Proposed homeless shelter on Gerrard St. East discussed at information session
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The shelter is scheduled to open in 2027 with the capacity of 80 people.
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CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
South-West Oxford becomes unwilling host for wind turbines
South-West Oxford becomes unwilling host of wind turbines. (Source: South-West Oxford and Malahide Say No to Wind Turbines Group) The Council of the Township of South-West Oxford declared the municipality an unwilling host for wind turbines on June 17, making it the 159th municipality to become an unwilling host. The Southwest Oxford and Malahide Say No to Wind Turbines group presented at the meeting, and asked council to pass a resolution which wouldn't allow wind turbines. 'This marks an unprecedented level of municipal engagement, and we commend the leadership shown in standing up for the community's interests,' said the Southwest Oxford and Malahide Say No to Wind Turbines group in a statement. 'We are also deeply grateful to the many volunteers and community members whose dedication and tireless efforts helped make this possible. Your voices were heard; this is how democracy works.' Due to a high volume of concerned residents, council passed the resolution to stop any future developments of winds turbines. The resolution states that public health, property values, agricultural operations, water resources and environmental ecosystems would be negatively impacted by industrial wind turbines.
CBC
7 hours ago
- CBC
After the firestorm: Loss and hope in Saskatchewan's scorched north
Social Sharing It was a beautiful day when we hit the road, heading north toward La Ronge. The skies were mostly clear, the air no longer smelling of smoke. It was the kind of day that made it hard to imagine the chaos that had unfolded just weeks before. Wildfires, made worse by a dry spring, forced thousands of Saskatchewan people from their homes. With the worst of the danger behind, at least for now, we wanted to see what was left behind — in the forests, the communities and the people's lives — after the flames moved on. We started seeing the first signs of fire a few kilometres south of Weyakwin. Small patches of burnt forest grew into large, blackened swaths. The sides of the highways were like graveyards full of skeletons that used to be trees. In some spots, scorched trunks leaned and toppled like fallen matchsticks. In others, the fire had burned so hot that only charred stumps remained. The flames did not just devour forests. They took homes, too. Gregg Charles and his wife have been living in a tent in a family member's backyard in Air Ronge. Their cabin, 40 kilometres south of the village, burned to the ground. "It's always been my home. My parents were trappers over there," Charles said. "Sewing, beadwork, even a leather jacket [my wife] made for me, all those are lost." Both were raised on a trapline. He isn't interested in staying in a city. He belongs in the wilderness. Charles is optimistic their living situation will improve soon. His community is working on finding a place for them. "I'm just thankful that me and my wife and my other family are OK, that's the main thing," he said. "We can lose structures and stuff like that, we can rebuild. But if you lose a life you can never see that person again." Memories in the rubble Bob Forward also has strong connections to the area. His family started coming to Nemeiben Lake, just north of La Ronge, in the '70s. His cabin there has been their home away from home ever since. The sky was clear when we met him at a boat launch as he prepared to check on the cabin for the first time since the fire came through. He didn't know what was left of it. After a short trip, the worst was confirmed. "There's no cabin there anymore," Forward said as he pulled up to his dock. "It's gone." He made his way through what remained, choking up as he pointed out part of a door that he built with his father-in-law. Nearby, a few of his wife's books were nothing but crumbling ash. So many memories, gone in an instant. WATCH | Heading out by boat to survey wildfire damage: Heading out by boat to survey wildfire damage 9 hours ago Duration 1:32 "It's tough to see. There's a lot of years of work here," he said, blinking back tears. "All my relatives that would come over from the U.K., this is one thing they always wanted to do, is come to the cabin." Bob said he does not plan to rebuild. Once the area is cleaned up, he will see if anyone is interested in taking over the lease on the land. "We know it's climate change. I mean, we're probably a big part of what's happening here, because boats and snowmobiles are just terrible on fuel, right?" Hope for the land Further south, in Air Ronge, Randy Johns had nature's strength on his mind. We met him outside Boreal Heartland, where he was busy catching up on orders delayed by wildfire evacuations. The company harvests and produces teas, seasonings and dried wild mushrooms gathered from the boreal forest. He took us to a spot close to the community that was hit by fire, pointing out plants already poking their heads out of scorched patches. "What fire weed does is it grows where there's been a fire, or the ground is disturbed, and it prepares the forest for its regeneration," Johns said, pointing out a tall leafy green plant. "The evolution of the boreal forest has been based on fire, based around fire. So it's certainly not a new thing, and it's part of the natural cycle." Johns is concerned the fire cycle is changing and maybe becoming more frequent. "If you would have caught me a week ago, I would have been more emotional about it," he said. "Now it's about moving forward." One of the lucky ones The call of a loon welcomed Shelly Lawrence home. She had left during the evacuation of the area around Narrow Hills Provincial Park, where the fire swept through. Lawrence, co-owner of Rainbow Lodge at Piprell Lake, still can't quite believe the lodge was spared. It stands like an island surrounded by a sea of blackened forest. "We're so grateful that the resources were available for us, maybe because we were the first ones with the fire, but without that sprinkler and those resources, we probably wouldn't be here today," she said. It's a different story at a nearby campground, just a two-minute drive away. You can see the outlines of scorched campsites, along with skeletal remains of campers, RVs, bed frames and sinks, surrounded by blackened trees. Lawrence said she was able to talk with some of the firefighters who helped save the lodge. "It was great to meet them and give them a hug," she said. "It's hard to know how to pay them back, but we definitely want to go forward and pay it forward." WATCH | How a wildfire destroyed the Piprell Lake campground: How a wildfire destroyed the Piprell Lake campground 9 hours ago Duration 1:10 The Piprell Lake campground, northwest of Saskwatchewan's Narrow Hills Provincial Park, was devastated by the Shoe Fire. The provincial park is closed for campers this season, but Rainbow Lodge (which sits just outside the park) is open for business. Lawrence is hoping visitors will still make the trip. Her business depends on it. Protecting Prince Albert National Park Visitors are also welcome at Prince Albert National Park this season. Dustin Guedo, a vegetation and fire ecologist with Parks Canada, is always thinking about how to protect Waskesiu and the surrounding land. It's been a dry spring, but rain has brought some relief to the area. It's important to protect sites like the water treatment plant, Guedo said, so they remove anything that could fuel a fire from within 10 metres around the building. Another measure is the community fuel break, just south of Waskesiu. They created a break in the forest, removing all the conifers, to create a safety zone around the town site. In the aftermath of the fires, what stands out is not just what was lost, but how people are coming together to rebuild, support each other and get ready for the next time. "The last four or five years have been some of the largest wildfire seasons we've encountered in Canada," Guedo said.
