Toronto police are warning the public about a rise in scam calls from fraudsters claiming to be police officers and using police phone numbers.

Members of Iqaluit’s public safety committee discussed tightening the amount of alcohol a person can buy in a day in light of reported violence around the beer and wine store, but did not land on an agreement about whether it’s the right move.

The committee — made up of city staff, councillors and representatives from the Government of Nunavut, RCMP and various local non-profits — met Thursday afternoon for the first time this year.

The beer and wine store has become a “focal point” of public safety issues, said Coun. Amber Aglukark, who chairs the committee.

She suggested the store should cut in half its current daily purchase limits limit — a measure implemented last year in Rankin Inlet.

Aglukark’s suggestions also included continuing an awareness campaign that promotes “zero tolerance” for public drinking as well as more RCMP enforcement around the store and more funding for mental health and addiction services. She also recalled Coun. Kyle Sheppard last year raising the possibility of a temporary alcohol ban.

Deputy Mayor Kim Smith questioned the effect of limiting how much alcohol customers can buy.

“There’s been a national mental health crisis that’s resulted in significant amounts of alcohol abuse, drug abuse,” Smith said.

“I’m not sure what the answer is but I do think that public awareness and just improving the mental health of our community through recreation, programming, access to spaces — I think these are the things that help treat the underlying issues instead of just the symptoms of it.”

Increased policing to deter public drinking in Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet resulted in a “significant reduction” in incidents in both communities, said committee member Sgt. Rob Daly of the RCMP.

However, he questioned the effectiveness of a daily limit, suggesting people may go to the store “twice as often.”

“You’re still going to have people drinking in public. It is what it is,” Daly said.

Committee member Sherri Robertson, who is the YWCA Agvik executive director, suggested the store should have a list of customers barred from service if they have been involved in incidents of violence.

She recalled working at a restaurant in the 1990s that kept a list of people not to serve.

Thursday’s hour-long meeting also covered concerns of loitering around the city’s grocery stores as well as the need to improve control of loose dogs.

The public safety committee’s next scheduled meeting is Oct. 7.

A prominent Canadian legal association is apologizing after it cancelled a keynote speech by Syrian Canadian humanitarian advocate Tareq Hadhad, prompting sharp criticism from many of its members.

Amidst ongoing tariff drama, the tumbling stock market and declining oil prices, people may be panicking.

But one expert says it’s important for anyone worrying about their portfolio right now to “stay the course,” remain calm and not act hastily, as they might regret it in the long run.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed his long-awaited retaliatory tariffs to the world, driving prices up.

CityNews spoke to Chris Porochnuk, an Associate Portfolio Manager at CIBC Wood Gundy, whose advice for investors is that even when things look bad, markets do recover, so it’s important to maintain a long term outlook.

“Panicking and selling into this weakness will likely not result in positive outcomes, especially if you’re invested in stable blue chip long-term type investments or strategies,” Porochnuk said.

“Eventually the markets do eventually rebound from it. Right now we’re still trying to see where that footing is as to when things will start that rebound.” he said ”You’ve got to stay on the focus to the long-term.”

While tariff uncertainty is the main catalyst behind the tumbling market, Porochnuk says weakness in other sectors, mainly U.S. Technology, is also adding fuel to the fire.

He says if you’re in a riskier portfolio tied more closely to the markets, then the tariffs could be more of a concern, but “income generation from the portfolios is generally not going to be impacted by this, or at least not in a meaningful way.”

Porochnuk says he’s seen similar stock situations during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, and even a much more recent instance.

“COVID was a bit more synonymous with what we’re seeing now,” Porochnuk said. “The real driving force behind the declines we saw in 2020 was the risk and impacts towards the global economy; and that’s kinda’ what we’re seeing here, is what are the tariffs gonna’ do to the global economy?”

However, he says at this point, the markets haven’t dropped nearly as much as in March of 2020, when the TSX was down by close to 30 per cent.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down more than 4.5 per cent after also losing four per cent Thursday, while U.S. indexes were down over five per cent after also seeing big drops a day earlier.

On Wednesday, Trump confirmed he is going ahead with 25 per cent tariffs on automobile imports starting Thursday, which were added to existing 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., including from Canada.

He also unveiled a 10 per cent baseline tariff on imports from most countries and a lengthy list of higher tariffs dozens of countries will face. But a White House fact sheet said goods imported under the CUSMA free-trade pact will not face tariffs, although imports that fall outside of it will be hit with 25 per cent levies.

Both Canada and Mexico remain under the threat of economywide duties Trump has linked to the flow of fentanyl across the borders.

With files from the Canadian Press.

