Canadians react to ongoing conflict between Israel, Iran
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The Israeli and Iranian communities in Canada react to the ongoing conflict between the two countries. Adrian Ghobrial reports.
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CBC
19 minutes ago
- CBC
Here comes the MPP: Ontario bill could let politicians officiate weddings
Cut the red tape and cue the white dress. Two Ontario Progressive Conservative members of provincial parliament are proposing to remove a layer of bureaucracy and let MPPs such as themselves more easily officiate weddings. A private member's bill from Matthew Rae and Dave Smith would automatically grant an MPP the authority to solemnize marriages after they give written notice of their interest, without having to go through a municipality as with most non-religious officiants. "Not every single municipality actually has their clerk do weddings, so if you want a civil marriage, you have to go through a justice of the peace or a judge," Smith said. "When you look at some of the more northern, more remote, more rural ridings, you don't have as easy access to a justice of the peace or a judge and I just saw this as one of those things that's almost a red tape thing. We have the ability to make that change. It really doesn't have a negative effect. So why not do it?" Rae said engaged couples sometimes reach out to elected officials — including himself — to request that they solemnize their marriage, thinking they're granted that ability automatically, like judges. "Some are family and friends that live in my riding," he said. "Obviously, they think it would be kind of neat to have their local MPP perform the ceremony ... [it's] just another provincial service that a local member can choose to offer their constituents if they choose to do so. And so it really is just having that little extra special component to your happy day." Former MPP says he's done more than 70 weddings Rae personally availed himself of that extra special component when he got married last year, using Bill Walker, the former member of provincial parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, as his officiant. When it comes to politicians and weddings, Walker is the guy, both Smith and Rae said. Walker went through the whole regular process for becoming a civil marriage officiant, which includes a designation from a municipal clerk, and estimates he has done more than 70 weddings in just a few years. "It's humbling, for anybody, to be part of their special day, but especially if you've worked with them, or my goddaughters," Walker said. "It was pretty hard to top those." Walker's side gig as an officiant — he doesn't take any payment — began with a request from one of his goddaughters. "[She] thought that we had the right as an MPP to be able to do weddings, because Bill Murdoch, who was my predecessor [as the MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound], had done them up here forever, and I think she just thought it was one of those things you got to do," he said. "My other goddaughter said, 'Well, if you're marrying her, you've got to marry me."' It snowballed from there — including other friends, family and Queen's Park staffers — and Walker has about a dozen weddings on tap for this year. Bill to be further debated in fall The bill would allow provincial politicians who ask for the authority to perform marriages to keep that power for a full year after they leave office. That way, a snap election as the province saw earlier this year and an unexpected defeat doesn't leave an engaged couple with no officiant. Most private member's bills that get tabled come from opposition parties, and since this one is from within the government caucus it may be more likely than most to get through, but Rae and Smith said further discussions and debate are expected to be held in the fall. If the bill does become law, Rae said he isn't sure if he will set out to officiate weddings, but Smith is game. "I'll probably reach out to the minister if this passes, and ask for permission to do it," he said. "Any time you can break down barriers for people who want to spend their life together, then why not do that?"
National Post
29 minutes ago
- National Post
Carney says he has no plans to tackle 24 Sussex question during his mandate
Almost a decade after 24 Sussex Drive was abandoned as the official residence of the Canadian prime minister, taxpayers are still shelling out tens of thousands of dollars a year to maintain the vacant property, and the new prime minister has signalled he's in no rush to deal with the crumbling building. Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in May that it's up to the National Capital Commission to decide what to do with 24 Sussex. Article content Article content Article content 'It's not a challenge for today, this month, this year and it's probably a challenge for this mandate,' Carney said in French, adding that multiple ideas on how to renew 24 Sussex have been put forward by former prime ministers. Article content Article content The home is a 35-room mansion that was built in 1896, and served as the prime minister's official residence starting in 1951. It has been a federal heritage site since 1986. Article content But former prime minister Stephen Harper was the last leader to live at 24 Sussex. When Justin Trudeau took over as prime minister in November 2015, he and his family instead moved into Rideau Cottage, a home on the grounds of Rideau Hall. Carney and his family now also live at Rideau Cottage. While the grounds of 24 Sussex were used during Trudeau's tenure for some social events, it was closed by the National Capital Commission in 2022 for 'health and safety reasons.' Article content Those included an infestation of rats that was so severe they found rodent carcasses and excrement in the home's walls, attic and basement. Article content Article content The commission has since spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on maintaining the building. Article content Article content A document detailing expenses for 24 Sussex, obtained via information access law, shows that upkeep of the building cost taxpayers more than $680,000 between January 2018 and June 2023. Article content Those costs included elevator maintenance, janitorial services, boiler maintenance, the removal of a bees' nest, pest control, roof repair and pool cleaning. Article content NCC spokesperson Valerie Dufour said the organization is unable to provide any up-to-date information on operations and maintenance costs for the building. She confirmed the NCC continues to pay to maintain the building.
