Ottawa Citizen
REMEMBERING PETER
A community vigil will be held on Sunday for Peter Clark, the crossing guard who died after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver on March 23 in Barrhaven. “I have been struggling with how to be strong without him,” says his widow, Amanda. She tells...
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Lack of a full-time EA for girl with autism pushes family to the brink — a shelter
Jennifer and Andrew Nickerson's precariously constructed life had been teetering for months. It crashed to the ground in March when they found themselves living in a city shelter. Andrew was laid off in March 2024. The couple left their Kanata...
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Police alone can't curb drug use, legal eagles say
As residents and local businesses push for a stronger police presence in downtown neighbourhoods like Ottawa's Chinatown over increased safety concerns and open drug use, some legal experts say policing isn't the solution. For many, safety concerns...
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AN UNBEATABLE VIEW
A vivid sunset lights up the Ottawa River at Harry Kingston Point Sunday. The warm weather is expected to continue through Thursday before cooler temperatures and a mix of sun and clouds settle in for Friday and the weekend.
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Felled by LRT construction, part of 'Mother Elm' is getting a new life
When an elm tree in Byron Linear Park was cut down in November 2019 to make way for LRT extension construction, residents were devastated. The elm was no ordinary tree: it was over 100 years old, beautiful with branches that stretched and hung with...
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MILITARY RECRUITMENT SOARS AFTER PAY RAISES, SOVEREIGNTY THREATS
The Canadian Armed Forces has recorded its highest recruitment levels in over three decades, enrolling 7,310 personnel in the last fiscal year. That's up 600 new members year-over-year. Officials said the new numbers show strong or stable recruitment...
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`ADVENTURE' BEGINS
A new designation will allow for off-road vehicles — such as those belonging to Thousand Island ATV Club president Greg Potvin — in parks like Charleston Lake. Welcome to the `adventure' class provincial park.
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Bookstore crawl highlights resurgence of retailers in brick-and-mortar spaces
Before Amna Hakim signed the lease on Love Lyla Books, she was an online retailer. For years, she sold a curated collection of books by Muslim authors through her website so she could work around her children's schedules. Then last summer she hosted a...
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Willola Beach residents hope for more volunteers, calmer waters in face of floods
Dave Mckay can hear the Ottawa River lap against his home from inside the living room. Looking out onto the waves from a window, Mckay, who's retired, can point out all the spots in his backyard that have been impacted by flooding over the years. The...
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An elevator breaks and a man falls
Laura Recoskie was headed to the stairs that take transit users to the platform at Parliament Station on the afternoon of April 8 when an anxious-looking woman approached her. The woman said her partner had fallen on the stairs. They didn't have a...
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She felt love in Canada as a refugee. As a doctor, she's worried for others
Unwanted. Uncared for. Unloved. Those were the cornerstones of what Parisa Rezaiefar had felt before eventually leaving her country in 1992. That year, after coming to Canada as a refugee from Iran, she remembered vividly the Persian man — a doctor —...
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`SCENARIOS ARE ALL EITHER BAD OR VERY, VERY BAD'
Grocery prices are elevated, gas prices are high, job markets are cooling, and U.S. President Donald Trump is sticking to his tariff plans while the world eyes a shaky ceasefire with Iran. The truce between the U.S. and Iran has raised hopes and...
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GHOSTS OF OUR GRIEF
There were 10 of us, more or less. Eight in the living room of a Kanata home, two more joining by video call from out of province, their faces small and pixelated on a laptop at the edge of the coffee table. The host, a friend, had invited me. I...
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How tough is it for Ottawa bands to get into Bluesfest?
Ottawa musician/producer Dean Watson knows what it's like to be skipped over by Ottawa Bluesfest. “If you're a band and you do everything they ask for, and then you're just passed over, it's disheartening,” said Watson, who's been part of the...
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Queensway Carleton project matches newborns and doctors
Ayisha Cretney-reney and her partner, Glenn Burley, searched for years to find a family doctor. But, when she became pregnant with their first child, the search began again: Their doctor was no longer taking new babies of patients. Their baby was at...
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A closer look at how sensitive clay beneath city led to an Orléans landslide
Bordering the Ottawa River to the north, a striking and somewhat hidden landscape lies within a forested stretch of Orléans, near the intersection of Jeanne d'arc Boulevard and Tenth Line Road. A series of rolling ridges define the terrain, giving the...
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University of Ottawa Students' Union calls for better crisis situation protocols
Emotions were still running high in the University of Ottawa community on Saturday, the day after a campus security lockdown. While the Friday lockdown was lifted within a couple hours of its initial declaration and the Ottawa Police Service confirmed...
