Tag: CBC

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Dustin Johnson makes eagle putt to win LIV Boston event in playoff | CBC Sports

Dustin Johnson makes eagle putt to win LIV Boston event in playoff | CBC Sports

Dustin Johnson gave LIV Golf its first big moment Sunday when he made a 35-foot eagle putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the LIV Golf Invitational-Boston for his first victory in 19 months.

Johnson’s putt on the par-5 18th was going so fast it might have rolled some 6 feet past the hole. But it hit the back of the cup and dropped down near the front of the cup to beat Joaquin Niemann and Anirban Lahiri.

He raised his arm and dropped it for a slow-motion uppercut, instead slapping hands with Austin Johnson, his brother and caddie. The win was worth $4 million US for Johnson. With his team winning again, he now has made $9,962,500 in four events.

“It was going a little fast, but it was a good line,” Johnson said with a big smile. “I got some unlucky breaks (on No. 18) the first time around. It owed me one and I got it.”

The first playoff in four LIV Golf events capped an otherwise sloppy finish by so many others who had a chance.

Johnson, who closed with a 5-under 65, needed a birdie on the par-5 18th. His drive bounced into the right rough, his iron to lay up went into the trees well to the left and he had to scramble for par to join Lahiri (64) and Niemann (66) at 15-under 265.

Lahiri hit a fairway metal to 5 feet on the 18th in regulation, and his eagle putt that would have won it rolled around the right edge of the cup.

Lee Westwood finished one shot out of a playoff after a 62 that included bogeys on two of his last three holes. He was poised to win when he bounced back from a bogey on No. 1 in the shotgun start with a short birdie on the par-3 second.

He finished on No. 3, a 352-yard hole and great birdie opportunity. Westwood hit a lob wedge that was so fat it came up some 40 feet short of the pin and into a bunker. He blasted out weakly and missed the 18-foot par putt.

“The lob wedge was a little fat,” Westwood said. “Make 3 and I win the tournament and I make 5. It’s a sickening way to finish.”

British Open champion Cameron Smith, among six players who recently signed with the Saudi-funded league, had a 63. He also was tied for the lead until hitting his tee shot into the trees on No. 1, his 17th hole, and having to pitch out sideways. He made bogey.

WATCH | How Saudi Arabia is using LIV Golf to Sportswash its global image:

How Saudi Arabia is using LIV Golf to Sportswash its global image

Dave Zirin joins host Morgan Campbell, to discuss the motivations of Saudi Arabia in creating and funding the LIV Golf tour.

Smith tied for fourth with Westwood. Each made just over $1 million.

Johnson had not won since the Saudi International on Feb. 7, 2021, when it was part of the European tour schedule. The player who has been No. 1 longer than anyone since Tiger Woods slipped out of the top 15 in the world when he signed with LIV Golf.

He was part of the rival league from the start in early June outside London, and he has finished in the top 10 in all of them.

“I’ve had a chance to win every one,” he said. “That’s three in a row for the team, and for me to get my first, I’m feeling good.”

He walked off the 18th green holding a phone in a video call to his two sons.

Lahiri and Niemann each made just over $1.8 million for losing in the playoff. They were among six players who signed with LIV Golf after the PGA Tour season end.

The next LIV Golf Invitational series is in two weeks in the Chicago suburbs at Rich Harvest Farms, best known for hosting the Solheim Cup in 2009.

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Torch of Dignity relay event sheds light on continued importance of human rights, education in Manitoba | CBC News

Torch of Dignity relay event sheds light on continued importance of human rights, education in Manitoba | CBC News

Winnipeggers passed a torch around Central Park for an annual event this weekend, casting a spotlight on the continued importance of human rights.

Manitobans for Human Rights, an organization created eight years ago with the goal of educating Manitobans about the importance of human rights, held their seventh annual Torch of Dignity relay on Sunday.

The event featured human rights speakers and live entertainment as well as artisan, career and resource booths.

Zara Kadhim, the logistics coordinator for the organization, said although the event was downsized this year, the hope was to bring the community together.

“Education is the first step,” she told Radio-Canada in an interview, adding that the province still has a long way to go.

Event organizer Zara Kadhim says people are becoming desensitized to human rights violations in Manitoba. (Radio-Canada)

Friendly Manitoba is doing a lot better than many places in the world when it comes to human rights, Kadhim said, but issues like homelessness, MMIWG2S and immigrant and refugee struggles are becoming more normalized in the province.

“We’re almost desensitized to human rights violations,” she said.

The aim of the relay was to bring awareness to those issues and focus on peoples’ similarities instead of their differences, said Kadhim.

Vienna Code, public education and communications coordinator at the Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba, says everyone deserves the right to mental health services. (Radio-Canada)

The peer support organization Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba, where all staff have lived experience with anxiety, had their own resource booth at the event.

