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Tories Mock Trudeau For Saying That 'Benefiting Every Single Family Isn't What Is Fair'

May 12, 2015, 2:17 pm
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Federal Conservatives are pouncing on Justin Trudeau after the Liberal leader said Tuesday that “benefiting every single family isn’t what is fair.”

The remark, delivered in question period, prompted Prime Minister Stephen Harper to warn Trudeau about the hazards of going off-script.

The Liberal leader challenged Harper on his economic priorities since 2006, accusing him of providing tax breaks for the wealthiest Canadians rather than those who need it most. It was the first question period Harper has attended since Trudeau unveiled his so-called “fairness plan,” which seeks to cut middle-class taxes and make richer Canadians pay more.

Harper responded by saying his government’s “record of tax reductions” has helped “every single Canadian family in this country.”

And that’s when Trudeau shot back with a remark that sparked loud heckling from Conservatives.

“Benefiting every single family isn’t what is fair,” Trudeau said. “What is fair is giving help to those who need it the most.”

The Grit leader went on to slam income splitting as a $2-billion tax break for the rich and deride the expanded tax-free savings account limit as something that benefits only the well-to-do.

“Why didn’t he instead use every nickel to help the middle class and those seeking to join it?” he asked.

“Mr. Speaker, you see what happens when someone goes off-script,” Harper responded to the delight of his front bench, who gave him a standing ovation.

The prime minister reiterated that his plan was to “make life better for every single Canadian family.”

Labour Minister Kellie Leitch quickly took to Twitter to call Trudeau’s remark “shocking.” She left off the second-half of the quote, though, about "giving help to those who need it the most.”




Michelle Rempel, minister of state for Western economic diversification and a voracious tweeter, also had a field day on social media.














And Employment Minister Pierre Poilievre, who made hay for more than a year after Trudeau said “the budget will balance itself,” also tweeted the first half of the quote.




When asked about the moment after question period, Finance Minister Joe Oliver — who recently ran into some trouble of his own with a comment about “Harper’s granddaughter” — had a bit of a chuckle.

“(Trudeau) said he thinks it’s unfair to give money to everyone,” Oliver said.

“Look, it’s obvious that it’s an advantage for everyone to have a low-tax regime. It’s fair for individuals, it creates employment. It creates economic activity.”

Tories have made a habit of featuring out-of-context Trudeau remarks in attack ads. Short clips of the Liberal leader commenting on the Boston marathon bombing, marijuana legalization, and the federal budget have been highlighted in commercials attempting to paint the Liberal leader as “in over his head.”

With files from Althia Raj

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Shawn Simoes Fired From Hydro One Job After Taunting Reporter In 'FHRITP' Video

May 12, 2015, 3:08 pm
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Shawn Simoes didn't even have to say the words.

The soccer fan who used vulgar language with CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt in a "FHRITP" video has been fired from his high-paying job at crown corporation Hydro One, Toronto Sun reporter Jenny Yuen tweeted Tuesday.




Simoes is listed on the Public Sector Salary Disclosure as having drawn a salary of $106,510.60 and $709.10 in taxable benefits in 2014.

shawn simoes

"Respect for all people is engrained in the Code of Conduct and in our Core Values and we are committed to a work environment where discrimination or harassment of any type is met with zero tolerance," Hydro One corporate affairs director Daffyd Roderick told The Toronto Star.

The CityNews reporter was filming a segment at a Toronto FC game when Simoes and some other men gathered around her. One shouted "F*** her right in the p****" into Hunt's microphone, and she confronted them on-camera about it. The prank has become an all-too-common problem for female reporters.

Simoes defended the use of the vulgar phrase, calling it "hilarious."

He can be seen laughing as Hunt tells another man that the words are "disrespectful."

"I don't care, it's f***ing hilarious," Simoes said.

Hunt then went to him and asked why it's so funny.

"It is f***ing hilarious, we're not the only people, it happened in England," Simoes responded.

Hunt then pointed out that the trend has been around for a year.

Simoes then interrupted and said, "You're lucky there's not a f***ing vibrator near here, because in England, it happened all the time, it's f***ing amazing and I respect it all the time."

