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Recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was heckled at his town hall meeting in Quebec City by a man who held up an upside-down Canadian flag with a swastika drawn on it. The man was removed from the room, but the pain of that episode remains. No matter your political viewpoint, holding up a swastika in Canada and desecrating our flag is damaging to our national ethos.What permits this type of behaviour, and how have we descended so far down the path of hate and intolerance in Canada? At the Uni

OTTAWA — Canada's reputation as a nation with an open and optimistic world view that flies in the face of rising pessimism and nationalism elsewhere is being challenged by new research suggesting many Canadians hold views acutely in line with some of those darker forces.Fewer than half of Canadians appear on the "open" side of a index devised by EKOS Research and The Canadian Press to gauge populist sentiment here, and the remainder either have a closed-off view of the world or are on the

Hey, Shoppers Drug Mart!Your new "Hey, Mom!" advertisements are rubbing some people the wrong way.The posters, advertising that more than 4,400 prescription medications are now free as of Jan. 1 for Ontario youth under age 25, feature photos of children and babies with the text "Hey, Mom! Your kids' prescriptions are now FREE with OHIP+" printed on them. The posters have appeared in stores as well as online.Some people took to social media to call out Shoppers Drug Mart for what they called "gen

KINGSTON, Ont. — A 46-year-old man is facing charges after allegedly attacking a child in a road rage incident in eastern Ontario.Police say the accused was the passenger in a car that had been driving through a Kingston, Ont., parking lot at high speed. They say a near collision resulted in him "flipping off" another driver, who then honked his horn.Investigators allege that after the driver who honked parked his vehicle, the accused approached and yelled racial remarks and threatened he

KINGSTON, Ont. — Police say a woman is facing charges after she was found lounging naked in a stranger's bathtub in Kingston, Ont.They say that when the complainant arrived home on Sunday evening, she found the nude woman in the unfilled tub.Investigators say the accused tried to convince the resident that she was her new roommate.The woman was still in the tub when officers arrived at the scene.They say the 42-year-old Kingston woman is charged with being in a dwelling unit unlawfully and

MONTREAL — Canada intends to be constructive and innovative as the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiations resume, the country's international trade minister said Monday.The talks take place amid the U.S. administration's grumbling about Canada's recent sweeping complaint with the World Trade Organization about U.S. trade practices, as well as Canada's insistence on a progressive trade agenda that includes Indigenous and labour provisions.But Francois-Philippe Champagne told rep

TORONTO — From a Toronto visual effects team that helped create a merman, to a veteran Toronto actor who saved a historical drama, and a Québec director's visually stunning sci-fi sequel — Canada has some serious contenders heading into Tuesday morning's unveiling of this year's Oscar nominations.Here are some Canuck actors, directors and behind-the-scenes talent who might hear their names called:Shaping the "The Shape of Water"The Cold War-era merman movie was shot in Hamilto

When Tara Mandarano of Richmond Hill, Ont., was five months pregnant, she gathered up the courage to tell her ob-gyn that she was feeling "incredibly anxious" all the time.She was embarrassed to mention it, she said, but at the same time felt concerned that perhaps it wasn't normal."I had to bring it up," Mandarano said. "If my ob-gyn had asked me about any mental health symptoms, I would have been less anxious talking about it."After telling her ob-gyn about her history of depression and anxiet

I have been on a long journey, moving deeper into Indigenous knowledge in search for "spirit." I wanted to know it, feel it and perceive it. As a colonized person and laboratory scientist, I was originally skeptical that spirit existed. But after receiving genuine Indigenous knowledge from its many holders and sources, I discovered it in a way that changed how I thought about humanity.From skeptic to believerI looked into faces and eyes that looked like mine, people who I knew were intelligent,

WARNING: A photo in this post is graphic. EDMONTON — Alberta Health Services has issued an apology to the mother of a three-year-old girl after the woman says her child's hand was damaged by intravenous therapy following open-heart surgery.Emmy Gunther, who has Down syndrome and is non-verbal, had the surgery on Jan. 16 at Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital and was expected to go home early this week.Her mother, Jalena Gunther, says her child started suffering pain on Friday night but

What is the freelance life? It means running your work like a boss. Negotiating compensation with organizations. The freedom of working from your laptop. You know, the good life.It is time to be realistic because the freelance life has its benefits; however, it is a lifestyle only self-disciplined people can continue successfully.As a freelancer writing for businesses for the past four years, the freedom of working from home at my own pace offers limited personal and financial benefits. Most peo

TORONTO — Ontario landlords want the right to immediately ban the use of pot in rental properties when recreational weed is legalized this summer, arguing they should be allowed to change tenants' existing leases to stop the drug from being consumed in their units.Some marijuana users say, however, that the situation would leave renters with few places to legally use weed, given the province's already restrictive rules around the drug.Under rules announced in the fall, the province plans a