“Mental health is a human right,” said Vienna Code, the public education and communications coordinator for ADAM. “We need to promote it a bit more and understand that all humans deserve the right to mental health services.”

With the pandemic seemingly winding down, Code said more people are having difficulties with addressing their nerves.

“People think they shouldn’t be anxious anymore or have those thoughts,” she said.

Anxiety and mental health concerns are common, she said, and ADAM acts as a stepping stone for people to see what next steps they have to take to address their mental health issues.

Code said it’s important for younger people to have earlier interventions when it comes to mental health issues.

“I think there still continues to be a stigma around mental health and I think that’s the hardest hurdle for people, to step and reach out for help.”

Sarah Parker, executive assistant of the Islamic Social Services Association, said the association took part in the event to encourage people to be open to learning about Islam and Muslims.

“In a way, if they know about Islam and Muslims, then we can fight the stereotypes,” she said.

“We believe that at the heart of human rights is human dignity.”

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Lantern fest wrongly used Six Nations, Ont., land, community member says as organizer defends chaotic event | CBC News

Lantern fest wrongly used Six Nations, Ont., land, community member says as organizer defends chaotic event | CBC News

A resident from Six Nations, Ont., the First Nations reserve where a U.S.-based event company held a controversial lantern festival last weekend, says local laws around land use are different than other jurisdictions and need to be respected. 

“These organizers need to understand Indigenous lands are not to be seen as a wasteland [where] our territories and the safety of our people don’t matter,” Rick Monture, who is Mohawk with the Turtle clan, told CBC Hamilton on Thursday.

The Lights Festival was held on a farm in Six Nations on Aug. 20, despite community concerns around permissions and safety. Many ticket holders, some who came from more than 100 kilometres away, were turned back by Six Nations police, while others were able to reach the property and release lanterns. 

Monture said while some municipalities like Toronto have banned sky lanterns, Six Nations is among reserves that don’t have the same laws, which “creates a loophole” for event organizers. 

“They don’t care if it causes any potential harm or threat to the community … I would put the onus squarely on the event organizers,” said Monture, who is also a McMaster University associate professor in the departments of English, cultural and Indigenous studies.

Following calls from many ticket holders for a refund and fuller explanation, the festival’s organizer told CBC Hamilton this week it relied on the venue to ensure last weekend’s event could move forward.

“We did everything that the venue had told us to do,” said Drew Dunn, a manager with U.S.-based Viive Events.

The event, held on the same property in 2019, had prompted concerns from Six Nations community members before it took place again this year. Six Nations police, who called the event “unauthorized,” blocked the area and, according to one neighbour, it turned into “mayhem.”

“They said they were taking care of it,” Dunn said of the property owner. “I’m the first to admit it did not go how we wanted it to go.”

CBC has been unable to reach the property owner, and Dunn has not provided more information about the venue.

How the night unfolded

Viive Events is the Utah-based company behind the The Lights Festival, where people light a lantern and let it fly through the sky.

Festivals take place across the U.S. and Canada, and have triggered concerns before. The Six Nations event, marketed as taking place in the Toronto area on Aug. 20, was organized remotely, Dunn said.

The company held the event on private property, the Johnson Farm.

The First Nations reserve is also home to the the largest Carolinian forest in southern Ontario.

Rick Monture had strong words for the organizers of The Light Festival, which took place in the First Nations reserve on Aug. 20. (McMaster University)

Terri Monture lives next to the farm and described a scene of “mayhem” Saturday night — darkened roads lined with cars, with people trying to get to the location despite police blocking it off. 

She said she spoke to at least one person who wasn’t aware the area was a reserve. She told them they weren’t supposed to be there and “our band council and our hereditary council have condemned [the event].”

At least one formal letter from the community that was signed by Mark Hill, chief of the elected council, was sent to organizers before the event, saying it was too dangerous to release lanterns and that organizers had no authority to do so. 

When asked if Viive Events had made any contact with the elected council or the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) — the traditional, hereditary leaders on the reserve — Dunn said he wasn’t sure and needed to double check.

The HCCC declined to comment.

While there was an announcement from organizers on the day of the event asking the roughly 5,000 ticket holders not to fly the lanterns, some floated through the sky Saturday night.

Others were turned away by Six Nations police, who said this week it was investigating and may lay charges.

Dunn said the organizers didn’t know police had arrived at the event and were turning people away. He said the company couldn’t get in contact with police, which he said was the reason for their delay with a public statement. The company posted a note online Sunday evening apologizing “for any confusion and inconvenience.”

“We were confused as participants … no one would talk to me,” Dunn said, adding he hadn’t heard about any potential charges by police.

