Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Eclipse watchers were warned of the dangers of looking directly at the sun ahead of the rare celestial event on April 8.
Nearly a month after the total solar eclipse, at least 160 cases of eye damage have been reported across Canada.
"There's a fascination element to it and you can't help but look, so that is a problem," Dr. Mark Eltis, president of the College of Optometrists of Ontario, told CTV News. "And also even the glasses that were safe in theory, some of them, we don't know about the quality of manufacturing."
The rays aren’t any stronger during the eclipse than it would normally be, and people usually would find the sun too bright to look at, Eltis said, but some may have stared at the sun directly to witness the phenomenon. During the eclipse it gets dimmer, so the pupil dilates, he added.
"So you’re not only looking at the sun but you’re opening up the defences, if you will, to the rays … to go into the back of the eye and cause more damage," Eltis explained.
Most areas in Ontario saw only a partial eclipse because they weren't in the path of totality, which may also be a factor. Experts said 100 per cent totality, when the moon completely blocks the sun, is the only time it's safe to look at the sun without eye protection.
This meant more people would've been exposed to the sun's direct rays if they didn't use the recommended certified eclipse glasses, handheld solar viewers or solar filters during the partial eclipse.
The cities that were in the path of totality largely saw cloud cover, and the use of eclipse glasses likely helped limit the number of eye complications reported, the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) said.
As of April 26, the OAO said it received 118 cases of reported eye complications since the April 8 eclipse. The problems included inflammation of the cornea, dry eyes and solar retinopathy.
While inflammation of the cornea usually heals within a few days, solar retinopathy can cause permanent vision loss in extreme cases, an OAO spokesperson said.
“The severity of cases depends on which part of the retina is affected and how long the patient stared at the sun,” the OAO told CTV News Toronto in a statement last week.
In Quebec, 45 cases of eye injuries possibly linked to the eclipse were reported as of April 29. The government said optometrists in the province reported cases of keratitis, solar retinopathy or keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
"It is important to note that there may be an underestimation of cases. Since the data collected by optometry clinics is on a voluntary basis, there may be a delay in reporting cases and cases do not necessarily present themselves in optometry clinics," Marie-Pierre Blier, spokesperson for Quebec's ministry of health and social services, said in an emailed statement translated from French to CTV News.
New Brunswick was one of the provinces that had no reports of eye damage. The province had a picture-perfect total eclipse on April 8 with lots of direct sunrays before and after totality, and blue skies through the day instead of cloud cover seen further west. Nova Scotia also had no reports of eye damage.
“I really wanted to make sure that there was no fear around this event, that people didn’t miss out on this incredible event that’s not going to happen for another 55 years in New Brunswick," Dr. Alexis Keeling, president of the New Brunswick Association of Optometrists, told CTV News. "But we wanted to make sure the community in the province, everyone, was armed with education and knowledge they needed to be safe.”
With files from CTV National News' Heather Butts and CTV News Toronto's Phil Tsekouras
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
An unlikely celebrity emerged from social media to cheer on the Edmonton Oilers as they face the Dallas Stars tonight in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
French luxury makeup and skincare brand Clarins is pulling out of Hudson's Bay stores in Canada.
The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled in the provincial government's favour on the City of Surrey's legal challenge to its ongoing transition to a municipal police force, according to B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.
The proprietors of Regina's sole discount theatre are aware they're carrying on a significant legacy.
When Jujhar Mann said he wanted to be a pastry chef on a grade school career project, he didn't imagine that pursuing his dream would land him on a popular Netflix baking competition.
A city known for its history, ties to outer space and southern barbecue, is also home to a Winnipeg chef dishing out dozens of perogies.
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.