Milos Raonic to face Roger Federer in Wimbledon semis

Canada's Milos Raonic defeated Sam Querrey of the United States 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 Wednesday to earn a date with Roger Federer in the Wimbledon semifinals for the second time in three years.

The sixth-seeded Raonic, who reached the final four at a Grand Slam for the third time in his career, lost serve only once in his win over the No. 28-seeded Querrey. Raonic broke Querrey three times, including in the final game to end the contest.

• Men's results
• Women's results

Querrey had taken the third set after breaking Raonic for the only time to go up 5-4, then serving it out with an ace on set point.

The two held serve until he 10th game of the fourth set when Querrey double-faulted for the fifth time to set up match point. The American missed a forehand volley on the final point.

Querrey had knocked out No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round on Saturday, but came up short in his bid to become the first American to make it to the semifinals of a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick reached the final four at Wimbledon in 2009.

Raonic, who has added John McEnroe to his coaching team this year, previously reached the semifinals at the All England Club in 2014, losing to Federer in straight sets. Raonic also got to the semifinals at this year's Australian Open, falling to Andy Murray.

Federer rallies past Cilic
Federer made it through to the semifinals at Wimbledon for the 11th time after saving three match points in the fourth set of his quarter-final.

The seven-time champion came back from a two-set deficit to beat Marin Cilic 6-7 (4), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9), 6-3 on Centre Court as he continues his run for a record eighth Wimbledon title. Federer is currently tied with Pete Sampras and 1880s player William Renshaw with seven.

At 34, Federer is the oldest man to reach the semifinals at the All England Club since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall was runner-up in 1974.

Second up on Centre Court will be No. 2 Andy Murray, the 2013 champion, facing No. 12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. On No. 1 Court, No. 10 Tomas Berdych was playing No. 32 Lucas Pouille.

 

LOL, had time for a smoke break and had to post this ...

Win or lose, Milos Raonic has made Canada proud.

Milos Raonic making history on Canadian tennis scene ahead of Wimbledon final
Thornhill, Ont. native is 1st Canadian to reach Grand Slam men's singles final
Milos Raonic is making history and other Canadian tennis players are taking notice.

The hard-serving player from Thornhill, Ont., will become the first Canadian man to play for a Grand Slam title when he takes on Andy Murray in Sunday's Wimbledon final.

Raonic got there in impressive fashion, beating Swiss superstar Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7 (3), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinal on Friday.

"It's something no one could ever have imagined 25 years ago when I started out," said Toronto's Daniel Nestor, an eight-time Grand Slam doubles champion. "Milos is remarkable because he has the desire to always improve and has done all the necessary things to be a complete player.

"If he plays like he did in first and fifth sets [against Federer], not only will he be Wimbledon champion but also No. 1 in the world at this time next year."

Raonic, seeded sixth at Wimbledon and ranked seventh in the world, is part of a blossoming tennis scene in Canada that also includes Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil (No. 44), and 22-year-old Eugenie Bouchard (No. 48) of Westmount, Que.

The 25-year-old Raonic had a career high ranking of No. 4 in May, 2015, Bouchard topped out at No. 5 after making the 2014 Wimbledon final and Pospisil, who won the 2014 Wimbledon doubles title, reached No. 25 in singles in January, 2014.

From the 1960s until into the 2000s, Canadians with hopes of international success would usually head south to Florida or California for training, or to American colleges on tennis scholarships.

The turnaround happened about 10 years ago when Louis Borfiga left the French Tennis Federation, where he had worked with players like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon, to become Tennis Canada's vice president of high performance athlete development.

Borfiga, who's based in Montreal, helped arrange for former tour players to coach young Canadians: Spain's Galo Blanco for Raonic, France's Nathalie Tauziat for Bouchard, and France's Fred Fontang for Pospisil.

While Pospisil and Bouchard made early exits at this year's Wimbledon — Pospisil fell in the first round, Bouchard in the third — other Canadians have been making a run alongside Raonic.

