This lake froze over before it snowed, and these people were able to see amazing bubble patterns frozen into the ice. How cool is that? Science!
NEW YORK — Canadian author Souvankham Thammavongsa's “How to Pronounce Knife" is among this year's fiction finalists for the U.S.-based National Book Critics Circle prizes. The critics circle announced five nominees in each of six competitive categories Sunday, and seven finalists for an award for best first book. This year's nominees are the first under new leadership at the NBCC after many of its board members departed in 2020 amid a dispute over how to respond to the summer's Black Lives Matters protests. Among those stepping down was NBCC president Laurie Hertzel, senior books editor for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She was replaced by David Varno, Publishers Weekly's fiction reviews editor. In the NBCC's fiction award category, Martin Amis was nominated for his autobiographical novel “Inside Story” and Randall Kenan, who died in 2020, for the story collection “If I Had Two Wings.” The other finalists were Maggie O’Farrell's “Hamnet,” Thammavongsa's “How to Pronounce Knife,” which won the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize, and Bryan Washington's “Memorial.” The Feminist Press, whose founder Florence Howe died last year, will receive a lifetime achievement award and has a nominee for criticism: Cristina Rivera Garza's, “Grieving: Dispatches from a Wounded Country.” New Republic critic Jo Livingston received a citation for Excellence in Reviewing. Winners will be announced March 25. Isabel Wilkerson's “Caste,” her widely read exploration of American racism; was a nonfiction finalist. The others were Walter Johnson's “The Broken Heart of America: St, Louis and the Violent History of the United States,” James Shapiro's “Shakespeare in a Divided America,” Sarah Smarsh's “She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs” and Tom Zoellner's “Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire.” Biography nominees included “The Dead are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X," co-written by Tamara Payne and her father, the late journalist Les Payne, and winner last fall of the National Book Award. The other finalists were Amy Stanley's “Stranger in the Shogun’s City: A Japanese Woman and Her World,” Zachary D. Carter's “The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes," Heather Clark's “Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath” and Maggie Doherty's “The Equivalents: A Story of Art, Female Friendship, and Liberation in the 1960s.” In poetry, the nominees were Victoria Chang's “Obit,” Francine J. Harris' “Here Is The Sweet Hand,” Amaud Jamaul Johnson's “Imperial Liquor,” Chris Nealon's “The Shore” and Danez Smith's “Homie.” The autobiography finalists were Cathy Park Hong's “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning,” Shayla Lawson's “This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope,” Riva Lehrer's “Golem Girl,” Wayétu Moore's “The Dragons, The Giant, The Women” and Alia Volz's “Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco.” Beside's Garza's “Grieving,” criticism nominees were Vivian Gornick's “Unfinished Business: Notes of a Chronic Re-Reader,” Nicole Fleetwood's “Marking Time." Namwali Serpell's “Stranger Faces” and Wendy A. Woloson's “Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America.” Three of last year's most talked about first novels, Raven Leilani's “Lustre,” Megha Majumdar's “A Burning” and Douglas Stuart's “Shuggie Bain," are nominees for the John Leonard Prize for best first book, fiction or nonfiction. The other finalists are Kerri Arsenault's “Mill Town,” Karla Cornejo Villavicencio's “The Undocumented Americans,” Brandon Taylor's “Real Life” and “C Pam Zhang's ”How Much of These Hills Is Gold." The Leonard award is named for the late literary critic, who helped found the NBCC in 1974. Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
Le ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) a statué. Une aire d’attente de 300 véhicules ainsi qu’une zone de préchargement seront aménagées à l’approche de la traverse de Tadoussac afin d’atteindre l’objectif des traversées aux 20 minutes. L’instance gouvernementale avait plusieurs scénarios dans la mire, dont cinq ont été analysés plus en détail. « L’option retenue est celle qui répond au plus grand nombre de besoins exprimés par les intervenants du milieu que nous avons rencontrés comme la municipalité, les citoyens, les commerçants, la SÉPAQ et la Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ) », a indiqué Lysanne Girard, lors de la présentation publique virtuelle du projet aux Tadoussaciens le 20 janvier. Ce scénario prévoit deux voies de circulation en direction est (vers Baie-Comeau), deux voies de circulation, réduites à une voie près de l’intersection de la rue des Pionniers, en direction ouest (vers Québec), une zone de préchargement (près du quai d’embarquement) et une aire d’attente hors route (face à l’Hôtel Georges) du côté sud. À l’entrée de la zone de préchargement, le MTQ prévoit deux systèmes de transport intelligent permettant de contrôler le processus d’embarquement. Il permettra, selon le MTQ, de respecter un délai de 20 minutes comprenant l’embarquement, la traversée et le débarquement des véhicules en plus d’éliminer l’attente en zone urbaine. « De plus, les utilisateurs auront un accès permanent à la voie de secours (lit d’arrêt) par la voie locale en libérant la zone en bas de la côte. L’accès aux rues municipales et aux commerces en sera également bonifié grâce à l’élargissement des voies de circulation, entre autres », de préciser Mme Girard. Même si plusieurs citoyens et résidents de la Côte-Nord contestent la nécessité de ce projet dont les coûts sont estimés à plus de 50 M$ en raison de la possibilité de construire un pont sur le Saguenay, il n’était pas permis d’interroger les intervenantes du ministère sur le sujet lors de la rencontre publique. « Nous ne discuterons que du projet qui nous concerne, celui du pont sur le Saguenay en étant un autre bien distinct », a précisé la conseillère en communications Sarah