Finally, Hunt asked what his mom would think. To that Simoes said, "Oh my mom would die laughing eventually."

570 News reported that Simoes was a member of Laurier University's Men's Soccer Team from 2003 to 2005.

Someone with the same name is listed in a news release as an alumnus of the Laurier University Golden Hawks who took part in open tryouts for Toronto FC in 2006.

Simoes is also listed as a midfielder with AC Hydro One of the Ontario Hydro Soccer League.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns Toronto FC, said earlier Tuesday that it would ban fans who uttered the phrase in the CityNews video.

It also said it would provide more security for female reporters doing live hits at any of the organization's games.

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Saskatchewan Grain Elevator Destroyed In Spectacular Drone Video

May 12, 2015, 3:44 pm
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The little town of Rockhaven, Sask. saw a prominent landmark come tumbling down when its Pioneer grain elevator was destroyed on Monday.

And one farmer provided some spectacular drone's eye footage of the demolition.

Trevor Scherman captured video of the elevator just as a trackhoe ate away at its foundation and made it hurtle to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, CBC News reported.

"It's pretty amazing that it falls like that," he told CTV News.

The elevator was built in 1973 and it became something of a historical treasure in Rockhaven, as it was among the first grain handling points to take on a million bushels.

Now, only a single elevator remains in the community.

"I think everyone wasn't very happy that it happened," longtime farmer Debbie Duncan told CBC News of the demolition. "It's a sad thing."

She and her husband Pat have bought the last remaining elevator in the area, which used to be owned by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.

"It's the last one here and it's not going anywhere," she said.

An iconic part of Saskatchewan's landscape, grain elevators have been in decline since 1950, when there were 3,035 primary ones, according to the University of Regina.

As of 2004 there were only 197 primary licensed elevators left.

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Milder El Niño Winter Ahead, Says Environment Canada

May 13, 2015, 2:17 pm
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Every few years, Earth’s atmospheric forces align in a certain way to gift Canadians with milder-than-average winter weather.

This is one of those years.

On Tuesday, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology confirmed El Niño conditions have been met for the first time since 2010.

“Prolonged El Niño conditions have meant that some areas are more vulnerable to the impact of warmer temperatures and drier conditions,” said climate information services assistant director Neil Plummer.

For Canadians, it’s a weather phenomenon that likely means milder weather after the second-coldest back-to-back winters in 68 years, according to Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips.

“We weren’t imagining it, it was tough,” he told The Huffington Post Canada. “It was a lot of misery with ice storms, and frost quakes, record cold, and Great Lakes freezing over.”

frozen great lakes
The Great Lakes saw near-record high ice coverage this past winter. Credit: NOAA


The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the arrival of the “long-anticipated” El Niño back in March, citing records of above-average sea temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific.


Snapshot of global sea surface temperatures on April 9. Credit: NOAA


But Phillips says Canadians will have to be patient — the effects of this year’s “strong” El Niño won’t be felt here until the late fall, winter, and spring.

“Those warm breezes can make it all the way to Toronto, to Montreal, and even to Halifax,” Phillips explained. “And they kick the cold air farther north — they push it way up north, where it belongs.”

For those in Western Canada, milder weather could mean another brutal year for ski-hill operators. Vancouverites enjoyed a warmer-than-average winter, thanks to a warm patch of water off the West Coast.

vancouver winter
A skier makes his way to the ski run at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver, B.C. Feb. 9. The local ski hills around Vancouver have suffered with little to no snow this winter due to warm temperatures and rain. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward


The warm water is sticking around, Phillips said, so those in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland can expect less snow again this year — and more rain.

Higher regions like Banff and Lake Louise may see less snow. But lower precipitation also means an increased risk for forest fires in the Prairies come peak summer and early fall. Farmers may have to wait until 2016 to see benefits for their fields.

“Farming can be good,” said Phillips. “As long as you get those spring rains.”

Northern Canadians can expect to bear the brunt of the worst that El Niño has to offer. That means cold winter winds pushed north from the south.

Ontario, Quebec, and Maritimes residents, meanwhile, can expect to see a more bearable winter than its most recent cold seasons.

