MPP Rod Jackson continues his crusade against the use of blocker pads on children with special needs.  Jackson held a news conference earlier today to speak out once again on the issue.  The Simcoe County District School Board is currently collecting feedback on the use of blocker pads.  Jackson says he sees no reason why the practice is even being looked at.  Canadian lawyer and social justice advocate James Lockyer attended Jackson’s news conference.

The investigation is complete and a 15 year old boy has been warned.  This morning around 9:30, South Simcoe Police were called to Fred C Cook School in Bradford in relation to a threatening phone message staff had received.  Students were evacuated and the building was searched by Police – turning up nothing.  Through the course of their investigation, Police were able to identify a 15 year old Bradford boy as the caller.  No charges will be laid at this time.

Another record year for the LCBO.  Figures released today show sales of 4.71 billion dollars for 2011-2012 – up 4.9 percent over 2010-2011.  That has resulted in a record dividend to the Provice – 1.63 billion dollars.  Sales at the four Barrie LCBO locations kept pace with the Provincial numbers.  In 2011-2012, sales in Barrie were 57.5 million dollars – which is up 4.9 percent of the same time last year.  While good news for some – the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is not entirely impressed with this.  Public Health Nurse Claudia Swoboda-Geen says alcohol does not pay for itself when it comes to the harms associated with high consumption – adding the costs associated with alcohol related harm outpaces the revenue generated through alcohol sales.  Swoboda-Geen adds alcohol consumption in Simcoe-Muskoka continues to be higher than the Provincial average.

A City of Barrie Works Department employee called the police today after finding some bones.  The discovery was made this morning around 9:30 east of Highway 400 at McKay Road.  Officers attending the scene believe the bones are likely that of a deer.  The Identification Unit is working to confirm the findings of the officers.

South Simcoe Police are looking for a suspect after a threat this morning forced the evacuation of Fred C. Cook Public School in Bradford. Students and staff were relocated to Bradford Public School while police searched the Cook building. Nothing was found and the all-clear to return was given just after 11 a.m.

You can run but you can’t hide.  A 25 year old man was arrested on December 22^nd 2009 following a fatal collision in Severn Township involving two tractor trailers.  Following a lengthy investigation by the Orillia OPP the driver of one of the tractor trailers was charged with numerous criminal offences.  However, the accused fled the country before his court date.  A warrant was issued for his arrest.  Yesterday, the OPP was informed by Canada Immigration that the suspect would be arriving at Pearson International.  Officers apprehended the male as he stepped off the plane.  He’s been turned over to the Orillia OPP.

A Barrie businesswoman has been chosen Most Influential Woman of the Year in the collision repair industry. Kim Roberts, manager of Fix Auto on Brock Street, was honoured for her passion, vision and vested interest in the industry. The award was established in 1998 by AkzoNobel Automotive & Aerospace Coatings Americas to both recognize and promote the contributions of key leaders representing a valuable resource pool for the collision repair industry.

A Newmarket father is in court in Poland today, trying to bring his two sons back home. The boys, aged 8 and 10, disappeared with Stephen Watkins’ ex-wife in 2009, after he was granted legal custody of the children. They were found in Warsaw with their mother last summer, but in December, a Polish court ruled against the boys return to Canada, saying they had already adapted to their lives in Poland. Watkins is now appealing that decision.

A Barrie woman regrets dialing 9-1-1 by mistake. She was arrested yesterday, after accidentally calling the emergency number. After checking up on the call at a home on Ferris Lane, police determined the woman was wanted on an outstanding warrant for failing to show up for court. She was arrested and held in custody for a bail hearing.

There could be some traffic delays on the morning commute for anyone heading to Toronto. A protest by tow truck drivers is expected to begin around 8 o’clock this morning, starting in three different locations in the north (Woodbine and Steeles), east (Brock Road and the 401) and west (Keele and Wilson) before heading south on the Don Valley Parkway for a rally at Queen’s Park. Organizers expect up to 400 tow truck drivers to take part in the protest, which is against the OPP’s plan to contract towing operations.

Some of the soldiers who have been in Simcoe County for a training exercise are heading back to CFB Petawawa today. Military convoys will be travelling on a number of local highways and secondary roads through Meaford, Collingwood, Thornbury and Stayner, as well as Highway 11 up to North Bay.

