A Hydro-Québec truck is seen in Montreal, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
GAC
Hydro-Québec is being urged to waive unpaid electricity bills of members of Indigenous communities in Quebec.
This is one of the recommendations in a report the utility received on July 24.
In 2024, Hydro-Québec mandated former Quebec Superior Court justice François Rolland to study bill collection practices in certain Indigenous communities.
Rolland made eight recommendations, including that Hydro-Québec transfer unpaid bills to the communities and let them decide whether or not to collect the money.
He also recommended improving communication with communities, increasing funding to energy efficiency programs and providing more training for Hydro-Québec staff on Indigenous realities.
Hydro-Québec says that it is reviewing the recommendations.
This composite image shows a Quebec provincial police shoulder patch, left, in Montreal, Sept. 10, 2024, and a Montreal police shoulder patch on an officer in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Christinne MuschiMuschi
Quebec’s police disciplinary tribunal suspended three Quebec provincial police officers and two Montreal police officers over a 2018 police road chase that left a Montreal woman seriously injured.
The judgment released last week says officers chased a suspect through downtown Montreal and the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood before ending on Sherbrooke Street, where the fleeing driver struck a woman shovelling snow outside her home.
But the tribunal concluded the officers should not have pursued the suspect who was driving with a suspended licence due to the risks to the public of continuing the chase through a densely populated urban area.
The tribunal imposed effective suspensions of between 30 and 42 days.
The ruling also ordered four of the officers to complete additional training related to police driving or pursuits.
The tribunal said the misconduct was particularly serious because the chase involved several police vehicles and continued through an area with pedestrians, schools, parks and bike paths.
Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria speaks at a press conference at Queen’s Park in Toronto, on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Laura Proctor
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria is vowing to “push forward” on the expansion of Billy Bishop airport and chastised the federal government for giving into a “fringe group” of Toronto residents who opposed the province’s plans.
Sarkaria said the province also has “no intention to repeal” legislation that allowed the province to expropriate lands from Toronto and replaced the city’s position in a tri-partite agreement that oversees the operations of the airport.
On Friday, the federal government shut down plans to expand the runway to accommodate jet aircraft and pointed to overwhelming negative feedback Ottawa received during public consultations.
“At this stage, I can confirm that our focus lies exclusively on the approved safety enhancements,” Federal Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon said, adding that the federal government will not pursue any plans that “infringe on treasured public spaces.”
The statement was hailed by the plan’s detractors as a significant victory and led to a city council motion spearheaded by Mayor Olivia Chow demanding that the Ford government return the island airport lands that were expropriated in the spring.
While the Ford government appears to have been blindsided by the federal government’s decision, Sarkaria said the province isn’t willing to back down.
“Disappointed with the statement that was released by the federal government on Friday,” Sarkaria said. “We’ve seen the federal government listen to a small fringe group in Toronto.”
“If Prime Minister Carney and his team want to… if this is how they’re going to treat bigger projects, I don’t think you’ll get much built.”
Sarkaria said it’s a project that “makes sense” and said they heard from healthcare CEOs in Northern Ontario about connectivity and from mayors in Eastern Ontario about how the expansion would support their regions’ transportation needs.
“As members of the tri-partite agreement, Premier Ford and our government will continue to work towards a plan that was published by the Toronto port authority that supports the modernization of Billy Bishop.”
At the same time, Sarkaria said it continues to “urge the federal government to continue to consider the proposal.”
The iconic "Touchdown" statue stands outside Hamilton Stadium, home of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum, in Hamilton, Ont., on Friday, June 1, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power
PMP
TORONTO – Running back Jim Evenson and head coach Frank (Pop) Ivy will round out the Canadian Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.
The Hall of Fame unveiled both inductees posthumously Tuesday. They will be inducted alongside receiver Brandon Banks, Canadian running back Sean Millington, defensive lineman Charleston Hughes and linebacker Calvin Tiggle at the formal ceremony Sept. 17 in Hamilton.
Evenson played seven seasons with the B.C. Lions (1968-72) and Ottawa Rough Riders (1973-74) following his college career at Oregon. He registered four 1,000-yard seasons and 19 times ran for 100 or more yards in a game during his CFL tenure.
When he retired, Evenson stood sixth in career rushing yards (7,060) and remains 13th all-time. He led the CFL in rushing in 1971 (1,237 yards) and amassed 8,207 career yards from scrimmage.
