Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for "all parties" to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
As the May long weekend kicked off, a massive thunderstorm in southern Ontario brought strong wind gusts that knocked down trees, took out power and left at least five people dead.
Shortly after storms hit, police services across the Greater Toronto Area reported multiple power outages, downed trees and traffic concerns. After the storms cleared up in the Golden Horseshoe, the torrent of rain, wind and thunder made its way east toward Ottawa and southern Quebec.
In Brampton, Ont., Peel Regional Police reported that a large tree had struck a woman who was walking in the storm at around 1:30 p.m. EDT. The woman was transported to a local hospital where she later died.
Ontario Provincial Police also reported that shortly before 12:30 p.m. EDT, three people were taken to hospital after a tree fell on a camping trailer at Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area near Cambridge, Ont. One of the individuals died after suffering serious life-threatening injuries while the other two had minor injuries, police said.
Ifficials say a 44-year-old man was also killed in Greater Madawaska, west of Ottawa, after reportedly being struck by a falling tree.
On Saturday evening, an Ottawa police spokesperson told reporters at a media availability that one person in the west end of the city had died after suffering “major injuries.”
Later Saturday, Gatineau police said a 51-year-old woman drowned after her boat capsized in the Ottawa River.
The storm ripped trees out by the roots and even knocked down hydro towers as it blew across Ontario and Quebec. A wind gust of 120 km/h was recorded at the Ottawa Airport at 3:30 p.m. Ottawa police said a barn in the west end of the city was destroyed, and many people were trapped in vehicles due to live wires on roads throughout the nation’s capital.
Police agencies and hydro providers are also urging residents to stay at least 10 metres from downed power lines as they may be carrying live electricity.
Both Hydro Quebec and Hydro Ottawa reported outages affecting more than 170,000 customers. Hydro One, which provides power to residents in rural parts of Ontario, reported that over 260,000 customers were without power as of early Sunday morning.
In Durham Region, Ont., just east of Toronto, the Township of Uxbridge also declared a state of emergency as emergency crews work to clear trees and other hazards from roads.
“Residents should be prepared for a prolonged power outage. Please stay home for safety,” the township said in a statement.
Environment Canada had warned that strong wind gusts could blast through at a speed of up to 100 kilometres an hour and residents could expect large hail the between the size of a nickel and a toonie to fall in certain regions.
"Large hail can damage property and cause injury. Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles," the agency said.
In a series of public weather alerts issued Saturday, Environment Canada had warned that weather conditions are "favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms" in these areas, including the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa and Montreal.
Environment Canada said southern Ontario and Quebec are forecasted for heavy rainfall with high humidity levels over the weekend. Because of these conditions, The agency said it cannot rule out the possibility of tornadoes in some areas.
Environment Canada recommends taking cover "immediately" if threatening weather approaches.
"Remember, severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes. Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors," the agency said.
According to forecasts, the severe weather is travelling northeast through the southern regions of Ontario and Quebec from Michigan, where a tornado there killed two people and injured 40 others on Friday.
With files from CTV News Toronto and The Canadian Press
Canada called for "all parties" to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
On Friday, the pop star released her 11th album and at 2 a.m. Eastern, she released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," featuring 15 additional songs.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.