Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Austrians took advantage of their early starts to finish first and second in the season-opening men's World Cup downhill in Lake Louise, Alta., on Saturday.
Matthias Mayer won for the second time in four years at the ski resort west of Calgary, followed by teammate Vincent Kriechmayr in second.
Mayer was the seventh man to push out of the start hut and Kriechmayr was the first.
"Of course, I'm very satisfied," Mayer said. "It's the first race of the season. I know that I had some good work in summer. Not only me. Also, Vincent had good work this summer. As a team, we are in very good shape."
Mayer posted a winning time of one minute 47.74 seconds with Kriechmayr crossing the line in 1:47.97.
"All in all, a really good run," Kriechmayr said. "Matthias was amazing today and he was the right winner for this race."
Defending World Cup downhill champion Beat Feuz of Switzerland had drawn a No. 5 start bib and finished third behind the Austrians in 1:48.09.
Mayer also won the men's downhill in 2018. Last year's World Cup at the ski resort west of Calgary was cancelled because of COVID-19.
Toronto's Jack Crawford was the top Canadian in 24th. The 24-year-old held a No. 52 start bib, and raced a bumpy course in dimming light to earn World Cup points among the top 30 finishers.
About 40 centimetres of snowfall in a 24-hour period forced the cancellation of Friday's downhill. Course workers worked feverishly early Saturday to shift snow and groom the course for a noon start local time.
"They did really good work on the slope today," Mayer said. "It was good skiing today and it was World Cup conditions."
Early starters had the advantage of a more pristine track and better visibility, however, as cloud descended onto the top of the mountain throughout the afternoon.
"I think it was very important because the snow was getting bumpier from number to number," Mayer said. "Starting number seven, I think I was in a good (place) and Vincent and Beat also started in front of me. I saw Vince's run. It was really good."
There's stiff competition within the deep men's Austrian team to represent their country in February's Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Both Mayer and Kriechmayr got a head start on that task Saturday.
"We have so many races still," Kriechmayr said. "I want to show my best skiing every time, every race. That's my goal for the season."
The top 30 finishers earn points for rankings, which gives them more advantageous start numbers in future races.
They also get a piece of the race's prize money totalling 120,000 Swiss francs (C$163,000). Mayer earned 45,000 Swiss francs for the win Saturday.
No member of Canada's young downhill team had a start number within the top 30 for Saturday's downhill, although Crawford and Brodie Seger of Whistler, B.C., are ranked in the top 30 for Sunday's super-G.
Crawford finished in the downhill points for just the second time in his career.
"It was definitely a hard day," Crawford said. "The light was flat and the new snow made it a little bit inconsistent, so starting later in the pack, there were some pretty big holes.
"I managed to watch a few guys who were starting just ahead of me, which helped me create a plan on the fly to deal with all of that changing environment and the holes down the course.
"I'm happy with today with how the conditions were. I was definitely hoping for better. You always are, but with how I skied today, I'm quite satisfied with the overall result."
Seger finished just outside the points in 31st in a field of 65 racers.
"I'm not going for 30th places this season," Seger said. "I want to be a lot deeper than that."
Jeffrey Read of Canmore, Alta., placed 39th, Broderick Thompson of Whistler, B.C., was 49th and Ben Thomsen of Invermere, B.C., finished 54th.
"It's really too bad we didn't have a second downhill here because that would be a good opportunity for redemption," Read said.
Cameron Alexander of North Vancouver, B.C., nearly crashed, but recovered to cross the line in 58th.
The women arrive in Alberta next week for two downhills and a super-G at the resort in Banff National Park.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2021.
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
B.C.’s premier and one of his top lieutenants are pushing back against allegations by the Official Opposition that he covertly commissioned a report into the diversion of safe supply drugs onto the streets.
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Doctors have transplanted a pig kidney into a New Jersey woman who was near death, part of a dramatic pair of surgeries that also stabilized her failing heart.
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
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.