Author: Emmett Wallace

Ontario’s little-known team of taxpayer-funded animal cruelty investigators recently issued its first-ever news release, years after launching in 2020. The small but meaningful step toward increased transparency comes after sustained pressure from The Canadian Press — along with animal advocacy groups and opposition politicians — for Animal Welfare Services to open up publicly about its years-long probe of Marineland.Earlier this month, the organization housed under the Ministry of the Solicitor General issued a short statement about the death of five dogs and the “distress” of 24 more. It said that it had laid 96 charges against a Hamilton woman.Chief Animal…

As political chaos on Parliament Hill threatens to sink the minority Liberal government and trigger an early election, Ontario’s official opposition is putting off its annual convention to focus on a provincial election campaign its strategists believe is near. The Ontario NDP made the decision over the weekend to postpone its convention after its federal sister party said it would no longer support Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and joined the Conservative Party’s attempts to trigger an early election.The convention had originally been set to take place in early January in downtown Toronto for the Ontario NDP and its supporters to…

By Staff The Canadian Press Posted December 23, 2024 4:22 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Police say a Toronto-area high school student is facing charges after allegedly threatening to bring a gun to school and cause harm. York Regional Police say officers attended an unnamed high school after the alleged threat was made last Wednesday. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. The force says police carried out a search warrant at the suspect’s residence and seized a…

By Staff The Canadian Press Posted December 23, 2024 1:05 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will miss his second consecutive game Monday against the Winnipeg Jets due to an undisclosed injury. Matthews also sat out Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders.The 27-year-old was hurt when he took a cross-check to his back in Friday’s 6-3 win over Buffalo. He also missed nine games last month with an upper-body injury, for which he sought treatment in Germany. Related Videos 1:48 Toronto traffic forces NHL’s Utah players to…

By Nicole Thompson The Canadian Press Posted December 23, 2024 12:39 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Public health officials say a cluster of measles cases in Ontario linked to an exposure in New Brunswick has grown to 37. Public Health Ontario says 11 of those cases are confirmed and 26 are probable.In an epidemiological summary released last week, the public health agency says the cases began in October and so far, 28 of those sickened were children or teens. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to…

Sean Horrell walked into the woods holding a basket filled with hot meals, water bottles, juice boxes and snacks for a group of people living in a small London, Ont., homeless encampment. When he approached the camp, he was greeted by a brown dog that barked and wagged its tail. As Horrell called out names, four people left their makeshift shelters to grab the lunch he’d brought.It was a chilly day in late November, with thick clouds and a light drizzle making it feel even colder.“Do you have any winter clothes?” asked a woman in a black hoodie with “Good Vibes”…

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Hamilton police say it seized a pet raccoon during a raid on a suspected drug dealer’s tent late last week. On Friday at roughly 6 a.m., police said officers executed a search warrant on a tent in Montgomery Park, near Highway 8 and Main Street East, after receiving complaints about an individual allegedly dealing drugs and in possession of a firearm.Police said a 36-year-old Hamilton was arrested nearby, and was reportedly in possession of a prohibited weapon. He was charged with drug and weapon-related offences. Get breaking National news For news impacting…

The percentage of staff in Ontario child-care centres who are registered early childhood educators has been declining over the past few years, moving the province further away from one of its goals in the national $10-a-day system. A recently published Ministry of Education report shows that while there has been a net increase in the total number of RECEs in Ontario child-care programs, there has been a larger increase in the number of non-ECE staff in daycares.In 2022, when Ontario signed on to the national program aimed at lowering fees for parents and expanding availability of care, 58.9 per cent of full-time staff in child-care programs…

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for parts of Ontario, including Toronto and the GTA, as snow is expected to move into the region on Monday, two days before Christmas. The weather agency has also issued snowfall warnings for parts of cottage country including Parry Sound, Bracebridge, Smith Falls and areas just north of Kingston.For Toronto and the GTA, Environment Canada says total snowfall accumulations of five to 15 cm of snow is expected.Snow will move into the area Monday morning, followed by a break in the afternoon, until…

By Staff The Canadian Press Posted December 23, 2024 6:49 am 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Toronto police say four people, including three police officers, are in hospital after a fire broke out in a house in Etobicoke Sunday afternoon. Police and firefighters arrived at Finch Ave West and Highway 427 at around 12:30 p.m. for reports of a two-alarm residential fire. They were informed that residents of the home could still be inside. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a…