The OPP wants to get the message across about the dangers of distracted driving. It has created a YouTube video as part of Canada Road Safety Week, featuring a family who lost a son in a fatal car crash last year, which was caused by texting and driving. Police hope the video sends a strong message to motorists, especially young people, about the real risks and tragedies that occur from texting while driving as well as other forms of distraction behind the wheel.

Your social insurance card will soon be a collector’s item. The feds want to eliminate them by March of 2014. Instead, they'll issue a letter with your number on it for your personal records. The reasons are two-fold: it'll save money and because the cards don’t come with any high-tech security codes they're prime targets for identity theft. The SIN, introduced in 1964, is a nine-digit number that people need to work in Canada or to have access to government programs and benefits.

A photo of a bride drinking a beer is creating controversy in New Zealand. Katrina Hayman was taking part in a Bride Of The Year competition when the photo was snapped and a local newspaper called the shot “disgusting”. Hayman, who is a pig midwife, got married in March, and says she doesn’t understand the controversy. She said no-one would have passed judgment if she had been spotted sipping a glass of wine.

Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop is looking to modernize Ontario’s apprenticeship system.  He says the current system involves a 3:1 ratio of journeyman to apprentices – and he’s presenting a private members bill to reduce that ratio so every journeyman would have their own apprentice.  Dunlop is no stranger to the skilled trades – he’s a certified plumber.  Dunlop says the 1:1 journeyman apprentice ratio is standard in other parts of the country – and it’s time for Ontario to adopt a modern and simplified apprenticeship system.  He says this will result in more young people entering the trades.

In an effort to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Georgian College will be hosting an FASD and Justice Conference later this month at its Barrie campus.  Sheila Burns, specialist and advocate in the field of FASD, says there is still a lot of work to be done in order to fully understand this disability.  Although reckless consumption of alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of FASD in babies, Burns says there is no telling the effects smaller doses of alcohol will have on your child.  The conference happens on May 24th – the deadline for registration is May 17th.

If you receive a call from someone telling you you’ve won a large sum of money and all you need to do is wire some of your own dough to claim the prize – DON’T DO IT!  Midland Police say they've received a some calls about someone doing just that.  A local victim was about to turn over thousands of dollars after being told by the scam artists that a courier would be coming by to pick up the cash.  Police intercepted the courier – who apparently had been promised money to drive all over the province collecting money orders.  If you receive such a call – let the police know about it.

"No hugs, no see you later, no goodbyes. Just a piece of my heart ripped out." A portion of the victim impact statement made this morning by Darryn Stafford prior to the sentencing hearing for Michael Rafferty for the of Darryn’s sister, Tori. “I can’t walk without looking behind me,” he said. Rafferty was seen to be crying as the statement was read. Tori’s mom and dad, her aunts and uncles, all told the court how Tori’s murder has ruined their lives. Her dad, Rodney, noting how so much was stolen from his little girl; was stolen from all of them. The 8 year old Woodstock girl was murdered in 2009. Rafferty was found guilty Friday of Kidnapping, Sexual Assault and First Degree Murder. His conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no parole for 25 years.

A local businessman wants to build a world class event centre downtown.  However, some are concerned about the kind of the crowds it will attract – especially given its close proximity to The Ranch Bar and Grill.  Scott McInnes, owner of the proposed Royal Event Centre as well as The Ranch, presented his idea for a downtown event centre to Barrie City Council.  He says he’s not looking to open another bar.  McInnes says the Royal Event Centre, to be located at 66 Bayfield Street, will be designed to host events such as trade shows, bridal shows, and even weddings – adding a convention centre downtown will attract complementary businesses to the area such as hotels.  However, McInnes says he has 80 thousand square feet to play with, and he won’t rule out a hotel as a second phase to his event centre project.  Since he is applying for a liquor license, the issue of minimum distance between drinking establishments was brought up during last night’s meeting.  The rules allow for a convention centre to be located close to a licensed establishment such as a bar or night club.

The fire danger rating in Springwater Township has been increased to moderate, after a serious forest fire over the weekend. It broke out on Rainbow Valley Road West near Highway 27 on Saturday afternoon and took 30 firefighters about 2 hours to bring under control. Two pumper trucks, three tanker trucks, one ATV and a brush truck were also brought in to battle the blaze. Officials say the fire was caused after someone dumped previous burn material in the area, which spread to trees and consumed nearly 2 acres of forest. With the May long weekend approaching, Springwater Firefighters are reminding residents that all burning requires a permit and that those found to not be following the rules of the by-law will receive a fine.

