Sign in Join now, it's FREE! with only some final flashing remaining to be installed This work will be completed as other exterior work progresses for the project More Spotlight > Three members of the Legion Hapkido captured medals on Saturday at the Northern Ontario Martial Arts Championship in Elliot Lake Julianna Agustin and Madison Beriault-Farrell won silver medals in team demonstrations colour belts.  Beriault-Farrell also won a gold medal in forms while Agustin won a bronze medal in the same event The duo will go on to compete at the WKC Nationals competition on May 16-18 in Ottawa Steven Jensen captured three silver medals on Saturday weapons and forms in the 35+ men's black belt division When his elderly mother was admitted to Sault Area Hospital a couple years ago Eloi worried she would no longer be able to take care of herself where she exhibited signs of mental decline while living with her sister Mike wanted her to be reunited with her husband Clarence – who was already a resident at F.J Davey Home – so they could spend their remaining days together “My whole goal was to have my parents reunited before the inevitable,” Mike told SooToday “Even if they had been together a week or a month After she took a fall and broke her arm on May 20 Louise never left the hospital again – despite her son's repeated attempts to have her referred to long-term care She ultimately died in the early hours of Jan stoked numerous frustrations with hospital staff and the long-term care referral process.  feelings of helplessness – I thought I was in the place where I would get help,” he said After his mother passed away in the hospital’s care “He was caught way off guard when I went to tell him she had passed,” he said As his concerns and frustrations with hospital staff mounted Mike kept track – in detail – of his experience trying to get his mother admitted to long-term care He shared his documents with SooToday hoping his parents' story may help improve the system and ensure other families don't endure the same heartache "There is a systemic problem within Sault Area Hospital that needs to be addressed," he wrote in one of his documents "I am not the only person who has experienced this problem Ignoring this problem has only made the situation worse." Before Louise was admitted to the hospital Mike said she had already begun exhibiting signs of decline She had grown “very cautious,” he said and would get upset about phone calls from numbers she did not recognize. Mike also noticed she had not been taking her medication.  Louise was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and her health records similarly state she had “moderate dementia.” “Her short-term memory loss is getting worse … thinking she is no longer in Sault Ste “(She’s) beginning to think she's no longer in a hospital this is what I'm working on: ‘We're in Sault Ste We're in the hospital in the Sault trying to get this process started.’” Mike said he repeatedly advocated for hospital staff to begin the long-term-care referral process but was told the plan for Louise was to undergo convalescent care "Absurd," he wrote in one of his documents.  “No one had discussed with me my mother’s background information or my mother’s behaviour,” he said Mike had doubts about his mother’s ability to live independently and hoped to see the hospital pursue long-term care he described numerous interactions with hospital staff he found concerning highlighting a “lack of consistent communication from various representatives,” especially given he had power of attorney over his mother’s affairs he said he was only made aware of his mother’s Alzheimer’s assessment from August after he was contacted in late-September to discuss potential medications to help manage the condition He also said he had trouble getting answers to direct questions about the long-term-care referral process – such as what criteria needs to be met for the hospital to begin the process through Home and Community Care – a question he never got the answer to “I asked several times to meet with my mother's care team “I asked more than several times: what is the status of the referral to Home and Community Care? I always got pushed aside “It was just this attitude that we're handling this where Mike felt staff grew impatient with him – recalling one conversation in which a staff member was “speaking as though she was frustrated with me and telling me what was to be done with my mother.” a referral for long-term care finally took place Although the hospital initially pushed for a return-to-home approach 30 – months after his mother arrived – Mike received a call that the long-term care referral process would begin due to his mother’s condition While Mike was told spousal reunification would move his mother up the list Louise would ultimately pass away before she could be reunited with her husband but memory wise it wasn't good,” he said “She didn't realize she was in the Sault he raised frustration with the extended length of time it took for the referral process to begin and he charted numerous occasions where he had difficulties learning what was required for a referral to take place.  Sault Area Hospital officials said they cannot comment on individual patients “Due to patient privacy and confidentiality SAH is not able to comment on a specific patient’s care,” said Brandy Sharp Young director of communications and public affairs “Sault Area Hospital works hard to ensure that our patients receive the right type of bed/care at the right time with the right providers.” Young said long-term care eligibility and wait lists are managed by Ontario Health atHome “Awaiting long-term care placement from the hospital can vary in wait times and is only necessary when a patient cannot safely return home with community supports,” she said “Long-term care wait lists are based on long-term care bed availability and an individual’s selected options.” Mike said his experience was not an isolated case – he’s since heard from others who have had difficulties navigating the long-term care system through the hospital a connection through work told me of a very similar situation with extended family of hers in the Sault,” he said He’s also warned others of how the process might go “My son's roommate in university is from the Sault and I gave his daughter and son-in-law a heads up that this is what I've been dealing with,” he said.  They said thank you for giving us a heads up we would have been floored how we were about to be treated.” The Ministry of Long-Term Care did not respond to requests for comment for this article the Manitoulin Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received multiple calls reporting that a transport truck drove through the stop sign and lights of a school bus carrying students after nearly rear-ending the bus and swerving around it Police located the CMV on Highway 17 in Spanish and conducted a traffic stop was charged with fail to stop at least 20 metres behind school bus The Manitoulin OPP want to remind motorists and cyclists to be patient with school buses to ensure children get to and from school safely. If you see a school bus: give it space ease off the gas and be aware that the bus could stop at any time - including at all railway crossings Remember that flashing amber lights mean slow down and flashing red lights mean STOP Drivers must not proceed until the red lights stop flashing and the bus moves This applies whether you are meeting or following a school bus and includes multi-lane roads Drivers and vehicle owners can be charged if their vehicle illegally passes a stopped school bus Fines range from $490 - $2,000 and six demerit points for a first offence If you see a vehicle fail to stop for a school bus please report it to police by calling 9-1-1 or the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122 Try searching for your content, or return to the homepage High water levels have made the roadway unsafe for travel and the area has been closed to all traffic until conditions improve Residents are asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes where possible Municipal staff are actively monitoring the situation and will reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this time For more information or to report concerns, please contact the Municipal Office at 705-843-2033 or [email protected] The overall cost of the arena remediation was questioned by public and council at last evening’s meeting and the potential reopening date were discussed during the 70-minute special council meeting focused solely on the arena Representatives of WRD (Wood Research and Design) and TRS (Timber Restoration Services) attended by Zoom “I’d like to state that with all the conversation that’s going on online people have to understand that this council is doing the best they have Thomas regularly contributes and has followed the arena topic closely And he asked about the overall final cost The cost question was later repeated by council In addition to the written staff report in the agenda package provided an overview of the history from September 2023 when structural issues first became apparent Planning and design work was conducted during the following six months and the cost for the wood structural remediation work was brought to council in March 2024 Goulding noted that the structural remediation estimate was delivered to council at the same council meeting that council was informed “we had detected some issues with the foundation piers but we weren’t anticipating that it was going to be quite as bad as what we have subsequently learned The structural work and a new roofing system proceeded while the foundation issues were investigated where we have a design and an anticipated cost that will address what we’ve learned thus far through all of that process,” Goulding said described the history of investigations and plans to address the foundation issues Tingley described the poor supporting