Six Nations police didn’t respond to questions from CBC Hamilton.

Event company says it follows ‘correct protocols’

In a statement released Tuesday, Hill said the event represented “a callous disregard for the safety and well-being of the people of Six Nations.”

One family had trouble driving to a relative’s wake because of traffic from the event, he said.

“It is unacceptable that outside organizations think they can exploit our sovereignty for their own benefit by hosting events on the territory that have little to no benefit to our community,” he wrote.

Rick Monture said he was particularly upset by one part of the organizers’ Sunday statement, which said they were happy for those who got to release their lanterns.

They were essentially saying “good for you people for disobeying the police and threatening the lives and well-being of people in the community,” Monture said.

When Dunn was asked about both community and ticket-holder concerns, he said there has never been a single fire throughout the five years the event has been in operation.

The company goes through “all the correct protocols,” he added.

A person releasing a lantern into the sky.
Lights Festival organizers say they’re setting another date for the event to make up for last weekend’s event in Six Nations that they say caused ‘confusion and inconvenience’ to ticket holders. (globetrotter.mitul.kathuria/Instagram)

“Not everyone loves the event, that’s just like anything in life … that’s part of doing a special event,” Dunn said.

“People don’t realize the thousands of people that are going there because they’ve lost a loved one or they’re starting to do a job … that’s what we give to people.”

He said the venue itself is private property and they can host an event when they want. He also said the event went well when it took place there in 2019.

Terri Monture previously told CBC that event raised some concerns.

Organizers issuing limited refunds

Dunn said Viive is working with customers to issue refunds to some with tickets, but not all.

“When a musician goes on tour and the artist loses their voice, they don’t refund everyone, they reschedule,” Dunn said. 

The company has 52 complaints registered with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), many of them around accessing refunds and or events not taking place.

“The consumers reach out to the business for refunds and are unsuccessful in reaching them,” the website says.

However, Dunn said, “We’re not here to steal money, we’re not here to be a scam, we’re here to bring an awesome event to people.”

The festival’s frequently asked questions section says tickets are non-refundable unless the customer opts for the Refund Protection Plan.

The other chance at getting a refund is if the event is cancelled and a new date isn’t set within 90 days of the original event. 

Dunn said Viive hopes to have another Ontario event by October, but said it won’t take place at the Johnson Farm.

Instead, it will be in a municipality that supports the event, he said.

“We are working day and night to find another venue to do it the right way so these people can experience what a cool event it is.” 

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Reflections, impacts of slavery shared at Manitoba’s first official Emancipation Day event | CBC News

Reflections, impacts of slavery shared at Manitoba's first official Emancipation Day event | CBC News

Winnipeggers gathered at the St. Norbert Arts Centre on Monday to mark the creation of legislation that abolished slavery in Canada 188 years ago, and reflect on the ongoing hardships Black people face. 

Co-host Uche Nwankwo said the anniversary is an opportunity to discuss Black history and discuss the work that needs to happen to end the ongoing effects of slavery.

“History is important. It’s a way of remembering what had happened and then finding a way to prevent a future occurrence of such ugly history,” he said on Monday.

In addition to addressing ongoing anti-Black racism in Canada, Nwankwo said the local Emancipation Day programming also looked at the similar treatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The event included speeches from community advocates and politicians, and finished with a sacred fire outside the arts centre.

Co-host of the Emancipation Day event Uche Nwankwo said it’s an opportunity to discuss Black history and the ongoing impacts of slavery and racism. (Joanne Roberts/CBC)

Former CFL and NFL player and current Winnipeg resident Willard Reaves, who also co-hosted the event, says marking Emancipation Day is important.

“We’re still feeling the impacts because racism is still alive and well in both the United States and in Canada. If we just put it on the back burner, it will never, ever go away.” he said.

Reaves said he hopes marking the anniversary of Emancipation Day will encourage people to put aside their differences and engage in more respect for one another. 

“It’s for people to remember a very dark, dark time … it’s a stark reminder of just how cruel human beings can actually be. And this will be a stepping stones to make sure that we never repeat history again, especially as hideous as slavery is.”

Emancipation Day event co-host Willard Reaves said the time of slavery was a dark time for humanity. He said actively acknowledging and fighting racism is important to prevent history from repeating itself. (Joanne Roberts/CBC)

Traditional knowledge keeper Michael Pierre sits on the board of directors for the St. Norbert Art Centre. He held a sacred fire at the end of the event and said the arts centre has been recognized as a sacred site by many traditional people.

Pierre said marking the anniversary of Emancipation Day was also important to the Indigenous community.

“Recognizing that as an Indigenous person and seeing my relatives in the Black community … We have a shared history and common experiences,” he said. “But again, all of us as human beings are impacted by all of these types of injustices that we do toward each other.”

