Here are the 5 things you need to know this Tuesday: a mystery bunker in Toronto; a late night deal for Unifor and CN Rail, a tragic death in Alberta; medical marijuana in court; and a reversal for those with peanut allergies. Finally, we’ve got a sobering “did you know” fact to share around the office.
1. Mystery bunker: A local conservation authority employee made an unusual discovery in Toronto last month: a large underground bunker in the woods near a venue that will host some Pan Am Games events this summer. Authorities don’t believe the bunker was intended for illegal or terrorist activities. Toronto Police are expected to release more details at a news conference this morning.
2. Late-night deal: Unifor and CN Rail reached a tentative deal late last night, averting a possible lockout of 4,800 workers.
3. Tragic death: The death of an eight-month-old Alberta baby is likely linked to a toxic chemical the child’s mother used in an attempt to kill bed bugs in the family’s apartment. The baby’s four siblings are all being treated in hospital. Police say the poisonings are being treated as accidental.
4. Medical marijuana case in court: Lawyers arguing on behalf of medical marijuana users told a British Columbia court that Ottawa’s decision to prevent them from growing their own pot has robbed them of affordable access to medicine. Plaintiffs in the case say they are unfairly being forced to buy medical marijuana from commercial producers.
5. Peanut reversal: For years, researchers have been telling parents to avoid exposing their children to peanuts if they were at a high risk of developing allergies. But a new, long-term study has provided evidence that peanut allergies can actually be prevented if kids are given peanuts early in their first year, and then continually exposed to the nuts in early childhood.
And one more thing… Did you know that some birds like to get drunk – a lot? In a bid to contain berry-drunk birds from flying "full-tilt" into windows or cars, staff from Yukon's animal health unit started putting intoxicated birds in a makeshift "drunk tank" last fall to let them sober up.
It's not the first time the odd phenomenon was observed. In 2012, dozens of blackbirds were found dead on a U.K. playground. An analysis later found large amounts of fermented mountain ash berries in the birds' digestive tracts.
