Hundreds of European firefighters joining Canada’s wildfire battle

Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter has ended and the two members are confirmed by the military to have died in a crash early Tuesday near Ottawa.The Department of National Defence confirmed the deaths in a statement Wednesday.“The two missing air crew members from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CH-147F Chinook that crashed in the Ottawa River in the early hours of Tuesday June 20, were found last evening,” the department said.“Tragically, neither member survived.”The names of the deceased individuals are not being released at the request of their families.The four-member crew was on a training mission when the Chinook helicopter they were in crashed into the Ottawa River near Garrison Petawawa, Ont.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the first to confirm any deaths from the crash Tuesday afternoon, but did not did not specify which members or how many had been killed.“This incident is a painful reminder that members of the Canadian Armed Forces undertake great risks to defend Canada, whether in combat or in training,” said Defence Minister Anita Anand in a press conference Wednesday morning.She said both of the members injured in the crash were treated for minor injuries, and have since been released.A team of more than 110 Canadian Armed Forces members on the shore and water, an Ontario Provincial Police marine and dive unit, and local fire departments were involved in the search mission Tuesday.Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre said the incident was a reminder that military service can be “dangerous work.”“Our people know the risks, and they take them willingly,” Eyre said.

El Nino may have an effect on Canada’s weather beginning this summer and lasting all the way through the winter.Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with Environment Canada, Armel Castellan, said in a media conference Tuesday that “fairly robust modelling” indicates El Nino will make an impact this year.“We’ve shifted completely at the equatorial Pacific into El Nino conditions, meaning sea surface temperature anomalies are above normal,” said Castellan.“Now, how strong it will be remains to be seen, but it looks to be a fairly strong phenomenon this time around.”Statistically, he noted, the event doesn’t affect Canada’s weather until around Christmas time, when it may bring milder and drier weather for some parts of the country, and wetter weather for areas farther east.“Those typically happen between December and the middle of spring,” he said.Nevertheless, the condition is beginning a month or two earlier this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which “gives it room to grow.” There’s a 56 per cent chance it will be considered strong and a 25 per cent chance it reaches supersized levels, climate scientist Michelle L’Heureux, head of NOAA’s El Nino/La Nina forecast office, told the Associated Press.During El Nino, winds blowing west along the equator slow down, and warm water is pushed east, creating warmer surface ocean temperatures.The above-normal sea surface temperatures can shift weather patterns across the world, often by moving the paths of storms.Aside from El Nino’s future impact, Environment Canada is warning Canada will see above-normal temperatures until mid-July as the country has experienced a record-breaking wildfire season so far.“Right now, we won’t have a big

Jasper, along Highway 93 south to Banff, and on Highway 40 north of the Yellowhead near Grande Cache.“We had a developing low-pressure system on Sunday over the central portion of the province,” said Sara Hoffman, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.“That was associated with a lot of cold air aloft flooding into the province, helping create these quite heavy showers over west-central portions of the province in Yellowhead County, including Jasper and especially the Grande Cache area, and the Hinton area all the way to the B.C. border.”In Jasper National Park, both rain and snow fell Monday.Up at Marmot Basin Ski Resort, the white stuff coated the ground and left a nearly foot-thick layer on patio furniture at the lower chalet.Snow atop mountains is not unexpected at any time of year, but it falling to the valley below during the summer months is another story.Parks Canada said more than 100 mm of rain and 55 cm of snow were recorded in some places Monday.If you haven’t heard from a friend or family member travelling in Jasper, Parks Canada is asking people to reach out to them.“If you’re aware of a backcountry camper who hasn’t checked in or arrived at their destination as anticipated, please call Parks Canada Dispatch at 780-852-6155.

09 June 2023, Bavaria, Fürth: People go to St. Paul Church to attend the service created by an AI. A pre-recorded church service created by the Chat GPT artificial intelligence (AI) is performed at St.

BURLINGTON, N.J. - Lightning strikes from a pair of June thunderstorms are being blamed for sparking two forest fires in Burlington County, officials announced Tuesday. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the extremely rare phenomenon started the Acorn Hill wildfire in the Woodland Township area on June 16, and the Flatiron forest fire in Medford on June 3. While both wildfires were started by lightning strikes, fire investigators say the spread in different ways. Each wildfire consumed over 200 acres of woodland.Investigators found the Acorn Hill wildfire started through what's known as a "holdover fire" where a fire burns inside a lightning-struck tree for several days before it ignites other vegetation.

a missing submersible carrying five people on a mission to document the wreckage of the Titanic, the iconic ocean liner that sank more than a century ago.The carbon-fiber submersible named the Titan, part of a mission by OceanGate Expeditions, carried a pilot, a renowned British adventurer, two members of an iconic Pakistani business family and another passenger. Authorities reported the vessel overdue Sunday night about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, according to Canada's Joint Rescue Coordination Center.Every passing minute, however, puts the Titan's crew at greater risk.