Twice Evenson earned league all-star honours and won a Grey Cup with Ottawa in 1973. He died in 2008 at the age of 61.
Ivy had a short but tremendously successful stint as Edmonton’s head coach from 1954-57. He posted a 50-14 regular-season record, and his .781 win percentage is the highest in league history.
Ivy is one of just three head coaches to post at least 10 wins in every season at the helm. His 14-game regular-season winning streak over the 1954 and 1955 seasons is tied for the second longest in CFL history.
Edmonton finished first in the Western Interprovincial Football Union in each of Ivy’s seasons. He’s one of five head coaches to accomplish the feat in at least four consecutive campaigns.
Ivy also led Edmonton to a Grey Cup victory in his first season, the franchise’s initial championship and the first of three consecutive titles.
Ivy died in 2003 at the age of 87.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2026.
A photo illustration of a container of baby powder made by Johnson & Johnson, on Oct. 18, 2019.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $5.5 billion to settle outstanding legal claims arguing its talc products caused ovarian cancer, an accusation the company’s lawyers say “lacks scientific merit.”
The New Jersey-based drugmaker has been fighting talc-related lawsuits for more than a decade and said the settlement will be applied only if 95 per cent of the remaining 76,000 claimants agree to it.
The company said in a statement Monday it has prevailed in the majority of cases to date that alleged its products caused ovarian cancer in plaintiffs and maintained its longstanding position that any claims of that nature are based on “junk science.”
The plaintiffs’ law firms confirmed the deal on Monday, saying it was a good resolution after a prolonged legal dispute.
Chris Seeger, a lawyer who represents about 2,500 clients with talc claims and helped negotiate the agreement, said the company could ultimately pay $7 billion or more.
The settlement assigns specific values to qualifying ovarian cancer claims but does not cap Johnson & Johnson’s total payout, he said.
“We got a fair settlement, and our clients are going to be happy with it,” Seeger said, Reuters reported.
A container of baby powder made by Johnson & Johnson is pictured on July 13, 2018, in San Francisco, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
A U.S. bankruptcy court judge denied a $9 billion settlement proposed by company subsidiary Red River Talc last year that would have been one of the biggest mass tort settlements in history.
Johnson & Johnson decided not to appeal that ruling and chose to continue in court.
Last week, a federal judge ordered plaintiffs in the Johnson & Johnson case to explain why outstanding claims against the company should not be dismissed after witnesses failed to provide evidence of a link between cancer and the product.
“The Court’s order placed plaintiffs in an untenable position of having to present specific causation evidence to maintain their claims that does not exist,” said Erik Haas, worldwide vice-president of litigation, Johnson & Johnson.
“These claims lack scientific merit and were sustained only by unreliable expert opinions that could not survive rigorous judicial review,” Haas added.
As part of the settlement announced by the company this week, Johnson & Johnson will pay $3 billion next year, with subsequent payments not due until 2028.
“While we are confident the company would have ultimately prevailed with further litigation, as it has in the vast majority of cases tried to date, this resolution allows the company to put this matter behind it and remain focused on its mission to develop medicines and devices that save lives,” Haas said.
Johnson & Johnson said that it previously settled about 95 per cent of lawsuits for mesothelioma, a cancer in the tissue surrounding organs such as the lungs and heart, all state consumer protection claims and all talc-supplier disputes and said the multi-billion dollar settlement “brings finality to this meritless 15-year litigation.”
The American Cancer Society says many studies in women have looked at possible links between talcum powder and ovarian cancer, noting that findings have been mixed, “with some studies reporting a slightly increased risk and some reporting no increase.”
“One of the problems with studying this issue is that ovarian cancer isn’t common. Because of this, even the largest studies done so far might not have been big enough to detect a very small increase in risk, if it exists,” it says.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, classifies talc that contains asbestos as “carcinogenic to humans.”
A substance that causes cancer or helps cancer to grow is called a carcinogen. It also classifies talc as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” based on “limited” evidence for ovarian cancer in humans.
According to Health Canada, talc can cause damage to the lungs and difficulty breathing if loose powder product is inhaled.
It also says the chemical “may cause ovarian cancer when using products with talc in the genital area,” including body wipes, baby powder, diaper and rash creams, bath bombs or bubble bath products. Talc is on Canada’s Toxic Substances List and subject to preventive controls as it was found to be harmful to human health.
