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Josh Ross, whose love of music once cost him a job, is now a top CCMA Awards nominee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

TORONTO — Country singer Josh Ross considers himself a thrill seeker by nature and as the top nominee at Saturday’s Canadian Country Music Association Awards, he’s certainly headed on another wild ride.Between taking the stage as one of the night’s big performers and vying for wins in six categories – including fans’ choice, breakthrough artist and single of the year for “On a Different Night” – Ross is already getting psyched for a heart-pumping good time.“I’m definitely an adrenalin person,” the 27-year-old musician acknowledged during a video chat from the road where he’s opening for Alberta rock stars Nickelback on a run of North American dates.“I like doing crazier things — but in a good way.”For instance, a few days earlier the former motocross athlete surprised his tour entourage by investing in a pit bike so he can perform wheelies around parking lots while on tour.“There’s two sides to me, they always joke about, when it comes to songwriting – the party an...

‘Boil Alert’ doc examines most ‘egregious’ examples of water crisis in North America

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

TORONTO — When documentarian James Burns and Apache guitarist Stevie Salas set out to create a film that examined the ongoing impacts of the water crisis in Indigenous communities, the two knew they wanted the final piece to be an exploration of identity and how it’s tied to Earth’s most abundant natural resource. The result is an ambitious 104-minute documentary that blends unscripted real-life moments with scripted vignettes to go beyond the template of using statistics and experts to put the spotlight on an issue that transcends geographical boundaries. “Boil Alert” follows Mohawk activist Layla Staats as she visits communities in Canada and the United States living under boil water advisories and First Nations who have had their water contaminated by toxins. Throughout the film, Staats shares her own personal battles as a person reconnecting with her Mohawk identity.  “It was important that we told a story that wasn’t just about the water, but...

Weather Network forecasts ‘fickle fall’ in Canada with season to start cold, end mild

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

Canadians can expect a “fickle fall” this year as the season is forecast to start off chilly before above normal temperatures lead the country into winter, a prominent forecaster predicts.The Weather Network says winter may appear to taunt Canadians across the country as they face periods of very cold weather during the fall, but the season is expected to end on a mild note because a jet stream in the Pacific Ocean, called El Niño, is expected to be two degrees warmer than usual.“Our forecast team at The Weather Network is seeing a fickle fall ahead for most Canadians, and it’s all due to El Niño,” chief meteorologist Chris Scott said in a phone interview. “Generally in most El Niño falls, we get an early blast of cold weather in the middle of fall and as you’re experiencing, it can be a bit of a slap in the face. But then the weather pattern flips over later in the season.”Scott said the forecast isn’t the best for ski hills in ...

Increasing number of Canadians want to reconsider ties to monarchy, survey suggests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

MONTREAL — Just over one year after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a new poll suggests a growing number of Canadians believe it’s time to reconsider the country’s ties to the monarchy.Data released Wednesday by Leger indicates that 63 per cent of respondents said it was time to rethink ties — a seven point increase from March. About 81 per cent of respondents said they didn’t feel attached to the monarchy, compared to 14 per cent who said they did, results similar to six months ago.King Charles ascended to the throne in September 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth at the age of 96 after more than 70 years as the reigning monarch.Charles celebrated the beginning of his reign with a glitzy coronation in May that was attended by world leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indigenous leaders and other distinguished guests.Gov. Gen. Mary Simon released a statement on Friday to mark the one-year anniversary of Charles’s accession, in which she praised the mona...

‘Freedom Convoy’ press conferences to be watched in criminal trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

OTTAWA — The court is expected to watch several lengthy press conferences hosted by the “Freedom Convoy” as the criminal trial for two of the protest’s organizers enters its seventh day.Chris Barber and Tamara Lich were two people who initially organized a convoy of big-rig trucks to come to Ottawa in the winter of 2022 to protest COVID-19 public health measures and call for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down. They both face mischief and several counselling charges, including mischief, intimidation and obstructing police, over their role in organizing the protest that blockaded city streets for three weeks.The court has already watched hours of video posted to Barber’s TikTok account and the “Freedom Convoy 2022” Facebook page.The defence is arguing the admissibility of the Facebook posts, which have not yet been entered into evidence in the judge-alone trial.In some of the videos watched so far, both Lich and Baber appear to have encourag...

