News
For today, Environment Canada has issued a Yellow Wind Warning for Prince Edward County as strong winds approaching 100 km/hr could cause problems across the Bay of Quinte Region. Stay tuned for more weather information following the sports.
In other local news, The Township of Tyendinaga is seeking feedback as it develops its new Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. The plan covers the period from 2026 to 2030 and is designed to prevent and remove barriers to accessibility and is required under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
An online public survey invites everyone, including those who live, work, visit, offer services or conduct business in Tyendinaga, to provide input on services, facilities, and community access to make the Township more inclusive for all.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Following her announcement on Monday, former cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland is officially vacating her seat in the House of Commons today, leaving the Liberal government — which is within striking distance of a majority — one MP down for the time being. Though the House is not currently in session, the Speaker has to give notice to the chief electoral officer that a seat is vacant, at which point the government would have 11 to 180 days to call a byelection.
It has been reported that on Monday, Freeland accepted a voluntary role advising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and that she would be leaving Canadian politics altogether.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Carney said “There’ll be a few by-elections coming up. It has been reported that B.C. MP Jonathan Wilkinson and Toronto MP Bill Blair — both former cabinet ministers — are expected to be appointed to diplomatic positions, which would require them to vacate their seats.
HEALTH CARE
Though we are not immune to long hospital wait times, Alberta hospital staff are calling for the province to declare a state of emergency as wait times there have ballooned and capacity is past maximum loading.
The request comes two weeks after the much-publicized death of an Edmonton man who spent eight hours in the emergency room at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital.
Alberta Physicians say the situation is far from unique. Frequently, people with10-out-of-10 pain with no pain medication, no comfort and nowhere to sit wait for 12 hours in emergency department to be seen. If lucky, they eventually get a room that has four patients when it is supposed to two. If a state of emergency is declared by the province, it would allow for temporary measures that might improve the health system.
EMPLOYMENT
Today, Stats Canada released the unemployment figures for December, Canada created just 8,200 new jobs in December. While full-time employment rose by over 50,200 jobs last month, part-time employment fell by 42,000. The December results come after three months of outsized gains in employment.
The results pushed the unemployment rate to 6.8 per cent in December, up from 6.5 per cent in November.
Job gains were higher for those 55 and over, but the job market remained difficult for young Canadians, as youth unemployment for those aged 15 to 24 rose by half a percentage point to 13.3%
And finally, if you like skulking gingerly through the forests of Quebec, searching for food while trying to avoid nearby predators— then studying at l’Université Laval is just for you.
To better understand the complex interactions between nature’s hunters and hunted, Ecolgist David Bolduc, his colleagues and a couple dozen of students from around the world gathered in the Éco-Laurentides park near Val-Morin, Que., for a game of predator-prey.
The researchers played what amounts to a game of tag, running 30-minute simulations to see if humans would replicate the predator-prey dynamics that play out among wildlife.
The prey’s job was to find resources scattered in envelopes around the forest, “reproduce” by connecting with members of their own team and avoid getting caught by the predators. The predator’s job, of course, was to catch prey.
According to their findings, people are not so different from animals, often drawing on the same survival strategies as wolves or deer.
Still, the researchers note, any findings would need to be followed by observing real animals in their natural habitat.
Sports
In local junior hockey action, the Wellington Dukes are on the road tonight along the Loyalist Highway to Trenton to face the Golden Hawks. The Dukes won the previous meeting between these two teams at the season opener in September. The game gets underway at 7:30 pm and can be heard here live on 99.3 County FM with play-by-play announcer Craig Foster.
On Sunday the Dukes will be in Markham to take on the Royals. That broadcast starts at 1:30 pm
In the Provincial Junior C Hockey League, the Picton Pirates are on the road tomorrow to Frankford for 7:00 pm start against the Huskies. The Pirates currently sit in fourth spot in the East Tod Division.
CURLING
Still on the ice, the Quarter Finals of the Ontario Men’s and Women’s Provincial Championship are underway in Elmira, ON. Following the knock-out round, 8 of the twelve teams have advanced to the qualifying round that concludes tonight. From there, 4 teams head off to the a page playoff format starting tomorrow afternoon.
The page playoff system pits the top two teams against each with the winner going straight to the finals. The loser has to play the winner of the 3 vs 4 game, with that winner advancing to Sunday’s finals.
The winner of the Women’s draw will go on to represent Ontario at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in two weeks. The Men’s winner will be the province’s representative at the Montana Brier at the end of February.
NHL
And wrapping things on the ice, there is only one Canadian team in action to night in the NHL. The LA Kings will head northeast to face the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets are languishing at the bottom of the NHL, having lost 10 games in a row. Maybe this will be the turnaround they desperately need for a team that finished in top spot in the league just last year. At this time last year Winnipeg had 58 points compared to the 35 right now.
