Mayor Andy Fillmore was the sole no vote for the project, which has trained staff responding to non-violent crisis calls.

The post Halifax budget committee votes to approve community crisis team pilot appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

The London Police Service says it's still finalizing details on its strategy to tackle public drug use on city streets and Londoners will learn more about it in the coming weeks. 

Police have arrested one of two suspects in connection with a robbery in Mount Pearl this week.

Twenty-eight-year-old Peter Campbell and 44-year-old Shane Ryan, both of St. John’s, are accused of robbing a Commonwealth Avenue business just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, fleeing in a vehicle before police arrived.

They face charges including robbery and possession of property obtained by crime, in addition to breaching release and probation orders.

That’s on top of nearly two dozen similar breaches of court orders, as well as assault, robbery and theft charges, already on the court docket for Campbell.

In an update this morning, police said Ryan was arrested Thursday night in the New Cove Road area, while Campbell remains at large.

Police urge the public to be on the lookout for him, and report any sightings by calling 911.

WASHINGTON — An explosive new disclosure by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has pulled back the curtain on endemic corruption in the Chinese Communist Party—reaching the top echelons of power, including President Xi Jinping. Released as an unclassified document and drafted by ODNI’s National Intelligence Council, the report explains how graft, bribery, and political favoritism are an essential feature of CCP power structures, festering for decades, involving organized crime and factional struggles—even under Xi’s trademark anti-corruption campaign.

By publicly releasing these findings, U.S. officials are signaling a readiness to reveal what intelligence agencies have long documented but kept classified. Sources with knowledge of the matter indicate Washington appears increasingly willing to trace corruption and international money laundering directly to the Politburo, citing explosive cases such as a Western intelligence investigation that allegedly linked Xi Jinping’s cousin, Ming Chai, to a casino money-laundering junket in Australia.

In an era of sharply escalating tensions—spanning trade, technology, and territorial disputes—Washington’s move seems aimed at exposing internal vulnerabilities in Xi’s regime while also undermining the offshore money laundering and strategic corruption Beijing is believed to use for influence-building across the Western Hemisphere and the South Pacific. It offers American citizens a transparent glimpse into what the U.S. government views as key fault lines within China’s ruling party, as the world’s two most powerful states appear set on a collision course—driven in no small part by Xi’s urgent push to subsume Taiwan.

In a striking detail, the ODNI cites journalistic research, initially blocked by Bloomberg before eventually being reported by The New York Times in 2012, that tied immense family wealth to both then-Premier Wen Jiabao and the incoming President Xi. The Times reported that Wen’s immediate family controlled at least $2.7 billion in assets, while Xi’s siblings, nieces, and nephews collectively held more than $1 billion in business and real-estate holdings. Beijing promptly tightened its censorship apparatus in the report’s aftermath, curtailing foreign news outlets that delved into elite wealth.

“Xi may have urged family members to divest holdings as he came into power. However, industry research provides evidence that, as of 2024, Xi’s family retains millions in business interests and financial investments,” the ODNI report says. It adds that corruption cases reaching the highest levels—relying on open-source rather than classified U.S. intelligence—“shows corruption cases within the CCP Central Committee span leading officials overseeing a range of portfolios and projects.”

Among the examples cited is Zhang Wei, a Chinese businessman arrested in 2020 for “organizing, leading, and participating in organized crime; illegal detention; and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition,” before being found guilty the following year of illegally absorbing public deposits.

Another high-profile instance is Chen Gang, who was accused in 2019 of accepting over $18 million in bribes—some tied to his oversight of 2008 Beijing Olympics construction projects. More recently, in April 2024, Yao Qian, Director of the China Securities Regulatory Commission was investigated for “serious violations of discipline and law,” possibly connected to China’s Central Bank Digital Currency initiative.

The fact that Xi—who carefully cultivates an image of austere probity—has family members reportedly retaining millions of dollars in investments remains a deeply sensitive topic for Beijing. In highlighting these details, U.S. intelligence appears to be drawing attention to a broader governance model that incentivizes graft, even as Xi’s “tigers and flies” campaign claims to have taken down nearly five million officials since 2012.

