In the news today, Jan. 14

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to shuffle his cabinet today to account for the sudden resignation of Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison from his post as Treasury Board president. The shuffle is expected to be a small one, affecting as few cabinet ministers as possible just months ahead of the fall federal election. Insiders confirm that Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott will take over for Brison, and Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan is also likely to be on the move.

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INJURED IN OTTAWA BUS CRASH IMPROVING

The Ottawa Hospital says those critically injured when a double-decker city bus crashed into a transit shelter on Friday are getting better. The hospital has tweeted that the patients who were listed in critical condition have all been upgraded to serious. Three people were killed and 23 hurt when the bus hit the shelter, taking a chunk out of the vehicle’s upper deck. The scene of the crash, the Transitway, reopened Sunday, but officials say the investigation into the cause of the crash is far from over.

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LEGALIZATION SPARKS BOOM IN POT RESEARCH

Marijuana legalization has sparked a boom in pot research and Doctor Mark Ware says it’s generating funding, jobs and the need for lab space. Ware is the chief medical officer for one of Canada’s largest pot companies, Canopy Growth, which is spending millions on research on the use of marijuana to treat conditions like anxiety, insomnia and pain. He says Canada is also poised to be the research leader in the field after it became the first G-7 nation to legalize cannabis last October.

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WALK OFF THE EARTH FANS TRAVEL FROM AFAR TO HONOUR ‘BEARD GUY’

Some fans travelled from halfway around the world to Burlington, Ont., Sunday to say farewell to Mike Taylor. The keyboardist of the band Walk Off the Earth, known as “Beard Guy,” received a grand sendoff at an outdoor tribute concert where fans celebrated the musician, alongside friends in bands including the Barenaked Ladies, Arkells and Monster Truck. Josh Walker trekked in all the way from the small English town of Hartlepool, saying it was an essential part of the grieving process for Taylor, who died on Dec. 30.

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TRUDEAU TO APPEAR IN CORNER GAS ANIMATED

Justin Trudeau is following in the footsteps of two previous prime ministers by appearing in an episode of “Corner Gas.” The show’s Facebook page says the prime minister will play himself in an episode of “Corner Gas Animated” when its second season debuts this spring on The Comedy Network. Paul Martin and Stephen Harper also made appearances on the live-action version of “Corner Gas,” which ran for six seasons until 2009, and was the No. 1 sitcom in Canada throughout the entire run.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Governor General Julie Payetteand Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will host a videoconference with Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques

— Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains is in Windsor, Ont., to make an important announcement for the automotive sector.

— Shaw Communications reports first-quarter results.

— Jury trial in Winnipeg for Brian Kyle Thomas charged with second-degree murder in death of bus driver Irvine Fraser.

— Judge instructs jury in Vancouver trial of Garry Handlen, charged with first-degree murder of Monica Jack in May 1978.

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The Canadian Press

In the news today, Jan. 14

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