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Wildfire smoke highlights need for better ventilation in public spaces, experts say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

Wildfire smoke hanging over communities across Canada in recent months has highlighted the need for better ventilation in buildings used by the public, experts say, urging the establishment of strong indoor air quality standards. Health concerns over smoke from forest fires were pushed to the forefront this week after a nine-year-old boy in British Columbia died from asthma exacerbated by wildfire smoke.Experts say current air quality recommendations for public spaces are not sufficient to prevent small particulate matter, including pollutants in smoke, from circulating indoors.  As wildfires are expected to grow in the coming years – estimates have said they will increase 25 per cent by 2030 – thinking about how to make indoor air safer to breathe is paramount, experts say.“Particulate matter, fine particles in the air – smoke being one of them – is by far the most harmful pollutant and what causes the most damage to public health,” said Joey Fox, an HVAC engineer and c...

Five years on, Danforth shooting vivid for those affected, gun control key issue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

TORONTO — The passage of time can feel disjointed for Ali Demircan. It may have been five years since a gunman went on a shooting rampage through Toronto’s Greektown, but the horror of what Demircan saw after being grazed by a bullet that night still hits hard.“The images are still fresh and, time to time when I close my eyes, what I see is just carnage,” he says. “I don’t feel like it’s going to go away one day. I don’t believe that I’m going to forget this.” Demircan coped with the trauma of what happened during the Danforth Avenue shooting, in part, by getting involved in the advocacy community formed in the aftermath of the violence. Being part of a movement pushing for gun control has helped to heal, he says. “When you share your experiences, it’s relieving,” he says. Demircan was with a group of friends at a parkette along Danforth Avenue on the night of July 22, 2018 when a man drew a semi-automatic handg...

Hydroponic greenhouses becoming more popular in the North, but have limitations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

INUVIK, N.W.T. — Greenhouses are becoming more popular in northern communities as a way to supplement available groceries and improve food security . Some involve hydroponics, a higher-tech way of growing that doesn’t use soil. For example, the Inuvik Community Greenhouse has a hydroponic trailer parked out front, holding around 2,000 spaces for leafy greens and herbs grown year-round. Co-ordinator Adi Scott said the produce supports the greenhouse’s weekly veggie box program with additional goods going to the food bank.About a two-hour Canadian North flight away from the Inuvik greenhouse, just behind the Yellowknife Co-op, greens and herbs are being grown in a converted sea can. The hydroponic greenhouse, which opened in February 2019, is fully automated, producing between 200 and 300 packages a week. “The flavour degrades so quickly in perishable foods like leafy greens that having something that is available for sale within hours of being harvested is a totally different product...

Greenhouses aim to bring fresh produce to North, putting a dent in food insecurity

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

INUVIK, N.W.T. — Rows upon rows of raised beds growing tomatoes, zucchini, beans, wildflowers and herbs line the inside of the Inuvik Community Greenhouse. Sunlight streams through the panes of the curved ceiling above as children sprinkle their crop with green plastic watering cans. The commercial greenhouse in the western Arctic community in the Northwest Territories is in a former hockey arena. There, community members can rent plots to grow vegetables and other plants, and learn about gardening. “Every time I come in here, I only ever see people smiling,” said Adi Scott, who co-ordinates the greenhouse.Remote and Indigenous communities, particularly in the North, are increasingly using greenhouses to grow their own produce, promote self-sufficiency and in some cases create economic opportunity, said Andrew Spring, an assistant professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and a Canada Research Chair in northern sustainable food systems.“Food security has been an issue across the North...

B.C. firefighter numbers increase to more than 2,500, with 100 Brazilians here today

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

VICTORIA — British Columbia is expecting the arrival of 100 firefighters from Brazil today, adding to the province’s growing international wildfire force.BC Wildfire Service spokesman Cliff Chapman says about 500 international firefighters are already in B.C., boosting the ranks of the more than 2,000 provincial wildfire service personnel on the front lines battling hundreds of blazes.He says the firefighters from Brazil will join firefighters from Mexico, the United States and Australia currently in the province.Bowinn Ma, B.C.’s emergency management and climate readiness minister, recently requested 1,000 international firefighters through the non-profit Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which co-ordinates national and international fire management.Chapman says the Brazilians and the international firefighters already in B.C. will provide much-needed relief and assistance to crews battling almost 400 fires currently burning in the province.He says cooler tempera...

