News
Environment Canada has just released the latest results from its Extreme Weather Event Attribution system, which analyzes the most intense heat waves in Canada. In Eastern Ontario, from July 12th to 14th, the peak daily high temperature was just over 30°C, which is almost 7 degrees above the normal daily high temperature. This event was much more likely because of human influence on the climate.
A survey on fraud by the Toronto-Dominion Bank reveals a growing disconnect between confidence and behaviour – one that may be leaving Canadians more exposed to fraud than they realize. Almost half of Canadians encounter scams or fraud attempts weekly or even daily, and nearly a quarter say someone in their family has been the victim of financial fraud or scams in the past year. While almost 90 per cent of those surveyed feel confident in their ability to spot fraud, over half admit to behaviours that could make them more vulnerable. These vulnerable behaviours include using public Wi-Fi to access personal or financial accounts, opening email attachments from unknown senders, clicking links in texts or emails before verifying the source, and downloading apps or software from unfamiliar sites
A recent report on welfare in Canada reveals that almost three-quarters of households living in poverty in 2025 were in “deep poverty,” trying to survive on incomes below 75 per cent of Canada’s Official Poverty Line. While many provinces have implemented modest benefit increases, nearly half of households saw their real incomes decline because the increases failed to keep pace with the national inflation rate. A primary driver of income stagnation in 2025 was the removal of the federal carbon rebate and related provincial programs after April, 2025. Low-income households had received on average much more from rebates than they paid in carbon taxes. And in Ontario specifically, benefits for Ontario Works remained unchanged for the seventh consecutive year, leading to a significant decline in real purchasing power. The report also showed that single persons living in poverty are particularly vulnerable: eighty-six per cent lived in deep poverty.
In local news: Last Friday, the federal government announced that it would not be supporting any expansion of Billy Bishop airport in Toronto. Picton Terminals has started supplying gravel for the airport, but only because the airport authority required a runway extension for safety. This project is not related to Doug Ford’s attempt to expand the airport. However, a judge’s ruling in 2018 specifically stated that the Picton Terminals’ Sophiasburgh property was not to be used for gravel production.
Finally, a new survey by the CAA has found that 94% of drivers report seeing unsafe driving, including speeding, aggressive driving, and distracted driving. But only 57% of drivers admit to engaging in those unsafe behaviours themselves. The study did find that most Ontarians say they slow down when they realize they are speeding, suggesting awareness and education can play an important role in changing behaviour. Almost 90 per cent of drivers also support penalties for speeding, and over a third claim that penalties affected their own driving in the past year.
Sports
In MLB, the Toronto Blue Jays are in the back half of a six-game road trip. Against the Washington Nationals, the Jays won 3 – 2 on Monday night, but fell 8 – 6 last night. The rubber match goes this afternoon. Toronto has lost eight of twelve games since the All-Star break, and remains in last place in the AL East, now ten games below .500, and five and a half games out of a wild card spot.
In the WNBA last night, after their All-Star break, the 10 and 16 Toronto Tempo were in Minnesota to take on the 22 and 6 Lynx. The Tempo lost their fourth in a row, 100 – 93, but remain in fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. The Lynx are in Toronto tomorrow night.
In the Northern Super League of Canadian women’s soccer, fourth-place AFC Toronto defeated the last-place Calgary Wild 1 – 0 last night. Tonight, the second-place Montreal Roses are in Vancouver to face the fifth-place Rise.
At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Canada is in second place with 13 gold medals, and 35 total medals, well behind Australia. Canada earned four gold, five silver, and three bronze medals across five disciplines yesterday. Canadian gymnasts racked up half of those medals, highlighted by Games debutant Lia-Monica Fontaine’s gold in vault, part of the 16-year-old’s four-medal haul.
