Latest news with #CBC
CBC
2 hours ago
- Science
- CBC
Islanders are being asked to help track the rare smooth greensnake this summer
Social Sharing If you spot a smooth greensnake in the wild on Prince Edward Island this summer, the province's Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division wants to hear from you. Officials are hoping to gather data on the elusive reptile, which is considered the rarest snake on the Island. The smooth greensnake is harmless and typically lives in grassy fields, in open woodlands and on the edges of wetlands. But little is known about its population or whether it's at risk on P.E.I., said Julie-Lynn Zahavich, a forest conservation specialist with the province, given that the species has never been formally studied on the Island. "Knowing where the species are and what habitat they're using is the first step to being able to help conserve a species. So it's really important that we figure out those key puzzle pieces that we can put things together," Zahavich told CBC's Island Morning. "In the future, if things change — you know, with climate change or if insect populations go down — we'll be able to know what we had before, so that we know if we've lost the species, we can act on that." Bright green and hard to miss Zahavich said the smooth greensnake is about 30 to 50 centimetres long and, as the name suggests, has a vivid green back. Its underside or belly is typically whitish or yellowish. It's also the only egg-laying snake on the Island. The other two commonly seen species, the garter snake and the red-bellied snake, give birth to live young. The smooth greensnake is easy to distinguish from those two species. Garter snakes are larger and can be more than a metre long, and have a brown or grey back with stripes. Red-bellied snakes have a dark back and a vibrant red belly. Though the smooth greensnake may bite if it feels threatened, Zahavich said it is not venomous. "They're very small, and the bite is not going to hurt you," she said. How Islanders can help Zahavich said the division is hoping Islanders can help gather data on the species by snapping a photo if they happen to see one of the snakes. "Make note of the habitat that they're using... whether you're on a lawn or near a wetland or an open woodland," she said. People are also being asked to use their phone to get the GPS co-ordinates of the location or check Google Maps for a sense of where they were when they saw the snake. Photos and location information can be submitted to the Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division via Facebook, by email or by phone. Submissions are being accepted throughout the summer, when the snakes are active. Knowing where the species are and what habitat they're using is the first step to being able to help conserve a species. — Julie-Lynn Zahavich, forest conservation specialist The division is also interested in hearing about historic sightings. "If you remember seeing them as a kid or many years ago, we'd also love to hear about that," Zahavich said. As well, Islanders can upload photos and sightings to the iNaturalist app, which helps researchers gather data for scientific and conservation purposes. Zahavich said her team is monitoring the platform for smooth greensnake sightings on P.E.I. While public reports are key, Zahavich said her team is also doing its own monitoring. Next year, they hope to expand their efforts across more parts of the province and potentially work with watershed groups and other organizations that can help track down more sightings of the reptiles.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tug-of-war over Palestinian flag at Algonquin College convocation
For her convocation ceremony last week, Algonquin College graduate Rama Al-Zu'bi wanted to walk across the stage at Canadian Tire Centre waving her Palestinian flag. "When it's my time on stage, I'm celebrating me, and Palestinian is me," Al-Zu'bi told CBC. Before she was able to wave the flag of her homeland, however, she first had to win a tug of-war with an Algonquin College staff member who tried to pull it away from her as her name was being called. The incident on June 19 was captured on video. "I yelled, 'Let go!' and took the flag away from him," Al-Zu'bi recounted. "He was pulling very hard." WATCH / The moment Al-Zu'bi describes, captured on video: Al-Zu'bi, a graduate of the college's film and media production program, said she was not told of any policy that would prevent her from waving the Palestinian flag during the ceremony. Other graduates crossed the stage with flags from their home countries including Ecuador, but did not experience pushback from security personnel, Al-Zu'bi said. "I don't think it's the problem of a flag, I think it's a problem with the Palestinian flag," she told CBC. In a statement to CBC, Algonquin College said graduates were informed in advance of the venue's policies, which included a ban on flags. "In keeping with venue rules, flags were not permitted inside," the college said in a statement to CBC. "However, some flags were missed during security screening. As a result, various national flags — including Palestinian flags — were carried across the stage during 12 ceremonies held over four days in Ottawa." The college said security personnel "including venue and College staff, worked to uphold the guidelines," but added it regrets "any distress the enforcement of these rules may have caused." Another video posted on social media shows venue staff confronting a graduate with a Palestinian flag after she crossed the stage. That person declined to speak with CBC. Al-Zu'bi said she feels like her alma mater tried to stifle her freedom of expression. She said her Palestinian flag, which normally hangs on her bedroom wall, was a gift from a sister and is an object that "feels the closest to home." She said there has been no follow-up nor disciplinary action from the college since the ceremony. João Velloso, an associate professor of law at the University of Ottawa, said he found the footage of the June 19 incident "troubling." "It's not necessarily the flag, but how the staff tried to grab it aggressively instead of just managing it," said Velloso, who was part of the University of Ottawa's Senate and Board of Governors during the months-long encampment of pro-Palestinian demonstrators on campus last year. Velloso argues convocations are inherently political events, and activism is going to happen despite institutions trying to prevent it. "In the U.S., just receiving a degree in gender studies is a political statement," he said. "Graduations come with a political dimension." Velloso said one way to manage it would be to allow flags and offer support to students who may be triggered by them – whether the flag is from Palestine, Israel, Russia, Ukraine or other conflict zones.