Gaudreault. Quelques questionnements de citoyens sont survenus à la fin de la rencontre en ce qui concerne le bruit et la certitude d’effectuer les traversées aux 20 minutes. « Actuellement, il y a seulement une voie pour embarquer. Ce que la solution propose, avec la zone de préchargement, on devrait être en mesure d’embarquer avec les deux rampes, donc à deux voies. La STQ pourra venir précharger pour accélérer le processus, ce qu’elle n’est pas en mesure de faire pour le moment », a répondu Marie-Hélène Grenon, ingénieure au MTQ. Rappelons qu’en 2009, le MTQ et la Société des Traversiers du Québec (STQ) ont annoncé la construction de deux nouveaux navires d’une plus grande capacité (110 véhicules au lieu de 72) pour améliorer le service offert aux usagers de la traverse. L’objectif était d’offrir des traversées aux 20 minutes. « Des interventions seront nécessaires afin d’améliorer la fluidité de la circulation sur la rue du Bateau-Passeur (route 138) et de permettre le passage des véhicules en 20 minutes (embarquement, traversée et débarquement) », a conclu l’intervenante du MTQ. Le projet de réaménagement des voies à la traverse de Tadoussac-Baie-Sainte-Catherine en est présentement à l’étape de la conception, soit à l’avant-projet préliminaire. Prochaines étapes \- Octroi du mandat de conception par un appel d’offres public; \- Évaluation environnementale; \- Plans d’acquisition ; \- Inventaire archéologique; \- Appel d’offres pour la réalisation des travaux; \- Construction; \- Environ 5 à 8 ans seront nécessaires pour compléter le projet.Johannie Gaudreault, Initiative de journalisme local, Journal Haute-Côte-Nord
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer confidence rose in January as Americans became more optimistic about the future. The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index increased to 89.3, a rebound from December when it dipped to 87.1. The increase was fueled by the board's rising expectations index, which measures feelings about the future path of incomes, business and labour market conditions. The present situation index weakened further, likely reflecting concerns about the resurgence of COVID-19. Martin Crutsinger, The Associated Press
De petits centres de distribution pourraient voir le jour dans les régions du Québec afin de soutenir le projet de plateforme québécoise d’achats en ligne piloté par le Panier bleu. Une nouvelle plateforme transactionnelle dédiée aux détaillants québécois doit voir le jour d’ici l’automne dans le but d’offrir une alternative aux plateformes d’Amazon et d’autres géants mondiaux du commerce en ligne, a annoncé le Panier bleu lundi. Un total de 900 000 $ seront dédiés aux développements initiaux du projet qui seront pilotés par le Panier bleu dans les trois prochains mois. Desjardins et la Banque Nationale investissent 600 000 $, alors que Québec ajoute pour sa part 300 000 $. Cette somme sera tirée des fonds accordés au Panier bleu par Québec, qui soutient l’initiative qui prend la forme d’un répertoire en ligne d’entreprises. Le Panier bleu avait été lancé au printemps dernier lorsque la crise sanitaire a éclaté, afin de faire la promotion de l’achat local. Le projet de plateforme transactionnelle québécoise est le résultat des recommandations des huit Chantiers sur l’avenir du commerce de détail au Québec, lancés cet été par le Panier bleu. La plateforme transactionnelle projetée donnera de la visibilité aux détaillants et produits québécois. Elle doit aussi permettre aux consommateurs d’y acheter facilement et directement une diversité d’articles, a expliqué en entrevue Michel Girard, qui a présidé les travaux du chantier Capacités logistiques et qui est originaire du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. Diminuer les délais de livraison Pour attirer les consommateurs, les produits devront toutefois pouvoir être livrés à un coût et dans des délais raisonnables. De petits centres de distribution pourraient alors entrer en jeu dans les régions pour soutenir les commerçants reliés à la plateforme transactionnelle québécoise, a indiqué Michel Girard. Le Panier bleu ne dirigerait pas lui-même le déploiement de tels centres, mais pourrait accompagner un entrepreneur régional qui souhaite en opérer un. « Ça pourrait être une entreprise, peut-être un peu plus grosse, qui décide de se partir un centre régional et de dire : “Moi je le fais pour moi, mais je suis prêt à prendre le volume de vente d’autres détaillants” », donne-t-il en exemple. De tels « microcentres » permettent de diminuer les délais de livraison, ce qui représente un avantage, par exemple pour la livraison de produits alimentaires, a-t-il ajouté. Même petits, ces centres seraient profitables pour les détaillants en facilitant la logistique entourant l’entreposage, la préparation des commandes et l’expédition. Michel Girard, qui est président-directeur général de l’impartiteur montréalais Drakkar Logistics, se montre d’ailleurs lui-même intéressé à accompagner des projets en région. L’entreprise qu’il dirige se spécialise entre autres dans la construction et la mise en opération de centres de distribution. « S’il y a un plan d’affaires, parce qu’il y a assez de détaillants qui sont sur le Web et qui ont des produits à vendre, pourquoi pas ? », lance le dirigeant qui est natif d’Arvida. Michel Girard souligne que ces « centres de microdistribution », concept aussi connu sous le nom de « micro-fulfillment centers », ont fait leurs preuves en région aux États-Unis. La création de petits centres de distribution de 5000 à 20 000 pieds carrés est d’ailleurs la sixième recommandation issue de la fusion des rapports des chantiers Capacités logistiques et Transport et livraison du Panier bleu. La clé: le nombre d’entreprises La clé de la réussite d’une plateforme transactionnelle québécoise repose cependant sur le nombre d’entreprises et de produits qui s’y retrouveront. Des centaines d’entreprises et des milliers de produits devront se retrouver sur la plateforme pour attirer les clients en ligne. « Parce que les deux vont ensemble : si la plateforme n’est pas assez riche, il n’y a pas de trafic. S’il n’y a pas de trafic, les marchands ne vendent pas sur la plateforme », souligne M. Girard. Plus de 23 000 commerces de différents horizons et bannières sont actuellement inscrits au répertoire du Panier bleu. Au Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, on en compte 745, dont 49 ayant inscrit des produits en ligne, qui mènent vers les sites transactionnels des entreprises.Myriam Gauthier, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Quotidien