By now you may have seen the hashtag #axethebeertax on Twitter and wondered what that's about. Just putting the word "tax" anywhere near the word "beer" is enough to make most people develop pretty strong opinions. That's what Beer Canada, the lobby group behind the hashtag, is betting on. Their position is also reliant on you not knowing how excise taxes work. I can fix that for you.We've launched a new initiative @axethebeer_tax to stop the escalating beer tax: https://t.co/MWEAqbx3nM#axethebe

Tired of spending hours in the kitchen night after night? Looking for quick and easy recipes the whole family will love that you can whip up in no time?Try your hand at these easy yet delicious dishes that won't take forever to prepare. They are full of flavour and guaranteed to please your hungry crowd. So get ready to get cooking, and start thinking about what you're going to watch on Netflix with your free time tonight!Deliciously easy tomato soup with Parmesan dumplingsLooking for the perfec

All those new government rules related to housing seem to have done little to improve affordability in Canada's priciest cities, at least so far.More than a year after British Columbia's government announced a tax on foreign buyers, Vancouver remains the third-least affordable city in the world, according to the latest edition of the annual Demographia survey of home affordability.And Toronto has actually risen in the rankings of unaffordable cities since Ontario introduced its own foreign buyer

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg man has admitted to leaving his 89-year-old mother, covered in her own feces and urine, lying on the floor of the home they shared for several days until she died.Ron Siwicki, 65, pleaded guilty Monday to criminal negligence causing death, which carries a maximum life sentence. The musician is to face a sentencing hearing on June 26.A charge of manslaughter was stayed by the Crown.Siwicki's mother, Elizabeth, had suffered from dementia since 2012 and had not had a ref

A problem any marginalized community faces is having their voice heard and seeking a platform in which they'll be taken seriously. As somebody living with mental illness, my most frequent contact has been with healthcare and community service providers. I have consistently struggled in having these two sectors listen to me and understand that after living with mental illness for over 15 years, I know what treatment methods and coping mechanisms work best for me.According to Statistics Canada, on

Canadian "Game of Thrones" fans, rejoice! You'll soon be able to binge-watch your favourite show.CraveTV announced Monday it would be adding the first three seasons of the widely popular HBO show to its lineup.Seasons 1-3 of "Game of Thrones" will begin streaming Feb. 16, and seasons 4 and 5 will be added shortly thereafter, according to a press release. The remaining three seasons will be added over the rest of 2018.Presently, the only way to legally stream "Game of Thrones" is to pay for a cab

TORONTO — Rogers Media and Vice Canada have announced the end of their three-year-old partnership, with TV channel Viceland slated to cease broadcasting on Rogers cable as of March 31 and Rogers giving up its interest in Vice Studio Canada.Rogers says it is evolving its Canadian content strategy and will redirect future funding to initiatives that "better align" with its portfolio and brands, adding it wants to explore opportunities that appeal to a broad audience.130 hours of Canadian pro

Whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard support it or not, I hope the Canadian collective conscience unites on making January 29 a National Day Against Islamophobia.Establishing commemorative days or months are a tool to assert the need for action and solidify support for the downtrodden.The National Council of Canadian Muslims called for making January 29 a day against Islamophobia in Canada many months ago. This call was echoed and supported by many other Mu

Looks like the Duchess of Cambridge might change her birth plans for baby No. 3. According to Express, the 36-year-old is considering having a home birth rather than welcoming her third child at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, where she gave birth to her first two children.The reason for the change makes a lot of sense: the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge want to avoid a media frenzy."They were very concerned about the chaos caused with the first two children as hundreds of press and public cam

Canadians for Tax Fairness applauds Canada Revenue Agency's announcement last week that they will allow about 950,000 low- and fixed-income Canadians to file their income tax returns by answering a series of questions over the telephone.In addition to raising revenue for the government, the tax system plays a vital role in helping to deliver social benefits to millions of Canadians including the Canada Child Benefit, the GST Credit, the Working Income Tax Benefit for low-income Canadians and the

While trips and vacations are meant to help you relax and give you a much needed break, the time leading up to that trip can be full of worry and mini (or major) freak outs.As a mom of three that travels a lot, I totally get it. That's why I decided to put together this list of travel and packing tips designed to keep anxiety at bay and allow you to fully enjoy your vacation!Stop stressing, you're going to forget somethingWhile the following tips are meant to help you prepare, you need to take a

BERLIN — A German nurse who is already serving a life sentence for two murders has been charged with killing 97 more patients over several years at two hospitals in northwestern Germany, prosecutors said Monday.The new indictment against Niels Hoegel was expected after officials said in November that he may have killed more than 100 patients in total. He worked at a clinic in Oldenburg from 1999 to 2002 and in nearby Delmenhorst from 2003 to 2005.Hoegel was convicted in 2015 of two murders

It's every mom with postpartum depression's worst nightmare: seeking help only to have children's aid called, or worse, the cops.And that's what happened to Jessica Porten of Sacramento, California this past weekend."I thought it was very excessive, but I was told that the ER was where I needed to go to get help," Porten told HuffPost Canada via text message."Based on the private messages I am receiving from so many women, this is not an isolated incident ... No one should be afraid to be truthf

