Bomb Threats Disrupt Flights at Six Major Canadian Airports
'Early this morning, NAV CANADA was made aware of bomb threats affecting facilities in Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver,' the air traffic authority said on X. 'Employees at impacted locations are safe, and a temporary ground stop has been implemented at the affected airports.'
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'STEP BACKWARDS': World Cup will have 'ravine strategy,' but not free transit
It's not easy being green. A not-yet-released City of Toronto environmental plan, mandated by FIFA and received by the Toronto Sun after a freedom-of-information request, shows the soccer federation and the municipal government will use an array of topics, including several tied to diversity and labour matters, to sell the soccer celebration as being as earth-friendly as it can be. That comes despite the tournament taking 'a huge step backwards' by not offering free transit for ticket holders. In a brief statement, Sharon Bollenbach, executive director of the city's World Cup secretariat, confirmed the Sun has the most recent edition of the environmental document, Version 5, dated September 2024. Updates to the plan and 'other components of the city's legacy framework' should be released late this year or early in 2026, she said. 'The current plan is for accredited volunteers to receive complimentary transit access during the tournament,' Bollenbach added. A TTC spokesperson confirmed to the Sun that World Cup host cities are required to offer free transit for volunteers, but said no other fare concessions are currently in the plans. Just last year, news reports said World Cup ticket holders would get free access to the TTC. Included in the freedom-of-information disclosure were notes from a January 2024 meeting that was attended by two city bureaucrats and representatives from FIFA and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which operates BMO Field. Some World Cup host requirements have 'been relaxed and refined,' and 'free public transportation (is) no longer' a must, the notes say. However, 'since 2014, free transit has been offered for all ticket holders, so not offering this would be a huge step backwards in 2026,' the notes add. Notably, at the 2018 tournament in Russia, ticket holders enjoyed not just complimentary local transportation, but also free train rides between World Cup host cities. A section of the environmental plan, headlined 'low carbon transportation,' says one of Toronto's objectives is to 'enhance active and public transportation accessibility and efficiency' for the tournament. It says other 'potential initiatives' are being considered, such as free parking at TTC lots, increased service from GO Transit stations, and more bike racks and bike share stations at BMO Field. Free transit wasn't the only thing that was dropped. Later versions of the environmental plan omit a section that references what is required by FIFA, such as 'The City of Toronto shall inform what recycling and composting services for waste will be provided at all tournament sites.' 'I have consulted our legal team … our position is to ask you to remove mention of the requirements as these are taken from documents that are not in the public realm,' Paula Gabriela Freitas, a FIFA sustainability manager, wrote three city officials in an email in June 2024. Toronto's plan covers numerous topics, but only briefly and in very general terms. The most recent version of the plan is just 28 pages. Topics range from the energy efficiency of the new Centennial Park training facility — which is being built for the tournament — to electric vehicles, food waste, air quality and animal rights. At the January 2024 meeting, it was suggested the plan's authors 'consider adding procedures to deal with stray animals (such as) raccoons, squirrels' at BMO Field. That idea does not appear to have made the cut — instead, the 'biodiversity and animal rights' section covers 'urban bird safety and reduced light pollution,' a 'pollinator protection strategy' and the 'Toronto ravine strategy.' On water management, the plan says the city will, through signs, social media and advertising, 'raise awareness and educate' at the World Cup about what shouldn't get flushed down the drain. The city is also working to 'naturalize around 600 metres' of a stream in Centennial Park. A large portion of the plan, under the headline 'sustainable procurement and supply chain management,' has little apparent link to the environment. One section discusses 'supply chain diversity' — encouraging access to procurement processes based on race. Other subheadings include 'fair wage bylaw,' 'gender diversity in city procurements,' 'workforce development' and 'purchase of products manufactured in factories where children are used as slave labour or other exploitive circumstances which impede child development.' The gender diversity portion reads, in full: 'As part of city council's support to enhance gender diversity on boards of corporations, all corporations conducting business with the City of Toronto are encouraged to utilize an intersectional analysis to strive to have gender parity on their corporate boards.' The January 2024 meeting emphasized a need to 'make a connection' with First Nations as part of Toronto's 'environmental justice' strategy. In the preliminary version of the environmental plan, there is an 'environmental justice' section — but it is blank, and the section was dropped from later editions. The documents don't say the equity focus is mandated by FIFA, but it fits with city hall's goals for the tournament, as previously reported by the Sun. The city set aside $7.5 million for 'legacy' social initiatives, such as workforce development, for 'equity-deserving communities.' Moise's park name change turning a unifier into a divider, predecessor says Save wildlife, contractors from winter salt woes: Councillor Councillors quiet as 'Black-mandated' shelter news prompts outrage That money is part of city hall's $380-million World Cup budget. When council committed to Toronto's bid in April 2022, the city had pegged the cost at $290 million. That total budget figure may not be final, as city hall committees heard this spring about a 'funding gap' that could see World Cup planners 'reduce scope.' The drafting of the environmental plan will have taken years, with the first version dated October 2023. Since then, there have been meetings and many emails, one of which hints at some of the friction that process may have created. 'Understandably, some of you may not be so happy with the final results,' FIFA's Freitas wrote in February 2024, as she gave city bureaucrats a brief extension on the environmental plan's second version. Toronto will host six World Cup games, with the first set for June 12, 2026. jholmes@
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Second day of travel chaos as French air traffic controllers strike