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FEWER CANADIANS CROSSING BORDER — AND DUTY-FREE SHOPS ARE PAYING
Canadians still have their elbows up when it comes to travelling south of the border, and those fewer trips are having a disastrous effect on a key business: duty-free shopping. Tariff spats, Donald Trump's “51st state” rhetoric and encouragement by...
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`MOST SEVERE' DAMAGE YET
OC Transpo officials acknowledged they were considering a full shutdown of the O -Train Line 1 as a contingency plan after a technical analysis revealed “additional damage” to the cartridge bearing assemblies on the train car axles. Union officials...
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Ottawa woman waits 16 months for an MRI
More than eight months after her MRI appointment was abruptly cancelled because her family doctor had retired, Lisa Kis finally got her scan. The Ottawa woman was referred by her doctor for an MRI in January 2025. By the time she prepared for that...
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Can a keto diet treat severe mental illness?
When she was 17, Ruby Urlocker experienced a mental health crisis that had been building for months. She remembers running to a nearby park intent on throwing herself in front of a train. Faced with an unscalable fence, she returned home, where the...
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`Indigenous Adele' behind Hozier cover booked for life-changing Bluesfest gig
Alicia Kayley has always dreamed of singing in front of a big crowd at Ottawa Bluesfest. As the daughter of Kevin Chief, the Juno-winning musician/dancer also known as Flying Down Thunder, Kayley grew up in a family comfortable with performing,...
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Neighbourhood becoming unsafe, shaken Chinatown residents fear
Javier Salazar and his wife had settled into a routine. It had now been more than two years since the couple moved into their Chinatown apartment with their then-newborn daughter. Salazar preferred walking the girl to daycare, but there was a reason...
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SWEET URBAN OASIS
I have lived in Ottawa for decades, and I don't recall ever visiting the magnificent Richelieu Park in Vanier, let alone the sugar-shack operation that started almost a century ago. It's set on a hill in a forest of maples, just a few kilometres from...
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Ottawa picks new boss for OC Transpo amid woes
He started operating trains in the Boston area as university student. He takes public transit, but is also known to drive a Ford F-150. He doesn't speak French, but says he's going to take classes. Even though he has lived in Canada since 2009 and is a...
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JEWISH LEADERS WARN OF IRAN-INSPIRED TERROR THREAT
The Jewish community throughout North America has faced a shocking 900 per cent rise in antisemitic incidents since 2014, according to the Anti-defamation League data. Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel, synagogues, community centres,...
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HEFTY HOSPITAL LOTTERIES
Every month, Glenn Craig of Thunder Bay gets on the phone to tell somebody they've won a lot of money. Often, the amount is many millions of dollars. A year ago, it was $6.4 million. That last call is documented, as most of Craig 's calls are, in a...
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Private information at risk if federal police access bill is passed, prof says
An Ottawa lawyer is raising concerns over a proposed federal bill that would give law enforcement the ability to obtain Canadians' private information and intercept communication, and he says Ottawans should be concerned. Bill C-22, the lawful access...
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DOES THE BYWARD MARKET REALLY NEED A SHINY NEW FOOD COURT?
Jill Anguaya is anything but tickled about the City of Ottawa's plans to redevelop the historic Byward Market building. I can't say that I blame her. Anguaya runs Tickled Pink, a gift shop inside the market hall at 55 Byward Market Square where...
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Bus-only lanes pondered for Glebe
Peak period bus-only lanes may soon be introduced along Bank Street as the City of Ottawa explores ways to improve OC Transpo service and reliability through the busy Glebe corridor. A proposed 15-month pilot project would establish bus-only lanes...
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`CHAOS' AT LAGUARDIA
The pilot and co-pilot of this Air Canada Express plane were killed after colliding with a fire truck at Laguardia Airport late Sunday in New York City. There were 72 passengers and two other crew aboard, many of whom were injured.
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CANADA'S LANGUAGE WATCHDOG TRIPPED OVER A DOG'S TAIL ...
It was not Ai-generated, computer-translated from English or the work of anglophones. The Valentine's Day message was written by real, live francophones — and, yes, they knew some would read it as a reference to part of the male anatomy. Internal...
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Rivals' invasions rile Sens fans
“If you could do anything about the Leaf fans at the games, that would be great.” According to Ottawa Senators president Cyril Leeder, that was one of the very first messages that captain Brady Tkachuk had for new owner Michael Andlauer after he...
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Ottawa Tourism has doled out grants to eight festivals. Here's what it means
From Ottawa Bluesfest to Saunders Farm Frightfest, festival organizers in Ottawa are promising a vibrant 2026 season thanks in part to a $1-million pot of funding injected into their sector this year. Eight of the city's biggest annual events received...
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Ex-librarian follows her passion, opens romance-only bookstore
It was the fall of 2024 when Amanda Holmes first picked up the romantic-fantasy series A Court of Thorns and Roses. Though Holmes had been a lifelong reader, her special interest in the specific genre two years ago would “snowball” into Ottawa's first...