This view from SKYFOX as it flew over the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest on June 19, 2023 shows smoke coming from the burning sections of the area.  BURLINGTON COUNTY, N.J. - Crews with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service say another wildfire is burning in the state. According to authorities, crews are working to extinguish the Acorn Hill Wildfire burning in the Brendan T.

House of Commons Monday in a handful of byelections that political watchers say could expose rifts within the Conservative party and bring a new Liberal cabinet hopeful into the fold.The Liberals are expected to hold onto seats in Winnipeg and Montreal, said Philippe J.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s Spotify podcast deal is no more.

disability benefits she receives due to her rheumatoid arthritis.I’m constantly behind (on bills), especially as things get more and more expensive,” Davidson said.“And it’s getting harder and harder just to do anything. Some weeks, I have to decide on eating healthy or skipping meals or tightening things down because it’s just getting harder.”Davidson’s situation is typical of Canadians receiving disability benefits across the country.

With files from Global’s Skylar Peters

Sunwing Airlines, integrating the low-cost carrier into its mainline business within two years as part of a plan to streamline operations.In an internal memo obtained by The Canadian Press, Sunwing Airlines president Len Corrado says the change will unlock growth opportunities for the 18-year-old company as well as its employees.The decision comes barely a week after WestJet opted to fold budget subsidiary Swoop’s operations under its flagship banner as well.Both moves magnify the major consolidation of the Canadian aviation market that followed WestJet’s acquisition of Sunwing’s main airline and vacation divisions last month.The memo gave no indication that Sunwing Vacations would also shut down, suggesting that WestJet planes could be flying Sunwing tour package customers to their destinations.Last week, WestJet announced it would fold Swoop into its main business by late October as the country’s second-biggest airline recalibrates amid a fiercely competitive market.

Medical staffs carry a survivor on a stretcher outside a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town, on June 15, 2023, after a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank in international waters in the Ionian Sea. Greece has declared three days of mourning, th The sinking of a migrant boat off the coast of Greece may have been the deadliest of modern times.An undetermined amount of people numbering in the hundreds remained missing and were likely killed when the migrant vessel sank earlier this week. "We don’t have all information yet on what has happened but it seems like this is the worst ever tragedy we’ve seen in the Mediterranean," EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson told a press conference in Brussels on Friday.A survivor stands as other survivors of a shipwreck sit inside a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town, on June 15, 2023, after a boat carrying migrants sank in international waters in the Ionian Sea.

The B.C. government has announced that the number of Ozempic prescriptions being dispensed to Americans has plummeted by at least 99 per cent after the province enacted new regulations and a doctor behind an “unusually high percentage” of prescriptions was temporarily suspended.

Etobicoke bungalow, pointing out landline telephones in the bedrooms and an office.Latyshko and his wife have five landline telephones in various rooms. Since the couple do not own cellular phones, the home phones represent the only way they can call the outside world.But recently, the 95-year-old retired public school teacher says he and his wife were left without any Bell phone service for several days after the telecommunications company chose to switch his phone service from traditional copper wire to fibre.“I’m complaining about how they’ve done it.

BANTAM, Conn. - A dog is recovering after plummeting from a tower at a Connecticut state park.Firefighters with the Bantam Fire Company were called just after 3:30 p.m. Monday to Mount Tom State Park after the canine jumped 34 feet and was unable to walk. 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL SURVIVES 24 HOURS ALONE IN WASHINGTON WOODSNeighboring fire departments were brought for additional manpower and equipment to rescue the dog from the trail.

TD Bank customers have been delayed Friday due to a known issue, the bank told Global News.“We’re aware of an issue causing delayed direct deposit payments to some customers,” said a TD Bank spokesperson in an emailed statement Friday morning.“We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We thank our customers for their patience and understanding.”The spokesperson added in a follow-up statement that any fees charged to customers as a result of missed direct deposits will be refunded after the issue is resolved.TD responded to a customer inquiry noting the issue on Twitter Friday, saying that its “support teams are engaged and are investigating the issue.”“Please continue to monitor your accounts,” TD said in a tweet.Thanks for reaching out, Jennifer.