Pierre said he was pleased to see many young people at the event, as well as community and political leaders who recognized the importance of recognizing Emancipation Day. 

“This is a day to acknowledge and say thank you for all the sacrifices that our ancestors have been through. The strength that they had to keep going,” he said.

Knowledge keeper Michael Pierre is originally from Thunder Bay but has called Winnipeg home since the 1970s. He says Emancipation Day is a time to reflect on the sacrifice and strength of ancestors. (Megan Goddard/Radio Canada)

It’s the first year that Manitoba has officially recognized Emancipation Day, which marks the day the Slavery Abolition Act took effect in the British Empire (including Canada) in 1834. Two years ago, Ottawa named Aug. 1 as Emancipation Day, but the province didn’t officially adopt the legislation to name it a holiday until October of that year.

Around 30 people attended the event Monday.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

Being Black in Canada highlights stories about Black Canadians. (CBC)
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Formula E fan has ‘no faith’ in car race organizer, as city returns its $500K deposit for cancelled event | CBC News

Formula E fan has 'no faith' in car race organizer, as city returns its $500K deposit for cancelled event | CBC News

Vancouver is refunding the $500,000 deposit for a major international electric car race that was supposed to have happened earlier this month before organizers pulled out.

The two-day event was scheduled to start on July 2, and included a Nickelback concert, before being cancelled by its organizer, One Stop Strategy (OSS) Group, who have previously said it would be rescheduled to next year.

But four weeks after the cancelled event’s original date, ticket-holders have complained about not receiving refunds. The city said its repayment of the organizer’s performance security payment for the event is contingent on giving fans their money back.

It was to be the first Formula E event in the city, and promoted as an economic boon, selling thousands of tickets to the False Creek-area races.

One of those fans waiting for a refund is Andrew Chobaniuk, who said he could not get any response after repeated request from organizers and ended up reporting it to his credit card company.

It reimbursed him the $210 he paid for four tickets to see the Vancouver races.

“Absolutely no word from the Formula E organizers despite numerous emails to them,” he told CBC News in an email. “Received a refund from my credit card company pending an investigation.”

“It’s disappointing — you look forward to car racing finally making a return to Vancouver after all these years, and you’re left feeling swindled. Given the lack of communication from the organizers … I have no faith in OSS at all.”

One Stop Strategy Group did not respond to multiple requests for comment Friday.

Decision came ‘after intensive review’ with city

On Friday, the city said its deposit return would have “no financial impacts” on its budget, and was only made on the condition that “that the funds be used by OSS to pay its financial obligations” including refunding ticket-holders, suppliers, or event sponsors.

“Questions about funds being paid or refunded by OSS to ticket-holders, suppliers, sponsors, and/or other potential creditors should be directed to OSS,” the city said in a release.

An F1-style car sits in a showroom display.
An electric Formula E race car prototype is seen on a display stage at CeraWeek energy conference in Houston in this 2019 file photo. (Kyle Bakx/CBC)

On April 22, the city announced that the event’s organizers called off the event, exercising their rights under the Host City Agreement. At the time, the city said in a statement it hopes “to announce a new date in the near future.”

At the time of the cancellation, OSS said the “incredibly difficult” decision came “after intensive review” with the city.

“Delivery of a world-class event is of the utmost importance” to the group, it said, promising to communicate with ticket-holders “to inform [them of] their options.”

Coun. Michael Wiebe co-sponsored a motion last year that supported hosting the event the city.

“I know the management company didn’t work here, but I still believe it can be a great event,” he said in an interview Friday. “It was going to be a big weekend, I’m disappointed because it’s an opportunity for Vancouver.”

He stepped aside from voting on the city-issued deposit refund because he himself bought tickets to the cancelled event, and is now among the thousands who have not yet received a refund.

“I haven’t yet, but I’ll wait in the back of the line,” Wiebe said. “I want to make sure the people that really deserve the funding are getting it.

“We’re saying, ‘If you are going to take the $500,000 return, there are certain people that need to be paid, and the funding can only go to specific things … That includes ticket-holders, suppliers and others.”

Controversial races

The Formula E races have been controversial in other cities. 

In 2017, Montreal city officials announced they would pull the plug on a Formula E race that was set to take place in that city the following year.

The mayor said the event was “headed straight for a financial fiasco,” and that taxpayers would be on the hook for $35 million. 

But one year ago, the City of Montreal agreed to pay a settlement of $3 million to Formula E Operations, which puts on electric car races around the world. It had sued the city for $16 million after the city cancelled their events in 2018 and 2019.

Formula E isn’t the organizer of the Vancouver event, though it appears to have a degree of oversight with regard to the OSS Group-promoted race, which is part of the Formula E series.