soil conditions and earlier inaccurate test results regarding the location of bedrock it resulted in the most recent estimate becoming about twice as expensive as originally estimated when the council approved a $1.594m solution in October 2024 And he responded in detail to questions from council Councillor Charles Flintoff led the questions asking why the estimate grew Tingley said that “what we hit on the early borehole was some boulders that left the impression with the geo first test results that we were close to or at the bedrock.” The testing was conducted by a geotechnical specialist “They interpreted boulders to be bedrock,” Tingley said Tingley noted that the objective is “we want to stop the racking that goes on in the roof.” The arena structure had become unstable due to a leaking roof and building movement “That’s why we’re putting these robust micropiles down to carry all the load and the frost is not going to drive these piles because we’re going deep enough that we’re going to resist that jacking load from frost and the building isn’t going to move up and down,” he said He described the micropile system as four micropiles for each of the arena’s 22 footings two of the micropiles are vertical (plumb) and two are angled slightly The excavated materials will be used again for fill Two test piles will be installed very soon A pull-test will be conducted to measure resistance and verify the load-bearing capacity of the soil at the planned depth of the micropiles to verify the appropriateness of the design depth Councillor Helen Lefebvre noted that the structural work is planned to have a lifespan of 40 or 50 years.  And she asked, “Is the work we’re doing on the foundation pretty much along the same lines?” The reason we’ve got escalating costs is because we’re doing that due diligence.” Mayor Andrew Wannan and councillors voiced a desire to see more information come back to council and the public regularly “It’s partly to control the spending that this quote was given to us yesterday.” the public gets this information just as fast as council does We’re sharing it as soon as we can.” And he asked staff for more information to come back to council and public Councillor Rick Bull inquired about additional cost for additional meters of boring He was informed that the $770 per additional meter is per micropile The next step is the development of construction drawings for approval of the city’s CBO (Chief Building Official) the special projects manager said he can determine the impacts on other work and scheduling Goulding said he intends to “come forward to council with a package to consider Depending on approval of the construction drawings we’d be starting this [foundation] work.” provided council with an update on costs to date Ault said that since the beginning of the project we’ve incurred roughly $11,170,353.68 He noted that adding the initial $692k for issues identification plus the additional new micropile costs, “you get your grand Councillor Flintoff inquired about grants and donations “I don’t want to hold you to the number I’m just trying to get a ballpark so it’s not as ‘doom and gloom’ as [some] people are walking around saying," he commented to Ault Ault confirmed that grants and donations are not taken off the numbers he provided He added that he expects to update council with a net cost “after we thoroughly examine the donations and grants." Councillor Helen Lefebvre returned to her earlier question about future lifespan asking again, if this “will give us the solution that we need to have both the building and the foundation available for the next 40 to 50 years?” The Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board has joined several Ontario school boards in a legal fight against the parent companies of Facebook More than a dozen Ontario school boards and individual schools have initiated lawsuits against the social media companies since March 2024 alleging the platforms are negligently designed for compulsive use and have rewired the way children think The Huron-Superior board — which has jurisdiction over 19 schools, roughly 5,000 students and 1,048 staff in the Algoma and Sudbury districts — is now claiming $70 million in damages according to a statement of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court earlier this week.   The lawsuit appears to be the first of its kind filed by a school board in northeastern Ontario.    “We have joined the mass tort litigation against tech giants Meta and TikTok for disruption to student learning and to the education system,” said Fil Lettieri director of education at the Huron-Superior board in a statement to SooToday on Friday.  “We are committed to the success and well-being of our students and this is why we have come together with school boards across Ontario to demand change and safer products.”  Most of the school boards that have taken legal action are a part of a group known as Schools for Social Media Change The group is described as a collective comprised of "school boards and organizations working together to demand accountability from social media tech giants to strengthen the education system," according to their website.  The school boards involved in the group — which include some of the province's largest boards including the public and Catholic school boards in Toronto and Ottawa — are collectively seeking more than $8 billion in damages from the tech giants.   A motion for dismissal filed by the lawyers for the social media companies was struck down in court earlier this year — paving the way for the case to proceed to trial and the methods and outcomes of social media on the learning environment reveal broad effects that impact not only the immediate access to the right to an education but to the futures of many young people," wrote Ontario Superior Court Justice Janet Leiper in her decision "It is arguable that an addictive product that interferes with the mental health and educational aspirations of students is a public nuisance that requires a remedy." The lawsuits make a slew of allegations about how "negligently" designed social media platforms have disrupted the education system at the expense of students' well-being They allege that more time is being spent on addressing compulsive social media use among students more money is going into the increased need for digital literacy and harm prevention and that more resources are being spent on user issues such as cyberbullying and online sexual harassment.  Students also struggle to spot misinformation pushing teachers to spend time and resources to help vet what students see on their social media feeds and prevent them from adopting harmful ideologies they are exposed to on the platforms The allegations in the lawsuits have not been proven in court Snapchat and TikTok have all previously said they're committed to their young users' well-being.   A spokesperson for Snapchat told SooToday its platform was intentionally designed to be different from traditional social media because it opens directly to a camera rather than a feed of content that encourages passive scrolling and has no traditional public likes or comments.  “While we will always have more work to do we feel good about the role Snapchat plays in helping close friends feel connected happy and prepared as they face the many challenges of adolescence," the spokesperson said.  the parent company of both Facebook and Instagram said the company strongly disagrees with the allegations and believes the evidence will "demonstrate our commitment to supporting young people." "We’ve developed numerous tools to support parents and teens and we recently announced that we’re significantly changing the Instagram experience for tens of millions of teens with new Teen Accounts a protected experience for teens that automatically limits who can contact them and the content they see," the spokesperson said in a statement.  "We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously in these cases.” TikTok did not respond to requests for comment made by SooToday Friday.   each one showcasing her work ethic and spirited personality Her first role in a dairy factory took an unexpected turn when she was asked to manage the office rather than wrap butter—an early sign of her natural leadership and tenacity She went on to work in real estate offices and served in various capacities with the Ministry of Natural Resources they raised four sons and created a lifetime of memories She cherished summers spent on Cockburn Island adventures across North America and the Caribbean and above all—sharing the kind of jokes that made you laugh until you cried and a loving grandmother to Kelly and Jamie (Jim) Hilda was also a dedicated volunteer and a pillar of her community—always willing to lend a hand The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff at Algoma Manor You filled Hilda’s final years with love Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Algoma Manor Foundation and are appreciated by the family Friends and family are welcome to join a celebration of Hilda’s life at Beggs Funeral home OTTAWA — The NDP national council is scheduled to meet tonight to pick an interim leader Jagmeet Singh announced on election night that he would step down as soon as an interim leader was chosen The NDP was reduced to just seven seats in the election on April 28 and no longer holds official party status Two party officials say the NDP caucus met twice last week to discuss who will lead the party until a leadership race can be completed Singh is among more than a dozen NDP MPs who were defeated in one of the worst election showings the party has had Former MP Charlie Angus says the party lost touch with core supporters and focused too much on the personality of the leader The Alberta NDP voted overwhelmingly on the weekend in favour of allowing members to opt-out of mandatory membership in the federal party when signing up at the provincial level — With files from Catherine Morrison in Ottawa and Lisa Johnson in Edmonton This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5 Check out Village Report - the news that matters most to Canada, updated throughout the day.  