Premier and Liberal Leader Andrew Furey was campaigning in the Big Land on Monday, visiting candidates and groups in Labrador West and Lake Melville. Furey spoke to the media while he was in Labrador City and covered a variety of topics, including concerns Labradorians have with the Medical Transportation Assistance Program (MTAP). Last week NL NDP Leader Alison Coffin said her party would remove the requirement for upfront payment by patients and reimbursement for medical flights, which has been referenced as a barrier by people in the region. When asked by SaltWire how his party would change the program to better meet the needs of Labradorians, Furey said he had met with impacted people while in Labrador West and recognizes there needs to be changes made. The Liberal leader said when he was working as an orthopedic surgeon they had begun offering clinics in the region to cut down on patient travel, but says more needs to be done. “When you hear the stories about a child or a loved one with cancer, obviously you can’t have an oncology clinic in every nook and cranny around our beautiful province, but we’re Canadian and everyone deserves a Canadian standard of medical care,” he said. “That’s part of being Canadian, part of what we’re proud of as Canadians, is that won’t bankrupt you. My government won’t let that happen in the future.” The district was a close loss for the Liberals in the last election, when NDP Jordan Brown beat then Liberal cabinet minister Graham Letto by only two votes. Former Labrador City mayor Wayne Button is representing the Liberals this time around, and Furey said he has full confidence in Button as a representative for the region as a candidate. Investment portal Furey was also asked about InvestNL, an online portal for investors to connect with local entrepreneurs his party had announced earlier in the day. One of the ways out of the global economic crisis is to continue to bring investment to the province, he said, referencing Labrador West and the mining opportunities there an example of what the province has to offer. “There is great interest around the world, but we need to make it easy for foreign investments to come to Newfoundland and Labrador by creating a portal to attract foreign investments to the government,” he said. “It’s a virtual trade desk that will link foreign investors with local entrepreneurs and the appropriate people in Newfoundland and Labrador.” Evan Careen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Telegram
Ani Di Franco, "Revolutionary Love” (Righteous Babe Records) Pioneering folkie activist Ani Di Franco is a standout instrumentalist whose guitar could kill fascists. Alas, on “Revolutionary Love,” her six-string doesn’t play a major role — or many notes. Not that Di Franco has gone mellow. With characteristic passion on her first studio album since 2017, she makes the personal universal, and the political personal. Her title cut is a seven-minute pledge to propel social movements with love and forgiveness, the message underscored by a slow-burn soul groove. Elsewhere Di Franco quotes Michelle Obama, skewers an ex-president and calls for resilience in the wake of depressing news headlines. Such topics are mixed with couplets about personal pain and bliss, sometimes within the same song. The best of “Revolutionary Love” is very good. Di Franco's acoustic guitar is most prominent on “Metropolis,” and it's beautiful — a love ballad with shimmering reeds that evoke her description of “fog lifting off the bay.” The equally compelling “Chloroform” laments domestic dysfunction as a string quartet creates dissonance of its own. Elsewhere Di Franco blends elements of folk, jazz and R&B, and makes music suitable for a rally. She's at her most politically vociferous on “Do or Die,” singing about “Yankee Doodle Dandy” to a Latin beat. Di Francophiles will find it positively patriotic. Steven Wine, The Associated Press
Près de 80% des Canadiens se sont déclarés favorables à une réglementation qui obligerait les entreprises de médias sociaux à retirer de leurs plateformes les contenus haineux ou racistes dans les 24 heures suivant leur publication, selon un sondage de la Fondation canadienne des relations raciales (FCRR). L’étude menée par la firme Abacus Data pour le compte de la FCRR révèle précisément qu’au moins 60% des Canadiens pensent que le gouvernement fédéral a l’obligation de proposer une réglementation pour empêcher la diffusion de discours et de comportements haineux et racistes en ligne. 23% restent incertains, mais seulement 17% préféreraient que le gouvernement n’intervienne pas. «Les discours haineux et le racisme sont des choses qui ont toujours existé, mais les plateformes de médias sociaux permettent de les diffuser sous le voile de l’anonymat à un public beaucoup plus large», a déclaré Mohammed Hashim, directeur exécutif de FCRR. Il a soutenu que le résultat de ce sondage est une raison de plus pour que «le gouvernement fasse de la réglementation des discours haineux en ligne une priorité politique». Selon la Fondation canadienne des relations raciales, les récents événements aux États-Unis ont alerté leurs voisins canadiens sur la montée de l’extrémisme et des discours haineux sur les plateformes telles que Facebook, Twitter et YouTube. M. Hashim a estimé que cette préoccupation avérée est «aussi la preuve que le Canada est loin d’être à l’abri des expressions de haine et de racisme en ligne». En effet, 93% des Canadiens estiment que les discours haineux et le racisme en ligne constituent un problème et 49% qui pensent qu’ils sont des problèmes très graves. 