5 things to know for Thursday, January 27, 2022

EDITORS' PICKS

Clean up, power restoration efforts underway after destructive Ontario storm

Crews are working to restore power to more than 150,000 Ontario customers who are still without hydro after a deadly storm swept through the province on Saturday.

Hydro Crews work to fix broken power poles and restore power in the Ottawa Valley municipality of Mississippi Mills, Ontario on May 24, 2022. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

'My heart breaks': Trudeau reacts to Texas elementary school shooting

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his 'heart breaks' for those impacted by the 'horrific' shooting at an elementary school in Texas that killed 21 people on Tuesday.

People react outside the Civic Centre following a deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

Society 'may not survive' Putin's war, says billionaire George Soros

Russia's invasion of Ukraine may have marked the start of "a third world war," and Russian President Vladimir Putin must be defeated "as soon as possible" if the world wants to preserve civilization, said billionaire and philanthropist George Soros.

George Soros is seen in this 2019 file photo. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

Canada sending more artillery to Ukraine, 'crucial' to fight against Russia: Anand

Canada is sending an additional 20,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine for the Ukrainian military to use in its ongoing defence against the Russians. This ammunition—155mm calibre, as well as fuses and charge bags—is being donated, but comes at a cost of $98 million, according to the federal government.

Watch the last public payphones being removed from New York City

The very last public payphones located in New York City's 7th avenue were removed this week, marking the end of an era.

Is my home or car covered from storm damage? In most cases yes, insurance bureau says

As residents in Ontario and Quebec work to repair the damage caused by a severe storm over the weekend, many may be wondering whether their homes and cars are covered from any damages. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says wind damage is usually covered, but to confirm with their provider what losses may be included.

Trudeau waffles when asked if Canada exists on stolen land

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Kamloops on Monday as an invited guest of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc as the First Nation marked the first anniversary of the confirmation of 215 unmarked graves on the site of a former residential school.

International travel to Canada on the rise as pandemic restrictions lift: StatCan

International travel to Canada has continued to rise with the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions but remains below pre-pandemic levels, recent data from Statistics Canada shows.

Ottawa to release findings of military sexual misconduct report in 'coming days'

The findings of a highly-anticipated report about how to tackle sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will be made public in the 'coming days,' a spokesperson for Defence Minister Anita Anand says.

Canada

Clean up, power restoration efforts underway after destructive Ontario storm

Crews are working to restore power to more than 150,000 Ontario customers who are still without hydro after a deadly storm swept through the province on Saturday.
Judge decides 'Freedom Convoy' organizer Tamara Lich stays out on bail

An Ottawa judge has decided that 'Freedom Convoy' organizer Tamara Lich will remain released on bail while awaiting trial.
'That's not acceptable': Families of N.S. shooting victims, lawyers boycott inquiry in protest

As the inquiry into Nova Scotia’s mass shooting moves its public proceedings to Truro, many of the family members affected by the tragedy and their lawyers are boycotting the proceedings over the next week.
Toronto radio personality 'on hiatus' after human rights complaint filed by former co-host

Toronto radio host John Derringer has been placed 'on hiatus' after former colleague Jennifer Valentyne posted a lengthy video on social media over the weekend alleging harassment and gender discrimination within the workplace.
'It's like walking on Mars to me': B.C. senior still paying mortgage on 'not livable' property after November floods

Months after devastating flooding, a B.C. senior is still paying a mortgage on a home that no longer exists and a property that he says has been assessed at $1.
Ottawa storm winds reached 190 km/h: researchers

Winds in the destructive storm that hit Ottawa and the region on Saturday reached 190 kilometres per hour in some areas, researchers say.