Or, subscribe to Village Report's free daily newsletter: a compilation of the news you need to know Subscribe TORONTO — Manager John Schneider has faith the Toronto Blue Jays offence will emerge from its early-season funk The Blue Jays dropped the final two outings of their three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians because of a lack of clutch hitting Schneider's lineup left a whopping 25 runners on base in the series but dropped 5-3 and 5-4 decisions to close against the Guardians The Blue Jays especially struggled to score late on Saturday and Sunday against the Guardians' strong bullpen After snatching a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning on Saturday their final 12 hitters were retired in order the Blue Jays left runners on third in the eighth and ninth innings The eighth inning was particularly painful because Toronto had runners on second and third after an Ernie Clement sacrifice run for the first out But Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes popped up for the final two outs "You're trying to scrap across a run there," Schneider said "You get a good bunt from Ern and we just couldn't get it done there with those with those pop-ups there's going to be match-ups you like and there's going to be match-ups that are going to be tough The Blue Jays also got caught taking chances early After Bo Bichette led off the first inning with a double and moved to third on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s single a potential big inning was snuffed out by a Guardians double play and then Bichette got caught in a rundown between third and home I think the best possible outcome was Bo stays at third But you're trying to score early and those things happen." Gold-glove outfielder Daulton Varsho was given the series finale off to rest his lower back Varsho missed the first 28 games after offseason right shoulder surgery He played in five straight before taking Sunday off to rest and I'm not taking any chances with him after what he's been through," Schneider said The Blue Jays have yet to confirm they have signed veteran right-handed pitchers Spencer Turnbull and Jose Urena before we hit the (plane)," replied Schneider when asked if he'll have some additional help when his club begins a six-game trip on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4 improper passing and driver inattention were leading causes or contributing factors in last year's motorcyclist fatalities The 18 riders who were not at fault in the fatal collisions that took their lives are a stark reminder that even the safest of motorcyclists are vulnerable to motorists who fail to share the road safely with them.   "2024 was a tragic reminder of what happens when motorcyclists and motorists drive aggressively or engage in careless behaviours when sharing our highways and roads Motorcycle season commands our absolute safest driving practices heightened vigilance and adherence to traffic laws that are designed to keep all road users safe - especially vulnerable motorcyclists and their passengers."  "With the longer days and warmer weather there will be more motorcycles on Ontario streets and highways Last year's devastating losses serve as a stark reminder to motorists and motorcyclists alike - stay alert and follow the rules of the road to create a safe environment for everyone." we all share the responsibility to follow traffic rules and ensure our roads are safe for everyone Our government will continue to combat aggressive and unsafe driving by enforcing mandatory license suspensions for stunt driving and a zero-tolerance policy for impaired driving Reckless drivers who endanger lives must face the full consequences of their actions." Riders between 25-34 years of age accounted for the highest number of motorcyclist deaths (15) on OPP-patrolled roads in 2024 followed by riders in the 65-74 age group (12) Motorcycle Safety Awareness Week runs from May 1-7 TORONTO — Toronto police say they have charged a 17-year-old with two counts of first-degree murder after a double shooting in April They say officers responded to a call in the city's Riverdale neighbourhood for gunshots around 11:15 p.m One man was pronounced dead while the second was taken to hospital Police say the teen appeared in court on Saturday for a first appearance The teen's identity is shielded by the Youth Criminal Justice Act while Augistin won a bronze medal in the same event The duo will go on to compete at the WKC Nationals competion on May 16-18 in Ottawa TORONTO — Three of the four second-round NHL playoff matchups have starting dates who needed six games to knock off the Ottawa Senators in round one host the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in Game 1 on Monday Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday The Panthers eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games fresh off their six-game series victory against the Los Angeles Kings open their second round in Las Vegas on Tuesday against the Golden Knights who dispatched the Minnesota Wild in six games with Games 3 and 4 in Edmonton next Saturday and Monday who bounced the Montreal Canadiens in five games host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 on Tuesday with Games 3 and 4 in Carolina next Saturday and Monday The Hurricanes needed five games to eliminate the New Jersey Devils who beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in Game 7 on Saturday Game 7 is set for Sunday in the Manitoba capital This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3 LAVAL — Several candidates for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party say they're open to fossil-fuel projects in the province as a means to boost Canada's energy independence energy development played a central role in a leadership debate focused on the province's economy former president of a Quebec employers group said he would send a "clear message" that the province is ready to consider oil and gas projects "in a geopolitical world that has completely changed." He said Quebec is heavily reliant on oil and gas that travels through the United States which he said is a risk given the threats to Canada from President Donald Trump to sustainable development and the fight against climate change," he said "But we must also strive for energy independence." Former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez also said Quebec will need to look at east-west energy projects including possible oil and natural gas pipelines he said all projects will have to respect environmental norms and have social acceptability "I think we need to be open to all of this today," he said "One thing has fundamentally changed: the United States.. Quebec has traditionally been staunchly opposed to pipeline development on its territory but Premier François Legault has recently suggested that may be changing in the face of Trump's economic threats Legault said if a new pipeline were proposed his Coalition Avenir Québec government would consider it Rodriguez said any such development would require the Quebec government to "believe in Canada," and argued Legault has no interest in working with other provinces Fellow leadership candidate Charles Milliard former head of the federation of Quebec chambers of commerce took a more cautious approach to the issue but pointed out there are currently no major fossil-fuel projects under consideration "When we ask politicians whether they agree or not with a project said he would end Quebec's cap-and-trade program which he said is making local businesses uncompetitive Quebec's carbon pricing scheme has been under scrutiny since Prime Minister Mark Carney scrapped the federal carbon tax in April though no major political party in the province has come out against it Responding to questions from journalists after the debate Rodriguez and Milliard — the likely frontrunners in the leadership race — all said they support the cap-and-trade system said Quebec must exploit its natural resources to enrich the province The Quebec government passed legislation in 2022 banning oil and gas production The Quebec Liberals are hoping the leadership race will reinvigorate the party with dismal polling among francophone voters the candidates claimed Legault's time is up and said they would reclaim the Liberals' status from the CAQ as the party of the economy Legault's government recently tabled a budget with a record $13.6-billion deficit ratings agency S&P Global downgraded Quebec's credit rating from AA- to A+ "The (Liberals have) a date with history," Milliard said "The (party) must prove that it can constitute an alternative to the CAQ government positioned himself as a "breath of fresh air," while Blackburn who was a member of the provincial legislature during the government of former Liberal premier Jean Charest said he would help the party reconnect with the regions outside Montreal Rodriguez leaned on his experience as a federal minister But his rivals at times pointed to his close connection with former prime minister Justin Trudeau as a liability Legault's nationalist party has declined in the polls since forming government in 2018 and the sovereigntist Parti Québécois has been leading for well over a year Saturday's debate was the first of six before Liberal members choose their new leader on June 14 The next provincial election is set for October 2026 HAMILTON — Police say they've arrested a 40-year-old man after three people were stabbed at a mosque in Hamilton Officers responded to the Hamilton Downtown Mosque around 2:15 p.m Hamilton police say the incident began outside the mosque before continuing inside and left three people with non-life-threatening injuries Both the mosque and police say the