Latest news with #Hamiltonian
Toronto Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
New PWHL teams waste little time loading up on league talent
Expansion process takes big bite out of Toronto Sceptres lineup with Sarah Nurse off to Vancouver Get the latest from Mike Ganter straight to your inbox Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse attends the inaugural Canadian edition of "Upfront with Amazon" at Evergreen Brick Works on May 29, 2025 in Toronto. Photo by Mathew Tsang / Getty Images Turns out that five-day exclusive signing period for the two expansion PWHL teams may have been a few days too long. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Both newcomers to the PWHL jumped into the process head first Wednesday with some franchise-altering signings. Locally, the biggest impact was the Toronto Sceptres losing Sarah Nurse to Vancouver, which got the day's proceedings off in lightning fashion striking first to get Minnesota defenders Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson on its roster. The latter two are both Toronto natives while Nurse is technically a Hamiltonian — though Toronto has been claiming her for a little while now. The loss of Nurse is a big blow to the Sceptres. The heavily decorated Canadian National team player was a foundational selection for the Sceptres and a big part of their culture through the first two seasons. An injury at the Rivalry Series games on the East Coast set Nurse back a bit and cost her 10 games in the regular season. She was just beginning to return to form when the playoffs ended for the Sceptres in that four-game first-round loss to Minnesota. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Vancouver rounded out Day 1 by signing a fourth Canadian, this time dipping into the goaltender pool and grabbing Ottawa Charge netminder Emerance Maschmeyer. Maschmeyer, a Calgary native, was left unprotected after an injury opened a door for rookie Gwyneth Philips, who quickly established herself at worst as a co-No. 1 with Philips in the Ottawa net, taking the Charge to within two wins of a Walter Cup. The Charge opted to protect the younger and cheaper Philips over Maschmeyer. In Seattle, the other expansion market, the signings weren't quite so fast but were equally eye opening. By 10:30 Wednesday night, PWHL Seattle had signed both Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight and Ottawa Charge forward Danielle Serdachny, who was the No. 2 overall selection in last year's entry draft. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There were rumblings that Seattle was on the verge of rounding out their five picks allotted to them in that exclusive five-day window by signing Knight's teammate Hannah Bilka as well as New York's Alex Carpenter and Montreal defender Cayla Barnes, but the latter three had not been officially announced as of Thursday morning. It would not be a surprise if Vancouver's fifth selection in this part of the process — if they make a fifth — winds up being North Vancouver native Hannah Miller from the Sceptres. With both Minnesota and Ottawa having already lost two players, both teams are now in a position to protect a fourth player. Minnesota used its fourth protection on polarizing forward Britta Curl-Salemme, while Ottawa had yet to announce its fourth protected player. It's likely to be one of forward Brianne Jenner or Gabbie Hughes, or defender Ashton Bell. All in all, it made for a very entertaining first day of the expansion process, which will continue with the exclusive window signing period until Sunday at 5 p.m. (or at least until both teams reach five players) and then commence again with the expansion draft beginning the following day where the two teams will select up to seven more players each or until they have a roster of 12. The remainder of that roster will be filled out during the annual entry draft on June 23 in Ottawa. mganter@ Sunshine Girls Columnists Sunshine Girls NHL Celebrity
1News
27-05-2025
- Health
- 1News
No-fault law sees tenant facing eviction after major knee surgery
Desmond Adams knew his upcoming knee surgery would be tough - weeks in recovery and months before he'd walk normally - but what he didn't expect was to be doing it all while facing eviction. A painter by trade, years of physical labour have taken a toll on the 52-year-old Hamiltonian. Scans in April 2024 revealed fractures in both knees, with overgrown bone that needed to be shaved. The bone was pressing into a tendon on his left side which needed to be cut and repaired. "My knees were poking out like nobody's business," Adams said. Post-operation, doctors told him to expect crutches for three weeks, a minimal amount of walking and no driving for at least six weeks. Full recovery was expected to take four to five months. ADVERTISEMENT Knowing how limiting this would be, he made sure to notify his landlord through his property manager well in advance, saying he notified them first in June last year and reminded them at every three-monthly inspection after that. "At my last inspection in March, I had also reminded them about my surgery," he said. "She said to me, 'Yes, you have mentioned that a lot, and we hope everything goes well'." Desmond's flat in Whitiora, Hamilton. (Source: Supplied) Just days on from that inspection, a letter arrived. Adams had been served a 90-day notice to vacate