1 Canadien sur 5 est victime de la haine en ligne L’enquête a également révélé que les couches sociales les plus vulnérables à la haine en ligne sont les groupes racialisés, qui représentent près de 20% de la population canadienne. Ils sont trois fois plus susceptibles d’en avoir été victimes que leurs homologues non racialisés alors que les crimes haineux ont augmenté de 7% au Canada en 2020, selon la police. Les internautes de 18 à 29 ans sont «plus susceptibles que les plus âgés d’avoir directement reçu ou été témoins d’injures offensantes, de commentaires racistes, sexistes et homophobes, d’incitations à la violence, de harcèlement sexuel et de menaces physiques en ligne». L’étude tend à démontrer que la restriction des libertés est moins préoccupante que le sort des victimes. La firme Abacus data a établi que «les Canadiens sont bien plus préoccupés par l’impact des discours haineux en ligne sur leurs concitoyens que par la limitation de la liberté d’expression ou les restrictions à la vie privée». Quatre Canadiens sur cinq seraient favorables à l’adoption des mesures législatives selon lesquelles ceux qui publient des contenus haineux ou racistes seront tenus responsables de leurs actes. «Alors qu’il existe une législation sur la haine dans le monde réel, le cyberespace n’a pas reçu le même niveau de diligence législative», a déclaré M. Hashim. Godlove Kamwa, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Canada Français
A Saint Andrews councillor who recently voted on a new short-term rental bylaw for his town has a history of challenging an Airbnb proposal in his neighbourhood. But Coun. Guy Groulx says this situation doesn't put him in a conflict of interest position but rather gives him "insight" into the weaknesses of the town's current zoning bylaw, which will allow him to help the town create better planning rules. "It's hard to be completely separate in everything. And the only thing you can do is act in the best interests of the town," he said. In 2019, Groulx made a submission to the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission's Planning Review and Adjustment Committee outlining his objections to a planning application filed by Garth and Marissa Browne. The Brownes had received the green light from the regional committee to have a unit in their Ernest Street home be used “to provide sleeping accommodation for the travelling public,” according to a planning report. Judy Hartford, a development officer with the commission, reported to the committee in July 2019 that the Brownes had a “strong case for a variance” to allow for this arrangement. The property was zoned for mixed-use and both single-family dwelling, and tourist homes fit into that usage, she noted. The variance was granted, but then Groulx appealed the decision to New Brunswick's Assessment and Planning Appeal Board. It ultimately ruled in Groulx's favour and overturned the decision by the planning committee. Groulx said the case demonstrates that the planning committee didn't let his position as a councillor influence its decision despite his presentations against the variance. Saint Andrews council recently passed the first reading of its short-term rental bylaw. If implemented, the bylaw will develop a permit system to regulate short-term rentals in the town. It could potentially limit the number of short-term rental permits to three per person. Groulx voted on that first reading. Garth Browne declined to comment for this story this week. In a previous interview with the Telegraph-Journal, Browne said the web of zoning bylaws is “scaring away young people from this community.” “Which is a shame,” he added. Town clerk Paul Nopper said Saint Andrews' conflict of interest policy falls under the town's procedural bylaw and the Local Governance Act. A conflict of interest is defined as when a council member could make a personal profit or a financial gain from a decision. "As staff, I can't make judgment on it... From my personal point of view, and from what I've seen, there is no conflict of interest from Coun. Groulx," Nopper said, noting none of the council members own an Airbnb or any short-term rental. In the event of a conflict of interest, under the town's procedural bylaw, Saint Andrews council members have to declare any conflict themselves, and if they don't and there is a conflict, then there could be repercussions, such as an RCMP inquiry or investigation. Groulx said his duty as a councillor is to "promote the adherence and application of zoning bylaws." "I am not opposed to short-term rentals as they can play an important role in promoting tourism in our community, but a balance must be struck that protects the affordable housing stocks, respects the rights of neighbours and provides a level playing field with existing short-term rental providers," he said in an emailed statement. Deputy Mayor Brad Henderson said he's recused himself in the past from multiple debates, sometimes even if it's just because of a perceived conflict of interest. Groulx said he has recused himself before too. "It's a small community," Henderson said. "You certainly have to be more careful, in the fact that everybody knows everybody else, or seems to have a friend or a neighbour or a co-worker that's invested in a particular interest. So you do have to be careful." - With files from Mike Landry The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. L'initiative de journalisme local est financée par le gouvernement du Canada. Caitlin Dutt, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — People arrested during three nights of rioting sparked by the Netherlands' new coronavirus curfew will face swift prosecution, the Dutch justice minister said Tuesday as the nation faced its worst civil unrest in years. Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said rioters would be quickly brought before the courts by public prosecutors and will face possible prison terms if convicted. “They won't get away with it,” he told reporters in The Hague. The rioting, initially triggered by anger over the country's tough coronavirus lockdown, has been increasingly fueled by calls for rioting swirling on social media. The violence has stretched the police and led at times to the deployment of military police. Grapperhaus spoke after a third night of rioting hit towns and cities in the Netherlands, with the most serious clashes and looting of stores in the port city of Rotterdam and the southern cathedral city of Den Bosch. “If you rob people who are struggling, with the help of the government, to keep their head above water, it's totally scandalous,” Grapperhaus told reporters. He stressed that the 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. curfew is a necessary measure in the fight against the coronavirus. Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb posted a video message on Twitter, asking rioters: “Does it feel good to wake up with a bag full of stolen stuff next to you?” He also appealed to parents of the young rioters, asking: “Did you miss your son yesterday? Did you ask yourself where he was?” The municipality in Den Bosch designated large parts of the city as risk areas for Tuesday night, fearing a repeat of the violence. Residents in Den Bosch took to the streets Tuesday to help with the cleanup as the city’s mayor said he would investigate authorities’ response to the rioting. A total of 184 people were arrested in Monday night's unrest and police ticketed more than 1,700 for breaching the curfew, a fine of 95 euros ($115). Officers around the country also detained dozens suspected of inciting rioting through social media. Police said rioters threw stones, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at officers. “This criminal violence must stop,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted. “The riots have nothing to do with protesting or struggling for freedom,” he added. “We must win the battle against the virus together, because that's the only way of getting back our freedom.” The unrest began Saturday night — the first night of the curfew — when youths in the fishing village of Urk torched a coronavirus testing centre. It escalated significantly with violence in the southern city of Eindhoven and the capital, Amsterdam. Gerrit van der Burg, the most senior Dutch public prosecutor, said authorities are “committed to tracking down and prosecuting people who committed crimes. Count on it that they will be dealt with harshly.” The rate of new infections in Netherlands has been decreasing in recent weeks, but the government is keeping up the tough lockdown, citing the slow pace of the decline and fears of new, more transmissible virus variants. The country has registered more than 13,650 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. ___ Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic,https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Mike Corder, The Associated Press
If Nick Legault could play disc golf everyday, he would. He gets his fix throwing his shiny discs at large five-gallon buckets, hanging off trees on the temporary nine-hole course at Langholm Park in St. Albert. A UDisc app showed the course, set up in June, was popular with players last summer. "We had over 500 recorded rounds," said Legault, who monitored usage via the app. "We know that not everyone's recording their rounds so that number's greater, so it worked out to be about three to four rounds per day," said Legault. He says the St. Albert Disc golf Facebook page now sits at over 100 members. In December Legault made a presentation to St. Albert councillors on the popularity of the sport and the need for a permanent location. Legault says the mature trees in Langholm Park and the size of the park make it an ideal spot. "After a successful summer of being able to measure how many people have used the course through the UDisc app, we wanted to present that report back to city council because their request was to help us understand the need, so we hope we demonstrated that," Legault said. The popularity of the sport is growing in surrounding communities too, with established courses in Beaumont, Spruce Grove, Wetaskiwin, Strathcona County, and several in Edmonton. 'Hole in one' The course in Edmonton's Rundle Park is busy 365 days a year. "It doesn't matter if it's warm, cold, rainy, sunny, just it's fresh air and friends, and trying to get a hole in one, " said Michael Elliot who was getting in a round with two friends last week. The rules are simple. Players throw discs at a target several hundred yards away. There are no fees, golf carts or wait times. Disc golf uses weighted discs. Some players carry more than 20 in their bags which can be worth as much as $500. Beginners, however, can find discs for as little as $12. "I actually had never heard about it before," said Kenny Cardinal, who's new to the sport. "The scene at Rundle Park is getting really big. I met these guys here this year and they're kind of showing me the ropes." The Hills at Charlesworth in southeast Edmonton is one city's newest courses. 'Don't have to pay for fees' Each hole has a concrete launching area, much like a tee box, with the rolling hills and trees providing an added challenge to golfers. With the pandemic, Eric Hanson was looking for something that wouldn't break AHS protocols. "This is different. It's just more casual; there's no tee times; there's no booking; I don't have to pay for fees," said Hanson who picked up his first set of discs last summer. "It allows us to be six feet apart and be with your friends outside safely, so that's good," he said. Morgan Chase is also a beginner. "I just started with two discs," he said. "They're like golf clubs, they do different things some turn, some dive so I've just been collecting discs and having fun out here." Others have taken their passion for the game one step further. Aaron Biblow moved into the neighbourhood two blocks away from The Hills last summer, saying the disc golf course was a huge selling point. "I figured that it was an outdoor sport I could get into and then just living nearby, I'll just run out on my break and throw a quick round and head home," Biblow said. Legault has also played at The Hills at Charlesworth course and says Langholm Park, if made permanent, would have a similar feel. "We're hoping we can get through the public engagement and park assessment over the winter and then hopefully get some baskets in for the summer so that people can come and try it out with a real target.