incident was not motivated by hatred Police say the suspects and victims know each other and the second suspect remains on the run Hamilton police charged the 40-year-old man with two counts of assault causing bodily harm and one count of aggravated assault not many NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) stories have two books written on them The back roads often take you to living history and historic stories sometimes have multiple interpretations Highway #650 ends about six kilometres from the last house and the Ontario Northland Railway tracks there are sturdy but rusting yellow gate posts surrounded by huge granitic rocks presenting a formidable barrier to entering On the north side of the road remains the discoloured white background and much faded light green trim but it’s the original sign which reads "ADAM’S MINE – NOTRE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION – PROPOSED REECYCLING & SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SITE" I wondered when the name’s possessive apostrophe was dropped for what was to evolve It most likely is the biggest NIMBY case study in northern Ontario and one of the same in Canada there have been two books authored on this environmental matter The Not In My Back Yard is a colloquialism signifying one's opposition to the locating of something considered undesirable in one's locale It seems to have appeared first in the mid-1970s when the organized environmental movement first appeared the Canadian Environmental Law Association and Greenpeace It will be 27 years since Notre Development Corporation received a permit The site is located approximately 10 km southeast of Kirkland Lake in the northwest quadrant of the Unorganized Township of Boston It was proposed that the site receive a maximum of 20 million tonnes of non-hazardous solid waste from Toronto over 20 years The iron ore deposit was originally discovered in 1906 there was little interest in iron ore as a result of the discovery of gold in the Timmins and Kirkland Lake mining camps The site saw renewed interest in the second half of the 1950s as steel production increased It was sold to Dofasco Steel of Hamilton in 1971 The mine was operated in tandem with the Sherman Mine in Temagami It closed in 1990 when the ore reserves that could be feasibly recovered were exhausted Before the mine had shut down production in the early 1990s waste management planners were examining its potential for a massive landfill with waste to be shipped north in sealed intermodal shipping containers by CN and Ontario Northland on a 700 km (430 mi) route It would be a municipal solid waste (MSW) facility on fractured bedrock using hydraulic containment and no landfill liner Notre Development's 1996 proposal involved a consortium that was known as Rail Cycle North, which included the mine's owner along with waste management companies Canadian Waste Services and Miller Waste Services, Ontario Northland Railway and CN There were many environmental assessments and studies on the viability of the pit holding Toronto’s trash won the provincial election and on April 5 provincial Minister of Natural Resources David Ramsay and Minister of the Environment Leona Dombrowsky introduced legislation (Adams Mine Lake Act 6 - Bill 49 - An Act to prevent the disposal of waste at the Adams Mine site and to amend the Environmental Protection Act in respect of the disposal of waste in lakes) which revoked all certificates and permits related to the Adams Mine proposal This had the effect of permanently killing the 1996 plan Although the south pit of The Adams Mine is full of water Dan Larocque from North Country Aerial in Haileybury was contracted to shoot some video of the mine in 2015 “At the time we were hired by a contractor that was looking at making unmanned underwater tech for the navy and they were exploring the option of using the pits there and at Sherman mine,” Larocque said Nothing came out of this, but here is your tour of the site You can see the south pit at the 30-second mark This is just a thumbnail sketch of a long story; chronologically it is a bit of a David and Goliath storyline Trashed – How Political Garbage Made the Unites States Largest Dump (2010) by a former owner of the mine Gord McGuinty, says the concept was an “environmentally sound and cost-effective solution to Ontario’s garbage crisis," and goes on to say "(that became a) botched billion-dollar contract His belief in the project stands as strong today as it did in 1989 when he and his business partner Maurice Lamarche stood at the crest of the pit that spanned 1,800 feet across and 600 feet deep astounded by its potential to create economic development in the area He said this is the true story of the Adams Mine landfill project the most environmentally sound and cost-effective solution to Ontario’s garbage disposal crisis and a world-class rail transportation opportunity was killed by political mismanagement by the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario “The Adams Mine landfill survived fourteen years of environmental assessments and contract tenders five municipal elections and an international cross-border trucking dispute only to be trashed by the stroke of a political pen.” media and senior politicians – Dalton McGuinty Mel Lastman- set against the efforts of ordinary citizens striving to do the right thing for Ontario weave a disturbing tale of political garbage we never lost the support of the three ‘host community’ councils in Kirkland Lake (KL) “During one municipal election in KL the opposition got a question on the ballot – there was a referendum – we won 65 per cent of the vote to continue with the project and an environmental assessment There was actually a FACTS Committee of residents that ‘supported a fair assessment of the project.'” “I have used the term 'the silent majority' when it came to the project We worked at providing ongoing and accurate information to counter the ‘fake news.’ People listened more than you thought You have to fight for things on a day-to-day basis "The political courage of local leaders like Joe Mavernic – Mayor of KL deal with facts and not be intimidated by the environmental fringe (was remarkable) “The lack of understanding in the public that some politicians use environmental projects to ‘kick start’ their political careers Charlie Angus NEVER once visited the site or attended an information session David Ramsey supported the project for six years – then flipped during a provincial election,” McGuinty said accompanied by the comments of one who lived through the years of the process the long-standing MP of Timmins James Bay (now Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk now Conservative) has just retired from the House after 21 years His Adams Mine book is entitled Unlikely Radicals (2013) “It traces the compelling history of the First Nations people and farmers Anglophones and Francophones who stood side by side to defend their community with mass demonstrations and non-violent resistance,” opposing the mega project politicians and businessmen pushed for the Adams Mine landfill as a solution to Ontario’s garbage disposal crisis This plan to dump millions of tonnes of waste into the fractured pits of the Adams Mine prompted five separate civil resistance campaigns by a rural region of 35,000 in northern Ontario.” "I'm often asked the question, 'What got you into politics?' “I always think back to a cold October night in 2000 when I stood on a makeshift barricade on the Adams Mine Road But the people who were holding the line weren't radicals they were my neighbours - many of them senior citizens and farmers I had never considered a life in politics.. I realized that the people who should have been there to protect the public interest had sold us out." his narrative describes the challenges northern and rural communities face in organizing to challenge mega-projects In last week’s story about Matachewan, we found out citizens on a different scale do not have access to the mainstream media Many rural places are located far from the centres of power they cannot easily compete with those promoting multi-million-dollar developments Despite all of this Unlikely Radicals tells the NIMBY side of the story of how local socio-ecological knowledge mobilized a successful campaign in opposing the Adam’s Mine waste management project It is touted as a definitive resource for being an activist John Vantof has been the MPP for Temiskaming-Cochrane since 2010 He also entered politics because of the Adams Mine.  "They launched a lawsuit against the Temiskaming Federation of Agriculture when I was the President I ran in 2007 to get the provincial government to nudge the company to drop the suit I have not been in contact with them since," he recalled The Adams Mine is not really abandoned per se; it is gated The mine is currently owned by an American investor named Vito Gallo (V.G a national of the United States and the legal and beneficial owner of 100% of the shares of 1532382 Ontario Inc.) and was the subject of a NAFTA Chapter 11 arbitration between Gallo 2007) was that the Government of Ontario failed to pay proper compensation when it passed legislation that revoked the permits that it had previously granted for the site to be operated as a landfill See the final judgement the Tribunal issued its Award on Jurisdiction “The Tribunal found 'without hesitation' that there was insufficient evidence to show that the Claimant owned the Enterprise prior to the enactment of the AMLA and dismissed his claim the Tribunal questioned the lack of contemporaneous documents and found that a number of the corporate documents were backdated It also questioned the Claimant’s minimal involvement in the acquisition and management of the Enterprise.” Damages claimed $105 million CAD – the tribunal dismissed the claim and awarded $450 thousand USD in costs to Canada One of the investors of the numbered company is Mario Cortellucci (pg. 384, “Trashed’). He is mentioned many times in the book’s Index. You can Google him; he is a real estate developer (Cortel Group) affiliated with Premier Doug Ford’s government. See this NDP story and Minister’s Zoning Orders “Ask Mario Cortellucci about his involvement in 1532382 Ontario Inc and the attempt to sue Canada for $355 million." The front was Vito Gallo - a cousin of Mario's business partner He claimed to be a secret owner of the Adams Mine It was followed by a raina douris@RahRahRaina Jan and his outsized influence on Ontario and GTA politics who lives in Vaughan and ran as a far-right candidate for the Italian Senate back in 2018 - is a major Ford donor…”   Raina Douris is the host & writer of World Cafe is hosted and produced by Raina Douris in Philadelphia at WXPN presents interviews and performances with today's essential and emerging artists on National Public Radio Gallo wanted the entire hearing kept from the public…the only connection to the deal was that he was a cousin of Cortellucci’s partner “The tribunal marvelled that Gallo was unable to produce a single piece of paper to establish his claim that he was the owner of the mine site prior to the passage of the Adams Mine Act.” Charlie Angus went on to say, “There you have it - the last attempt to squeeze a buck out of the Adams Mine ended in a humiliating spanking before a NAFTA tribunal.” Mr. Cortellucci ran in an election in Italy in 2018. Italian citizens, representing the diaspora, living in the North and Central America region, elect two members of the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house) and one for the Senate positions reserved for Italian citizens living abroad. He was aligned with an 'Anti-immigration' policy ticket From a media story, campaign finance records published by Elections Ontario reveal nearly a dozen members of the wealthy Cortellucci family donated close to the maximum amount allowable under Ontario law in February to the Premier of Ontario’s leadership 2018 campaign – the family’s combined contributions add up to $11,100 The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario appointed Mr. Cortellucci to the York Region Police Services Board for a three-year term on October 22, 2022. You can see more of his bio at this link In this October 30, 2023, story on CBC by Mike Crawley, Developer guests at Doug Ford family wedding got fast-track zoning approvals from government Toronto's garbage is now primarily disposed of at the city-owned Green Lane landfill It is owned and operated by the City of Toronto as Toronto's main landfill located 200 kilometres (120 mi) west of the city so trucks continue to roll down Highway 401 West from transfer stations in the city we don’t entirely know what to do with our refuse It is rapidly running out of landfill space and the province doesn’t have a strategy to address this Municipalities are faced with this pending challenge of existing capacity (southern Ontario) projected to be exhausted within the next few years and the provincial government's change to the Environmental Assessment Act giving municipalities veto power over new landfill sites the Ontario Ministry of Environment received a report from two consultants examining Ontario’s landfill capacity needs That report concluded Southeastern Ontario would run out of currently approved landfill capacity as early as 2030 The consultants recommended that officials begin planning for the new capacity immediately A recent good example is the controversial proposal for a landfill near Ingersoll (London-Woodstock) The town announced in November 2021 that Walker Industries would no longer pursue the project due to ongoing public and municipal opposition and the Canadian Environmental Law Association The landfill proposal had faced significant resistance from residents and local councils citing concerns about potential environmental and health impacts So, the province is relying heavily on a small number of large landfills and exporting waste to the United States, making it vulnerable to capacity shortages and potential border closures. This, according to the Ontario Waste Management Association From this 2024 article written by an engineer: “Ontario sends a significant amount of waste to Michigan each year approximately 3.3 million tonnes of Ontario’s waste is exported to the United States and about 87 per cent of that ends up in Michigan landfills This means Michigan receives around 2.9 million tonnes of waste from Ontario annually.” the United States could prohibit Ontario waste from crossing the border and capacity could be exhausted even sooner Michigan is set to increase surcharges (“a $5 (USD) ton surcharge on all out-of-state waste that’s a surcharge of $7.86 Cdn per tonne.”). It will become cost-prohibitive A good northern Ontario example is in the Soo. To extend the life of the current landfill, the city exports an unknown quantity of solid waste to Northern Michigan. See page 47, 4.1.4 of Export of Waste Outside of Service Area in this 2024 report All municipalities are faced with extending the life of their landfills by investigating implementing and supporting programs to increase waste diversion through 3Rs initiatives I am identified in the ‘Trashed’ book on page 266 and the ‘Unlikely Radicals’ on page 57 there was a concept presented to the Toronto City Council proposing that a Canadian Environmental Solutions Centre be created in tandem with the operation of the landfill site The thinking was to educate people (“edutourism”) about reducing consumptive lifestyles (choices) – the 3 R’s the mega project operation would be used as a lifelong learning opportunity I recall presenting this at City Hall-Nathan Phillips Square I became the recipient of the political skills of then-Councillor Jack Layton my well-intended thoughts were torn to shreds by Mr and I was “hung and left out to dry,” walking out of the meeting room onto the plaza I learned what a real politician was like in the public arena There was a feeling that the tide was about to rise See the map showing where the Michigan (Detroit crossing) landfill sites are located the Green Lane Landfill (and how close people live to this site near London) We will eventually put waste into the ground near Ignace. Site selection has been approved The Township of Ignace and the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation have been selected as the host communities for Canada's deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel In the second-to-last paragraph of his book Charlie Angus referenced a letter from a constituent: “You can be proud of the people of Timiskaming Never underestimate the power of a people backed into a corner on their home ground.” He concurred “The Adams mine and the South Pit landfill sit just south of Kirkland Lake The landfill capacity keeps getting smaller The Adams mine and rail-haul remain a world-class waste management opportunity for Ontario and Canada The United States of America does not have to be Canada’s largest garbage dump.” 'May' and 'can' are modal or auxiliary verbs; they show possibility History can or may repeat itself on the back roads TORONTO — Toronto police say a man was rescued Friday afternoon after a plane landed in Lake Ontario near the city's east end Police say they responded to a report of a plane landing in the water near the Leslie Spit area a few minutes before 2:30 p.m Lhawang Jongdong told reporters that a 49-year-old man was onboard the privately owned plane for a medical call when its engine lost power Jongdong says the pilot tried landing at Toronto's Billy Bishop airport but had to deploy a parachute He added that the man has since been allowed to go home This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2 Last year, the Ford government announced a supposed crackdown on cellphone use in Ontario schools kids in kindergarten to Grade 6 are required to keep phones on silent and out of sight for the entire day while students in Grade 7 and up aren't allowed to use phones during class time This week, another Canadian province went one step further.  Quebec is ushering in a "full ban" starting this September which means the devices won't be allowed during the entire school day sometimes even during class hours," said Bernard Drainville On tonight's 'Closer Look,' we revisit a recent episode of our Inside the Village podcast featuring University of Ottawa education professor Sachin Maharaj a leading researcher on the impact of cellphones in schools "We have pretty definitive evidence at this point that just the presence of phones in classrooms causes distractions and results in lower levels of student learning," he told the podcast.  