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☆ A judge in Canada ruled that the thumbs-up emoji can represent a legally binding contract agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Canadian judge ruled that a thumbs-up emoji sent by phone represented a binding legal agreement. The case involved a grain seller replying to a sent contract with a thumbs-up, but then not delivering. The judge said Canada has to be ready to "meet the new challenges" that may arise from emoji usage. Chris Achter responded with a thumbs-up emoji, which Mickleborough interpreted as Achter entering into the contract, according to the legal documents. The company said the thumbs-up emoji only indicated that Achter had received the message, not that he had agreed to the contract, Achter said in an affidavit.

Persons: emoji, —, Kent Mickleborough, Mickleborough, Bob Achter, Chris Achter, Achter, Timothy Keene Organizations: Service, The Guardian, Saskatchewan, South West, Cattle Ltd, West Locations: Canada

OTTAWA, June 16 (Reuters) - Flags flew lowered in the Canadian province of Manitoba on Friday and relatives braced for bad news after 15 mainly elderly people died in one of the country's worst recent road crashes. "It's a terrible, terrible thing that occurred, and our thoughts go out to the families that have been absolutely devastated by this news," he told reporters in Montreal. Ron Bretecher, whose parents were on the bus, told reporters his mother had survived the crash but his father was still unaccounted for. The bus, heading south, was crossing the Trans-Canada highway when it collided with the truck, which was traveling east. "The fire was about 10 to 15 feet high and the smoke was almost 20, 30 feet high," Vadera said.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Ron Bretecher, It's, Mike Blume, David Bosiak, Ross, William Doherty, Nirmesh Vadera, Vadera, David Ljunggren, Nick Macfie, Jonathan Oatis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: OTTAWA, Flags, Police, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, CBC, Thomson Locations: Canadian, Manitoba, Carberry, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, Dauphin, Carberry , Manitoba, Canada, Saskatchewan

OTTAWA, June 15 (Reuters) - At least 15 people were killed in the Canadian prairie province of Manitoba on Thursday after a semi-trailer truck hit a small bus that was carrying a group of mainly elderly people, police said. The crash occurred at the junction of two major roads near the town of Carberry in southwestern Manitoba, 170 km (105 miles) west of Winnipeg. The bus passengers had been on their way to a casino in Carberry, CBC News reported, citing a casino spokesperson. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB Police secures the area at the crash scene near Carberry, Manitoba, Canada June 15, 2023 in this still image obtained from a social media video. "My heart breaks hearing the news of the tragic accident near Carberry," Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said on Twitter.

Persons: We've, Rob Hill, Hill, Mike Blume, Justin Trudeau, Heather Stefanson, David Ljunggren, Ismail Shakil, Nia Williams, Sandra Maler, Matthew Lewis, Grant McCool Organizations: OTTAWA, CBC News, Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Police, REUTERS Media, Handi, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Winnipeg Free Press, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Manitoba, Carberry, Winnipeg, Canada, Carberry , Manitoba, tarpaulins, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Ottawa, British Columbia

☆ Western Canada covered in smoke as wildfires loosen grip on Quebec
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Smoke billows upwards from the Donnie Creek wildfire (G80280) south of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada June 11, 2023. Wildfire Service/Handout via REUTERSOTTAWA, June 12 (Reuters) - Smoke shrouded Western Canada on Monday as wildfires flared again in the main oil-producing province of Alberta, while firefighters in Quebec doused some of the worst early season blazes, allowing thousands of evacuees to return home. "If you look at western Canada, it's completely covered by the smoke and that continues into Tuesday," federal meteorologist Gerald Cheng told reporters on Monday. "The risk for smoke is very high because the winds are really transporting the smoke throughout Alberta today and even into Tuesday." (Click here to read what health experts say about wildfire smoke.)

Persons: it's, Gerald Cheng, Cheng, Anita, Ismail Shakil, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Wildfire Service, REUTERS OTTAWA, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, TC Energy, Health, U.S ., Canadian Defence, Thomson Locations: Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, Alberta, Quebec, Netherlands, Europe, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Edson, Edmonton, McMurray, U.S . East Coast, Alberta , Nova Scotia, Ottawa

☆ Joni Mitchell Returns to the Stage, Golden, Glorious and in Control
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Lindsay Zoladz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

After the first few songs — including rousing, singalong renditions of “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Raised on Robbery” — a recognition seemed to ripple through the crowd: Mitchell’s voice had grown even stronger, richer and nimbler in the year since those Newport videos went viral. In that previous performance, Carlile had often guided Mitchell or taken on lead vocal duties herself. But at the Gorge, Mitchell was once again in control. Mitchell held court in pigtail braids, chic sunglasses and a floral silk shirt that billowed in the canyon winds. Part of any Joni Jam is not just singing with Mitchell, Carlile told the crowd, but singing for her.

