In the news today, May 13

With more rain forecast for early this week there are concerns the flooding situation along the Ottawa River could still get worse before it improves. Armed Forces personnel have been working to try to save homes in eastern Ontario communities that have declared states of emergency due to historic water levels in some areas. They’re helping with sand bagging and other flood mitigation operations. Laurentian Valley, along with Pembroke and Ottawa have all declared states of emergency as water levels along the Ottawa River rise.

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CENTRAL B.C. WILDFIRE PROMPTS EVACUATIONS

Wildfire crews in the B.C. Interior are looking ahead to another day of battling two fires — one east of Fraser Lake and the other east of Kamloops. The Fraser Lake area blaze is by far the biggest. It grew from just a few hectares to about 250 hectares within a matter of hours on Saturday. A local state of emergency was declared Saturday night and people were ordered to leave an area near the community of Lejac, about five kilometres east of Fraser Lake. However, the order was rescinded last night. The B.C. Wildfire Service said the fire was 70 per cent guarded but zero per cent contained. About half of B.C. is under a “high” fire danger alert.

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NDP CLIMATE PLAN TO SLASH EMISSIONS IN HALF

The federal NDP is pledging to cut Canada’s emissions almost in half over the next decade. The pledge is part of a climate change motion the party is expected to introduce in the House of Commons today. New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh says the motion forms the broad strokes of his climate change action platform for the fall federal action. It includes a promise to slash emissions in line with what the United Nations recommends, which would mean they’d have to be close to half of what they are now. The NDP would also eliminate federal aid for the fossil fuel industry, and slam the door on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

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OPPOSITION FORCE EMERGENCY MEETING OF DEFENCE COMMITTEE ON NORMAN AFFAIR

Three Conservative and one New Democrat MP are requesting the House of Commons national defence committee be reconvened to examine the government’s conduct in the investigation and prosecution of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Norman was the second-in-command of Canada’s military before he was suspended and then charged with breach of trust over alleged leaks of secret information about a navy shipbuilding contract. Federal prosecutors stayed the charges on Wednesday, saying they had no reasonable prospect of getting a conviction.

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POLITICIANS SEEK TO ENHANCE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR’S APPEAL

Politicians have stressed the need to make Newfoundland and Labrador an appealing place for young people as the province’s May 16th election date draws near. But newcomers say there’s still a lot of work to be done to convince people to stay. Kerri Neil researches sociology and immigration at Memorial University and says the poor economy and high unemployment are key factors driving people of all backgrounds to move away. Neil adds that the threat of rising power rates, high taxes and stagnant wages have made the problem worse.
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DIGITALLY MINING QUEBEC’S FUTURE

Bitfarms’ machines are solving math problems in order to collect or mine Bitcoin, the world’s most famous digital currency. Companies have sprouted all over the world in an attempt to cash in on the cryptocurrency industry. But Bitfarms stands out. The Montreal-area company is trying to set itself apart as much by its infrastructure and vertically integrated business model as for its attempt to reduce the social stigma associated with the industry’s voracious energy usage. Since its inception in 2017, Bitfarms has been rushing to retrofit factories in Quebec regions emptied out by the decline of the province’s manufacturing industries.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— NDP unveil plan to make web giants like Netflix and Facebook pay their fair share of taxes.

— Gov.-Gen. Julie Payette welcomes Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on her official state visit.

— Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy, takes part in the official opening of the Centre for Geography and Exploration in Ottawa.

— Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. will release its third-quarter results after market close.

— Ensign Energy Services Inc. to release its first quarter results.

— Labour Minister Patty Hajdu makes an announcement on government support to Canadian youth facing barriers to employment.

— Premier Jason Kenney and Finance Minister Travis Toews will speak about their plan to create jobs and get Albertans back to work.

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The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, May 13

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