Feeling blue? Bell Canada seeks to trademark ‘Bell Blue’ signature colour

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

TORONTO — Customers may recognize the medium dark shade of cyan-blue from the logo at the top of their monthly phone and internet bill, or from a billboard advertising the latest new television program airing soon.To painters, it may simply be known as Pantone 301.But Bell Canada is hoping to formalize it as “Bell Blue,” after applying earlier this month to trademark the colour used across its branding.If approved by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, the trademark would give the telecom and media giant exclusive rights for a decade to use the colour across a variety of good and services it offers, including on phones and TVs, software programs and advertising campaigns.Trademark lawyer Graham Hood of Smart and Biggar LLP said trademarking a colour is a useful way for companies to set themselves apart.“In a Canadian marketplace saturated with brands, goods, services, I think anything a savvy brand owner can do to stand out is worthwhile,” he said of B...

Uncertainty at B.C. ports continues as possible deal emerges in labour dispute

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

VANCOUVER — The uncertainty at British Columbia ports persists as a union local for workers says that a tentative agreement has been reached between a union bargaining committee and employers, the latest development in a tumultuous week in the high-stakes labour dispute.A statement on the website of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada Local 502 says that a tentative agreement has been reached with the BC Maritime Employers Association, and the ILWU will hold an “emergency contract caucus” today to decide if the deal will be sent to the full union membership for ratification.Neither the ILWU nor the BCMEA confirmed the latest development.Meanwhile, work resumed in Vancouver at Canada’s largest port on Thursday as ILWU returned on the job across the province after brief strike action on Tuesday.This follows a week in the labour dispute that saw the union voting down a federal mediator’s terms, the union issuing but quickly rescinding a new 72...

Daily horoscope for July 21, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Virgo.Happy Birthday for Friday, July 21, 2023:You are dynamic, restless, motivated and energetic! You are also innovative and quick to size up a situation. You move fast and aim high. This year you will receive acknowledgement for past efforts. You might win an award, publish a book, get a promotion or start a business. Bravo!ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★Tread carefully today, because despite your energy to work (and this is a good day to boost your earnings), power struggles with someone, perhaps a boss or someone in authority, might prove to be nasty. You don’t need this. Tonight: Play.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★This is a tricky day. In one way, it’s a lovely day to socialize and enjoy playful times with kids as well as sports events. Nevertheless, this is also the classic day for power struggles, and in some cases, arguments. It’s a mixed bag. Therefore, choose your wor...

Moldova separatist leader vows to solve opposition politician's suspected murder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

The president of Moldova's separatist pro-Russian Transdniestria region vowed on Tuesday (18 July) to solve the suspected murder of an opposition politician who was a rare advocate of reconciliation with the country's pro-European government.Transdniestria broke away from Moldova before the end of Soviet rule and after a brief war against the newly independent state's military in 1992 has remained a separate entity, though with no international recognition.Opposition politician Oleg Horgan was found dead in his home this week, apparently after being struck with a heavy object. A safe in the house had been emptied. Officials in Transdniestria said they believed the case to be a simple robbery.In Moldova's capital, government ministers pointed to a political killing and the Deputy Prime Minister, Oleg Serebrean, asked the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Europe's biggest security body, to help in the investigation.Transdniestria President Vadim Krasnoselsky said he...

Harriette Cole: After I rushed her to urgent care, she won’t talk about what happened

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: A few weeks ago, my friend had an extreme anxiety or panic attack that had me really frightened. We had to rush her to urgent care, and for a moment, I thought she was having a stroke.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: They talk about how my wife dresses, and I don’t like it Advice | Harriette Cole: My husband lives in the lakehouse so he can avoid my teen daughter Advice | Harriette Cole: It bugs me when they assume I’m privileged Advice | Harriette Cole: How can I get invited to the good parties? Advice | Harriette Cole: My mom takes money from my bank account to give to my siblings We haven’t discussed it since. She seemed really embarrassed by the whole ordeal.I’m concerned for her well-being, and I’m unsure of how to bring up the subject without embarrassing her further. How do I ensure that she’s seeking help for these issues without being i...