News
In local news, Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for today. A late season snowfall may create some headaches in our Region with snow expected to begin early in the afternoon and possible last through the rest of the day.
Total snowfall amounts of 10 to 15 cm are being possible, with poor visibility at times.
Snow will be mixed with rain at times this afternoon and evening. Falling temperatures Friday night may lead to icy roads and sidewalks.
SCHOOL
The Ontario Government announced yesterday it has approved awarding the tender for the new replacement St. Gregory Catholic School in Prince Edward County.
A release from the office of Bay of Quinte MPP Tyler Allsopp says that the project is supported by a total investment of $24.5 million, which includes additional funding of $3.3 million.
When completed, the project is expected to deliver 354 new elementary student spaces. The new replacement school will be located at 175 Talbot Street in Picton.
QUEEN’S
American military officers will no longer be attending a program offered at Queen’s University in Kingston. Late last month the Pentagon released a list of 22 institutions offering courses that its officers will no longer be attending due their alleged “wokeness”.
Queen’s University was the only Canadian university on the list. The offending course offered at Queen’s is known as the Visiting Defence Fellowship. Ivy League American universities and colleges including Harvard and Yale were also on the list.
The U-S’s Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was quoted as saying that military graduate education had been corrupted by “elite universities” which he said had betrayed the military’s purpose.
SUBMARINES
Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Norway today taking in a major NATO wargaming exercise that includes Canadian troops. During the visit he will get important face time with the Nordic country’s leader and the German chancellor whose countries are backing a bid by TKMS to build 12 submarines for Canada.
Carney said he doesn’t expect the submarine bid to be discussed among the three leaders because our Government is at a phase in that procurement process where the final bids have been submitted.
Both TKMS and the other bidder, South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, handed in their proposals to the federal government’s defence investment agency on March 2. Over the next month, federal officials will be able to ask clarifying questions before the bidding is fully closed in early April.
Both companies have been told to expect a swift decision — perhaps as early as June.
TRAVEL
As the price of oil climbs, so will the cost of travel. Air Transat is charging more for flights to Europe and Air Canada is adjusting prices due to the soaring cost of jet fuel. Several international airlines have added fuel surcharges — an extra fee tacked onto airfare to cover unforeseen oil costs — to account for a spike in jet fuel prices since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, the start of a regional war that has disrupted the global supply of oil.
Westjet and Porter Airlines are expected to make similar announcements shortly about increases to their airfares. The olny good news is that tickets already sold cannot be repriced.
And finally, beyond the usual glitz, glam and teary-eyed speeches of the Oscars, the 98th Academy Awards this Sunday will have something new: a prize for best casting.
It’s the first new category to come to the award show in a quarter-century — the last one was best animated feature film in 2001.
The prize goes to a film’s casting director, meant to recognize them for bringing together the people who make a story come to life.
The nominees are: Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent and Sinners
Sports
DUKES
The Wellington Dukes face a big challenge tonight in Game 4 of their best of seven playoff series against the Pickering Panthers. The Dukes trail 3-0 in the series so it is a must win at the Lehigh Arena at 7:30. If our team prevails, then Game 5 will be in Pickering on Sunday night.
The Picton Pirates face a similar fate as the Dukes tomorrow night in Game 4 of their playoff battle against the Lakefield Chiefs. That game is also a home game starting at 7:30 at the Prince Edward Community Centre arena. If successful, game 5 is Sunday afternoon in Lakefield.
F1
It is round two in the 2026 F1 racing season. This weekend, the 22 cars will have both a sprint and regular race at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The 19 lap sprint goes at 11:30 pm tonight. Mercedes clinched the front row with George Russell on pole and Kimi Antonelli in second spot.
The red lights go out for the 56 lap main race at 3 AM Sunday if you want to watch it live. If you are up late or rise early on Saturday morning, qualifying for the main race starts at 3 AM
GOLF
Over on the golf links, Corey Connors is the top Canadian after the first round of the Players Championship. He is two strokes back at -3 in a tie for tenth. There are six Canadians in the field, but Connors is the only one under par. The Players Championship has the largest purse on the PGA tour with the winner received $4.5 million for four days work.