You can watch the full episode HERE Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province Every episode is can be found HERE it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts Have something to say? You can reach us at [email protected] The Town of Blind River has partnered with Soles4Souls Canada; an agency that distributes donated footwear to people who need it most Soles4Souls Canada turns shoes and clothing into educational and economic opportunities aim to make a positive difference on the planet and in people's economic more than 3.2 million pairs of shoes and pieces of clothing have helped create opportunities for people across the world Soles4Souls Canada is headquartered in Toronto Visit soles4soulscanada.org for more information 4Opportunity: Soles4Souls Canada sells and distributes shoes and clothing through our international partners to help people build small businesses 4Relief: Soles4Souls Canada helps get new shoes and clothing to people in crisis situations freeing up financial resources they can use toward other needs 4EveryKid: Soles4Souls Canada provides new shoes to children in underserved communities across Canada 4ThePlanet: Soles4Souls Canada cares for our planet and for people by extending the life of shoes and clothing that might've otherwise been prematurely discarded The Town of Blind River will have 3 drop off locations: “We are very excited to see a growing trend in upcycling Council is in full support of green initiatives that reduce waste all while promoting well-being and collaboration Thank you to our Staff for continuing to find fun and creative ways that put Blind River on the map!” – Mayor Sally Hagman The site will be open to vehicular traffic from 6 a.m is well known as a top tier birding location within the Algoma District Well over 200 different bird species have been recorded here over the years a wide variety of migratory birds can be seen in a single day The almost 1,000 hectare bird sanctuary has 4.3km worth of hiking trails that can be explored and the ruins of Fort St Joseph offer a great vantage point out over the open water of Lake Huron from experienced birders to those looking to try out the hobby for the first time If you don't have your own pair of binoculars you can rent a pair from Parks Canada for a small fee Carter Dorscht of The Kensington Conservancy will be present in the ruins area for the day to help point out birds During last year’s second annual event over 100 participants collectively recorded 106 different species of birds throughout the day The highlights included a Red-headed Woodpecker World Migratory Bird Day is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats It has a global outreach and is an effective tool to help raise global awareness of the threats faced by migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them Admission fees of $4.50 per adult and $4 per senior are applicable (youth age 17 and younger are free) Washrooms will be available within the visitors centre Participants are encouraged to bring their own food and drinks Joseph National Historic Site is located at 185 Fort Road on St The site will be open for regular summer hours beginning on June 1 For more information, please contact The Kensington Conservancy at [email protected] or 705-782-2200 TORONTO — The family of a mentally ill man who died in prison is demanding to know if the Ontario government has implemented any recommendations that came out of a coroner's inquest Several dozen civil liberty and mental health organizations have also demanded action from the province jurors at the inquest into the death of Soleiman Faqiri issued 57 recommendations meant to improve oversight of the correctional service and access to mental health care for those in it Faqiri was arrested in early December 2016 after allegedly stabbing a neighbour while experiencing a mental health crisis He died after a violent struggle with correctional officers who repeatedly beat him as they were escorting him from the shower to his segregation cell TORONTO — Canada's main stock index was down in late-morning trading as a drop in the price of oil weighed on the energy sector The S&P/TSX composite index was down 12.57 points at 25,018.94 the Dow Jones industrial average was up 71.72 points at 41,389.15 The S&P 500 index was down 17.64 points at 5,669.03 while the Nasdaq composite was down 96.50 points at 17,881.23 The Canadian dollar traded for 72.38 cents US compared with 72.46 cents US on Friday The June crude oil contract was down US$1.62 at US$56.67 per barrel and the June natural gas contract was up four cents US at US$3.67 per mmBTU The June gold contract was up US$77.20 at US$3,320.50 an ounce and the July copper contract was up two cents US at US$4.69 a pound SAINT-JÉRÔME — The court-appointed monitor for Lion Electric says the vehicle maker is very likely to be liquidated after the Quebec government refused to invest more public funds in the company said in a court hearing this morning that government aid would have been a condition of any sale of the struggling company Nadon says Deloitte sought offers over the weekend from companies interested in liquidating Lion Electric and is hoping to finalize a transaction by next Monday He says Lion laid off all but 12 of its employees after the government announced last Wednesday it would not inject any more public money into the Quebec-based electric-vehicle maker News reports last week said a group of buyers was seeking $24 million from the province to relaunch the company but the economy minister said it would be irresponsible to invest more government funds which made electric school buses and trucks sought protection from its creditors in December and has been seeking a buyer since then TORONTO — Tim Hortons is baking some star power into its breakfast menu The café chain launched scrambled egg boxes with actor Ryan Reynolds on Monday The boxes developed by the Vancouver-born star of "Deadpool" come in bacon or sausage varieties and include two scrambled eggs While Tims has spent its 60th anniversary year working to lure in afternoon and evening diners with newer menu items like rice-based bowls and flatbread pizzas the Reynolds partnership so far focuses on its strongest part of the day: breakfast Tims chief marketing officer Hope Bagozzi said Reynolds looked for a breakfast option that resembled the bacon and eggs he and his family eat at home "When I visited the Tim Hortons Test Kitchen by which I mean I ate an irresponsible amount of eggs I regret nothing,” said Reynolds in a news release His appetite for them was so voracious that the Tims chef almost couldn't make the boxes fast enough when Reynolds was on set filming TV and social media ads for the products The ads feature an assistant fulfilling Reynolds' rider which include a newspaper with all references to birds redacted a jigsaw puzzle one piece away from completion and his beloved breakfast box Competition within the breakfast segment has intensified over the last decade with new players like European chain Pret A Manger entering the market and more restaurants offering all-day breakfast There's also been a fight for customers because some have dropped morning coffee runs as they turned to hybrid work schedules or looked for more affordable breakfasts because of inflation "The breakfast day part has been the hardest hit for quick-serve restaurants with hybrid working so it makes sense to me to come up with a box that's a different portable option versus just a breakfast sandwich," said Jo-Ann McArthur president at Toronto advertising agency Nourish Food Marketing "We know eggs are beloved at any time and I like the fact that it's kind of nostalgic which is also a trend that we're seeing (because) consumers want to go back to that nostalgic comfort food." McArthur thinks the Reynolds name carries plenty of cachet for Canadians Tims locations because she suspects many Americans don't realize he is Canadian because of his deep ties to Hollywood The risk Tims runs is that "he is a tad overexposed right now," she said The actor has also narrated an Air Canada ad and fundraised for SickKids Hospital in Toronto and the Terry Fox Foundation Tims started talking to Reynolds after wrapping a collaboration with pop star Justin Bieber that spanned 2021 and 2022 and spawned a cold brew He does not do a lot of endorsements," said McArthur The night before Tims broke the news last summer to franchisees about the upcoming celeb partnership Reynolds sent a video joking he was "thrilled" the company chose him when they could have gone with Robert Goulet the Canadian crooner who played Lancelot in the original "Camelot." it erupted," Bagozzi recalled of the moment it was played "I was trying to talk and it was just like there was hooting and shouting and screaming." The franchisees were sworn to secrecy and Bagozzi is impressed they didn’t let it slip though the company ran a "Deadpool" ad with Reynolds in July and teased on an earnings call that more was coming A second phase of the Reynolds partnership will follow the breakfast boxes Bagozzi would not reveal its timeline or contents (AP) — A correctional officer pleaded guilty to manslaughter Monday in connection with the killing of inmate Robert Brooks whose brutal beating while handcuffed at an upstate New York prison was recorded by officers' body cameras was one of six guards charged with second-degree murder in the Dec 9 beating at the Marcy Correctional Facility He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter during a hearing at state court in Utica The plea deal calls for him to get a 15-year prison sentence Under questioning by Judge Robert Bauer and a prosecutor put him in a chokehold and struck his body and groin He also admitted that he lied to investigators about what happened Walrath appeared somber with his hands clasped in front of him as he answered the questions with either “yes” or “correct.” Walrath and his attorney did not comment while leaving the courthouse He is the first of the six guards charged with murder to take a plea deal Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick Walrath’s involvement and the extent of the blows that he inflicted on Mr were non-lethal — that by his plea admitting that he acted in concert with the other defendants I think it may expedite the other individuals to enter pleas “This is one important but modest step on the long road to justice for my father.” Walrath’s life is in the hands of prison officials This must be a terrifying prospect for him and his family and how little the system values the lives of incarcerated people,” the victim's son said Walrath has the opportunity in prison to rehabilitate himself In addition to the six guards who were charged with murder three workers at the prison about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of New York City were charged with manslaughter and another was charged with evidence tampering Brooks began serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault in 2017 He was transferred to Marcy from a nearby lockup shortly before he was beaten to death The bodycam videos show officers beat Brooks who was on a medical examination table with his hands cuffed behind his back Officers are seen striking him in the chest with a shoe The beating drew widespread condemnation and calls for reforms. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who said she was “outraged and horrified” by the videos, appointed a new superintendent for the prison. She also ordered state officials to initiate proceedings to fire 13 correctional officers and a nurse implicated in the attack Fitzpatrick also is prosecuting guards in the fatal beating of Messiah Nantwi on March 1 at another Marcy lockup Ten guards were indicted in that case last month Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford TORONTO — Scott Laughton was probably still feeling it The Maple Leafs forward blocked a shot in the dying moments of Toronto's Game 6 victory over the Ottawa Senators to clinch a spot in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs The puck off Jack Sanderson's stick appeared to get him somewhere on his right arm William Nylander had given Toronto a 2-0 lead in the second period before Ottawa pushed back to eventually even the score in the third Max Pacioretty then buried the winner for the Leafs a few minutes later was singled out by captain Auston Matthews in the locker room celebration after that shot block led to Nylander's second goal into an empty net to seal a 4-2 final "Very grateful for you guys," Laughton said on a team-produced video that included deleted expletives Acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers at the NHL's March trade deadline Laughton took awhile to get going in Toronto But the gritty centre from nearby Oakville is showing why general manager Brad Treliving brought him in as the club turns its attention to the Florida Panthers "I feel super fortunate," Laughton said ahead of Game 1 against the defending Stanley Cup champions at Scotiabank Arena to have a chance at this point my career … being in this market brings out the best in you who isn't necessarily counted on for scoring had one goal and one assist through 18 games for the team he supported growing up There were a lot of people from his past coming out of the woodwork — he also looked far from a finished product some nights trying to grasp a new system — before the 20th overall pick in 2012 finally steadied himself down the stretch on Toronto's fourth line between Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok "A guy that knows his role," Matthews said also a key member of a penalty kill that held Ottawa to three power-play goals said "getting out of my own head" was key in solidifying the transition "I was overthinking everything," he said after almost 13 years with the Flyers "(Lorentz and Jarnkrok) have helped me in just going out and playing simple and getting to our role right away." signed through next season with a salary cap hit of US$3 million is too good to struggle for long stretches "The comfort level sets in and your role and identity within the team comes to fruition," said the fellow Oakville product "He's already become a big part of the room." Laughton spent his first month in Toronto at a hotel before wife Chloe and the couple's first child A settled home life is something he also credits with getting comfortable "It takes time sometimes with guys when you make trades," Leafs head coach Craig Berube said "It doesn't happen overnight … he's definitely a big part of our success." including for a number of teams coached by the brother of Leafs president Brendan Shanahan Laughton's mom recently dug up a picture of the pair when Shanahan who guessed the shot was roughly 25 years old Now suiting up for another Shanahan with a much bigger prize at the end of the post-season marathon he said getting recognized for his Game 6 shot block was a special moment "We get contributions from all over the lineup," Laughton added of his most painful NHL assist "He's someone we brought over for this exact reason," Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz added Laughton attended a Battle of Ontario playoff game in the early 2000s with his dad He's now making new ones on the other side of the glass There's also still pinch-yourself element Laughton hasn't quite been able to shake "It's a weird feeling to come home and you've got family around (Lehigh Valley leads best-of-five series 2-1) (Golden State wins best-of-seven series 4-3) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve will likely keep its key short-term interest rate unchanged on Wednesday, despite weeks of harsh criticism and demands from President Donald Trump that the Fed reduce borrowing costs After causing a sharp drop in financial markets two weeks ago by saying he could fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Trump subsequently backed off and said he had no intention of doing so he and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have said the Fed should cut rates They argue that inflation has steadily cooled and high borrowing costs are no longer needed to restrain price increases The Fed sharply ramped up its short-term rate in 2022 and 2023 as pandemic-era inflation spiked Separately, Elon Musk, the head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency last Wednesday suggested that DOGE should look more closely at the Fed's spending on its facilities The heightened scrutiny shows that even as the Trump administration backs off its threats to fire Powell the Fed is still subject to unusually sharp political pressures despite its status as an independent agency Even so, the Fed will almost certainly leave its key rate unchanged at about 4.3% when it meets Tuesday and Wednesday. Powell and many of the other 18 officials that sit on the Fed's rate-setting committee have said they want to see how Trump's tariffs affect the economy before making any moves Trump, however, on Friday said on the social media platform Truth Social that there is “NO INFLATION” and claimed that grocery and egg prices have fallen and that gas has dropped to $1.98 a gallon That's not entirely true: Grocery prices have jumped 0.5% in two of the past three months and are up 2.4% from a year ago Gas and oil prices have declined — gas costs are down 10% from a year ago — continuing a longer-running trend that has continued in part because of fears the economy will weaken AAA says gas prices nationwide average $3.18 a gallon Inflation did drop noticeably in March though in the first three months of the year it was 3.6% economists say it's possible the Fed would soon reduce its benchmark rate because it is currently at a level intended to slow borrowing and spending and cool inflation Yet the Fed can't now cut rates with Trump's broad tariffs likely to raise prices in the coming months said that the Fed is “scarred” by what happened in 2021 when prices rose amid supply snarls and Powell and other Fed officials said the increase would likely be “transitory.” Instead inflation soared to a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 “That’s a Fed that is going to have to wait for evidence and be slow to adjust on that evidence,” Reinhart said Plus, Trump's badgering of Powell makes it harder for the Fed chair to cut rates because doing so anytime soon would be seen as knuckling under to the White House “You could imagine a world where there isn’t pressure from the Trump administration and they cut rates .. because they feel comfortable making the argument that they're doing so because of the data,” he said For his part, Powell said last month that tariffs would likely push up inflation and slow the economy The central bank would typically raise rates — or at least keep them elevated — to fight inflation while it would cut them to spur the economy if unemployment rose Powell has said that the impact of the tariffs on inflation could be temporary — a one-time price increase — but most recently said it “could also be more persistent.” That suggests that Powell will want to wait to ensure tariffs don't sustainably raise inflation before considering a rate cut Some economists forecast the Fed won't cut rates until its September meeting Yet Fed officials could move sooner if the tariffs hit the economy hard enough to cause layoffs and push up unemployment. Wall Street investors appear to expect such an outcome — they project that the first cut will occur in July, according to futures pricing Musk criticized the Fed Wednesday for spending $2.5 billion on an extensive renovation of two of its buildings in Washington we should certainly look to see if indeed the Federal Reserve is spending $2.5 billion on their interior designer,” Musk said Fed officials acknowledge that the cost of the renovations have risen as prices for building materials and labor have spiked amid the post-pandemic inflation say that local regulations forced the Fed to do more of the expansion underground a former Fed governor and a potential candidate to replace Powell as chair when Powell's term expires next year said recently that the Fed has attracted greater scrutiny because of its failure to keep prices in check “The Fed's current wounds are largely self-inflicted,” he said in a speech during an International Monetary Fund conference in late April in which he also slammed the Fed for participating in a global forum on climate change “A strategic reset is necessary to mitigate losses of credibility worse economic outcomes for our fellow citizens.” said last month that “Fed independence is very widely understood and supported in Washington TORONTO — Curlers Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant are the first athletes named to Canada's team for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics The husband-and-wife team from Chestermere will represent Canada in mixed doubles curling at the Games Curling Canada and the Canadian Olympic Team announced Monday Peterman and Gallant provisionally earned their nomination to the Olympic team by winning the Canadian mixed doubles trials in January They secured Canada's spot in the Olympic