Michael Rafferty will be sentenced to life in prison today. He was convicted on Friday of kidnapping, raping and killing 8-year old Tori Stafford in 2009. Before Rafferty is formally sentenced, Tori’s family will get a chance to deliver victim impact statements. First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.

South Simcoe police are investigating, after a cyclist was struck a car in Bradford. Police say around 6 o’clock last night, a 14 year old boy crashed his bike into a car turning onto Concession 8 at Barrie Street. The teen told police he tried to stop, but his brakes wouldn’t work. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Some changes are on the way to the Employment Insurance system. Reports say the changes could cut off benefits to those who refuse to relocate or take jobs outside their field of training. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says there’s no such thing as a bad job and adds that he once drove a taxi to make ends meet. However, the opposition believes Flaherty's comments suggest Canadians need to be concerned their benefits could be cut off if they don't accept the first job that comes along.

Starting today, you can use your VISA card to pay a morning coffee at Tim Hortons. The popular Canadian coffee chain says the new payment method is now available at more than 3-thousand locations across the country.

A new study finds many Canadians are not happy on the job. The Harris-Decima poll finds 31 per cent of Canadians are dissatisfied with their work and thats up from 23 per cent last year. 85 per cent also said they didn't expect a pay boost or bonus in the next year, while four in 10 believe their employer has used the bad economy as an excuse to deny them a raise or a promotion.

Forget wearing a MedicAlert bracelet. The Canadian Medical Association Journal says may people with health conditions are opting to get medical tattoos instead. For some, it's because they can't wear jewellery on the job, others are allergic to the metals in them. However, the president and C-E-O of the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation, says paramedics have been trained in Canada for over 50 years to look for a MedicAlert I-D bracelet or necklace, so they might miss a tattooed body part in case of an emergency.

Good news for GO Train passengers.  If your train is more than 15 minutes late – you’ll get a refund.  This new service guarantee is going into effect in the fall and will include all GO train passengers – the Niagara summer service being the only possibly exception.  Premier McGuinty talked about this idea leading into the last Provincial Election campaign.  PC Leader Tim Hudak calls the idea nothing more than a gimmick.

It started out as a domestic dispute call – ended with the returning of a sentimental possession to its owner.  Barrie Police were at a residence on Sunnidale Road on April 29^th responding to a domestic disturbance.  One of the officers saw a 1993 Junior B Barrie Colts Championship Ring.  The officer asked about it – the occupants not able to recall where the ring came from or who owned it.  The officer kept the ring and began searching for the owner.  Police were able to return the ring to its 81 year old owner – who was a past trainer for the Junior B Barrie Colts.  He said he lost the ring years ago during a move.  He’s understandably grateful to have it back.

A damaged vintage airplane and a very lucky pilot.  Just before noon today, a 1953 Piper aircraft flipped and rolled upon landing at the Springwater Airpark.  Officials say the pilot walked away from the crash and an ambulance was not needed.  The Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

A couple of weekend fires in the Wasaga Beach area.  The Wasaga Beach Fire Department arrived at an Oxbow Park Drive residence just after 2:30 Sunday morning to find it fully involved on arrival.  It was completely destroyed.  Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby homes.  The owner of the residence was not in the house at the time – in fact, it’s not known where occupant is.  The fire is still under investigation.

While crews battled the Oxbow Park Drive fire, a trailer caught fire at the Holiday Park Campground on Main Street.  Firefighters from Springwater, Collingwood, and Clearview were brought in as Wasaga Beach crews were still busy with the first fire.  The trailer was fully involved when crews arrived – it eventually burned to the ground.  A nearby structure – commercial space on the main floor and apartments on the second floor - sustained significant damage.  Seems a cooking appliance caused that fire.

No one was injured in either of these incidents.  Investigators say the two fires were unrelated.

Smoke will be rising from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park this afternoon. Parks staff will be conducting a prescribed burn on two parcels of land to help restore Red Oak Woodland and Savannah habitats. Parks staff will be on hand to supervise, and wind conditions are expected to blow the smoke away from the nearby Blueberry Trails subdivision. Still, there may be a smell similar to a campfire. Residents are advised to keep their windows closed for the duration of the burn, which begins around 2 p.m. and will last about ten hours.

The Barrie Police Service is marking Police Week in Canada with a series of dispplays at Georgian Mall.

