
Search continues in the St. Lawrence River for entangled North Atlantic right whale
A North Atlantic right whale dives in Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts, March 27, 2023. (Robert F. Bukaty, NOAA permit # 21371/The Canadian Press/AP)
Experts with the federal Fisheries Department and Parks Canada are searching the St. Lawrence River estuary for a North Atlantic right whale tangled in fishing gear.
The Fisheries and Oceans Department said the whale was spotted Tuesday on the north shore of the river, near Quebec's Saguenay-St Lawrence Marine Park.
The department says its marine mammal response partners are also looking for the whale.
It remains unclear whether this is a new or previously known entanglement.
The public is being asked to avoid approaching any rescue effort.
North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered with fewer than 400 animals remaining in the wild.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Quebec doctor takes his own life after accusations of sexual assault
Stephan Probst, a former Quebec medical specialist who was convicted of sexual assault in 2024, has taken his own life, Noovo Info has learned. The former doctor was facing new charges of sexual assault against seven women. Probst was accused of assault and administering or attempting to administer narcotics to the alleged victims. READ MORE: Former Montreal doctor released on bail after second arrest for sexual assault He appeared at the Montreal courthouse last March, and his case was due to return to court this week. According to official documents, the numerous alleged sexual assaults took place over a period of almost 20 years between 2003 and 2020. Many of the details of the case have been subjected to a publication ban. Probst was released with various conditions pending his trial. Guilty of assault In summer 2024, Probst and his partner, Wendy Devera, were both found guilty of sexually assaulting a young artist, resulting in potential prison sentences in addition to being registered as sex offenders. The events date back to the summer of 2020. At the time, the victim was apparently looking to have a sexual experience with a woman. She met Devera on a dating app, who invited her to a friend's apartment in Old Montreal. READ MORE: Former Montreal Jewish General Hospital doctor seeking bail on sexual assault charges The friend in question, Probst, was at the home when they arrived. The victim claims she was drugged without her knowledge and, at one point, felt strange, had hot flushes, lost her balance and realized her legs were no longer responsive. According to Judge Suzanne Costom, who presided over the case, the 46-year-old man and 30-year-old woman showed 'willful blindness' or 'recklessness' regarding the victim's lack of consent at the time of the events.

CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Wildfire smoke could lessen air quality around Ottawa
A haze of smoke is possible this week as strong winds and wildfires in the west push smoke toward eastern Ontario and western Quebec. Wildfires have been raging in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern Ontario, forcing thousands of people out of their homes and causing air quality warnings from northern B.C. to Thunder Bay. Environment Canada is predicting an Air Quality Health Index risk of 4 or moderate for Tuesday and Wednesday in local hubs Belleville, Cornwall, Gatineau, Kingston and Ottawa. People at high risk — such as those with lung conditions or who are very young or very old — should consider rescheduling outdoor activities if they experience symptoms. According to warning preparedness meteorologist Geoff Coulson, it won't be enough to issue an air quality statement, but it could be noticeable. "It certainly looks like the sunshine could be fairly hazy," Coulson said. Environment Canada issues air quality statements when concentrations of particulate matter are above 60 micrograms per cubic meter. He expects it will fluctuate locally between 10 and 50 over the coming days. In 2023, the Air Quality Health Index for Ottawa reached 10+, the top of the scale. Environment Canada is not yet predicting the same level of risk. "This could still be a concern as we go to the end of the work week and into the weekend, so [it's] obviously a situation that the forecasters will be monitoring closely." A high air quality risk means at-risk people should scale back strenuous outdoor activities, while others should watch for symptoms and adjust accordingly. Those very high risks seen two years ago mean people should try to avoid strenuous outdoor activities, especially those with health conditions. Fires create a perfect storm Meteorologists say the situation to the west could get worse: escalating fires can raise temperatures, which can cause stronger winds, causing fires to spread farther. All In A Day on Monday. Those winds, according to Environment Canada, can also push smoke and other pollutants elsewhere. An early start to the wildfire season, along with a lack of rain in areas affected by the fires, have contributed to their strength, she said. As the fires continue, Environment Canada encourages residents to monitor the air quality forecast and take measures to protect themselves if they are at risk or conditions worsen.


CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Quebec's average ER wait time is now more than 5 hours – longest in the country
Quebecers waited an average of five hours and 23 minutes to be seen in the province's emergency rooms last year, finds a new report by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI). 'These long wait times are not just numbers — they represent real Canadians who face delays in receiving critical care that cause needless pain or distress,' said Emmanuelle B. Faubert, an economist at the MEI and author of the report. 'In all the provinces, wait times are worse today than they were five years ago, a clear sign that our health care systems are struggling to provide their patients with timely access to care.' According to the report, an average patient visiting a Quebec emergency room in 2024 spent 10 minutes longer waiting than they would have the previous year. This also represents a one-hour increase over the past five years. 'With patients in Quebec having some of the longest emergency room visits in the country, it's clear that things need to change,' said Faubert. 'It's important to note that, while this is the province's median, patients in some parts of the province are unfortunately having to wait even longer for emergency medical care.' The longest emergency room stays in Quebec were in Laval (eight hours), the Laurentians (seven hours and seven minutes) and the Montérégie (six hours and 55 minutes). The Pavillon Albert-Prévost mental health emergency room in Montreal topped the list of longest lengths of stay at 13 hours and five minutes. The second longest was the Royal Victoria Hospital (10 hours and 33 minutes) at the McGill University Health Centre (MUCH) in Montreal and Anna-Laberge Hospital (10 hours and 26 minutes) in Châteauguay on the South Shore.c 'Having to spend long hours waiting in an emergency room may be the norm in Quebec, but in other developed countries, it isn't,' noted Faubert. 'It's clear that solving the issue of long wait times requires looking at best practices from abroad, such as Europe's mixed systems, to finally give patients the timely access they deserve.' In comparison to Quebec's five-hour and 23-minute wait times, the report found that average ER stays across the country last year were as follows: