105.9 The Region

MOMBASA — Astraeus O’Levin is tired of strangers telling her they want to kill her. In 2015, as a transgender woman, she left the scrutiny of her family in western Kenya, seeking peace and new opportunities in the tourism sector in the eastern coastal city of Mombasa. Instead she was greeted by children pelting rocks […]

TORONTO — As retailers drop reminders in email inboxes and on TV that Black Friday deals are in full swing, the flashiness of all the advertising is designed to entice shoppers to open their wallets ever wider. Deidre Cross, the founder of Ohh You Budget, says there are a number of ways shoppers can avoid […]

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada is set to release third quarter gross domestic product figures this morning. The agency’s preliminary estimate pointed to one per cent annualized growth over the three-month period. That would be below the Bank of Canada’s October forecast of 1.5 per cent. RBC says although the economy likely continued to grow in […]

OTTAWA — The Liberals’ GST holiday bill is one step closer to becoming law after it was passed by a majority of the House of Commons late tonight. The Liberals and NDP worked together to curtail the usual debate on the legislation, passing it a day after it was first introduced. The Conservatives and Bloc […]

TORONTO — Ontario’s only First Nation representative at Queen’s Park is calling on the government to support his private member’s bill to declare the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday in the province. The proposed Day of Reflection on Indian Residential Schools on Sept. 30 would make Ontario a better place, said […]

TORONTO — The federal government says cost-conscious families are among the groups set to benefit from a proposed tax holiday, a temporary policy that will make many children’s items and packaged foods tax-free for two months. The list runs the gamut from Christmas trees to booster seats, but exceptions abound: shoes but not cleats; video […]

TORONTO — A new study finds there’s a disconnect between how hazing on sports teams in Canada is perceived and the realities of toxic culture. The Coaches Association of Ontario, with support from Hydro One, commissioned the survey by Leger and released the findings on Thursday. The CAO had five speakers address the report at […]

TORONTO — Strength in energy and industrial stocks helped Canada’s main stock index move higher Thursday. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 55.22 points at 25,543.52. U.S. stock markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.38 cents US compared with 71.25 cents US on Wednesday. The January crude oil contract […]

TORONTO — A tax holiday introduced by the federal government is throwing a bit of a wrench in Andy Thompson’s Christmas shopping plans. The Fredericton mom of two was going to do most of her shopping on Black Friday, but now she has to weigh her options given that the temporary government sales tax break […]

TORONTO — Nurse practitioners in Ontario will be able to apply a defibrillator and cardiac pacemakers starting next summer, as the province expands their scope of practice. Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the changes will improve access to care for people across Ontario, especially in Indigenous, rural, northern and remote communities. The government plans regulatory […]