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Blue Jays all-star Bo Bichette’s recovery from calf strain continues

Published

2 weeks ago

September 3, 2024

TORONTO – All-star shortstop Bo Bichette is progressing in his recovery from a strained calf.

Bichette took batting practice and fielded groundballs with his Toronto Blue Jays teammates on Tuesday, a day after running the basepaths at Rogers Centre. The 26-year-old Bichette has not played since July 19 and has been recovering at the club’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla.

“He’s going to come with us to Atlanta to kind of continue to do everything,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider in his office at Rogers Centre ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. “If it works out that after that weekend, he’s ready to roll, that’d be great.”

It is the second time this season Bichette has been placed on the injured list with a calf strain. The two-time all-star has struggled this season with a .222 batting average, four home runs, and 30 runs batted in.

Schneider said shortstop Leo Jimenez was fine after tumbling into the stands on a highlight-reel catch in Toronto’s 4-3 loss to the Twins in Minnesota on Sunday. The rookie was held out of Tuesday’s lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies after his “eventful” day, with Ernie Clement taking over at short.

Toronto pitching prospect Jake Bloss started for the Buffalo Bisons against the IronPigs on Tuesday evening. Schneider said the Blue Jays’ organization would be keeping a close eye on Bloss’s outing as he could be a September callup.

“I think if (Bloss) does come up here, it would definitely be as a starter,” said Schneider. “Few different ways we could do it. Could do six-man rotation, you could do piggyback, you could do a variety of things.”

Bloss has a 6.35 earned-run average over four starts with triple-A Buffalo. He has struck out nine while giving up 15 hits and eight runs over 11 1/3 innings since Toronto acquired the 23-year-old right-hander from the Houston Astros on July 29 as part of a trade for Yusei Kikuchi.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2024.

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Nelly Furtado to perform at Invictus Games opening cermony with Bruneau and Kahan

Published

44 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

VANCOUVER – Canadian pop icon Nelly Furtado has been named one of three headliners for the opening ceremony of the upcoming Invictus Games.

Furtado, from Victoria, will share the stage with alt-pop star Roxane Bruneau of Delson, Que., and American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan.

They’ll be part of the show that opens the multi-sport event in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., in February.

The Invictus Games sees wounded, injured, and sick military service members and Veterans compete in 11 disciplines.

The Vancouver Whistler 2025 Games will be the first of seven editions to feature winter adaptive sports, including alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, skeleton and wheelchair curling.

British Columbia’s Lower Mainland will host the Invictus Games from Feb. 8-16.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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Woman dead after vehicle crashes with school bus in Thunder Bay, no kids hurt

Published

55 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Police say a woman is dead after her vehicle crashed with a school bus in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Investigators say no students on the bus were hurt.

Police say the crash took place just after 8 a.m. on Thursday.

They say the woman driving the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene.

She has not been identified.

A section of the road where the crash took place was closed for much of the day but was expected to reopen later on Thursday afternoon.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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B.C. First Nations declare state of emergency over opioid crisis and mental health

Published

55 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

PORT ALBERNI, B.C. – A tribal council representing 14 First Nations along the west coast of Vancouver Island is declaring a state of emergency over the opioid crisis, which is killing their members and leaving others with mental health struggles.

Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, says not enough is being done and the nations need help from governments and health authorities to devise their own solutions for fight what she calls a “war on trauma” in dealing with the colonial past.

Figures from the First Nations Health Authority show Indigenous people died from drug poisonings at more than six times the rate of other B.C. residents last year.

Sayers says First Nations need funding to support overwhelmed workers in their communities and to build detox and rehabilitation centres.

Chief Councillor Ken Watts of the Tseshaht First Nation says not enough is being done, and British Columbians should ask candidates running in this October’s provincial election, what they plan to do to help.

Sayers says a meeting was held with government and health officials to discuss the concerns and another meeting is being planned with the federal government.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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