The ODNI’s document underscores how Xi’s crackdown is not merely a legal imperative but also a party-directed instrument for punishing “political indiscipline and ideological impurity.”

“Although Xi has not used the campaign primarily to target his political rivals, a drive to eliminate competing power centers factored significantly into decisions made in the initial phases of the campaign. Early in Xi’s tenure, senior officials with ties to his predecessors were targeted with investigations and arrests,” the report says. “More significantly, political connections to high-ranking officials have not protected officials from prosecution, including those with close personal ties to Xi himself; the anti-corruption campaign has purged top officials considered loyal to Xi and who had risen under his patronage.”

Significantly, the ODNI highlights persistent corruption in the People’s Liberation Army—and a surge of high-level purges driven by Xi’s effort to consolidate control before the PLA’s target of full combat readiness by 2027, with Taiwan looming as the central focus. “In 2024, Xi stressed during a speech to military commanders that ‘the barrels of guns must always be in the hands of those who are loyal and dependable to the Party,’” the report states, adding that Xi’s emphasis on PLA loyalty “may also reflect concerns that corrupt practices will prevent the military from acquiring the capabilities and readiness he has directed it to achieve by 2027, in preparation for a potential conflict over Taiwan.”

The ODNI’s broader assessment emphasizes that corruption is not merely an occasional lapse but a systemic challenge to China’s governance, facilitated by centralized CCP power, a Party-centric concept of law, and minimal transparency. Studies suggest that corruption has persisted in China since its founding, intensified by rapid economic growth in the 1980s and 1990s, and has been so pervasive since 2000 that it threatens the very legitimacy of the regime.

China is no longer describing itself as a “near-Arctic state” and might be redefining its northern policy against the backdrop of a warming U.S.-Russia relationship.

“The Chinese have stopped using that term [near-Arctic state] and I think we’ve seen a withdrawal or a significantly lower Chinese interest in the Arctic,” the South China Morning Post reported March 16.

The story was later picked up by various Russian state-controlled media outlets.

U.S. President Donald Trump has redefined his nation’s foreign policy since taking office Jan. 20, making it more aligned with Russia, the country’s traditional adversary.

With that, China’s push in the region has declined, reported South China Morning Post.

Beijing announced its Polar Silk Road strategy in 2018. It envisioned China’s deeper involvement in Arctic governance along with mineral and scientific exploration of the region.

Since then, China has proclaimed itself a “near-Arctic state” despite not having any territory in the polar areas.

“One could almost argue this is something similar to what the British did in their colonial period when they set up trading blocks and supported them by the British Navy,” said Rob Huebert, an Arctic sovereignty and security expert from the University of Calgary, in an interview with Nunatsiaq News.

China is one of the 13 countries with observer status at the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental organization that includes all eight Arctic nations: Canada, Unites States, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden.

Arctic affairs should be a concern of a “global village,” China’s ambassador to Canada, Wang Di, said during his visit to Iqaluit in August.

At the time, he said China would like to continue to invest in Canadian Arctic, including the mining sector.

In 2020, Chinese state-owned Shandong Gold Mining Co. expressed interest in buying the Hope Bay gold mine complex, near Cambridge Bay. The deal was rejected by the federal government later that year after a national security review of the transaction.

Huebert said there is not enough information to determine whether China has indeed started backtracking on its Arctic ambitions from a “rhetorical perspective” and whether that will spell out into real actions.

“They tend to be quiet,” he said, adding, however, that he does not see the country completely withdrawing from Arctic affairs.

Until there is more information, China downplaying its Arctic ambitions could be an attempt to aid U.S-Russia negotiations on the war in Ukraine, Huebert said.

“One possibility is that this is an attempt to create a positive form of news stories for the particular American president to be able to point and say, ‘Oh, see, my strategies are working,'” Huebert said.

“But these are games within games at the highest level, so it’s a little bit difficult to know with any certainty exactly what’s driving them.”

Wayne Phelan has announced he will be running in Cardigan as an Independent candidate. Phelan was the candidate for the Conservative party in the last election campaign, losing to long time Liberal MP Lawrence Macauley.  This time around, after Macauley announced he will not run again, Phelan will be up against Dairy farmer Kent MacDonald for the liberals and former Provincial government Cabinet Minister James Aylward for the Conservatives.

