Canadian Blood Services seeking one million new donors
CTV's Austin Lee speaks with Canada Blood Services community development manager Jennifer Rose on the rising need for blood and plasma donations.
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CTV News
31 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘Like a ticking time bomb': Saskatoon seeing more cases of Dutch elm disease
The City of Saskatoon is renewing calls for residents to be vigilant in the fight to prevent the spread of Dutch elm disease, after several cases were identified in multiple neighbourhoods across the city. On Monday the City identified positive cases in three elm trees in the Montgomery neighbourhood, two cases in Riversdale, one in Caswell Hill and an unspecified number of cases in City Park and Sutherland. Some cases are near where previous cases have been identified since Saskatoon's first case of Dutch elm disease in 2015. Others are in areas that have been un-affected until now. 'Kind of all over the city, we're seeing it in various places,' said Cate Francis, a parks superintendent with the city's urban forestry division. 'It's likely due to wood being moved around.' Francis said a combination of complacency with ongoing regulations and a lack of understanding from the general public has caused cases to increase over the last number of years. Following a positive case of the disease, the City immediately removes all positive trees and looks for stored elm wood in the immediate area. Samples are collected from symptomatic trees within one kilometre of an infected tree, and staff sweep a one-kilometre radius for any stored wood once a Dutch elm case is confirmed. Despite continued efforts reminding people not to store elm wood, city crews have already destroyed more than 4,000 kilograms of seized wood this summer. 'One log is almost like a ticking time bomb,' Francis said. 'If that fungus that causes Dutch elm disease [is] on that log and elm bark beetles get into that log, they get the fungus on them, and they will fly to nearby healthy trees to feed and transmit that fungus to all of those trees.' Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus spread by elm bark beetles that breed under the bark of dead or dying elm wood. According to the province's Forest Resources Management Act, potential fines can reach $250,000 for individuals and $1,000,000 for corporations, or imprisonment of up to five years for transporting or storing elm wood. Residents are also encouraged to avoid pruning elm trees from April 1 to August 31, as freshly-cut wood attracts the beetles — but that hasn't stopped the disease from flourishing in recent years. 'What started off as a big Dutch elm disease scare has turned into a Dutch elm disease reality,' says David Kearns with Kearnsy Consulting and Educational Services. Kearns says Saskatoon's urban canopy has become susceptible to certain diseases after years of drought or dry conditions. He adds another factor is the cost of removing a tree. Some trees can be removed for as little at a few hundred dollars while more mature trees could cost $7,000 to remove. Saskatoon began allowing people to dispose of elm wood for free in 2024, but Kearns says many people have a problem seeing a stressed tree in their backyard affecting an entire community or beyond. He says there are thousands of trees across the city that may have to be cut down if the disease continues to spread. 'It's not just a municipal problem, it's everybody's problem,' he said. 'I think a lot of people aren't seeing the connection between the tree in their backyard and the hundreds of thousands, if not tens of millions of dollars the City of Saskatoon is going to be on the hook for controlling this problem.' The city says American elm trees with Dutch elm disease can start showing symptoms as early as June. Typically the leaves will start to wilt and turn yellow, then curl and turn brown.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
How the Montreal Children's Hospital helped a family with premature twins
At first glance, Selene Di Lallo lives the same life as any mother with twin toddlers. She always keeps her eye on them and makes sure they have plenty of toys to stay occupied. But when she was pregnant with the boys, named Thomas and Xavier, it was hard to visualize this type of life. 'It was a high-risk pregnancy because they are identical twins,' Di Lallo explains. At just 16 weeks pregnant, she and her husband found out that Thomas had a rare lung malformation and would need surgery after birth. Shortly after, they also noticed something strange about the other twin, Xavier. 'We heard a really, really, really quick heartbeat,' Di Lallo recalls. 'We didn't know what a fetal echo should look or sound like, but we did know something was off.' Xavier was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) — a condition that causes sudden spikes in heart rate. During one checkup, his heart was beating dangerously fast at 270 beats per minute. 'When you hear something like that, you get a little on edge,' Di Lallo says. Early delivery and the NICU Due to the complications, Di Lallo gave birth at just 34 weeks. The twins were six weeks premature. Thomas and Xavier were immediately admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Montreal Children's Hospital, where they remained for two months. Di Lallo says she had a hard time when Xavier would have an episode. 'Alarms would go off and the nurses would come in and check,' Di Lallo says. 'The first few times it happens, it really is scary because you don't know how he's going to react — now he's out in the world, no longer in my belly.' 'The good thing was that we were in the hospital.' NICU at the Montreal Children's Hospital Thomas and Xavier were immediately admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Montreal Children's Hospital A Family-Centred Approach The care the family received at the Montreal Children's Hospital made all the difference. 'It was comforting to know that they were working with us, helping us out, keeping our best interests in mind,' Di Lallo says. According to Dr. Marc Beltempo, a physician at The Children's, the philosophy is simple: support the whole family, and not just the child. 'We are child health, but we are also family health,' he says. 'We're explaining to them how to do things, but we're also showing them — so they can become primary caregivers while still in the hospital. That way, they're confident and ready to go home.' That support system extends beyond discharge. Today, a year and a half later, Di Lallo feels empowered and capable of managing Xavier's episodes on her own. 'They want to make sure that when they send you home, you're going to feel confident enough to do what you need to do to get past whatever challenge you're facing,' she says. Gratitude for community support Dr. Beltempo emphasizes that this level of care is only possible thanks to generous donors. 'All that work is done thanks to the support of the people who are donating and our foundation,' he says. Thanks to the team at the Montreal Children's Hospital, and the ongoing support of the community, families like the Di Lallos can look to the future with hope. Radiothon The 22nd edition of the Caring for Kids Radiothon will be held on August 21, 2025, and broadcast on Bell Media radio stations CJAD 800, 95.9 Virgin Radio and CHOM 97.7. The Caring for Kids Radiothon has raised over $29 million for the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation since its inception in 2004. Donate here.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
COVID-19 vaccine covered for Alberta health-care workers
Calgary Watch Alberta will now cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccinations for health-care workers. Hannah Lepine reports.