A strike by French air traffic controllers brought a second day of chaos to European skies Friday, with flights for hundreds of thousands of people cancelled as the summer holiday season gathered pace. More than 1,100 flights arriving or leaving France and hundreds that were to fly over the country were cancelled Friday, according to official figures. Paris airports were even more severely affected than on the first day of the strike on Thursday, which was called by two unions protesting against understaffing and "toxic management". The timing of the strike is particularly acute with Friday the final day of school in France before the summer holidays. At Paris airports, passengers stared at departure boards loaded with cancellations to assess their options. Some travellers appeared distraught. Sabrina Taristas, 42, was set to fly to the southern French city of Toulouse. "We can't go against the strike but it's true that it's a real inconvenience for us travellers," she told AFP. The strike was due to end Friday evening and no disruptions were expected on Saturday. France's DGAC civil aviation authority said 1,125 flights had been cancelled on Friday, compared to 933 flights on Thursday. French flag-carrier Air France said its long-haul flights were not affected. The travel disruption also affected hotels. Many travellers cancelled hotel bookings, particularly in cities with large airports such as Nice and Paris, according to the UMIH hotel and restaurant union. "There's a bit of panic among those arriving and those leaving, airlines are trying to rebook their customers, it's complicated to manage and it's going to cost them a lot," Veronique Siegel of the UMIH union told AFP. In the Mediterranean city of Nice, the airport said 200 trips had been cancelled on Thursday, and 220 on Friday, affecting 50,000 passengers. The government condemned the strike. "Choosing the day when everyone goes on holiday to go on strike at air traffic control is taking the French hostage," Prime Minister Francois Bayrou told broadcaster BFMTV. - 'Unacceptable' - Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the strike was "unacceptable". "Yesterday and today, 272 people in our country will impact the well-being of more than 500,000 people," he told broadcaster CNews, referring to the number of the workers on strike. UNSA-ICNA, the second biggest labour group in the sector, launched the action to protest against "chronic understaffing", the introduction of a clocking-in system, outdated equipment and "toxic management practices that are incompatible with the requirements of calm and safety". The third largest union, USAC-CGT, joined the strike but not the main SNCTA union. The effects of the strike were not limited to France and the stoppage has triggered hundreds of cancellations of flights that fly over the country. The European Airlines for Europe (A4E) association said 1,500 flights would be cancelled on Thursday and Friday in Europe, affecting 300,000 passengers. A4E chief Ourania Georgoutsakou said Thursday that "the actions of a minority of French air traffic control workers" would "needlessly disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of people in France and across Europe". The association said the strikes caused "almost 500,000 minutes" in delays in Europe on Thursday on nearly 33,000 commercial flights. Ryanair, Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, said it had cancelled more than 400 flights. Chief executive Michael O'Leary has urged the EU Commission to protect such overflights by law in case of strikes. "Of these 400 flight cancellations, 350 would not be cancelled if the EU protected overflights over France," he said. Around 30 flights at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam were cancelled while others were delayed on Friday due to the strikes, an airport spokesperson said. "Around 30 flights have been cancelled today by airlines as a precaution," the spokesperson said. tq-sjw-ah-as/phz
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Media Advisory - Governor General to visit Iqaluit, Nunavut, for final stop of her Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour
OTTAWA, ON, July 4, 2025 /CNW/ - Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, will undertake a visit to Iqaluit, Nunavut, from July 7 to 9, 2025, for the fourth and final stop of her Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour. The tour, which was officially launched in Newfoundland and Labrador in July 2024, highlights best practices in mental health and wellness in communities across northern Canada. While in Iqaluit, the Governor General will also participate in Nunavut Day celebrations, visit local organizations highlighting Inuit culture and the importance of traditional knowledge through educational and land-based programs, and learn about the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and the critical work of organizations like the Canadian Coast Guard in environmental response. ItineraryNote: All local times. Iqaluit, Nunavut Monday, July 7, 2025 1:30 Fisheries and Marine Training Consortium (NFMTC)The Governor General will meet with students who attended the NFMTC to learn about their training for employment in the marine industry. The students will demonstrate practical applications of their training and showcase their proficiency in vital marine and fisheries more about the Nunavut Fisheries and Marine Training ConsortiumOFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY 2:30 to the Tukisigiarvik CentreAs part of her Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour, the Governor General will visit the Tukisigiarvik Centre where she will meet with individuals participating in mental health and wellness programs that incorporate Inuit traditions and cultural practices. During her visit, the Governor General will have the opportunity to hear from individuals about how these programs have helped them gain strength through about the Tukisigiarvik Centre674 Palaugaa DriveOPEN TO MEDIA Tuesday, July 9, 2025 10:00 to the Piruqatigiit Resource CentreThe Governor General will visit the Piruqatigiit Resource Centre, a winner of the 2024-25 Arctic Inspiration Prize. During the visit, the Governor General will learn about Ajunngittutit, a culturally guided, alternative learning program grounded in Inuit traditional knowledge that honours and preserves Inuit culture while preparing participants for future more about the Piruqatigiit Resource Centre OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY 11:00 to Qaujigiartiit Health Research CentreThe Governor General will visit the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre, which integrates Inuit knowledge with western science in its approach to health research. The Governor General will learn about the various workshops and training opportunities the centre provides to more about the Qaujigiartiit Health Research CentreOFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY 2:30 Health Learning and Listening Tour round-table discussionAs part of the tour, the Governor General will host a round-table discussion that brings together people with lived experience, mental health experts and change makers who will share their experiences and build awareness around innovative practices in the PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY Wednesday, July 9, 2025 12:00 Day activitiesThe Governor General will deliver remarks and participate in Nunavut Day School GroundsOPEN TO MEDIAMedia contact: Ivaluarjuk Merritt, Director of Communications, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. media@ Notes for media: Members of the media must confirm their attendance with the Rideau Hall Press Office and the media contacts listed above. Photos of the visit can be provided to media upon request via media@ Media members can follow the Governor General's visit and activities at Related links: Governor General launches Mental Health Learning and Listening Tour Stay connected:Follow GovernorGeneralCanada on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. SOURCE Governor General of Canada View original content: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
