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Orchids, veggies and beer: pot producers pivot in tough market

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

When Miguel Martin first visited Bevo Agtech Inc.’s Langley, B.C., greenhouse, he saw potential bursting from every corner. Hundreds of trays of tomato seedlings stretched away under the glow of LED lights. Baskets of blossoming flowers hung from the rafters. And the company was convinced it already had its next big product line: orchids.Martin is CEO of Aurora Cannabis Inc. and may have seemed like an unlikely buyer for Bevo, an agriculture stalwart still run by the Dutch family that founded it in 1986. But it was a good match: the Edmonton-based pot giant already had the hulking, temperature-controlled greenhouses Bevo needed to expand, while for Aurora, Bevo’s stability would provide some reprieve from the volatile weed industry.“It’s a company that makes money. It’s a company that’s growing,” Martin saidin a September interview, a year after Aurora bought a 50.1 per cent stake in Bevo for $45 million.“It’s a company that’s not brok...

Tortoise, Frank the Tank, found wandering in a B.C. field of bok choy needs home

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

VANCOUVER — With a name like Frank the Tank, you might think nothing could stop the 16-kilogram sulcata tortoise, but wandering alone on farmland near Richmond, B.C., certainly slowed him down. Shelley Smith was one of the first to spot Frank moving slowly in a field of bok choy near her house about two weeks ago, just before the Thanksgiving holiday.  Smith said several construction workers nearby pointed to something that looked like a rock. Then the rock moved.“I was like, ‘Oh … It’s a freaking turtle wandering along very slowly,” said Smith. “I am like, ‘I can’t leave you here.’”One of the construction workers helped her pick up the tortoise and it was placed in a plastic kiddie pool that she originally bought for her dog.She then reached out to the SPCA for help. “We’re all petting him, and his feet were massive. They look like elephant feet,” she said, adding that it was an awesome experience to have a close encounter with a tortoise. When the SPCA late...

Judge to deem if man with history of mental illness responsible in death of parents

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

WINNIPEG — A judge is expected to decide whether a Winnipeg man should be deemed not criminally responsible for his role in the killings of his parents and stabbing a colleague. Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Justice Kenneth Champagne heard on Monday that Trevor Farley was experiencing psychosis and auditory delusions the day he stabbed his 73-year-old parents to death and stabbed a nursing supervisor more than a dozen times nearly two years ago. Farley’s lawyer says Farley acknowledges he committed the attacks but he should be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness. Farley pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in his mother’s death, second-degree murder in his father’s death and attempted murder in the stabbing of Candace Szkwarek. A mental health assessment was ordered shortly after police arrested Farley, and lawyers for the Crown accepted doctors’ conclusion that Farley did not understand what he was doing at the time of the atta...

‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers’ trial to hear testimony from final Ottawa resident

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

OTTAWA — The trial for two “Freedom Convoy” organizers is set to wrap up hearing testimony from downtown Ottawa residents today.Paul Jorgenson began his evidence Monday in the criminal trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, who face charges related to their role in organizing the weeks-long protest against COVID-19 public health restrictions.He described his desperation to leave downtown Ottawa during the protest, even though his car was blocked in by trucks and other vehicles.So far, all five resident witnesses have described a scene of overwhelming noise from blaring truck horns and engines, and the persistent smell of diesel fumes during the protest. The Crown is expected to wrap up its questions for Jorgenson before he is cross-examined by the defence.As of Monday evening, Crown prosecutors were still weighing whether to call another witness who worked downtown last winter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2023.The Canadian Press

Champagne says he wishes grocers were more ‘forthcoming’ on plans to stabilize prices

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

OTTAWA — Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says he wishes Canadian grocers would be more forthcoming with the public about their plans to stabilize prices.Earlier this month, Champagne announced that major Canadian grocers — Loblaw, Metro, Empire, Walmart and Costco — submitted initial plans to the federal government for how they will stabilize prices in the face of high inflation.The Liberal government summoned the heads of the companies to meet in Ottawa last month, demanding that they present such a plan by Thanksgiving or face potential tax measures. At the announcement on Oct. 5, Champagne said that those plans included discounts, price freezes and price-matching campaigns. He didn’t divulge many details at the time, saying he wanted the grocers to compete with one another. But in an interview with The Canadian Press on Monday,  Champagne said he wishes the grocers were willing to be more open. “I wish they would be more forthcoming,” Champagne sai...

