News

Emergency alerts when severe weather happens can be improved: Guilbeault

Published

2 years ago

May 25, 2022

OTTAWA — Emergency weather alerts that are broadcast over the mobile network should be improved to make sure they are getting to the right people at the right time, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Wednesday.

Guilbeault is in Germany for a G7 environment ministers meeting this week and adapting to the reality of climate change is high on the agenda.

He said part of that conversation includes public awareness of emergencies, because severe weather is becoming more and more frequent right across Canada.

Large swaths of Ontario and Quebec are still cleaning up after severe storms. There was at least one tornado confirmed in Uxbridge, Ont., and a major wind storm known as a derecho on Saturday.

Environment Canada issued a broadcast alert on the cellphone network for a thunderstorm for the first time Saturday as the storm raced across Ontario with wind speeds above 130 kilometres per hour.

But there have been some complaints about the warnings not being issued early enough or others not getting the message at all.

At least 10 people were killed, most from falling trees, as the storms moved from Sarnia, Ont., to Quebec City over the course of about six hours Saturday. One man was killed after being hit by a tree on a golf course and a woman was killed by a tree while out for a walk. One woman drowned when the boat she was in capsized on the Ottawa River during the storm.

Others were trapped in their cars in Ottawa as power lines fell around them. At Canada’s Wonderland, an amusement park north of Toronto, people were trapped on a roller-coaster in the severe weather for nearly half an hour after the power went out.

“The challenge for us at Environment and Climate Change (Canada) is to put out those warnings when the situation is really dire,” Guilbeault said. “Because if we start putting out warnings too often, then people will just get used to them and not pay attention. And we want to make sure that when those warnings are issued, people pay attention.”

But he said “there is something to be said” for finding a way to improve coordination between the federal government, provincial governments, municipalities and Indigenous communities “to ensure that when the warnings go out, people get the information.”

Environment Canada said in a statement this week the first warning for a severe thunderstorm in southern Ontario was issued around 11 a.m. Saturday, through weather channels and websites. Around 12:30 it was sent out to the first people via the mobile Alert Ready program. It was repeated in other regions as the storm moved east.

Alert Ready is the same emergency alert system that sends people notifications on their phones for missing children. It is only used for weather when there is a tornado, baseball-sized hail or winds exceeding 130 kilometres an hour.

Guilbeault said some people got the warnings four or five hours before the storm hit, others only 10 or 15 minutes ahead.

“Can we ensure that it’s better disseminated?” Guilbeault asked. “Absolutely. Can we ensure that it’s getting to the right people as fast as possible? Absolutely.”

He said that will form part of the discussion as the government works toward its promised national adaptation strategy, which is expected by the end of this year.

Kim Ayotte, general manager of emergency and protective services at the City of Ottawa, said there were warnings about the storm throughout the day. But he also said public education about what to do when people hear warnings is necessary.

“So there were a lot of weather warnings, and the alert came in and I think that it did what it was supposed to do,” he said. “But I have no problem continuing to have these discussions with Environment Canada to see if there’s any opportunity for improvements, but as far as I’m concerned, it worked the way it should have.”

The need for alerts is expected to grow, because climate change is not an abstract concept but a reality we’re already living with, said Guilbeault.

“We’ve entered the era of climate change and we’re not ready in Canada,” he said.

Adaptation generally refers to hardening the defences against extreme weather, such as with better flood protection, or efforts to protect critical infrastructure like power lines from severe storms.

Ottawa, where more than half the city lost power initially and one in six hydro customers are still in the dark, is dealing with its second massive power outage in four years. Tornadoes that hit the city in September 2018 left more than half the city off the power grid for several days.

A climate risk assessment of the Ottawa power grid done in 2019 said the number of days of severe thunderstorms in the city is expected to double in the next three decades, and the risk of tornadoes will rise 25 per cent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2022.

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press

News

‘It’s literally incredible’: Swifties line up for merch ahead of Toronto concerts

Published

44 minutes ago

November 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans lined up outside the gates of Toronto’s Rogers Centre Wednesday, with hopes of snagging some of the pop star’s merchandise on the eve of the first of her six sold-out shows in the city.

Swift is slated to perform at the venue from Thursday to Saturday, and the following week from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, with concert merchandise available for sale on some non-show days.

Swifties were all smiles as they left the merch shop, their arms full of sweaters and posters bearing pictures of the star and her Eras Tour logo.

Among them was Zoe Haronitis, 22, who said she waited in line for about two hours to get $300 worth of merchandise, including some apparel for her friends.