The longtime climatologist is choosing to err on the side of caution when it comes to making “it will be like this” forecasts. Melting Arctic sea ice is a “wild card” and it’s also why it’s harder to make conclusive weather predictions than in El Niño years past.

But there is one bet Phillips is comfortable making.

“This winter will be warmer than the last two winters,” he said.

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24 Vancouver Restaurants In 24 Hours Is True 'Day Of Gluttony'

May 13, 2015, 2:35 pm
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Talk about dining and dashing.

The two hosts of "Day of Gluttony," an online food series, ate their way through 24 Vancouver restaurants in 24 hours.

Harry Yuan and Bruce Aguirre tackled six different stops for breakfast, and nine each for lunch and dinner.

There was one rule: finish every single dish they ordered — which they (somehow) managed to do.

The video, which airs on Tastemade, follows the duo through many of the city's award-winning restaurants, coffee shops, and sushi bars.

The pair has also applied the 24-hour challenge in Toronto and Montreal, along with many others across the U.S.

Here's the full list of spots they visited in Vancouver, in case you're interested in attempting the epic food tour yourself:


ROUND ONE: BREAKFAST
  1. Matchstick Coffee Roasters

  2. Café Medina

  3. Cartems Donuterie

  4. Revolver

  5. Commune Cafe

  6. Caffé Brixton


    7. ROUND TWO: LUNCH
  7. BaoQi Eateri

  8. Whats Shaken

  9. Boulevard

  10. Homer St Cafe and Bar

  11. Shizen Ya

  12. Timbertrain Coffee Roasters

  13. Pourhouse

  14. The Diamond

  15. L’Abattoir


    16. ROUND THREE: DINNER
  16. Brassneck Brewery

  17. Chicha

  18. Burdock & Co.

  19. Upstairs at Campagnolo

  20. Mamie Taylor’s

  21. Bao Bei

  22. The Union

  23. Guilt & Co.

  24. Gringo


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Gunmen Attack Guesthouse In Kabul Where Canadian Was Being Honoured

May 13, 2015, 2:35 pm
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KABUL - Gunmen stormed a guesthouse in the Afghan capital as it hosted a party for foreigners Wednesday night, and the U.S. Embassy said one American was killed. A witness said as many as several dozen people were believed held captive.

Details about exactly how many people were held at Kabul's Park Palace Hotel remained unclear into the night, as sporadic gunfire echoed around the guesthouse in a central neighbourhood home to United Nations compounds and a foreign-run hospital. Two explosions later could be heard and four ambulances later arrived to the scene.

Amin Habi, a U.S. citizen from Los Angeles, told The Associated Press that a party was going on at the hotel to honour a Canadian when the gunmen stormed the guesthouse. He said as many as 40 people, including foreigners and U.S. citizens, could still be inside the hotel.

The U.S. Embassy said in an email statement issued Wednesday that a U.S. citizen was killed in the attack, although it did not provide further details or identify the victim.

Amar Sinha, India's ambassador to Afghanistan, said he believed at least six people still held inside were Indian citizens. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter account said he was "concerned about the situation (and) I pray for everyone's safety.''

Police officers earlier freed some 20 people trapped in the guesthouse, but others remained inside, said Zia Massoud, an Afghan government official. He said at least one of those people was wounded.

The hotel has both guest rooms for visitors and a residential area for those who live full time in Kabul, including foreign aid workers.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Taliban have attacked guesthouses before in Kabul.

Earlier Wednesday, gunmen killed 12 people and wounded 12 in an attack on a government compound in the city of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, authorities said.

Afghan security forces have been struggling to fend off Taliban attacks since U.S. and NATO forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of last year.

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Kelowna Hockey Dad Pulls Son From Team Over 'Short-Benching'

May 13, 2015, 3:02 pm
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sam lescarbeau

Hockey parents are debating a B.C. dad's decision to withdraw his nine-year-old son from his hockey team after repeatedly watching the boy cry on the bench instead of playing on the ice.

Yannick Lescarbeau wrote an open letter to his son’s hockey team, the West Kelowna Knights, outlining his reasons, and making clear he harboured no resentment, reported InfoTel News.

He wrote that his son Sam — who "dreams and lives hockey" — was only playing two shifts per game, while the best players were constantly on the ice.