his Whitiora home. "I felt really gutted, angry, and frustrated. It was like, what's going on here? You guys have known about my surgery for a while, and now you're serving me with this? "How the heck do you expect me to look for a house in 90 days when I've got surgery, and then about four to five months in healing? I can't actually get out to look for houses in that time." He says he asked for an extension on the notice to give him more time to heal before trying to move. But he claims that wasn't granted. ADVERTISEMENT Recovery on pause The surgery went ahead as planned but with limited mobility and no ability to drive, Adams had to put his recovery on pause to begin house hunting. Desmond had to have overgrown bone shaved on both knees. (Source: Desmond Adams) He has had to rely on Driving Miss Daisy, the ACC-funded companion driving service, to attend property viewings. He's been to 15 so far. "It's a slow process," he said. "I've got 16 stairs to walk down, and then get into the car, go look at the house and then have to climb those 16 stairs again back to the house with two crutches." The house hunt has already come at a cost to his recovery and Adams said he "got a growling" from doctors when he went to his three-week check-up after the surgery. "They saw my knees were bruised, not just from the operation, but they could tell I'd been doing some walking on it. They said 'you're supposed to be resting', and I said 'I can't, I need to find a house'." ADVERTISEMENT Adams considered taking the matter to the Tenancy Tribunal to delay or set aside the eviction notice due to the severe hardship it would cause, but he abandoned this bid as under the legislation an eviction notice can only be challenged if it's deemed to be retaliatory. A landlord can serve an eviction with 90 days' notice without giving a reason. The property manager declined to comment when contacted by 1News. No-cause evictions Renters United president Zac Thomas blamed the reintroduction of no-cause evictions by the coalition Government in February. "When life knocks you down, the law now lets someone take the roof off too. This is exactly the kind of harm the government was told would happen." Renters United president Zac Thomas. (Source: Supplied) He described Desmond's situation as "crazy". ADVERTISEMENT "I think any New Zealander with half a heart would look at this and say 'this is not the society that we want to live in'." In a statement late last year, Housing Minister Chris Bishop said the reintroduction of no-cause evictions would "give landlords more confidence to offer homes to tenants who may otherwise have been considered too risky". "We've heard from many landlords that, without the backstop of 90-day 'no cause' terminations, they were unwilling to take a chance on a tenant who may, for example, not have perfect references or a steady 9-5 job."
New York Post
15-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
President outlines the Trump Doctrine: Prosperity equals peace — for the entire world
President Donald Trump gave an important speech in Riyadh that may come as close to outlining a 'Trump doctrine' for his second term as we'll probably see. It was a direct counterpoint to George W. Bush's second inaugural address. The simplistic way to put it is that what liberty was for Bush, money is to Donald Trump. That's not quite right, though. The speech had values, they just weren't typical values — accountable government, human dignity — but rather prosperity and peace. These are universally regarded as goods, but Trump is elevating them over other goods — especially democracy — and putting his own distinctive gloss on them. 4 President Donald Trump speaks after signing the guest book at Qasr Al-Watan (Palace of the Nation) in Abu Dhabi on May 15, 2025. AFP via Getty Images If Bush wanted to spread freedom, Trump wants to spread gleaming high-rise buildings. He spoke glowingly of the new towers in Saudi Arabia and hailed Riyadh as 'becoming not just a seat of government, but a major business, cultural and high-tech capital of the entire world.' He continued, 'Before our eyes a new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts of tired divisions of the past and forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce not chaos, where it exports technology not terrorism, and where people of different nations, religions and creeds are building cities together not bombing each other out of existence.' Notably, there is no liberty in this affirming sentence — it's all economic activity. Likewise, near the end of the speech, when he sketched out his vision of where the region could be headed: 'It is within our grasp to reach the future that generations before us could only dream about, a land of peace, safety, harmony, opportunity, innovation and achievement right here in the Middle East.' The speech was very critical of Iran. His critique wasn't that it's a theocracy but that it isn't constructing anything. 