Chris Speyer has been promoted to senior vice president, chief merchandising officer, and Isabelle Portilla has been promoted to vice president, Co-op Brands, both effective immediately. He joined the co-op in 2017 as vice president of Co-op Brands, REI’s private label known for innovative design and responsible manufacturing. Speyer’s role expanded to include leadership of REI’s merchandising teams in 2021. Vice President, Co-op BrandsPortilla joined the co-op in 2017, leading product strategy and design for Co-op Brands, including ongoing product collaboration with Outdoor Afro Inc. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of 21.5 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service.

Trump vs. DeSantis: Rivals’ very different styles on displayDAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — In his first trip to Iowa this year, Ron DeSantis did not take any questions from voters. For DeSantis, a leading Republican presidential prospect, it was simply business as usual. He doesn’t have that social connection with folks.”Perhaps no one is paying closer attention than Trump, who views DeSantis as his only real rival for the Republican presidential nomination. Such stops give voters “a way to see the president in a different light," said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung. One major difference between DeSantis and Trump is that Trump has welcomed press coverage of his unscripted moments.

Sydney Earle Smith, the veteran President of the University of Toronto, was tapped by rookie PM John Diefenbaker to be the latter’s Secretary of State for External Affairs in 1957. Prime Minister Diefenbaker learned of his minister’s death while he was in the House. “I sent a note to the Prime Minister on the floor of the House, and he came behind the curtains immediately. The Prime Minister was stunned and profoundly upset. “When the shock wore off, Prime Minister Diefenbaker appointed British Columbia’s Howard Green as Smith’s replacement.

AP Photo/Antonio Calanni5 things to watch at 2023 World Figure Skating ChampionshipsIt’s almost time for the biggest figure skating competition of the year. Yes, the 2023 ISU World Figure Skating Championships will soon be underway in Saitama, Japan. They have never been to the world championships together. This young team hasn’t competed since they won silver at the Canadian championships in January. ETEarning Spots for World Championships at HomeAside from medals, the most important thing at stake at every edition of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships is qualification for the next year’s worlds.

Thirty years after B.C.’s War in the Woods, where do things stand in the fight for old-growth forests? That’s the question The Narwhal’s Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood and David Suzuki posed on a trip to the site of that seminal battle against logging in Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Go here to watch the War for the Woods documentary, or, if you’re in Toronto, grab a ticket to see a screening and conversation with the filmmakers on March 20 at Hot Docs. Read on below for more reflections from Steph on the project and the people she met along the way. Take care and stand tall,Arik LigetiDirector of audience

The 23-year-old, who lost his leg and four fingers in a boating incident as a teenager, has recently been featured as a model for clothing retailer Lululemon. (Stu Mills/CBC - image credit)If you happen to find yourself at a Lululemon store these days, chances are you'll come across Emilio Dutra. When he was just a teenager, Dutra lost his right leg at the hip and four fingers on his right hand when he was struck by the propeller of a boat on Lac Pemichangan in western Quebec. WATCH | As a teen, he lost his leg. Now he's modelling for Lululemon:"When I first lost my leg — and even probably a year ago — I don't think I ever saw this happening," Dutra told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.

Races scheduled for Friday and Saturday, livestreamed on cbc.caTiana Gairns of Prince George gets some hang time during a World Cup ski cross race Feb. 17 in Reiteralm, Austria. 1 / 1 Tiana Gairns of Prince George gets some hang time during a World Cup ski cross race Feb. 17 in Reiteralm, Austria. Four days after she won her the first World Cup medal of her career, Prince George ski cross racer Tiana Gairns of Prince George is setting herself up for a memorable weekend to wrap up the season on Canadian soil. Friday’s World Cup race starts at 7:45 a.m. PT for the men, followed by the women’s race at 10:30 a.m. PT. Meanwhile, at a World Cup snowboard cross race Thursday in Veysonnaz, Evan Bichon of Prince George, 24, qualified sixth in a field of 61 and finished the race 18th overall.

Eddy's Good News: A heartwarming pupdate from CanadaVirgin Radio16 Mar 2023, 10:25AdvertisementCredit: Lori Kalef -SPCA InternationalEvery day during his show on Virgin Radio, Eddy Temple-Morris brings you Good News stories from around the world, to help inject a bit of positivity into your day! Say salaam to Freshta Siddiqui and her Anatolian shepherd dog, Lucky, who she had to leave behind when she had to leave Afghanistan for fear of persecution because of her gender. “Freshta’s story really touched our hearts” said the Society for the Protection of Cruelty To Animals, who took Lucky in and made sure he was safe with foster parents for ten months, while his mum was in Pakistan, waiting to move to British Columbia. It was hard though, because Lucky is so good at opening doors! “Lucky is a very, very funny, big goofy dog” says Freshta, “He has no idea how big he is, he thinks he’s a lapdog, and he loves opening doors!”AdvertisementVia www.cbc.ca.