From Pierre Poilievre's rally to Donald Trump's tariffs, and from Maritime Electric questions to the Community Outreach Centre dispute, the Compass political panel has the Island covered. CBC's Louise Martin welcomes Paul MacNeill and Sally Pitt for their regular Friday check-in.

To many observers, the most puzzling aspect of Donald Trump's tariffs was that his list included some of the most remote and smallest territories and islands in the world. Places that, in some cases, have more penguins than people.

The City of Iqaluit has begun its annual spring snow removal operations as temperatures rise in Nunavut’s capital.

Crews are clearing accumulated snow from various areas and transporting it to designated dumping sites over the coming weeks, a public service announcement issued Friday said.

Residents are urged to exercise caution around heavy equipment and snow removal vehicles.

The announcement advises residents to maintain a safe distance from operating machinery and following posted signage or instructions from city staff.

Public cooperation is essential to ensuring the work is completed safely and efficiently, the announcement said.

A second snow-removal announcement said the back-road access to the Plateau areas will be closed on Saturday so public works staff can carry out snow removal activities. The road will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the city said, adding that residents should plan their travel accordingly.

A flooded-out padmount transformer. (MANITOBA HYDRO / HANDOUT)

WINNIPEG — As spring runoff begins, Manitoba Hydro is reminding homeowners to be mindful of where they direct water from their sump pumps — especially if they have a padmount transformer (those green electrical boxes) in their yard.

The utility says crews have already spotted several transformers surrounded by standing water this season. While the equipment is designed to withstand moisture and sits elevated on concrete or fibreglass pads, prolonged exposure to pooling water can corrode internal components, potentially leading to costly repairs and power outages.

“If your sump hose is going all the time, it’s best to direct the water elsewhere before the transformer turns into a green metal island,” Manitoba Hydro advises.

Homeowners are also encouraged to consider landscaping solutions to keep meltwater flowing away from these boxes. Anyone planning to dig should contact the utility first to avoid damaging underground cables.

Padmount transformers are commonly used in neighbourhoods with underground power lines, reducing electricity voltage before it reaches homes.

An optimistic tone between the province and the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation after they finalized their most recent collective bargaining agreement.

"There were obviously, I think, lessons learned by both sides," said Minister of Education and Swift Current MLA Everett Hindley. "I don't think either side would want to have a long-protracted type of a dispute like we had this past time. I think people were all across the board starting to get frustrated with how long this was taking and just wanted to see an end to it. We want to be able to move forward in a positive fashion and make sure that when it's time to renegotiate the contract next time that we look back at what happened in this most recent negotiation process, take the positives from that and really build on it and hopefully be able to reach an agreement much, much sooner."

The last deal between the province and STF expired in September of 2023. Despite the importance of this negotiation, it appears the relationship between both parties is now in a better place.

"No one from our side of the table wanted this to be the length of the process that we've experienced," said STF President Samantha Becotte. "But teachers were driven by the critical need to have their working conditions and our student learning conditions improved. We were really fighting for public education and for the students in Saskatchewan.

"Looking forward, I do see some optimism as well. I know the relationship that I've started to establish with the Minister of Education has been much more positive and looking to have those respectful, collaborative conversations. Of course, we're not always going to agree on everything, but being willing to take the voice of teachers into consideration... is something that we see as important to show the respect of teachers as professionals. I'm hopeful that over the course of the next year, we can continue to build that collaborative relationship."

The new agreement only runs until August 31st, 2026. The deal was finalized last week when both sides agreed to language around the class complexity piece mandated by the Arbitration Board. 

The STF said in a statement that the agreement includes a class complexity fund of $20 million per year and provisions to hire additional teachers to help address issues of class complexity. They estimate that could lead to 500 new teaching positions.

Classroom complexity is something the STF expects will continue to be on the bargaining table in the future.

"Once something is included in the provincial collective bargaining agreement, it stays in the agreement unless there's mutual agreement through negotiations to remove something," Becotte said. "This has been something that teachers have fought for over a decade now. I can't see it being something that they're going to easily accept to remove. I know I've heard comments from school board trustees and from the Minister of Education who characterized this as a win for students. I can't imagine them coming forward now with a proposal to take something like this out. Let's look at ways of how we can improve this to ensure all students get the support that they need."

Hindley was more focused on what adjustments they would make in the meantime.

"We'll see what happens in the next round of negotiations," he added. "I would say even between now and then we're going to continue as a government to do work in this area. Whether it's the expansion of the specialized support classrooms pilot, the numbers and the targets that we have set, the work that's being done around a student assessment, the work that's going to be enhanced around K to three literacy, I think these are all important components.