The city of Summerside issued a release expressing deep concern about the growing homelessness. Mayor Dan Kutcher says the city has been taking steps to support shelters, improve housing access and maintain public safety but the challenges can’t be tackled alone and he says they require provincial leadership to deal with homelessness , its causes and solutions. Kutcher says the city is committed to working as partners to ensure safe and stable housing for everyone.

A homelessness study by the John Howard Society in P-E-I shows a steep increase in the number of Islanders without a place to live.The point-in-time count suggests 318 people were without a home in 2024, compared to 146 in 2021.The organization blames a variety of factors, including the Island’s low rental vacancy rate, coupled with increasing rent costs. The study found the majority of unhoused Islanders were between 25 and 49 years old, and more than 67 per cent were male.

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is announcing a plan to boost training and jobs for workers in skilled trades.

In a news release this morning, Poilievre says his plan for “more boots, less suits” will expand training halls and provide direct grants and faster employment insurance for apprentices in licensed trades.

He says the goal is to deliver higher paycheques to workers and make Canada less reliant on the U.S.

The plan would offer apprenticeship grants of up to $4,000, fund training halls for skills development for up to 350,000 workers over five years and work with provinces to harmonize health and safety regulations so workers can work anywhere in Canada.

Poilievre will discuss details of his plan at a news conference in Ottawa this morning.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is widely expected to call an election on Sunday, sending Canadians to the polls as early as April 28.

Sherri Borden Colley's lawyer Asaf Rashid said he found it 'alarming' the corporate security investigator had no clear knowledge about racial profiling before she began investigating the case.

The post Corporate security investigator testifies in Nova Scotia human rights hearing into racial profiling complaint against local store appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Why mass timber is the answer to Canada's housing crisis

On this day in 1980, comics from The Second City were making their Edmonton debut.

According to the Edmonton Journal, the performances tested whether Edmonton could serve as the next expansion for the improv comedy mainstay, which started in Chicago before branching out to New York and Toronto. While the Edmonton theatre troupe never materialized, in less than a year, the city nonetheless played a starring role for The Second City, and the comedy world.

Second City Television, or SCTV, was a sketch comedy show that grew out of The Second City Toronto. First airing in 1976 on Global, the show featured several future comedy legends, including John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, and Harold Ramis. Framed as broadcasts from a tiny television station in the fictional town of Melonville, SCTV's comedy was bold, avant-garde — and expensive to produce.

Global axed the show after two seasons due to high production costs. But SCTV wasn't finished. Charles Allard, a wealthy Edmonton surgeon who owned the independent CITV station (which would later just become ITV) purchased it and moved production to Edmonton. Some of the cast dropped out (including O'Hara and Ramis), but Rick Moranis was added to the roster.

The move to Edmonton sparked a golden age for SCTV. The facilities at CITV were tiny, but advanced, leading to some ambitious comedic experiments. The city's isolation and long, dark winters also meant the cast had little to do but throw themselves into their work. The cast spoke fondly of their time in the city, although producing a show out of Edmonton did cause some problems. It was hard to convince guests to make the trip in, and sometimes, when the Oilers were playing, they would lose their production crew.

During the Edmonton years, SCTV produced some of its best episodes and gained attention. The show was broadcast on CITV and CBC, and was eventually picked up by NBC, making it the first Canadian TV series to air on an American network. While SCTV didn't get the same ratings as NBC's Saturday Night Live, the Canadian show was critically beloved. Seen as the edgier, more cult comedy creation, it was lauded as the funniest TV show around in everything from The New Yorker to the L.A. Times. SCTV went on to win four Emmys and kickstarted the film careers of many of its stars.

Edmonton influenced some of the show's comic sensibilities, too. Candy and Levy's polka-playing Schmenge Brothers were inspired by Edmonton's accordion master, Gaby Haas. Edmonton's concrete, brutalist architecture proved to be a suitable Soviet Union stand-in for one of SCTV's most memorable episodes, when its signal is overwhelmed by a similar station from the U.S.S.R. The Edmonton seasons also saw the creation of SCTV's most famous characters, arch-Canadian brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie. The pair was created to maliciously comply with CBC's demands for more Canadian content but became wildly popular with audiences on both sides of the border.