CTV News
9 hours ago
- CTV News
‘A sensitive topic,' How to handle fence feuds or other neighbour conflicts
This downed white picket fence is shown along North Broadway near Waterloo Road, after winds from a tornado knocked down power lines, damaged homes and businesses Tuesday afternoon, Feb.10, 2009, in Edmond, Okla. (AP Photo/Bill Waugh) Neighbourly disputes over fence feuds are both common and complicated, but one expert says that the polite approach is almost always the best one. 'It's a sensitive topic, from the beginning,' said Christina Vechsler, a corporate, commercial and real estate lawyer, in an interview with 'You see a very wide range of issues.' Who owns a fence if it's right on the property line? How can you be sure if someone builds on your side? What happens if you decide to share costs, then your neighbour moves away? We asked readers to share their stories of next-door nightmares and turned to the experts on what options are available to help. Here's what to know about keeping the peace on the homefront: Fence feuds A common theme among the responses we received: When it comes to fences, it can be hard not to take offence. One reader said he complained to his neighbour after carpenters trampled some of his plants while building a fence between their Toronto homes, only to see that neighbour later extend the fence tall enough to block sunlight to his garden. Another told us that decades ago, she and her husband sold their Saskatoon home and moved away from a problem-neighbour situation after 10 years, but not before a disagreement over paint colours ended with two parallel fences running along either side of the property line. In Edmonton, a reader said her neighbour built a fence so close to her house that it became 'almost impossible' to reach her backyard from that end of the property. And one email from Surrey, B.C., told the story of a neighbour boarding up a pathway between two houses, even though basement tenants used it regularly to access their apartments. Some cases went beyond a one-on-one dispute: One Toronto reader said her stepmother and her neighbours lost access to their parking spots when a new arrival on the block built a wall across the shared lane connecting their driveways to the road. She said the ordeal ended up leading to a years-long legal dispute. So, if you're stuck in a boundary battle, what can you do? Laws can vary significantly by province and municipality, but wherever you are, it helps to do your homework. Respecting boundaries If you're concerned about a neighbour's fence, Vechsler told CTV News the first step should be to make sure you've got all the information. Reviewing the documents you received when you purchased the home, what's held publicly on the title or even ordering a fresh survey of the land by a provincially licensed surveyor can help reveal whether something's imposed on your property. Equipped with that information, it may just take an earnest exchange of words to solve the problem. 'The first thing I always suggest is to go and speak to your neighbour, where feasible, to the extent that you can have those open and honest conversations,' Vechsler told 'Act in good faith, and be transparent about what it is that you're seeking to achieve.' An informal agreement, or better yet, a written agreement, is the goal, she said. Throughout the process, it's also important to document your interactions on the issue, either by communicating over email, or keeping your own notes. Some municipalities, like Toronto, offer referrals to community mediation services for property conflicts. However, those local governments, also like Toronto, may refuse to play a direct role in 'resolving disputes about the location or costs of boundary fences between properties.' A formal letter to your neighbour with all the relevant information may resolve the issue, but other options include filing in small-claims court, or submitting a bylaw complaint with your municipality, where applicable. Experts note that taking matters into your own hands, such as by ripping up a fence you don't want there, can make things worse. 'You need to be careful about where the line is … that's absolute,' said Vechsler. 'You need to be careful about what's shared down the middle.' As confident as you may be that the fence is on your property, you may be mistaken. Even if it's sitting directly on the lot line, touching or damaging objects like fences or trees may cause more problems. 'Absolutely, there can be potential actions and trespass. There can be potential claims for any damages,' she said. Vechsler told CTV News that simply talking things out in a respectful manner is often the best solution, in part because it helps maintain the broader relationship with your neighbour. Even something as small as keeping everyone informed about repairs or changes to the fence can go a long way. 'It seems like an easy step to take, but it can make all the difference,' she said.