tournament with a sixth-place finish last week at the world mixed doubles curling championship in Fredericton Seven countries joined host Italy in the 10-team field based on qualification points from combined placements at the 2024 and 2025 mixed doubles championships The final two spots will be filled following a December qualification event in Kelowna Canada has also secured spots in the women’s and men’s Olympic curling events based on its combined ranking at the 2024 and 2025 world championships for each gender The four-person teams will be determined at the 2025 Canadian curling trials that will take place in Halifax from Nov TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel approved plans Monday to seize the Gaza Strip and to stay in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time, two Israeli officials said, a move that, if implemented, would vastly expand Israel’s operations there and likely draw fierce international opposition which was approved in an early morning vote by Israeli Cabinet ministers also calls for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to move to Gaza’s south That would likely amount to their forcible displacement and exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis Details of the plan were not formally announced and its exact timing and implementation were not clear Its approval came hours after the Israeli military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers The plan may be another measure by Israel to try to pressure Hamas into making concessions in ceasefire negotiations said the new plan would not begin until after U.S President Donald Trump wraps up his expected visit to the Middle East this month allowing for the possibility that Israel might agree to a ceasefire in the meantime All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing military plans setting off what is believed to the be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages Israel’s offensive has displaced more than 90% of Gaza’s population and The officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said Monday that the bodies of 33 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours The Israeli military offered no immediate comment on the strikes Israel is trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas The Israeli officials said the plan approved to the included the “capturing of the strip and the holding of territories.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the cabinet had decided on a “powerful operation in Gaza," including “a movement of the population to protect it.” The plan would also seek to prevent Hamas from distributing humanitarian aid a role that Israel says strengthens the group's rule in Gaza It also accuses Hamas of keeping the aid for itself Aid workers deny there is a significant diversion of aid to militants The officials said Israel was in touch with several countries about Trump's plan to take over Gaza and relocate its population under what Israel has termed “voluntary emigration." That proposal has drawn widespread condemnation and rights groups have warned it could be a war crime under international law Israel has been trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to get the group to agree to its terms in ceasefire negotiations But the measures do not appear to have moved Hamas away from its negotiating positions The previous ceasefire was meant to lead the sides to negotiate an end to the war Israel says it will not agree to end the war until Hamas' governing and military capabilities are dismantled has sought an agreement that winds down the war without agreeing to disarm Israel's expansion announcement angered families of hostages who fear that any extension of the conflict endangers their loved ones urged Israel's decision-makers to prioritize the hostages and secure a deal quickly called on soldiers “not to report for reserve duty for moral and ethical reasons." Some reservists have indicated they will refuse to serve in a war they increasingly view as politically motivated Israel wants to prevent Hamas from handling aid The defense official said the plan would “separate” Hamas from the aid by using private firms and by using specified areas secured by the Israeli military The official added that Palestinians would be screened to prevent Hamas from accessing the aid According to a memo circulated among aid groups and seen by The Associated Press, Israel told the United Nations that it will use private security companies to control aid distribution in Gaza said it would not participate in the plan as presented The memo summarized a meeting between the Israeli defense body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza It was written by a group briefed on the meeting and sent Sunday to aid organizations all aid will enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing Some 500 trucks entered Gaza every day before the war The memo said that facial-recognition technology will be used to identify Palestinians at logistics hubs and text message alerts will notify people in the area that they can collect aid COGAT did not immediately respond to a request for comment The UN accuses Israel of wanting to control aid as a ‘pressure tactic’ After Israel said it was going to assert more control over aid distribution in Gaza Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs sent an email to aid groups urging them to reject any “draconian restrictions on humanitarian work." which OCHA sent Monday to aid groups and was shared with the AP further stated that there are mechanisms in place to ensure aid is not diverted OCHA said in a statement that the plan would leave large parts of the population It said the plan “appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic — as part of a military strategy.” Aid groups have said they are opposed to using any armed or uniformed personnel to distribute aid that could potentially intimidate Palestinians or put them at risk Hamas decried Israel’s efforts to control distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza as a violation of international law the militant group said the effort is “an extension of the starvation policy” adopted by the Israeli government in Gaza Associated Press reporters Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah and Josef Federman contributed to this report Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war On April 27 at approximately 9:30 a.m. the OPP stopped the burgundy car on Highway 108 North Shore Township. After investigation police learned there was no insurance on the car and the wrong plates were being used.    The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Elliot Lake on May 20 A woman is telling the sexual assault trial of five hockey players this morning that she was naked drunk and scared as several men unexpectedly came into the hotel room where she had just had a sexual encounter in June 2018 whose identity is protected by a publication ban says two men arrived shortly after she had sex with Michael McLeod in his London and more came into the room soon after while she was in the bathroom She says the men wanted her to lie down on a bedsheet on the floor of the room and seemed to be laughing at her as they discussed sexual acts they wanted her to perform Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have all pleaded not guilty to sexual assault McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault All five accused were members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team Court has heard many of the team's members were in town at the time for a gala celebrating their gold-medal win at that year's championship The initial sexual encounter with McLeod is not part of the trial The premiers of Canada's three territories say the country's push to remove internal trade barriers needs to consider the unique economic situation of the North Akeeagok say they will be exploring the creation of a "territorial trade zone" that would make sure modern treaties with Indigenous people and the needs of the territories are recognized as trade barriers come down The premiers met this weekend in Yukon for their annual Northern Premiers’ Forum Pillai told reporters at a joint press conference Sunday that the territories are willing to remove trade barriers but any conversations have to consider agreements that are in place with northern Indigenous governments Newly-elected Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised a plan to eliminate trade barriers between provinces and territories by Canada Day Pillai said that is a tight timeline for the North "We want to be at that table moving toward July 2 constitutionally anchored agreements that we also have to have a look at," he said "I think it gives us an opportunity to be willing partners at the table but it also gives us a chance to educate our other colleagues about what's unique here," he said Akeeagok said the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement has enshrined articles that give Inuit the right of first refusal on procurement and require consultation for any legislative change "We are very open in terms of breaking down the barriers "But it requires us to be able to sit down with them and just talk and to be able to have a meaningful consultation with them." Pillai said significant projects in the North already often require companies from large nearby provinces to be completed which allows those companies to reap the benefits "If you're going to have us start to remove these opportunities for Northern companies as well support the three territories in helping to grow this economy?" he said Simpson says even if the territories hold on to some of their exemptions under the Canada Free Trade Agreement reducing any barriers to doing business will benefit the North and the rest of Canada "I'm very hopeful about the work that's happening and I'm confident that we're going to see the benefits of it," he said