Latest news with #McCann
Global News
13 hours ago
- Business
- Global News
BC NDP dragging heels on pledge to end privatization of HandyDART, union says
The union representing HandyDART drivers is voicing frustration with delays in a decision on whether to end privatization of the service. HandyDART, a door-to-door shared ride service for people with mobility issues and other complex needs, is currently operated by French for-profit contractor TransDev. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, which represents about 600 workers, says the BC NDP promised to bring the service back into government before the last provincial election. 5:38 HandyDART union votes in favour of job action 'David Eby made a promise to end privatization of HandyDart, and we'd like to see him follow through with that promise,' union president Joe McCann said. Story continues below advertisement 'So far there has been a lot of empty promises, a lot of delays.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy About 30,000 people rely on HandyDART, but a group representing riders says the quality of service has declined, and they feel like their voices aren't heard with it in the hands of private operators. 'It's a crapshoot trying to get through to the call centre, book a ride if you can seven days in advance — I don't know how anyone can run their life seven days ahead,' said Beth McKellar, co-founder of the HandyDART Riders' Alliance. 'I strongly believe if it is brought in-house, there is more accountability.' The union says HandyDART has become increasingly reliant on subcontracting out to taxis, which now account for about a quarter of rides, up from seven per cent. 'When you're waiting for public transit, you expect public transit. Our drivers are trained, well-trained,' McCann said. 'Taxi drivers aren't trained to that standard. And they have a different business model. They need to hustle. And get to the next client.' Asked about plans for the service Thursday, Premier David Eby was non-committal. 'The focus of our government has been ensuring we're bringing the most vulnerable along, but the group of people that really feels pressure has expanded, it includes the middle class, and concerns around housing and health care and safe communities, which are the focus of our government,' he said. Story continues below advertisement 1:59 Concerns raised over HandyDART service shift to taxis TransDev's current contract expires in 2026. TransLink was expected to announce a decision on HandyDART's future next week, but the move has been delayed yet again for further review. 'They're hiring more consultants, going to have more reviews, and I wonder how many millions of dollars are being wasted that could've been sent directly into HandyDART,' McCann said. Data shows HandyDART ridership grew six per cent last year, and that number is expected to continue climbing as B.C.'s population ages. TransLink says most trips are completed on time. But riders like McKellar believe something needs to change. 'None of us are getting any younger. A lot of people are born with disabilities and they need to get around and whatnot, and the service just won't be there,' she said.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
$65k fence for cemetery
The new fencing. Photo: Toni Williams Wooden fencing is being installed along the Bremners Rd side of the Ashburton Cemetery for an estimated cost of $65,000. The work, which is being carried out by Hayman Fencing, was approved in the Ashburton District Council's Long Term Plan. It is a three-rail design, the same as the entrance fencing to a cemetery extension on Seafield Rd and the Methven Cemetery. The design is a contrast to old wrought iron fencing along the main part of the cemetery on Seafield Rd. The news fencing on Bremners Rd. Photo: Toni Williams District council group manager of infrastructure and open spaces Neil McCann said the new fence was a Long Term Plan project for the entire frontage of the cemetery along Bremners Rd. ''The job is a work in progress, but we hope to have it completed within the next month,'' McCann said. McCann said ground maintenance staff worked at the cemetery all year round, with the aim to keep its public areas as tidy as possible for visitors. He said there were no plans to remove the wrought iron fence. It had been relocated from its original location at Baring Square East, many years earlier.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Husband Suspects He's Being Cheated On for a Year—Then Truth Comes Out
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When a man noticed his husband mysteriously disappearing on Saturday mornings soon after they got married six years ago, he started to think the worst. The Salt Lake City-based lawyer and humor columnist, Eli McCann, who posts on TikTok as @eliwmccann, told Newsweek that his husband would vanish for several hours and dodge any questions about where he was going. Eventually, McCann confronted him and asked if he was having an affair. The truth, however, turned out to be far more wholesome. "He was being cagey about what he was up to on Saturday mornings and indicated several times, if he told me, I was going to tease him. So I knew it was something kind of embarrassing and I finally just made him tell me. When I discovered it was Dungeons & Dragons, I laughed so hard, I had tears. I love his nerdy hobby, even if I don't understand it," McCann said. A split image of Eli McCann explaining the revelation that his partner was secretly playing "Dungeon & Dragons" every morning. A split image of Eli McCann explaining the revelation that his partner was secretly playing "Dungeon & Dragons" every morning. @eliwmccann/@eliwmccann McCann's video recounting the story quickly went viral, gaining more than 61,000 likes and over 813,200 views from amused viewers. In the clip, he said, when his husband finally revealed his secret hobby, he exclaimed: "I wish you were having an affair." For the uninitiated, Dungeons & Dragons (often abbreviated as D&D) is a tabletop role-playing game where players create characters and embark on collaborative adventures guided by a Dungeon Master. First published in the 1970s, it blends storytelling, strategy, and improvisation, allowing players to immerse themselves in a fantasy world. McCann, who regularly writes about his personal life for The Salt Lake Tribune, said his husband's quirky habits often provide him with material: "He's such a delightfully odd man," he added. Viewers on TikTok were quick to share their own thoughts and laughter over the unexpected twist. "Honestly I would lie about that too," said one user. "I'd be so mad if my partner were playing dungeons and dragons without me, that's so rude," added Liam. "'i wish you were having an affair' killed me," another user wrote, referring to a particularly funny moment in McCann's viral video. "I thought you were going to say he was in a running club, when you said D & D it was a sigh of relief," said Kate. Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Monster who killed our sister & fostered baby could come for all of us – we know chilling reason he'll never change