Seventeen-year-old Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the boys semifinal on Friday. Then he and Canadian partner Felix Auger-Aliassime, who last year at 14 became the youngest player to ever hold an ATP singles ranking, downed Miomir Kecmanovic and Casper Ruud in the boys doubles semi.

"It's really inspiring to see Milos close up," Auger-Aliassime said. "A first Canadian in a (men's) Grand Slam final ... he's a model for us all. I really hope he can win the final.

"It's a big inspiration also to see Denis [Shapovalov] in the [boys] final on Sunday. There are really good things going on in Canadian tennis these days and we're all proud."

Raonic is known to closely follow the progress of Canada's next-generation players and told reporters at his post-match press conference on Friday that he had been watching Shapovalov's singles match before he went on Centre Court to face Federer.

"It's a pretty special recognition to the state of Canadian tennis and it's not just me," Raonic said. "There's many people that are doing well on this stage and the junior stages.

"There's a lot to look forward to, there's a lot of prospect, there's a lot of hope, there's a lot of positive future for Canadian tennis and it's great to be at the centre of that come Sunday. I'm glad that I've sort of been leading this charge, the first to break through ... but I'm by no means done."

 

If by any chance there happens to be a news report about some crazy fucker getting laid by a big titted hotty on top of a mountain in Banff ...

Couldn't help myself, had to cross it off my bucket list lol.

Have fun X'ers, gotta go.

 

Andy Murray holds service and takes the first set 6-4. Murray definitely has the advantage having been here previously, plus the crowd is a tad biased, which also helps the hometown favorite.

Can't get a vector with the low ceiling in our flight destination so I guess I just watch the match from here.

 

Andy Murray takes the second set 7-6 after Milos gave him a couple games with bad volley's ...

It is painfully obvious that the pressure is getting to Milos.

 

Andy Murray wins set 3 7-6 to win in straight sets.

Just wasn't Milos' day and he played less than he is capable of.

Congrats to Andy Murray and Milos Raonic as well, we are still proud of you.

 

Charges against Patrick Brazeau dropped giving green light to re-enter the Senate.

So lets take a quick look at this, the crown and RCMP investigated 4 senators charged 3 and countless millions of dollars later Duffy had all 31 charges wiped away, Harb, same thing, Brazeau same thing and Wallen wasn't charged at all after 2 year investigation. Heads better fucking roll in both the RCMP and the Federal Justice Department ... good fucking luck with that though

 

While we are on the subject of fuck ups ...

The federal government implimented a new payroll system and some federal employee's haven't been paid in as long as 5 months now and are at wits end ... the following article is a month old and still no closer to resolution.

Government breaking law by failing to pay workers: PSAC
Largest public service union seeking legal avenues on pay glitch issues
Ongoing pay glitches inside the federal government are not only causing financial difficulties for some workers, Canada's largest public service union says not paying employees is actually illegal.

"The federal government can't pay its employees. That breaks every kind of code in the book," said Chris Aylward, vice president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

"The PSAC has explored legal avenues, because we have to. Our members are enduring financial hardship because of this Phoenix system."

• Public service pay glitches cause headaches for workers on parental leave
• Short-term workers short-changed by glitch-plagued government pay system

The government's pay system has caused issues for some workers for more than a year and the switch to the new Phoenix automated payroll program this winter has caused further complications.

Not paying workers is a violation under Canada Labour Code.

If there was anyone in management that this was happening to, the issue would be resolved by the end of the day, everybody knows that.
- Melissa Della Porta, public servant
Over the past couple months, several federal employees — many of them casual, temporary, students or full-time workers on maternity leave — have reached out to CBC after experiencing problems with their pay.

"We're still hearing the same issues, people are not being paid on time and they're not being paid accurately. We're now hearing stories of employees of the federal government who can't put food on the table," said Aylward.


Melissa Della Porta, a correctional officer in Edmonton, said she isn't being properly paid by the Phoenix system. (Della Porta)

Melissa Della Porta, a correctional officer at the Edmonton Institution prison, hasn't been properly paid since before she returned from maternity leave in April.