The mayor of Dauphin, Man., says his community is steeling itself for difficult hours and days ahead, as residents anxiously wait to hear about the status of their loved ones.

Supreme Court of Canada on Friday said the between Canada and the United States is constitutional.The Supreme Court in its decision noted that the agreement does not violate Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom – the right to life, liberty and security of a person.The , which came into effect in 2004, recognizes Canada and the U.S. as safe places for migrants to seek protection.Under the agreement, migrants must seek asylum in the first of the two countries they land in, making it illegal to cross the border and seek asylum in the other country.Opponents of the treaty asked the top court to declare that the legislation underpinning the pact violates the right to life, liberty and security of the person, saying the U.S.

Cessna aircraft, which he operated on June 9th, his 14th birthday, for his first solo-manned flight out of Brampton Flight Centre and Flying Club. Distler isn’t eligible to drive, but he can man a vehicle thousands of feet off the ground — and comfortably.The age to fly an aircraft solo in Canada is 14, and there’s training required before you can eventually take off.

TORONTO - A bus carrying seniors to a casino collided with a semi-trailer truck at a highway intersection in a rural part of the Canadian province of Manitoba Thursday, killing 15 people and injuring 10 more, police said.Rob Hill, Commanding Officer of the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said the bus was carrying 25 people and authorities in Manitoba were deploying all their resources to the scene. Ten people were taken to hospitals.TV broadcasters aired images of what looked like a large van or bus smoldering in a ditch near a transport truck with a smashed engine on a road.

methamphetamine have been seized in Metro Vancouver, cached in 419 canola oil jugs bound for export to Australia.The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) made four separate busts between December and the end of May, one of which was the agency’s “single largest methamphetamine seizure to date,” according to Metro Vancouver District Pacific Region director Rahul Coelho.“During the examinations, officers noticed anomalies in these shipments,” Coelho said in a Tuesday press conference.“Our officers used a wide range of detection tools and technology for assistance. That includes x-ray imaging and detector dogs.”Five Australian citizens have been arrested in connection with the operation, as well as one American citizen.The first seizure took place on Dec.

Air Canada customer is sharing her travel nightmare with the airline after she says she was charged twice for a round trip.“They don’t even have the heart to listen to me,” said Cristhel Fernandez. “I don’t have the extra money to pay that off.”Back in May, the Surrey resident booked two round-trip flights to the Philippines for her and her husband.

chemical weapons program.Working from Damascus and Beirut, the company is accused of importing materials used to produce “chemical weapons delivery systems.”According to the allegations, the firm purchases metals and alloys from foreign suppliers for the branch of Syria’s chemical warfare department that manufactures missiles.It also allegedly attempted to procure the aeronautical-grade aluminum and steel that goes into Fateh-110s, Iranian ballistic missiles used by the Syrian regime and that Russia reportedly wants.The allegations have landed the company and its owners, Chadi and Mohammad Houranieh, on European sanctions lists.Their shipments have been seized in three countries, their assets have been frozen, and they are banned from travelling to Europe.The Houraniehs are the only Canadian citizens sanctioned by the European Union, aside from a Hezbollah bomber from Vancouver who blew up a bus in Bulgaria.But in interviews with Global News, Chadi Houranieh called the allegations “absurd.”While he once did business with Syria, he said it was unrelated to weapons.“I have nothing to do with any chemical program.”Houranieh, 44, grew up in Mississauga, in a house near the Sheridan Mall. He went to Toronto Blue Jays games at what was then called SkyDome.“I personally love it,” he said of Canada.He wanted to stay, but after studying at the University of Miami, he returned to Damascus to help with the family business.Founded in 1949, Houranieh & Sons imports sheeting, piping and other metal products it purchases from Canada, Europe and China.

A Nova Scotia man accused of sexual offences against two children has had his charges stayed due to excessive delays in proceedings, prompting the children’s mother to call the process “an abhorrent waiting game.”

NEW YORK - Martian-like orange skies that eerily stopped the bustling streets of New York City last week could return this week.The culprit was spotted Thursday as northerly winds drove wildfire smoke in Canada down into the Upper Midwest. Forecast models suggest it could now swing back into the Great Lakes and Northeast by Friday, according to the FOX Forecast Center.As of Thursday morning, there are 107 fires burning in Quebec, the province’s fire agency reported.

Canada said it is seizing a Russian-registered cargo aircraft, Moscow is warning that ties between the two countries are “already on the verge of being severed.”And the seizure would have “serious repercussions” for Canada-Russian relations, the Kremlin said.The Antonov 124 plane will be the first Russian physical asset captured by Canada under its asset forfeit law and second under the federal government’s sanctions regime. It comes more than a year after the plane first landed in the country at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.Ottawa announced the planned seizure of the aircraft on Saturday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine.