World

Onlookers urged police to charge into Texas school

Onlookers urged police officers to charge into the Texas elementary school where a gunman's rampage killed 19 children and two teachers, a witness said Wednesday, as investigators worked to track the massacre that lasted upwards of 40 minutes and ended when the 18-year-old shooter was killed by a Border Patrol team.
Gunman kills 19 children in Texas elementary school shooting -- what we know so far

An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing at least 19 children as he went from classroom to classroom, officials said, in the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade and the latest gruesome moment for a country scarred by a string of massacres. The attacker was killed by law enforcement.
Russia takes steps to bolster army, tighten grip on Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin issued an order Wednesday to fast track Russian citizenship for residents in parts of southern Ukraine largely held by his forces, while lawmakers in Moscow passed a bill to strengthen the stretched Russian army.
Ukraine updates: Ukraine president rebuffs calls to cede land

The latest updates on the war in Ukraine on Wednesday: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday strongly rebuffed those in the West who have suggested Ukraine cede control of areas occupied by Russian forces for the sake of reaching a peace agreement.
'I've got to dig deep': Texas shooting tests Newtown parents

In the decade since 20 children and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary, some of their loved ones who channelled grief into advocacy have claimed success, gradually, in areas including gun safety, attitudes around gun violence, and mental health awareness. The attack in Uvalde has tested their resolve like no other.
'Trump is in the past': Mounting losses show limits of power

Donald Trump opened May by lifting a trailing Senate candidate in Ohio to the Republican nomination, seemingly cementing the former U.S. president's kingmaker status before another possible White House run. He's ending the month, however, stinging from a string of defeats that suggests a diminishing stature.

Local Highlights

'Timbit' the seal pup rescued off B.C. coast

A harbour seal pup found weak and alone on a beach has a sweet new name and is being cared for by specialized staff at the Vancouver Aquarium.

This photo from the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre shows a seal pup rescued from a B.C. beach that has been named 'Timbit.'

Active 2022 Atlantic hurricane season expected, with up to 21 named storms

The Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30, is expected to be a busy one. Experts from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration out of the United States, along with those from the Canadian Hurricane Centre, released predictions for the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane season Tuesday.

B.C.'s rejected licence plate list includes GAS LOL, BONDVLN, WE VAPE

Some of British Columbia's more creative vehicle owners received bad news over the last two years: you can't put everything on a licence plate.

Funeral services held for decorated 100-year-old Canadian fighter ace

Funeral services were held Friday morning for Second World War fighter ace James "Stocky" Edwards in Courtenay, B.C.

'Holy grail of all finds': Ottawa boy finds gun while magnet fishing in creek

A 12-year-old Ottawa boy is sharing his story after a magnet fishing trip turned up an unexpected find.

With Grand Manan's only bank set to close, residents of the N.B. island are fighting to keep it open

Residents on the New Brunswick island of Grand Manan are rallying to keep their village’s only bank open. The Bank of Nova Scotia, or Scotiabank, notified customers of its plans to leave Grand Manan in January.

'Cougar' spotted in Vancouver neighbourhood was actually a large house cat: police

Police were called to a Vancouver neighbourhood for reports of a cougar sighting in the area. What they found was something else.

100-year-old veteran to walk 100km for homeless heroes

A soon-to-be centenarian and veteran of the Second World War is about to walk 100 kilometres to raise funds for homeless veterans.

Manitoba parents want changes to allow traditional Indigenous names on birth certificates

A new bill brought forward by Manitoba’s NDP would allow parents to give their children traditional Indigenous names.

Politics

Live updates from the French Conservative leadership debate

The six candidates on the ballot to be the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada are debating face-to-face in French, in Laval, Que.
Trudeau cancelled B.C. appearance after RCMP warned protest could escalate: CP source

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cancelled plans to appear in person at a Liberal fundraiser in British Columbia Tuesday after RCMP warned an aggressive protest outside the event could escalate if he arrived, said a source close to the decision. The source spoke to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.
Emergency alerts when severe weather happens can be improved: Guilbeault

Emergency weather alerts that are broadcast over the mobile network should be improved to make sure they are getting to the right people at the right time, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Wednesday.

Health

Monkeypox in Canada: PHAC now confirms 16 cases nationwide

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it has now confirmed a total of 16 cases of monkeypox in the country, all in Quebec.
B.C. launches Canada's first lung cancer screening program for high-risk residents

British Columbia has launched the country's first provincewide lung cancer screening program for residents who are at high risk of getting the disease.
Journalists face 'alarming' levels of stress, trauma and harassment, report suggests

Members of Canada's news industry are suffering “alarming” levels of work-related stress and trauma, a new report suggests, and researchers are calling for better supports to help journalists cope with covering COVID-19 and other crises.