'Nobody cares to work this out'
Della Porta has gone up the chain to the regional deputy commissioner at Correctional Services Canada who told her he was aware of the issues, but could not fix the problem.

"It's the bottom-line workers here who are being affected," said Della Porta. "If there was anyone in management that this was happening to, the issue would be resolved by the end of the day, everybody knows that. It's too bad that nobody cares to work this out."

For months, Della Porta's pay has either been late or a lower amount than what she is owed. But she said others are worse off, including co-workers who are on maternity or parental leave and haven't been paid at all.

"Even for me, just getting paid late, all your bills are scheduled around your pay day, that's just how it works. I've had payments bounce already. Just last week I had payments bounce. Do you think they're going to pick of the tab for [insufficient funds]? No," said Della Porta.

Public Services and Procurement Canada oversees system
Public Services and Procurement Canada oversees the federal pay system, but it has been pointing the finger at other departments for not inputting the correct paper work as a cause for the pay glitches.

In a statement to CBC, Public Services and Procurement said it continues to work with those other departments to make sure data is appropriately entered into the pay system.

The department said some recent measures include:

• Hiring Phoenix experts on-site and online to answer questions.
• Departments are sending workers to the Pay Centre to assist during the transition.
• The Pay Centre has hired new trainees and 50 additional temporary staff to answer calls.

Regardless of these recent measures, PSAC is calling for the government to shut down the Phoenix system and go back to the old system until the glitches have been completely fixed.

"Ultimately, in our opinion, it's Public Services and Procurement, minister Judy Foote who's the Receiver General of Canada, who is responsible to make sure employees of the government get paid properly," said Aylward.

Complaints from coast to coast to coast
CBC has spoken to university students working for the federal government who have gone unpaid for several weeks. Some worked in the public service last summer and suffered through the same issues.

"Students in some departments have been told when they were hired back in April, don't expect a pay check until July. You tell me, I'm going to work for the federal government and I'm not going to get paid for three months? That's totally unacceptable," said Aylward.

He said he's received emails from federal employees from coast to coast to coast.

"Up north in Nunavut, where four litres of milk costs $12 and they're not being paid, one person got a promotion from one level to the next. The difference in that promotion was $23. That's what she received as a pay cheque, $23. Another employee with immigration, in Vegreville, Alb., was overpaid by $17,000."

 

FUCK ...

Calgary Amber alert ends in tragedy after mother was killed and the 5 year old girls body was also found outside of the city today. One male has been charged with 2 counts of 1st degree murder.

 

Two Canadians reportedly among the dead in Nice France. Embassy working on getting names.

Two Americans as well.

 

Tragically Hip concert in Victoria had fans cheering, dancing and crying
Band kicked off Canada-wide tour in Victoria with 1st performance since Gord Downie's cancer diagnosis

The entire audience of 7,000 people shot up from their seats and applauded as soon as Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie walked out on stage wearing a shiny pink suit and a white top hat in Victoria on Friday night.

What followed over the next two hours was an incredible performance from one of Canada's most-loved bands, with the enthusiastic crowd cheering and singing along to their favourite songs, and occasionally shedding a few tears.

• Tragically Hip tour, 1st since Gord Downie's cancer revelation, kicks off in Victoria

It was the band's first show of their cross-country tour, which follows the revelation in late May that Downie, 52, has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

The Hip started the show with Boots or Hearts from their 1989 album Up to Here, followed by New Orleans is Sinking and Opiated from the same album.




Downie appeared to be in good form, offering the audience an energetic performance that quickly quelled any apprehensions the audience may have had about what shape he's in. The singer's widely-lauded stage moves were still there, if only a bit subdued.

Downie took occasional short breaks as the band played or as videos of Canadian landscapes were displayed on a large screen above the stage, a roadie handing him a drink out of a thermos as he rested.

Downie barely spoke during the more than two hours he was on stage. An hour into the concert, he shared a few words with the audience for the first time.

"Here's one for my good old Dad. He's gone. Shit happens," he said.

