., have revealed 43 more deaths, according to the survivor-led group overseeing the search for potential unmarked graves at the site. The total number of student deaths, according to documents obtained so far, is 97. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation only lists 48 deaths, while previous updates from the secretariat have said there were 54 deaths. “The impact and the legacy [of residential schools] is felt far beyond the boundaries of communities,” Laura Arndt, the newRead more

Ministry says purpose of enforcement office has been mischaracterized Environment and Climate Change Canada is responding to online reports it says are falsely accusing the ministry of recruiting officers to police climate change. “We are aware of some misleading reports on social media suggesting that we are creating a new enforcement function,” the ministry wrote in a series of tweets on Thursday. “This is false and the record needs to be set straight.” The tweets also addressed claims about a replacement facility for environmental enforcement officers in Winnipeg. According to an article published more than a weekRead more

Player’s dad told teammates his son’s happiest day was when he became captain, Ayr Centennials exec says Eli Palfreyman was the kind of hockey player you wanted on your team and you didn’t want to have to play against, says the Ayr Centennials’ vice-president, among those paying tribute to the popular captain who died this week during a junior tournament. “Eli was the wonderful captain that we were looking forward to have,” Shantz said Thursday outside the North Dumfries Community Complex in the southern Ontario community. “As a captain on the ice, nobody took liberties withRead more

988 will be adopted as the official three digits for the hotline A long-anticipated three-digit suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline will come online in 2023, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said Wednesday. The CRTC said it will use 988 as the hotline’s number — the same three digits adopted for a similar hotline in the United States that launched in July. Mental health experts say Canada needs a 3-digit suicide crisis hotline Minister admits it’s taking Ottawa ‘a long time’ to set up suicide hotline MPs voted unanimouslyRead more

Resources to earn $28.4 billion in 2022-23 fiscal year Alberta’s United Conservative Party government is making the highest ever repayment of debt in the province’s history — $13.4 billion — thanks to a record-breaking surge in resource revenues. Finance Minister Jason Nixon says the repayment, as forecasted in Alberta’s first-quarter update on Wednesday, shows his government’s commitment to fiscal discipline even when the treasury is overflowing with oil and gas money. That discipline includes not restoring the benefits cut via a suspension of indexation three years ago. “We remain focused on using the surplus wisely,Read more

‘We’re just getting kicked … and this is just yet another thing lining up to give us a boot,’ farmer says Alberta farmers say the discussion and misinformation around federal targets to reduce fertilizer emissions are ignoring the voices of local producers and hurting the country’s agriculture industry. The federal government has set a target of reducing emissions from the use of fertilizers by 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030. That target was released almost two years ago but has been thrust back into the political spotlight this summer. Canada’sRead more

Schools are expecting orientation attendance to match pre-pandemic numbers As the countdown to the first day of school begins, post-secondary institutions in Canada are getting ready to host their first fully in-person orientation week for incoming students — a rite of passage that was postponed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For Maddie Fines, a first-year student at Trent University in Peterborough, Ont., it’s a chance for a fresh start. “I’m really looking forward to just branching out and meeting new people,” she told CBC News. This excitement is feltRead more

Manufacturing and distributing will be hit hardest, according to a new climate-based analysis Floods, droughts and major storms that wash out highways, damage buildings and affect power grids could cost Canada’s economy $139 billion over the next 30 years, a new climate-based analysis predicts. The report, titled Aquanomics, was published Monday by GHD, a global engineering and architecture services firm. In an interview with CBC News, the firm’s Canadian water lead Don Holland said that the value of water and the costs associated with it are underacknowledged. “I think we all knowRead more

Discontent with CAQ, Liberals has English speakers exploring their options Standing before a crowd of cheering supporters after winning a historic majority in 2018, François Legault took a moment to address anglophones in the province. “I want to assure you that my government will be your government,” he said, speaking in English. Days later, Legault appointed himself the minister responsible for the English-speaking community, saying he would “govern in a respectful manner with the historical anglophone community.” But in the years since, many anglophones say, Legault has failed to live upRead more