News

Copy by Patrick Lewis

Environment Canada has upgraded its special weather statement to a freezing rain warning. The warning is for a widespread area includeing Belleville, Brighton, Quinte West, Prince Edward County, Stirling, Madoc, Tweed, Napanee and Bancroft.

The National Weather Agency says a prolonged period of freezing rain is expected to begin this evening and continue into Sunday afternoon. It warns that 5 to 20 mm of freezing rain is possible with widespread power outages and slippery conditions. Accretion amounts in excess of 20 mm are possible over some areas. I’ll have more on this in the following weather report…

From Brenda Little, the Prince Edward County Committee of the the Whole met yesterday to tackle a number of topics including County plans for use of the MAT tax revenue it has collected… Here is Brenda Little with more. (At the Committee of the Whole meeting yesterday, members heard a report from Julianne Snepsts, Program Supervisor for Community Services, Programs and Initiatives regarding the 2025 Tourism Management work plan and how the approved $241,000.00 budget will be used. Also discussed was the management of the Municipal Accommodation Tax. The MAT tax revenue is split between tourism endeavors and the municipality however, there has not been a formal plan in place to determine how the municipality uses the money. Committee members voted in favour for consultations to take place with the public and businesses to help council decide on a strategy for future MAT spending.)

Statistics Canada says the Canadian economy was off to a solid start in January but early signs suggest growth hit a wall in February. The agency said Friday that real gross domestic product rose 0.4 per cent in January thanks largely to a boom in the oil and gas, quarrying and mining industries. That marks an acceleration from 0.3 per cent growth in December, a figure that was revised up a tenth of a percentage point. Canada’s goods-producing industries were particularly hot in January, rising 1.1 per cent for their biggest one-month jump in over three years. The manufacturing, utilities and construction sectors all recorded growth in January and the services side of the economy also edged up 0.1 per cent. StatCan said a slowdown in retail trade weighed on GDP to start 2025 following strong growth in December. The agency’s early estimates have growth essentially unchanged in February.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump’s first phone call will take place today. It will be the first conversation between the two men as leaders. It comes after Trump said he would proceed with vehicle tariffs that threaten to cripple Canada’s auto sector. Carney told reporters in Ottawa today that Trump’s office had reached out to arrange a call and that it would take place “in the coming days. The Prime Minister’s Office said Carney will chair a virtual meeting with Canada’s premiers at 12:00 p.m. today.

A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia want to make a stir stick drug testing tool for spiked drinks the norm in the hospitality industry, and they’re gearing up to start “real-world testing” in hopes of commercializing the idea. The device called “Spikeless” was developed in the university’s faculty of applied science, and the inventors hope for widespread adoption to combat drugs being added to drinks and to prevent sexual assaults. The university said in a news release that the “seemingly ordinary stir stick” can detect drugs such as GHB and ketamine, changing colour if a beverage is contaminated.

Sports

Bayern Munich is considering legal action against the Canadian soccer federation following Alphonso Davies’ serious knee injury in a match of little importance. Davies tore a ligament and sustained other damage in his right knee during Canada’s 2-1 win over the United States in the third-place decider for the CONCACAF Nations League tournament on Sunday. Davies returned to Munich where the full extent of the injury was determined on Wednesday. The left-back underwent surgery and “will be out for several months,” Bayern said. The club is alleging that Canadian officials did not provide appropriate care for the player.

The Belleville B-Sens will take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms tonight at 7 p.m. for Pride Night at CAA Arena.

And in the NHL tonight the Canucks head to Columbus… The Habs head to Carolina… and the Devils bring the heat to Winnipeg

Taylor Pendrith is fighting to stay atop the leader-board as the second round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open continues until Sunday at Memorial Park Golf Course.