The company behind the Instant Pot is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the craze over its kitchen contraption appears to have fizzled.

Justin Trudeau’s office says staff were alerted in March to the “possibility” that notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo would be transferred to a medium security prison.But the PMO says that Trudeau himself was only briefed on the day it took place, May 29.That briefing was one day before Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he was told about the transfer, despite his office also knowing for nearly three months that Bernardo was being moved out of maximum-security.The ever-evolving timeline comes as the Conservatives call for Mendicino’s resignation over how his office handled the information.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino doubled down Wednesday on what he knew about Paul Bernardo’s transfer amid resignation calls from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Ukraine war entered a new phase over the weekend.After more than 15 months, the Canadian government ordered the seizure on Saturday of the Russian-registered cargo aircraft as a direct response to Moscow’s invasion of its neighbour that began in February 2022.This is the first physical asset of Russia that will be captured by Ottawa under the asset forfeit law and the second under Canada’s overall sanctions regime.Here is a look back at the developments, and at what happens next.The Antonov 124 aircraft landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Feb.

Reining in government spending could take some of the pressure off the Bank of Canada in tamping down inflation and help limit pain for debt-ridden Canadians, according to a new report from CIBC.

carbon price should go ahead as planned, two economists say, even as consumers across Canada are struggling amid the rising cost-of-living and feeling the impacts of a Bank of Canada rate increase.In an interview with The West Block‘s Mercedes Stephenson, economists pointed to the wildfire smoke engulfing large parts of the continent as a reminder that the climate crisis is still unfolding.“I think at a time when the country is burning and we’re not sure what the future is existentially, we need to do something very serious about climate change,” Armine Yalnizyan, Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, said.She added, “And a carbon tax is something that had had at one point cross-party support. So, let’s just do something.

short-term rentals are renewing scrutiny on the role platforms such as Airbnb play in making housing less affordable for some Canadians.Experts who spoke to Global News say there’s a clear correlation between the prominence of short-term rentals in a city and the affordability of rents and home prices, while a spokesperson for Airbnb says there’s no proof that the platform is making housing more expensive for local residents.Pushes to regulate the short-term rental market like new legislation passed this week in Quebec, however, are showing promise to experts who monitor the impact of Airbnb and others on improving housing affordability in Canada.Quebec’s new regulations and the conversation about housing affordability in Canada come as Airbnb itself is projecting a “much larger return to summer travel.”Nathan Rotman, Airbnb’s regional lead in Canada and the northeastern United States, says much of the travel demand in Canada observed by the platform comes from budget-conscious Canadians who are travelling domestically but nonetheless want to get out of the house this summer after years of pandemic disruptions.“We’re definitely seeing people return to urban centres in a way that they hadn’t at the height of the pandemic, when they were looking to reconnect with family and friends and book something much more rural and remote,” he tells Global News.Bram Gallagher is an economist with AirDNA, a third-party site that scrapes data from Airbnb and Expedia-owned competitor VRBO to track the short-term rental market for investors and the platform’s hosts.Gallagher confirms Rotman’s read on the short-term rental market: “demand is up,” he tells Global News.April, for example, saw 1.4 million short-term rental stays in Canada, up

Donald Trump found himself looking at something he had no clearance to see.Spilled on the floor of a storage room at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and estate — a room easily accessible from the pool patio, and near a liquor supply closet and other high-traffic areas — were allegedly the contents of several boxes of documents Trump had brought to Florida from Washington at the end of his presidency.The boxes had been moved into the storage room from other parts of the club, including a ballroom and bathroom, at Trump’s direction the previous summer, according to a federal indictment that was unsealed Friday.That indictment says one of the documents on the floor was marked “SECRET//REL TO USA, FVEY” — a classification marking that indicated the information could only be viewed by intelligence agencies within the Five Eyes alliance of Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.The aide, Walt Nauta, took two pictures of the mess with his phone and texted another employee of Trump, with the Five Eyes-only document in full view, the indictment states.“I opened the door and found this…” Nauta is quoted as having texted.“Oh no oh no,” the employee texted back.Trump’s alleged withholding of that document is one of the 37 federal criminal charges he’s now facing, accusing him of illegally retaining classified government documents after leaving the White House and then conspiring to obstruct a federal probe of the matter.Nauta, who worked for Trump at the White House and Mar-a-Lago, faces six counts in the case for allegedly helping to hide some of the sought-after materials and making false statements to investigators.The indictment presents a series of stunning examples of how Trump appears to have handled

Ashley Furniture Industries LLC, are being recalled due to potential fire hazards.Ashley power loveseats, sofas, and recliners with LED cup holders are at risk of failing after prolonged use, the Government of Canada said in a safety alert Friday, which could lead to overheating and fire.The government is advising consumers to immediately unplug recalled products and contact Ashley Furniture for free repairs.The alert says the company has received no reports of consumer incidents or injuries in Canada as of May 31, 2023.

