Air quality has improved and should stay good through the weekend
Calgary Watch
At times over the weekend, we might bump to moderate on the Air Quality Health Index, but we should mainly stay at low risk.
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National Post
40 minutes ago
- National Post
WSIB Workers Face More Than Double the National Rates of Anxiety and Depression, Survey Finds
Article content TORONTO — The union representing striking workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has conducted a follow-up survey to assess workload and occupational stress levels, one year after their initial study. The internationally recognized survey, conducted by the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), an independent third party, shows that WSIB workers continue to report the worst results in over a decade compared to workplaces across Canada. When it comes to job-related anxiety and depression, WSIB employees experience levels that are double the national average. Preliminary findings from the updated survey indicate the situation has only deteriorated. Article content 'The WSIB is a shining example of what not to be. We will hold the WSIB accountable for their failure to protect employee wellness,' said Harry Goslin, President of OCEU. 'I will not rest until we fix the very real and systemic workload problem. Once we do that, we will elevate services for all Ontario workers.' Article content 'Our members are tired of hearing the employer deny their lived experiences, and it's really impacting them,' said Nicole Francis, Chief Steward for OCEU. 'The results of the survey from last year are crystal clear, but WSIB management doesn't want to accept them because it ruins the image they are trying to project.' Article content John Oudyk, Occupational Hygienist with OHCOW, remains optimistic despite the worsening results. 'Most of the factors measured in the survey were quite negative, but the engagement scores were close to typical Canadian values. This suggests that, despite their negative experience, respondents have not completely disengaged, indicating they still have hope that their work situation can improve,' he said. Article content Members of OCEU/CUPE 1750 have been on strike for over three weeks, after being sent home and locked out of their systems by the employer. Key bargaining issues remain, including dangerously high workloads that are severely impacting WSIB employees' mental health. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information, please contact: Article content Article content Bill Chalupiak Article content Article content Article content
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Drink it, dip it or bake it — rhubarb season is here: Jasmine Mangalaseril
Whether tumbled with strawberries for pies, cooked down for sauces or chutneys, or simply eaten raw, dipped in sugar (or salt), rhubarb is here. The cold-hardy perennial vegetable — it's not a fruit — begins to grow when the soil temperature reaches about 10 C. Jeannette French of Lennox Farm in Melancthon, Ont., said the lingering winter and ice storms caused delays. "Usually we're done [harvesting field rhubarb] by the beginning of July. But this year, because it's been so cool, it's pushed the season back," French said. Lennox Farm was established in Etobicoke in the 1880s. They moved to Melancthon about a century later and have been growing forced rhubarb since 1916. Where once there were dozens of forced rhubarb growers in the province, many gave up after power rates spiked during the energy crisis in the 1970s. Brian and Jeannette French are Ontario's last commercial forced rhubarb growers. Forced vs field Today, field rhubarb is grown on just less than a third of Lennox Farm's 121 hectares, with five forcing sheds (greenhouses to grow off-season plants) growing forced rhubarb. They harvest 155 to 175 metric tonnes annually, or about half of Ontario's commercial crop, supplying restaurants and stores. Harvested from January to March or April, forced rhubarb grows in the dark, like white asparagus. Because the plant's sugars concentrate in the stalks it's often sweeter than field grown. "Rhubarb that's growing [in forcing sheds] is a nice bright pink or sometimes a reddish colour. The leaves are really tiny and yellow because photosynthesis isn't really taking place, so the chlorophyll is not in the leaves or in the stalk," said French. Garden stalks If you're looking to grow your own rhubarb and you're starting with new roots, plant in heavy, rich soil, and keep the soil fertilized and moist. Resist the urge to harvest for the first two or three years, to avoid stressing the root. Avoid companion planting with cucumbers, melons and sunflowers. Instead, rhubarb grows well with brassicas like broccoli and cabbage or herbs like chives and thyme. You can grow it alongside garlic as well. Rhubarb bolts send up astilbe-like flowers when temperatures rise above 20 C. Bolting can also happen if the plant is stressed or when it should be divided. To keep harvesting stalks, cut flower stems so the plant's energy focuses on stalks. A bit of crunch "It should hold firm," said Chef Darnell Gregg, executive chef at the Boathouse DTK. "By the time it starts getting a little bit soft and kind of flaccid looking, the best days are behind it.' He also suggested choosing rhubarb stalks with strong pink or green colouring, without brown spots. Leaves and flower stems contain oxalic acid, which is poisonous to people and animals, so discard them. If you're not using the rhubarb immediately, wash well, cut the ends and wrap them in damp toweling before refrigerating. And if you're looking for something to pair the rhubarb with other than strawberries, Gregg said to play off it's sour components. "Anywhere that you think about using something like a lemon ... you have the options of either adding sweetness like sugar to it, to tone down those things, or you add some acid ... and all of the sudden it becomes an amazing pickle for a charcuterie board." On the savoury side you can pickle rhubarb with ginger or mustard, to go with rich or fatty cheeses, meats or fish. You can also cook it with mint and basil. Consider adding pink peppercorn, fenugreek, cinnamon or cardamom if you're making chutneys or sauces. On the sweet side, roast it with sugar or make a thick syrup for ice cream or pancakes. Pour it in a glass Rhubarb juice can be drunk like lemonade or mixed into cocktails. Katrina Salmon, bar manager at Bardō Guelph, suggested making spritzes with rhubarb juice, but alcohol pairings could include gin, vodka or rum. She also said you can find inspiration in pie. "You could do [something] caramelly, if you want to use bourbon. A sour would be nice as well, it still has a richness, and it'll bring that little tart aspect," Salmon said. Katrina Salmon's Rhubarb Mule Cocktail 4 lime wedges 4 basil leaves 2 oz London dry gin 1 oz Rhubarb syrup Ice Ginger beer Muddle lime and basil in a tall Collins glass. Add gin, rhubarb syrup, and ice. Top with a splash of ginger beer. Garnish with a fresh lime wheel and fresh basil leaves.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Something stinks at Corner Brook's new hospital
For months a foul odour has lingered near both the main and emergency entrances of Corner Brook's new Western Memorial Regional Hospital, but a Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services representative says they're working to get to the source of the smell. Shelby Pyke, an acting senior director in the health authority's Western zone, says water testing has identified the presence of sulfur-reducing bacteria within the storm catch basins near the entrances. She says the cause of the eggy smell is likely groundwater seeping into the storm drain system and not from sewage. "We certainly recognize that it is unpleasant. We do want to assure the public that there is no risk to public safety, but we do sincerely apologize to our patients, visitors, staff, whoever has kind of encountered this smell on their visit," she told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning. She says the hospital has known about the foul smell for a few months, and "obviously there's quite a few different parties involved in the planning. We're happy to say that we've now identified both the source and the solution of the problem." Work ahead Pyke says they're working with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, building maintenance and an environmental consultant to fix the problem, including flushing and cleaning the storm drain system. "We're now co-ordinating a mechanical solution to kind of see all the problem areas and address the root cause so that we don't end up in this situation again in the future," said Pyke. The new hospital opened in June 2024, and CBC News reported in February it was already overflowing, and two floors of the old hospital were going to be renovated to hold 45 more patients. Pyke says the bacteria was able to enter the storm drain system due to problems with the pipes. "From what I know, without getting into too much detail, there are I guess some deficiencies with the connections of the pipes," she said. "So we have identified a mechanical solution that is going to kind of seal those problem areas and prevent that from happening in the future." Pyke doesn't know what fixing the problem might cost at the moment, however NL Health Services doesn't anticipate having to pay those costs themselves due to the project agreement for hospital construction and operations.
