Passenger trips to take longer in Ontario and Quebec after CN rule change: Via

TORONTO – Hot Docs says it will gradually resume programming in early December and host another edition of Canada’s largest documentary film festival next spring, after months of restructuring and cost-cutting.

The struggling organization had temporarily closed its flagship Toronto theatre in May and laid off staff over the summer, citing “urgent” financial challenges.

Hot Docs says it has made “significant progress” over the last four months to address its deficit and governance issues as it looks for a new leader.

The return of programming at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema is set to begin Dec. 4, with another season of the Doc Soup film screening series.

The 32 edition of the Hot Docs Festival will run from April 24 to May 4, 2025, with an expected lineup of more than 100 documentaries.

Hot Docs says it’s also actively seeking a new owner for its Toronto cinema as part of a long-term rebuilding strategy.

The organization’s interim executive director, Janice Dawe, says an outpouring of support from sponsors, donors, and the public sector is allowing Hot Docs to move forward.

“We would not be in this position if it weren’t for these champions of Hot Docs – from the individual donors who gave during our spring campaign, to the incredibly gracious donors who converted their designated gifts to operational support and to the many elected officials at all levels of government who are standing up for culture and working diligently to help secure funding,” Dawe said in a news release Thursday.

The Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema reopened on a limited basis last month for third-party rentals and select screening events. At that time, Hot Docs said it would gradually welcome back staff who had been laid off and seek a new head with leadership experience in the Canadian non-profit arts sector.

The organization’s president Marie Nelson stepped down in July after just one year in the role. She had faced criticism from some observers who questioned why her primary residence was in the U.S.

There was also a mass exodus of Hot Docs staff just before the announcement of the festival’s 2024 lineup, with departing programmers citing a “toxic workplace.”

Hot Docs says it is now accepting applications for a permanent executive director “who will not only excel in leadership but also resonate with our mission and community,” and its scaled-down board of directors plans to rebuild its membership this winter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

TORONTO – Upcoming legislation that would require cities to get provincial approval for some bike lanes is a “significant overreach” of power, Ontario municipalities say, while Premier Doug Ford vowed Thursday to go even further and remove existing lanes.

None of the 444 members of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario were consulted or shown evidence the province is using to justify its proposed veto power over new bike lanes that would remove a lane for cars, the association wrote in a statement.

“Bicycle lanes are an essential element of urban transportation planning and road safety,” the association said.

“Requiring provincial approval would be a significant overreach into municipal jurisdiction.”

Ford’s government is set to table the bike lane legislation next week as part of a suite of measures designed to tackle gridlock. Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said earlier this week the legislation is meant for future bike lanes.

On Thursday, Ford contradicted his minister.

“It isn’t enough to keep an eye on future bike lanes,” Ford said in a speech at the Empire Club of Canada.

“We need to, and will, remove and replace existing bike lanes on primary roads that are bringing traffic in our cities to an absolute standstill.”

Ford has previously complained about bike lanes on Bloor Street West creating gridlock on a road that is about a 10-minute drive from his home in Toronto’s west end.

“It’s an absolute disaster,” Ford said last month.

The association said municipalities develop transportation plans based on local knowledge and community input. They are also balancing car traffic flow with active transportation and take into consideration health and environmental concerns.

“It is unclear how the Ministry of Transportation will be in a better position than municipalities to make decisions about local transportation matters,” the association said.

“Rather than micromanaging bike lanes, the Ministry of Transportation could focus on accelerating its own approval processes to help support new housing.”

Sarkaria said Thursday that cyclist safety is a priority for the government. He said they are “more than happy” to work with cities on the issue.

“As we work with the city to approve those future bike lanes, we’ll take into consideration … elements of safety and how that can be done in a way that supports the future introduction of lanes where they do require a removal of traffic,” Sarkaria said.

He also said communities can still implement bike lanes that do not remove a lane of traffic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s government is hiring 47 more people to prevent and address violence in the province’s schools.

The new staff include student supervisors, security guards, child and youth care practitioners, educational and teaching assistants and teachers specializing in behaviour and classroom management.

The province is investing $976,000 for the new hires, who will be in addition to the behavioural and support staff already working in the public school system.

Each region will access which specialized staff on offer can best respond to their challenges.

As well, the province says it’s updating its school code of conduct policy and its school emergency management procedures and training.

It says more than 4,600 regional and school staff as well as more than 800 school advisory council members have offered advice on how to improve the code of conduct.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.