The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) has applauded the United Nations’ high seas treaty reached this month, saying it will contribute to the protection of the Inuit homeland in the North. “When Inuit look out across the ocean, we see an ocean that connects us rather than separate us. The oceans are the life of Inuit and all people worldwide.”The maritime biodiversity treaty was reached on March 4. Indigenous knowledge included amongst principlesAmong the principles outlined in the document is accessing Indigenous knowledge only if free, prior and informed consent is given. “Indigenous knowledge is necessary for addressing the inter-related ocean, biodiversity and climate change crises.”Lisa Koperqualuk, ICC Canada president, says Inuit are at the forefront of climate change with knowledge that can assist the world community.

Watchdog pledges ‘demanding’ oversight of nuclear sub dealWASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the global nuclear regulatory agency pledged Wednesday to be “very demanding” in overseeing the United States' planned transfer of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, amid complaints that the U.S. move could clear the way for bad actors to escape nuclear oversight in the future. It would be the first transfer by a nuclear-weapon state of nuclear-powered submarines to a non-nuclear state. Nuclear-powered submarines move more quietly and for longer than conventionally powered ones. Critics express concern that bad actors could use the loophole as cover, pointing to the U.S.-Australia deal as precedent, to divert nuclear material into a weapons program. “So the process starts now.”The architects of nuclear nonproliferation accords left open a loophole for use of nuclear material for some non-explosive military purposes, with nuclear naval propulsion in mind.

● That is almost twice the cumulative number of housing units required to be built by 2031 within the 25 GGH municipalities that have been recently assigned new housing targets by the Province. ● Many municipalities required no, or extremely limited, urban area expansions to accommodate population growth forecast by the Growth Plan to 2051. ● No additional overall housing capacity would be required in the GGH to meet the GGH’s share of the 1.5 million housing target for the Province of Ontario by 2031. ● Expansion of urban boundaries by thousands of hectares through provincial approval – or wholesale replacement of – City and Regional Official plans. Therefore, the 2 million total projected homes that could be built represent a conservative estimate of total possible future supply to 2031.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The Webb Space Telescope has captured the rare and fleeting phase of a star on the cusp of death. The observation was among the first made by Webb following its launch in late 2021. Its infrared eyes observed all the gas and dust flung into space by a huge, hot star 15,000 light-years away. The Hubble Space Telescope snapped a shot of the same transitioning star a few decades ago, but it appeared more like a fireball without the delicate details. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena turned a stranded moment for anthem singer Natalie Morris into a triumph after her microphone went blank in a technical malfunction. Fans realized the problem immediately, which began the moment Morris started to sing the U.S. national anthem ahead of Monday’s contest against the Buffalo Sabres. That this happened against the Sabres was quite fitting, as Buffalo is the only American professional sports team to play the Canadian anthem at all their home games. Tech crews were able to restore sound for the Canadian anthem. They are the only American sports team to play the anthem.

What has made the Toronto Raptors’ recent nosedive in the standings is the fact that Nick Nurse has the starting lineup playing well following the acquisition of Jakob Poeltl. If they are a little bit below, that’s still probably good enough,” Nurse said, via the Toronto Star. Dave Feschuk: Raptors coach Nick Nurse lowers the bar for his struggling reserves https://t.co/ovIQNyhm67 — Toronto Star Sports (@StarSports) March 13, 2023Nick Nurse had a depressing quote about the Toronto Raptors bench. Part of the frustration that Nurse and Raptors fans share is the fact that this issue does not seem solvable in the short term. Lakers bench — Raptors bench —61 points 12 points pic.twitter.com/Fq2792mYln — StatMuse (@statmuse) March 11, 2023The Poeltl trade has proven to be a game-changer that has made the Raptors a much-better team when he is in the lineup, but he can’t play 48 minutes.

Can Canada reach its record-setting target of 500,000 new immigrants in 2025 while also welcoming the world’s refugees? Can we afford not to? Immigration Minister Sean Fraser will talk about Canada’s juggling act. Moderated by Star columnist Martin Regg Cohn, this event at Toronto Metropolitan University will be livestreamed at 2:30 p.m. on thestar.com.