In the news today, Sept. 17

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RECOVERY CONTINUES FOR CALGARY GIRL HURT IN TEXAS CRASH

A Calgary girl who was paralyzed in a Texas highway crash in July is heading to a children’s hospital in California that offers high-tech treatments for spinal injuries. Ten year old Mehak Minhas is to arrive at the Shriners hospital in Sacramento today, accompanied by her eight-year-old sister Jupleen and mother Jasleen. The trio were on holiday with three other family members when their minivan collided with an 18-wheeler. Mehak’s father, brother and grandmother died in the crash.

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PROTESTERS RALLY OUTSIDE ONTARIO LEGISLATURE DURING MIDNIGHT SITTING

Hordes of protesters shouted to be allowed inside the Ontario legislature as provincial politicians gathered for a rare midnight sitting to speed up passage of a bill to cut Toronto’s city council nearly in half. Protesters also voiced their opposition to the bill inside Queen’s Park, heckling Progressive Conservative legislators with cries of “shame, shame” until the Speaker cleared the public galleries. Those who’d lined up outside to observe the debate chanted “Let us in!” and “Our city, not Ford’s!”

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FEDERAL PARTIES RACE TO LINE UP NOMINATIONS

Federal political parties are gearing up for the final parliamentary session before the next election, but while the Conservatives and the Liberals tout having many candidates nominated and money in the bank, the NDP has yet to nominate a single candidate. NDP president Mathieu Vick says the party revamped its nomination process over the summer and the new rules came into effect about two weeks ago.

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QUEBEC LEADERS TO SPAR IN ENGLISH DEBATE

Quebec’s four would-be premiers face off tonight in the province’s first-ever televised English-language debate. Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard, Francois Legault of the Coalition Avenir Quebec, Jean-Francois Lisee of the Parti Quebecois and Quebec solidaire’s Manon Masse are hoping to impress English-speaking voters ahead of the Oct. 1 election. The candidates will debate topics including education, health, economy, identity, the environment and relations with the English-speaking community.

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CALGARY FLAMES CO-OWNER CLAYTON RIDDELL DIES

Clay Riddell, billionaire businessman and co-owner of the Calgary Flames, has died. The Flames confirmed his death in a statement on Sunday. Riddell joined Flames ownership in 2003 after spending much of his life building oil and gas companies, including Paramount Resources. He stepped down as CEO of the natural gas and oil exploration company in 2015, when his son, James, took over. Riddell founded the company that has been operating in Canada since 1976.

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STEADY TRANSITION TO WINTER IN THE FORECAST

The Weather Network is telling Canadians they can expect to enjoy a full fall season with a steady transition to winter over the next two months. The network is predicting that winter won’t come early this year and that Canadians will get to experience a generally mild fall from now until the end of November. The Weather Network’s chief meteorologist, Chris Scott, says there will be a smooth transition in temperature through the fall months towards December.

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POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE TO BE AWARDED TONIGHT

An array of musicians representing diverse sounds and experiences from across the country are in the running for the Polaris Music Prize tonight. Ten albums are in contention, but only one will be awarded as Canadian album of the year by an 11-member jury of journalists, critics and bloggers. The Polaris prize is considered one of Canada’s most prestigious music awards, with the winner receiving 50-thousand dollars. Former winners include Arcade Fire, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Kaytranada and Lido Pimienta.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— The New Brunswick Women’s Council will hold a forum with provincial party leaders in Fredericton on issues affecting women’s equality.

— The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls will hold hearings in Quebec City.

— The Canadian Real Estate Association releases its monthly numbers and quarterly outlook on the housing market.

— The Rohingya Human Rights Network and others advocating on behalf of the Rohingya will speak at a media conference on Parliament Hill.

— RCMP to launch campaign in Winnipeg to end violence against women, children.

— The City of Vancouver goes to court in a bid to close dozens of marijuana retailers operating without business licenses.

— RCMP will provide an update on the death of a Belgian tourist who was allegedly killed while hitchhiking in British Columbia.

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The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, Sept. 17

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