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Markham mayor looks to consolidate York region, other mayors in region not on board

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

Markham mayor Frank Scarpitti is asking the province to review York region’s current structure and to reduce the local and regional governments into one region.Scarpitti released the statement Wednesday, citing the restructuring of Toronto and Peel Region, saying he believes the same needs to be done for York Region.“I am calling on the provincial government to consolidate all the municipalities in York Region into one city. York Region is made up of 10 municipal governments – nine local municipalities (Aurora, East Gwillimbury, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Whitchurch-Stouffville) and the Regional Municipality of York,” said Scarpitti in the statement.“This provincial government has taken bold steps restructuring the City of Toronto Council and Peel Region and should be doing the same for York Region. There is no rationale for taking bold steps in other GTA cities and keeping the status quo in York Region.”On May 18, the provi...

Pennsylvania using tons of recycled glass nuggets to rebuild collapsed Interstate 95

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania will truck in 2,000 tons of lightweight glass nuggets to help quickly rebuild a collapsed section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia and crews will work 24 hours a day until they can reopen the critical commercial artery, officials said Wednesday.By using the recycled glass to fill in the collapsed area, they’ll be able to avoid supply-chain delays for other materials, Gov. Josh Shapiro said. But Shapiro repeatedly declined to estimate how long it will take to get traffic flowing again on the busy East Coast highway.“We’re going to get this job done as quickly as possible,” Shapiro said at a news conference, over the sounds of heavy machinery working to clear wreckage.Investigators continued to look into why a truck hauling gasoline went out of control on an off-ramp and flipped on its side, igniting a fire early Sunday that caused the collapse of the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 and severely damaged the southbound lanes. Shapiro said unionized w...

Kosovo says 3 border police officers ‘kidnapped’ by Serbia; Belgrade says they crossed illegally

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian authorities said Wednesday they have captured three “fully armed” Kosovo police officers inside Serbia near their mutual border, while Kosovo police said they have likely been “kidnapped” on Kosovo territory as they patrolled the area.The latest incident sharply raises tensions between Serbia and its former province. Serbia had put its troops on the border on the highest state of alert amid a series of recent clashes between Kosovo Serbs on one side, and Kosovo police and NATO-led peacekeepers on the other.Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the “kidnapping” of the police officers represents an “act of aggression aimed at escalating and destabilizing” his country and called on the international community to react.“We call for the immediate release of the three kidnapped police officers and invite international actors to denounce Serbia’s act of aggression,” he said in a statement.Kosovo police said in a statement Wednesday that th...

Synagogue massacre survivor cried ‘Mommy’ as her 97-year-old mother was shot and killed by her side

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A survivor of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre said Wednesday that she saw her right arm “get blown open in two places” by a gunman and cried “Mommy” after her 97-year-old mother was shot and killed by her side in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jewish people.Andrea Wedner was the government’s last witness as prosecutors wrapped up their case against Robert Bowers, who burst into the Tree of Life synagogue building with a military-style rifle and other weaponry and opened fire, shooting anyone he could find. Bowers’ attorneys did not put on a defense after the prosecution rested, setting the stage for closing arguments and jury deliberations on Thursday.Bowers killed 11 worshippers and injured seven others, including five police officers, in the 2018 attack. The 50-year-old truck driver is charged with 63 criminal counts, including hate crimes resulting in death and the obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death. Some of the charges car...

Advance voting sees 11 per cent increase over last municipal election

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

Voters in the Toronto mayoral byelection came out in droves during advance voting, setting the highest single day of advance voting since amalgamation on Tuesday when 38,621 residents cast their vote.During the six day period just under 130,000 eligible voters marked their ballots for the next mayor of the city. It was an 11.9 per cent increase from the 115,000 voters who voted during the eight day period of advance voting in the October general election.John Tory was re-elected for his third term in October that saw very low voter turnout, with just 40 per cent of eligible voters casting a ballot.Tory stepped down back on Feb. 17 after announcing he had an “inappropriate relationship” with someone who used to work on his staff, triggering the byelection.Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie has assumed his duties on an interim basis and is not among the candidates running to replace him.Most polls suggest Olivia Chow is the clear frontrunner, with just over two weeks left until election d...