"Sam no longer felt part of the team and it was really sad to see him crying in the middle of the bench with his gloves off when he watched the same kids over and over on the ice," Lescarbeau wrote in the letter obtained by InfoTel News.

"Too many times on the way home, my son asked me, ‘Dad, I thought I played hard today, why did I not play in the third period?’

"As a hockey dad, as a coach, to win as a team and lose as a team is a priceless concept that should be cherished and valued more than winning at all cost with only a few (players). This year’s Knights philosophy is clearly not for us. This was not a personality conflict with the coach, but rather a hockey philosophy difference."


The letter has raised the issue of what's known as "short-benching."

The Hockey Fanatic blog praised Lescarbeau's move, saying that short-benching "promotes a sense of me vs. we.... It impacts the confidence level of the young athlete, taking the fun out of playing a team sport."

Infotel News' story was flooded with comments, including one from Lynnell Ible, who said: "Time (on the ice) should be allotted based on effort. Rewarding everyone for showing up creates an environment that rewards mediocrity."

However, a parent on a Hockey Share forum noted that if weaker players get less playing time, they'll never have a chance to get better.

Since the InfoTel story, Sam Lescarbeau has accepted a spot with the Okanagan All Stars Hockey squad, "so he could finish the spring season on a good note," the team's Kim Dobranski told the outlet.

Do you think short-benching is acceptable? Do all kids deserve equal playing time? Comment below.

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David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson Sing Neil Young's 'Helpless' Ahead Of 'X-Files' Reunion

May 13, 2015, 3:26 pm
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Fans of "The X-Files" waited so long to see FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder kiss.

And it was glorious when they finally did in season seven.



Now, actors Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are reuniting for a reboot of the sci-fi series that spooked audiences throughout the '90s.

But before the show comes back, Anderson and Duchovny partook in a reunion of their own at The Cutting Room in New York City on Tuesday night.



Duchovny was there promoting the release of his debut album "Hell or Highwater." And he surprised his audience with an appearance by his "X-Files" co-star, who joined him on stage to sing Neil Young's "Helpless."

The chemistry was clear between the two as they sang the Canadian artist's classic track.

Then they kissed.

It was enough to tide us over before the show comes back for six episodes in January.

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Justin Trudeau Targeted In Anti-Abortion Flyers (GRAPHIC)

May 13, 2015, 4:10 pm
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OTTAWA — Graphic postcards of a bloody aborted fetus next to Justin Trudeau’s face are making their way to the mailboxes of Canadians living in swing ridings — and disgusting some residents who have already received them.

Mississauga, Ont., resident Shondie MacKenzie told The Huffington Post Canada she was grateful her 10-year-old son wasn’t home when the gory postcard was delivered.

“I was just so shocked when I got it, it was so graphic and so unexpected,” she said.

MacKenzie, who voted for Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2011, said she was so outraged she called the Liberal candidate’s office and her Conservative MP Bob Dechert asking if he could refer the matter to the police.

“I just feel it is a violation of my personal property and personal space, I don’t want to receive these kind of messages to my home,” he said.

The postcards, which state “Justin Trudeau Supports Abortion Until Birth,” are from anti-abortion group Campaign Life Coalition (CLC). They are designed to shock voters, encourage the Liberals to change their stance on abortion rights and elect more Conservative candidates, the group said.

“Abortion is shocking. It just depicts what is happening,” CLC’s the spokeswoman Alissa Golob told The Huffington Post Canada Wednesday. “Nobody is doing anything to stop these human rights violations, so when we expose injustice, it inevitably becomes intolerable.”

Campaign Life Coalition hopes to pepper 20 swing ridings with the shocking material, although it would not say which ones, citing the safety of their paid delivery staff and volunteers.

The goal is to deliver one million postcards before the election call this fall. The group says it wants to educate and inform Canadians and discourage them from voting for Trudeau.

But MacKenzie said she thought the postcard campaign might backfire. “It almost makes me want to vote for him because I’m so angry about it.”

