Murray Wood: Local radio is strong. Corporate ownership, not so much
Murray Wood says Rogers closed some stations that should be very viable. As a result, more communities are losing import...
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…
Federal party leaders enter first full day on campaign trail in five-week election
Liberal Leader Mark Carney will try to inject some Canadian symbolism and pride to his election campaign today with a stop in Gander, Nfld. Carney’s chief opponents, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, will campaign in the seat-rich Greater Toronto Area. Canadian unity is key in all three major party pushes so far, as they seek to promote themselves as the best positioned to handle U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic attacks and threats of annexation. The election will be held on April 28.
Hudson’s Bay liquidation sales begin
Canada’s oldest company will begin liquidating most of its stores this morning. Hudson’s Bay says all but six of its locations will be selling off their inventory. The six stores omitted from the liquidation sales include the flagship on Yonge Street in Toronto, as well as a location in the city’s Yorkdale mall and another farther north in Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill, Ont. The liquidation comes after the company filed for creditor protection earlier this month, saying it was facing financial difficulties stemming from lower consumer spending, reduced downtown traffic and trade tensions between Canada and the U.S.
Here’s what else we’re watching…
Ontario consumption site law faces legal challenge
An Ontario court will hear arguments today from a Toronto supervised consumption site challenging the legality of a new provincial law that will soon shut down 10 such sites and prevent new ones from opening. The province passed legislation last year that banned consumption sites deemed too close to schools or daycares, as it moves to an abstinence-based treatment model. Ten consumption sites will cease operations by April 1, when new rules take effect banning them within 200 metres of schools and daycares under the Community Care and Recovery Act.
AI predicts early death in people with IBD: study
A new study suggests AI can predict premature death among people who have inflammatory bowel disease, also known as Crohn’s and colitis. Researchers used machine learning to analyze data from more than 9,000 people in Ontario who had IBD and died between 2010 and 2020. The study, published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found half of those deaths were before age 75, which is considered a premature death. People were most likely to have died prematurely if they had been diagnosed with certain other chronic conditions — including arthritis, high blood pressure, kidney failure, cancer and mental health issues — before age 61.
Streaming momentum continues despite rising prices
An annual report says Canadians are increasingly opting to watch TV through paid streaming platforms such as Netflix or Disney Plus despite the prices of those services continuing to rise. The 2025 Couch Potato Report by Convergence Research suggests the introduction of ad-supported basic plans has helped keep momentum going for streamers in the battle against traditional cable and satellite TV providers. The report estimates 46 per cent of Canadian households did not have a traditional television subscription at the end of last year. That was up from 42 per cent in 2023 and is forecast to rise to 54 per cent by 2027.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2025.
The Canadian Press
