Dr. Oz, U.S. billionaire offer to take B.C. ostriches ordered killed
Dr. Oz, U.S. billionaire offer to take B.C. ostriches ordered killed
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An embattled B.C. ostrich farm is getting support from south of the border. As Brady Strachan reports, a couple of high-profile officials within the U.S. administration have met with Canadian authorities and asked them to preserve the ostriches for scientific research.
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National Post
22 minutes ago
- National Post
Wildfire updates: 25 Alberta blazes deemed out of control Wildfires rage in northeast B.C.
Article content Friday Article content Wildfires of note grow from four to seven in one day Article content As of Friday, the province listed seven wildfires of note, up three from Thursday morning numbers — the Edith Lake wildfire, Red Earth East Complex (made up of a number of wildfires near the community of Chipewyan Lake), a wildfire south of Winefred Lake, a wildfire west of Mercoal, a wildfire east of Peerless Trout First Nation, a wildfire near Whitefish Lake First Nation only 5 kilometres from a nearby highway and a wildfire near Marten Beach. Article content The fire near Marten Beach has crossed the Highway 88 and the roadway has been closed at Highway 754 north of Slave Lake. Article content Firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment are deployed at all fires of note, with airtankers using retardant drops to build containment lines and some crews using night vision-equipped helicopters to contain fires overnight. Article content Residents of Westlock County and the Loon Lake, Peerless Trout and Dene Tha First Nations were fleeing wildfires after evacuation orders were issued Thursday, as were inhabitants of Red Earth Creek. Article content Underlining the gravity of the situation at Red Earth Creek, Alberta Wildfire officials warned the evacuation route to Peace River on Highway 88 was being menaced by flames 'and the status could change at any moment . . . you may experience smoky conditions on the Highway to Peace River.' Article content Conklin was put on alert for possible evacuation Thursday afternoon, with an out-of-control blaze spreading toward the community. Article content Meanwhile, the Whitefish River Community was also on evacuation notice, due to concern over shifting winds that might cause a nearby wildfire change direction and put residents at risk. Article content About 1,300 residents of Swan Hills evacuated earlier this week to nearby Whitecourt in the face of fires that also disrupted oilfield operations. Article content Other Alberta communities, including the Village of Boyle and Thorhild County, issued local state of emergencies in May as a result of fast-moving and out-of-control fires. Article content Alberta Emergency Alert regularly updates its website and X account with ongoing evacuation orders and fire alerts. Article content Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has declared a provincial state of emergency in response to several rapidly spreading wildfires that have forced thousands of people to evacuate their northern communities. Article content Moe made the announcement Thursday to begin a wildfire update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA). Article content 'It's a very serious situation that we're faced with …,' Moe told the media. 'There are no resources on the shelf. They're all being deployed to support Saskatchewan.' Article content Following a similar announcement by Manitoba on Wednesday, Saskatchewan became the second province in as many days to declare a state of emergency. Article content As of Thursday, more than 8,300 people from northern Saskatchewan were under evacuation. In Manitoba, that number is 17,000 people — the largest wildfire evacuation in recent memory, according to Premier Wab Kinew. Article content My buddy sent these to me last night... The entire town of Flin Flon, MB 🇨🇦 is now on mandatory evacuation... He has a hunting, outback and fishing business in the direct line of the fire Please send Prayers for everyone affected by the Flin Flon Wildfires 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 — lisahsmithlhs (@lisahsmithlhs) May 28, 2025 Article content B.C. has sent crews and resources to both prairie provinces, as well as Ontario, to assist in fire-fighting efforts, according to the province's Minister of Forests. Article content Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management, Community Resilience and Minister responsible for PrairiesCan, has approved Manitoba's request for federal assistance and said crews will assisting with urgent air evacs as well as any other supports needed. Additionally, Olszewski will be meeting with Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan's Minister of Public Safety, to discuss the response to Saskatchewan's fire situation. Article content With below-normal snowpacks during the winter and predicted summer-time drought conditions hitting various parts of Canada, the wildfire season could be a difficult one. Already, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared states of emergency to help protect people from raging flames and significant evacuations of northern communities in both provinces have seen thousands of people forced to flee their homes. Article content 'This is the largest evacuation in many Manitobans' living memory and this will require significant resources and co-operation from all levels of government,' says Manitoba premier Wab Kinew. Already, two people have died in wildfires in that province. Article content In Alberta, evacuation orders are also increasing in the northern part of the province as out-of-control fires rage. Article content 'Wildland fire activity is significant within one or more jurisdictions,' CIFFC says. 