4 President Donald Trump visits the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque during his official visit to Abu Dhabi on May 15, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Its landmarks 'are collapsing into rubble and dust,' and its buildings put up long ago 'are largely falling apart, falling down while you're building some of the world's biggest and most incredible infrastructure projects.' Trump's speech wasn't isolationist, or alien to American traditions. The address ran in the slipstream of the Hamiltonian tradition as famously outlined by Walter Russell Mead, with its emphasis on the role of commerce in foreign affairs. And there was, as always, a Jacksonian element, as Trump spoke of smashing ISIS, repeatedly bragged about the strength of the US military, and talked of smacking the Houthis. There was, however, no Wilsonianism in the speech. In the passage that got the most attention, Trump rapped neocons and liberal nonprofits for trying but failing to develop the Middle East because they didn't know or respect the culture of the region. There is merit in this charge. We had no idea what we were getting into in Iraq and Afghanistan and only began to learn in depth about those countries when the wars were far along. 4 President Donald Trump and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, right, tour the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. AP George W. Bush's vision for the spread of democracy systematically failed to account for the influence of culture and for the centrality of order to liberty and almost any other social good. That said, both Afghanistan and Iraq were originally conceived as wars of self-defense in the wake of a spectacular terror attack that shook America to its core. Both conflicts initially also had wide support, including on Jacksonian grounds — we'd been hit hard and were going to eliminate any further threats. It's also unpersuasive to hold up the Gulf states as a counterexample of development. Anyone can run an emirate sitting atop gobs of oil that is living under the security umbrella of the United States; if these countries had to make their own way, they would long ago have been gobbled by some neighboring wolf — say, Saddam Hussein — and wouldn't look so alluring now. For all that Trump emphasized the importance of the different cultures of different places, his vision is as universalist as Bush's; Bush believed everyone could become a democracy, and Trump believes that everyone can prosper. He wants Iran 'to be a successful country.' They can be 'a wonderful, safe, great country, but they cannot have a nuclear weapon.' Lebanon, too, long victimized by Iran-sponsored Hezbollah, can embrace 'a future of economic development and peace with its neighbors.' In Trump's telling, the yearning of every human heart isn't necessarily liberty but wealth and security. 4 President Donald Trump hands a pen to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan after signing a guest book at Qasr Al Watan, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. AP He claimed that in brokering a cease-fire between India and Pakistan, 'I used trade to a large extent to do it. I said, fellas, 'Come on. Let's make a deal. Let's do some trading. Let's not trade nuclear missiles. Let's trade the things that you make so beautifully.'' He'll reach out to anyone and bring them into this charmed circle of commerce and comity. 'As I've shown repeatedly,' he said, 'I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even of our differences may be very profound.' He added, 'I have never believed in having permanent enemies.' In this, there was an echo of Palmerston ('We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies'), but it's the British statesman as real-estate developer. For Trump, it's the results that matter — the prosperity and peace — not how a given government achieves them. That's none of our business. 'I believe it is God's job to sit in judgment,' he pronounced. 'My job [is] to defend America and to promote the fundamental interest of stability, prosperity and peace.' In sum, the speech was a dealmaker's realpolitik, or a doctrine that we won't really have a doctrine except for trying to get everyone rich and to get along with as many people as possible, a few fundamental interests aside. Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters The address might have put more of an emphasis on all this given the venue and the audience in Saudi Arabia, but it was a notable contrast with Trump's signature foreign-policy speech from his first term, in Poland. That speech was all about our civilization — faith, freedom and culture — whereas the Saudi speech was more purely transactional. The address was certainly bracing, and there is no doubt that Bush's second inaugural never could be a practical guide to US foreign policy. But values do matter. Liberal societies are, as a general matter, more reliably our friends and more reliably achieve prosperity because it is less likely that they will be interrupted by civil war or revolution. If Bush's vision advanced an unrealistic view of what motivates mankind — all yearning for liberty, no yearning for power, revenge or honor — Trump also drastically simplifies human motivation. As history has shown again and again, people will fight and die for faiths and ideologies when these have nothing to do with prosperity or actively run counter to achieving it. Also, it should be said that standing for democratic ideals is an enormous part of America's appeal around the world, and if we get into a competition with China purely over who is richer and can cut more deals, we are kicking away one of our major advantages. That's likely an insight for another president, though. Trump has his doctrine.