So far, handouts have been dropped in Mississauga and the greater Vancouver area – places where Conservative candidates are in a tough fight with Liberals. CLC plans to target seats in the vote-rich Greater Toronto Area (GTA), mainland B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In addition to the postcards, Golob said CLC bought lists of phone numbers and plans to do make thousands of live telephone calls across the country.

The campaign, which is expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, will run until the writ drops. There are no rules governing the amount of money or the types of activity third-party groups can engage in between elections. Rules kick in only once the election begins.

Campaign Life Coalition said it is not co-ordinating the campaign with the Conservative party but is working hand-in-hand with local Tory MPs and candidates.

“I think that a lot of candidates like the volunteering and campaign help, and they also like the support that our large database gives them,” Golob said.

She said the group has been “very active” in Conservative nomination races, helping to nominate somewhere between 50 and 100 candidates.

“Our goal is to get as many pro-life candidates elected as possible,” Golob said. “The only way that we can do that in this election is by getting Conservatives elected.

“Our mission is to stack the House with pro-life candidates.”

Although Harper has been no friend to the anti-abortion movement — he voted against a motion to study the question of when life begins and has actively sought to discourage his backbench from introducing anti-abortion bills — Golob said the Tories remain the only home right now for anti-abortion activists.

“The greatest way that we can effect any type of change – even if we have a leader who is somewhat opposed to the message – is by filling his caucus with people who hold an opposing view,” she said.

Her colleague, Matthew Wojciechowski, said the group is targeting Trudeau because he changed long-standing Liberal policy and froze anti-abortionists out of his parliamentary caucus.

Last May, just before the annual anti-abortion demonstration March for Life, Trudeau announced to reporters that no one who was not prepared to support abortion rights policies in the House of Commons would be allowed to run as a Liberal candidate.

CLC wasn’t targeting NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair or his candidates, Wojciechowski said, because the NDP had supported abortion rights for decades.

“Mr. Harper hasn’t been a friend to us,” he said. “We are orphans at this point.”

“By no means is this No2Trudeau campaign a pro-Conservative campaign,” he added. “It’s a campaign that is there to educate people on the issue and to remind them to encourage them to really support and encourage pro-life candidates, regardless of their party, even though the reality is such is that the Liberal party doesn’t want anything to do with us.”

Trudeau told reporters Wednesday that he didn’t want to comment on CLC’s or the Conservatives’ political strategy.

“I’m perfectly comfortable with Canadians’ knowing that the Liberal party is unequivocal in its defence of women’s rights,” he said.

Liberal candidate Omar Alghabra, whose Mississauga Centre campaign office received MacKenzie’s call, said he was upset by the vulgarity of the postcards.

“Obviously, people have the right to lobby for whatever policy they want, but there are norms of respect and decency, and I feel these postcards cross the line.”

Alghabra said he feels most voters will not agree with CLC's desire to criminalize a woman's right to an abortion.

On Thursday, thousands of Canadians are expected on Parliament Hill to take part in this year’s March for Life. They will be noting that 46 years ago, the Liberals under prime minister Pierre Trudeau passed legislation that paved the way for legal abortions.

CAUTION: Graphic image below

trudeau abortion postcard

trudeau abortion postcard

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Deadly Kabul Shooting Leaves Canadian Government Seeking Answers

May 13, 2015, 4:38 pm
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OTTAWA - Foreign Affairs says Canadian officials in Kabul and Ottawa are working to get more information after a guesthouse in the Afghan capital was stormed by armed gunmen.

Amin Habi, a U.S. citizen from Los Angeles, told The Associated Press that a party was going on at the hotel to honour a Canadian when the gunmen stormed the x in Kabul on Wednesday.

Afghan police say five people were killed, six others wounded and 54 rescued from the guesthouse, but did not release the nationalities of the victims.

Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Caitlin Workman told The Canadian Press in an email that "all staff at the Canadian Embassy in Kabul are safe and accounted for."

However, Workman had no information as to the nature of the event at the hotel or if other Canadians were involved.

Hours after the standoff began, fire trucks arrived at the scene, with firefighters saying they were called in to clear and secure the area. A number of people were seen leaving the building, but firefighters had not yet gone in.

- With files from The Associated Press

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FHRITP: Calgary Police Charge Man With Stunting For Shouting Vulgar Phrase

May 14, 2015, 4:37 pm
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Calgary police have charged a man who they believe yelled a vulgar phrase at a CBC reporter while she was doing an interview in April.


