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Climate and Environment

    • Canadian wildfires summer outlook: Drought 'huge driver' for risk

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    Emergency officials in Ottawa and British Columbia are warning intense drought could mean an increased likelihood of large, challenging fires this summer.

    "As we get into the core of the fire season, namely July and August, that underlying drought is really going to play a huge driver in bringing us intense fires," Matt MacDonald, the lead fire weather forecaster for the BC Wildfire Service, told reporters in Vancouver Thursday.

    Officials in B.C. are particularly concerned about the low snowpack in the province, confirming Thursday that it is currently only 57 per cent of the norm. The province says the low snowpack will limit surface runoff, stream flows, and fuel moisture recharge, which could make for a potentially dangerous recipe come July and August.

    Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan also provided an update Thursday in Ottawa, on the drought-stricken regions considered highest risk across the country.

    "Key areas of concern include northeastern British Columbia, northern Alberta, south central Northwest Territories, and northern Quebec," Sajjan said.

    This year has actually started relatively slowly on the fire front, according to Sajjan.

    "The good news is the number of fires is well below average for this time of the year, it’s also well below the 10-year average for the total area burned."

    That is expected to change as the temperature climbs. Environment Canada is already warning the chance of a hotter than average summer is virtually 100 per cent almost everywhere east of Manitoba. Above average heat is also expected on the prairies, and out west, but with less certainty.

    Sajjan spoke alongside Energy and Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson who touted new government investment in the yearly wildfire fight, coming off a record-breaking 2023.

    "Last summer Canadians experienced the most destructive forest fire season in Canadian history. The federal government has been working and is working aggressively to ensure Canadians are prepared."

    Wilkinson pointed to Ottawa's $250 million investment in new equipment, and $28 million for more help on the front line.

    "We’re on track to train 1,000 additional firefighters by the end of this year, which is three years ahead of schedule," Wilkinson said.

    In B.C., the provincial government is making it easier for fire evacuees to access support, increasing the accommodation allowance to $200 per night, which is now available through Interac e-transfer as well as at evacuation centres.

    "By increasing the accommodation allowance and giving people the option to receive financial support directly to their bank account we're empowering people with more options to find suitable accommodation for themselves and their loved ones during times of crisis," B.C.’s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, Bowinn Ma, said in a statement.

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    Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    Canada

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • Relatives of a 60-year-old man who took his own life in a Nova Scotia jail after long periods of confinement in his cell have launched a lawsuit against the province.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

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    Lifestyle

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    Autos

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    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

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    • Maplewood Secondary School is scheduled to open Monday after receiving a permit Friday morning allowing 50 per cent of the building to be occupied.

    • Police in western Quebec say a driver has been arrested after almost crashing into a school bus near La Pêche Friday morning.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    • A new garden and microforest, years in the making, have been inaugurated at John Abbott College in Montreal.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    • Mounties say there was an increased police presence in the Emerald Hills area of Sherwood Park on Friday morning as officers searched for a man who is wanted by police.

    • There are plenty of fun happenings in Edmonton this weekend. It's time to savour that last little bit of the summer season before the leaves really start coming down.

    • Alberta Health Services says an E. coli outbreak at a daycare in Blackfalds has ended.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    • Relatives of a 60-year-old man who took his own life in a Nova Scotia jail after long periods of confinement in his cell have launched a lawsuit against the province.

    • Family, friends and fans of late hip hop artist and battle rapper, Pat Stay will gather at events held in his honour on Saturday and Sunday.

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    • A Manitoba veterinary clinic has two new ways of figuring out what’s causing a horse to be lame.

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

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      A large police presence can be seen outside Regina’s Miller High School on Friday afternoon.

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    • Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas are being monitored at Brantford Collegiate Institute after a leak in their geothermal system.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

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    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

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    • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

    • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

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    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    N.L.

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