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Canadian decathlete Pierce LePage maintains lead with 2 events to go at world championships | CBC Sports

Canadian decathlete Pierce LePage maintains lead with 2 events to go at world championships | CBC Sports

With just two events remaining in the decathlon, Canada’s Pierce LePage is still leading the field at the World Athletics Championships. 

The javelin and 1,500-metre events are set for Sunday night in Eugene. Ore., and will determine the world champion. 

LePage is in first with 7,337 points after eight events.

American Zach Ziemek is in second with 7,256 points. World record holder Kevin Mayer has shot up to third place after a strong pole vault effort. He now has 7,251 points.

After three consecutive personal-best performances in the 400 metres, 110m hurdles and discus, LePage was able to maintain his lead while clearing 5.00 metres in pole vault — an event he enjoys. 

“You train all day, every day, all the time. Pole vault is my favourite event. It’s pretty rewarding to jump in the air.”

Earlier Sunday, LePage was brimming with confidence. 

He fired the discus a whopping 53.26 metres to rocket to the top of the leaderboard. It’s a full two metres farther than his previous best throw in the event.

WATCH | LePage takes lead with discus throw:

LePage’s personal best discus throw has him 2nd in decathlon

Canadian Pierce LePage posted a 53.26m throw in the discus to put him in second place at the World Athletics Championships.

Just before that, LePage clocked a personal-best time of 13.78 seconds in the 110-metre hurdles, the fastest time of all competitors, to pull within 108 points of second. 

Despite the strong run, LePage admits hurdles are a challenge for him. 

“I hate hurdles with a passion,” the six-foot-seven decathlete said. 

“People say to me all the time I’m so tall and it would be so easy to get over them. I’m too tall. I’m stutter-stepping. It’s frustrating.”

WATCH | LePage posts top time in hurdles:

Pierce LePage posts top time in decathlon hurdles

The Canadian sits in second place after six of ten decathlon events at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

On Saturday night, LePage finished day one of competition with his best-ever performance in the 400-metre to go from fifth to second. 

LePage ran the 400m in a time of 46.84 to put himself within striking distance of gold going into the final day.

Olympic champ forced to withdraw

While the 26-year-old from Whitby, Ont., was speeding across the track on Saturday night, disaster struck for Olympic champion Damian Warner.

Shortly into the 400m, Warner grabbed his left hamstring, hobbled for a few steps and then fell to the Hayward Field track.

WATCH | Damian Warner suffers injury:

Warner out of men’s decathlon, LePage sits 2nd in Eugene

Olympic gold medallist Damian Warner pulled out of the men’s 400m heats due to an apparent injury on Saturday.

He laid on there for a number of minutes before being helped up. It was a gut-wrenching scene for the 32-year-old who was looking for his first worlds title. 

Warner’s competition is over.

“I’m not sure what happened. I felt my hamstring pull a couple of times. I was in lane one so it felt like it was pretty tight. I was trying to stay in my lane. I felt like something went wrong and I couldn’t continue,” he told CBC Sports.

WATCH | Damian Warner emotional after ‘disappointing’ end:

Warner emotional after ‘disappointing’ end to World Championships

CBC Sports’ Scott Russell catches up with Damian Warner after his heartbreaking finish in the men’s decathlon.

LePage has been Warner’s understudy for years, watching his every move at every meet and trying to keep up with the Olympic champion. 

“Damian is a great friend. A great competitor. Every meet I’ve gone to he’s been there. He’s the lead by example guy,” LePage said.

He recalls a story when they were in Tokyo preparing for the 400m. 

“He was having shots of balsamic vinegar. I was having mustard packets. We were looking at each other in disgust and bonding over that. Gotta keep that lactic acid down,” LePage said. 

“I ran a PB so there will be more mustard packets in my future. But I did take a balsamic shot with him. It might be the only time Damian takes shots.”

LePage, who finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, started the competition on Saturday by running the second-fastest 100m in a time of 10.39. He finished fifth as well at the last world championships in Doha three years ago.

WATCH l Warner, LePage 1-2 after 100m:

Canada’s Warner, LePage 1-2 after 100m in decathlon at worlds

Olympic champion Damian Warner leads the decathlon with a time of 10.27 in the 100m ahead of fellow Canadian Pierce LePage in 10.39 at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore.

LePage has been quiet about the fact that during the Olympics last summer he competed with a torn patella — he didn’t want it to be a distraction or a reason to not compete at his best. 

“I learned a lot of resilience. It was a pretty big tear,” he said. “I had a torn patella the entire meet. I don’t like having excuses. It was an experience I will never forget and I learned from it.”

LePage says he’s feeling great and is now fully recovered from the injury.

