Olivia Chow’s first day as mayor of Toronto kicked off with literal bells and whistles as dozens of cyclists accompanied her on a ride to City Hall Wednesday morning. While Wednesday’s ride was in many ways a celebration, it was also a reminder of the pressure that Chow will feel as mayor to prioritize active transportation. “Cycling infrastructure in Toronto needs a lot of work,” said Derek Lind, who joined the ride with his son Cameron, 11. City councillors Paula Fletcher (Ward 14, Toronto-Danforth), Diane Saxe (Ward 11, University-Rosedale), and 2022 mayoral contender Gil Penalosa joined Chow on the morning ride. “I’ve ridden many times with you Olivia, but today, on the first official day of you being sworn in as mayor is the most exciting ride I’ve had ever with you,” Fletcher said.

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Valley Pride kicks off in the Wolfville and Kentville areas on Wednesday. (Jane Robertson/CBC - image credit)Two towns in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley are celebrating their first official Pride festival this week, with a series of events and performances. It's called Valley Pride and it's taking place in the Kentville and Wolfville areas. - Ashley Cyr, Valley Pride co-ordinatorCyr said there are still some concerns about potential protests, so the festival has hired security for some events thanks to some federal funding meant to help ensure Pride festivals stay safe. "We're drawing from folks who are from the community and familiar with working with the queer community," Cyr said.

WATCH | Why the Competition Bureau is looking into Amazon:Début du widget Widget. Fin du widget Widget. They deceive users to get users to act in ways that are beneficial to the company, not users, he told CBC News. While Amazon is the latest and biggest target, Cofone says it is by no means the only company accused of using them. She has a litany of different business conduct that she alleges Amazon engages in that are anti-competitive, she says.

WATCH | 'Monetary policy is working,' says Bank of Canada governor Tiff MacklemDébut du widget Widget. Fin du widget Widget. Its updated projections now suggest that it will take longer to hit its two per cent inflation target than previously thought. She's watched her variable mortgage rate double since the Bank of Canada began its aggressive campaign to cool inflation. Fin du widget Widget.

WHISTLER, B.C. - Mounties in British Columbia say a 28-year-old American woman has died after falling from a popular hiking trail near Whistler. Sea to Sky RCMP have identified the woman as Nicole Killian from Richmond, Vermont, who was a member of a rescue team in her hometown. They say the RCMP, the BC Coroners Service and BC Parks are now working on a joint investigation to determine events leading up the incident. “Garibaldi Provincial Park and the Black Tusk is a highly popular area in the Sea to Sky and although readily travelled this remains a technical and advanced level hike,” RCMP Sgt.

Here are some highlights, edited for clarity:AdvertisementIs Dallas a spot that you’ve wanted to see as home for a while? When I went through that process, I wanted to try — Nashville was the place that we really were looking to go. 9 more than I’ve worn 95. I’ve just worn 95 for more teams. We don’t really have anybody to watch the kids.

Naturally I’m not referring to Toronto Star subscribers. Solely online, I like historian Adam Tooze, feminist journalist Caroline Criado Perez and novelist Gary Shteyngart on Substack. You, who work elsewhere, don’t need all this — you have productive daily lives thick with interest — but some publications are a pleasure, an essence. You need to read sane, trustworthy reporting. If you don’t have big knowledge of your city via big journalism, you can’t live in Toronto successfully.

The head of Childersburg Rescue Squad in Alabama, Captain Jim Dennis, is clarifying his comments after they were misconstrued regarding the connection between a viral TikTok challenge and recent deaths. However, he clarified that not all of these incidents were linked to the boat jumping challenge popularized on TikTok. Dennis stated that while one person died from jumping out of a boat, he cannot definitively say if it was connected to TikTok. Speaking to al.com, Captain Dennis expressed that his initial comments were blown out of proportion. Captain Dennis warned that water is an exceptionally hard surface and compared it to cutting diamonds and steel.

The Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)The Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners that contribute to global warming. Hydrofluorocarbons are highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners. The American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical manufacturers and users, welcomed the EPA rule. The EPA rule includes a range of administrative penalties, including license revocation and retirement of allowances for companies that don’t comply.

The shop, FunGuyz, advertises itself as a medical dispensary that sells magic mushrooms, a type of fungi that is considered a hallucinogen. The production, sale and possession of magic mushrooms are illegal in Canada, except for some medical contexts which require special permission from Health Canada. Fallu said there is a growing body of scientific research showing the potential therapeutic benefits of magic mushrooms. Magic mushroom products on sale at the FunGuyz Montreal location on July 11, 2023. But medical use of psilocybin, the main active compound in magic mushrooms that causes hallucinations, is tightly controlled by Health Canada.

The big number $2.1 billion the scale of mayor-elect Olivia Chow’s inherited budget challenge according to new city hall reports. That includes $300 million worth of reductions and delays to infrastructure projects made to account for last year’s budget shortfall, a $916 million projected budget shortfall for this year, and an estimated budget gap of up to $927 million for next year. Big number: $2.1 billion, the scale of mayor-elect Olivia Chow’s inherited budget challenge according to new city hall reports. That includes $300 million worth of reductions and delays to infrastructure projects made to account for last year’s budget shortfall, a $916 million projected budget shortfall for this year, and an estimated budget gap of up to $927 million for next year. So, in summary, Chow has to figure out how to reverse $300 million worth of budget cuts and delays to infrastructure projects from last year, fill a $916 million budget hole this year, and address a projected gap of up to $927 million for next year.

July 15 — the hottest day of the year for the city, according to what may be the largest thermal comfort study ever performed in North America. “We know looking at the historic data and future climate projections, that July 15 is Toronto’s hottest day,” Jalalian said. “The urban heat island effect can cause temperatures in urban centres to go 10, 15 degrees hotter than their surrounding rural areas, with pavements and buildings retaining more heat,” Jalalian said. “Designing the public realm with thermal comfort in mind is key to designing a resilient city.”What is thermal comfort? It’s vital for a city to maximize thermal comfort — a reality that’s become more stark with climate change, Jalalian said.

NATO offers Ukraine a faster path to membership while critics say the plan is too vagueA man waves Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags during an event on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11, 2023. "We reaffirmed that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and agreed to remove the requirement for a membership action plan. This would change Ukraine's membership path from a two-step process to a one-step process," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the conclusion of the summit's first day. This is a strong package for Ukraine and a clear path towards its membership in NATO." He urged Trudeau and all NATO leaders "to state clearly when and how Ukraine will become a NATO member."

Icelandic authorities are warning hikers of an increased rock fall risk on the Reykjanes Peninsula, after the volcanic eruption at Litla-Hrút triggered hundreds of earthquakes in the region. Significant seismic activity was recorded in the run up to the eruption, but the Icelandic government said fissure eruptions do not typically cause large explosions or project ash. Police warn of gas risks and possibility of new fissuresThe eruption took place between Litli-Hrútur peak and Mt. New vent could form without notice : policeActivity at the eruption site continues to decrease, but authorities warned the area is still unstable. It is therefore a fissure eruption that behaves not unlike previous eruptions in the same areas.