Monday May 14th
• Members of the Community Services Unit and Marine Unit will be available throughout the day.
• 5:00pm - 7:30pm: A member of the Tactical Support Unit (bomb tech) will be present with equipment.
• 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Barrie Police Mascot will be present.

Tuesday May 15th
• Members of the Community Services Unit and Marine Unit will be available throughout the day.
• 3:00pm - 9:00pm: A member from the Barrie Police Recruiting Unit will be present to answer any recruiting/employment related questions.
• 5:00pm - 7:30pm: A member of the Tactical Support Unit (bomb tech) will be present with equipment.
• 5:00pm - 7:30pm: A K-9 unit team ( handler and dog) will be present.
• 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Barrie Police Mascot will be present.

Wednesday May 16th
• Members of the Community Services Unit and Marine Unit will be available throughout the day.
• 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Barrie Police Mascot will be present.

Thursday May 17th ** Final Day for Police Week display*
• Members of the Community Services Unit and Marine Unit will be available throughout the day.
• 5:00pm - 7:30pm: A member of the Tactical Support Unit (bomb tech) will be present with equipment.
• 5:00pm - 7:30pm: A K-9 unit team ( handler and dog) will be present.
• 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Barrie Police Mascot will be present.

A woman has been assaulted, a pet rabbit has been killed and two police cruisers have been damaged, after a domestic incident in Barrie. Police were called to a home on Burns Circle last night, after a woman reported her friend had been assaulted by her boyfriend. Police say the suspect also damaged the home and killed a pet rabbit before fleeing the scene. He was later located driving by Southern Georgian Bay OPP and a chase began, ending up with two police cruisers being damaged, before the accused was arrested. A 33 year old Midland man has been held in custody for a bail hearing.

How much is your mom worth? According to the annual mom survey by salary-dot-com, a mother’s work is worth about 113-thousand dollars a year. It came up with the figure, after surveying 8-thousand moms to find out how much time they spend on tasks such as: laundry, driving and cooking. It found that stay-at-home moms work about 95 hours a week, while career moms are busier than ever. The survey says working mothers would make an additional 66-thousand dollars a year on top of their work salaries, which is an increase of 5 per cent from 2011. To see how much your “mom” work is worth, click here.

Not what barrie police expected, after pulling over a vehicle early this morning on Ardagh Road. Two 14 year old girls were taken into custody, after police determined the vehicle had been stolen. The accused have been charged with theft as well as possession of stolen property. They were released to their not-so-happy parents with a future court date.

Police are looking for suspects in connection with a break and enter in Collingwood. Police say early Saturday morning, residents on Russell Street were awoken by someone breaking into their home. A TV had been removed from the home and was found in the garage, while a mountain bike and a small amount of change was also stolen. Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Collingwood/The Blue Mountains OPP detachment at 705-445-4321 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS)

Just ahead of the May 2-4 long weekend, the OPP is kicking off road safety week. Over the next few days, officers will be targeting aggressive, impaired and distracted drivers, as well as those who fail to wear a seatbelt. The Victoria Day holiday is considered one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

India has opened its first 24-hour daycare service. Care Plus World in New Delhi reportedly calls itself the place the go for "children of parents who are too busy to put them to bed.” Parents are also invited to leave their children at the centre for periods of a week up to a year, in case of emergencies such as hospitalization and business trips.

Today is Mother’s Day a tradition that can traced back to the Greeks, but in Canada we celebrate for a different reason. Canadian Mother’s day was adopted from America in the early 1900’s after it was advocated by Anna Jarvis who wanted a day to celebrate mothers everywhere. When it was established in 1914 Jarvis opposed the commercialization and was the first person to call it a “Hallmark Holiday.”

A taxi cab driver in Barrie had enough and dropped off his fare in front of a Barrie Police Station. Early this morning, a 29 year old man entered a Barrie cab and demanded to be driven to Toronto for only 10 dollars. The cab driver tried to get him out of his car but he refused, so the cabbie dropped him off with Barrie Police. Authorities held the inebriated man, who could barely stand until he was sober again.

A couple at a Walmart in the south end of town didn’t respond well when stopped by police. A 30 year old man and a 31 year old woman were arrested yesterday after security at Walmart spotted the pair attempting to leave the store with a stolen PlayStation 3. When the couple was confronted by police they refused to tell them who they were and resisted when attempted to be handcuffed. Both have been charged with Attempting Theft and Mischief.