Sci-Tech

Hubble identifies unusual wrinkle in expansion rate of the universe

Measuring the expansion rate of the universe was one of the Hubble Space Telescope's main goals when it was launched in 1990. Over the past 30 years, the space observatory has helped scientists discover and refine that accelerating rate -- as well as uncover a mysterious wrinkle that only brand-new physics may solve.
Here's what happened during Boeing's 'nail-biting' spacecraft docking

Boeing managed to dock a spacecraft at the International Space Station late last week, but it was not without several minor hangups.
Boeing capsule lands back on Earth after space shakedown

Boeing's crew taxi returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Wednesday, completing a repeat test flight before NASA astronauts climb aboard.

Entertainment

Matthew McConaughey says 'we must do better' after massacre in his hometown of Uvalde

Matthew McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde where at least 21 people were killed Tuesday, described gun violence as an "epidemic we can control."
Alanis Morissette to be inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

Organizers have named the Ottawa-raised 'Jagged Little Pill' singer-songwriter as the newest inductee, saying she will appear at Toronto's Massey Hall on Sept. 24.
Prosecutors suggest Hedley frontman lied about having consensual sex with teen, woman

The sex assault trial of Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is hearing from a limo driver who drove one of the complainants to and from the Hedley frontman's hotel in 2016.

Business

U.S. requests second dispute over Canadian dairy import quotas

The Biden administration said on Wednesday it was requesting that a second dispute settlement panel under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) be formed to review a trade dispute with Canada over dairy import quotas.
Elon Musk revises Twitter financing plan; shares jump

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday revised the financing plan for his proposed $44 billion purchase of Twitter, raising investor hopes that the unpredictable billionaire still intends to pull off a deal roiled by market turbulence and Musk's not-entirely-explicable concerns about the number of fake accounts on Twitter.
North American stock markets rise in response to Fed rate increase outlook

North American stock markets climbed after minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting suggested the central bank won't be any more hawkish in aggressively raising interest rates in the months to come.

Lifestyle

'Not parent expected': When a DNA test brings distressing results

While genealogical DNA tests may be marketed as harmless and exciting way for people to learn more about their ancestral heritage, CTVNews.ca speaks with a Canadian researcher who says more support is needed for those who get unexpected results that have potential to disrupt family relations.
The science behind why smoke seems to follow you around a campfire

Why does smoke seem to follow you around a campfire? B.C. research scientist Kerry Anderson told CTVNews.ca the answer actually boils down to physics.
You can get unlimited summer travel for US$9.50 a month in this European country

A whole month of unlimited transport in Germany is just US$9.50 -- that's a great deal at any time, but in a time of fuel price hikes, rocketing car rental rates and a worldwide cost of living crisis, it becomes unbeatable.

Sports

Canadians Auger-Aliassime, Fernandez advance to third round at French Open

Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez have both advanced to the third round of the French Open following straight-set victories on Wednesday.
Sale of Chelsea by sanctioned Abramovich approved by U.K. gov't

Roman Abramovich's 19-year ownership of Chelsea is ending after the British government approved the sale of the Premier League club by the sanctioned Russian oligarch to a consortium fronted by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly.
Brittney Griner's wife tells ABC she wants WNBA star home

Brittney Griner's wife Cherelle wants U.S. President Joe Biden to secure her partner's release, doing whatever is necessary to get the WNBA star home from Russia where she has been detained for more than three months.

Autos

'Hurts like hell': What goes into the price of gas in Canada

With the price of gas rising above $2 per litre and setting new records in Canada this year, CTVNews.ca looks at what goes into the price per litre of gasoline and where the situation could go from here.
Lawsuit accuses 3 automakers and parts maker in air bag case

A class action lawsuit is accusing three automakers and a parts manufacturer of knowingly selling vehicles containing air bag inflators that are at risk of exploding. Two deaths and at least four injuries have been linked to such explosions.
B.C.'s rejected licence plate list includes GAS LOL, BONDVLN, WE VAPE

Some of British Columbia's more creative vehicle owners received bad news over the last two years: you can't put everything on a licence plate.