SCTV would only spend a year and a half in Edmonton before production was moved back to Toronto. But that short time left a mark. Many of the show's cast went on to legendary careers in movies and TV. And even now, comedy writers and actors talk of SCTV's scrappy, experimental sketches as a major source of inspiration. Today, Edmonton's place in SCTV history can be seen downtown, where statues of beer-swilling Canadian icons Bob and Doug sit on a bench near Rogers Place.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.

Ben Staley, the former chef at Yarrow and the Alder Room, says Next of Kin, his first concept as Hoot Company's creative director, is a neighbourhood bar in the Brewery District.

Next of Kin is located at 10425 121 Street NW, in the basement below Wilfred's and Made by Marcus in the brick former office building beside the former Molson brewery. Staley developed the menus for food and drink, but also designed the interior. Design is something he's prioritized learning about since leaving Yarrow and chef life in 2022. The restaurant closed mysteriously in 2024.

"I've always just loved pretty things," Staley told Taproot. "I think the physical environment is so important to how people feel, or how you want them to feel. (The opportunity to work on that was) what made me agree to take this job."

Staley joined Hoot in 2023 and has helped overhaul the bar menus at both Dorinku locations before designing Next of Kin from the ground up. Hoot also owns both Japonais Bistro and DOSC.

Staley's concept for Next of Kin is that there is not one concept. "With my past restaurants, when I was still cooking, they were so hyper-conceptual and so hyper-focused on this one thing, and we did that to the best that we possibly could," he said. "We didn't really want to pigeonhole ourselves into doing just one thing (with Next of Kin)."

Still, Staley said, the look of Next of Kin is inspired by the 1970s and feels like "your cool grandparents' basement." Menus current as of March 19 include dishes with flavours from Asia and the Mediterranean alongside a burger and soft-serve ice cream. For cocktails, which Staley said are the focus of the bar, inspiration runs from bubblegum and rhubarb to café au lait and Five Alive.

Staley said the forthcoming Nero, a restaurant in the former Molson Brewery building right next door to Next of Kin by the team behind Rosso and Bianco, might help lure customers to his cocktail bar before or after dinner.

Attracting more people to the Brewery District might be limited by its design, Lisa Brown, the former president of what's now called the Wîhkwêntôwin Community League and a resident of the neighbourhood, told Taproot. Brown said she hopes new businesses like Next of Kin and Nero can influence the future of the Brewery District, which she believes was "not very well done from an urban design, integration-into-the-community perspective" when it was opened nearly a decade ago.

"My naive, optimistic hope is that some of these business owners push the developer to improve the public realm so that the experience of their customers improves," Brown said. "I'm not holding my breath for that, but I think that would be nice to see."

Brown was part of the community of residents that challenged plans by developers First Capital Realty and Sun Life for the Brewery District before it opened in 2016. She said the development, which architect DIALOG has called pedestrian-oriented, lacks adequate sidewalks, crossings, and other access options for people who don't drive. There are blind spots for cyclists, especially around the large, underground parkade for cars, which she says do not even allow cyclists to enter.

Given the Brewery District offers ample, free, underground parking, Brown is puzzled by the amount of parking on the surface, which she said could be used for something else.

"It's not even necessarily that it has to be 'public realm,' in the sense that it's a park, but even just beautiful patios, great spaces for businesses to spill out and activate the space (would be better than surface parking)," she said. "That would actually help grow business, whereas, free surface parking … I can't imagine that it's as profitable as a restaurant having an extra 50 spaces in a beautiful area."

Staley, for his part, said part of the location's appeal for Next of Kin is that it is between fellow cocktail bar, Clementine, and Manchester Square off 124 Street NW. He agrees that there could be some improvements to the Brewery District, like more small, standalone businesses, but said the development has made strides, and he is optimistic about how the forthcoming Valley Line West LRT could open up access to Next of Kin for more people.