At the end of the concert, the crowd roared until the band returned for two encores — Wheat Kings and Ahead by a Century among a few of their last songs.

As the crowd cheered on, Downie stood alone on stage saying, "Thank you, thank you very much. Thank you for everything."

• Looking for a place to happen: Stories, Canadian locales behind Tragically Hip's lyrics
• The true, tragic and inspiring Canadian stories behind Gord Downie's best lyrics

The Tragically Hip's Victoria concert at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre was sold out. (Madeline Green/CBC)

Fans from across Canada
Fans travelled from across British Columbia and across the country to attend the concert, which started at 8:30 p.m. PT at the Save-on-Food Memorial Centre.


Chris Mushumanski, left, drove 1,000 km from Vanderhoof, B.C., to see the Tragically Hip concert in Victoria on Friday, July 22, 2016. (CBC)

Chris Mushumanski left his home in Vanderhoof, B.C., on Thursday morning and drove more than 1,000 kilometres south to Vancouver, capping off the voyage with a ferry to Victoria.

The longtime Hip fan listened to more than 180 of the band's tunes on the drive to witness "the most historic concert in the history of Canada."

"This is going to be a tough one. No doubt there will be a lot of emotions as the first chord gets struck or when the first drum beat comes," said Mushumanski.

'I think it will be emotional'
Sue Ferguson flew from Toronto to be at the first stop on the tour.

Before the concert, she gathered with a group of family and friends at her nephew's home to enjoy Tragically Hip-inspired wine made by Stoney Ridge Estate.


A van parked near the concert venue for the Tragically Hip's show in Victoria. (Stephanie Mercier/CBC)

While the wine was poured before the show, Ferguson said tears may start flowing once the performance kicked off.

"I think it will be emotional, I think he is going to put himself out there with all the energy he can muster," said Ferguson.

Over the next month, the band will continue with their 15-date tour across the nation, concluding with a grand finale in their hometown of Kingston, Ont., that will be broadcast and streamed live on CBC.


The Ferguson family bought this specially-themed wine from the Tragically Hip website and had it delivered to Victoria to enjoy before the concert. (Mike McArthur/CBC)

 

Lion mauls worker at Granby Zoo
Woman in hospital with serious injuries, officials to provide update at 11:30 a.m. ET

A worker at the Granby Zoo in Quebec is being treated for serious injuries to her lower body and chest after being mauled by a lion.

StéphaneScalibrini, head of the ambulance service in for the town of Granby, about 80 kilometres east of Montreal, said the woman was in charge of feeding the animal when the attack happened.

Scalibrini said the woman, who is in her 20s, is in stable condition and conscious.

"The paramedic gave her treatment at the scene and transferred her to the hospital," he said.

"She was awake and responding to everything."

Police were called to the scene at around 9 a.m. to secure the area, said Guy Rousseau, a spokesman for Granby police.

Granby Zoo has called a news conference for 11:30 a.m. ET to provide more information about the incident.

Details about the lion involved weren't immediately available.

Earlier this year, the zoo welcomed two young lions to its grounds. It's unclear how many lions are housed at the zoo in total.


Granby Zoo veterinarians treated two young lions, Congo and Cécilia, after their arrival in April. (Granby Zoo/Facebook)

The zoo is home to some 1,500 animals, including 225 exotic species and 90 underwater species, according to its website.

The incident comes after a gorilla died suddenly at the zoo last month.

N'sabi, a 21-year-old lowland gorilla and long-time resident of the Granby Zoo, died following a brief illness.

• Zoos: Is there a safe way?

 

Where does it end ??? Some fucknut wants to make Canadian history with a Criminal Negligence charge ...

Quebec waiter arrested after seafood puts allergic customer in coma
Police considering laying criminal negligence charge

A waiter at a Sherbrooke, Que., restaurant was arrested Wednesday for serving salmon to a highly allergic customer in a case one expert says could be a Canadian first.

Simon-Pierre Canuel, a resident of Gatineau, Que., filed a formal complaint against the server at Le Tapageur restaurant after he says he nearly died from his meal.

The waiter could be charged with criminal negligence.

