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H&R REIT selling downtown Toronto waterfront property for $232.5 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

TORONTO — H&R Real Estate Investment Trust has signed a deal to sell a downtown Toronto property to George Brown College and Halmont Properties Corp. for $232.5 million.The property at 25 Dockside Dr. is located on the city’s waterfront and is substantially leased to Corus Entertainment.The real estate trust says net proceeds from the sale will be about $168.0 million and is expected to be used to repay debt and fund its current developments.H&R also says it will pay a special distribution of 62 cents per unit including 52 cents that will be payable in units and 10 cents in cash.It says the special distribution is principally being made to distribute to unitholders the taxable income realized by the REIT from transactions in 2023. Following the special distribution, the units of the REIT will be consolidated so that unitholders will hold the same number of units as before the special distribution. It says the amount of the special distribution payable in units will inc...

Bonnie Crombie says Jan. 12 will be her last day as Mississauga mayor

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

Bonnie Crombie says January 12 will be her last day as Mayor of Mississauga. Crombie says in her resignation letter posted to social media on Thursday morning that she will continue to work with city council to pass the 2024 budget and ensure a “smooth and orderly” transition. Mississauga City Council is expected to declare her seat vacant and begin plans for a byelection at its Jan. 17, 2024, meeting. “For nearly a decade I’ve had the honour of serving the residents of Mississauga as their Mayor and before that, as the Councillor for Ward 5,” Crombie said in her letter. Today I tendered my resignation as Mayor of the @citymississauga. My last day will be January 12. It’s been an honour of a lifetime to serve the people of #Mississauga for over a decade. I hope to continue to give back and do great things for our city as @OntLiberal Leader. pic.twitter.com/IG3sZksJLg— Bonnie Crombie (@MayorCrombie) December 13, 2023Crombie was elected the new lead...

After legal disputes and death threats, Montreal suburb deer cull to go ahead in 2024

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

LONGUEUIL, Que. — A Montreal suburb says its long-awaited cull of nuisance deer in a local park will finally go ahead in the fall of 2024.Since 2020 activists have tried to stop the City of Longueuil from going through with its plan, with successive mayors receiving death threats over the issue.But after a series of legal disputes, city officials confirmed today it will permit a controlled crossbow hunt to reduce the deer population at Michel-Chartrand Park to between 10 and 15 from 117 at last count.The city has warned that the white-tailed deer are contributing to road accidents, increasing the risk of Lyme disease in residents, and travelling to nearby areas to seek food.Quebec’s Court of Appeal in October upheld a decision authorizing the crossbow hunt, after animal rights organizations and activists fought the plan in court.Mayor Catherine Fournier says the final price tag to cull the dear is unclear, but she says the legal fight has already cost the city $375,000.This re...

Scotiabank increasing North American focus, could exit some foreign markets

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

TORONTO — Scotiabank chief executive Scott Thomson says the bank is increasing its focus on North America and wealth management as part of its new growth strategy.Thomson says the bank will be either exiting Central America and Colombia, or turning the businesses around without the use of more capital, while overall it will direct 90 per cent of incremental capital to priority businesses in North America. The pullback is part of a longer-term trend at the bank, which has already left 25 higher risk regions over the past decade. To boost its returns in Canada, he says the bank will work harder to build more “primary relationships” where customers use Scotiabank for day-to-day banking and other products as part of a shift from volume to value.He says the bank, which has already confirmed some branch closures, lags its peers on deposits and clients per branch.The updated plan is the result of a review Thomson launched as part of coming on as CEO of the bank In February. Thi...

Hunter Biden defies Republican subpoena in visit to the Capitol, risking contempt of Congress charge

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden on Wednesday defied a congressional subpoena to appear privately for a deposition before Republican investigators who have been digging into his business dealings, insisting outside the U.S. Capitol that he will only testify in public.In a rare public statement, the Democratic president’s son slammed a GOP subpoena requesting closed-door testimony, saying it could be manipulated. “Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry, or hear what I have to say,” Biden said outside the Capitol. “What are they afraid of? I am here.” Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has said Republicans expect “full cooperation” with the private deposition. He has indicated that the House would swiftly charge Biden with a contempt of Congress charge if he did not cooperate. For months, Republicans have been pursuing an impeachment inquiry seeking to tie President Joe Biden ...