In the long jump event, LePage, who has a personal-best distance of 7.80m, posted a result of 7.54m. That was a season-best distance for LePage and gave him 945 points for a total of 1,946.

Despite struggling on his first two shot put attempts, LePage was able to find his form on his final throw.

His first two throws were 14.26m and 14.29m. But needing a strong finish, LePage was able to throw his last attempt 14.83m for 779 points. 

Season-best high jump

Then it was time for the high jump. 

LePage, who had dropped to fourth position after shot put, attempted his first jump at a height of 1.96m in the other group.

He failed to clear it to start but was able to soar easily over the bar on his second effort — that was a season-best jump by LePage. But he wasn’t done there.

LePage promptly cleared 1.99m on his first attempt, racking up valuable points in the standings. However, he was unable to clear 2.02m, having to settle for 794 points. That dropped LePage to fifth heading into the final event of day one. 

That’s when LePage was able to post a personal-best time of 46.84 in the 400m to close out day one and shoot him up the standings to second. 

Action from Day 2 of the event continues on Sunday evening. You can watch the finish of the decathlon on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

(CBC)

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Ottawa-area Trudeau event cancelled due to protests | CBC News

Ottawa-area Trudeau event cancelled due to protests | CBC News

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s day of whistle stops in the Ottawa area ended early today as anti-Liberal protesters gathered outside a brewery before he arrived.

Following uneventful stops in Gatineau Park in Quebec and two Ottawa suburbs earlier in the day, Trudeau was on his way to the Brasserie Étienne Brûlé Brewery in Embrun, Ont., about 30 minutes east of Ottawa. The event was called off before he arrived.

About a dozen protesters gathered across the street from the brewery, including one who was carrying a flag emblazoned with a profanity directed at Trudeau, and another who was recording the establishment on their phone.

RCMP officers in plain clothes were posted outside.

“Due to the size and composition of the protest group and for the safety of all attendees, it was decided that it was not safe for the prime minister to attend the location,” the RCMP National Division said in a statement to CBC News.

The brewery itself was packed, both inside and on the patios. Three of those patrons, seated on the back patio, were asked to leave by a brewery employee. One of them, a woman, approached RCMP officers appearing to briefly argue with them before walking away.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that while the event had to “unfortunately” be cancelled, the prime minister looks forward to being back soon.

PM dogged by protests

It is the second time in less than two months Trudeau was forced to pull out of a planned appearance because of the presence of people espousing similar views as the “freedom convoy” protesters who blockaded downtown Ottawa for three weeks last winter.

On May 24, more than 100 protesters crowded outside the gates of a banquet hall in Surrey, B.C., with one carrying a makeshift gallows with a noose, and Trudeau Treason written on it. Trudeau opted to address the fundraising event virtually.

Trudeau has been dogged by protesters regularly since the last federal election. One election stop in Bolton, Ont., was cancelled due the presence of a large crowd of protesters.

WATCH | Convoy protesters return to Ottawa for Canada Day: 

Convoy protesters return to Ottawa for Canada Day

Freedom Convoy protesters returned to Ottawa during the first in-person Canada Day celebrations since the pandemic. With vehicles unwelcome, protesters marched on foot in the capital, angry about COVID-19 restrictions and at the government.

At a later event in London, Ont., a handful of gravel was thrown at him as he boarded his tour bus. One man was later charged with assault with a weapon.

That man was also arrested in February in Ottawa during the convoy protests.

The protesters are largely rallying against COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine mandates and mask requirements, but some have also demanded Trudeau resign or be thrown out of office.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Liberal MP Jenna Sudds, right, speak with Reza Matin, left, and Shirin Mohseni, second from left, about the Climate Action Incentive Payment at their backyard in Ottawa on Friday. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Before Embrun’s event Friday the big talk of Trudeau’s day was his new short hair cut.

Trudeau also visited a family’s home in Ottawa to discuss a “climate action incentive” payment that Canadians received from the federal government. Some neighbours gathered as curious onlookers, but there were no protesters visible there.

Earlier in the year, a “Freedom Convoy” base camp was set up in Embrun during the blockades that seized Ottawa for three weeks.

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Run-up to international multi-sport event | CBC News

Run-up to international multi-sport event | CBC News

Winnipeg is a year away from hosting an international sporting event that features more athletes than any other competition but the Summer Olympics.

More than 8,500 athletes are expected to compete in the World Police and Fire Games starting in July of next year.

“Many citizens interact with law enforcement, police officers and firefighters on some of their worst days,” Chad Swayze, a Winnipeg firefighter and chair of the WPFG Host Society, said at a media event to celebrate the multi-sport affair being one year out.

“This event will highlight the person behind the badge, the person under that helmet.”