Hamilton Spectator
07-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
‘There's actually hope': Hamilton program offers addiction supports, path to housing
A roller-coaster. A snowball. A big blur. This is how Darcy Gagnon describes his bouts with addiction , health and homelessness . The 32-year-old Hamiltonian is working on all three since checking into Wesley's special care unit in February. At first hesitant to give the residential program a shot, Gagnon is now glad he took the plunge. 'I'm more positive. I'm a lot happier. I'm healthier,' he told The Spectator during a recent visit. The storm clouds in his life seem to be dissipating. 'I feel like there's actually hope that I'm actually going to have the ability to get off all of the street opioids.' For about 20 years, Wesley has operated a managed alcohol consumption program. Last September, the city funded a 20-bed boost, taking the overall number of spaces to 30, as the social-service agency piloted a polysubstance program expansion. Those beds were among an overall temporary multimillion-dollar increase of 192 spaces to Hamilton's shelter system as city officials aimed to get people out of encampments . I feel like there's actually hope that I'm actually going to have the ability to get off all of the street opioids. Funding for the additional special care unit beds, which was budgeted at roughly $800,000, is set to expire at the end of December. Gagnon credits staff on the Main Street East unit's team for supporting him. 'That's why it's called the special care unit.' The team includes doctors and nurses, as well as specialists in harm reduction, psychotherapy and case management. They help clients reconnect with families, find jobs and secure housing or, in some cases, long-term care. During their time on the unit, they can keep using methadone or suboxone to help diminish cravings. Outside doctors also prescribe safer-supply drugs, such as hydromorphone, to replace volatile concoctions of fentanyl sold on the street. All the while, the clients recover from the grind of homelessness in the privacy of their own rooms. Whether they're coming from tents or shelters, all enter the special care unit with addictions. 'But the opposite of addiction isn't just abstinence — it's community,' emphasizes Robyn Currie, director of housing and homelessness. The program's focus is on building life skills, establishing routines, reconnecting with family, addressing the underlying issues. 'You're helping them build that capacity to go out in the world and value themselves,' Currie says. The rebound might still involve drinking or taking drugs, just not to the point of losing one's housing. 'There are ways that both can exist.' 'The opposite of addiction isn't just abstinence — it's community,' emphasizes Robyn Currie, director of housing and homelessness. Gagnon's life started in foster care. His mother also had a 'hard upbringing,' he says. Gagnon, who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, bounced from foster home to foster home. One family adopted him and his younger sister, but before he hit his teens, they ricocheted back into the system. 'It was kind of like a big shock,' Gagnon recalls. 'I was upset about it.' Such childhood turbulence was a fairly common thread among those surveyed during Hamilton's 'point-in-time' count in 2024. The opposite of addiction isn't just abstinence — it's community. Of 807 survey respondents experiencing homelessness, 25 per cent said they'd spent time in foster care or a youth group home. Being in foster care, and feeling 'not really part of a family,' has played a significant role in his addiction, Gagnon told The Spectator. 'My whole life has just been like an up-and-down roller-coaster.' After he graduated from high school, Gagnon followed his passion for music by studying recording arts in Toronto. But facing few job prospects, he returned to Hamilton, where he started working as a roofer. Then in 2011, acting on a gut feeling and a tip from his cousin, he met his biological mother in a chance encounter downtown. 'It was a big thing for me … a dream come true.' But four years later, Gagnon was at his mom's side when she died in hospital of illness. And so his roller-coaster ride headed downward again. Darcy Gagnon says he has found hope for overcoming addiction and homelessness in Wesley's special care unit. 'I always had a pending sense of doom after that,' Gagnon says, glancing out the window of his room. Later that same year, he fell from a roof he was working on and broke his arm. With that, Gagnon says, he got hooked on prescription drugs. 'And slowly but surely, it kind of snowballed, and I ended up losing my place.' A few years later, another apartment didn't work out for Gagnon. Roofing had dried up for him with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. He relapsed as chaos took hold of his flat, with friends using it 'like an injection site, almost.' 'I was always kicking people out and it just got overwhelming.' So one day, he 'walked right out.' Back on the street, he shifted from shelter to shelter, tent to tent. 'It's kind of a big blur,' says Gagnon, summing up the years of desperation. 'We are in a crisis and we have a model that's working,' Wesley CEO Rashed Afif says. Wesley's goal is to continue the expanded program, CEO Rashed Afif says. 