'Firefighters and equipment in every jurisdiction is put to use, and international help has been requested.' Article content Article content In Alberta, go to That's where you'll find a wildfire map, dashboard of incidents and forest area updates. In British Columbia, the daily wildfire update is at In Saskatchewan, the active wildifre situation map can be found here and reports on bans along with fire bulletins are here. In Manitoba, wildfire information, reports and updates are here. Article content What do the different wildfire statuses mean? Article content Turned over: Alberta Wildfire says a wildfire is 'turned over' when a fire that is under control is given to another agency to extinguish it. Mutual aid: If a fire is a 'mutual aid wildfire,' it's a wildfire that has started in a municipal district and that district's firefighters may need help fighting it from Alberta Wildfire. Under control: If firefighters and equipment have successfully managed a fire to make sure it won't grow, it's classified as being 'under control.' Being held: Based on expected weather and the resources already fighting a particular fire, a fire that is 'being held' means it's not expected to spread. Out of control: A wildfire is growing, or expected to grow, and thus its status is one of being out of control. Source: Government of Alberta Article content How can I help prevent wildfires? Article content The number of wildfires caused by humans vs. lightning strikes has varied over the years, but Natural Resources Canada reports that in 2023 lightning caused about 50 per cent of all fires. Those fires, however, represented, about 85 per cent of the annual area consumed by flames. Article content When it comes to human-caused fires, wildfire experts provide some straightforward advice. Start by being familiar with campfire safety. Use designated fire pits and don't start a fire near an abundance of nearby potential fuel. Keep the fire sheltered from the wind; keep water nearby in case of emergency; and, ensure all fires are extinguished each night. If you're in a rural area, ensure you know how to safely burn vegetation or brush or understand how to use burn barrels. Article content Rules for everyone? Don't flick smoking materials onto the ground or out a vehicle's window. Obey all fire bans. Avoid use of explosive materials like fireworks. Article content
CBC
23 minutes ago
- CBC
Ontario, Saskatchewan premiers speak to media
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speak to media in Saskatoon, where first ministers gathered Monday to meet with the prime minister for the first time since the April 28 federal election.
CBC
23 minutes ago
- CBC
Police in schools debate revived by proposed Ontario legislation
Social Sharing A new bill by the Ontario government would force some school boards to put police officers in schools, and it has revived a debate in Ottawa about the role of police in the school system. The proposed legislation would require school boards to implement a school resource officer (SRO) program — which places officers in elementary and high schools — if one is offered by the local police service. It would go into effect in the next school year. "I completely disagreed when the decision was made in a number of boards to withdraw [SROs] from the school," Minister of Education Paul Calandra said at a Thursday news conference. "We're going to make sure that we work on doing it in a way that is beneficial to students and teachers." But some Ottawa trustees and advocates say the legislation would undermine local authority, and the presence of police would be more harmful than helpful to students. Board voted to end program Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) trustees voted in June 2021 to cut the SRO program, after a review prompted by concerns among racialized and LGBTQ students. The Ottawa Police Service subsequently ended the program at all school boards in the city. In January 2025, it started a new program that assigned one officer to each of Ottawa's four school districts to support educators without being stationed inside of school buildings. It was a response to a "larger trend" of violence in schools, developed in consultation with school boards, according to police. OPS Staff Sgt. Fernando Vieira, who works in the replacement school program, said the new provincial legislation "won't necessarily change" the approach of OPS — but added police will have a conversation with the school boards "and it's up to the school boards to invite us in." 'Undermining' local governance OCDSB trustee Lyra Evans said the province is undermining local elected officials. "[The OCDSB] spent a significant amount of time [and] resources ... creating a report to get a feel for what the local community feels about police involvement in schools," Evans said. "There are local differences ... so having locally elected trustees make these decisions based on all of the best evidence that we have available makes sense." Since 2021, the OPS has repeatedly reaffirmed it still wants officers in schools. "We never should have had police officers not engage with our youth," Vieira said in an interview this week. "[Police are not] looking for opportunities to charge youth. It really is to build our relationship with our youth, build the trust." Who is helped But that relationship-building is a "myth," according to Robin Browne, founder of advocacy group 613-819 Black Hub. The group supported the fight to remove police from schools and is also involved in an ongoing lawsuit against the police board over a different matter. Browne cited the 2021 review performed by the OCDSB, which found that the "common narrative" among members of the OPS that the primary role of the SRO is to focus on building relationships is not reflected in the policies, practice or impact of the program. The review concluded that a police presence prevents some students "from fully enjoying their right to education without discrimination." Similar conclusions were drawn by a report from the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Kaveeta Ajwani wants the SRO program to return for the safety of her children, who attend Vimy Ridge Public School. She served on its parent council while the SRO program was active. "My kids had major bullying issues, and the bullying did increase once the SRO program was taken away," she said. "It had to get to an extreme situation to be able to contact the police ... which I don't think was right." Ajwani said she's spent time volunteering with the OPS and added it's been valuable to expose her children to police officers. "[Police] are a valuable part of the community and the only way that the next generation is going to grow up to learn to respect them and know that they're the good guys is by having them involved in the community," she said. The legislation could change as it passes through the legislature, Evans noted. The OCDSB trustees will consider the board's relationship with OPS at its meeting on June 3.
