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Quebec advocates take aim at no-pet clauses in leases amid housing crisis

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

MONTREAL — Tobias Gurl thinks his five-year-old collie, Winston, is a pretty ideal roommate: she’s quiet, well-trained and indispensable to her owner’s well-being.Gurl, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and is awaiting an autism screening, says Winston is a service dog who has been trained to help him during panic attacks through trained behaviours. Those could be a well-timed nudge, climbing on top of him like a weighted blanket or circling around him to create space when he gets nervous in crowds.But Gurl, 32, and his roommateCJ James, who also has a service dog, are facing a common problem in Montreal: the inability to find an affordable apartment that accepts animals.“We have sunk hours and entire afternoons taking public transit around the city to just try and find a place that will take us, and the most likely prospects just turn us down,” Gurl said.While landlords cannot legally bar service dogs, Gurl and James say they’ve been tur...

Ottawa urged to back U.S., not TC Energy, in $15B lawsuit over demise of Keystone XL

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

WASHINGTON — A progressive public policy think tank is urging the federal government to side against oil and gas transmission giant TC Energy in its ongoing dispute with the United States over the ill-fated Keystone XL project.The Calgary-based company is seeking to recoup US$15 billion in lost revenue from the on-again, off-again cross-border pipeline expansion, which President Joe Biden killed off for good in 2021 on his first day as commander-in-chief. The lawsuit is based on the investor-state dispute rules in the now-expired NAFTA, as well as that deal’s successor, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which included a three-year extension of those rules for so-called “legacy” investors.A new report to be released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives recommends Ottawa back the U.S. defence: that TC Energy has no legal recourse under North American trade rules, past or present.“Though the TC Energy dispute pits a Canadian company against t...

Canadian wildfires send smoke south, triggering air quality warnings

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

Canadian wildfires are continuing to send heavy clouds of smoke south, from Northern Ontario and Quebec, through both provinces and into the U-S.The thick haze has triggered air quality warnings for Chicago, Detroit and Toronto. The trio of cities currently hold three of the top four spots on Air-I-Q’s global ranking for poor air quality.As of this morning, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates tops the list of major cities with a significant score of 411 — putting its air quality in the “Hazardous” category. Detroit ranks second, followed by Chicago, and Toronto in fourth, with an “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” rating of 159.Still, some of the smaller communities in Southern Ontario are fairing far worse, with Sarnia scoring 372, as of 3:30 a.m., a score that places the city not far behind Dubai. Air-I-Q updates its numbers hourly.As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 66 active fires in Northern Ontario, and as of this morning, 76 fires were burning ...

Program for institutions at risk from hate crimes expanded to shelters

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

OTTAWA — A federal program that helps community institutions make safety-related improvements is being expanded to shelters for victims of gender-based violence.The $5-million Security Infrastructure Program covers as much as half the cost of security equipment such as lighting, fencing, cameras and alarm systems, up to $100,000 per project.Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says eligible recipients, including community centres, educational institutions, places of worship and others, can apply for funding until Aug. 31.However, organizations that have experienced significant, direct hate-motivated crime against their facility might qualify for a new emergency stream of money accessible outside the annual call for applications period.This year, the program will also include shelters that provide support and refuge for individuals and families who have faced gender-based violence, including victims of hate crimes motivated by sex, sexual orientation or gender identity or expressio...

Think you could pass the citizenship test? Poll shows most Canadians would flunk

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

OTTAWA — Canadians’ hearts may be brimming with pride as Canada Day approaches, but a new poll suggests their minds aren’t full of the knowledge needed to pass a citizenship test.In a survey of 1,512Canadian adults, Leger found that only 23 per cent would pass the citizenship test, based on their answers to 10 randomly selected questions.People who wish to become Canadian need to answer 20 questions about citizens’ rights and responsibilities, as well as Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols. They need to score at least 75 per cent to pass, but the average score of the Canadians who were surveyed was only 49 per cent.The questions focused on things like famous Canadians (Who is John Buchan?), history (Who established the first European settlements in Canada?) and national symbols (Whose portrait is on the Canadian $10 bill?). The correct answers, for those struggling along with most survey respondents, are: a popular governor gene...

