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        <title><![CDATA[Toronto - CBC News]]></title>
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            <title><![CDATA[1 person missing after house explodes in Scarborough]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[<div class="engagement-widgets"></div><div class="story"><p>One person is missing after a house in Scarborough exploded Sunday morning, according to Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg.&nbsp;</p><p>Firefighters responded to the call for a residential fire and explosion on Kitchener Road near Danzig Street&nbsp;around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Pegg said in a post on social media. He said there is evidence of a "significant explosion" at the property but the fire has been contained.&nbsp;</p><p>Pegg said there are reports one person was in the home when it exploded and they have yet to be accounted for. Once the scene is fully secured, crews will search through the debris, he said.&nbsp;</p><p>One firefighter received minor injuries while on the scene and was treated by paramedics, according to Pegg.&nbsp;</p><div><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="A house that has exploded, a lawn with debris and hoses." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026786.1699819045!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/house-explosion.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026786.1699819045!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/house-explosion.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026786.1699819045!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/house-explosion.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026786.1699819045!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/house-explosion.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026786.1699819045!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/house-explosion.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026786.1699819045!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/house-explosion.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.3333333333333333" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">There is evidence of a "significant explosion" at the property but the fire has been contained, according to Toronto Fire.<!-- --> <!-- -->(Matthew Pegg/X)</figcaption></figure></div><p>He said Toronto Fire will have a significant presence in the area for the foreseeable future.&nbsp;</p><p>Toronto Transit Commission buses have also been brought to the scene to shelter any displaced residents, according to Toronto police.</p></div>]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Nov 2023 20:06:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard found guilty of 4 counts of sexual assault]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[<div class="engagement-widgets"></div><div class="story"><p>One-time Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard,&nbsp;who was accused of attacking five women in the private bedroom suite of his downtown Toronto office building, was found guilty by a Toronto jury on Sunday&nbsp;of&nbsp;four&nbsp;counts of sexual assault.</p><p>He was&nbsp;acquitted of&nbsp;one of five counts of sexual assault&nbsp;and one count of forcible confinement.</p><p>Nygard, 82, who wore a black parka in court, didn't appear to show any emotion as the verdict was handed down on the jurors' fifth day of deliberations.</p><p>Outside the courthouse, Shannon Moroney, a therapist who worked with&nbsp;four of the five accusers, said&nbsp;she received a message from one of the women, who said the&nbsp;verdict was not just for her, but that it should be&nbsp;shared with all survivors of sexual assault.</p><h2>'We did this for everyone'</h2><p>"We did this for everyone, not only&nbsp;for ourselves," Moroney quoted the woman as saying.</p><p>Nygard's defence lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said&nbsp;"the jury has spoken" but he was considering an appeal.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><em><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Peter Nygard convicted of 4 counts of sexual assault:</strong></em></p><div dir="ltr"><span class="mediaEmbed"><div class="player-placeholder-ui-container "><div class="player-placeholder-video-ui" title="Peter Nygard convicted of 4 counts of sexual assault" role="button" tabindex="0"><div class="player-placeholder"></div><div class="player-placeholder-ui "><div class="video-item video-card-overlay " title="Peter Nygard convicted of 4 counts of sexual assault"><div class="thumbnail-wrapper"><div class="thumbnail-container"><img srcset="
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                        https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/55/771/2023-AB7I2624-NYGARD-VERDICT.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=260px:* 260w" sizes="(max-width: 260px) 4vw, (max-width: 510px) 50vw, (max-width: 630px) 66vw, (max-width: 880px) 88vw" src="https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/55/771/2023-AB7I2624-NYGARD-VERDICT.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=510px:*510w" alt="" class="thumbnail" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div></div><div class="video-card-overlay-container"><div class="video-info-container"><h3 class="video-item-title">Peter Nygard convicted of 4 counts of sexual assault</h3><div class="video-time-container"><div class="play-button-container"><svg class="videoItemPlayBtn" role="img" width="34px" height="34px" viewBox="0 0 34 34" aria-label="Play"><circle fill="#FFFFFF" cx="16.5" cy="16.5" r="16.5"></circle><path d="M12.0627845,9.87071431 L24.510661,16.6074648 C24.6396791,16.677289 24.6876652,16.8384825 24.617841,16.9675006 C24.5925502,17.0142319 24.553825,17.0523041 24.5066704,17.0767967 L12.0587939,23.5423393 C11.9286072,23.6099595 11.768253,23.5592393 11.7006328,23.4290526 C11.6809874,23.3912301 11.6707317,23.3492356 11.6707317,23.3066154 L11.6707317,10.1043222 C11.6707317,9.95762156 11.7896561,9.8386972 11.9363567,9.8386972 C11.9805052,9.8386972 12.0239575,9.84970124 12.0627845,9.87071431 Z" fill="#000000"></path></svg></div><span class="formattedDate video-time-stamp">7 hours ago</span><div class="videoTimeLabel "><div class="durationLabel"><span><span class="a11y">Duration </span>4:38</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><span class="media-caption"><span class="featuredVideo">Featured Video</span>One-time Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard was found guilty by a Toronto jury of four counts of sexual assault. Nygard, who was acquitted of one of five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement, also face charges in Quebec, Manitoba and New York.</span></span></div><p>Greenspan said similar fact evidence is a "significant aspect"&nbsp;in cases such as this and can "dictate the outcome."&nbsp;Similar fact evidence is evidence that may be introduced when the Crown wants to show that a pattern of behaviour might have occurred.</p><p>During the trial, many of the accusers described a similar scenario:&nbsp;that they were taken on a tour of Nygard's office building that ended in his private bedroom suite. All five women said they were sexually assaulted in the suite.</p><p>Greenspan said the defence will consider "whether or not the issue of similar fact in this case is such that an appeal is warranted." </p><p>Greenspan&nbsp;also&nbsp;suggested that the&nbsp;numerous&nbsp;health challenges faced by&nbsp;Nygard&nbsp;—&nbsp;who, for every day of the six-week trial, had been taken into the courtroom in a wheelchair&nbsp;—&nbsp;might play a role in his submissions related to Nygard's sentencing.