Andrew Cruickshank

1 week ago | cottagelife.com | Andrew Cruickshank

Concerns about Ontario’s environmental protections have been raised after a comment made by Premier Doug Ford. During an April 4 press conference in Orillia, Ford, speaking about the need to build more infrastructure, said: “Let’s not take three or four years to get a permit.

1 week ago | cottagelife.com | Andrew Cruickshank

Despite ongoing efforts by Hydro One, many cottage properties remain without power after Ontario’s recent ice storm. Starting March 28, three days of freezing rain battered the province’s cottage country, with some areas receiving up to 25 mm in ice accretion. Power lines and trees collapsed under the weight of the ice, causing widespread outages.

1 week ago | cottagelife.com | Andrew Cruickshank

Emergency departments in northern and rural Ontario hospitals are facing potential closures after the provincial government ended a physician recruitment program. On March 31, Ontario’s temporary locum program expired. The provincial government started the program during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide support to understaffed hospitals. The province’s Ministry of Health paid physicians a bonus to cover temporary shifts in rural and northern emergency departments.

2 weeks ago | cottagelife.com | Andrew Cruickshank

B.C. anglers and boaters will have to avoid Yoho and Kootenay national parks for another year after the continued persistence of an aquatic invasive species. Parks Canada has announced that it is extending the closure of all waterbodies in both parks until March 31, 2026 due to whirling disease. Highly infectious, whirling disease is found in finfish, including trout, salmon, and whitefish, and is spread through an invasive parasite known as Myxobolus cerebralis.

2 weeks ago | cottagelife.com | Andrew Cruickshank

Just over a week after being signed into office, Prime Minister Mark Carney called a federal election for April 28. Despite a short campaign period, this election feels like it’s been a long time coming. Since Justin Trudeau’s resignation announcement back in January, all parties have been rolling out strategies to amass public support. And while each election is important, there’s a tension in the air around this one.