With the summer weather coming up, Barrie Police wants to remind everyone to be careful where you keep your pets. Police were called yesterday to a car in the south end of city that had a dog locked inside. Police were concerned with the safety of the dog and were able to find the owner of the car before any damage was done. Leaving any animal in a closed vehicle for an extended period of time, when the temperature exceeds 20 degrees can be dangerous.

IBL Baseball

Barrie Baycats 3 Ottawa Fat Cats 1

NHL Playoffs

NY Rangers 2 Washington 1

(Rangers win series 4-3)

World Hockey Championships

Canada 8 Kazakhstan 0

Slovakia 5 Belarus 1

France 4 Switzerland 2

Norway 3 Latvia 0

Germany 2 Denmark 1

Sweden 4 Italy 0

MLB

American League

Toronto 2 Minnesota 1

L.A. Angels 4 Texas 2

N.Y. Yankees 6 Seattle 2

Boston 4 Cleveland 1

Baltimore 5 Tampa Bay 3

Oakland 3 Detroit 1

Kansas City 5 Chicago White Sox 0

National League

Milwaukee 8 Chicago Cubs 2

N.Y. Mets 9 Miami 3

Pittsburgh 5 Houston 2

San Diego 2 Philadelphia 1

Washington 2 Cincinnati 1

Atlanta 7 St. Louis 2

San Francisco 5 Arizona 2

L.A. Dodgers 2 Colorado 1

NBA Playoffs

L.A. Lakers 96 Denver 87

(Lakers win series 4-3)

Boston 92 Philadelphia 91

(Boston leads series 1-0)

It’s Air Cadet Activity Day at CFB Borden today. That means more than 600 cadets will be given an opportunity to showcase their skills in shooting, obstacle course completion and sporting events. The event starts in the Stedman Building at 8:30 you won’t want to miss the CH-146 Griffon Helicopter in action!

What would you do if you couldn’t find your dinner? Well, call the police of course! That’s what one Barrie man did last night. He originally contacted Barrie Police suggesting he was the victim of a Break and Enter, but the only thing the robbers stole was the roast from his oven. Police officers didn’t follow the lead asking the man instead that maybe, he just misplaced it?

A 17 year old man was sent to the hospital after an industrial accident in Innisfil. South Simcoe Police were called to a business early yesterday morning on the 10th Line of Innisfil. The 17 year old had a nasty finger injury, while using a log splitter. He was transported to hospital as the Ministry of Labour continues to investigate

The Barrie Baycats are looking for retribution going into their second game of the season this afternoon. The Baycats are meeting up with the Ottawa Fat Cats, the same team that eliminated them in the second playoff round last year. The game starts at 2 o’clock at Schmidt and Shaw Stadium today.

The Innisfil Beach Park Boat Launch will be closed on Monday, May 14th as the parking lots are being repaved.  If it happens to rain on Monday, the work will be carried out on Tuesday instead.  Boats can be launched at the Town’s other public launch at the end of Isabella Street in Belle Ewart.

OPP in Dufferin County are warning residents about scam.  The warning comes after an elderly man was taken advantage of by a paving company.  The man is said to be suffering from dementia.  He was charged over 20 thousand dollars for paving his driveway.  OPP say the culprits drove the customer to the bank to get the cash.  

Nottawasaga OPP are crediting concerned citizens for helping return a four year old child to his home.  Just before five o’clock this morning, the child was found wandering around the area of Nelson and King Street in Alliston.  The child was stopped and the citizens who found him called the police.  Police were eventually able to find out where the child escaped from – the babysitter completely unaware the child had gotten out of bed and left the house. 

All sides agree on the need to ensure the safety of students and staff, but many at last night’s meeting on the use of foam shields or blockers, where special needs children are concerned, made it clear that’s not the way to go. About 60 people spoke out at the meeting at the Simcoe County District Board of Education office. Trustee Caroline Smith, who was there as an observer, says a wide variety of concerns were expressed - human rights, dignity, social isolation. The key message she says she heard last night was that protective equipment is not an either/or concept; that it can’t be never, and at the same time should not be always. In addition, there was talk about a protocol for each individual student who may be exhibiting rowdy or self-harming behaviour. The board will continue to accept feedback until May 18 and the matter will be discussed by trustees again at a meeting in June. Submissons can be sent by email to jemdysky@scdsb.on.ca or addressed to Janis Medysky at 1170 Highway 26, Midhurst, ON, L0L 1X0.

