Kingston now the only out-of-control fire in Newfoundland, as 8 waterbombers, 5 helicopters douse it Thursday
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CTV News
9 minutes ago
- CTV News
Waterloo Region's snow plow drivers put their skills to the test
Snow won't be falling for a few months, but the region's best plow operators are being put to the test. CTV's Karis Mapp explains. We may still be celebrating summer, but Waterloo Region's snow plow operators were put through their paces to show their ready to respond when winter returns. Snow plow drivers gathered in Heidelberg, a community northwest of the City of Waterloo, for the annual Truck 'Roadeo' hosted by the Transportation Professionals of Waterloo Region. Twenty-four people who work throughout the region's municipalities tested their skills in a series of simulations mimicking situations they may face when the snow starts to fall. Waterloo Region Roadeo 2025 A snow plow and several participants were photographed at Waterloo Region's 2025 Roadeo on Aug. 21, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) 'This is a competition that showcases their skill, their driving ability, their spatial awareness behind the wheel,' Nathan Herrington, Cambridge's supervisor of roads, explained. 'It's a fun team-builder activity that also gives back to our operators in the region.' Bright orange pylons dotted the Roadeo space, testing how accurately drivers could maneuver the truck. Drivers also pulled into an 'inspection station' and had to spot defects on trucks. 'You start with a perfect score. When you get to each station, they take points off for mistakes,' competitor James Whittaker said. Waterloo Region Roadeo plow 'Buzziceclear' Snow plow 'BuzzIceClear' was photographed at Waterloo Region's 2025 Roadeo on Aug. 21, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) Steve Schroder said he's been part of the friendly competition for rough 20 years. Last year, he claimed second place. 'It can be stressful, but I just go and have fun,' Schroder said. 'We all do everything a little differently, so it's nice to see how everybody else does it.' For Corrine Sweetin, who has been competing for three years, driving trucks with three sets of wheels is another hurdle. 'I'm [usually] in what's called a single axle and it's a much smaller truck and it has a different turn radius as opposed to these with the tandem axles,' she said. While the competition is intense, many drivers said the event is a great way to reconnect with others they don't often see. Waterloo Region Roadeo 2025 participants The participants of Waterloo Region's 2025 Roadeo posed for a photograph on Aug. 21, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) Kris Paynter was this year's winner, making him a back-to-back champion. '[It's] kind of surreal,' he said. 'There's a lot of competition here. Different yards, different municipalities. It's a lot of talent here, so to pull that off is quite a feat.' Kris Paynter, Waterloo Region Roadeo winner 2025 Kris Paynter was crowned the winner of Waterloo Region's 2025 Roadeo on Aug. 21, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) The top two finalists will be representing the region at a provincial competition. 'I think I finished around middle of the pack, and I was proud of myself for doing that,' reflected Paynter on last year's provincial competition. 'The course is much tighter. It's much more stringent rules, and it's the best of Ontario, basically.' This year's provincials will be held on September 24 in Carleton Place, southwest of Ottawa. Second place winner Darby Lehmann will not only be attending but will also be making history as the first woman ever to compete on a provincial level. 'It's just overwhelming and insane,' she said after learning about the accomplishment. Darby Lehmann runner up Waterloo Region Roadeo 2024 Darby Lehmann was the second place finisher in the 2025 Waterloo Region Roadeo on Aug. 21, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) 'Obviously it's a competition but at the end of the day, it's also for fun and the main goal is to test yourself. I didn't think I would ever end up going to provincials.'