</p><h2 dir="ltr">'Not an easy case'</h2><p dir="ltr">Crown Attorney Neville Golwalla&nbsp;also addressed the media,&nbsp;thanking&nbsp;all the women who had come forward and put their trust in the police and the judicial process.</p><p>"This is a crime that typically happens in private and profoundly impacts human dignity," Golwalla&nbsp;said.&nbsp;"To&nbsp; stand up and recount those indignities in a public forum such as a courtroom is never easy and takes great courage. Everyone who came forward here is to be commended.</p><p>"It was not an easy case. To hear the jury's verdict is to understand that they worked very&nbsp;hard at coming to the result, and certainly&nbsp;we feel that&nbsp;a just result was what the jury came up with at the end."</p><div><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/peter-nygard-sexual-assault-trial-1.7020888" class="similarLink" text="Sex assault case against Nygard either defies 'coincidence' or defies 'common sense,' court hears" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Sex assault case against Nygard either defies 'coincidence' or defies 'common sense,' court hears</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Nygard's son, who has previously spoken out against his father, was&nbsp;in the courtroom to watch the verdict.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">"I loved my father. It hurts me to see all of these things," Kai Nygard&nbsp;told reporters. "I knew a different man. I got a different version of him and&nbsp;for me, that bond was real, those moments were real."</p><p dir="ltr">But he said there was another personality within his father:&nbsp;"Something evil in there, there's something perverse."</p><h2 dir="ltr">5 other charges dropped</h2><p dir="ltr">Nygard originally faced&nbsp;eight charges of sexual assault and three charges of forcible confinement in the Toronto case, but five of those charges were dropped as jury selection was set to begin.</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="Nygard's lawyer Brian Greenspan speaks with reporters after the verdict." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026771.1699819828!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/brian-greenspan.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026771.1699819828!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/brian-greenspan.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026771.1699819828!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/brian-greenspan.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026771.1699819828!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/brian-greenspan.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026771.1699819828!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/brian-greenspan.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026771.1699819828!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/brian-greenspan.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.7765042979942693" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Nygard's defence lawyer Brian Greenspan speaks with reporters after the verdict on Sunday.<!-- --> <!-- -->(CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">During the six-week trial, court heard graphic and disturbing testimony from all five complainants:&nbsp;four who said they were in their 20s when they claim they were assaulted, and one who said she was 16 when she alleges she was attacked by Nygard.</p><p dir="ltr">The women testified that from a period of the late 1980s to around 2005, each ended up in Nygard's private bedroom suite in his downtown Toronto building, where they say he attacked, overpowered&nbsp;and sexually assaulted them.</p><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/peter-nygard-sexual-assault-trial-1.7008773" class="similarLink" text="'It's not&nbsp;something that I&nbsp;would have ever done': Nygard denies sexual assault allegations at trial" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">'It's not&nbsp;something that I&nbsp;would have ever done': Nygard denies sexual assault allegations at trial</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">The Crown argued&nbsp;that Nygard had used his wealth and power to lure in some of the women, which&nbsp;would often result in a tour of his Toronto office building, and end up in&nbsp;his private bedroom suite.</p><p dir="ltr">Court heard from some of the women&nbsp;that there was a mirrored door leading into his bedroom, that it had no handle on the inside, and that two of the doors leading to the outside of his bedroom either needed to be unlocked and opened by pressing a button inside&nbsp;or by&nbsp;punching&nbsp;a security code.</p><p dir="ltr">Two of the women told court that they also felt trapped inside that room and that&nbsp;there was no way out. One woman told court that she repeatedly begged Nygard to let her out and that he eventually relented. It was that allegation that led to the forcible confinement charge.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Nygard testified in his defence</h2><p dir="ltr">Nygard&nbsp;testified in his defence, appearing in the witness box for five days. He testified that he couldn't&nbsp;recall four of the five women, nor remember having any interaction with them.</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="Crown Attorneys Neville Golwalla and Ana Serban speak to  reporters after the trail of former fashion executive Peter Nygard, in Toronto, on Nov. 12, 2023. Nygard was found guilty of  four counts of sexual assault." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026770.1699819991!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026770.1699819991!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026770.1699819991!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026770.1699819991!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026770.1699819991!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026770.1699819991!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.5012106537530265" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Crown Attorneys Neville Golwalla and Ana Serban speak to reporters outside the Toronto courthouse after Nygard's trial on Sunday.<!-- --> <!-- -->(Evan Mitsui/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">But he also insisted repeatedly that any of the&nbsp;allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault attributed to him could not have happened because he would never engage in such behaviour.</p><p dir="ltr">He contradicted some of the complainants' testimony, arguing, for example, that there was a handle on the inside door of his private bedroom&nbsp;and&nbsp;denying&nbsp;that there was any way to get locked or trapped inside.</p><p dir="ltr">In her closing submission, Crown Attorney Ana Serban argued that&nbsp;Nygard's testimony was riddled with inconsistencies, was unreliable,&nbsp;lacked credibility and should be rejected.</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="Kai Nygard, one of Peter Nygard’s sons, speaks to members of the press after his father was found guilty on four counts of sexual assault in a Toronto courtroom on Nov. 12, 2023. " srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026774.1699820073!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026774.1699820073!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026774.1699820073!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026774.1699820073!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026774.1699820073!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7026774.1699820073!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/nygard-trial-day-outs.