A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for a violent home invasion in 2019 and assaulting two correctional officers while in jail awaiting trial. Luc Roger Nowlan of Dieppe pleaded guilty to charges of assault with a knife, break and enter and uttering death threats to a woman on May 13, 2019. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting two correctional officers in August and September 2019. "This was a planned and deliberate home invasion," provincial court Judge Ronald LeBLanc said of Nowlan's May 2019 crimes as he sentenced Nowlan on Monday afternoon. Crown prosecutor Maurice Blanchard outlined the facts of the case to the judge before Nowlan was sentenced. Blanchard told the judge that Nowlan exchanged Facebook messages with a woman he knew from school, asking if she wanted to buy marijuana. She refused, and Blanchard said there was a "heated argument" online. Tape, rope and knives used A week later, Blanchard said, the woman heard someone coming to her door and recognized Nowlan. He kicked the door open, punched the woman and pulled out a knife and tape. Blanchard said Nowlan was holding her down, trying to tie her up and stabbing the knife into walls and a counter. Blanchard said the woman was terrified, but didn't want to scream because she was worried it would further upset Nowlan. While swinging the knife around, he cut the woman in several places. "This was somewhat of a drawn-out incident," Blanchard told the judge. At one point, the prosecutor said Nowlan stabbed the knife into a wall and it got stuck. The woman saw a chance to escape and ran to a bedroom, closing the door behind her. She ran through a patio door out onto the street, flagging down a driver for help. "She said she was very worried throughout this," the Crown said. "But what scared her most was that he said words to the effect of 'I'm not going to to stab you, I'm going to have to kill you.'" Nowlan also admitted hitting a correctional officer while in jail on Aug. 8, 2019, and then pulling a shank made of plastic. A second assault occurred in jail on Sept. 25, 2019, involving a different correctional officer. Clearly, he has a significant mental illness, that cannot be denied, and he has an extreme addiction issue. - Defence lawyer Alex Pate In issuing the sentence, LeBlanc read extensively from a psychological report by Dr. Julian Gojer prepared for the defence, which traced Nowlan's addiction to drugs and declining mental state leading up to the crimes. The report described how Nowlan had started using various drugs in his late teenage years and sometimes wouldn't sleep for days. The report indicated Nowlan became mistrustful and paranoid of his parents, claiming they were filming him and posting the video online and making millions of dollars from it. The judge said Nowlan experienced drug-induced psychosis. He said the report points to a major mental illness, either a psychosis or schizophrenia. "Clearly, he has a significant mental illness, that cannot be denied, and he has an extreme addiction issue," Alex Pate, Nowlan's defence lawyer, told the judge. 'I feel bad about it' Nowlan told the judge he didn't mean to harm anyone, and that he's not a violent person. "I feel bad about it, I wish I would've never done it," he said. The judge pointed out he was sentencing Nowlan for three different violence offences and Nowlan previously assaulted his father. LeBlanc imposed an overall sentence of six years for the home invasion, 18 additional months for assaulting a correctional officer with a plastic shank, and 30 more days for assaulting the second correctional officer. Nowlan was given 933 days credit toward his prison time for the time he's spent in custody since arrest, reducing the total time he'll spend in prison to just over five years.
An RCMP project to build two new detachments in Faro and Carcross, and renovate another one in Ross River, Yukon, is on track to come in $6 million above its initial budget, according to documents obtained by CBC News. An October briefing note prepared for Justice Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee says a funding shortfall was known since at least November 2019. In September, the project management team told government officials "the program budget remains at $11.69M and [is] currently trending at $13.4M." Justice department spokesperson Patricia Randell said in an email that the combined cost for all three detachments is now nearly $17.7 million. But she said the RCMP moved money around within its capital budget, which means there won't be any additional costs for the Yukon government. "Typical projects start with a preliminary concept and then move through planning, design, procurement and construction phases," Randell wrote. "As projects move through these phases, different options may be considered and decisions are made to keep costs within the assigned budget." Randell said the Yukon government's share of the project costs remains approximately $9.9 million. The federal government is contributing $7.8 million New detachments to be green buildings Randell said the Carcross detachment is forecast to cost $8.2 million and the Faro detachment $5.5 million. The current Ross River detachment is slated to undergo renovations at a cost of around $3.9 million. The three projects fall under a five-year capital plan that expires in 2022. Construction is scheduled to be completed by that year. Assessment documents filed with the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) for the Faro project say the new detachment will be built on the site of the existing one. The building is to be built with modular components and will be net-zero carbon emissions, with solar panels and geothermal energy. No YESAB applications have yet been filed for the Ross River and Carcross projects. The briefing note says the Yukon government urged the RCMP to "consider a smaller detachment in Carcross that align with the current staffing model." The government also requested that the Faro detachment be built as a "community policy office" linked to a "hub policing model based in Ross River." The Yukon RCMP did not respond to a request for comment.
Quebec's Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of the Kansas City Chiefs opted out of the NFL season to work in a long-term care home during the COVID-19 pandemic. He talks to Matt Galloway of CBC Radio's The Current about what he learned.