Climate and Environment

Canada's 2022 summer weather forecast predicts huge differences from coast-to-coast

Several parts of the country, including British Columbia and Canada's Maritime provinces, are likely to see wetter-than-normal conditions this summer, according to AccuWeather's annual summer forecast.

A thunderstorm and sunny weather are shown in this composite image. (Andre Furtado / Jaime Reimer / Pexels.com)

Emergency alerts when severe weather happens can be improved: Guilbeault

Emergency weather alerts that are broadcast over the mobile network should be improved to make sure they are getting to the right people at the right time, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Wednesday.

France: Climate protesters block TotalEnergies meeting

Several hundred climate protesters disrupted a TotalEnergies shareholders meeting in Paris and blocked the venue entrance Wednesday to denounce the oil and gas giant's stake in Russia despite Moscow's war in Ukraine.

At Davos, Kerry cites progress on China-U.S. climate group

John Kerry, America's top official on climate change, said Tuesday that the U.S. and China were making progress on putting together a group from both countries to work toward quickly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

South Asia's intense heat wave a 'sign of things to come'

The devastating heat wave that has baked India and Pakistan in recent months was made more likely by climate change and is a glimpse of the region's future, international scientists said in a study released Monday.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Canada captures 21 medals in the most challenging Paralympic Games in history

The cauldron was extinguished Sunday in Tokyo to end the most unique Paralympic Games in history -- and crossing the finish line on a Games fraught with uncertainty was a major victory in itself, as Canada captured 21 medals, including five gold, in Tokyo, eight less than the Canadian team won five years ago in Rio.

The closing ceremony for the 2020 Paralympics ends at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Wheelchair racer Lakatos is Canada's flag-bearer for Paralympics closing ceremony

Veteran wheelchair racer Brent Lakatos will be Canada's flag-bearer for the Tokyo Paralympics closing ceremony.

Canada's Paralympians do not get paid for making the podium

Paralympians competing for Canada at the Tokyo Paralympics do not get a bonus for getting a medal. Canadian Olympic medal winners get thousands of dollars in bonuses.

Canada's Nate Riech earns 1500M gold in his Paralympic debut

Canada's Nate Riech captured gold in the 1,500 metres in his Paralympic debut in Tokyo.

Canada's Danielle Dorris wins Paralympic gold and sets world record

Canada's Danielle Dorris captured gold at the Tokyo Paralympics in spectacular fashion, breaking the world record twice.

W5 HIGHLIGHTS

Tumultuous times in House of Windsor raise concerns about monarchy's future

With Prince Andrew the latest in a string of British royal scandals, is the House of Windsor starting to crumble?

Members of the British Military's 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards take part in the changing of the guard ceremony outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, where Prince Andrew's residence is nearby in the grounds of Windsor Great Park, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Ketamine and psilocybin, better known as party drugs, showing promise for treatment of mood disorders

W5 investigates an unconventional treatment for severe depression and PTSD that involves the drug ketamine.

Clinical trials with psilocybin have shown an improvement in symptoms for patients battling a range of disorders including depression and anxiety.

Nearly two decades after working at a pulp mill, workers complain their health was compromised

In 2002, the owners of the mill in Dryden, Ont. started a project to reduce emissions, but workers on the construction project complain that they were exposed to toxic chemicals that damaged their health. CTV's W5 spoke with some of the workers about what they went through.

Sexual abuse in the military: Soldiers speak of systemic problems in a 'toxic culture'

W5 investigates sexual misconduct in the military, and interviews Canadian soldiers who claim they were sexually abused while serving their country.

W5 INVESTIGATES

W5 INVESTIGATES | Former dog sled owner quits after learning about alleged gassing of dogs by business partners

A former dog sled owner opens up after watching the W5 documentary 'Dogs in Distress.' She left her large-scale dog sledding operation shortly after the program aired. XP Mi-Loup has since shut down in Quebec.