CBC
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Take a tour of one of Canada's largest tall ships
Toronto's Waterfront Festival kicked off on Friday with a parade of historic tall ships sailing along the waterfront. CBC's Michelle Song joined locals and tourists as they hopped on what's believed to be the biggest tall ship in Canada: Empire Sandy.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tug-of-war over Palestinian flag at Algonquin College convocation
For her convocation ceremony last week, Algonquin College graduate Rama Al-Zu'bi wanted to walk across the stage at Canadian Tire Centre waving her Palestinian flag. "When it's my time on stage, I'm celebrating me, and Palestinian is me," Al-Zu'bi told CBC. Before she was able to wave the flag of her homeland, however, she first had to win a tug of-war with an Algonquin College staff member who tried to pull it away from her as her name was being called. The incident on June 19 was captured on video. "I yelled, 'Let go!' and took the flag away from him," Al-Zu'bi recounted. "He was pulling very hard." WATCH / The moment Al-Zu'bi describes, captured on video: Al-Zu'bi, a graduate of the college's film and media production program, said she was not told of any policy that would prevent her from waving the Palestinian flag during the ceremony. Other graduates crossed the stage with flags from their home countries including Ecuador, but did not experience pushback from security personnel, Al-Zu'bi said. "I don't think it's the problem of a flag, I think it's a problem with the Palestinian flag," she told CBC. In a statement to CBC, Algonquin College said graduates were informed in advance of the venue's policies, which included a ban on flags. "In keeping with venue rules, flags were not permitted inside," the college said in a statement to CBC. "However, some flags were missed during security screening. As a result, various national flags — including Palestinian flags — were carried across the stage during 12 ceremonies held over four days in Ottawa." The college said security personnel "including venue and College staff, worked to uphold the guidelines," but added it regrets "any distress the enforcement of these rules may have caused." Another video posted on social media shows venue staff confronting a graduate with a Palestinian flag after she crossed the stage. That person declined to speak with CBC. Al-Zu'bi said she feels like her alma mater tried to stifle her freedom of expression. She said her Palestinian flag, which normally hangs on her bedroom wall, was a gift from a sister and is an object that "feels the closest to home." She said there has been no follow-up nor disciplinary action from the college since the ceremony. João Velloso, an associate professor of law at the University of Ottawa, said he found the footage of the June 19 incident "troubling." "It's not necessarily the flag, but how the staff tried to grab it aggressively instead of just managing it," said Velloso, who was part of the University of Ottawa's Senate and Board of Governors during the months-long encampment of pro-Palestinian demonstrators on campus last year. Velloso argues convocations are inherently political events, and activism is going to happen despite institutions trying to prevent it. "In the U.S., just receiving a degree in gender studies is a political statement," he said. "Graduations come with a political dimension." Velloso said one way to manage it would be to allow flags and offer support to students who may be triggered by them – whether the flag is from Palestine, Israel, Russia, Ukraine or other conflict zones.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
N.L. government, St. John's offering paid leave to employees to volunteer at Canada Games
Both the Newfoundland and Labrador government and the City of St. John's are encouraging their public service employees to volunteer at the Canada Games this August, and offering them paid time off to do it. St. John's Mayor Danny Breen told CBC News time off would need to be approved by their managers, but the city is offering 16 hours of paid leave for volunteering — eight hours per week for each week of the event. "It's a way that we can support the Canada Games, a way that we can support the volunteer capacity and allow our staff to volunteer," Breen said. "Many city employees will be volunteering far more than that, so it's seen as kind of just a small part of their total commitment." In an email sent on behalf of the provincial Treasury Board Secretariat, communications director Diana Quinton said they're "offering public service employees up to six paid days of leave to volunteer directly with the Canada Summer Games, where operationally feasible." "Employees who have already booked leave during the games may switch to special leave with pay under this exemption, provided they meet the criteria," the email said. Quinton's email said they didn't know yet how many employees would be included in the paid leave. On Wednesday, the Canada Games said they had officially exceeded their 5,000 volunteer recruiting goal. Speaking with reporters on June 18, host society co-chair Karl Smith said around 500 people came forward when the paid leave was introduced. In a recent interview, Premier John Hogan said he welcomed the plan. Public sector employees want to volunteer, he said, but can't control that some events happen during the workday. "It's a big production, and it needs lots of volunteers. And I think it's a great thing that people throughout the community be given that time if necessary [and] they want to volunteer," Hogan said. "This doesn't come along very often. It's an honour to host the Canada Games here and have all Canadians from across the country coast-to-coast-to-coast come to St. John's." Download our to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our . Click .