POLITIQUE. La cheffe de l'opposition officielle Dominique Anglade annonce des modifications au sein du cabinet fantôme de sa formation politique. Pierre Arcand demeure sans dossier assigné en vue de la rentrée parlementaire de l’hiver. Voici la liste des nouveaux porte-parole du Parti libéral du Québec : Frantz Benjamin, député de Viau : Président du caucus et Dossiers jeunesse ; Gaétan Barrette, député de La Pinière : Conseil du trésor et Transformation numérique ; Enrico Ciccone, député de Marquette : Transports, Sports, Loisirs, Saines habitudes de vie et Lutte à l'intimidation ; Hélène David, députée de Marguerite-Bourgeoys : Enseignement supérieur et Recherche et Langue française ; Isabelle Melançon, députée de Verdun : Environnement, Tourisme et Condition féminine ; Marwah Rizqy, députée de Saint-Laurent : Éducation et Capitale-Nationale ; Filomena Rotiroti, députée de Jeanne-Mance-Viger : Whip en chef et Métropole ; Christine St-Pierre, députée d'Acadie : Culture, Communications et Immigration.Stéphane Lévesque, Initiative de journalisme local, L'Hebdo Journal
Des sculptures de glace dignes des expositions d’hiver les plus impressionnantes sont présentement exhibées devant l’entrée de la bibliothèque du Pôle culturel de Chambly, pour le plus grand plaisir des visiteurs. Suivant l’exposition des toiles d’Angélique Ricard, qu’il est aussi possible d’admirer, il s’agit de la deuxième exposition tenue au Pôle culturel depuis le début de la nouvelle année. De la magie entre les doigts La Ville de Chambly décrit l’œuvre du sculpteur de glace professionnel, Nicolas Godon, comme étant le « résultat d’un travail minutieux alliant la technique et la beauté de la nature », et elle n’a pas tort. Les quatre sculptures ont été façonnées par Nicolas Godon, des Entreprises Godon, basées à Mont-Tremblant, sous la thématique de l’hiver. Il s’est notamment servi de scies, mécanique et électrique, puis de couteaux pour sculpter dans 16 blocs de glace cristalline, de 300 lb chacun, afin de modeler les formes d’envergure qu’il a imaginées : des patins et des flocons tombants, un ours polaire et un pingouin taillés un peu à l’image des figurines en cristal de la marque Swarovski, mais en format géant. Le travail aurait pris une huitaine d’heures. « C’est un peu comme travailler le bois, mais en termes de finition, c’est un peu plus spécifique de la glace. » Une lignée de sculpteurs aguerris Diplômé en charpenterie et en menuiserie, Nicolas n’était pas particulièrement prédestiné à être sculpteur professionnel comme son père, Laurent Godon, un sculpteur de renommée internationale. C’est en travaillant avec lui pour l’aider au sein de l’entreprise familiale qu’il s’est découvert une véritable passion pour la sculpture sur glace, au point de s’y consacrer professionnellement. Parmi les événements notoires auxquels père et fils ont participé, on compte la Fête des neiges de Montréal, le Mondial des cidres de glace, Montréal en lumière et beaucoup d’autres. « Les Entreprises Godon, c’est une vocation qui se transmet de père en fils. C’est mon père qui m’a appris à sculpter. Je fais de la sculpture depuis quinze ans, mais cela fait cinq ans que j’ai pris les rênes de la compagnie », raconte Nicolas. « C’est par le bouche à oreille que nous avons obtenu ce contrat avec la Ville de Chambly. Nous faisons de la sculpture un peu partout au Québec. Ça marche assez bien, cette année, surtout parce qu’avec la pandémie, les options sont plus limitées en termes de format d’exposition. Une exposition à l’extérieur est de circonstance. » Quant à la présente exposition, elle témoigne d’un style bien particulier. « Depuis les trois dernières années, environ, je fais des animaux en sortant un peu de l’ordinaire, comme de l’origami. C’est un peu moins conventionnel et ça fait changement de la sculpture traditionnelle. J’ai toujours mon idée de base, mais c’est en sculptant que ça se dévoile dans ma tête. » Il sera possible d’admirer les œuvres aussi longtemps que la température les conservera.Chloé-Anne Touma, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Journal de Chambly
MILAN — Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte was suspended for two matches on Tuesday following a clash with referee Fabio Maresca over the weekend. Conte was sent off in stoppage time for protesting at the end of Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Udinese. There was a further altercation in the tunnel and the league’s sporting judge report states that Conte confronted Maresca “in a threatening manner, shouting a seriously offensive expression at him.” Conte, who has also been fined 20,000 euros ($24,000), will miss upcoming league matches against Benevento and Fiorentina. Inter is second in Serie A, two points behind city rival AC Milan. Team manager Gabriele Oriali was suspended for one match and fined 5,000 euros ($6,000) for his part in the protests. He approached Maresca at the end of the match on the field “shouting disrespectful expressions at him.” ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Associated Press
Yellowknife city council met on Monday to consider an expansion project that would see 102 new housing units built for seniors. The proposed AVENS pavilion is intended to fill gaps in affordable senior housing by providing a wider range of independent and supportive housing options. Seniors are the fastest growing segment of the population, according to the government of the Northwest Territories and increasingly, seniors are wanting to remain in the Northwest Territories, but find limited options available to them. AVENS CEO Darryl Dolynny told city council meeting the proposed expansion of its campus would diminish long waiting lists for seniors' housing and fill a gap in housing options. The city administration says it supports the project because it would allow seniors to live independently for as long as they'd like to, while remaining in the North. In October, Avens received $33.7 million from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to support the AVENS Pavilion project. In a press release, Ahmed Hussen, the Minister Minister of Families, Children and Social Development said that "today's announcement is one of the largest single investments in affordable housing in the Northwest Territories under the National Housing Strategy." Concerns about road access The senior administrative officer Sheila Bassi-Kellett said that the project was "much needed. I don't think anyone can argue with that." She added that there remained concerns from neighbours in the area about how the pavilion would be accessed by road. A few letters have been sent to the city detailing concerns about how traffic may become congested and pose safety risks. One of the proposed road access points would be the Matonabee alleyway, which is intended to be used by residents of the pavilion. However, Hermina Joldersma, who lives nearby, says the alleyway is far too narrow to maintain additional traffic, especially for service vehicles, like fire trucks. In a council meeting, she said that the street only has room for one vehicle at a time, which could create bottlenecks and unsafe driving situations. The alleyway feeds into Franklin Avenue, right where the speed limit increases from 30 km/h to 45 km/h. Joldersma added that in addition to it being a busy intersection, it's also difficult to see traffic and pedestrians. Bassi-Kellet said she's confident a viable solution can be found. She said "productive" discussions looking at different options about the road access by development officers, other departments with the city, and with AVENS. City council will decide whether or not to approve the project on Feb. 8. Mayor Rebecca Alty said that the proposal was still in draft form, so the first step is to gain council approval to use the building as a special care facility, then they would work through in greater detail issues that are outstanding, related to parking and road access, for example.
