Dec 5 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Sophie Deraspe says she did not set out to make a political film by examining the fallout of an immigrant young man facing deportation in Quebec, but the judicial and social commentary in the filmmaker's modern-day adaptation of the Greek tragedy "Antigone" are hard to avoid. The francophone tale unfolds through the soulful eyes […]
Dec 3 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Handbag designer Ela Aldorsson built her celebrity-endorsed brand on fine leather. But this season, the Toronto-based entrepreneur did something few fashion labels associated with luxury do — she embraced the fake stuff. Aldorsson describes her fall collection as entirely animal-free, a 180-degree turn from the Italy-imported skins that defined her refined line of clutches […]
Nov 24 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The goals are big for an all-transgender hockey team known as Team Trans. Comprised of more than a dozen players from Canada and the United States, it's believed to be the first ice hockey team made entirely of transgender men, transgender women, and gender non-conforming athletes. Honorary co-captain Harrison Browne says hitting the ice for […]
Nov 21 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — A new study suggests infants are more vulnerable to measles infection than previously thought. The findings debunk notions that most babies are protected for much of their first year by maternal antibodies passed on through pregnancy. In fact, Toronto researchers from the Hospital for Sick Children and Public Health Ontario say the vast […]
Nov 19 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Adults have a lot to learn from the gentle lessons of late children's entertainer Fred Rogers, say the stars of a feature film that details a jaded journalist's transformative friendship with the man best known as Mr. Rogers. Tom Hanks stars as the soft-spoken TV star in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," which focuses […]
Nov 14 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — One of Louis C.K.'s accusers is disputing a Canadian comedy club CEO's reasons for booking the standup superstar earlier this year. Julia Wolov says she is "infuriated" by an article written by Yuk Yuk's founder Mark Breslin for the Canadian Jewish News that downplays sexual misconduct she and several other women faced from the disgraced comic. […]
Nov 11 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — A large recall of contaminated medications appeared to spark confusion among many hypertension patients who were forced to give up the drug last year, with many turning to hospital emergency departments for medical help. The non-profit group Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences says emergency department visits jumped 55 per cent among those affected […]
Nov 8 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Teaching teens about the horrors of the Holocaust is more than just a history lesson for high school teacher Rachel Luke. The language arts and drama teacher weaves it into her lesson plan where possible, and describes it as "character education" for a generation she fears is losing compassion for others. "I'm very worried about […]
Nov 7 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — More than 550 objects have been unintentionally left in Canadian medical and surgery patients between 2016 and 2018, and the problem appears to be getting worse. A new report released Thursday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 553 foreign items — such as sponges and medical instruments — were left behind over […]
Nov 7 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — More than 550 objects have been unintentionally left in Canadian medical and surgery patients between 2016 and 2018, and the problem appears to be getting worse. A new report released Thursday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 553 foreign items — such as sponges and medical instruments — were left behind over […]
Oct 31 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — A new study suggests intense, heart-pumping workouts can improve memory in older adults. Researchers at McMaster University studied the impact of exercise on 64 sedentary but otherwise healthy older adults between the ages of 60 and 88 for 12 weeks. The subjects were divided into three groups — one took part in treadmill sessions that pushed […]
Oct 30 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — For a lot candy-crazed kids, Halloween is synonymous with sugar, and that makes it one of the scariest times of the year for parents fearful of encouraging bad eating habits. Knowing how to curb monstrous appetites without being the party pooper can be tricky, and advice can vary over when and how to […]
Oct 29 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — It's not just kids who get too much screen time and too little physical activity — adults are falling short, too. That's according to the first-ever report card for adults from Participaction, a non-profit group that promotes healthy living and typically ranks children's fitness levels. The new report gives Canadians over the age of 18 a D for […]
Oct 24 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The sudden death of Saskatchewan curler Aly Jenkins is shedding light on a devastating complication of childbirth that some doctors say could benefit from a national surveillance system to track maternal deaths and suggest fixes. Jenkins' family and teammates were told the 30-year-old athlete died Sunday of an amniotic fluid embolism while labouring with her […]
Oct 24 2019 — Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The sudden death of Saskatchewan curler Aly Jenkins is shedding light on a devastating complication of childbirth that some doctors say could benefit from a national surveillance system to track maternal deaths and suggest fixes. Jenkins' family and teammates were told the 30-year-old athlete died Sunday of an amniotic fluid embolism while labouring with her […]