CTV News
9 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘We pulled together': One year after EF2 tornado hits Ayr, community reflects on resilience
An EF2 tornado left heavy damage behind in 2024. CTV's Hannah Schmidt reflects with the community. It's been just over one year since an EF2 tornado tore through the small community of Ayr. No one was hurt but strong winds left a trail of damage in its wake. This week, residents are marking the anniversary and reflecting on the town's recovery. 'When it hits home, it makes you stand up and take notice,' said Dave Vincent, owner of Team Vincent Motorsports. Ayr, Ont. funnel cloud 2024 A funnel clouds was photographed in Ayr, Ont. in Aug. 2024. (Courtesy: Team Vincent Motorsports) The tornado struck the town on Aug. 17, 2024, ripping through Cowan Park and damaging several businesses along the way. Video footage released by the Township of North Dumfries showed the violent winds tearing through the park, a stark reminder of the power of nature. The Home Hardware location on Northumberland Street was heavily damaged, with parts of the roof and walls torn off the building. To this day, it is still being repaired. Ayr tornado Home Hardware damage A photograph shows the damage at Ayr's Home Hardware location after a tornado in Aug. 2024. (Courtesy: Jeff Seydel) 'It's been a trying time,' said owner Jeff Seydel. '[I've got] a few more grey hairs I would say.' While it's been a long year of re-building, Seydel said construction progress is steady and nearly complete. The store is now standing strong with a new roof and wall. Ayr, Ont. potential tornado Home Hardware Part of the roof was torn off a Home Hardware location at the corner of Greenfield Road and Northumberland Street in North Dumfries after a potential tornado moved through the area on August 17, 2024. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV News) 'We ended up restoring the building, and then that process required permits and then, of course, after that process, they started the construction,' Seydel explained. 'After the construction, our team come back in and we actually start merchandizing and putting things together to get ready to open.' Ayr Home Hardware reparis Construction continues at Ayr's Home Hardware location after it was heavily damaged in a tornado in Aug. 2024. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV News) Team Vincent Motorsports is located next door to the Home Hardware and was also hit. Vincent said seeing both businesses damaged in one storm was overwhelming. 'I believe that these days, we will take the warnings a lot more seriously than we have in the past,' he said. 'Our losses here at the dealership were in around $1 million of was very devastating.' Skidoo shed damaged Ayr Tornado 2024 A damaged shed with Skidoo products was photographed following a tornado in Ayr, Ont. in Aug. 2024. (Courtesy: Team Vincent Motorsports) Work to restore Cowan Park and nearby buildings has been completed. Mayor Sue Foxton said replacing the trees that were uprooted remains top priority for the township. 'We had to buy a lot of trees and replace a lot of trees, but the saddest thing is you can't replace the 100-year-old trees that we lost,' she said. 'Now there's more trees to plant that we will plant this fall.' tornado damage Debris litters the community soccer field in Ayr, Ont. on August 19, 2024. For residents, the tornado serves as both a memory of destruction and a testament to community spirit. Mayor Foxton emphasized, 'We pulled together and that's been shown time and time again over the past couple of years. We're thankful that the tornado turned and went all the way down the Nith River. If it had stayed on its path, it would have wiped out the town of Ayr. We were blessed.' Possible tornado Ayr, Ont. August 2024 A tree lays across Greenfield Road after a possible tornado was reported near Ayr, Ont. on August 17, 2024. (Shelby Knox/CTV News) The Home Hardware aims to open its doors to customers by mid to late September.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Broken AC units led Halifax bus drivers to refuse work during heat wave, says union
Unreliable air conditioning on Halifax Transit buses has left some drivers suffering from headaches and heat exhaustion as temperatures soared this summer, turning an uncomfortable ride into a health and a safety issue for the union representing those workers. Broken AC units are an ongoing problem for the fleet, but the transit union said this year's extended heat wave made conditions worse than usual. "We've had a couple [drivers] that were taken to the emergency rooms. We've had drivers that have just started to refuse to drive on really hot days," Patricio Garcia, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union local for Halifax, said Thursday. Garcia estimated about 50 to 60 per cent of Halifax's buses did not have working AC at some point this summer. He said it appears the company Halifax contracts to service the AC units has not been able to keep up with the "sheer amount" of problems. Garcia said besides drivers refusing work under occupational health and safety regulations, some are needing longer breaks than usual to sit in an air-conditioned bus terminal to cool off, which could create delays. "It has affected on-time performance, it's affected cancellations. It's certainly affected service quite a bit," Garcia said. The union has raised its concerns with Halifax Transit's fleet director, Garcia said, who has committed to finding a solution — but any major improvements likely won't come until next summer. Patricia Hughes, director of planning for Halifax Transit, told the city's transportation committee Thursday she didn't think work refusals were having "a significant impact at the moment." She said standby buses have been able to cover any disruptions on individual routes. The temperature in Halifax was around 22 C on Thursday, much cooler than in previous weeks. The committee asked for a staff report on the AC issue, including how many buses have working systems now, how quickly they are repaired, and whether windows can be opened on all buses. "It has been kind of a reoccurring complaint and comment that I have been hearing," said Coun. Trish Purdy, who made the motion for the report. The committee also received data on Halifax Transit performance for the past 2024-25 fiscal year. More people are taking buses and ferries in the city, as overall boardings rose seven per cent last year to 32.3 million riders, compared to 30.2 million the year before. But on-time performance for buses has fallen for the fourth year in a row to 71 per cent, down two per cent from the previous year. On-time performance represents how often a bus arrives between one minute early and three minutes late. Halifax has a benchmark of 85 per cent, which has not been hit since 2020-21. Hughes said they are always trying to adjust things to have buses run on time, but "congestion continues to increase" and slow buses down. Halifax Transit is also doing a service reliability analysis this year to examine where and why buses are getting delayed, Hughes said. Ultimately, Hughes said the best solution is removing buses from mixed traffic into their own lanes, which is a feature of the planned bus rapid transit strategy. Halifax Transit is asking for public input as it creates a new service plan for 2025-27, which could include new routes. A survey can be found on the city's website until Sept. 28, and pop-up events will be held at various terminals starting Sunday.
