Growing wildfires across Western Canada are forcing thousands from their homes
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
Staff and residents at a Newfoundland retirement home are rejoicing after the province's health minister said they can once again hold dances – a ban lifted with the help of a music video.
Seniors at the Alderwood Retirement Centre in Witless Bay, N.L. had been fully vaccinated for months and couldn’t understand why the province was telling personal care homes that dances were still prohibited while other restrictions were being lifted.
“They felt as people who were doubly vaccinated and were in one bubble… they couldn't wrap their mind around why they still couldn't dance," Alderwood recreational director Renee Houlihan told CTV News Channel on Thursday.
In an effort to fight the dance ban, the Alderwood residents put out a music video last Friday that showed them dancing to the theme song from the 1984 movie 'Footloose,' which was fittingly set in a town where dancing is illegal.
"With this dance prohibition, we all said, 'That's it, we're going to have to do something.' So, we all sat around, had a cup of tea, and we did some brainstorming and Footloose was born," Houlihan said.
The video eventually caught the attention of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Minister John Haggie, who clarified that personal care homes can once again host dances and thanked the Alderwood residents for raising the issue.
"It was never really our intent to restrict those once vaccination levels rose. We've clarified that in an email to personal care homes today. I thank the Footloose fans for bringing it to my attention," Haggie told reporters in a news conference on Wednesday.
Alderwood resident Teresa Bowen, who was one of the stars of the Footloose video, told CTV News Channel it felt "wonderful" to hear that dances would once again be allowed.
"For us Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, I mean, we grew up on dance. As long as you could put your feet on the floor, you were taught how to dance," Bowden said.
The announcement, as well as the shoutout from the minister, prompted celebrations at Alderwood.
"Oh my gosh, we were shocked, we were jubilant. We were triumphant. We were high fiving, we were fist-bumping. Everyone was going off their head, as we say in Newfoundland. We were so thrilled," Houlihan said. "And what Minister Haggie did at that point was that he validated the voice of seniors, and we did it amicably."
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
Eating enough healthy fats is great for brain and heart health, but new research has possibly provided even more evidence for adding them, particularly omega-3s, to your diet.
A Malahide Township resident is out more than $2 million following a romance scam.
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
More than 2,000 people forced to pack up and leave Fort Nelson, B.C., are trying to adjust to life as evacuees, and the constant concern about what is happening back home.
After a final frame that saw the visiting Vancouver Canucks claw their way back and tie the game late, a point shot by Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard with 38 seconds left (until what seemed like certain overtime) iced the 3-2 victory for Edmonton to knot the series.
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker railed against Pride month, working women, President Biden's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.