"I would say outside of the contract and the collective bargaining process, we're going to continue this work and continue to consult with teachers and other professionals in the classroom with school board trustees, with administrators in the school divisions and most importantly, families and students about how do we just continue this positive work moving forward. Realizing that this isn't an end point, we need to make sure that we're doing everything we can to keep building upon our education system to make it as best as we possibly can for our students."

Becotte noted they are pushing school boards to begin the work to adjust teacher pay to the language of the new agreement as soon as possible.

A dedicated member of the Steinbach Pistons volunteer family became suddenly very ill and was transferred from Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach to Winnipeg by STARS on March 10. 

Then, on Thursday evening, at the Pistons' Farewell and Awards Banquet held at the Pat Porter Active Living Centre in Steinbach, a special moment was dedicated to Tasha Wiese.

Mike Kehler, the Pistons' chaplain, gave an emotional update on Tasha's condition, recounting how she has been a devoted team volunteer and a community staple. 

"Tasha has been a devout Pistons fan and volunteer for years," Kehler began. "Just 3 1/2 weeks ago, she was at our last game in La Broquerie, helping out on camera alongside broadcaster Dave Anthony. Then the following weekend, she developed a cough and cold that quickly turned into something much worse. By Monday, she was seriously ill and rushed to the hospital." 

Kehler shared that doctors struggled to pinpoint the cause of her condition, but they eventually determined that strep and sepsis had taken hold.

"By Tuesday afternoon, they had to make a life-or-death decision. They amputated both of her legs and hands to save her life," he explained. 

Despite the overwhelming circumstances, Kehler noted that Tasha remained fiercely dedicated to the Pistons.

"She wore a Pistons jersey while in a coma – that's how much the team and the community meant to her," he said. 

Kehler urged those gathered to keep Tasha and her husband in their thoughts and prayers and to consider donating to the GoFundMe page that has been set up to help support Tasha and her family.

"This is going to be a long journey for them, but the outpouring of support has been incredible," he said.

Following the emotional tribute, Kehler reflected on how tough it was to share the news, but also acknowledged the strength that the community had shown.

"It's devastating to see someone go through this, but seeing the support has been amazing. We need each other, and it's heartwarming to see how everyone has come together for Tasha," he said. 

Pistons' head coach Paul Dyck also spoke about Tasha's impact on the team.

"Tasha has been with us for a long time," Dyck said. "She gave so much to our organization, always with a smile on her face, working behind the scenes with video and music. To hear about what she's going through now... It’s heartbreaking." 

Dyck was also moved by the generosity shown during the event.

"The Pistons organization will be making a donation to the GoFundMe, and even the person who won the 50/50 prize tonight decided to donate their share back to Tasha," he shared. "It’s a true reflection of the community that has supported her for so many years." 

When asked what he would say to Tasha if he could speak with her, Dyck replied,

"I sent her a video message letting her know that we can't wait to see her back in the building. We’re all praying for her recovery, and there will be a day when she returns. We’ll be here waiting for her." 

The evening ended on a hopeful note, with the Pistons family rallying behind Tasha, showing that no matter the challenges, they stand together – on and off the ice. 

As Tasha continues her fight for recovery, the community’s support, from GoFundMe donations to heartfelt messages, remains strong. 

* Photo 1 - Tasha volunteering with the Pistons in the sound booth at the Centenial Arena in Steinbach in October 2015. 

* Photo 2 - Tasha volunteering with the Pistons as video camera operating at the HyLife Arena in La Broquerie in March 2025. 

The Town of Kingsville is dedicated to expanding our recreational programs. See what’s happening in Kingsville the week of April 7, 2025.

Monday, April 7

• Drop-In Indoor Pickleball – 7:30 am to 1:00 pm – Kingsville Arena
• Tai Chi All Levels – 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm – Lakeside Park Pavilion

Tuesday, April 8

• Drop-In Parents & Tots (10 Months – 4 years) – 9:30 am to 12:00 pm – Kingsville Arena
• Chair Exercise and Stretch – 9:30 am to 10:15 am – Kingsville Arena
• Creative 55+ Art Class – 10:30 am to 12:30 pm – Carnegie Arts & Visitor Centre – Registration Required
• Junior STEM – 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm – Kingsville Arena (CANCELLED)
• Little Ninjas (4-5 Years) – 4:30 pm to 5:15 pm – Kingsville Arena – Registration Required
• Little Ninjas (6-8 Years) – 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm – Kingsville Arena – Registration Required

Wednesday, April 9

• Drop-In Indoor Pickleball – 7:30 am to 1:00 pm – Kingsville Arena
• Zumbini – 9:30 am – 10:15 am – Kingsville Arena – Registration Required
• Little Athletes (ages 7 to 10) – 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm – Kingsville Arena (CANCELLED)
• Kingsville Painters Guild – 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm – Grovedale Arts and Culture Centre

Thursday, April 10

• Drop-In Indoor Pickleball – 7:30 am to 12:00 pm
• Drop-In Indoor Badminton – 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
• Drop-In Corn Hole Toss – 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm – Kingsville Arena
• Little Creators – 5:00 pm to 5:45 pm – Kingsville Arena – Registration Required
• LEGO Club – 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm – Kingsville Arena (CANCELLED)
• Board Game Café – 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm – Grovedale Arts and Culture Centre (LAST ONE UNTIL FALL!)