Though Staley built the menus for Next of Kin, he doesn't want them to become stagnant or be put into a box. He said he believes collaboration between chefs in Edmonton has dipped in recent years, and he wants to reinvigorate it with guests in the kitchen and behind the wood. The "Next" in Next of Kin, Staley said, means bringing in guest chefs and bartenders from Edmonton, Canada, or beyond. The first guest chef should arrive in late April or early May, he said.

"A big part of our concept is that we're doing this chef-in-residence program," Staley said. "We can have fun doing something with a chef, whether they do Indian, or Spanish, or French, or anything. The idea with that is that we're passing (our hospitality platform) down a little bit."

In the interim, and before the first chef takes residence at the bar, Staley is organizing a "bar crossover" at Next of Kin with James Grant of Toronto's Library Bar on April 18 and 19.

The establishment is open on evenings from Tuesday to Saturday for walk-ins only.

The City of Swift Current is bracing for a change in water levels on the Swift Current Creek. 

The chance of flooding has increased with the forecast moving into double-digit warmth over the coming weeks. What was a steady slow release of the snowpack is set to ramp up into a fast-moving melt. 

In response, the City of Swift Current has begun setting up barricades along the Swift Current Creek. They are also preparing for the fact that rising water levels will break the ice layer, allowing for the ice to flow down the stream. 

According to an official release from the City of Swift Current, the expectation for the immediate future is for water to begin pooling in low-lying areas adjacent to the Creek. 

To begin, barricades are being set up in the most vulnerable zones. Homeowners along the creek are being asked to please stay up-to-date and informed. Sandbags are available, free of charge, at 2074 South Service Road West. 

In the release, Swift Current Fire Department Fire Chief Ryan Hunter was quoted as follows. 

"We're taking preemptive steps to support our community. Homeowners can fill personal sandbags to safeguard their property, with sand and sandbags available at no cost as part of our community support efforts. Protecting your home from spring runoff is an essential step in minimizing potential disruptions for homeowners."

Even people who have a family care clinic say they face long waits to get an appointment, while thousands more compete for slots at walk-in clinics.

The Alberta government dissolved the board of the provincial health authority the same day the organization was scheduled to receive a report from investigators examining whether some of its business deals were subject to “improper activity,” according to a document obtained by The Globe and Mail.

Further, the Health Minister dismissed the board after some directors forwarded a letter to the Auditor-General alleging that government officials meddled in Alberta Health Services’s operations to the benefit of private companies, according to a separate document obtained by The Globe.

The Saskatchewan government's newly released budget has increased its policing spending by several million dollars and includes a promise to add about 100 provincially-funded municipal police officers.

Yellowknife announced a closing celebration for its old pool with a new aquatic centre set to open. Take a look inside the new building and get some details.

The NWT's flu season started later this year than last. Anecdotally, there's quite a bit of sickness circulating – and some data bears that out.

The NWT's privacy commissioner says the territorial government must learn from a privacy breach affecting thousands as it wound down the Covid-19 Secretariat.

Hand games, dog sledding and tea boiling. It's spring carnival time in the NWT – here's our guide to events coming up across the territory.

Fort Nelson First Nation is for the first time sending a women’s team to compete in a prestigious Indigenous hockey tournament in Whitehorse.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister said Friday he has ordered ground forces to advance deeper into the Gaza Strip, and vowed to hold more land until Hamas releases the remaining hostages it holds.

“The more Hamas continues its refusal to release the kidnapped, the more territory it will lose to Israel,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

After retaking part of the strategic Netzarim corridor that divides Gaza’s north from south, Israeli troops moved Thursday toward the northern town of Beit Lahiya and the southern border city of Rafah. The military said it had resumed enforcing a blockade on northern Gaza, including Gaza City.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet unanimously approved his request to fire the head of the country’s Shin Bet internal security service. The decision to sack Ronen Bar deepens a power struggle focused largely over who bears responsibility for the 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

It also could set the stage for a crisis over the country’s division of powers. Israel’s attorney general has ruled that the Cabinet has no legal basis to dismiss Bar.

Critics say the move is a power grab by the prime minister against an independent-minded civil servant, and tens of thousands of Israelis have demonstrated in support of Bar, including outside Netanyahu’s residence on Friday.