More on this story:

• A waiter's mistake endangers a customer's life. Is that a crime?
• Seafood allergy mixup highlights need for professional restaurant staff, Joe Beef chef says

According to the complaint, on May 29, Canuel ordered a beef tartare and alerted the waiter that he was allergic to salmon and seafood, said Sherbrooke police Const. Martin Carrier.

"At the time of the order, the waiter took no notes and never went to the kitchen to talk with staff," Carrier said.

When the meal arrived, an unsuspecting Canuel took a bite of his food.

'I'm still afraid at times that I'll fall asleep and never wake up. I have anxiety attacks. There are times when I have heart palpitations, sweating attacks, etc.' - Simon-Pierre Canuel
"With the dim lighting, it's not easy to tell the difference between two dishes, especially if they use mayonnaise. It can be confusing," Canuel said.

He soon realized he wasn't eating beef and informed his partner, who is a resident doctor.

"He confirmed that it was salmon and he said we had to go to hospital. We told the waiter, who apologized, saying he would bring me beef," Canuel recalled.

"That's when I started going into anaphylactic shock and having difficulty breathing."

Canuel had left his EpiPen in his car.

He was hospitalized at the intensive care unit of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, where he was treated for a severe allergic reaction.

He says he also suffered a cardiac arrest the following day and was in a coma for several days.

"I almost died," he said.

Prison sentence unlikely
Canuel filed a formal complaint with Sherbrooke police on July 21.

Police met with witnesses before arresting the waiter, a 22-year-old man, this week.

He was released with a promise to appear in court at a later date.

Canuel alleged the waiter didn't inform the cooks of the allergy and instead was chatting, laughing and drinking alcohol with other guests.

Though it will be up to Quebec's director of criminal and penal prosecutions to decide whether charges will be laid, Carrier says the circumstances meet the conditions for a criminal negligence charge.


Criminal lawyer Simon Roy says a potential criminal negligence case against a waiter would be a first in Canada. (Radio-Canada)

Simon Roy, a law professor at the University of Sherbrooke, agrees, and says a conviction for criminal negligence could result in anything from a fine to life in prison.

But based on similar cases, he added, the waiter is unlikely to get a prison sentence.

A Canadian first?
Though similar allegations have been made against doctors and workers in other service industries, one crime lawyer says this particular case could be unprecedented in the country.

"For a waiter, I haven't found one in Canada. This would indeed be the first time," said Roy.

"This kind of story is practically unheard of," echoed Carrier, the police spokesman.

"It's excessively rare."

• VIDEO: Here's what happens in the kitchen when you tell a restaurant you have an allergy

Restaurant won't comment

The owner of Le Tapageur, a tapas bar in Sherbrooke, Que., has yet to comment on the situation. (Google Maps)

Canuel is also considering civil action and a first formal notice has been sent to the restaurant. He said the restaurant never reached out to him following the incident.

"I was never contacted. Never," he said.

Though he's made it out of the ordeal, Canuel said he's still suffering from the effects of that ill-fated meal.

"I'm still afraid at times that I'll fall asleep and never wake up," he said.

"I have anxiety attacks. There are times when I have heart palpitations, sweating attacks, etc."

The owner of Le Tapageur told Radio-Canada she wouldn't comment on the situation "before speaking to her lawyer."

• A waiter's mistake endangers a customer's life. Is that a crime?
• Seafood allergy mixup highlights need for professional restaurant staff, Joe Beef chef says
• Food allergy risk poorly grasped in restaurants

 

Don't forget about the Tragically Hip live concert stream on August 20th from the K Rock Center in Kingston, Ont. on CBC

 

Here is one for the "wtf" file ...

B.C. woman hospitalized involuntarily wants legal aid for mental health hearing


VANCOUVER -- A British Columbia woman hospitalized against her will under the Mental Health Act says the provincial government has a legal duty to provide her with a lawyer to make a fair case for her release.

The woman, 39, whose name is protected under a publication ban, has launched a lawsuit against the B.C. government, arguing she has a constitutional right to legal representation at an upcoming review of her detention.