Friday, April 11

• Drop-In Indoor Pickleball – 7:30 am to 12:00 pm – Kingsville Arena

Saturday, April 12

• Little Dancers (4-5 Years) – 9:00 am to 9:45 am – Kingsville Arena – Registration Required
• Little Dancers (6-7 Years) – 10:00 am to 10:45 am – Kingsville Arena – Registration Required
• Gymnastics Beginner (Parents and Tots) – 9:30 am to 10:15 am – Kingsville Arena – Registration Required
• Gymnastics Beginner (2-3 Years) – 10:30 am to 11:15 am – Kingsville Arena – Registration Required
• Gymnastics Beginner (4-6 Years) – 11:30 am to 12:30 pm – Kingsville Arena – Registration Required

Sunday, April 13

• Drop-In Parents & Tots (10 Months to 6 Years) – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm – Kingsville Arena: Auditorium A

Visit our online recreation portal at Kingsville Click and Play to register and to see specific details (such as fees). Drop-in programs do not require registration.

Explore Kingsville’s Community Calendar to discover more events hosted by various groups in the area. We can’t wait to welcome you next week!

Photo by Mike Gosselin

The post Recreation Update — Week of April 7 appeared first on Kingsville Times.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he remains concerned with U.S. tariffs on Canadian products but thinks talking with American officials helped Canada avoid a worse outcome.

“Where we found ourselves on Liberation Day was not the best position, but a far better position than many other countries around the world,” Moe told reporters Friday after returning from Europe to promote the province’s exports.

“I do think the broader engagement and advocacy that myself as premier (and) what other premiers have brought to the U.S. has had an impact on where we stand today.”

Moe and other Canadian leaders have been travelling to Washington, D.C., in recent months to make the case that levies on Canada harms Americans.

Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on countries this week in a move that he says is meant to generate revenue and encourage companies to do more manufacturing in the U.S. The tariffs have since caused global stock markets to plunge.

Canada was not hit with those broad levies, but U.S. tariffs of 25 per cent still apply to Canadian steel, aluminum and automobiles.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is on the election campaign trail as Liberal leader, has said Ottawa is retaliating with matching tariffs on all vehicles that don’t comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. The levies also apply to any non-Canadian content in compliant vehicles.

Moe said both countries need to find a path back to free and fair trade. He added Ottawa should be measured in how it counters Trump.

“I wouldn’t say (the outcome of sweeping tariffs) is successful,” he said. “But I would say that it is seeing a relatively positive outcome … relative to many other nations around the world.”

Saskatchewan has also been hit with Chinese retaliatory tariffs of 100 per cent on canola oil, canola meal and peas. The measures were in response to Canada slapping Beijing with levies on Chinese steel and electric vehicles.

Moe said China’s tariffs are more urgent than Trump’s levies.

“We need that engagement from the federal level and, from my understanding, it has not occurred yet,” he said.

Moe said the province will continue working to expand its exports to other countries. He was in Germany this week at a trade show and also delivered a speech at the London Stock Exchange.

Moe is scheduled to attend the Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Ottawa next week, along with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

The conservative political advocacy group was founded by Reform Party founder Preston Manning, who has said a vote for Carney’s Liberals in the April 28 election would be a “vote for Western secession.”

Moe said he wouldn’t comment on the issue of Western Canada breaking up with the country.

“We will work with whoever wins the election,” he said.

If the Liberals move ahead on policies that hamper energy development, Moe said there will be a significant issue.

Liberal candidate Nathalie Provost says she wants to see Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre call out “shameful” comments by a Conservative candidate Simon Payette who accused her of playing the “victim game” in her quest for stronger gun regulations.

A Conservative spokesperson confirms the party has now dropped Payette as a candidate – just the latest in a slew of candidates shed by the Liberals and Conservatives this week over contentious comments, ahead of Monday’s nomination deadline.

Provost, who survived the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, says she was left speechless by some of the comments that tarnish the memory of her classmates subject to the worst mass-murder of women in Canadian history.

The chair of a tribal council representing seven First Nations communities in Manitoba's Interlake region says his group has received more financial support from a charity associated with the Toronto Blue Jays than it has from two major provincial sports organizations.