The 10-day, Olympic-style event will feature athletes from more than 55 countries competing in more than 60 sports across 40 venues in Winnipeg and across Manitoba.

The Games will have “8,500 athletes and $85-million impact to our community — if that isn’t poetry, I don’t know what is.” Liberal MP Terry Duguid said at the event, held at True North Square.

Not everybody was feeling celebratory.

Speakers faced chants and boos from a small but vocal protest of around a dozen people led by Winnipeg Police Cause Harm (WPCH). The police abolitionist group wants the Games cancelled, with one member saying we shouldn’t celebrate a policing system that does people wrong.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson is excited to bring more than 8,500 participants from around the world to the 2023 World Police and Fire Games when the event is held in Winnipeg. (Ian Froese/CBC)

In an interview, Mike Edwards, chief operating officer for the Games, stressed he’s involved in an athletic organization putting on an athletic event.

“The vast majority of law enforcement are good, right, and they do good for the community,” he said.

“What’s great about the law enforcement community is that they acknowledge that nobody is perfect and they make those steps and they make those corrections.” he said.

Edwards says he’s excited to show off the athletic prowess of people in uniform.

“We want to highlight … the athleticism and the hard work and dedication that goes in to what they do and how they protect the community.

High-calibre athletes

“At the end of the day, these are the people that are running into the fires when our houses are burning down and bringing us out. Those are the people that are running between an individual with a knife or a weapon and protecting our lives.”

He said these occupations tend to attract high-end athletes, including those who competed in professional leagues such as the National Hockey League or large-scale competitions ranging from the Olympics to the Pan American Games.

The competitors will pay their own way to the Games, and for their families to tag along, too.

“They turn it into a vacation,” Edwards said. “The tourism dollars that extend from that is even more massive.”

Edwards says the $85-million economic impact will be spread around, rather than being concentrated in a single location. The athletes will stay in more than 30 hotels, and they’ll visit many restaurants, bars and attractions. 

“To have 8,500 athletes, plus their family and friends, dressed and walking throughout the city in … their uniforms — it changes the energy, it changes the atmosphere of the entire city.”

In comparison, 5,083 athletes came to town for the 1999 Pan Am Games, and more than 4,000 participants were part of the Canada Summer Games in 2017.

The operating budget for the Games is expected in the range of $16-17 million.

Protesters with Winnipeg Police Cause Harm make their voices heard at True North Square, where a media event to mark being one year away from the 2023 World Police and Fire Games was held. (Ian Froese/CBC)

All events will be free to attend, and more than 3,500 volunteers will be needed to pull it off, organizers say.

Despite the event’s economic impact, Daniel Stephens, one of the protesters, called the multi-sport event an “unconscionable waste of money.” 

“We already spend nearly a third of our city budget on policing. Why are we spending $17 million more to throw them a party, basically? Why do they deserve that when we have a housing crisis, we have an overdose crisis and we are basically doing nothing about the pandemic, which is still ongoing,” said Stephens, an organizer with WPCH.

He says the economic benefit arising from the Games won’t go to the people who need it the most, including those who do not have a roof over their heads.

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Countdown on to North American Indigenous Games in Halifax | CBC News

Countdown on to North American Indigenous Games in Halifax | CBC News

The year-long countdown is on for Halifax to host the North American Indigenous Games, and while it is one of the biggest multi-sport events in Atlantic Canada, organizers also see it as another step toward reconciliation.

To kick off festivities, the host society threw a party on the waterfront Friday to bring people together through traditional song and dance.

“Every opportunity that we have to create opportunities for people to learn and experience our culture is a step towards the right direction,” said Cheryl Copage-Gehue, Halifax’s Indigenous adviser.

“The more you know, the more you understand, the more chance you will be an ally and support these events.”

Sixteen different sports will be showcased at the North American Indigenous Games, including canoe and kayak, lacrosse and archery.

The event is aimed at inspiring the young Indigenous people taking part as they show off their skills on a big stage.

An adult woman standing outside on a sunny day. Her hair is in two braids and she is wearing a white blouse with a yellow blazer.
Cheryl Copage-Gehue is Halifax’s Indigenous adviser. She said the games will be an opportunity for people to learn more about Indigenous culture. (CBC)

“This is an opportunity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to come together around a very positive experience that will enhance the lives of the Indigenous youth coming here,” said Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons, chair of the 2023 North American Indigenous Games Host Society.

“And when they go back to their communities, they’re going to feel great about themselves, they’re going to reflect on their time here as a positive one.”

Hosting the games is another sign Halifax is working hard on building an inclusive community, according to Mayor Mike Savage.