Daily horoscope for September 13, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

Moon Alert: After 1:30 a.m. EDT today, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The Moon is in Virgo.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023:You’re passionate and focused, and you dedicate yourself to your work. You have amazing powers of concentration. This year is slower paced. It’s time for you to rest and rejuvenate your energies. Focus on relationships, especially with people who are kind and helpful to you. Trust your inner tuition this year.ARIES(March 21-April 19)★★This is a poor day to talk to supervisors, bosses or parents. Very likely, the response of authority figures will be, “Talk to the hand.” Knowing this ahead of time, postpone these talks for another day when what you have to say will be better received. Tonight: Chill out.TAURUS(April 20-May 20)★★★Romantic couples might be at loggerheads today. This could pertain to arguments about shared expenses or the division of labor. You also might have quarrels with your kid...

Dragons are 'stars' of a new show this autumn

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

An exciting new show is set to “breathe fire” into autumn for its Belgian audience.“Night of the Dragons” is the name of a new ‘immersive’ show created by the well-known director created by the well-known director Luc Petit and produced by l’ASBL Avant que l’ombre.The show is multidisciplinary and brings together artists, choreographers, dancers, circus performers and actors in a historic breath taking setting.The aim is to explore the mystery and legend of dragons across civilizations.The stories of these fantastic animals have fuelled all manner of images, not least as ferocious animals who are best known for spitting fire.Typically, a dragon is seen as a large, magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide.Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions but dragons in western cultures have often been depicted as winged, horned, and capable of breathing fire.But the reality is quite different in, say, Asia where the mythical a...

Miss Manners: I’m tired of being mistaken for a wife rather than an exec

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a woman who works in a male-dominated industry, where I have earned a leadership role. I regularly attend industry events where spouses are included, and I love meeting my co-workers’ spouses.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Is it OK to point a knife at someone? What about a piece of cake? Advice | Miss Manners: Was I wrong to wear black to the wedding? Advice | Miss Manners: She took my keepsake T-shirts but never made me the quilt Advice | Miss Manners: Is it OK to trick them into diving with great white sharks? Advice | Miss Manners: What to say to a stranger who wants to touch you However, I am frequently asked who in the room I am married to, or whether I am married to my (male) boss. Sometimes other people in the industry will even ask these questions.I usually say something along the lines of, “I work for Company X,” but it doesn’t feel like en...

New York Mets play the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (76-70, second in the NL West) vs. New York Mets (66-78, fourth in the NL East)New York; Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen (15-7, 3.31 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 195 strikeouts); Mets: Joey Lucchesi (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Diamondbacks -144, Mets +122; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.New York has a 66-78 record overall and a 36-34 record at home. The Mets have hit 192 total home runs to rank fifth in the NL.Arizona has a 76-70 record overall and a 38-35 record on the road. The Diamondbacks have a 31-12 record in games when they did not give up a home run.The teams meet Wednesday for the sixth time this season. The Mets are up 4-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Pete Alonso leads the Mets with 44 home runs while slugging .531. Brandon Nimmo is 14-for-42 with four doubles, a triple, four home runs and four RBI over the past 10 games.Corbin Carroll leads the Dia...

Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies play in game 4 of series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:45 GMT

Atlanta Braves (95-50, first in the NL East) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (79-66, second in the NL East)Philadelphia; Wednesday, 6:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Spencer Strider (16-5, 3.89 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 250 strikeouts); Phillies: Cristopher Sanchez (2-3, 3.26 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 73 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -184, Phillies +156; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves meet the Philadelphia Phillies with a 2-1 series lead.Philadelphia has a 79-66 record overall and a 43-30 record in home games. The Phillies have a 55-35 record in games when they record eight or more hits.Atlanta is 95-50 overall and 48-25 on the road. Braves hitters have a collective .502 slugging percentage to lead MLB.Wednesday’s game is the 10th time these teams meet this season. The Braves hold a 6-3 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Schwarber leads the Phillies with 43 home runs while slugging .478. Trea Turner is 18-for-43 with a double, seven home...