THE heartbroken sister of the woman murdered by evil double killer Frank McCann warned tonight: 'He will come for all of us.' Advertisement 4 Esther and her foster daughter Jessica were murdered by monster Frank McCann 4 McCann is serving a life sentence for the double murder Credit: Kenneth O'Halloran - The Sun Dublin It will be the SEVENTH time the We can also reveal that His decision to apply for parole comes after the Parole Board ruled last December that he 'still poses a threat to society'. Advertisement Marian told us: 'I have a genuine and legitimate fear that he will come for our 'He will always be a danger to our family and society in general and that will never change. 'We have been notified the parole process has already begun. He has never shown any remorse for the horrific 'We will be making submissions as to why we believe he should be kept in 'He is intrinsically evil and someone like him will never change.' Advertisement Our exclusive pictures in 2019 show the monster, dressed casually in shorts, in the sunshine mowing the lawn outside Arbour Hill Prison in Ahead of his appearance before the parole board, McCann's older brother Bernard, 71, also told of his fears the killer would target him. 'HE WILL NEVER CHANGE' Bernard added: 'I have also no doubt that he would come for me too because I testified against him. He will never change. 'I am genuinely worried about him tracking me down and I believe there is a 10km exclusion zone near my home that he can't go near. 'He has already been looking at my LinkedIn page and why would he be doing that? Advertisement 'He is a sick b and I will be before the parole board to tell them what I think.' SICKO'S SECRET The former He masterminded the double murder as part of his efforts to conceal his secret that he had fathered a child with a 17-year-old girl who had special needs. The child was born just three months after his marriage to Esther on May 22, 1987. McCann feared his past would be exposed when background checks were undertaken as part of his formal attempts with Esther — who knew nothing about his secret — to adopt Jessica. Advertisement Marian also believes McCann should spend the rest of his life in prison, adding: 'If someone in the 4 McCann is making another attempt to secure freedom Credit: Kenneth O'Halloran - The Sun Dublin 4 Marian Leonard said the monster getting a parole bid would be terrifying
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Inside Australia's School Bullying Crisis: A special 7NEWS investigation
To see Chris Reason's special investigation on Australia's bullying crisis, watch 7NEWS tonight live at 6pm. Clare McCann was a single mum with a single child — who has now been taken from her. After what she describes as a sustained and often violent campaign of horrific school bullying, her son died by suicide. His name was Atreyu McMann. He was just 13 years old and in his first year of high school. Atreyu was named after the hero character in the 1984 classic The NeverEnding Story. Tragically, Atreyu's story ended long before it should have. When I first met McCann, it was just days after Atreyu had died. She was a broken woman. Her eyes were red, her face pale, as she climbed out of her friend's car at the place she wanted to talk — Atreyu's favourite surf spot. Maroubra Beach. As we walked around the headland to the spot where mother and son used to sit and watch the waves, she let the memories of Atreyu wash over her. 'He was so beautiful,' she said. 'He was excited to be 13 and to meet friends. He was so excited for school, so excited for his future.' But McCann told how she watched her son gradually drown in the brutality of teenage life. It was an awful, heartbreaking story — told through unending tears. Atreya McMann died by suicide after what his mother Clare McMann describes as a sustained and often violent campaign of horrific school bullying. Credit: 7NEWS Atreyu had been mostly homeschooled through his primary school years, and McCann admits that by the time he hit high school, he was probably under-prepared. South Sydney High School was a shock to his young system. It wasn't long before he was identified and targeted by bullies, McCann said. It became increasingly hard to get him to go to school. McCann reached out to school authorities repeatedly for help. There were text messages, emails, phone calls, and visits. Did they do anything? 'Nothing, nothing, nothing,' McCann said. It was an agonising, ongoing cry for help — delivered over weeks — but it got her nowhere. 'I just didn't get a response,' she said. 'For weeks, I kept reaching out, kept calling, kept emailing.' Clare McMann believes South Sydney High School did not do enough to help her son Atreyu McMann, even after she reached out repeatedly for help. Credit: 7NEWS She recalls one day she went to the school to complain — but staff couldn't see her because the Education Minister was touring the facility, being held up as a shining example of the NSW education system. 'We got to the point where my son told me, 'If you make me go to school, I'll kill myself'. So, I took him out.' Atreyu had only started at the school in February. McCann removed him from the school in April. She sought help, taking him to mental health professionals. 'I thought he was getting better, but he developed PTSD,' McMann said. And six weeks later, Atreyu was found dead in his bedroom. 'He'll never get married ... never have children,' she sobs. 'I'll never have grandchildren.' 'I can't believe it was my son ... never thought it would be my son.' I asked McMann if she felt let down by the system. 'I feel completely let down,' she said. 'It needs to change.' McMann is an actor by profession, but this could be the most important role of her life — campaigning for the safety of children. Other parents' children. Because hers is now gone. WATCH TONIGHT: To see Chris Reason's full report on Australia's bullying crisis, including more on Clare's story, what went wrong, how she plans to create change, and what the school authorities had to say, watch 7NEWS tonight live at 6pm. If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust. Lifeline can be contacted on 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support. Kids Helpline can also be contacted on 1800 55 1800 for support for children aged 5 to 25.