Meghan Grant was working on a story about bad behaviour along the Red Mile — a strip of 17th Avenue that is popular among Flames fans during the NHL playoffs — when someone in a truck pulled up behind the camera and yelled "f--k her right in the p---y."


Reporters, including many CBC journalists, have become the targets of this vulgar phenomenon during live taping over the past few months. 


The man accused of yelling at Grant was issued a summons: a fine of $402, or he can choose to go to trial to fight the ticket.


He was charged under the Alberta Traffic Safety Act for stunting. 


Stunting is under the "prohibited operation of vehicles" section, and is described as performing or engaging in any stunt or other activity that is likely to distract, startle or interfere with users of the roadway.


The investigating officer said the man was apologetic and embarrassed, although he has not apologized to the reporter. 


He was the passenger in the truck at the time of the alleged offence.

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Northern B.C. Wildfire Continues To Grow (PHOTOS)

May 14, 2015, 5:21 pm
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A wildfire that has been burning for days in northern B.C. continued to spread Thursday.

The "aggressive, unpredictable" fire has doubled in size since it was spotted on May 8, according to the provincial Wildfire Management Branch. It's now estimated to be 13,000 hectares in size.

The blaze has forced evacuations near Norman Lake, about 65 km southwest of Prince George, B.C. Two provincial parks have been forced to close as well.

Gillene Gauthier, who lives in Prince George and owns a cabin at Norman Lake, says she and her neighbours are worried about their properties, which lie on the north side of the lake.

Gauthier captured these dramatic photos from the lakeside over the weekend:




With files from The Canadian Press

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RCMP Charged With Violations In Relation To Moncton Shooting

May 14, 2015, 5:30 pm
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MONCTON, N.B. - Nearly a year after three RCMP officers were murdered in Moncton by a lone gunman, the police force has been charged with four labour code violations in relation to the incident.

The Employment and Social Development Canada investigation alleges there were violations of the code relating to the force's equipment, training and supervision in the June 4 case that terrorized the New Brunswick city.

Justin Bourque murdered constables Doug Larche, Fabrice Gevaudan and Dave Ross, and constables Eric Dubois and Darlene Goguen were wounded in the young man's rampage through the city's north end.

Bourque was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 75 years in October after pleading guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

An RCMP review of the shootings said officers responding to the shootings faced a litany of problems that included communicating accurate information, accessing high-powered weaponry and securing protective equipment.

Bourque used a semi-automatic rifle to shoot the five officers in the city, and set off a 30-hour manhunt that drew in officers from around the region.

Commissioner Bob Paulson says the police force is considering the substance of the labour code charges and reviewing what actions it will take.

"The safety of our employees in doing this dangerous job, protecting the public, is always our priority," he said in the news release.

"As our honour roll sadly confirms, there has always been — and sadly always will continue to be — deadly threats to officers."

He says further comment is inappropriate as the matter is before the courts.

A spokesman for Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney said in an email that the department is pleased the RCMP is acting on a series of recommendations made in the review completed by former assistant commissioner Alphonse MacNeil into the shooting.

"Our government has full confidence in the RCMP to enforce the laws of Canada and keep Canadians safe," wrote Jeremy Laurin, Blaney's press secretary.

— Story by Michael Tutton in Halifax.

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3 Ways To Clean Your House With Denture Tablets

May 15, 2015, 12:37 pm
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Stop scrubbing and let the denture tablets bubble up and blast away dirt and grime.

In the video above by YouTube channel Trend Feed, we watch as two denture tablets are placed everywhere from a kitchen sink to a toilet to a glass with a silver ring, then covered in vinegar, to amazing results.

The two main ingredients in denture cleaners are sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda (known to break through bacteria and neutralize odours) and sodium hypochlorite alternative, which is also known as bleach, according to LiveStrong.

With that ingredient combination, it's no wonder these tiny tablets can clean even the smallest nooks and crannies. And even without the vinegar, Popsugar says you can use denture cleaner to wipe out cooked-on stains and clear clogged drains.