Geminids meteor shower peaks this week under dark skies

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The year’s best meteor shower, the Geminids, peaks this week. Skygazers may see as many as one or even two a minute streaking across dark skies. The meteors will reach their frenzy Thursday. But Wednesday night should provide a cosmic spectacle as well.The moon is waning so that will make for prime viewing anywhere in the world where skies are clear and in spots without light pollution. NASA urged observers to look everywhere in the sky since meteors don’t come from any particular direction. Between 60 and 120 meteors are expected every hour at peak time, weather permitting. NASA meteoroid expert Bill Cooke said he loves that the Geminids have a greenish hue as they speed across the sky and burn up. Most meteors appear to be colorless or white depending on their chemical makeup. Green usually comes from oxygen, magnesium and nickel.Most meteor showers originate from comets. But the Geminids come from the sun-orbiting asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Either way, wh...

Man shot inside vehicle in Brampton; suspects sought

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

A man is injured in hospital after he was shot while inside a vehicle near the Brampton-Caledon border on Wednesday morning.Peel police were called to the area of Torbram and Mayfield roads around 8:20 a.m. for reports of a shooting.Officers found a man who had been shot inside his vehicle. He was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.Police say the shooters fled the area in a vehicle. No suspect information has been made available.Mayfield is closed in both directions from Torbram to Airport Road and northbound Torbram is closed at Countryside Drive for the investigation.Police expect the road closures to remain in place for several hours.More to come.

News outlets and NGOs condemn Hungary’s new ‘sovereignty protection’ law as a way to silence critics

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Independent media outlets and rights groups on Wednesday condemned legislation passed by Hungary’s right-wing populist government that would allow authorities to investigate and prosecute people accused of undermining the country’s sovereignty. The coalition government made up of the Fidesz and KDNP parties approved the “sovereignty protection act” on Tuesday. It calls for the creation of a new government authority that will have the power to gather information on any groups or individuals that benefit from foreign funding and that influence public debate.The measure requires Hungary’s secret services to assist the authority in its investigations and allows prison terms of up to three years for anyone convicted of violated the new law. Opponents of the legislation have compared it to Russia’s “foreign agent” law and say its broad language can be used to arbitrarily target government critics. The country’s right-wing prime minister, Vi...

Man accused of strangling pregnant Chicago woman, dumping body in north suburbs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. — A man has been arrested and accused of strangling a pregnant Chicago woman and then dumping her body in rural Lake County last month.Juan Vega-Montoya, 37, of Chicago, was taken into custody Monday after sheriff's detectives conducted surveillance around his home.Police believe Megan Lewis, 39, also of Chicago, was picked up by Vega-Montoya on Nov. 26 near Cicero and Belden in Chicago.Lewis was allegedly strangled to death by Vega-Montoya in the vehicle, according to police. She was 16-weeks pregnant at the time.Police allege he then drove home and left her body in his vehicle for two days. On Nov. 28, he's accused of dumping her body on the side of Hunt Club Road, near Route 173, in the overnight hours.In Lake County, Vega-Montoya has been charged with concealing a homicidal death. Police said physical evidence of the homicide was located in his vehicle."As the actual homicide of Lewis took place in the City of Chicago, sheriff’s detectives have tendered all inv...

16-year-old shot during Blue Line attempted robbery

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:33 GMT

CHICAGO — A 16-year-old boy was shot Wednesday morning at the Western Blue Line station near the Medical District during an attempted robbery.At around 6:55 a.m., police believe the boy was approached by an unknown gunman at the station, located in the 400 block of South Western Avenue. The gunman demanded his property, but CPD said he refused.Shots were then fired at the boy, striking him in the left arm. He was transported to Stroger in fair condition.Trains are bypassing the station at the time.