The weekend is just around the corner! Here are the five things you need to know this Thursday: an NDP candidate has been caught opposing her party’s stance on the budget; Erin Brockovich has weighed in on the plan to dump eight billion litres of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence; amid Russian airstrike in Syria, Defence Minister Jason Kenney has brushed off concern of Canadian jets being in harm’s way; Mohamed Fahmy says Ottawa should’ve fought harder for his release; and outrage is continuing to grow over an incident in B.C. where a boy with Down syndrome was locked in a windowless room at school.
Plus for “Lifehack Thursday,” we have tips on how to beat the Autumn blues.
1. Opposing stance: An NDP candidate has taken the unusual position of opposing her own party’s promise to not run a deficit. In video obtained by CTV’s Power Play, Susan Erskine-Fournier listed the budget promise as the least favourite part of her party’s platform and said it would be hard to convince people that the budget would happen without a deficit.
2. Erin Brockovich wades in: The celebrity environmental activist added her voice to the growing public outcry over a controversial plan to dump eight billion litres of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River, calling it "ridiculous and shameful."
3. 'No proximity': Defence Minister Jason Kenney brushed off any concern that Canadian fighter jets may come into contract with Russian forces in Syria. Kenney said “there has been no proximity” between the Royal Canadian Airforce and Russian planes.
4. Fahmy speaks in London: Mohamed Fahmy told an audience in London that he believes Ottawa should have been more “aggressive” and put more pressure on the Egyptian government to release him from prison. The former Al Jazeera journalist was released on Sept. 23 after a pardon from the Egyptian president for convictions on charges including terrorism.
5. Return of the Jays: The Toronto Blue Jays kick off their first post-season game in 22 years this afternoon and they’ve been able to secure home field advantage against the Texas Rangers. But just how important is that in the playoffs? And for long-time Jays' fans, the game has changed a lot since the last time the team won the World Series.
And one more thing for "Lifehack Thursday":
For many, the fall is a time of excitement with the leaves bursting into colour, the air growing crisper, and the holidays just around the corner. But for others, it’s a time of dread. Clinical psychologist Dr. Peter Bieling offers these tips to keep your spirits up through the season.