Court documents say the woman, who has suffered from mental health challenges since her early 20s, was involuntarily detained in July after checking herself into the emergency room of a Nanaimo hospital looking for help during a mental health crisis.

At the time of her detention she was unemployed, homeless and subsisting on about $500 a month in disability benefits, say the documents, which were filed in B.C. Supreme court on Friday.

The woman has a hearing on Aug. 23 before the Mental Health Review Board, a three-person panel that must assess whether the provincial government has met the legal threshold for holding someone against their will.

"The suggestion that we expect folks to go and make that case, even if you weren't mentally ill, on your own would be a remarkable thing. But to do it when you're mentally ill? It's embarrassing that we would expect people to be able to do that and get a fair hearing," said Mark Underhill, one of the lawyers representing the woman.

Often, the person being involuntarily detained is required to go up against the treating physician, their own doctor, he added.

"I don't know how anybody in a civil society could say, 'Oh yes, that's OK. These people don't need help,"' said Underhill. "To me it's as close you come to a no-brainer as there is."

Community Legal Assistance Society, the body responsible for providing legal aid in B.C., said the earliest it would be able to provide a government-funded lawyer for the woman's case would be in October.

"This is clearly a human rights issue," said Kate Feeney of the B.C. Public Interest Advocacy Centre, also involved in the case.

"Any delay is really unacceptable when your fundamental liberty interests are at play and you're being hospitalized and medicated potentially against your will."

The woman's lawyers said their client's case illustrates the broader access-to-justice challenges for people who suffer from serious mental illnesses.

Feeney described it as a systemic failure against society's most vulnerable people stemming from chronic underfunding to legal aid providers that dates back to 2009.

It affects hundreds of people annually, she said.

Underhill said the solution to the problem was a relatively straightforward fix and would likely cost the under $1 million.

"When the solution is not a big ask the question needs to be asked of the government, 'Why aren't you fixing this?"' he said, "Why on God's green Earth would you let it drag out in court and not just come to the table and figure out a way to get these people help?"

Both lawyers have agreed to take on the access-to-justice case pro bono.

The woman's arguments for legal aid will be made in court on Thursday and her hearing before the Mental Health Review Board is scheduled for Aug. 23.

A government spokeswoman said in an emailed statement that the Justice Ministry isn't aware of the legal action and has no comment.

 

Did I mention that the Hip go live in 2 hours (8:30edt) and simulcast on most FM stations in your local area ...

I rented a hall (conference room) for the patients to watch and listen to it "really loudly" here.

 

To be able to eat, drink, sing, dance, cheer, laugh and cry in a celebration of love, life and Country was indeed a gift for millions of Canadians. Something very special happened here last night.

 

Millions watch Tragically Hip live on CBC
Broadcast featured last stop on band's Man Machine Poem tour, potentially its last
CBC News Posted: Aug 21, 2016 7:52 PM ET Last Updated: Aug 21, 2016 8:01 PM ET


Members of the Tragically Hip gather onstage to acknowledge their fans after ending their Man Machine Poem tour in Kingston, Ont., on Saturday night. From left: Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Gord Downie, Johnny Fay and Gord Sinclair. (CBC)


The CBC's broadcast and livestreaming of The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration concert reached 11.7 million people on Saturday night, according to preliminary audience figures.

The commercial-free special presentation was carried live on radio and TV and was streamed live online via the CBC's website, apps, YouTube channel and Facebook page.

The show allowed people to watch and listen to the last concert of the iconic Canadian band's Man Machine Poem tour, from the group's hometown of Kingston, Ont. The tour was announced after lead singer Gord Downie revealed he has terminal brain cancer.

The TV broadcast alone averaged four million viewers.

"It was an honour and a privilege for CBC to bring this unprecedented event to audiences across the country and around the world. This is public broadcasting at its very best," said Heather Conway, CBC's executive vice-president of English services.

"For nearly three hours on a summer Saturday night, an entire nation paused to celebrate and pay tribute together. Thank you to Gord, Paul, Rob, Gord and Johnny for an intimate and unforgettable shared experience."

