OAKVILLE’S MORNING NEWS SCRAMBLE

Halton school bus cancellations

Snow and freezing rain this morning had lead to school bus cancellations in Halton Region.

Environment Canada: The snow should end around noon. There is also the risk of freezing rain this morning. Snowfall amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind becoming southwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 early this afternoon. High plus 3. Wind chill minus 9 this morning.

Canada’s tariff response planning continues

The PM says he’s hosting a Canada-U.S. Economic Summit today with business and labour leaders to talk about increasing investment in Canada.  Separately, Pierre Poilievre says he’d make life sentences mandatory for anyone caught trafficking more than 40mg of fentanyl.

The walls come tumbling down

Oakville MP and Minister of Internal Trade Anita Anand says interprovincial trade barriers could disappear in 30 days.  Speaking to reporters she said “incredible, fast-paced progress” is being made on the issue following an emergency meeting last week with the premiers and PM.

Oakville’s tariff response

Town staff have been directed to come up with a list of ways to respond to proposed U.S. tariffs such as shifting contracts away from American companies as long as it doesn’t violate existing trade deals or compromise “fiscal responsibility”.  The town says it’ll update residents as the list comes together.

Total ban on U.S. deals “not prudent”: Toronto city manager

Toronto’s city manager says it “would not be prudent” to completely stop doing business with American companies since procurement is complex.  Less than 10% of the city’s purchases come from the U.S., and council has directed staff to look at ways to buy Canadian first.

RCMP talks about what it’s doing at the border

Following President Trump’s demands for a more secure border, the RCMP is raising attention to the work it’s doing.  Officers held a news conference yesterday to talk about three cases in Manitoba and Alberta where people were intercepted trying to illegally enter Canada.  Two of the incidents involved groups of people, including children, trying to cross on foot in the freezing cold.  The other involved a man who fled when stopped at the border and later took his own life.

On the campaign trail

🟦 PC Leader Doug Ford says he’ll remove tolls on the eastern part of the 407, which is owned by the province, and permanently cut the provincial gas tax.

🟧 NDP Leader Marit Stiles commits to creating 60,000 supportive housing units, doubling social assistance rates, and ending encampments.

🟥 Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie says he’s going to double Ontario Disability Support Program benefits to help people with affordability.

The Canadian Press has put together a really nice summary of all of the campaign promises so far, and you can find it here.

Winter Commute Month

The Town of Oakville is promoting Winter Commute Month to encourage ways of getting around other than driving. You can log your “smart commute” trips to win one of nine $50 gift cards, and attend webinars about things like carpooling and cycling in all weather conditions.

Jonas Brothers love a trivia night!

The Jonas Brothers are in Toronto and heard about a Camp Rock trivia night at Hemmingway’s in Yorkville, so decided to drop in.  The three starred in the movie and are in town now shooting a Christmas film.

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KEEP THE CHANGE

Chinese tariffs and Amazon

Business Insider quotes a Morgan Stanley report saying that Amazon is the “most-exposed among the e-commerce companies” to tariffs on Chinese goods.  The bank estimates that about 25% of the products directly sold by Amazon come from China.  Many of Amazon’s third-party sellers are also Chinese.

Staying put

38% of Canadian workers are looking for a new job right now, which is down from 50% in July, according to a new survey by Robert Half.  The consulting firm says the drop in job hunters could make it harder for companies trying to fill roles.

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HEALTHY START

Oprah’s weight loss drug

Oprah has opened up about the type of weight loss drug she used. While she didn’t give the specific brand, she acknowledges it was a “GLP-1”, which includes names like Ozempic and Trulicity.  The drug mimics a hormone which makes people feel full.

The final moments

A team of scientists have captured the brain activity of a dying person for the first time, and it appears to show brain waves associated with memory and retrieval.  One doctor tells the Daily Mail: “The brain may be playing a last recall of important life events just before we die, similar to the ones reported in near-death experiences.”

AND… ANOTHER THING!

Is there anything she can’t give advice on?

According to Martha Stewart, there’s a right way to eat mussels.  Luckily for one influencer, she had the privilege of joining Martha for a nightcap, where she offered her advice on how to eat them more efficiently.  See the video above for details.

Have a teriffic Thursday!  Thanks for subscribing to Cockadoodle News | Oakville!