A Shin Bet report into Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that prompted the war acknowledged failures by the security agency. But it also said that policies by Netanyahu’s government created the conditions for the attack.

Netanyahu is also upset that the Shin Bet has launched an investigation into connections between some of his close aides and the Gulf state of Qatar. His office said Bar’s dismissal would take effect on April 10 or before then if a replacement is found.

Nearly 600 Palestinians have been killed since Israel on Tuesday shattered a truce that had facilitated the release of more than two dozen hostages and brought relative calm since late January.

Israel had already cut off the supply of food, fuel and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians, has said it would escalate military operations until Hamas releases the 59 hostages it holds — 24 of whom are believed alive — and gives up control of the territory.

The ceasefire agreed to in mid-January was a three-phase plan meant to lead to a long-term cessation of hostilities, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the return of all hostages taken by Hamas in its surprise attack on Israel.

In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas returned 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces also withdrew to buffer zones inside Gaza, and hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to northern Gaza.

The ceasefire was supposed to continue as long as talks on the second phase continued but Netanyahu balked at entering substantive negotiations.

Instead, he tried to force Hamas to accept a new ceasefire plan put forth by U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.

That plan would have required Hamas to release half its remaining hostages — the militant group’s main bargaining chip — in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Israel made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners — a key component of the first phase.

Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as called for in the original ceasefire agreement mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.

The militant group has said it is willing to hand over power to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority or a committee of political independents but will not lay down its arms until Israel ends its decades-long occupation of lands the Palestinians want for a future state.

Hamas said in a statement Friday that the firing of Shin Bet’s head shows a “deepening crisis of distrust” within Israel’s leadership, and claimed that Netanyahu “engineered sham negotiations to stall and buy time without any genuine intention of reaching tangible outcomes.”

Netanyahu said he had ordered the resumed strikes on Gaza because of Hamas’ rejection of the new proposal.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration reiterated its support for Israel this week, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying, “The president made it very clear to Hamas that if they did not release all of the hostages there would be all hell to pay.”

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Most of the hostages have been freed in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 49,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It does not say how many were militants, but says more than half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war at its height displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population and has caused vast destruction across the territory.

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Rising reported from Bangkok.

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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Ibrahim Hazboun And David Rising, The Associated Press

Live TV is often unpredictable, but at least the team behind the scenes is ready. However, this week, the ultimate surprise was pulled off — morning show legend, Dina Pugliese, shocked everyone by announcing her return to Breakfast Television, two years after stepping away from the spotlight.

Host Melanie Ng speaks with her long-time colleague and friend, Dina, tackling topics she’s never talked about before.

From burnout to family health, social media criticism to what makes her tick, nothing is off the table. This episode is a rollercoaster of emotions – with laughter and tears within the first few minutes.

You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.

The post A real and raw conversation with Dina Pugliese  appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg.

RNC have secured a home on New Pennywell Road in St. John’s following a weapons-related complaint.

Police say officers will be on the scene for some time today as they carry out their investigation.

New Pennywell Road is currently closed between Eagle Court and Barkham Street and drivers are asked to avoid the general area for the time being.

RNC will provide more information as it becomes available.

A study has found nearly half of the landslides, debris flows and washouts that occurred during British Columbia’s atmospheric river disaster in November 2021 originated in areas that had been logged or burned by wildfire.

Severe rains triggered a landslide that killed five people on a stretch of Highway 99 east of Pemberton, while large swaths of roads and bridges were washed away cutting off coastal B.C. from the rest of the country.

Def Leppard will perform this year at the Churchill Park Music Festival in St. John’s.

Special guests are Sam Roberts Band and Honeymoon Suite.

The Churchill Park Music Festival takes place in July. The general on-sale tickets are on sale as of March 25 at noon and will be available online at ChurchillParkMusicFestival.com.

NL Hydro will provide more information today on its application to replace Bay D’Espoir Unit 8 and the Avalon Combustion Turbine projects.

The utility’s build application for the projects will be filed today with the Public Utilities Board.

NL Hydro will brief reporters on its plans at a news conference today at 1:45 at Hydro Place in St. John’s.

VOCM News will be there.