Florida is one of a handful of states that have applied to import wholesale prescription drugs from Canada. In a media statement, federal Health Minister Mark Holland said Canada has regulations in place to protect its drug supply. "Health Canada is actively monitoring the Canadian drug supply and continues to ensure that Canadians have access to the drugs that they need." We can't supply Florida with the drugs that they may need without doing damage in Canada." Decision could harm Canadians, warns trade groupInnovative Medicines Canada, a trade group that represents about 50 pharma companies, said allowing Florida to import drugs meant for Canadians could "disrupt" Canada's health-care system.

The classical literature Carol Off studied at Western more than 40 years ago was on her mind while reporting from war zones, writing each of her books and during 16 years at the helm of the CBC Radio show As It Happens. “Understanding how people think and how they operate – I got that from English literature,” Off said. Her class at Western will be based on her newest book, At a Loss for Words: Why We Can’t Talk to Each Other, due to be released in fall 2024. “Read broadly, read widely, read deeply. Read with pleasure.”Much has changed since Off graduated from Western in 1981.

The black-capped chickadee has been chosen as the City of Regina's official bird. (Alexander Quon/CBC - image credit)The black-capped chickadee has been crowned as Regina's new official bird. A black-capped chickadee captured near the public feeders in Hawrelak Park in Edmonton, Alta. (Rick Bremness/CBC)The six finalists up for consideration were the peregrine falcon, red-breasted nuthatch, grey partridge, Canada goose, American pelican and black-capped chickadee. The black-capped chickadee rules the roost.

Toronto Star and Toronto Public Library (CNW Group/Toronto Star)If you do, then the 2024 Toronto Star Short Story Contest, one of the largest and longest running short story contests in North America, offers a chance to show your skills as a writer and possibly see your story printed in the largest newspaper and appear on one of the most-visited websites in Canada. This is the 16th consecutive year that Toronto Public Library has been a partner with the Star in presenting the contest. "The Toronto Star Short Story Contest is a special opportunity for writers across Ontario to share their stories for a chance to have them published," says Vickery Bowles, Toronto Public Library's City Librarian. It has also been making a difference in the lives of children for more than 100 years through the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund and the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund. About Toronto Public Library:Toronto Public Library is the world's busiest urban public library system, with more than 46 million annual visits to our branches and online.

Canadians are still paying too much for telecom services, the industry minister said Thursday, one day after Rogers Communications said it was raising the cost of some of its wireless phone plans. Rogers said Wednesday it would hike the cost (new window) of some of its wireless plans for non-contract customers. Bell is also reportedly increasing some of its existing wireless phone plan prices in February, according to a report (new window) by MobileSyrup. Fin du widget Widget. Photo: cable.co.uk (CBC)Canadians have some of the highest telecom bills in the world, according to industry (new window) research (new window).

WATCH | The last time El Niño resulted in a brown Christmas:Début du widget Widget. Fin du widget Widget. There's still time to get that moisture, but El Niño is not dead in the water; it's still a force, he said. WATCH | Here's how El Niño works:Début du widget Widget. Fin du widget Widget.

(Jacques Poitras/CBC - image credit)After patients faced overcrowding and long waits in Fredericton's emergency room over the holidays, New Brunswick Green Party Leader David Coon is calling for immediate changes and more funding. The offences are alleged to have occurred at Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton between Nov. 7, 2017, and Oct. 6, 2022. Maria Richard of the New Brunswick Nurses Union was more direct. Maria Richard, first vice-president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union, contends travel nurses are not the medium or long-term solution to staffing shortages in the province. Maria Richard, vice-president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union, said the staffing issues at the DECH are "unsafe" for patients, nurses and doctors.

OTTAWA – Canada’s cybersecurity czar says he doesn’t yet know how to publicly “deauthenticate” AI-powered fake videos as his agency warns of the growing threat of disinformation campaigns in upcoming elections. The possibility is real, likely to happen sooner rather than later and current verification tools aren’t enough anymore, says Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) head Sami Khoury. A simple voice message at the end of an ad “is not going to do it anymore.”“AI can now be used to almost impersonate my voice. But opponents’ ability to generate fake videos and images “exceeds our ability to detect them,” the report notes. “The airwaves can be polluted with fake robocalls, or fake videos … or fake messages or emails by people who are pretending to be the candidate,” Khoury illustrated.