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.5012106537530265" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption"> Peter Nygard’s son, Kai Nygard, told reporters Sunday that there was 'something evil' in his father's personality. <!-- --> <!-- -->(Evan Mitsui/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">That was in contrast, she said, to the testimony from the five complainants. The similarities of their independent testimony defied coincidence, she said, and proved Nygard's guilt.</p><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/peter-nygard-trial-1.6984939" class="similarLink" text="Peter Nygard 'became another person, like a monster' during alleged assault, trial hears" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Peter Nygard 'became another person, like a monster' during alleged assault, trial hears</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">But Nygard's lawyer argued that it was the five complainants' testimony that lacked credibility.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Greenspan told the jury that they needed to carefully consider all the evidence presented by the Crown and reflect on the "fatal flaws and lack of testimonial trustworthiness" of the five women.</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="The upper part of a glass and brick building is shown against a cloudy sky." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.6985353.1698881694!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_300/nygard-trial-day-1.JPG 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6985353.1698881694!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_460/nygard-trial-day-1.JPG 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6985353.1698881694!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_620/nygard-trial-day-1.JPG 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6985353.1698881694!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_780/nygard-trial-day-1.JPG 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6985353.1698881694!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/nygard-trial-day-1.JPG 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.6985353.1698881694!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_780/nygard-trial-day-1.JPG" style="aspect-ratio:1.6802168021680217" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Nygard's accusers said he sexually assaulted them in the former headquarters of his now-defunct clothing company in Toronto, seen here.<!-- --> <!-- -->(Evan Mitsui/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">Greenspan suggested that despite Nygard's inability to recollect the women, some of the details they testified to in court could have happened.</p><p dir="ltr">For example, he said some of their evidence about how they initially met Nygard on flights could be possible.</p><p dir="ltr">But other details court heard were either unlikely, impossible, absurd or pure nonsense, Greenspan said.</p><p dir="ltr">"What never occurred were the sexual assaults described by each of the complainants," he said.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Nygard facing other charges, civil lawsuit</h2><p dir="ltr">Greenspan also suggested that some of the women had been motivated to testify against Nygard because they had joined a U.S. class-action lawsuit against him.</p><p dir="ltr">That lawsuit, which is currently on hold after a New York judge placed a stay of proceedings on it, involves 57 women.&nbsp;Their allegations date back as far&nbsp;as 1977, with&nbsp;some of them alleging&nbsp;they were assaulted when they were as young as 14 or 15.</p><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/peter-nygard-cross-examination-1.6986512" class="similarLink" text="Peter Nygard's defence lawyer tries to poke holes in sex assault allegations" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Peter Nygard's defence lawyer tries to poke holes in sex assault allegations</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">Nygard also faces one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in Manitoba, for offences that were allegedly committed in November 1993 and involve a victim who was then 20 years old.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"></p><p dir="ltr">He also faces one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in connection with incidents that allegedly took place in Quebec between Nov. 1, 1997, and Nov. 15, 1998, and involve one alleged victim.</p><p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Nygard&nbsp;is also fighting extradition to the U.S., where he faces charges in New York for nine offences which&nbsp;include conspiracy to commit racketeering, transportation of a minor for purpose of prostitution, and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.</p></div>]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Nov 2023 16:56:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/peter-nygard-sexual-assault-trial-1.7022210</guid>
            <link>https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/peter-nygard-sexual-assault-trial-1.7022210</link>
            <author><![CDATA[Mark Gollom]]></author>
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            <title><![CDATA[Stakusic, Fernandez power Canada to 1st-ever Billie Jean King Cup title]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[<div class="engagement-widgets"><div class="comment-count-container"></div></div><div class="story"><p style="margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in">Canada's women are Billie Jean King Cup champions for the first time, thanks to Leylah Fernandez's straight-sets victory (6-2, 6-3) over Italy's Jasmine Paolini on Sunday at the international team tennis tournament in Seville, Spain.</p><p style="margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in">Two hours earlier,&nbsp;Marina Stakusic&nbsp;of Mississauga, Ont., opened the best-of-three tie with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Martina Trevisan to improve to 3-1 on the week.</p><p>"It feels amazing and I'm extremely proud that I was able to get to represent Canada on the biggest stage," Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up,&nbsp;said in an on-court interview. "To do it in front of Billie Jean, it means the world to me, to us and hopefully we can keep going, celebrate tonight and just have fun."</p><p style="margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in">The 35th-ranked Fernandez, who hails from Laval, Que., broke Paolini's serve in the final game to seal the victory in one hour 39 minutes.</p><p>"She played at an amazing level today," Paolini said. "For me, it was tough to try to do something. She was always pushing me behind the line, she was always taking the time to take the winner."</p><p style="margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in">Fernandez, 21, won all five of her matches this week,&nbsp;helping&nbsp;Canada advance to the final, prevailing 7-5, 7-6 (3) with doubles partner Gabriela Dabrowski over Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of 11-time champion Czech Republic in Saturday's semifinals.</p><p><em><strong>WATCH l Fernandez tops Paolini to clinch&nbsp;title:</strong></em></p><div><span class="mediaEmbed"><div class="player-placeholder-ui-container "><div class="player-placeholder-video-ui" title="Leylah Fernandez clinches Canada's 1st Billie Jean King Cup championship" role="button" tabindex="0"><div class="player-placeholder"></div><div class="player-placeholder-ui "><div class="video-item video-card-overlay " title="Leylah Fernandez clinches Canada's 1st Billie Jean King Cup championship"><div class="thumbnail-wrapper"><div class="thumbnail-container"><img srcset="