In 2018, the department said that it was considering measures to restrict the use of talc in cosmetics, natural health products and non-prescription drugs.
No health risks were found to be associated with talc products such as pressed powder makeup, dry shampoo, or foot powder; contact with skin; exposure from food; or ingesting products containing talc, such as natural health products and non-prescription drugs.
The Washington Nationals are giving away this hat as part of Canada-U.S. Friendship Day.
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are attempting some diamond diplomacy, hosting a Canada-U.S. Friendship Day with the Toronto Blue Jays in town Tuesday night.
The promotion comes at a fraught time for relations between the two countries, with new tariff threats, the spat over the Gordie Howe bridge and a shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto all causing cross-border tension.
There is also baseball history between Canada and the Nationals; after 36 seasons in Montreal, the Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., ahead of the 2005 MLB campaign and became the Nationals.
As part of the Friendship Day event, fans can get their hands on a special Expos-inspired Nationals hat with the Montreal logo on the side and a maple leaf on the front, behind Washington’s logo.
LeBlanc’s spokesperson Gabriel Brunet said Tuesday the minister will be joined by Janice Charette, Canada’s chief trade negotiator. Brunet did not say exactly when LeBlanc and Charette will be in Washington or identify the officials they are meeting.
The meetings in the U.S. capital come as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Canada in advance of formal talks on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA.
The Trump administration said last week it would impose 50 per cent tariffs on certain Canadian goods in response to provincial liquor bans, Canada’s dairy supply management system and certain automobile quotas.
Unlike many of Trump’s other tariffs, the new duties will have no exemptions for goods compliant under CUSMA.
The continental trade pact has shielded Canada and Mexico from many of the president’s tariffs but Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on the agreement’s future.
The president told Fox News Tuesday that he doesn’t “really want to” update the trade agreement, adding, “I’d rather be independent.”
“Mexico and Canada need us. We don’t need them,” he said. “The deal is important for them. It’s not important for us.”
During LeBlanc’s last trip to Washington in June, which saw him meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the minister said that Canada was looking for a 16-year extension to the trade agreement. LeBlanc and Greer met again on the sidelines of the G7 in France later that month.
But at the beginning of July, the Trump administration announced it was not extending the trilateral trade agreement. That triggered annual rolling reviews that could last for up to a decade — at which point CUSMA would expire unless all three countries agreed to an extension.
Mexico and Washington have started official CUSMA negotiations but Ottawa has not yet started formal talks.
Members of Trump’s trade team have described Mexican negotiators as pragmatic but have complained about the Canadians being difficult.
In the weeks since LeBlanc’s last trip to Washington, Canada has faced a barrage of U.S. tariff threats linked to wildfire smoke and the Trump administration temporarily blocked the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Ontario and Michigan.
Citing forced labour in supply chains, Greer announced new duties on Canada and dozens of other countries last week — hours before a different stopgap tariff authority was set to expire.
Greer, however, has indicated he’s working towards a CUSMA extension. Trump’s trade czar told a Senate finance hearing last week that he hopes to provide “options” by the end of the year to Trump, Canada and Mexico on renewing the continental trade pact.
“I would love to have between now and the end the year at least some arrangements — one with Canada, one with Mexico,” Greer said July 22.
“And then some of these issues that are really important — like rules of origin, I know labour environment’s important to a lot of folks here — that take a little more time, to have further discussion of that, including with Congress, in the following year.”
A lot of things have gone right this year for farmer Jared Haight. And while he's feeling very optimistic with how his crop looks so far, there is still plenty of uncertainty ahead for the owner and operator of Hundred Acre Farms near Hanley, Sask.
A lot of things have gone right this year for farmer Jared Haight. Although he’s feeling very optimistic about how his crop is shaping up, there is still plenty of uncertainty ahead for the owner and operator of Hundred Acre Farms near Hanley, Sask.
At the time, Haight told us he had been focusing on initiating the process of preparing his fields for canola, wheat, barley, durum and lentils.
Since then, his fields have transformed from empty brown acres to vibrant green fields of durum and bright yellow canola. Now, at roughly the midway point of the growing season, Haight likes what he sees.
“Generally, we’re excited,” he said. “As a team, we’ve put in a lot of long hours and a lot of hard work. So, it’s nice to see where it is.”
In fact, a crop like this can be a bit of a rarity. Over a 10-year period, Haight says he might only have two or three years in which a crop looks as good as his current one.