Canada will continue to rely on foreign firefighters as wildfires increase: Trudeau

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

SAGUENAY, Que. — Canada will continue to rely on foreign crews to help fight wildfires in the coming years, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday, as more reinforcements from abroad were expected to join the fight against the country’s worst wildfire season in decades.Trudeau told reporters in Saguenay, Que., that Canada will count on other countries to send help, just as other countries depend on Canadian firefighters.“In terms of international firefighters, it’s something that we count on during our fire seasons, but the same way our international friends and partners count on Canadian firefighters during their fire seasons,” he told reporters after meeting with armed forces members at Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, in Quebec’s Saguenay region. “From Northern Hemisphere to Southern Hemisphere, from one region of the world to another, the fire seasons aren’t always aligned and that allows for a travelling of resources that is part ...

MGM says it did nothing wrong as ‘fraudster’ gambled online

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Gambling giant MGM Resorts International says it did nothing wrong in its dealings with a New York City man who accuses it of preying on his gambling addiction with repeated cash bonuses intended to keep him gambling.In court papers, MGM says Sam Antar, a twice-jailed “fraudster” who repeatedly victimized friends, relatives and strangers, is engaging in “his latest scheme” by falsely accusing MGM of wrongdoing.MGM is asking a federal judge to dismiss Antar’s lawsuit and refer the matter to arbitration, which it says is required by the terms of service to which Antar agreed when he opened an online gambling account with the company.The company also denies it violated any New Jersey laws.“Sam Antar is a convicted felon and repeat fraudster who has pled guilty to defrauding numerous individuals out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in false stock investment schemes,” MGM wrote in its June 9 response to Antar’s litigation, filed in U.S. District ...

CP NewsAlert: Canada halting activity at Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

OTTAWA — Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada will halt all government-led activity at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.This comes after a Canadian citizen resigned from the financial institution, alleging it is dominated by the Chinese Communist Party.More Coming.The Canadian Press

Oxford Properties Group acquires The Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

TORONTO — Oxford Properties Group says it’s acquired the 330-room Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff National Park. The real estate firm says hospitality group Accor has signed with Oxford to operate the hotel, effective immediately. Oxford, the real estate arm of the OMERS pension plan, says it’s making a significant investment to renovate the hotel from top to bottom, though the hotel will continue to operate throughout the renovations. The firm already owns the Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and Fairmont Chateau Whistler hotels in Western Canada.Oxford says the Rimrock, which sits four kilometres south of Banff, Alta., is its first hotel acquisition since 2014. Tyler MacDonald, head of hotels and alternatives at Oxford, says in a news release that the acquisition of the Rimrock speaks to the company’s long-term conviction in Canada’s luxury resort hotel market. This report by The Canadian Press was first publish...

Levi’s executive tapped as CEO of NWSL’s San Francisco Bay Area team

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:43:20 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Levi Strauss & Co. executive Brady Stewart has been named chief executive officer of Bay FC, the National Women’s Soccer League team set to launch in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2024.Stewart will work with the owners of the new team, which include investment firm Sixth Street and a group of former U.S. women’s national team players: Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner.“Brady is a world-class leader with a proven instinct for innovating and accelerating growth in changing markets, and she’s going to drive our founding vision of building Bay FC into a franchise that represents more than just a soccer team,” Alan Waxman, cofounder and CEO of Sixth Street, said in a statement Wednesday. “She has a deep love and appreciation for both the game and the Bay Area, and she knows how to galvanize passionate people towards a common goal.”The league’s 14th expansion team was announced in April. It will be the third Ca...