                        https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/66/7/Canada_FINAL.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=1130px:* 1130w,
                        https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/66/7/Canada_FINAL.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=880px:* 880w,
                        https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/66/7/Canada_FINAL.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=630px:* 630w,
                        https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/66/7/Canada_FINAL.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=510px:* 510w,
                        https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/66/7/Canada_FINAL.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=260px:* 260w" sizes="(max-width: 260px) 4vw, (max-width: 510px) 50vw, (max-width: 630px) 66vw, (max-width: 880px) 88vw" src="https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/66/7/Canada_FINAL.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=510px:*510w" alt="" class="thumbnail" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div></div><div class="video-card-overlay-container"><div class="video-info-container"><h3 class="video-item-title">Leylah Fernandez clinches Canada's 1st Billie Jean King Cup championship</h3><div class="video-time-container"><div class="play-button-container"><svg class="videoItemPlayBtn" role="img" width="34px" height="34px" viewBox="0 0 34 34" aria-label="Play"><circle fill="#FFFFFF" cx="16.5" cy="16.5" r="16.5"></circle><path d="M12.0627845,9.87071431 L24.510661,16.6074648 C24.6396791,16.677289 24.6876652,16.8384825 24.617841,16.9675006 C24.5925502,17.0142319 24.553825,17.0523041 24.5066704,17.0767967 L12.0587939,23.5423393 C11.9286072,23.6099595 11.768253,23.5592393 11.7006328,23.4290526 C11.6809874,23.3912301 11.6707317,23.3492356 11.6707317,23.3066154 L11.6707317,10.1043222 C11.6707317,9.95762156 11.7896561,9.8386972 11.9363567,9.8386972 C11.9805052,9.8386972 12.0239575,9.84970124 12.0627845,9.87071431 Z" fill="#000000"></path></svg></div><span class="formattedDate video-time-stamp">5 hours ago</span><div class="videoTimeLabel "><div class="durationLabel"><span><span class="a11y">Duration </span>2:36</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><span class="media-caption"><span class="featuredVideo">Featured Video</span>The Laval, Que. native defeated Italy's Jasmine Paolini in straight sets (6-2, 6-3) to propel Canada to a 2-0 series win and their 1st-ever Billie Jean King Cup title.</span></span></div><p>"I don't know what to say," Canada's captain Heidi El Tabakh said. "I'm so proud of this team, these girls are incredible.</p><p>"It's a dream come true."</p><div><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/tennis-bjk-cup-finals-results-nov-11-1.7026255" class="similarLink" text="Canada beats Czech Republic in tiebreaker to reach Billie Jean King Cup final for 1st time" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Canada beats Czech Republic in tiebreaker to reach Billie Jean King Cup final for 1st time</span></a></li></ul></div><p>Canada's previous best showing at this event came in 1988 when it fell to the Czechs&nbsp;in the semifinals.</p><p>"Everyone's put in literal blood, sweat, and tears over the years," said Dabrowski, an Ottawa native. "Like, literal blood, sweat, and tears. It's felt like on one hand like a huge relief, but in the most positive way that I could say it. It's like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders."</p><p>Last November,&nbsp;Felix Auger-Aliassime led Canada to its first Davis Cup title in the long history of the premier team event in men's tennis.</p><p>Canada's team will receive $2.4 million US in prize money for Sunday's victory, a record for the women's team event formerly known as the Fed Cup and equivalent to this year's Davis Cup men's champion. As the 13th nation to win, team members also receive&nbsp;Billie Blue jackets.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The historic moment in pictures 📸🏆&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BJKCupFinals?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#BJKCupFinals&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/TennisCanada?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@TennisCanada&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/Jxhoq4oFPK"&gt;pic.twitter.com/Jxhoq4oFPK&lt;/a&gt;</p>&amp;mdash;<a href="https://twitter.com/BJKCup/status/1723799878206161028">@BJKCup</a></blockquote></div><p>Earlier in the week, Canada swept its way to a first-place finish in Group C with wins over host Spain and Poland. A 2-1 victory over Czechia followed in the semifinal with Fernandez and Dabrowski clinching the tie with a 7-5, 7-6 (3) win in the doubles match.</p><p style="margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in">Stakusic, the virtually unknown BJK Cup rookie, grabbed headlines early in the tournament. Ranked 258th in the world, she&nbsp;was selected by El Tabakh&nbsp;over the more experienced Rebecca Marino (ranked 176th) and Eugenie Bouchard (273rd) in the team's first match Wednesday and beat 65th-ranked Rebeka Masarova 6-3, 6-1.</p><h2 style="margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in">'We really believe in ourselves'</h2><p>A day later, Stakusic&nbsp;upset No. 63 Magdalena Frech of Poland 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to send Canada to the semifinals for the first time in 35 years.</p><p>"I knew that we all were gaining confidence and we really believe in ourselves," Stakusic said. "It all ended up paying off in the end."</p><p>She produced a nerveless display on Sunday to beat an opponent ranked 43rd.</p><p style="margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in"><em><strong>WATCH | Stakusic begins Sunday's final with straight-sets win over Trevisan:</strong></em></p><div style="margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in"><span class="mediaEmbed"><div class="player-placeholder-ui-container "><div class="player-placeholder-video-ui" title="Canada's Marina Stakusic opens Billie Jean King Cup finals with victory" role="button" tabindex="0"><div class="player-placeholder"></div><div class="player-placeholder-ui "><div class="video-item video-card-overlay " title="Canada's Marina Stakusic opens Billie Jean King Cup finals with victory"><div class="thumbnail-wrapper"><div class="thumbnail-container"><img srcset="
                        https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/45/1011/Stakusic_FINAL.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=1130px:* 1130w,
