In the news today: Students set up pro-Palestinian encampment at UofT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Students set up pro-Palestinian encampment at UofT

The University of Toronto says its concerns about safety at its downtown campus are rising.

A statement from the university Thursday came after tents, banners and flags cropped up on campus as students continue to call on the post-secondary institution to cut ties with Israel in its ongoing war in Gaza.

That same statement reminded protesters they needed to vacate the camp by 10 p.m. Thursday.

However, the university went on to say that if protesters activities remained peaceful, it did not intend to remove them from campus that evening.

This encampment is one of many in Canada, as pro-Palestinian activists have also set up tents at McGill University in Montreal, the University of Ottawa and the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Grocery co-ops in the time of food inflation

Some Canadians are turning to grocery co-ops as a way of making sure their money is going back into their local community.

Co-operatives are found in many forms, from agricultural co-ops to grocery stores, gas stations and car-shares.

Their exact business models vary, but what they have in common is that they are owned by their members, who have a share in the organization and a say in how it runs.

With frustration over high food prices and profits in the grocery industry, some people see grocery co-ops as a better alternative.

Amanda Verigin, the sales manager at Kootenay Co-op in Nelson, B.C., thinks co-ops give people a sense of hope that they can help address widespread problems like climate change and corporate consolidation within their own community.

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Interference inquiry to report on vote integrity

A federal commission of inquiry into foreign interference is slated to release a report today on alleged meddling in the last two general elections.

Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue plans to make a statement to the media following the public release, but will not take questions.

The inquiry recently wrapped up 10 days of public hearings into possible interference by China, Russia, India and others in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

Hogue’s report will focus on the integrity of the two elections and assess the flow of information to senior decision-makers during the campaigns and in the weeks following the votes.

A final report is expected by the end of the year.

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Ontario LTC homes to close due to sprinkler rules

Ontario’s long-term care homes are being required to have sprinkler systems installed by the end of the year.

The decision has led at least two facilities to say they’ll need to close as they can’t meet that deadline.

LaPointe-Fisher Nursing Home in Guelph says the requirement — quote –“has proved difficult” with the structural aspects of the aging building.

Mount Nemo Christian Nursing Home in a rural area of Burlington says a sprinkler system isn’t feasible in its current location, where it doesn’t have access to municipal services, and it also plans to close.

Long-Term Care Minister Stan Cho says he has been talking to the Ministry of the Solicitor General about any potential for exceptional cases.

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Princess Anne to take part in B.C. ship ceremony

Canada’s first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel will officially be brought into the Pacific fleet today and Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles, is scheduled to take part in its commissioning ceremony.

A news release says Anne will be attending the ceremony in her role as commodore-in-chief for the Canadian Fleet Pacific.

National Defence says HMCS Max Bernays arrived in its new home port in Esquimalt last month, calling it a “pivotal milestone” in the expansion of the fleet.

It says the introduction of the ship, named after a Canadian naval hero during the Second World War’s Battle of the Atlantic, will allow the navy to better meet future defence challenges in the North.

A statement from the office of the Lieutenant Governor last week said the princess and her husband, Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, would attend a series of events during a three-day trip to B.C., starting with the commissioning ceremony for the ship in North Vancouver.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.

The Canadian Press