News
Quinte Health is warning that local Emergency rooms at all four Quinte hospitals are experiencing very high patient volumes as respiratory illnesses continue to spread throughout the region. Catherine Walker, Quinte Health Manager of Communications and Community Relations, said today that anyone with urgent care needs should go to the Emergency Room nearest them but be prepared that the wait could be longer than normal. Patients will be triaged when they arrive and the most serious cases will receive care first while others may have to wait longer for care. Walker encouraged those with health care needs that do not require emergency care to consult Family doctors or nurse practitioners, Pharmacists or the Health Connect Ontario phone service to reduce the burden on Emergency rooms. Walker also reminded those going to the hospital that masks are currently required in all patient areas including the emergency room, waiting rooms and clinics.
The weather in Prince Edward County has improved but parts of Ontario and most of Eastern Canada are still being hammered by the storm that brought freezing rain, snow and high winds to most of the province over the weekend. The area from Windsor to London and along the Lake Huron shore could see snow continue into Thursday with accumulations reaching 50 cm in some areas. Parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are also facing ongoing snow squalls as the weather system moves east. Air Canada said that weather related flight delays and cancellations will continue today at Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal but should improve tomorrow while Hydro One says most customers in Ontario that lost power in the storm over the weekend are now back on line.
Another wave of artists have cancelled performances at the Kennedy Arts Center in Washington DC following the addition of Trump’s name to the building. Jazz supergroup the Cookers pulled out of a scheduled New Year’s Eve concert and folk singer Kristy Lee cancelled a January performance joining others that have withdrawn following the name change. Richard Grenfell, Trump’s hand picked head of the center, said the artists that have withdrawn were booked by the previous far left leadership and threatened legal action. Numerous Experts have said that adding Donald Trump’s name to the center is illegal. The center was created by an act of the US Congress to honour John F. Kennedy following his assassination and the law includes a prohibition on the board honoring any other person by putting their name on the building.
It’s the point in the year where everyone issues year end lists and several news agencies have picked the most unusual news stories of 2025. The UK’s Sky News included a Thai woman who woke up in her coffin and Katie Perry’s all female space flight as part of their 2025 list. New Zealand’s RNZ network chose a man who robbed a UK post office using a banana, and a US aircraft carrier that lost a plane because it fell overboard then, a month later, lost a second plane the same way. Other unusual stories included Ozzie Osborne giving his “final bow” concert in early July then dying later that same month and a frozen beef Wellington from Marks and Spencer that feeds six but costs more than $350 Canadian.
And a quick reminder, if your regular garbage collection day is Thursdays, there is no collection New Year’s Day but your garbage will be collected tomorrow while those that had their collection cancelled on Monday because of the weather will have it collected this Saturday, January 3rd.
Sports
The Maple Leafs woes continue tonight as they face New Jersey without Chris Tanev, Dakota Joshua and William Nylander in the line-up. All three are out with injuries while Austin Mathews may or may not play. Mathews is a gametime decision according to Coach Craig Berube. The Devils and Leafs face off in Toronto at 7:00 pm.
In other games, the Montreal Canadiens will be trying to hold onto their third place spot in the Atlantic Division when they face the fourth place Florida Panthers in Broward County tonight. The Habs and Panthers drop the puck at 7 pm. And the Vancouver Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers starting at 10 pm.
And in the PWHL, The Toronto Sceptres host the Minnesota Frost tonight. The Sceptres are in second place but the Frost is only two points back so the Sceptres will need a win to keep sole possession of second place. That game gets underway at 7 pm.
And the NHL Winter Classic is being played in Miami this Friday night. The ice has been laid in the Miami Marlins ballpark and the air conditioners have dropped the temperature by an additional 20 degrees but what would a winter classic be without snow? Apparently, the NHL has a plan to make it snow for Friday’s matchup between the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers. While the league is keeping the details under wraps, Steve Mayer, the league’s events and content president, confirmed yesterday that fans might get snowed on.