Employment in Canada bulked up by 58-thousand jobs in April, but with more people looking for work the unemployment rate rose .1 per cent to 7.3 per cent. Most of the increase in employment was in full time jobs, and primarily in the goods sector, with increases in construction, manufacturing, natural resources and agriculture. Following five months of little change, employment increased by 33,000 among people aged 25 to 54. There was a continued upward trend among those aged 55, up 26,000 in April. There was little change in youth employment. The jobless rate for that sector remaining 13.9%.

The provincial rate for Ontario rose .4% to 7.8%.

Barrie's jobless rate fell slightly from 9.2% in March to 9.1% in April.

The Barrie and District Association of Realtors says it's been one of the strongest starts to any year on record. Demand remained above average in April, up 14 per cent from a year ago. The average price in the Barrie-area is $301,501, seven per cent better than a year ago. For the City of Barrie, the average price last month was $284,691, an eight per cent increase compared to the same period in 2011.

Nine people have been arrested and are facing over 40 charges, in connection with a drug trafficking investigation in Barrie. Police executed two search warrants  at an apartment on Kozlov Street, as well as a home on Yonge  Street, seizing a quantity of cocaine, marijuana, a semi-automatic handgun, stolen property and 35-thousand dollars in cash. The accused, both men and women, range in age from 26-51.

Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop is thanking a smoke alarm for saving his life, after he escaped a fire at his home in Coldwater.  Dunlop was asleep when the blaze broke out yesterday in the basement of his home on Dunlop Drive,  but he was awoken by the fire alarm and managed to escape. Dunlop’s wife, Jane, wasn’t home.  Officials say the home sustained serious smoke and heat damage, which is estimated at 200-thousand dollars. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but is not believed to be suspicious.

Three snakes found, two more to go. Nottawasaga OPP have recovered three missing pythons, which were stolen from a home in Orillia last week. The snakes were discovered at a home on Heydon Avenue in Alliston, while police were executing a search warrant on Wednesday. 16 marijuana plants were also seized, but two other pythons, about 6 feet long, are still missing. Two 33 year old men have been arrested and are facing numerous charges. Police are still investigating the theft of the two remaining carpet pythons. Anyone with information is asked to call (705) 434-1939 or Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800- 222-TIPS.

A dispute over loud music has landed a Barrie man behind bars. Police were called to a home on McDonald Street last night and say a man had threatened his landlord with a knife, after being told to turn down his music. A 42 year old man was arrested and held in custody for a bail hearing.

A 21 year old Bradford man has been arrested for allegedly threatening his friend’s neighbours. South Simcoe Police were called to a home last night, after a couple living in a basement apartment complained they were verbally threatened by the friend of their upstairs neighbour, fearing for their safety. The suspect was arrested and later released with a June court date.

A special fundraising event is being held today at Bear Creek Secondary School. Student Samantha Cox is hosting a Relay for Life at the school, to raise money for cancer research. Her grandfather died of lung cancer in 2007.

Time Magazine is coming under fire for its latest cover photo.it shows a 26 year old mom breastfeeding her soon-to-be four year old son, while he stands on a chair. The story is about “attachment parenting” and is raising questions about how old is too old to breastfeed. Some people are accusing the magazine of using a provocative image to sell more copies, while others worry about the future of the boy.  The woman in the ad says she also breastfeeds her adopted five year old son. She defends the decision saying it may not be socially normal, but is biologically normal.

A Canadian woman has been arrested in England, in connection with the deaths of her two children. Police say the victims are a 10 week old baby boy and a 14 month old girl. Reports say the accused is 34 year old Felicia Boots, but few other details have been released. Reports say the children’s bodies were discovered by their father at their home in London on Wednesday night.

It’s an exciting day for campers! Most Ontario parks open for the season today. There are more than 330 provincial parks to enjoy and last year, they recorded over 10-million visits, which is 50-thousand more than the year before. However, remember, most provincial parks will operate under an alcohol ban until May 21st. Campsites can be reserved online 24 hours a day at www.ontarioparks.com or by calling the park reservation line at 1-888-ONT-PARK between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily.

Starting this fall, you’ll have to pay to read the Globe and Mail online. The newspaper has announced that it is moving to “pay-per-view” and is also asking some of it employees to take unpaid leave, in an effort to boost its bottom line. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal already charge for online services.