
Nearly 90k lbs of food collected for London Food Bank
Organizers with the London Cares Curb Hunger campaign say they brought in nearly 90,000 pounds of food.
The London Food Bank's campaign wrapped up over the weekend at several local grocery stores.
Organizers say it's about stockpiling for the food bank now before donations slow down during the summer months.
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CBC
2 hours ago
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Some B.C. animal rescues see donations drop, as demands increase
Social Sharing B.C. animal rescue organizations are also feeling the pinch as British Columbians face the rising cost of living, and some non-profits worry they soon may have to scale back support. While inflation rates have eased across Canada, food prices remain high in a province already struggling with unaffordable housing. The B.C. SPCA said, as of May 31, its pet food bank program gave out 4,180 more meals compared to the same period last year — but it's been difficult to meet the demand because it has been seeing a decline in donations since the beginning of 2024. Other charities helping rescued animals are also reporting a drop in donations, and say they're having to budget carefully as they weather the storm. "It's been a little trickier to feed all the animals we need to feed," said SPCA outreach specialist Diane Waters. "The concern is that we may not be able to continue assisting and growing at the level we've been growing," Waters added. Waters says that housing instability and the cost of living are major factors in the downtick in donations, and she's encouraging people to drop off extra pet food if they can't afford to donate cash anymore. Langley Animal Protection Society Executive Director Sarah Jones told CBC News in a statement that they too are seeing an increase in demand while donations are down. "We're seeing the effects of a tough economy and growing societal challenges weighing heavily on pet guardians," Jones said. "The need for support is rising, and we're working hard to keep up. We know that pets are happiest — and healthiest — when they can stay with the families who love them." Rescue in northern B.C. also struggling Angelika Langen, co-founder of the Northern Lights Wildlife Society, said over the past couple of months, she's been hearing from donors that are either cancelling or reducing donations because their financial situations have worsened. The Northern Lights Wildlife Society is unique among rescues in B.C. in caring for orphaned bears, with Northern Lights the only one allowed to rehabilitate and release grizzly bear cubs. "We have to commit to care for these bears that we already have in care, and they will be with us until next year in the spring, the same with the moose and deer," Langen said. "That's a long-term financial commitment in [the] form of food and also caregivers. So we have to budget carefully." The drop in donations comes as the rescue sees a busy start to the year so far, with 21 bear cubs in care already — compared to 24 bear cubs for the entirety of last year. Langen worries the rescue will get to a point where they may have to send rescued animals to another shelter.


CBC
5 hours ago
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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.