CTV News
38 minutes ago
- CTV News
LIVE UPDATES: After Tehran's deadly retaliatory strikes, Israel threatens more attacks on Iran
Israeli security forces inspect destroyed residential buildings that were hit by a missile fired from Iran, in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Israel warned of more attacks on Iran on Saturday after Iran's deadly retaliatory strikes on Israel overnight and into the morning. Three people were killed and dozens were wounded in Israel, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear program and its armed forces the previous day. Israel's assault on Friday used warplanes, as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists. Iran's UN ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded in the attacks. Israel said the barrage was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon, although experts and the U.S. government have assessed that Tehran was not actively working on such a weapon before the strikes. It also threw talks between the United States and Iran over an atomic accord into disarray days before the two sides were set to meet Sunday. Here's the latest: No nuclear talks with US this weekend, signals Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says nuclear talks with the United States would be 'unjustifiable' after Israeli strikes on his country — an indication there would be no negotiations this weekend. The U.S. and Iran teams were to hold talks in Oman on Sunday. Araghchi spoke in a phone call with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat. Israeli airstrikes were the 'result of the direct support by Washington,' he alleged, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. The U.S. has said it is not part of the strikes. The 'continuation of the indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. is unjustifiable in a situation where the wildness by the Zionist regime continues,' he added. Egypt's top diplomat says Israeli strikes on Iran can push the region into 'chaos' Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty denounced Israel's strikes on Iran as a 'serious escalation' that could push the region to 'a state of instability and chaos.' Abdelatty's comments came in phone calls with his Italian and Spanish counterparts, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement. Iranian media report more Israeli strikes Footage shared by an affiliate of Iran's state TV showed a fire after an Israeli strike at Zagros Khodro, a former car manufacturing plant in Borujerd. The state-run IRNA news agency also reported an Israeli strike on Saturday around Abadan in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province. Other strikes appeared to be happening in Kermanshah near a military barracks. Israel gives first report of wounded soldiers The Israeli military says seven soldiers were lightly wounded on Friday night in an Iranian missile strike in central Israel. It says they were briefly hospitalized and sent home. This is the first report of military casualties in the operation. It gave no further details on where the soldiers were located. Iran's supreme leader names new head of the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace division Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed Gen. Majid Mousavi, to replace Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday. The Guard's aerospace division oversees Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles. Israel's main international airport will stay closed The airport authority says the it will stay closed until further notice. Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv was been closed to traffic since Israel attacked Iran's military and nuclear facilities on Friday morning and Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes at Israel. The announcement came as Lebanon, Jordan and Syria said they were reopening their airspaces on Saturday after closing them. The pope appeals on Israel and Iran to show responsibility and act reasonably It was one of the strongest appeals for peace since the election in early May of the first American pontiff. 'The situation in Iran and Israel has seriously deteriorated,' Pope Leo XIV said during an audience in St. Peter's Basilica. He stressed that 'the commitment to building a safer world free from the nuclear threat must be pursued through respectful encounters and sincere dialogue to build a lasting peace.' Leo also noted that 'no one should ever threaten the existence of another.' Tehran smoke Smoke rises up after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Israel's defence minister says 'Tehran will burn' if it continues firing missiles Defense Minister Israel Katz issued the stark warning after an assessment meeting with the army's chief of staff. He says Iran will pay a heavy price for harming Israeli citizens. Israel's military threatens more strikes on targets in Iranian capital The Israeli military said around noon on Saturday that its fighter jets 'were set to resume striking targets in Tehran.' Meanwhile, the UN nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — confirmed in a post on X that the Isfahan nuclear site in Iran was targeted several times on Friday. 'No increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of now,' the agency said. Israel building missile strike aftermath A person looks out at a destroyed residential building that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)c Syria also opens its airspace after the Israel-Iran deadly attacks Syria's civil aviation authority says it's reopening the airspace on Saturday but will follow the situation in the region and take any necessary measures if needed. The airspace was closed on Friday. National carrier Syrian Air also said it is resuming some of its flights. Iran confirms 2 more high-ranking generals were killed in Israeli strikes Iranian state television identified the two killed as Gen. Gholamreza Mehrabi, the deputy of intelligence for the armed forces' general staff, and Gen. Mehdi Rabbani, the deputy of operations. It did not say where the men were killed. Israel's strikes on Friday killed multiple high-ranking officers within Iran's armed forces, including the chief of staff of the army and the head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. 3 injured in Jordan by unspecified falling object during Israel-Iran attacks Three people were wounded in Jordan's northern city of Irbid when an object fell on a home, state media reported Saturday. They were taken to a hospital and are in stable condition, the Jordan News Agency said. The report did not specify what the object was, but Iranian missiles and drones fired toward Israel flew over Jordan. Jordanian authorities have begun an investigation, the report said. Lebanon reopens its airspace after exchange of fire between Israel and Iran Lebanon reopened its airspace on Saturday morning, hours after closing it due to the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran. Lebanon's Ministry of Public Works and Transport apologized to passengers whose flights were delayed, saying it had closed the airspace late Friday for the safety of travelers. The airspace was reopened at 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) on Saturday. Israeli security forces Israeli security forces inspect destroyed residential buildings that were hit by a missile fired from Iran, in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Satellite images confirm damage to Iran's ballistic missile arsenal Satellite images analyzed Saturday by The Associated Press began to confirm some of the damage sustained by Iran's ballistic missile arsenal by the Israeli assault on the country. Images from Planet Labs PBC taken Friday showed damage at two missile bases, one in Kermanshah and one in Tabriz, both in western Iran. At Kermanshah, where the base is up against a mountainside, burns could be seen across a wide area after the attack. In Tabriz, images showed damage at multiple sites on the base. Iran has not acknowledged the damage, though it reported on Israeli strikes in the area. Top Sunni university condemns Israel's attack on Iran Al-Azhar al-Sharif, the Sunni world's foremost institution of religious learning, has condemned Israel's attack on Iran, describing Israel as a 'rogue entity.' 'The arrogance displayed by the Israeli occupation reflects the darkest form of occupation in modern history,' the Cairo-based university said in a statement early Saturday. It called on the international community to take 'urgent actions to halt the repeated violations committed by this rogue entity.' Iran is a powerhouse of Shiite Muslims in the region and often at odds with Sunni nations. Israeli military says it hit dozens of targets in Iran overnight The Israeli military said it carried out overnight strikes on dozens of targets, including air defences, in the area of Iran's capital, Tehran. Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, the Israeli air force commander, said the strikes carried 'operational and national significance.' Israel pauses natural gas supplies to Egypt, authorities in Cairo say Israel has paused natural gas supplies to Egypt amid its conflict with Iran, authorities in Cairo said. The move has forced the Egyptian government to stop supplying gas to some industries, according to a Friday statement from the Ministry of Petroleum. Some power plants that use natural gas in their operations have also reported fuel oil shortages amid peak summer demand, it said. Egypt faces a deepening domestic gas shortfall, with a more than 7 per cent shortage in its daily gas needs to operate its power grid. Iran's Foreign Ministry calls nuclear talks with U.S. 'meaningless' after Israeli strikes Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman on Saturday called further nuclear talks with the United States 'meaningless' after Israeli strikes on the country, state television said. The comments by Esmail Baghaei further threw possible talks between the two nations, initially scheduled to take place Sunday in Oman, into doubt. 'The U.S. did a job that made the talks become meaningless,' Baghaei was quoted as saying. He added that Israel has passed all Iran's red lines by committing a 'criminal act' through its strikes. However, he stopped short of saying the talks were cancelled. The Mizan news agency, which is run by Iran's judiciary, quoted him as saying: 'It is still not clear what we decide about Sunday talks.' Jordan will reopen its airspace to civilian aircraft Jordan will reopen its airspace to civilian aircraft on Saturday morning, its state-run media reported, signaling the Mideast kingdom believes there is no immediate danger of further attacks. Jordan's state-run Petra news agency said the skies would reopen at 7:30 a.m. local time. Jordan's airspace had seen Iranian drones and missiles cross through it, with Israeli fighter jets likely engaging targets there. The crossfire between Israel and Iran disrupted East-West travel through the Mideast, a key global aviation route. Woman dies in missile strike in Tel Aviv, hospital says A spokesperson for Beilinson Hospital in Tel Aviv said a woman was killed in an Iranian missile strike, bringing the total number of fatalities in the barrages from Iran to three. The hospital also treated seven people who were wounded in the strike early Saturday. Israel's Fire and Rescue Services said a projectile hit a building in the city. Tel Aviv projectile The trace of a projectile is seen before hitting Tel Aviv, Israel, early Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Israel's paramedic service says 2 people killed when missile hit central Israel Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom says an Iranian missile struck near homes in central Israel early Saturday morning, killing two people and injuring 19 others. Israel's Fire and Rescue service said four homes were severely damaged. UN chief calls for escalation to stop, saying 'peace and diplomacy must prevail' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Iran to halt their attacks on one another, while calling for diplomacy. 'Israeli bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites. Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv. Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail,' Guterres wrote on X on Saturday. Iranian media reports a fire at Tehran's airport Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency is reporting a fire at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, posting a video on X of a column of smoke and orange flames rising from what the outlet said was the airport. A handful of minor injuries reported from second wave of Iranian missiles Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv said it has treated seven people hurt by the second Iranian barrage; six had light injuries and the seventh was moderately wounded. Israel evacuation Paramedics evacuate a woman from a site that was struck by a missile fired from Iran, in Rishon Lezion, Israel, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Iran fires a second wave of missiles at Israel Sirens and the boom of explosions, possibly from Israeli interceptors, could be heard in the sky over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early Saturday. AP journalists in Tel Aviv could see what appeared to be at least two Iranian missiles hit the ground, but there was no immediate word of casualties. The Israeli military said another long-range Iranian missile attack was taking place and urged civilians, already rattled by the first wave of projectiles, to head to shelter. Around three dozen people were wounded by that first wave. The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said a fresh wave was being launched. Iranian air defences are firing against Israeli attacks The sound of explosions and Iranian air defence systems firing at targets was echoing across the center of the capital, Tehran, shortly after midnight on Saturday. Additionally, an Associated Press reporter could hear air raid sirens near their home. The Associated Press