Persons: ”, Carlile, Mitchell, Concertgoers, — Mitchell, Joni Jam, Mitchell’s, Sarah McLachlan, ” Annie Lennox, Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, ” Melvoin, Prince, Lisa, Joni Organizations: Newport Locations: Japan, San Francisco, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

☆ ‘Alone’ Review: Wilderness Survival on the History Channel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lee DeWilde Photo: The HISTORY Channel‘Do not attempt this yourself,” warns the opening title of “Game On,” the first episode in the latest season of the popular survival series “Alone.” Not a problem: The Superman suit I got when I was 7 warned me I couldn’t fly, and I had no more intention of trying that than I plan on schlepping to northern Saskatchewan to flirt with 43,000 black bears, angry moose, hungry wolves, minus 40-degree temperatures and starvation.

Persons: Lee DeWilde, ” Locations: schlepping, Saskatchewan

☆ From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, Wildfires Spread Across Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Dan Bilefsky | Vjosa Isai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The danger of wildfires, which over the past few weeks have stretched from British Columbia on the west coast to Nova Scotia, nearly 2,900 miles away in the east, was brought home on Tuesday to the political heart of the nation. A thick haze hovered over Parliament Hill and the soaring Gothic Revival building that houses Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said that hundreds of soldiers were deployed across the country to help with firefighting efforts. Bill Blair, the emergency preparedness minister, told reporters last week that over the month of May an area of roughly 2.7 million hectares, or about 6.7 million acres, of forest in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and the Northwest Territories had been scorched. “The equivalent of over 5 million football fields has burned in Canada so far this year,” he wrote on Twitter.

Persons: Hill, Justin Trudeau, Mr, Trudeau, Bill Blair, ” Organizations: Northwest, Twitter Locations: Canada, United States, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ottawa, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia , New Brunswick, Ontario, Northwest Territories

[1/6] Aerial view of the wildfire in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada in this social media handout image released May 31, 2023. Nova Scotia Government/Handout via REUTERSMONTREAL, June 2 (Reuters) - A coastal city in Quebec ordered some 10,000 residents to evacuate homes on Friday as wildfires spread in eastern Canada and stretched firefighting resources already tackling blazes across the country. Wildfires are common in Canada's western provinces, but this year the eastern province of Nova Scotia is reeling from its worst-ever wildfire season. In another eastern province, Quebec, Premier Francois Legault has urged people to avoid spending time in forests over the next few days. Canadian armed forces have been helping fight fires in western Canada since early May and troops were sent to Nova Scotia on Thursday.

Persons: Bill Blair, Blair, Francois Legault, Stephane Lauzon, Justin Trudeau, Mateusz, Allison Lampert, Ismail Shakil, Nick Macfie Organizations: Nova, Nova Scotia Government, REUTERS, Emergency, Thomson Locations: Shelburne County , Nova Scotia, Canada, Nova Scotia, REUTERS MONTREAL, Quebec, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec , New Brunswick, Polish, Ottawa, United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Poland, Montreal

☆ No respite for wildfire-hit Alberta as conditions set to worsen
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Leslie Kramer walk her dogs as some 90 wildfires are active in Alberta, with 23 out of control, according to the provincial government, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Record-high temperatures and tinder-dry vegetation have led to an intense, early start to wildfire season in western Canada this year. Alberta has been the worst-hit, with about 91 wildfires burning, including 27 out of control, as of Wednesday. On Wednesday, consultancy firm Rystad Energy said nearly 2.7 million barrels per day (bpd) of Alberta oil sands production in May is at risk in "very high" or "extreme" wildfire danger rating zones. Of estimated May production volumes, about 60% are subject to extreme wildfire danger levels, with the remaining 40% subject to very high danger, Oslo-based Rystad said.

☆ Alberta wildfires hit gas flow out of Canada to US, spiking prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Smoke rises above the southeast perimeter of the Paskwa fire (HWF030) as it burns near Fox Lake, Alberta, Canada May 16, 2023. Alberta Wildfire/Handout via REUTERSOTTAWA, May 18 (Reuters) - Alberta officials on Thursday warned more wildfires could spread in next few hot and dry days, even as firefighters make progress in tackling widespread blazes that have slowed the outflow of natural gas from Canada into the United States, spiking prices. There were about 92 active wildfires and over 10,000 people out of their homes as of Thursday, Alberta officials told a daily briefing. "Firefighters can experience challenging conditions in hot, dry and windy weather, but progress has been made on many active wildfires," said Christie Tucker, information unit manager at Alberta Wildfire. "We are expecting and preparing for more active wildfire behavior today and over the next few days," she said.