Is it May yet? Now that the excitement of the holidays is long gone, we can start counting down the days until Prince Harry and Meghan Markle say "I do" in what is sure to be one of the highlights of the year! According to the Daily Mail, the couple are planning a "white and classic wedding" and we already know the ceremony and reception will be gorgeous based on Markle's fantastic taste as a budding style icon and through her shuttered lifestyle site, The Tig.But the two will also reportedly be

WINNIPEG — A Yazidi boy who was held captive for three years by Iraqi militants before being reunited with his family in Winnipeg last year is requesting a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.In a video posted to Facebook by the Yazidi Association of Manitoba, 13-year-old Emad Mishko Tamo holds up a sign thanking Canada for helping him, followed by another sign stating that he wants to share his story and be a voice for other Yazidi children still in captivity."There's a thousand ot

DAVOS, Switzerland — A CEO from one of the world's top five global fashion brands has to work for just four days to earn what a garment worker in Bangladesh will earn in an entire lifetime, campaigning group Oxfam International said Monday.In the run-up to the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, Oxfam has sought to put inequality at the heart of this week's deliberations of the rich and powerful."The billionaire boom is not a sign of a thriving economy but a symptom of a

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc <FB.O> warned on Monday that it could offer no assurance that social media was on balance good for democracy, but the company said it was trying what it could to stop alleged meddling in elections by Russia or anyone else.The sharing of false or misleading headlines on social media has become a global issue, after accusations that Russia tried to influence votes in the United States, Britain and France. Moscow denies the allegations.Facebook, the larg

By Wayne KarlThis year will bring some new challenges and opportunities for housing. Here are five things you need to know about Canadian real estate in 2018.More local than everFirst, there's no such thing as a Canadian real estate market. You buy one home on one street in one neighbourhood in one city. This is true now more than ever.What happens in Canada's largest and hottest housing markets, Toronto and Vancouver, respectively, is quite different from that in, say, recovering areas such as

OTTAWA — When Ottawa announced changes to EI parental leave benefits last year that will allow new mothers to receive benefits for 18 months, Heather Wilson was excited about the possibility of spending more time with her baby.But after digging into the changes, Wilson and her husband are probably going to stick with the 12-month option.That's in large part due to the fact that when Ottawa announced the change, it didn't increase the amount of money for the program. So, while you may recei

Aside from ensuring your kids are healthy and happy, one of the most important goals you have as a parent is making sure your offspring receive a good education that prepares them for the ever-changing world.Many parents are strong believers in raising self-learners. Programs such as Kumon can help with this, by preparing children to become independent, emotionally intelligent adults and better critical thinkers.Unlike passive learning methods, which rely on children taking notes, memorizing fac

There are three types of people in the morning — those who wake up ready to go, those who need a couple of hours, and those who skip mornings altogether. Research shows that those who wake up ready to go are happier, nicer and more productive, while people who skip mornings are more susceptible to ailments like obesity and cardiovascular disease. The good news is, no matter where you fall on the morning personality spectrum, there are things that you can do on any day to make

There's nothing more Canadian than maple syrup. It's not only Canada's most delicious export, it's an extremely versatile and all-natural ingredient that's become one of our most iconic identifiers internationally. But did you know that the Ontario's Highlands region, located just 30 minutes west of Ottawa and 2.5 hours northeast of Toronto, is home to the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario, many proud producers and tons of opportunities to enjoy the sticky treat?In partnership with Ontario Tourism

Weekend getaways are vital to a healthy, balanced life. But trying to find a spot that separates itself from routine accommodations can be difficult. Fortunately, the Ontario's Highlands region — just 2.5 hours northeast of Toronto and 30 minutes west of Ottawa — offers a number of memorable spots to nestle into regardless of the season.While some are perfect for family vacations, others are ideal for those romantic getaways with your special someone. Presented in partnership with On

Snowshoeing, outdoor hockey games, winter festivals, tobogganing, dog sledding and cross-country skiing are quintessential Canadian activities. The thing that connects them all together isn't just the fact that they're enjoyed outdoors in winter — they're a part of Canada's heritage. Our communities are built around a love for the great outdoors. Celebrating the season has always been an irrefutable and proudly defiant part of who we are as a country and as a people.There's no place that i

SANDY COVE, N.S. — A small-scale women's march in rural Nova Scotia that charmed the internet in 2017 more than doubled its turnout this year to 32 people — amounting to nearly half the village's permanent population, according to an organizer.As hundreds of thousands of people around the world organized marches last year in the wake of Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president, a plucky group of 15 women trudged down the only road in Sandy Cove, N.S., to show their support for w

Canada will be hosting an annoyed and angry United States as the sixth round of talks in the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation unfold over the coming week.The Trump administration is making known its displeasure about Canada's contributions to date and demanding progress over the marathon 10-day session.Multiple sources aware of the U.S. administration's views say the acrimony has a variety of causes, including Canada's recent decision to file a sweeping complaint about U.S. trad