Ralph Rosenberg of Ames is a retired attorney, former state legislator, former director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, and former leader of statewide Iowa nonprofit organizations. Support public and rural education and by doing so, support rural communities. Families for Better Care ranked Iowa nursing homes as 37th best in America; staffing shortages exist in 42 percent of Iowa nursing homes. Without affordable and quality child care, Iowa families have to reduce working hours, or take part-time jobs, making it more difficult to make ends meet. Re-fund the Leopold Center at Iowa State University to support demonstration projects on sustainable agriculture.

Wireless phone plans will be getting more expensive for some Canadians this year. Rogers Communications Inc. will increase the cost of some of its plans in the coming weeks, the company confirmed to CBC News on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Bell is reportedly increasing some of its existing wireless phone plan prices in February, according to a report (new window)by Canadian tech news outlet MobileSyrup. The Rogers price hike will impact some customers' wireless phone plans and Internet plans, including customers of its subsidiary Fido, a spokesperson for the telecom giant told CBC News. Customers who have been notified by Rogers will start seeing the new price applied to bills issued after Jan. 17.

Son of Elsewhere author Elamin Abdelmahmoud will be keynote speaker during Spark: A Celebration of Creativity and ImaginationNEWS RELEASEINNISFIL IDEALAB & LIBRARY*************************The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library is thrilled to announce that tickets are now on sale for Spark: A Celebration of Creativity and Imagination. Keynote speaker announcement: We are honoured to present our keynote speaker, Elamin Abdelmahmoud, acclaimed author of Son of Elsewhere and the charismatic host of CBC Radio’s Commotion. Spark will celebrate the power of community, creativity, and innovation, all while raising funds for essential programs in Innisfil. Support from this event will directly benefit the community allowing the library to do more. The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library builds and strengthens community connections through free and low-cost programming that supports children, youth, seniors, entrepreneurs, and community organizations.

January 3, 2024 —As for this year, many unionized workers have seen their purchasing power decline and they’re looking to make up for lost time, said Jesse Hajer, acting coordinator of the labour studies program at the University of Manitoba. “Labour markets have also been tight, giving workers greater bargaining power, making them more willing to go on strike and to stay on strike longer,” Hajer said. “Generally, they have been getting results.”Read more

January 3, 2024 —Northern Manitobans are nervously eyeing the sky and their thermometers hoping for the right conditions for winter roads to open. Ralph Harper of St. Theresa Point First Nation, Man., is watching the river in his community hoping it will soon turn to ice. The river needs to freeze so the community’s 294-kilometre winter road can connect to Berens River. But, the weather is not co-operating in the Northern Manitoba community.

Llamas at the Jock River Alpaca and Llama Farm, in Richmond, Ont. (Francis Ferland/CBC - image credit)Llamas at the Jock River Alpaca and Llama Farm, in Richmond, Ont. Llamas at the Jock River Alpaca and Llama Farm in south Ottawa's community of Richmond in 2020. It said species such as llamas, alpacas and camels help people stay fed and make money and have cultural significance to people in places like South America's Andean highlands. Serendipity Farm and Sanctuary owners Keith and Elizabeth Adam are surrounded by alpacas at their farm in Lanark Highlands.

OTTAWA – More than one in five hard body armour vests Mounties use across the country are expired and offer diminished protection to officers during firearms calls, according to data obtained by the National Post. McCauley said the number of expired vests distributed to Mounties is “mind boggling” because a lack of body armour has previously resulted in the deaths of officers. It's not useless, but would you want to wear hard body armour that is past its expiry date? “It’s not useless, but would you want to wear hard body armour that is past its expiry date? “They have a long history of inadequate procurement of hard body armour going back to Mayerthorpe, which is now nearly 20 years ago,” he said.