Six stories in the news for today, Aug. 8

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NO END TO B.C. WILDFIRES ONE MONTH INTO EMERGENCY

Wildfires continue to rip through British Columbia one month after the province declared a state of emergency. Chief fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek says the province has seen 904 fires since April 1 and natural factors will determine when many fires calm down. He says dry conditions are forecast in the coming days and winds from the ocean should finally clear smoky air from the south coast ahead of next weekend.

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SECOND MONTREAL FACILITY OPENS FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS

Officials in Montreal have opened a second temporary shelter for asylum seekers in a building that once housed a convent. Hundreds of asylum seekers are already being temporarily housed in Olympic Stadium. Mayor Denis Coderre says between 250 and 300 people are arriving daily at the Canadian border, up from 50 a day in the first half of July.

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CONSTRUCTION SET TO BEGIN ON TORONTO INJECTION SITE

Construction on one of three safe injection sites in Toronto is set to begin today as the city forges ahead on a commitment to speed up the opening of the facilities. The push to hasten the launch of the sites is part of a series of measures the city announced last week to combat a recent spike in suspected opioid-related deaths. Toronto Public Health’s most recent data shows 87 opioid-related deaths in the first six months of 2016.

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MAN APOLOGIZES FOR KISSING MONTREAL REPORTER

A man who kissed a Radio-Canada reporter on the cheek without her consent during a live broadcast last Friday has apologized for his actions. Journalist Valerie-Micaela Bain also said last night that she wouldn’t file a criminal complaint after she receiving the unwanted kiss last Friday. Bain says the father of two said he is ashamed of what he did and planted the kiss to get a laugh out of his friends.

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TOILET PAPER RATIONED AT N.B. SENIORS’ RESIDENCE

A New Brunswick seniors’ home has told residents they’ll be limited to two rolls of toilet paper a week because of rising costs. The Manoir Notre-Dame in Moncton said in an Aug. 2 note that residents will be able to get additional toilet paper if it’s added to their prescription deliveries. Anita LeBlanc, whose mother-in-law is in the home and went public with the notice, calls it a humiliating situation.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— A Saint John, N.B. court will be asked to set a date for the retrial for Dennis Oland on second-degree murder in the death of his father.

— The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly will open with the election of a speaker.

— Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Ontario’s Hydro One will release its second-quarter results.

— Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil is leading a trade mission in England, Scotland and Wales through Sunday.

— HMCS Charlottetown will leave Halifax to join NATO operations in the North and Mediterranean Seas.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Six stories in the news for today, Aug. 8

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