What's your favourite cleaning hack? Let us know in the comments below.

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Taylor Energy's Gulf Oil Spill Could Last Another Century, U.S. Fears

May 15, 2015, 12:44 pm
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WASHINGTON — A decade-old oil leak where an offshore platform toppled during a hurricane could continue spilling crude into the Gulf of Mexico for a century or more if left unchecked, according to U.S. government estimates obtained by The Associated Press that provide new details about the scope of the problem.

Taylor Energy Company, which owned the platform and a cluster of oil wells, has played down the extent and environmental impact of the leak. The company also maintains that nothing can be done to completely eliminate the chronic oil slicks that often stretch for miles off the coast of the state of Louisiana.

Taylor has tried to broker a deal with the government to resolve its financial obligations for the leak, but authorities have rebuffed those overtures and have ordered additional work by the company, according to Justice Department officials. Those officials were not authorized to comment publicly by name and spoke only on condition of anonymity.

"There is still more that can be done by Taylor to control and contain the oil that is discharging'' from the site, says an Interior Department fact sheet obtained by AP.

Federal regulators suspect oil is still leaking from at least one of 25 wells that remain buried under mounds of sediment from an underwater mudslide triggered by waves whipped up by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

A Taylor contractor drilled new wells to intercept and plug nine wells deemed capable of leaking oil. But a company official has asserted that experts agree the "best course of action ... is to not take any affirmative action'' due to the risks of additional drilling.

An AP investigation last month revealed evidence that the leak is far worse than Taylor, or the government, has publicly reported during a secretive response to the slow-motion spill.

The AP's review of more than 2,300 Coast Guard pollution reports since 2008 showed a dramatic spike in sheen sizes and oil volumes since Sept. 1, 2014. That reported increase came just after federal regulators held a workshop last August to improve the accuracy of Taylor's slick estimates and started sending government observers on a Taylor contractor's daily flights over the site.

Presented with AP's findings, the Coast Guard provided a new leak estimate that is about 20 times greater than one recently touted by the company. In a February 2015 court filing, Taylor cited a year-old estimate that oil was leaking at a rate of less than 4 gallons (15 litres) per day.

A Coast Guard fact sheet says sheens as large as 1.5 miles (2 kilometres) wide and 14 miles (22 kilometres) long have been spotted by Taylor since the workshop. Since last September, the estimated daily volume of oil discharged from the site has ranged from roughly 42 gallons (160 litres) to 2,329 gallons (8,815 litres), with a daily average of more than 84 gallons. (320 litres).

Some experts have given far greater estimates of the leak's extent. Based on satellite imagery and pollution reports, the watchdog group SkyTruth estimates between 300,000 gallons (1.1 million litres) and 1.4 million gallons (5.3 million litres) have spilled from the site since 2004, with an annual average daily leak rate between 37 (140 litres) and 900 gallons. (3.4 million litres)

A spokesman for the company declined to comment Friday.

Only the broad outlines of the company's response work are known. The government has agreed to keep many details under wraps in the name of protecting the company's trade secrets.

In response to AP's investigation, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson last month called on federal officials to disclose technical data and other information about the leak. A spokesman for the Democrat said Nelson confirmed with the Interior Department that Taylor ``was formally asking to be excused from any further cleanup costs.''

Kunzelman reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Associated Press writer Alicia A. Caldwell in Washington contributed to this report.

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Playland Debuts New 'Beast' Ride (VIDEO)

May 15, 2015, 1:04 pm
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Sweet, sweet summer is on its way, and that means Playland at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) is opening its gates once again.

The Vancouver amusement park has added a new attraction to its repertoire, fittingly named "The Beast."

The pendulum ride swings people over 38 metres (125 feet) in the air at 90 km/h. On top of that, the seats spin riders in circles while they're flying.

Playland says that for the first time in North America, riders can choose to face inward or outward — or just go again and do both, if they have the stomach for it.

Here's a sneak peek of the ride (watch above), in case you want to suss things out before losing your lunch riding it yourself.

Playland opens on Saturday, May 16.

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CRTC Says Federal Election Debates Must Be 'Equitable'

May 15, 2015, 1:29 pm
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OTTAWA - The country's broadcast regulator says it's not going to stand in the way of changes to the way federal election debates are conducted, so long as all the major parties get equitable news coverage.

