Five stories in the news for Monday, March 18
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TRAVEL CHAOS AT TORONTO’S PEARSON AIRPORT AFTER FIRE
It was a chaotic scene at Toronto’s Pearson Airport last night after a fire near a security checkpoint led authorities to evacuate the area. All U-S-bound flights at Canada’s busiest airport were cancelled for the night, while dozens of inbound flights were stranded on the tarmac for hours. The blaze broke out around 6:30 p.m. and was extinguished a short time later. One woman was hospitalized in stable condition while another was treated at the scene and released. The processing of international and inbound arrivals resumed just after 10 p.m. There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire.
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FACEBOOK ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO POLITICAL ADS
Facebook is launching a new advertisement library that will capture detailed information about political ads targeted at voters in Canada, including who pays for them and whom they target. The move is part of the social-media giant’s response to changes the Trudeau government has made to Canada’s election laws aimed at stopping bad actors — foreign or domestic — from interfering with Canada’s upcoming federal election through advertising. Bill C-76, which received royal assent in December, bans the use of money from foreign entities to conduct partisan campaigns.
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BC COURT TO HEAR PIPELINE REFERENCE CASE
British Columbia’s Court of Appeal will consider the question of provincial powers over the future of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project during a five-day hearing that starts today. The B.C. government’s reference case asks the court if the province has jurisdiction to regulate the transport of oil through its territory and restrict bitumen shipments from Alberta. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau say only Ottawa — not the provinces — has the authority to decide what goes in trans-boundary pipelines.
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HOCKEY DREAM STILL INTACT FOR INJURED BRONCO
At the end of a very tough year, 19-year-old Ryan Straschnitzki is back on the ice — his hockey dream still intact. The Airdrie, Alta native was paralyzed from the chest down last April when the bus carrying he and his Humboldt Broncos teammates collided with a semi-trailer that ran a stop sign in Saskatchewan. Before the crash Ryan had hoped to play university hockey or, maybe even make it to the NHL. Now his entire focus is on playing for Canada on the national sledge hockey team. His coach, former national sledge team member Chris Cederstrand, believes it’s a dream Ryan can make come true.
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COREY HART DELIVERS HEARTFELT SPEECH AT JUNOS
Corey Hart delivered an emotional speech thanking his family and fans as he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during last night’s Juno awards broadcast. The 1980s hitmaker then showed the audience he still has the music magic, closing the show with performances of his ballad “Never Surrender” and his pop hit “Sunglasses at Night.” The performance capped off a diverse showcase of Canadian talent hosted by Sarah McLachlan that saw a list of marquee winners, including Shawn Mendes, Jessie Reyez and Arkells.
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ALSO IN THE NEWS:
— A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge will issue a decision on an application for an injunction from Alton Natural Gas.
— Vice-admiral Mark Norman’s case is back in court for another day of pre-trial hearings in Ottawa.
— Alberta Lt.-Gov. Lois Mitchell delivers the throne speech.
— Scientists from five Pacific Rim countries return to Vancouver from the Gulf of Alaska, where they studied salmon during the winter.
— B.C. Poverty Reduction Minister Shane Simpson will release the province’s first poverty reduction strategy.
— The B.C. Court of Appeal hears province’s reference case to see if it has jurisdiction to regulate the transport of oil through its territory.
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The Canadian Press