Statistics Canada to release September inflation reading this morning

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada is set to release its September inflation reading this morning. Progress on getting inflation down has stalled in recent months as underlying price pressures remain broad in the economy.Canada’s inflation rate accelerated for two consecutive months, reaching four per cent in August. RBC Economics says it expects the annual inflation rate edged down to 3.8 per cent last month and that it will continue falling moving forward. The commercial bank also expects food inflation, which has been a major concern for families, to continue trending downward. Today’s inflation report comes ahead of the Bank of Canada’s next interest rate announcement slated for Oct. 25. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2023.The Canadian Press

Wave of billion-dollar oilpatch deals a sign of bullish Canadian energy sector

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

CALGARY — A wave of high-profile mergers and acquisitions in the Canadian oilpatch is a sign of an industry that is flush with cash and increasingly confident in the short- and medium-term outlook for fossil fuels, experts say.Since the start of the year, there have been a number of billion-dollar-plus deals struck in the Canadian energy sector, includingCrescent Point Energy Corp.’s $1.7-billion purchase of Spartan Delta Corp.’s Montney oilfield assets, ConocoPhillips’ approximately $4-billion purchase of TotalEnergies’ Surmont oilsands project,and Suncor Energy Inc.’s $1.47-billion acquisition of Total’s stake in the Fort Hills oilsands mine.The latest headline-grabbing deal was announced Monday, whenTourmaline Oil Corp. — Canada’s largest natural gas producer — said it would purchase privately held Bonavista Energy Corp. for $1.45 billion.Strathcona Resources Ltd. also recently merged with Pipestone Energy Corp. in an all-stock deal, with...

Poland’s ruling conservatives lose majority in parliament to centrist coalition, final count shows

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Three opposition parties that vowed to restore democratic standards in Poland together won over 54% of the votes in the nation’s weekend parliamentary election, putting them in a position to take power, according to a complete ballot count reported Tuesday.The conservative Law and Justice party, which has governed the country for eight turbulent years, won slightly over 35% of the votes, making it the single party with the most votes. But the party and its leader Jarosław Kaczyński lost their majority in parliament and appeared to have no way to hold onto power.The official ballot announced by the National Electoral Commission aligns closely with an exit poll released after voting ended Sunday.Turnout was nearly 75%, a record that surpassed the 63% turnout of 1989, a vote that triggered the collapse of the oppressive Soviet-backed communist system. Law and Justice had been taking the country on an illiberal path, taking control of courts in a manner that ...

92% of EU businesses use at least 1 ICT security measure

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

Digital technologies are changing how people work and live and also how businesses conduct their activities or business models, but this brings additional challenges to our private lives and security in businesses. Businesses, for example, can implement a range of ICT security measures, practices and procedures to prevent incidents and to ensure the integrity, availability and confidentiality of their data and ICT systems.To ensure the security of ICT systems and data, 58% of businesses make their employees aware of their obligations in ICT-related issues and 37% of the businesses have documents on measures, practices or procedures on ICT security.In 2022, 92% of EU businesses used at least 1 ICT security measure to protect their ICT systems and data, and only 36% used 7 security measures. Most of the companies in the EU preferred to use strong password authentication (82% of EU businesses), data backup to a separate location or cloud (78%) and network access control (65%). Oct...

Brussels shooting UPDATE: Gunman shot after two Swedes killed

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

UPDATE: A gunman suspected of shooting two Swedish football fans in a terror attack in Brussels was shot in a cafe after some 12 hours on the run, Belgium’s interior ministry said on Tuesday.He was shot in the chest, before being arrested and taken to hospital. Two people have been shot dead in the Belgian capital Brussels on Monday evening, police have said.Belgium's prime minister later confirmed the victims were Swedish. Prosecutors say they are treating the shooting as terrorism.The Belgium-Sweden Euro 2024 qualifier football match being played in the city has been abandoned, Uefa said.The gunman fled the scene and is still at large. Brussels has increased its terror threat to the highest level.A spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutor said another person had been wounded in the attack."Go home and stay at home as long as the threat has not been eradicated," Eric van Duyse told Reuters, adding that the attacker claimed to be inspired by Islamic State.A video posted on ...