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A closer look at the consolidation of Ontario conservation authorities
The Ontario government has finalized its plan to merge the province's 36 conservation authorities into nine new authorities. The consolidation will help “get shovels into the ground faster,” the province said in a March 10 release. For Eastern...
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How is OC Transpo targeting delays?
OC Transpo executives say they are making progress in efforts to return the O-train fleet to full capacity as councillors vent their frustration over the slow pace of repairs for a “spalling” issue that was identified in January. Interim general...
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OFFICIAL INTRIGUED BY ANTI-DRONE SYSTEM FROM TRIO AT HEART OF EXPLOSIVES TRIAL
A senior official at the Department of National Defence says he wants to learn more about the anti-drone system three men charged in an Ontario gun and explosives investigation are working on, once their legal problems are resolved. But developing...
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OUTLIVING `BEST BEFORE' DATE
“I suck at dying.” Hélène Campbell says this both matter-of-factly and jokingly. The two-time double-lung transplant recipient has had plenty of opportunities to meet her maker, especially after learning years ago she wouldn't qualify for another...
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Residents fear mercury still in soil
The responsibility for testing the soil in a former golf course in Kanata for mercury contamination falls to the companies that want to develop the 175-acre property, the City of Ottawa says. Heavy equipment moved onto the property in January to...
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NEW FLOUR POWER
Gabrielle Prud'homme is the owner and miller at Almanac Grain, Ottawa's only urban stone mill, which just opened a new location in Little Italy. “Our whole goal in starting this was feeding more people better,” Prud'homme says. Sofia Misenheimer reports.
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Phoenix drops the ball on severance
Jack Logan served Canadians for almost 50 years, first in the military, then as a civilian public servant within the Department of National Defence. While scores of public servants have been impacted by the Phoenix pay system fiasco during their...
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Telltale sign for a long-awaited spring in Ottawa isn't what you might expect
Spring has (almost) sprung in Ottawa, and a telltale sign for residents along the Rideau River is the sight — and sound — of the City of Ottawa crew's hefty amphibious icebreaking machine. The Eco Technologies-owned icebreaker looks a lot like a giant...
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RUSSIA MAY SEE CHANCE TO BENEFIT FROM MIDEAST WAR
For Russia, the assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was the latest blow to President Vladimir Putin's network of anti-western partners, and it exposed Moscow's diminished influence on the world stage, from the Middle East to...
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PSYCHEDELICS AT END OF LIFE
On a late winter day, the sun seeped into Andrew Chernysh's room inside Ottawa's century old Saint-vincent Hospital. It illuminated family photos and postcard-sized Group of Seven prints that blanket one wall and bounced off a bouquet of birthday...
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Bamm's Snack Shack closing — but for a most unusual reason
To understand Bamm's Snack Shack — a small, colourful restaurant on Cobourg Street in Lowertown — you have to understand the back room. A couple of Victorian couches immediately command the eye, although they compete with the two video games set to...
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New parking rules bad move for Byward
Early one morning last summer, I parked my car on the top level of the city-run garage at 70 Clarence St. and didn't think about it again until the following day. For the next 24 hours, I wandered the Byward Market. I enjoyed an iced latte on the...
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`Community hazard zones' prompt bus service for downtown students
About 60 more students at five downtown Ottawa schools will soon become eligible for school bus rides after the transportation authority cited safety concerns for those along walking routes near “hazards” such as shelters and supervised consumption...
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Community support event held in honour of stabbing victim
On a cold Sunday afternoon, a group of volunteers gathered at the corner of 53 Daly Ave., to hand out winter clothing, food and hot beverages for those in need. Hoodies, winter jackets, sweaters, gloves and tuques were piled onto a tarp on the ground...
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IS TRUMP RUNNING OUT OF TARIFF CARDS TO PLAY AHEAD OF CUSMA REVIEW?
Even the highest court in the land could not convince Donald Trump to stray from his love of tariffs. The U.S. president's yearlong imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) was brought to a halt by the...
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MYSTERY IN SMITHS FALLS
Robbie Thomson was barely out of toddlerhood when his parents noticed he dragged his left leg on the ice. The Thomsons were a hockey family — dad George played with the Smiths Falls Bears back in the day — and all three kids, Jed, Tabatha and Robbie,...
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One dead, others injured after car slams into building
A man in his 70s died and two other people were in critical condition after a car crashed into the Capital City Mission's The Drop-in on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The man was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition after the crash, but did not...
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Frostbite from long, cold commute
Jazz Rosenberg's trip home from her job in downtown Ottawa on public transit usually takes 50 minutes at most, even in rush hour. But on the evening of Jan. 27, the trip took three hours, an unfunny comedy of errors that left Rosenberg with diagnosed...