'We are in a crisis and we have a model that's working.' Without it, 'we're going to be dealing with a lot of unfortunate situations where people don't have a place to go,' Afif says. Of the 40 people the unit served over a year-long period ending in April, seven have secured housing. One is waiting for long-term care and another for hospice. Others have found work. Some have pursued education or training. Crucially, the unit has also helped clients stabilize, which has cut down on trips to hospital emergency rooms . During the same one-year period, there were 13 ER visits, which was mostly for falls by older residents. Contrast that with some clients heading to the ER up to three times a day before admission, Afif points out. 'It saves a lot of money for the system,' he says, adding it makes sense to invest 'proactively' in solutions. How the special care unit fits into the city's plans after Dec. 31 is unclear. Staff plan to report to council in the coming months 'on next steps' in a plan to strengthen Hamilton's shelter system, Michelle Baird, the city's housing services director, said via email. 'The city remains committed to expanding shelter capacity and supporting unhoused residents with dignity and safety as long-term affordable housing solutions continue to be developed.' Supervisor Cynthia MacDonald factored heavily into his decision to give the special care unit a try, Darcy Gagnon says. For Gagnon, a fear of 'failing' kept him from giving the Wesley program a try. He didn't want to go through detox only to wind up 'stuck' in the shelter system again, exposed to the triggers of drug use. But knowing that supervisor Cynthia MacDonald, who'd helped him with housing in the past, would be there was a big factor. 'I just decided it's probably a better chance than what I'm doing right now.' And so far, so good, Gagnon says. 'I've already cut back huge on using and I just want to kick that 100 per cent.' When he's ready, he'd like to get back to work and find a place to live again, Gagnon explains. At one point, he pauses this story to apologize to MacDonald. He feels badly about how that last tenancy ended. 'Sorry, Cynthia, for that.' MacDonald smiles and says, 'That's OK.'
NZ Herald
01-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
On The Up: NES Boutique in Hamilton celebrates 25 years in business
It wasn't until Marcia, the mother of a close friend of hers, was diagnosed with cancer. 'I showed her a design of mine and Marcia said to me 'Why are you selling travel? You should be making clothes ',' Herbert said. Looking back she vividly remembers especially two designs: a sleeveless fleece vest with a high neck and a zip and a matching fleece skirt, and denim jeans. After Marcia passed away, Herbert said she had a good thought about her words and decided to take the plunge. 'I've only got one life, and Marcia said I should, so I'm going to give it a try.' She sold her car to get money to start up her business and attended a pattern-making course in Hamilton. Then, her label and store Dolly Bird, now known as NES Boutique, launched in Hamilton's Ward St. The name Dolly Bird is a British slang word for a 'fashionable and attractive young girl', and when Herbert first started designing, she was 29, so she could identify. Herbert said her designs were inspired by nature - and 'people-watching'. '[I was] trying to replicate the colours and textures into clothing.' The first item sold in the shop was a pair of 'slinky jeans' - popular skin-tight jeans with a flare from the knee. Herbert worked hard to get her label off the ground - sewing clothes at night and working in the shop during the day. She said this hard work and organisation were key to her never giving up. However, she said the true secret behind the label still going strong after such a long time was 'pure passion'. 'I lived and breathed fashion. Wherever I went, I took note of what people were wearing ... I always had a notepad on me for sketching at all times.' She changed the name of the label and boutique to NES after over 10 years in business to be more inclusive of other styles. Herbert said it had always been her goal to clock up 20 years in the industry before retiring, and in 2022, after two more years than anticipated, she felt the time was right to hand over the reins. Herbert sold the business to Hamiltonian Kate Harris, 39, and said she was 'absolutely proud' to see her boutique was still going strong after 25 years. Harris said she was 'overwhelmed by the legacy of NES'. 'It's taken blood, sweat, and tears.' Harris, much like Herbert, has a longstanding passion for fashion. She remembers being found in her grandmother's closet as a kid, trying on big fur coats and hats. Harris said she had been a fashion designer for 20 years, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother who had often made her clothes. 'There is always a childhood memory of sewing machines on the dining room table, and choosing our fabric for our winter pyjamas.' She said she also loved how 'an outfit can transform who you are'. Harris described herself as an introvert, but clothing allowed her to be an extrovert and 'express myself through clothes'. In celebration of turning 25, Harris welcomed Waikato designer Robyn Stinson to NES to 'continue and protect the legacy' of the business. Stinson, 42, debuted at NZ Fashion Week in 2006 before opening a clothing store in Cambridge. She just returned to the fashion industry after doing several other designing stints, and running Black Shepherd Apiaries with her husband, Ben. Harris said she had big plans for the future of NES, but was tight-lipped on specifics - 'Watch this space.' 'I'm excited for a 'Kate and Robyn spin' on NES and a new in-house label.' Their ultimate goal was to create 'hardworking wardrobe pieces that are simple, have a statement, and everlasting'. NES is now located in Barton St.
