Expert: Canada’s winter forecast and the critical factor of El Niño

El Niño will be a major contributing factor to how the season ahead plays out. El Niño has a reputation for bringing mild winters to much of Canada and it appears that this winter will feature one of the strongest El Niño events on record. So, can we expect a mild winter across the country this year? The answer is not so simple.

Expert: Canada reaches online news deal with Google

The Canadian government has reached a deal with Google over the Online News Act that will see the tech giant pay $100 million annually to publishers, and continue to allow access to Canadian news content on its platform.

Expert: International Day of Persons with Disabilities | December 3

Since its proclamation in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution 47/3, the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) has been celebrated annually on 3 December around the world. The observance of the IDPD aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and to mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. (

Experts: World AIDS Day | December 1

Every year, on December 1, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. People around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS. (United Nations)

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Expert: With 420,000 Quebec public workers off the job today, unions announce 3 more strike days

The unions representing hundreds of thousands of public sector workers who walked off the job today have announced three more strike days planned for November 21 to 23 unless a deal can be reached before then. About 420,000 public sector workers are striking as part of a one-day walkout meant to put pressure on the Quebec government. (CBC News)

Expert: Halloween candy, 'shrinkflation' and spending habits

Halloween is a celebration often spent indulging in chocolate, binging scary movies, and perhaps investing time and money into creative costume designs. But for many Canadians, the preparations can be costly. For candy alone, the average household will spend anywhere from $25 to $40, according to experts. (CTV News)

Expert: How climate change can affect fall colours 

The customary reds, oranges and yellows of the trees, marking the arrival of fall, may have appeared early this year, or not at all. The dramatic summer weather that brought wildfires in some parts of the country and heavy rain in others is being reflected in fall colours across Canada, researchers say.

Expert: Weather extremes influence the rise and fall of insect populations

Insect populations are widely influenced by weather anomalies, with decreasing numbers observed during unfavorable conditions and a spike in normal periods, according to a new study. The study published in Nature tries to resolve a debated topic: Are insect populations declining? Several studies have reported a decline in insect populations and diversity while others have questioned this. (Nature)

Experts: Mounting tensions between Canada and India

Canada has updated its travel advisory for its citizens in India as tensions mount between the two countries over the murder of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. In a recent update, the Canadian government cautioned about the potential for demonstrations and “negative sentiments” toward Canada in the wake of allegations that Indian government agents may be linked to the killing of Nijjar.

Expert: House Republicans to open Joe Biden impeachment inquiry

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he is directing a House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family's business dealings. McCarthy said the House investigation has found a "culture of corruption" around the Biden family. Members such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, representatives from Georgia and Florida, respectively, have been among those pushing for an inquiry.

Expert: Pierre Poilievre’s first Conservation Convention as party leader

Federal Conservatives are gathering in Quebec City this week for a policy convention that observers say presents as much political peril as opportunity. The convention, which starts Thursday in a province where the Tories have often sought to make gains, comes as polls indicate the party has been gaining support, with leader Pierre Poilievre regularly attacking the government on affordability issues.

Experts: Wildfires and air pollution

Wildfires have burned through more than one million hectares in Alberta this spring and have forced thousands from their homes. Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories are also battling active fires (Globe and Mail). 

Experts: Canadian astronomers set to join Ariel space mission

This week Canada announced it will contribute to the European Space Agency’s Ariel mission. A first mission of its kind, the Ariel space telescope will launch in 2029 to study the atmospheres of distant exoplanets outside of our solar system.

Expert: Hollywood actors go on strike after SAG-AFTRA talks collapse

The union representing more than 150,000 television and movie actors is on strike, joining screenwriters who walked out in May to create Hollywood’s first industrywide shutdown in 63 years. (New York Times)

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Experts: WHO's cancer research agency to list aspartame sweetener a possible carcinogen

Aspartame, used in products such as diet sodas and chewing gum, will soon be listed as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" for the first time by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer research arm. (Reuters)