An adult woman outside. She has shoulder-length brown hair. She is wearing a denim jacket with a white t-shirt.
Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons is chair of the 2023 North American Indigenous Games Host Society. She hopes youth will have a positive experience when the games are held in Halifax next year. (CBC)

As the city prepares to welcome athletes from more than 700 Indigenous nations in North America, he’s encouraging people across the region to be a part of it by volunteering for the event.

“I think people will get into this, I think they will learn a lot about the Mi’kmaw history and culture … They’ll also have a lot of fun, so I’m really excited about it,” Savage said.

More than 5,000 Indigenous athletes will be competing at the games at venues in Millbrook First Nation, Dartmouth and Halifax. A cultural village will be set up at the Halifax Common.

Copage-Gehue said the cultural village “will create an opportunity to learn our traditional culture here in Mi’kma’ki, but to also learn about Indigenous people from North America.”

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In 1st event after 6 horses died, Stampede chuckwagons return with new safety measures | CBC News

In 1st event after 6 horses died, Stampede chuckwagons return with new safety measures | CBC News

Chuckwagon races are well underway at the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” and organizers say they’ve implemented new measures intended to boost the safety of the event.

Calgary Stampede spokesperson Kristina Barnes said the most obvious change will be on the track in the number of wagons. 

In previous years, four wagons would compete in each heat — that’s been decreased to three wagons this year.

“That’s the one thing people will notice as they’re watching from the stands and on television,” Barnes said.

Custom-built delineator arms have also been added to the track to create a buffer between the wagons and the rails.

“In the past, people would’ve seen some pylons out on the track. So we’ve replaced those with these arms that slide out for the races,” Barnes said.

“If there is contact between them and a wagon, they are made to swing back and break on the side of the rail. So not a trip hazard, but just to create that extra space on the track.”

Ferrier Nolan Cameron shoes a chuckwagon horse in the barns at the Calgary Stampede in 2019. The Stampede has introduced new measures it says will promote safety in its chuckwagon races. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

The Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races return to this year’s Stampede after missing the past two years — in 2020, after the entire Stampede was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, as organizers cited safety issues.

The chuckwagons have long been controversial among animal rights groups in Canada and the United States.

In 2019, the last time the derby was held, six horses died. That matched the second deadliest toll in the Stampede’s history.

The return of the event led some animal rights groups to push back.

Stampede spokesperson Kristina Barnes stands next to new custom-built delineator arms, intended to create a safety zone on the track. (Marc-Antoine Leblanc/Radio-Canada)

When Kevin Costner was announced as parade marshal for this year’s Stampede, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, called on him to step away, citing the event’s history that reportedly includes the deaths of more than 70 horses over the years. 

“Reducing a few of the dangerous aspects of the race is like cutting only one ear off a dog instead of two. It’s better than nothing but not good enough,” PETA said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. 

“The only way to stop horses from being hurt and from dying is to stop using them, and PETA joins every animal protection organization under the sun, and kind people across Canada, who want these reckless, barbaric races simply to end.”

The Stampede has repeatedly said the safety of animals and people is its No. 1 priority.

“As always, we welcome PETA for a direct discussion regarding our animal care practices,” it previously told CBC News in an email.

Drivers happy to be back

Kris Molle, a professional chuckwagon driver, said he’s excited to be back at the Calgary Stampede, even despite the changes.

“It’s definitely more exciting with four wagons, but it’s definitely going to be more room on the track to manoeuvre,” Molle said. “For safety reasons is the reason why they did it. So try it this year is all we can do.”

Molle said that in his view, chuckwagon races are no different than any sport when it comes to safety.

“You have your incidents. We have to take the precautions necessary to continue to improve to get better and safer. That’s with any sport,” he said.

Professional chuckwagon driver Kris Molle says he expects the Rangeland Derby will still be a good show even with recent changes intended to increase the safety of the event. (Marc-Antoine Leblanc/Radio-Canada)

The Stampede said it is undertaking an effort to do enhanced veterinary inspections, and pointed to ongoing studies at the University of Calgary focused on chuckwagon races.

Researchers at the university are trying to find ways to reduce the chance of horse injuries by studying track conditions and how they impact the hooves and bones of horses while galloping at full speed. Sensors were placed on horses’ hooves, cannon bones and radiuses using saddles fitted with devices to measure data.

Dr. Renaud Léguillette, a veterinary medicine professor at the university, told CBC’s The Homestretch that harder dirt is tougher on bones and joints while softer tracks are harder on tendons and ligaments.

Calgary’s weather changes on a frequent basis, Léguillette said, and that will change conditions. 

“I’m really confident that even by next year they will probably do some changes and at least monitor, you know, the hardness of the track and apply some changes on the track as needed,” Léguillette said.

The races this year are scheduled to take place over nine heats per night. Twenty-seven drivers are competing for prize money, along with their 162 horses.