Haronitis endured the autumn cold and the hefty price tag even though she hasn’t secured a concert ticket. She said she’s hunting down a resale ticket and plans to spend up to $600.

“I haven’t really budgeted anything,” Haronitis said. “I don’t care how much money I spent. That was kind of my mindset.”

The megastar’s merchandise costs up to $115 for a sweater, and $30 for tote bags and other accessories.

Rachel Renwick, 28, also waited a couple of hours in line for merchandise, but only spent about $70 after learning that a coveted blue sweater and a crewneck had been snatched up by other eager fans before she got to the shop. She had been prepared to spend much more, she said.

“The two prized items sold out. I think a lot more damage would have been done,” Renwick said, adding she’s still determined to buy a sweater at a later date.

Renwick estimated she’s spent about $500 in total on “all-things Eras Tour,” including her concert outfit and merchandise.

The long queue for Swift merch is just a snapshot of what the city will see in the coming days. It’s estimated that up to 500,000 visitors from outside Toronto will be in town during the concert period.

Tens of thousands more are also expected to attend Taylgate’24, an unofficial Swiftie fan event scheduled to be held at the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Meanwhile, Destination Toronto has said it anticipates the economic impact of the Eras Tour could grow to $282 million as the money continues to circulate.

But for fans like Haronitis, the experience in Toronto comes down to the Swiftie community. Knowing that Swift is going to be in the city for six shows and seeing hundreds gather just for merchandise is “awesome,” she said.

Even though Haronitis hasn’t officially bought her ticket yet, she said she’s excited to see the megastar.

“It’s literally incredible.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.

Source link

News

Via Rail seeks judicial review on CN’s speed restrictions

Published

45 minutes ago

November 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – Via Rail is asking for a judicial review on the reasons why Canadian National Railway Co. has imposed speed restrictions on its new passenger trains.

The Crown corporation says it is seeking the review from the Federal Court after many attempts at dialogue with the company did not yield valid reasoning for the change.

It says the restrictions imposed last month are causing daily delays on Via Rail’s Québec City-Windsor corridor, affecting thousands of passengers and damaging Via Rail’s reputation with travellers.

CN says in a statement that it imposed the restrictions at rail crossings given the industry’s experience and known risks associated with similar trains.

The company says Via has asked the courts to weigh in even though Via has agreed to buy the equipment needed to permanently fix the issues.

Via said in October that no incidents at level crossings have been reported in the two years since it put 16 Siemens Venture trains into operation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CN)

Source link

News

Japanese owner of 7-Eleven receives another offer to rival Couche-Tard bid

Published

46 minutes ago

November 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAVAL, Que. – The Japanese owner of 7-Eleven says it has received a new management buyout proposal from a member of the family that helped found the company, offering an alternative to the takeover bid from Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

The proposal for Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. is being made by Junro Ito, who is a vice-president and director of the company, and Ito-Kogyo Co. Ltd., a private company affiliated with him.

Terms of the non-binding offer by Ito were not disclosed.

In a statement Wednesday, Seven & i said its special committee has been reviewing the proposal with its financial advisers.

Stephen Hayes Dacus, chair of the special committee and board of directors of the company, said the company is committed to an objective review of all alternatives as it considers the proposals from Ito and Couche-Tard as well as the company’s stand-alone opportunities.

“The special committee and the company board will continue to engage with all parties in a manner designed to maximize value and will continue to act in the best interests of the company’s shareholders and other stakeholders,” he said in a statement.

The company noted that Ito has been excluded from all discussions within the company related to the offer and the bid by Couche-Tard.

Quebec-based Couche-Tard made a revised offer for Seven & i last month after an earlier proposal was rebuffed by the Japanese firm because it was too low and did not fully address U.S. regulatory concerns.

It did not respond to a request for comment about Ito’s offer.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Irene Nattel said the latest development underscored her belief that a Couche-Tard deal with Seven & i is a “low probability event.”

“Assuming attractive pricing and a fully-funded transaction, the potential privatization from a friendly Japanese group would seemingly provide investors with the value creation event they seek,” said Nattel, adding that it would skirt potential competition issues in the U.S. and concerns around the foreign takeover of a core local entity for Japanese regulators.

Couche-Tard has argued its proposal offers clear strategic and financial benefits and has said it believes the two companies can reach a mutually agreeable transaction.

However, the Japanese company has said there are multiple and significant challenges such a transaction would face from U.S. competition regulators.

Couche-Tard operates across 31 countries, with more than 16,800 stores. A successful deal with Seven & i could add 85,800 stores to its network.

Seven & i owns not only the 7-Eleven chain, but also supermarkets, food producers, household goods retailers and financial services companies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:ATD)

Source link