The Tragically Hip — frontmanDownie plus guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker, bassist GordSinclair and drummer Johnny Fay — kicked off the tour in Victoria on July 22.

People who couldn't get tickets gathered in Springer Market Square in Kingston as well as over 400 other locations worldwide ... there were almost 4 times as many people in this viewing as were inside the venue to imprint this historic event in their memory to keep with them always.

 

Nestle continues to extract water from Ontario town despite drought: activists

Environmentalists are urging the Ontario government against renewing one of Nestle’s water-taking permits in a southwestern Ontario town, saying “water should be for life, not for profit.”

Wellington Water Watchers says the permit for Nestle Waters in Aberfoyle, Ont., expired on July 31, but the company has been allowed to keep extracting water from a local well even in the midst of a severe drought.

The group says the Ministry of Environment did not post Nestle’s renewal application for the usual 30 days of public comment, and instead granted the company an automatic extension without consulting people who live in the area.

Related: Water fight: Nestlé meets resistance in small-town Ontario

But the ministry says a water-taking permit remains in force if a renewal application is made at least 90 days before it expires, and it plans to post Nestle’s application for comment once the supporting documents have been reviewed.

Nestle Waters Canada says it’s committed to “a continued engagement with the community” while it waits for the decision on its renewal application in Aberfoyle, where it operates a water-bottling plant.

“The continuation of this permit allows for thorough public consultation on the Ontario Environmental Registry, and provides (the ministry) time to conduct, review and report on the public commentary before a decision on the permit renewal application is made,” the company said in a statement.

Related: The Globe examines the future of our most critical resource - water

Documents on a ministry website show Nestle Canada has three permits to take up to 8.3 million litres of water every day for bottling, while Nestle Waters Canada — a division of Nestle Canada — has a half dozen Ontario permits allowing it to take an additional 12 million litres a day.

Other bottled water companies with large water-taking permits in Ontario include Gold Mountain Springs at 6.1 million litres a day, Gott Enterprises at 5.8 million litres and St. Joseph Natural Spring Water at 5.5 million litres.

Ontario charges companies just $3.71 for every million litres of water, after they pay a permit fee of $750 for low- or medium-risk water takings, or $3,000 for those considered a high risk to cause an adverse environmental impact.

Former environmental commissioner Ellen Schwartzel took the Liberals to task in her annual report for not acting on recommendations to raise the amount it charges to take large amounts of water, which she called “ a drop in the bucket.”

Schwartzel pointed out even the ministry conceded that the $3.71 per-million-litre charge recovers only about 1.2 per cent of the government’s total water-quantity management costs

The ministry lists about 6,000 water-taking permits on its website, which can be difficult to navigate, with multiple permits issued to many companies, often for similar time periods but with different expiry dates. An interactive online map that shows all of the permit locations is a sea of overlapping blue dots in the southern half of Ontario.

The permits allow municipalities, mining companies and golf courses — in addition to the water-bottlers — to take a total of 1.4 trillion litres out of Ontario’s surface and ground water supplies every day.

The commercial water-taking permits can be valid for up to 10 years, even longer in some cases, and can allow the removal of several million litres a day. The Ministry of Environment has issued multiple water-taking permits for some rivers.

Farmers don’t pay fees to take water for agricultural purposes — they take less than 0.5 per cent of water removed — and their exemption does not apply to food processing, beverage manufacturing, wine-making or water-bottling.

 

Canadian authorities fish out armada of wayward U.S. rafters


Some 1,500 people, participating in the Port Huron Float Down, on inflatable rafts and boats drifted across the border from Michigan during high winds on the St. Clair River.


A Customs and Border Protection boat helps floaters after they were blown towards the Canada shore. (Mark Rummel / AP)

People celebrate as they start the Float Down at Lighthouse Beach in Port Huron, Mich. (Mark Rummel / AP)




You could call it an invasion party.

