
‘Consistent policies, ease of doing biz draw foreign firms to TN’Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records
Local advocates for the province’s new strategy to fight homelessness and addiction came to its defence Tuesday. This as Ontario’s auditor general found the province did not do its homework when announcing the closure of a number of supervised consumption sites across the province and transitioning to the so-called HART hub model of addictions treatment. “If HART hubs [are] the step that’s available to us right now, working with the provincial government, then let’s do it,” said St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston. “We can’t wait for perfection in order to get the good done in our communities. Right now, we don’t have enough detox and rehab to really deal with the opioid crisis in a curative way,” he said. Preston was responding to auditor general Shelley Spence’s report on the province’s opioid strategy, which she says has not been updated since 2016. “We found the ministry lacks credible and complete data about demand, supply, and outcomes of opioid addiction services,” said Spence, while releasing the report at Queens Park Tuesday. With the Doug Ford government set to close ten supervised consumption sites by the end of March, the province is instead focusing on Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs, or HART hubs. St. Thomas-Elgin has applied to host one of the 19 proposed sites. St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston speaks to CTV News via Zoom on Dec. 3, 2024. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London) The auditor general found the Ministry of Health did not provide an evidence-based case for the new hub model, nor did it provide impact analysis or conduct proper consultations with those who will be affected. “They are still doing ongoing work around the risk of overdoses, etcetera, but the submission was put together for, you know, the HART hubs, which is great, but it didn’t have that detail in it yet,” said Spence. Responding to the AG report, Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the HART hub model focuses on a pathway out of addiction. “I’ve spoken to more facilities who are literally finding drug paraphernalia in their washrooms, on their facilities,” said the minister. “There is no doubt that we can do better, and we will do better with these 19 HART hubs. We are enabling and investing in a model that I believe will ultimately get some hope, and getting some pathways to treatment,” Jones said. Those on the St. Thomas-Elgin team working on the HART hub file say they’re now waiting to find out if they made the cut. “Every day we delay things is another day someone has to live on the streets or in a shelter. So, the faster we can move forward, I think the better,” said Brian Elliot, the executive director of the Inn Out of the Cold St. Thomas Elgin. If successful, Elliot said he hopes the local HART hub would be up and running as early as next spring. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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Head coach Kris Knoblauch identified improved play – and results – from both the NHL team's power play and penalty kill as "important" factors in their last two games. Regina Regulations around foreign ownership of Sask. farmland need better enforcement, auditor finds The Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan is recommending that the province improve its system of monitoring sales of farmland to foreign entities. Formal expectations needed for answering 911 calls: Sask. auditor reports The Provincial Auditor assessed the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s (SPSA) 911 call taking and dispatching processes for fire emergencies, focusing on the Provincial Emergency Communications Centre. Attempted murder charge laid after home invasion, series of hit and runs in Regina Two people in Regina are facing a list of charges following a series of alleged acts that include a home invasion, multiple collisions and attempted murder. 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Comox Valley RCMP seek suspect who tried to climb woman's deck wearing a gas mask Mounties on Vancouver Island are seeking witnesses after a woman reported that a man wearing a gas mask tried to climb onto the deck of her home near Courtenay, B.C. BREAKING | New Vancouver Art Gallery plan scrapped, board seeks new design The Vancouver Art Gallery has decided to start all over again and shelve plans for a new nine-level tower made of wood and glass, CTV News has learned. Vancouver Island Comox Valley RCMP seek suspect who tried to climb woman's deck wearing a gas mask Mounties on Vancouver Island are seeking witnesses after a woman reported that a man wearing a gas mask tried to climb onto the deck of her home near Courtenay, B.C. Canadian military drones enter production, though Arctic modifications will be required Canada's first combat drones have now entered production, though the remotely piloted aircraft will require years of testing and significant modifications before the first units are delivered in 2028. BC SPCA to rescue up to 30 stray cats from one Kamloops home The BC SPCA is warning of the consequences of feeding stray cats after a person accidentally lured over 25 felines to their home in Kamloops, B.C. Stay ConnectedThere's another Call of Duty collaboration on the way. Following crossovers from the likes of Tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , and The Boys, Activision has revealed it's teaming up with Netflix to shove the streaming service's hugely popular Squid Game TV series into Black Ops 6 and Warzone early next year. Squid Game, which follows a group of players attempting to survive a series of deadly children's games in order to win a BIG CASH PRIZE, took the world by storm when it first aired on Netflix back in 2021. It's been a long time coming, but the show is finally set to return for a second series on 26th December, and Netflix's promotional efforts are now in full swing. And so enter Call of Duty. Activision unveiled its impending Squid Game crossover via a thirty second teaser trailer, in which a dashingly behatted Operator discovers a mysterious envelope emblazoned with symbols one 'X' away from a PlayStation copyright claim. It all ends with the Call of Duty logo emerging in a sequence reminiscent of Squid Game's opening titles, after which we're informed the collaboration is set to begin in January 2025. Beyond that, specifics are limited to the point of non-existent. We do know the crossover is coming to both Black Ops 6 and Warzone early next year, but whether it'll offer anything more substantial than romper-suit-style premium cosmetics remains to be seen. Call of Duty's Squid Game collaboration won't be the first digital take on the hit Korean television show to barrel out in conjunction with Netflix's season two promotions, however. The streaming service's own internally developed Squid Game Unleashed - a multiplayer "party royale" for iOS and Android devices - launches for subscribers on 17th December. It's just one of more than 80 titles currently in development as part of Netflix's continuing push into the world of gaming, although one of its most intriguing projects - a new AAA game led by Halo creative head Joseph Staten - has now been cancelled . As for Call of Duty, it seems to be having a strong 2024. Microsoft recently announced Black Ops 6 managed to set a record for most "Game Pass subscribers adds on launch day" - a record previously held by Starfield following its launch last year.