CHINATOWN - Protesters turned out to demonstrate in Chinatown and send one very clear message to the city and the developers who want to bring a basketball arena – they don’t want it."This place holds a special place in my heart!" exclaimed Stacy Liang, as she and hundreds of others expressed that sentiment Saturday afternoon, gathering to push back against the Philadelphia 76ers’ plans to build a brand new, multiuse basketball arena in Center City.Residents here say if that comes to fruition, it will be devastating for the Chinatown community."Chinatown is a very important place to me and the threat to it is astonishing, because it’s so frequent and so continual every 10 years," Lily Fisher said.Deborah Wei is the founder of Asian Americans United, a group that fights to preserve and protect Asian culture and combat Asian hate and violence.She says not only are those in attendance at Saturday’s protest against the arena, she believes a majority of people in the city oppose it. "Chinatown is united against this arena.

wildfire conditions west of Edmonton have become extreme again.On Friday night, an evacuation order was issued for the town of Edson and much of Yellowhead County.An 11 p.m. update from the Town of Edson said crews were seeing live embers and fire in Willmore Park, located about five kilometres south of town.“The fire has crossed the (McLeod) River.

The Canadian government has ordered the seizure a Russian aircraft that has been grounded at Toronto Pearson International Airport since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

wildfire season ever, it’s “all hands-on deck,” but a shortage of firefighters across the country is raising concern for the rest of the season.Canadian soldiers and hundreds of firefighters from other countries have joined the fight amid a staffing crunch and recruitment challenges for their ranks.Months before the wildfire season started, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CFAC)  had warned of diminishing numbers of both career and volunteer firefighters across the country.With the current wildfire season projections signalling some challenging months ahead with a higher-than-normal fire activity, more resources are needed now, said Ken McMullen, CFAC president.“There’s definitely a shortfall.

Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents on Friday urged Americans to read the newly unsealed 37-count indictment to understand the “full scope and gravity” of the crimes being alleged.In his first public statement on the investigation, Jack Smith defended his office’s work and the grand jury’s decision to bring charges against Trump, who along with his allies has worked to undermine Smith and the U.S. Justice Department while maintaining his innocence.“We have one set of rules to everyone, and it applies to everyone,” Smith told reporters in a brief statement.

An “incredibly intense” wildfire burning in British Columbia’s northeast is now just four to five kilometres from the community of Tumbler Ridge, and could reach the outskirts of town at some point Friday, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

Hundreds of people rallied against what an organizer calls “gender ideology” near three west-end Ottawa schools today, as hundreds more joined a counter-protest in support of transgender rights.

Justin Trudeau to look into allegations of foreign interference in Canada, is resigning his position, Global News has confirmed via a senior government source and a copy of Johnston’s resignation letter.The former governor general has faced weeks of scrutiny over what the opposition parties called a conflict of interest due to his ties to Trudeau’s family and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.The House of Commons last week passed a non-binding resolution calling for Johnston to step down over the “appearance of bias.”“When I undertook the task of Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, my objective was to help build trust in our democratic institutions,” Johnston wrote in his resignation letter to Trudeau.“I have concluded that, given the highly partisan atmosphere around my appointment and work, my leadership has had the opposite effect.”Johnston said he will leave the role no later than the end of the month, but hopes to deliver a “brief” final report before that time.The resignation marks a sudden turn from Johnston’s commitment to stay on as special rapporteur in the wake of the House motion, which was brought by the NDP. At that time, Johnston said he would only take instructions on his work and his future from the Trudeau government, not Parliament.Trudeau has continued to stand by Johnston despite the opposition’s accusations of bias.

PHILADELPHIA - The air quality in the area drastically improved Friday, with the Pennsylvania DEP issuing a Code Orange air quality alert for the commonwealth until midnight.The air is still hazardous for groups of people like the elderly, kids and people with respiratory issues. The air quality alert with warmer temperatures was enough to cause Philadelphia schools to go virtual.