Le fleuron alimentaire de Rougemont, Industries Lassonde Inc., connaît des résultats de ventes plus que satisfaisants depuis la pandémie. Le jus aurait-il meilleur goût en temps de crise sanitaire? Un peu comme le phénomène qui a mené la population à craindre une pénurie de papier hygiénique, une appréhension similaire aurait potentiellement poussé les consommateurs à dévaliser les rayons de jus des supermarchés. Une interprétation des chiffres Le rapport de performance trimestrielle du mois de novembre, publié par Lassonde, révèle une hausse importante de la demande pour ses produits. « (...) une portion importante de cette augmentation pourrait être attribuable aux effets directs et indirects de la pandémie sur le comportement des consommateurs. Il n’existe aucune façon fiable de déterminer si ces changements d’habitudes d’achat sont permanents ou s’ils s’estomperont lorsque la COVID-19 sera chose du passé. (...) ». Une action à la hausse Ne cessant de croître, la valeur de l’action du leader nord-américain qu’est Lassonde est passée à 175,37 $ au moment de la rédaction de cet article, ce qui est bon signe malgré le fait qu’elle soit toujours bien en deçà du sommet historique de 292 $ atteint en juin 2018. Lassonde a réalisé des ventes de 495,2 millions $ au troisième trimestre de 2020, ce qui représente une hausse de 17,1 % au temps comparable de 2019, mais de 5,3 % si l’on exclut les ventes de la filiale Sun-Rype, acquise le 3 janvier 2020, et l’effet de change favorable de 2,6 millions $. Visionnaire et empire du jus Rappelons qu’en plus de Sun-Rype, l’entreprise détient quatre grandes filiales, soit A. Lassonde et Lassonde Pappas and Company, Inc., chacune englobant une douzaine de marques, puis les Spécialités Lassonde Inc. et les Vins Arista. En septembre dernier, l’entreprise a fièrement annoncé qu’à la suite de son projet pilote de neuf mois consistant à substituer la paille en carton à celle en plastique sur ses boîtes à boire, elle dotait officiellement tous les emballages de 200 ml de ses gammes Kiju et Simple Drop de pailles en carton.Chloé-Anne Touma, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Journal de Chambly
BURLINGTON, Ont. — Police say two women have died and three people are injured following a multi-vehicle crash on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Burlington, Ont. Ontario Provincial Police say they were called shortly after 5:30 a.m. to the four-vehicle collision. They say it appears a Mitsubishi vehicle crossed from the westbound lanes into the eastbound ones and collided head on with an Acura. Police say the Mitsubishi was then hit by a truck, after which a fourth vehicle lost control and rolled into the centre median ditch. Investigators say two women in the Mitsubishi were killed and three others are being treated for minor injuries. They say it's unclear what caused the crash, and it will likely take at least five or six hours for the highway to reopen in the area. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2021. The Canadian Press
Opposition leaders were quick to criticize Justin Trudeau’s handling of the pandemic on Monday — the one-year anniversary of the first presumptive case of COVID-19 in Canada. As the country heads towards a grim milestone of 20,000 deaths, the government’s official Opposition leader, Erin O’Toole, said a smooth vaccine rollout is the “key.” Canada has so far vaccinated about two per cent of its population with its two approved vaccines, by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, but the delivery of the latter has ground to a halt as the company upscales its plant in Belgium. As a result, Canada will receive zero doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week and a reduced amount for the weeks to come. “It is imperative we work together to improve the Liberal vaccine plan and get Canadians back to work,” O’Toole said in a press conference Monday morning. Green Party Leader Annamie Paul echoed calls for increased collaboration among parties. “The prime minister has not invited other party leaders to meet and be briefed on the COVID pandemic and on the government’s response for months,” Paul said. “This is the kind of thing that prevents parties from having and presenting a united front to the public.” Paul repeated calls for Trudeau to convene an intergovernmental COVID-19 task force to co-ordinate a national response to the pandemic. She praised U.S. President Joe Biden, who appointed a national COVID-19 response co-ordinator on his first day on the job. Paul, who has sounded the alarm on the “humanitarian crisis” happening in long-term care (LTC) homes, is also urging Trudeau to convene a first ministers meeting to develop a plan to tackle the issue. Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh brought up the example of the 19-year-old who worked at an Ontario LTC home and died after contracting COVID-19 to push for better paid sick leave. “This is devastating and could have been avoided if paid sick days were made more accessible,” Singh said. As of now, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) has some shortfalls, according to Singh, who pressured the feds to create it in September. The CRSB gives $500 per week for two weeks to workers who can’t work because they’re sick, need to self-isolate due to COVID-19 or have an underlying health condition that makes them more prone to infection. The program has paid out more than $287 million since it launched, according to government data, however the number of people approved to receive the benefit has been shrinking every month, from 67,600 in the first eligibility period to 21,830 in the first week of January. Singh says there’s a lack of awareness of the benefit and wants the government to better promote it. He also wants the CRSB to be amended so that it’s easier for people to apply, for more people to be eligible and for the money to flow into people’s bank accounts faster. Singh had an unsuccessful attempt to recall Parliament earlier than scheduled to discuss these matters but is expected to bring them forth in the House this week. There will also be an emergency debate on Canada’s vaccine shortage Tuesday evening. Yasmine Ghania, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer
