Author: ovieoftoronto

Ontario is investing $110 million in an effort to connect more than 300,000 people to primary care teams, Health Minister Sylvia Jones said Thursday. The new money will go toward the province’s attempts to get everyone in Ontario a primary care provider, she said. “We are not going to stop until everyone that wants to have a primary care provider can connect to one,” Jones said at a news conference in Peterborough, Ont. Jones said $90 million will help add 400 new providers who will go to 78 new and expanded primary care teams across the province. That should connect…

Warhammer 40,000 Space Marines 2 promises the ultimate sci-fi power fantasy. In this third-person shooter, players take on the role of Lieutenant Titus, a hulking Space Marine supersoldier fighting on behalf of the dystopian Imperium of Mankind, a human force in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. However, what makes Space Marine 2 so exciting is its mechanics. Rather than hunker down in the shadows like traditional third-person shooters, Saber Interactive's upcoming game embraces the power and ferocity at the heart of Space Marine fantasy. Rather than regaining health by hiding and taking cover, you regain health by executing enemy combatants…

Drought has devastated communities in Afar, Amhara, Tigray, and Oromia regions, as well as the Ethiopian People's Region in the south and southwest.Severe water shortages, dry pastures and reduced yields are affecting millions of people and livestock, with reports of increased food insecurity and malnutrition. Among the particularly vulnerable are those affected by the two-year conflict in Tigray, which ended in 2022, the United Nations and authorities said in a joint statement Thursday.numbers will go up More than six million people across the affected areas have already received food and cash, but large gaps remain, OCHA warned.The number of severely…

A month into 2024, the consensus outlook for the global economy remains cautiously optimistic, with most central bankers and analysts predicting a soft landing or possibly no landing at all. Even my notoriously bearish colleague Nouriel Roubini believes the worst-case scenario is the least likely to come to fruition.That sentiment was echoed by CEOs and policymakers who spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. The fact that the global economy did not fall into recession in 2023, despite interest rates surging, left many experts optimistic about the outlook for 2024. Asked why they were optimistic, they predicted…

TORONTO – Indigo Books & Music Inc. says it has received a proposal to take the retailer private from a pair of companies owned by controlling shareholder Gerald Schwartz. The non-binding proposal from Trilogy Retail Holdings Inc. and Trilogy Investments L.P. would see them purchase the issued and outstanding shares of Indigo it does not already own for $2.25 in cash per common share. The two Trilogy firms are personal holding companies of Schwartz, the Onex Corp. founder and chairman who sits on Indigo’s board of directors and is the spouse of Indigochief executive Heather Reisman. Through the Trilogy firms, Schwartz is…

Toronto residents will not face a double-digit property tax increase in 2024. CityNews has confirmed Mayor Olivia Chow will present a final budget on Thursday that includes a 9.5 per cent property tax hike, which is one per cent less than the 10.5 per cent city staff had previously recommended. If passed, the average Toronto homeowner will pay approximately $372 extra in property tax this year. A 9.5 per cent tax increase would still be the highest since amalgamation and would eclipse the seven per cent increase former mayor John Tory pushed through last year. The change will result in…

Staples Canada laid off an unspecified number of head office staff this week as the U.S.-owned chain takes $1.75 million Ontario taxpayer dollars for store retrofits to install ServiceOntario outlets. Six modified ServiceOntario’s opened inside Staples Canada locations on Thursday and will offer extended evening and weekend hours. Three new Southern Ontario sites are in the GTA, including Oakville, Newmarket and Scarborough. “Staples Canada implemented an organizational restructuring, which does not impact associates in our retail locations,” a company spokesperson told CityNews. “This is part of an effort to streamline operations to ensure our organization continues to deliver exceptional products…

Canada’s largest school board is moving ahead on the development of a new cell phone policy for students. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustees gave approval for the new policy at Wednesday night’s board meeting, saying revised rules will aim to strike a better balance between the educational use of phones and enabling students to stay focused in class. “Staff will now create a policy development plan that will outline next steps including timelines and opportunities for students, staff and families to provide feedback as part of an extensive public consultation process,” reads a TDSB release. “More information on…

The alleged massacre took place on January 26 in the village of Wellingara in central Mali's Nara region. Around 30 civilians were also reportedly killed by unidentified gunmen in the Bandiagara area over the weekend.The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stressed the need for justice in accordance with international standards, calling for an impartial investigation into the allegations.”Agents and Allies”Mr Turk also called on Malian authorities to ensure that the country's armed forces, as well as “its agents and allies”, comply with human rights law and international humanitarian law, particularly the protection of civilians.In connection with the alleged massacre…

The federal government is pledging an additional $362 million to help provinces and cities temporarily house asylum seekers. Immigration Minister Mark Miller announced the top-up to the federal interim housing assistance program on Parliament Hill earlier today. null He says Ottawa sees an immediate need to provide support that reflects the impact of asylum claims across the country, but that longer-term changes are needed. As of last week, about 7,300 asylum claimants in need of housing were staying in 4,000 hotel rooms in six provinces.null Miller says the city of Toronto will get a “significant amount” of the new money…