This comes after the Conservative party opened the door this week to competing offers from individual networks to host the debates.

The move effectively ends the monopoly over the political contests previously enjoyed by a broadcast consortium made up of CTV, the CBC and Global TV.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says it doesn't require any specific broadcaster to host a debate.

In fact, a CRTC policy adopted in 1995 says that electoral debates don't even have to include all of the political party leaders.

In a statement released Tuesday, Conservative party spokesman Kory Teneycke said his party had accepted proposals from TVA and Maclean's-Rogers to host two separate debates some time before the fixed election date of Oct. 19.

Then on Wednesday, Bloomberg News offered to host a debate, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau squaring off over economic issues.

Bloomberg said it would open the debate to simultaneous broadcast by all Canadian networks from a studio in Ottawa.

The Globe and Mail also reportedly offered to host a debate.

There's nothing in the regulations stopping the parties from agreeing to such debates, CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said in an interview Friday.

However, the broadcasters could be held to account after the fact, should they be seen as giving one political party more air time, he said.

"Our role is not as direct as some people might think it is," said Blais.

"What we would look at is whether Canadians are properly informed on matters of public interest, that an appropriate balance on important public issues occurs in the system globally."

Under the CRTC's 20-year-old policy, broadcasters do have to provide all rival parties equitable time if one party is offered either free access to the airwaves or paid advertising time.

Some political pundits have applauded the move away from consortium-hosted debates, saying the previous formats were too rigid and there weren't enough debates.

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Alberta Tories To Close Offices, Layoff Staff

May 15, 2015, 2:35 pm
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EDMONTON - The once mighty Alberta Progressive Conservative party plans to close its offices in Edmonton and Calgary and cut all but one staff member.

Bill Smith, past president of the party, said Friday that the moves are being made to save money.

"We have got to look at the longterm interests of the party and the carrying costs of the infrastructure that we have is just too high," he said.

The PCs were reduced to 10 seats in the legislature from 70 in the May 5 NDP election victory that ended 44 years of Tory rule in the province.

Smith said the office closures and staff cuts were a difficult but necessary decision as the party takes the first steps toward rebuilding.

"We are definitely not finished in Alberta. The number of people who have reached out to myself and to members of our executive has been overwhelming," he said.

"So many people were disappointed in the result and have offered to help."

Twelve people are losing their jobs.

Earlier this week Ric McIver was named interim PC party leader to replace Premier Jim Prentice, who resigned on election night.

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Best Father's Day Gift Ideas To Make Him Feel Loved

May 15, 2015, 2:45 pm
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Father's Day is coming on June 21, and with it, the opportunity to give the dads in your life something they really want (other than a hug from you, of course).

The key to a great gift for dads, much like the general rule with gift giving, is to base it on one of his interests — that way, he not only gets something he wants, but he knows you've been paying attention when he's talking.

So whether you're giving a gift to your husband or boyfriend, or your very own father, be sure to think about things from his perspective when you're out shopping. Has he been worrying about watering his lawn (because seriously, there's a cool gadget for that)? Does he hate being wired into his computer with his headphones? Does he swoon a little at your kids' artwork?

Take a look at these great ideas for gifts for Dad this Father's Day — and let us know your favourite:


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'FHRITP' Video: Shawn Simoes Apologizes To CityNews Reporter Shauna Hunt

May 15, 2015, 4:45 pm
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TORONTO - Toronto television station CityNews says the man fired over hurling sexually explicit remarks at reporter Shauna Hunt last weekend has apologized for his actions.

Hunt confronted several men about their apparent plans to use vulgarities as she did fan interviews at a Toronto FC soccer game on Sunday.

One of the men used offensive language during their exchange and was fired by Hydro One after CityNews aired the video, provoking a storm of anger on social media.

CityNews says the man sent Hunt a written apology on Friday.

The station quotes Hunt as saying she appreciated him reaching out with what she felt was a "very genuine apology" and was "happy to accept it."

CityNews reports the man told Hunt he intended the apology to be a personal note to her and she won't release exactly what was said.

(CITYNews)

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