In the news today, April 29

Thousands of people across Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick are facing several more days of flooding that has already been life-changing for many. The most dire situation is in Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que., a suburb west of Montreal that was inundated Saturday night after the Lake of Two Mountains burst through a natural dike. More than 5,000 residents were forced to grab what essentials they could, including pets, and flee as waist-high water filled their streets and homes. Another 1,500 people were evacuated the next day. Premier Francois Legault visited the scene yesterday and said it was “almost a miracle” that everyone was safe.

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PM LEAVES OPEN DOOR TO RELOCATE FLOOD VICTIMS

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is leaving the door open to using federal dollars to help relocate communities facing the recurring threat of severe flooding. Spring flooding in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario has forced the evacuation of thousands of people and caused an enormous amount of property damage. Federal figures indicate that since the Liberals took office they’ve approved almost $1.27 billion in funding for 41 projects deemed “disaster mitigation,” but only a handful of the projects have started. Trudeau said yesterday that the government needs to ensure future infrastructure spending hits the “right” projects to protect communities.

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STUDY LOOKS AT FLOOD IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH

A sociologist says the 2018 flood in southern New Brunswick took a physical and mental toll on people, and she plans to recommend ways to improve the situation for the future. Julia Woodhall-Melnik, a researcher at the University of New Brunswick, is studying how the flood and evacuations last year affected people’s health. She says people can be faced with fatigue, depression, anxiety, grief, sleep disturbances and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder. Woodhall-Melnik conducted her interviews with people in March and April, before this year’s flooding began, but she said the possibility of a repeat of last year’s record event was already on everyone’s mind, and they were anxious and stressed.

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WAYSON CHOY, CELEBRATED AUTHOR OF “THE JADE PEONY,” REMEMBERED

Wayson Choy, the celebrated author of “The Jade Peony” and a powerful voice for the Chinese-Canadian community, died this weekend. Choy was born in Vancouver in 1939 and had an illustrious career that spanned decades, winning a number of awards and becoming a member of the Order of Canada. He is best known for his debut novel “The Jade Peony,” which is set in Vancouver’s Chinatown during the 1930s and 1940s and tells the stories of three children in an immigrant family. It shared the 1995 Trillium Book Award with a novel by Margaret Atwood and was also named an American Library Association Notable Book of the Year in 1998.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— CN Rail CEO J.J. Ruest will review the first-quarter financial results – released at 4 p.m.

— Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada president Fred Volf will make a production announcement at the company’s Cambridge, Ont., plant.

— Kashechewan First Nation will rally at Queen’s Park in Toronto to demand action on relocation due to annual flooding.

— Announcement in Winnipeg of a major international sporting event coming to Bell MTS Place this summer.

— Andrew Berry, charged with the second-degree murders of his daughters, stands trial in Vancouver.

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The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, April 29

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