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                        https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/45/1011/Stakusic_FINAL.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=260px:* 260w" sizes="(max-width: 260px) 4vw, (max-width: 510px) 50vw, (max-width: 630px) 66vw, (max-width: 880px) 88vw" src="https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/45/1011/Stakusic_FINAL.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&amp;downsize=510px:*510w" alt="" class="thumbnail" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div></div><div class="video-card-overlay-container"><div class="video-info-container"><h3 class="video-item-title">Canada's Marina Stakusic opens Billie Jean King Cup finals with victory</h3><div class="video-time-container"><div class="play-button-container"><svg class="videoItemPlayBtn" role="img" width="34px" height="34px" viewBox="0 0 34 34" aria-label="Play"><circle fill="#FFFFFF" cx="16.5" cy="16.5" r="16.5"></circle><path d="M12.0627845,9.87071431 L24.510661,16.6074648 C24.6396791,16.677289 24.6876652,16.8384825 24.617841,16.9675006 C24.5925502,17.0142319 24.553825,17.0523041 24.5066704,17.0767967 L12.0587939,23.5423393 C11.9286072,23.6099595 11.768253,23.5592393 11.7006328,23.4290526 C11.6809874,23.3912301 11.6707317,23.3492356 11.6707317,23.3066154 L11.6707317,10.1043222 C11.6707317,9.95762156 11.7896561,9.8386972 11.9363567,9.8386972 C11.9805052,9.8386972 12.0239575,9.84970124 12.0627845,9.87071431 Z" fill="#000000"></path></svg></div><span class="formattedDate video-time-stamp">8 hours ago</span><div class="videoTimeLabel "><div class="durationLabel"><span><span class="a11y">Duration </span>1:43</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><span class="media-caption"><span class="featuredVideo">Featured Video</span>The 18-year-old from Mississauga, Ont. downed Italy's Martina Trevisan in straight sets (7-5, 6-3) to give Canada a 1-0 lead in their first Billie Jean King Cup finals appearance.</span></span></div><p>Only when victory was within her grasp did Stakusic wobble when four match points went adrift as Trevisan served at 2-5.</p><p>But she shrugged off that disappointment and powered through her next service game, ending the contest with a crunching forehand winner.</p><p>"I'm so happy and honoured that I could play this week, this has been the best week of my life," Stakusic, who did not even play a WTA main draw match this year, said on court.</p><div><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/tennis-bjk-cup-canada-stakusic-feature-1.7024813" class="similarLink" text="Canadian teen Marina Stakusic breaks out on big stage at Billie Jean King Cup" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Canadian teen Marina Stakusic breaks out on big stage at Billie Jean King Cup</span></a></li></ul><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis" class="similarLink" text="More tennis coverage" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">More tennis coverage</span></a></li></ul></div><p>Canada was missing 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., who has been nursing a back injury.</p><p>Canada's previous best showing at this event came in 1988 when it reached the semifinals before falling to Czechoslovakia. Canada did not make it out of group play last year in Glasgow.</p><p>Switzerland advanced and went on to beat Australia in the 2022 final.</p><p>Meanwhile, Spain will host the Final 8 stage of the Davis Cup Finals from Nov. 21-26 in Malaga.</p><p>Auger-Aliassime headlines a Canadian roster that includes Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., Montreal's Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que.</p></div>]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Nov 2023 12:23:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <link>https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/tennis-bjk-cup-finals-live-stream-canada-italy-1.7026599</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Harbord Village's rare old oak gets new lifeline]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[<div class="engagement-widgets"><div class="comment-count-container"></div></div><div class="story"><p dir="ltr">Neighbours in Harbord Village rallied to help save a roughly 200-year-old rare bur oak tree that was slowly suffocating from the concrete driveways and parking pads built over its root system.</p><p dir="ltr">This week, work crews demolished the impermeable surfaces that have been limiting the tree's access to water and air, and replaced them with more forgiving paving stones and gravel.</p><p dir="ltr">"This is probably the oldest living thing in this entire neighbourhood," said Eric Davies, a University of Toronto forestry professor.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">He estimates the tree, which is in the backyard of a Brunswick Avenue home, within a few metres of a public laneway, is between 150 and 250 years old.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">"Older than Canada, older than any person, older than any house, older than any institution," Davies said.</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="Tim Grant is with the Harbord Village Residents Association. He and fellow association member Susan Macdonald came up with the idea to replace the pavement around the the old oak. " srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023990.1699556583!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/oak-tim.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023990.1699556583!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/oak-tim.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023990.1699556583!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/oak-tim.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023990.1699556583!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/oak-tim.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023990.1699556583!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/oak-tim.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023990.1699556583!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/oak-tim.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.7765042979942693" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Tim Grant is with the Harbord Village Residents Association. He and fellow association member Susan Mcdonald came up with the idea to replace the pavement around the the old oak. <!-- --> <!-- -->(Keith Whelan/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">Susan Mcdonald and Tim Grant, neighbours and members of the Harbord Village Residents Association, came up with the idea to rehabilitate the surfaces nearest the tree.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">They pitched the idea to the association's board about five months ago, Grant told CBC Toronto, and fundraising to pay for the project began two months ago. So far, he says neighbours have chipped in about $12,000 of the project's estimated $14,000 cost.</p><p dir="ltr">Association members began canvassing people whose homes on Brunswick Avenue and the neighbouring Major Street back onto the laneway near the tree for permission to convert their parking pads and driveways, at no cost, to more permeable material. They eventually won approval from the tree's nearest neighbours.</p><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/metrolinx-smalls-creek-ravine-cutting-down-old-growth-trees-1.6351352" class="similarLink" text="Metrolinx could have saved old growth trees in Toronto ravine by moving them, expert says" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Metrolinx could have saved old growth trees in Toronto ravine by moving them, expert says</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">The decision to participate was a no-brainer, homeowner Andy Galambo told CBC Toronto.</p><p dir="ltr">"It's a beautiful tree and it's been around for hundreds of years," he said. "Cities are very sterile. There's not a lot of life in the cities. It's actually quite pleasant to have something that big, that&nbsp; majestic, right there."</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="Susan MacDonald helped the HVRA raise money to replace the impermeable pavement with more porous concrete and gravel" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023998.1699556707!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/oak-macdonald.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023998.1699556707!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/oak-macdonald.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023998.1699556707!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/oak-macdonald.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023998.1699556707!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/oak-macdonald.