Amber Alert issued for girl in Temple

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

TEMPLE, Texas (KXAN) – The Department of Public Safety issued an Amber Alert Tuesday night for a girl abducted from Temple. According to the alert, Temple Police are looking for Kryslee Hernandez, 7, and Amanda Guerra, 39. Police believe Hernandez is in "grave or immediate danger."Hernandez is white, 3 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 65 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes, according to the alert. She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and shorts and carrying a backpack.Guerra is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes, according to the alert. She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and shorts and was also carrying a backpack. Amber Alert issued on June 27, 2023 Anyone with information about the abduction should call Temple Police at 254-298-5500.

Daily horoscope for June 28, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. EDT today (1 a.m. to 2 a.m. PDT). After that, the Moon moves from Libra into Scorpio.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, June 28, 2023:You are intelligent and fiercely individualistic. You defend your own rights and the rights of others. You are warmhearted and well-liked. Get ready for exciting changes. Stay light on your feet and flexible. Seek out new opportunities and be ready to act fast. Travel is likely.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★You’re in the zone today, which is why you will accomplish a lot! Family discussions will go well, along with real-estate negotiations. This is an excellent day to negotiate a loan or mortgage. Basically, it’s the perfect day to work hard and party hard! (Take your reward.) Tonight: Family discussions.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★You’re on the go today. You sense that this is a productive day. Your pace is fast, and your schedule is full with short trips and c...

Russia seeks calm after aborted mutiny, West sees cracks in Putin's authority

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

Russia sought to restore calm on Monday (26 June) after an aborted mutiny by Wagner Group mercenaries over the weekend, while Western allies assessed how President Vladimir Putin might reassert authority and what it could mean for the war in Ukraine.Ending their short-lived mutiny, Wagner fighters halted their rapid advance on Moscow, withdrew from the southern Russian city of Rostov and headed back to their bases late on Saturday under a deal that guaranteed their safety. Their commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, would move to Belarus under the deal mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.Monday has been declared a non-working day in Moscow to allow time for things to settle, and there was little evidence of increased security in the Russian capital on Sunday evening.Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, one of the main targets of Prigozhin's anger, visited Russian troops involved in the military operation in Ukraine, state-run RIA news agency reported on Monday.But Putin, who ha...

Miss Manners: I told the subway rider he was rude, and he got huffy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: The following has happened to me twice recently, and I consider it rude.On both occasions, I took an empty seat on the subway (I am elderly and don’t want to stand if I don’t have to), only to discover that the two people I sat between were together and wanted to talk.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Why do they ask such questions about my groceries? Advice | Miss Manners: The bride isn’t friendly, plus I know she’s already married. Must I go to her wedding? Advice | Miss Manners: Am I right that it’s disgusting to put eyeglasses on a kitchen counter? Advice | Miss Manners: They got upset when I tried to step out of the photo Advice | Miss Manners: Our dinner guests said everything was fine. Obviously, it was not. On both occasions, I politely said to one of the people, “Would you like to switch seats with me so that you can continue your conve...

Dear Abby: I’m sure his wife saw his inappropriate behavior

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:56 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My daughter “Lia” and her husband, “Jerry,” visited his mother and stepdad, “Gil,” a few months ago.Gil gave Lia an inappropriate hug, with his hand sliding to her buttocks. Lia said Gil had done this before and it made her uncomfortable. She told Jerry, and he began watching his stepdad closely when they visited.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: We can’t go out with her anymore, and we can’t tell her why Advice | Dear Abby: My daughters want to follow the same house rules as my son Advice | Dear Abby: He made my life miserable, and my daughter demands I socialize with him Advice | Dear Abby: How do I tell her our dinners are no longer high priority? Advice | Dear Abby: She dressed like a bride at the funeral, and things got worse from there Recently, my family and I visited Jerry’s parents. Gil gave me a hug around my back, and then slid...