Haight and his team have been spraying his fields for fusarium, a fungal disease found in soil. Massive pivots, stretching far across his field, are providing moisture where needed.
He said it also gives it “that extra inch or inch and a half if we don’t have anything coming up, to really push it over the top.”
At this point, his crops look almost perfect, but farmers know how quickly that can change. A hailstorm, too much rain, or weeks without any at all can undo months of work in a matter of minutes. Now the focus is on protecting that crop. But it’s not just the weather that is creating uncertainty.
“Every day we check to see what is going on in this Straight . We check to see where fuel prices are at,” Haight added.
The Strait of Hormuz, where tensions remain through an ongoing conflict in the Middle East, will have a big impact on Haight’s bottom line. He says year-over-year, he is about 40 per cent higher on his fuel spend this season.
“And that is a big impact. We’re going to use 120,000 litres to put the crop in the ground and to harvest it. And another 30 or 40 percent on that, that’s a pretty big number,” Haight added.
Haight said he is excited about the potential of this year’s crop, but after years of farming, he knows better than to count on anything until the grain is safely in the bin.
Until then, he will focus on the factors that are in his control and keep his fingers crossed for anything that isn’t.
Justin Baldoni leaves a courthouse in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
Justin Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios was ordered to pay the New York Times more than US$171,000 in damages after a judge dismissed its defamation lawsuit against the newspaper for its coverage of Blake Lively’s allegations against Baldoni.
In court documents, obtained by Entertainment Weekly and People, New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits granted summary judgment in the newspaper’s favour and said that “NYT Co. is therefore entitled to a total amount in damages of $171,616.20.”
In a statement to Global News, a spokesperson for the New York Times said, “We’re delighted by the court’s decision. The anti-SLAPP statute is designed to combat exactly these kinds of meritless suits brought to silence the press.”
Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) refers to legal rules designed to stop powerful people or groups from using lawsuits to silence critics, protecting public speech, early case dismissal and cost recoveries, according to the Centre for Free Expression.
Global News has reached out to Wayfarer Studios for comment, but has not received a response.
The decision stems from Baldoni suing the New York Times – the outlet that first reported on Lively’s initial complaint – for libel in December 2024, accusing the journalists who reported the story of working with Lively to tarnish his reputation and claiming they glossed over important evidence.
Lively’s suit claimed that Baldoni, the film’s production company Wayfarer Studios and others put together “a carefully crafted, coordinated, and resourced retaliatory scheme to silence her, and others, from speaking out.”
She accused Baldoni and the studio of embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation following a meeting in which she and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, addressed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” by Baldoni and a producer, Jamey Heath, who is also named in both lawsuits.
The plan, the suit said, included a proposal to plant damaging theories on online message boards, engineer a social media campaign and place news stories critical of Lively.
Baldoni’s lawsuit, meanwhile, alleged that the New York Times “cherry picked” communications from the materials given to it and reported some of the claims “stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead.”
His lawsuit was asking for a trial by jury and damages of $250 million (C$360 million).
In a statement provided to several news outlets at the time, the New York Times defended its report, saying it was “based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article.”
“We published their (Baldoni and his team’s) full statement in response to the allegations in the article as well,” it continued, telling The Associated Press it planned to “vigorously defend” against the lawsuit.
But Baldoni’s lawsuit said that “If the Times truly reviewed the thousands of private communications it claimed to have obtained, its reporters would have seen incontrovertible evidence that it was Lively, not Plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign.”
Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for the New York Times, said, “We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting. Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism.”
Three months later, the Times filed a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court against Wayfarer Studios, asking for compensatory and punitive damages to cover $150,000 in costs of defending the defamation claims.
In a legal filing, obtained by Global News, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios referred to Lively’s request as “anything but a typical fee motion.”
“Lively claims that she is entitled to a stunning $7,495,526 in attorney’s fees for 7,070.20 hours billed by no fewer than 82 timekeepers, to obtain the dismissal of a single defamation claim at the pleading stage. In contrast, The New York Times is seeking $181,000 in a fee request filed in state court for its motion to dismiss precisely the same defamation claim,” Baldoni’s lawyers wrote in the legal filing.
Baldoni’s legal team was referencing the Times seeking $181,000 in lawyer fees to dismiss the same defamation claim after Baldoni sued the newspaper for libel over accusations that he engaged in a “smear campaign” against Lively but the lawsuit was dismissed in June 2025.
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