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023998.1699556707!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/oak-macdonald.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7023998.1699556707!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/oak-macdonald.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.7765042979942693" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Susan Mcdonald helped the Association raise money to replace the impermeable pavement with more porous concrete and gravel<!-- --> <!-- -->(Keith Whelan/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">The association approached a Halton Region-based company called Enviro-Loc, which specializes in environmentally responsible construction. President Daniel Domenico offered to do the demolition and re-surfacing for free, and his crew finished the job earlier this week.</p><p dir="ltr">"Construction has a bit of a taint," Domenico said.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">"If we can put a good spin on construction and give back to the environment and maybe save a couple of trees along the way, that was something that we thought was important."</p><p dir="ltr">Without this week's "incredibly significant" resurfacing project, Davies says the tree's lifespan could have been seriously reduced.&nbsp;</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="Daniel Domenico, of Enviro-Lok, and his crew replace the old cement surface near the tree with gravel and interlocking, porous concrete blocks. " srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7024010.1699556973!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/oak-daniel.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7024010.1699556973!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/oak-daniel.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7024010.1699556973!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/oak-daniel.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7024010.1699556973!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/oak-daniel.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7024010.1699556973!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/oak-daniel.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7024010.1699556973!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/oak-daniel.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.3333333333333333" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Daniel Domenico, of Enviro-Loc, and his crew replaced the old cement surface near the tree with gravel and interlocking, porous concrete blocks. <!-- --> <!-- -->(Mike Smee/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">"It could be the difference between the life and death of this tree over the next decade," he said. "With proper care, this tree could live another hundred years."</p><p dir="ltr">However, Davies says the tree will still require constant attention —&nbsp; attention like the city's plan to replace the adjacent laneway's concrete surface with permeable pavement next year.</p><p dir="ltr">City staff told CBC Toronto that plans are underway to dig up a portion of Chapel Hospice Lane, which runs within a couple of metres of the tree, and replace it with a permeable surface. Staff said that work is expected to be completed by spring 2024.</p><p dir="ltr">"Projects like this one enhance the extent and longevity of the urban forest by improving conditions for urban tree growth," staff said in an email. "Projects can also mitigate the urban heat island effect, manage stormwater runoff to enhance water quality and provide retention to reduce erosion."</p><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/red-oak-tree-toronto-court-1.6119248" class="similarLink" text="Toronto agreed to buy a home to save a 250-year-old tree. Now, the seller wants a higher price" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Toronto agreed to buy a home to save a 250-year-old tree. Now, the seller wants a higher price</span></a></li></ul></div><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/landmark-maple-tree-in-long-branch-could-soon-be-cut-down-to-make-way-for-new-house-1.6049243" class="similarLink" text="Landmark maple tree in Long Branch could soon be cut down to make way for new house" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Landmark maple tree in Long Branch could soon be cut down to make way for new house</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">Grant says some neighbours criticized the association's efforts to save the tree, suggesting it would be better spent on other projects. But for the most part, homeowners closest to the tree were cooperative.</p><p dir="ltr">"It's been a real community-wide project and we're thrilled with the results," he said. "Trees make people happy."</p></div>]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Nov 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/harbord-village-s-rare-old-oak-gets-new-lifeline-1.7023957</guid>
            <link>https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/harbord-village-s-rare-old-oak-gets-new-lifeline-1.7023957</link>
            <author><![CDATA[Michael Smee]]></author>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Office workers still aren't back in full force, so what's next for Canada's downtowns?]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[<div class="engagement-widgets"><div class="comment-count-container"></div></div><div class="story"><p dir="ltr">At 11 a.m. on a Wednesday, the office crowd is just starting to trickle in to Eat Trattoria, a lunch spot located in the heart of Calgary's <a href="https://www.calgary.ca/bike-walk-roll/plus-15-network.html"><u>Plus 15 skyway network</u></a>.</p><p dir="ltr">It's a far cry from a few years ago, when the downtown café would already be full with workers trying to beat the lunch rush.</p><p dir="ltr">"We still do a good lunch hour, but it really is a lunch hour that's now 45 minutes rather than one that was about an hour and a half," said Matthew Batey, chief operating officer&nbsp;of the Teatro Restaurant Group, which owns Eat Trattoria and other downtown restaurants.</p><p dir="ltr">Businesses in downtown Calgary are still making do with a relatively thin crowd these days, as the pandemic-era trend of working from home compounds a downtown exodus that first began <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/caac-low-oil-empty-downtown-offices-1.3439316" target="_blank">during the 2014 oil price crash</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">They're not the only ones.</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="A man in a pink checkered jacket and white button down poses for a photo inside a quick service restaurant in downtown Calgary." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7022683.1699664346!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_300/matthew-batey.JPG 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7022683.1699664346!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_460/matthew-batey.JPG 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7022683.1699664346!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_620/matthew-batey.JPG 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7022683.1699664346!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_780/matthew-batey.JPG 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7022683.1699664346!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/matthew-batey.JPG 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7022683.1699664346!