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`SECRET' MEETING LED TO HOWE BRIDGE DEAL
The key piece of the puzzle that saw Canada pay the entire bill for the Gordie Howe International Bridge — thus allowing the massive project to proceed — came at a secret meeting. At least, it was supposed to be secret. In an interview with Postmedia...
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GOING FOR GOLD
It turns out Canada's game-winning goal on Friday in the semifinal of men's hockey at Milan Cortina 2026 was a year in the making. The goal, which proved to be a release-valve on a mounting overload of tension for Canadian fans, was the finale of a...
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Equine centre in Greely harnesses healing power of therapeutic riding
When 13-year-old Keira Reaney was asked what image she'd like printed on her customized ankle and foot orthotics, she chose a photo of the first horse she rode during therapeutic riding lessons. The photo reflects the profoundly positive impact riding...
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Safety agency found 'non-conformities' at Vorlage after fatal chairlift accident
The Quebec agency tasked with ensuring safety at ski areas ordered Centre Vorlage to shut down all of its aerial lifts after an accident that resulted in the death of a 13-yearold Ottawa girl. The ski area is gradually reopening its operations this...
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Organizers laud banner Winterlude
It was a banner year for Winterlude, according to organizers, tourism industry insiders, visitors and locals alike, with a stretch of cold but sunny days creating ideal conditions for the festivities. The 48th edition of Winterlude came to a close on...
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Guerrilla theatre artist skewers Trump on canal
Velvet Leclair's papier mâché likeness of U.S. President Donald Trump drew a lot of attention from skaters on the Rideau Canal on Sunday. She donned the mask and danced along the Rideau Canal from the Lisgar Street entrance to the Corktown Bridge,...
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SECOND CHANCE FOR LOVE
When Marc Marier moved into a supportive housing residence in Kanata a handful of years ago, he didn't expect to fall in love. And when Joanne Higgs tentatively approached Marier on one of his first days at the Hope Living residence — the reaction she...
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Professor dives into riddle of what's killing the turtles
Carleton University's Grégory Bulté has been studying the northern map turtles of Opinicon Lake since 2003. Every fall, the turtles do something unusual, even for turtles. Hundreds of them gather or “aggregate” on the shores of an island in the middle...
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TRAGEDY IN TUMBLER RIDGE
Tuesday “started as any other” for Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mom Cia Edmonds, but within hours she was sitting in the Vancouver children's hospital with her daughter, Maya, 12, who was “fighting for her life” with gunshot injuries to her head and neck. The...
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Kanata community edges closer to heritage status
When prolific Ottawa developer Bill Teron broke ground on a new self-contained “satellite city” that would become Kanata in the 1960s, he envisioned a community from the viewpoint of a child pedalling a tricycle. Clusters of homes with similar...
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In-office mandate `insulting': PSAC
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the largest federal public service union in the country, said the government's new changes to the number of days public servants will spend in the office a week are “grounds for legal action.” On Feb. 5,...
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CANADA'S RACE TO BUILD NEW WARSHIPS
As U.S. President Donald Trump was lecturing Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Western leaders in Davos last month, Vice-admiral Angus Topshee was speaking to his officers about the new navy Canada is building to protect its sovereignty. In the...
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SAFETY 'NET WANTED
Josephine Maharaj, 17, was one of the youths who testified at the House of Commons Heritage Committee earlier this week about internet safety, and how a lack of regulations is harming young people,
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GAMES ON IN ITALY
Canada's Trinity Ellis takes part in luge women's singles training on Thursday in Cortina. The Milan-cortina Winter Olympics officially begin Friday with the opening ceremony. online at ottawacitizen.com
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Restaurateur transforms Ottawa Hospital's meals
His name is synonymous with fine dining in Ottawa, so it might surprise some to learn where Stephen Beckta's latest project has taken him. For the past several years the acclaimed restaurateur who has helped change the way people think about food in...
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As OPS cracks down on grocery theft, criminologist urges focus on root causes
As the Ottawa Police Service continues to crack down on retail and grocery theft, one criminologist is calling for restorative justice and community-based solutions to tackle the root cause of the issue. Twelve people are facing charges after they...
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MARKET BOOSTER
Eight years ago, Victoria Williston arrived in Ottawa for a morning anchor job with Citynews Radio. She was a Humber Polytechnic grad with a diploma in journalism who discovered she had a voice for radio. But, when Rogers Media closed the Citynews...
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CANADA HAS PLEDGED EV SECTOR $50B IN SUBSIDIES. IS IT WORTH IT?
If you want to play, you have to pay. But when that payment is in the Canadian automotive industry, it in turn pays off in building businesses across several sectors that grow a national economy and generate thousands of jobs, industry experts...
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