Calgary Humane Society investigating kitten cruelty cases

KESWICK, Ont. – York Regional Police say two people are dead after a shooting at a park in the community of Keswick.

Police say officers responded to sounds of gunshots in the area of Bayview and Lowndes Avenue just before 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and two adults were pronounced dead.

The force says its homicide unit is investigating.

Officers are calling the incident isolated, with no threat to the public.

The York Region District School Board says schools in the area are under a hold and secure due to police activity in the area.

Police are looking for witnesses and asking nearby residents to check security footage for any information that might help the investigation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published September 18, 2024.

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TORONTO – One sports business expert thinks Rogers Communications Inc.’s landmark deal to acquire rival telecom BCE Inc.’s 37.5 per cent share of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment could lead to better, but pricier, fan experiences.

Brock University sport management professor Michael Naraine says the $4.7 billion deal, which gives Rogers a 75 per cent stake in the sports conglomerate, is all about consolidating its dominance in Toronto’s professional sports market.

The NHL’s Maple Leafs, NBA’s Raptors, CFL’s Argonauts, MLS’ Toronto FC and AHL’s Marlies are under the MLSE umbrella, of which a 20 per cent stake is still owned by Larry Tanenbaum through his holding company Kilmer Sports Inc.

With Rogers also owning the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, Naraine says the company will have more opportunities to cross-sell tickets and sponsorships of its sports brands upon closure of the MLSE deal, which is expected in mid-2025.

He also says Rogers has shown a commitment to bolstering fan experiences with the Blue Jays such as through the recent Rogers Centre renovations and may wish to replicate that at Scotiabank Arena down the line.

Rogers and Bell closed their deal to acquire an ownership stake in MLSE in August 2012 after announcing the purchase from Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in December 2011.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:RCI.B, TSX:BCE)

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NEW YORK (AP) — MrBeast is accused of creating “unsafe” employment conditions, including sexual harassment, and misrepresenting contestants’ odds at winning his new Amazon reality show’s $5 million grand prize in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by five unnamed participants.

The filing alleges that the multimillion-dollar company behind YouTube’s most popular channel failed to provide minimum wages, overtime pay, uninterrupted meal breaks and rest time for competitors — whose “work on the show was the entertainment product” sold by MrBeast.

A spokesperson for MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, told The Associated Press in an email that he had no comment on the new lawsuit.

Donaldson’s “Beast Games” was touted as the “biggest reality competition.” It was supposed to put the North Carolina content creator in front of audiences beyond the YouTube platform where his record 316 million subscribers routinely watch his whimsical challenges that often carry lavish gifts of direct cash.

But its initial Las Vegas shoot began facing criticism before it even wrapped. Donaldson’s companies cast 2,000 people in an initial tryout this July where half could advance to the actual show’s filming in Toronto.

Contestants only learned upon their arrival that the Las Vegas pool surpassed 1,000 competitors, according to the lawsuit, which significantly reducing their chances of victory. The lawsuit argues the “false advertising” violated California business laws that prohibit sweepstakes operators from “misrepresenting in any manner the odds of winning any prize.”

The five anonymous competitors also said that “limited sustenance” and “insufficient medical staffing” endangered their health.

The filing alleges that production staff created a “toxic” work environment for women who faced “sexual harassment” throughout the contest. Those sections are heavily redacted in an effort to comply with “confidentiality provisions” signed by the competitors, according to a press release from their lawyers.

The lawsuit adds to the complaints — circulated by online influencers in the shoot’s immediate aftermath — that an unorganized set had left some contestants injured and lacking in regular access to food and medication. Other participants have told AP they received two light meals each day and MrBeast branded chocolate bars.

MrBeast’s team also faces new accusations they “knowingly misclassified” the contestants’ employment status to the Nevada Film Commission in order to receive a state tax credit for more than $2 million.

Among other forms of relief, the five competitors seek an order that MrBeast institute “workplace reforms” and awards “all wages owed.”

Last month, amid several public relations crises, Donaldson ordered a full assessment of his YouTube empire’s internal culture and outlined plans to require company-wide sensitivity training.

No more details have been divulged and no date has been publicized for the reality game show’s release.

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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