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_780/matthew-batey.JPG" style="aspect-ratio:1.6103896103896105" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Matthew Batey of the Teatro Restaurant Group, which owns Eat Trattoria and other downtown Calgary restaurants. The business is among those in urban centres across the country contending with fewer customers as people continue the pandemic-era trend of working from home.<!-- --> <!-- -->(Paula Duhatschek/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">Calgary's downtown offices are the emptiest in the country, but&nbsp;most urban centres are still struggling to varying degrees to get back to where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in early 2020.</p><p dir="ltr">According to commercial real estate firm CBRE, the national downtown office vacancy rate <a href="https://www.cbre.ca/-/media/project/cbre/dotcom/americas/canada-emerald/insights/Figures/Office/Canada-Office-Figures-Q3-2023.pdf"><u>is hovering at 18.9 per cent</u></a> — the highest in about&nbsp;the last 10 years — with some of the highest vacancy rates in Edmonton, London, Ont., and the Waterloo Region&nbsp;in Ontario.</p><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/restaurants-struggling-report-1.7016367" class="similarLink" text="Restaurant industry facing bleak outlook, as costs mount even faster than skyrocketing prices" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Restaurant industry facing bleak outlook, as costs mount even faster than skyrocketing prices</span></a></li></ul><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/deadline-extension-on-pandemic-business-loans-1.7015719" class="similarLink" text="'Completely unrealistic' deadline extension on pandemic business loan 'an insult,' Manitoba restaurateur says" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">'Completely unrealistic' deadline extension on pandemic business loan 'an insult,' Manitoba restaurateur says</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">Without a daily crush of office workers providing a reliable customer base, downtown businesses and restaurants across Canada say they're having a hard time making ends meet.</p><p dir="ltr">In search of federal support, business leaders and advocates were on Parliament Hill in Ottawa this week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-business-advocates-extension-pandemic-business-loans-1.7020024">asking for an extension on COVID-era business loans</a>, along with dollars to fix decaying downtown infrastructure.</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="A woman with long hair, glasses and a striped t-shirt underneath a black cardigan." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.6458701.1699663161!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_300/kate-fenske.JPG 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6458701.1699663161!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_460/kate-fenske.JPG 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6458701.1699663161!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_620/kate-fenske.JPG 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6458701.1699663161!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_780/kate-fenske.JPG 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6458701.1699663161!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/kate-fenske.JPG 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.6458701.1699663161!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_780/kate-fenske.JPG" style="aspect-ratio:1.6358839050131926" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Kate Fenske, chair of the International Downtown Association Canada and CEO of Downtown Winnipeg Biz, was in Ottawa this week asking for federal support to help still-struggling downtowns.<!-- --> <!-- -->(Jeff Stapleton/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">"Many of our downtowns across Canada have crumbling sidewalks or trees missing, and so there's a real opportunity for some simple things, but also some bigger visionary projects ... that are going to make sure our downtowns are strong for generations to come," said Kate Fenske, chair of the International Downtown Association&nbsp;Canada.</p><p dir="ltr">But injecting new life into Canadian downtowns isn't just about patching holes that have emerged post-pandemic, Fenske said. Instead, she said, a conversation is underway at a national level about how to build downtowns that make sense for the way we live now.</p><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/wanted-more-downtown-workers-to-return-to-the-office-including-city-staff-1.6917247" class="similarLink" text="Wanted: More downtown workers to return to the office, including city staff" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Wanted: More downtown workers to return to the office, including city staff</span></a></li></ul><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/dowtown-toronto-recovery-post-pandemic-1.6836453" class="similarLink" text="Downtown Toronto's pandemic recovery lags behind other cities, data shows" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Downtown Toronto's pandemic recovery lags behind other cities, data shows</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">"Workers absolutely play a key part in the downtown community, but we can't rely on workers alone," said Fenske, who is also CEO of Downtown Winnipeg Biz.</p><p dir="ltr">"What is that new vision for downtown? It's about people that are here beyond the nine-to-five."</p><h2 dir="ltr">Safety concerns a barrier</h2><p dir="ltr">In Fenske's home city of Winnipeg, the downtown's post-COVID recovery has been hampered in part by concerns about safety.</p><p dir="ltr">During the pandemic, issues of homelessness and addiction both <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-bus-shacks-homeless-1.6584681"><u>worsened and became more visible</u></a>&nbsp;without&nbsp;the city's typical buzz of activity. Absent&nbsp;a regular crowd providing a sense of safety in numbers, many people have stayed away from the core altogether, which has exacerbated the situation.</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="A woman wearing braids and a green jacket and a man with a baseball hat and black jacket are pictured in downtown Winnipeg." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025601.1699780953!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/sarah-baxter-and-connor-novak-downtown-community-safety-partnership.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025601.1699780953!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/sarah-baxter-and-connor-novak-downtown-community-safety-partnership.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025601.1699780953!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/sarah-baxter-and-connor-novak-downtown-community-safety-partnership.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025601.1699780953!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/sarah-baxter-and-connor-novak-downtown-community-safety-partnership.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025601.1699780953!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/sarah-baxter-and-connor-novak-downtown-community-safety-partnership.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025601.1699780953!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/sarah-baxter-and-connor-novak-downtown-community-safety-partnership.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.5897435897435896" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Sarah Baxter and Connor Novak work with the Downtown Community Safety Partnership, a Winnipeg service that patrols the streets 24/7 offering help to vulnerable people and safe walks home.<!-- --> <!