☆ Wildfires burn millions of acres in Canada, send oil prices higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Wildfires burning across western Canada have forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes and have prompted some oil and gas companies to curb production as blazes approach pipelines. There were nearly 90 fires burning in the western province of Alberta, a quarter of which are expected to grow larger, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System. The fires have had a notable impact on the region's oil industry, as some drillers were forced to halt a small percentage of production as a precautionary measure due to shifting fire conditions. This week, Benchmark Canadian heavy crude prices tightened to multi-month highs over concerns about the blazes. Nearly 2.7 million barrels of daily oil sands production in Alberta is in "very high" or "extreme" wildfire danger zones, according to Rystad Energy, an energy consulting firm.

Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Ukraine ran its nuclear reactors on Russian fuel, producing 55% of the country's electricity. Cameco, like Energoatom, can adjust how much uranium it delivers on two years' notice, Kotin said. Contracted uranium prices are typically higher than spot prices, meaning that Cameco may take a discount if Ukraine purchases less uranium due to the war's impact, Carter said. Kotin said Energoatom will buy Cameco's uranium at a price based equally on a fixed price and a market price. BIG POTENTIAL REWARDSWhile Ukraine will rely on Cameco for uranium, it has struck separate deals for further processing.

“In Canada we have way more wolves. But in Saskatchewan, where I live, the land is so flat and the timber is so dense that you rarely see them. You’re lucky if you see two wolves a year,” he says. “I come down here and I can see 15 a day, easily.”

☆ A Canadian woman who revived a candy bar as a side hustle had to give 133,000 away for free
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Canadian woman had to give away 133,000 candy bars for free, reports say. Crystal Regehr Westergard was bombarded with the candy, which had an expiry date of June this year. Crystal Regehr Westergard, a physiotherapist, started a candy company as a side hustle in 2018 to bring back old favorites that had long ceased production. Through her company Canadian Candy Nostalgia, Westergard first brought back Cuban Lunch, a candy dating back to the Second World War. She's struggled to give away the retro candy bars, even for free.

☆ 'Show us your Regina': Canadian city pulls tourism campaign after facing backlash for sexualizing its name
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Canadian city Regina attempted to rebrand is tourism agency to "Experience Regina" in March. Slogans for the campaign included "Show us your Regina" and "The city that rhymes with fun." After debuting a rebrand from Tourism Regina to Experience Regina last month, the city's tourism organization pulled its new campaign amid public backlash to slogans some found offensive, Canadian news outlet CBC reported. "Show us your Regina" was featured on the Experience Regina website, but has since been removed, the Toronto Star reported. The announcement came after about a dozen protesters gathered inside Regina City Hall to call for Tourism Regina CEO Tim Reid and Mayor Sandra Masters to resign, Fox News reported.

☆ A cross between domestic pigs and wild boars was intentionally bred in Canada. The resulting 'super pigs' escaped captivity and could be invading the US.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When the market collapsed, the "super pigs" escaped and have spread rapidly across the country. The environmentally destructive pigs may be invading the US, where feral pigs already pose problems in the South. Then the boar market peaked, collapsing in 2001, and many of the super pigs were simply let go. Others escaped, as the super pigs were stronger and more adept at getting under or over fencing. But the super pigs from Canada could easily survive the frigid winters of places like Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, or Minnesota.

Yet congenital syphilis is easily preventable if an infected person gets access to penicillin during their pregnancy. There were 2,677 cases of congenital syphilis in the U.S. in 2021 for a population of 332 million, according to preliminary CDC data. Canada had 96 cases for a population of 38 million, according to Health Canada. Health Canada told Reuters it has dispatched epidemiologists to help provinces contain the increase in congenital syphilis. The province had an incidence of 185 cases of congenital syphilis per 100,00 live births in 2021.

March 28 (Reuters) - Canada's Crescent Point Energy Corp (CPG.TO) said on Tuesday it would acquire Spartan Delta Corp's (SDE.TO) oil and gas assets in Alberta's Montney region for C$1.7 billion ($1.24 billion). Crescent Point shares dipped 0.7% in Toronto, while Spartan stock gained nearly 8%. Crescent Point said it is looking to reduce net debt by about C$1 billion over the next 12 months and may also sell assets. Crescent Point also produces oil in the province of Saskatchewan. Crescent Point raised its production outlook to 160,000 to 166,000 boepd from the earlier forecast of 138,000 to 142,000 boepd.