Or at least that’s what it turned into after about 1,500 Americans taking part in an annual rafting event on the St. Clair River found themselves swept across the river to Canadian shores on Sunday.

“The first thing I thought was that this is exactly what will happen when Donald Trump will be elected: It’s good practice,” joked Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, who watched the incident unfold from his waterfront property.


Harrison Plain, of Sarnia, waits to put his inflatable into the water for the Port Huron Float Down. The west winds blew most boaters toward the Canada shore and they had to be pulled back to the U.S. (Mark Rummel/AP)
“This could be the start of many people trying to cross the boarder into Canada . . . but it was just a big party crowd.”

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Michigan’s annual Port Huron Float Down is a tradition that attracts thousands of participants who float 13 km down the river that divides Michigan and Ontario on rafts and store-bought inflatables. This year, an estimated 3,000 took to the water.

The unsanctioned event started around 1 p.m. at Lighthouse (Conger) Beach in Port Huron, Mich. By 4 p.m., hundreds of people had cleared the international Blue Water Bridge and found themselves headed to the Canadian side, breaking a golden rule of the loosely organized event: DON’T LAND IN CANADA.


A Customs and Border Protection boat helps floaters after they were blown towards the Canada shore. (Mark Rummel/AP)
“Most people (who) are hopping in have no idea what they’re doing,” said Peter Garapick, a Superintendent of Search and Rescue with the Canadian Coast Guard, who was on hand Sunday to help get the Americans out of the water.

“They get in blow-up toys with a cooler of alcohol, no sunscreen, water, dry clothing or ID,” he continued. “We had 1,500 people on floatable devices and they weren’t prepa
Garapick said the hundreds of floaters who invaded Canada were caught up in the currents or blown ashore by winds believed to be gushing up to 40 km/h, landing at Front and George Sts. in Sarnia.

Some were singing the Canadian anthem as they were rescued by officials, he said.


Floaters travel down the St. Clair River. (Mark Rummel/AP)
Arianna Mahon, an 18-year-old Port Huron resident (who said she and her friends were not drinking that day), was among those swept across the river into Canada. She described the scene on foreign soil as chaotic and stressful, but added that “a lot of cops were very polite. Very, very polite.”

“It was freezing cold. We were just in our swimsuits, I didn’t even have shoes,” she told the Star. “It was amazing (hospitality). Some people from the Tim Horton’s came and they were even giving us coffee.”

Emergency officials say this was the first time Americans were blown over during the float at such a high volume.

Police organized the crowds at Ferry Dock Hill before Sarnia Transit took the U.S. citizens back over the Blue Water Bridge to the American side of the border by the busload.

“The majority of (Americans) were in really good spirits,” said Sarnia Constable John Sottosanti, before quickly adding that responders were dealing with “a lot of intoxicated people.”

“Some of them had been drinking quite a bit, so that was a concern (and) why we wanted to get them out of the water,” said Sottosanti. “If you’re intoxicated, you may not know when hypothermia will kick in.”

There were no charges laid, no missing persons reported, no arrests and no major injuries. Over 100 rescue workers with agencies on both sides of the border worked to help rafters to get back to where they came from.

On Americans waters, The Times Herald reported that the U.S. Coast Guard also saved 40 lives and assisted 125 people back to shore. Port Huron Police confirmed they towed “hundreds and hundreds” of floaters to the American side of the river.

“But it didn’t seem to bother (you Canadians) too much, did it?” laughed Port Huron Police Chief Michael Reaves, director of public safety.

If there’s ever a wind blowing in the other direction, he added, Canadians were welcome to “come by and say hello . . . . We’re appreciative of the Canadian hospitality.”

He also apologized for the mess the Americans left behind, as Sarnia Parks and Recreation was left to pick up the remnants of the rescue along the waterfront: beer cans, coolers, deflated floating devices and even picnic tables.

“There was a lot of stuff left behind and washed up on shore,” said Sottosanti.

But at the end of the day, Bradley was proud that first responders “took a typical Canadian approach.

“Welcome to Canada, behave yourself, we’ll take care of you, but we’re sending you back home.”