News

In local news, an increase in pedestrian traffic is expected in Picton tomorrow night for the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser.  Participants will be walking a 2 or 5 km route along the streets of Picton. This event raises funds for food security which is an issue affecting many people in Prince Edward County
 
Although, there will be no road closures, heavy foot traffic is expected on the sidewalks.  Volunteers with safety vests will be present to protect walkers . Motorists are advised to drive with caution in the area.

Still on the local front, bus cancellations this week is not the only news for this vital mode of transportation. The Ministry of Education is putting a pause on new busing contracts in the province.

The province has asked school boards  with contracts expiring in June to temporarily pause securing new busing agreements and to also share procurement plans for ministry review.

However, Tri-Board Student Transportation that has busing responsibilities for our local school boards says they have not received any correspondence or request from the province to pause their new contracts for the fall. Their current contract was signed in the fall 2025.

CHINA
Earlier today, China announced that it would suspend some tariffs on Canadian agricultural products imposed during a trade spat between Beijing and Ottawa, after Canadian Prime Minister Mark ‌Carney struck an initial deal with China during a visit in January.

China will suspend 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian canola meal and pea imports and will halt 25 per cent tariffs on lobster and crab imports ​from March 1 through the end of 2026.  The Chinese announcement made no mention of canola ​seed tariffs, which Carney had previously said would be lowered by ⁠March 1.

⁠Canola oil and pork were not mentioned in today’s statement by Beijing but they could still announce further adjustments by the March 1 deadline previewed by ​Carney. 

China was Canada’s second-largest market for canola in 2024.  Carney went ​further than his European counterparts by securing a deal with China and signalling Canada’s ​willingness to play a ⁠leading role in a new global trade order aimed at reducing dependence on the United States. 

And finally, as we anticipate the return of warmer temperatures or head south for school break, take care when protecting yourself exposure to the sun. A recent independent investigation found that the SPF number printed on a bottle of sunscreen which is meant to convey the protection level doesn’t always match what’s inside.  That means Canadians who rely on sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun may be left with a false sense of security.

A top-selling sunscreen labelled SPF 50 was sent to five different accredited labs in Canada and the U.S. for testing.  All 5 labs conducted the same test a manufacturer would to determine what SPF number to put on the label and the results were astonishing.   The product which is labelled SPF 50 on the shelves, was rated with an SPF of  15, 34, 44, 50, and 60 by the labs.

So if you are lucky enough to be in a warm climate this month, ensure you have multiple solutions to protect you from the sun.

Sports

DUKES
The Wellington Dukes play their last game of the regular season this Sunday. The Lindsay Muskies will be in town for a 7:30 start.

The OJHL playoffs start Friday March 6th when the 6th place Dukes travel to Pickering to take on the 3rd place Panthers.

On Sunday, its do or die for the Picton Pirates. They are down 3-1 in the seven game series with the Amheartsview Jets. Sunday is an away game that starts at 7:25 pm.

NHL
In the NHL, the Winnipeg Jets are the only Canadian Team in action tonight as they head to the west coast to face the Anaheim Ducks.

NBA
In the NBA, reigning NBA MVP Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was cleared yesterday to return to play after missing the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder’s past nine games because of an abdominal strain.

Gilgeous-Alexander will be available for tonight’s home game against the Denver Nuggets.

The Thunder went 5-4 in Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence after he suffered the injury during a Feb. 3 win over the Orlando Magic. Oklahoma City’s lead atop the Western Conference standings has been trimmed to two games over the San Antonio Spurs, who have won 10 straight games and own the season tiebreaker between the teams.

The Toronto Raptors are off tonight. They head to Washington for a game tomorrow night against the Wizard.