-- -->(Karen Pauls/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">One partial solution has come in the form of the city's Downtown Community Safety Partnership.</p><p dir="ltr">Launched during the pandemic, the service patrols downtown Winnipeg 24/7, responding to distress calls, providing wellness checks and helping people sleeping rough to access food, shelter and other help, like addiction&nbsp;services. It also provides escorts for Winnipeggers who are worried for their personal safety.</p><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/downtown-community-safety-partnership-funding-1.6636774" class="similarLink" text="Manitoba earmarks $3.6M for partnership working toward 'safer, healthier' downtown: premier" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">Manitoba earmarks $3.6M for partnership working toward 'safer, healthier' downtown: premier</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">Greg Burnett, the group's executive director, said&nbsp;safety is a two-way street. While issues such as&nbsp;homelessness and mental illness can make the public&nbsp;feel unsafe, he said&nbsp;it's often the people experiencing those problems who are most at risk.</p><p dir="ltr">His group aims to help people on both sides of that equation,&nbsp;whether it's a person in distress or a downtown worker who wants a safe walk home.</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="A man in a black jacket, poppy and blue button down is pictured on a downtown Winnipeg street." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025618.1699647506!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/greg-burnett.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025618.1699647506!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/greg-burnett.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025618.1699647506!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/greg-burnett.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025618.1699647506!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/greg-burnett.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025618.1699647506!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/greg-burnett.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.7025618.1699647506!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/greg-burnett.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.7765042979942693" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Greg Burnett, executive director of the Downtown Community Safety Partnership in Winnipeg, says his group endeavours to help people who are homeless or face mental health issues, as well as members of the public who might feel unsafe walking alone.<!-- --> <!-- -->(Karen Pauls/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">"Our main reason to exist is to encourage everybody downtown that they're in a safe and healthy environment,"&nbsp;Burnett said.</p><p dir="ltr">Fenske said the problem isn't unique to Winnipeg, as cities across Canada face safety "perception" problems on their road to recovery. To get at the root of the issue, she said, all levels of government need to fund and find solutions for the intertwined problems of mental illness, addiction and homelessness.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Push for Winnipeg development</h2><p dir="ltr">To bring back that safety-in-numbers feeling, though, work is also underway in Winnipeg to encourage people to return downtown for reasons that go beyond a nine-to-five desk job.</p><p dir="ltr">Mark Chipman, executive chair of True North Sports and&nbsp;Entertainment, which owns the NHL's Winnipeg Jets, has described the city's downtown as being in a "<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/downtown-community-safety-partnership-funding-1.6636774"><u>humanitarian crisis</u></a>."</p><div dir="ltr"><figure class="imageMedia image full"><div class="placeholder"><img loading="lazy" alt="A drawing of an office tower along Portage Avenue." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.6841662.1699780968!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/health-tower-portage-place.jpg 300w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6841662.1699780968!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_460/health-tower-portage-place.jpg 460w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6841662.1699780968!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/health-tower-portage-place.jpg 620w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6841662.1699780968!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/health-tower-portage-place.jpg 780w,https://i.cbc.ca/1.6841662.1699780968!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/health-tower-portage-place.jpg 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.6841662.1699780968!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/health-tower-portage-place.jpg" style="aspect-ratio:1.712707182320442" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"></div><figcaption class="image-caption">An artist's conception of a 15-storey medical office tower that's part of a proposed redevelopment of Winnipeg's Portage Place mall. The proposal, made by True North Real Estate Development, also includes apartments.<!-- --> <!-- -->(Arhitecture49/True North Real Estate Development)</figcaption></figure></div><p dir="ltr">He's&nbsp;also put his money where his mouth is, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/true-north-square-plaza-winnipeg-1.4840478"><u>investing big to upgrade the hockey arena</u></a>, and build office towers, apartments, a hotel and community space.</p><p dir="ltr">True North has also put forward a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-place-purchase-new-govt-reax-1.7006899"><u>$550-million proposal</u></a> to renovate the Portage Place mall across from the Canada Life Centre arena, where the Jets play,&nbsp;and build a medical office tower and more apartments.</p><div dir="ltr"><ul class="similarLinks"><li class="similarListItem"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/wehwehneh-winnipeg-former-bay-redevelopment-1.6807000" class="similarLink" text="On the way to Wehwehneh: What it takes to transform downtown Winnipeg's former Bay" flag="" data-contentid=""><span class="similarLinkText">On the way to Wehwehneh: What it takes to transform downtown Winnipeg's former Bay</span></a></li></ul></div><p dir="ltr">The proposal dovetails with another project by the province's Southern Chiefs' Organization, which is behind a $130-million transformation of the former downtown Hudson's Bay building into a mixed-use project called <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/wehwehneh-winnipeg-former-bay-redevelopment-1.6807000"><u>Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn</u></a>.</p><p dir="ltr">"It'll be a place that people love to be. A place for Indigenous peoples. It's their home, and it's a place they can feel welcome," Grand Chief Jerry Daniels of the Southern Chiefs' Organization said during a tour of the former Bay building earlier this year.</p><div dir="ltr"><em><strong>WATCH | Some Canadian cities home to vacant offices, closed businesses: </strong></em><span><span class="mediaEmbed"><div class="player-placeholder-ui-container "><div class="player-placeholder-video-ui" title="Empty offices, closed shops plague some Canadian cities" role="button" tabindex="0"><div class="player-placeholder"></div><div class="player-placeholder-ui "><div class="video-item video-card-overlay " title="Empty offices, closed shops plague some Canadian cities"><div class="thumbnail-wrapper"><div class="thumbnail-container"><img srcset="
                        https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/534/851/Em