IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Former Canadian gymnast Abby Pearson Spadafora said on Thursday she had suffered years of abuse at the hands of Olympic coach Dave Brubaker and his wife Elizabeth and called for an independent investigation of the sport.
Pearson Spadafora said she was "physically, verbally, psychologically and sexually abused" for years and that the sport failed to protect her and others from the Brubakers.
A lawyer for the Brubakers said he was unaware of the allegations and declined to comment further when contacted by Reuters.
Pearson Spadafora, 38, said that Dave Brubaker had touched her inappropriately multiple times and climbed into bed and pressed himself against her when she was 17. She said that incident and many like it had resulted in a lifetime of trauma.
"The abuse I experienced as a child and young adult, and the Gymnastics Canada complaint process, have had a major impact on my life in a negative way," she said in an open letter released by Global Athlete.
"I suffer from PTSD symptoms which include anxiety, panic attacks and constant nightmares. .. the damaging effects are something I will live with for the rest of my life!"
Dave Brubaker, who coached the Canadian team at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was suspended by Gymnastics Canada in 2017 after he was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual crimes.
He was acquitted in 2019 of the charges levelled by a former student relating to alleged incidents between 2000 and 2007, when the complainant was between the ages of 12 and 20.
The national governing body then handed him a lifetime ban following an internal investigation.
Elizabeth Brubaker was also suspended in 2019 while she was an elite coach at the Bluewater Gymnastics Club in Sarnia, Ontario. Her suspension was extended until 2024.
Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed by a group of former gymnasts alleged that Gymnastics Canada and six affiliated provincial organizations turned a blind eye to an abusive culture. [ ]
Athletes were subjected to threats and humiliation, and inappropriate touching from coaches while being forced to train while injured, the lawsuit claimed.
In March, a group of more than 70 current and former Canadian gymnasts called for an independent investigation into what they described as a "toxic culture and abusive practices" within their sport.
Gymnastics Canada has said it takes those claims "seriously." The sport's governing body did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Pearson Spadafora's allegations.
"Today, I refuse to be silenced," said Pearson Spadafora while calling for an independent, third-party investigation.
"I stand with every survivor and I want them to know, I believe you!
"It's time for the Government of Canada to act.
"Over 480 athletes have come forward, but still the government has done nothing," she added.
"Too many survivors continue to suffer because of their lack of action."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford )
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
In the quiet and leafy Vancouver neighbourhood of South Cambie, best known for its botanical garden, playoff fever is about to set in.
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Biden wants the 2024 election to be a referendum on Trump's record and plans, but he also wants voters to look favourably on his own policies and actions
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
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.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.