☆ Canadian 'super pigs' set to spread disease and damage the environment in the US, expert warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The expert called for a campaign to cut down the size of the feral pig population. These pigs are a cross between wild boars and domestic pigs, and were bred in Canada in the 1980s to diversify agriculture. The size and intelligence of the Canadian pigs has helped them survive the tough Canadian winters, and they can burrow tunnel ls into the snow, evading predators and freezing conditions, according to report. An expert told Fox News that the pigs can carry diseases transferable to humans, such as E. coli and hepatitis, and can devastate the environment. Brook called for a campaign to cut down the size of the Canadian pig population before they cause damage in the US.

☆ ChatGPT is for suckers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Chatbots are bullshit engines built to say things with incontrovertible certainty and a complete lack of expertise. What is it that makes human beings trust a machine we know is untrustworthy? After millennia of debate, the world's leading philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists haven't even agreed on a mechanism for why people come to believe things, or what beliefs even are. We want Google results to be true, because we think of Google as a trusted arbiter, if not an authority. The power of storyAnother possible explanation of why we're suckers for chatbots is that we're suckers for explanation.

REUTERS/Eva Plevier/File PhotoWINNIPEG, Manitoba, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Netherlands-based Rabobank NA (RABOVR.UL) is aiming to grab 10-15% of the Canadian farm lending market within 15 years, as it aims to shake up a sector dominated by government and domestic banks, its new Canadian agricultural head told Reuters on Wednesday. It took Rabobank a decade before deciding to expand into Canadian farm lending, taking a methodical approach, Lieverse said. Rabobank expects Canadian farm lending to be profitable from the start and plans to announce hiring plans shortly, she said. Rabobank did not release its estimate of the value of the Canadian farm lending market, but government agency Statistics Canada pegged 2021 farm debt at a record-high C$129 billion ($96.1 billion), with chartered banks accounting for 37%. Farm Credit Canada, owned by the Canadian government, is the biggest agricultural lender, controlling a market share of about one-third, Lieverse said.

☆ Alberta premier says province open to providing carbon capture tax credits
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Shell employee walks past the company's new Quest Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) facility in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, October 7, 2021. REUTERS/Todd KorolJan 10 (Reuters) - Canada's main oil-producing province Alberta is open to bolstering tax credits for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology but also wants the federal government to increase financial support, Premier Danielle Smith said on Tuesday. Carbon capture and storage is seen as a key plank in global efforts to fight climate change by cutting emissions, and last April Ottawa unveiled tax credits designed to spur investment in the costly technology. Last week Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged the province to use its budget surplus to boost the tax credits. "We are working towards the same goal...then we can figure out what portion comes from federal tax relief and what portion comes from provincial tax relief," Smith said.

☆ Bob McGrath, a ‘Sesame Street’ original, dies at 90
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Bob McGrath, an actor and recording artist who became a generational icon as one of the original human stars of “Sesame Street,” died Sunday. McGrath’s death was confirmed by his family members through a post on his Facebook page: “The McGrath family has some sad news to share. He played the friendly neighbor Bob Johnson, a “Sesame Street” mainstay across five decades and 47 seasons of broadcast television. In 1969, McGrath stepped into his signature role on “Sesame Street,” which was a pop culture force from its debut on the then-fledging PBS network in November 1969. McGrath was indelibly associated with “Sesame Street” for the rest of his career.

CNN —Bob McGrath, an original cast member of the beloved children’s program “Sesame Street,” has died, according to statements from his family and Sesame Workshop shared on social media. Our father Bob McGrath, passed away today. The Sesame Workshop paid tribute to McGrath’s nearly five decades on the show in a thread on Twitter. “A founding cast member, Bob embodied the melodies of Sesame Street like no one else, and his performances brought joy and wonder to generations of children around the world,” the statement read in part. “Sesame Street” cast member Alan Muraoka paid tribute to his “role model.”“Words cannot begin to express what Bob meant to me: a role model, a mentor, a friend.

☆ Researchers test mRNA technology for universal flu vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It delivers tiny lipid particles containing mRNA instructions for cells to create replicas of so-called hemagglutinin proteins that appear on influenza virus surfaces. A universal vaccine would not mean an end to flu seasons, but would replace the guess work that goes into developing annual shots months ahead of flu season each year. Moderna and Pfizer both have mRNA flu vaccines in late-stage human trials, and GSK (GSK.L) and partner CureVac (5CV.DE) are testing an mRNA flu vaccine in an early-stage safety trial in humans. These vaccines are designed to defend against only four recently-circulating influenza strains but could theoretically be changed up each year. The universal flu vaccine, if successful in human trials, would not necessarily prevent infection.

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