Winnipeg to repeal licensing requirements with escort agencies, body rub parlours
The City of Winnipeg is officially cutting ties with body rub parlours and escort agencies.
During Thursday’s city council meeting, councillors voted to repeal licensing requirements and rules for escorts and escort agencies, as well as body rub parlours and practitioners.
Council voted 14-0 on the matter. Councillors Shawn Nason (Transcona) and Ross Eadie (Mynarski) were absent from the vote.
Advocates fighting against human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls urged the city to end the licensing regime. They say the businesses are prone to sex trafficking and exploitation, and the city should not profit on this.
The city currently issues licences for two body rub parlours, 27 body rub practitioners, one independent escort agency and one escort.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Brokenhearted husband dies after wife slain in Texas rampage
Fourth-grade teacher Irma Garcia was killed in her Texas classroom on Tuesday, massacred along with her co-teacher and 19 students. Two days later, a family member says her brokenhearted husband died.
Gunman's final 90 minutes fuel questions about police delays
The gunman who massacred 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school was inside for more than an hour before he was killed in a shootout, law enforcement authorities said Thursday amid mounting public anger and scrutiny over their response to the rampage.
Man fatally shot by police near Toronto elementary school after reportedly walking streets with rifle
One man is dead after being shot by police near a Toronto elementary school on Thursday afternoon. The incident sent hundreds of students into lockdown.
Trudeau signals new gun-control changes coming; here's what the Liberals have promised
In the wake of a horrific mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has signalled that the Canadian government will be moving ahead on new gun-control measures 'in the coming weeks.' In previous Parliaments, the Liberals have made changes to Canada's gun laws, but in the 2021 federal election, Trudeau promised to go further.
'Horrifying experience': 10-year-old boy recounts hiding during deadly Texas school shooting
A 10-year-old boy in a classroom just down the hallway from the room where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday said the experience of hiding during the shooting was 'terrifying.'
UPDATED | Monkeypox cases up to 26; first case detected in Ontario: PHAC
There are now 26 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Canada, according to an update from the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the virus has been detected in a new province, with one case in Ontario.
Russian plane grounded indefinitely at Toronto Pearson racking up huge parking bill
A massive Russian plane that was grounded at Toronto Pearson International Airport back in February is racking up a substantial parking bill.
'Negative trajectory' in consumer confidence shows Canadians increasingly anxious about economy
Dropping consumer confidence numbers show that Canadians are growing increasingly anxious about the direction of the economy, said Nanos Research pollster Nik Nanos.
Canada's job vacancies are at a record high
The number of job vacancies across Canada reached an all-time high in March, ending a five-month decline, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
Regina
-
Man dead after crash connected to train derailment near Edgeley, Sask.: RCMP
A 57-year-old man from the R.M. of Lajord is dead after the road maintenance vehicle he was driving collided with a train on Thursday afternoon.
-
Sask. woman’s granddaughter recognized for helping save her life when she had two strokes
A Saskatchewan woman’s granddaughter is being recognized for helping save her life and minimizing the effects of stroke after she called 911.
-
Another tentative deal reached between CFL and CFLPA
Another tentative deal between the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Canadian Football League Players’ Association (CFLPA) has been reached.
Saskatoon
-
'We will have to deal with the issues': Saskatoon condo residents at odds with city over public washroom plan
Outcry over the planned location of public washrooms caused Tuesday's city council meeting to stretch late into the evening.
-
Sask. woman’s granddaughter recognized for helping save her life when she had two strokes
A Saskatchewan woman’s granddaughter is being recognized for helping save her life and minimizing the effects of stroke after she called 911.
-
PGA Tour Canada hopes for 'huge crowds' at Waskesiu event
PGA Tour Canada is getting back into the swing of things this weekend after more than 990 days since the last shot, and the third stop on the tour is in Waskesiu at Elk Ridge Resort.
Northern Ontario
-
NDP say Sault PC candidate may not live in his riding
The Progressive Conservative provincial election candidate in Sault Ste. Marie is taking issue with a suggestion from the New Democrats that he does not live in the riding he’s running to represent.
-
Chamber honours Sudbury businesses at Bell Business Excellence Awards
The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce honoured 10 of Greater Sudbury’s outstanding entrepreneurs and businesses Thursday at the 25th annual Bell Business Excellence Awards gala.
-
Validus Power to create more than 50 jobs in Iroquois Falls
Iroquois Falls is welcoming a major job creator to the community for the first time since its paper mill closed in 2015.
Edmonton
-
Still no date set for Alberta electricity rebates as MLAs sent home early
The spring sitting of the Alberta Legislature wrapped up two weeks earlier than expected Thursday with the NDP continuing to hammer the government on a promise to deliver utility rebates to Albertans.
-
Shandro tells Sohi to create 'public safety plan' to fight violence in Edmonton's core
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi has two weeks to provide a new plan to the province, after the justice minister accused him on Thursday of "not providing or maintaining adequate and effective policing services."
-
Driver of SUV dead after hitting south Edmonton house
A 31-year-old man is dead after he crashed his SUV on Thursday morning.
Toronto
-
Man fatally shot by police near Toronto elementary school after reportedly walking streets with rifle
One man is dead after being shot by police near a Toronto elementary school on Thursday afternoon. The incident sent hundreds of students into lockdown.
-
'One ticket is all it takes': OLG reveals winner of $60-million jackpot
A woman from Hamilton, Ont. is now a multimillionaire after she won the $60-million Lotto Max jackpot.
-
Indigenous man living in Toronto's 'last tiny shelter' alleges harassment against Toronto police
An Indigenous man living in what is assumed to be Toronto’s last “tiny shelter” in a downtown park says police have acted unfairly in their effort to remove and arrest him.
Calgary
-
CFL Players' Association ratifies new contract with CFL
The CFL Players' Association ratified its new collective bargaining agreement with the CFL on Thursday night.
-
'Execution-style murder': Killer of 19-year-old Calgary hockey coach sentenced to life in jail
A Calgary judge has sentenced a young man who shot and killed another man to life in prison with no chance of parole for 12 years.
-
Season is on the line for the Flames
The Calgary Flames know exactly what’s at stake. Beat the Oilers tonight and you head back to Edmonton for Game 6. Lose, and your season is over.
Montreal
-
Quebec ready to vaccinate against monkeypox as soon as Friday, with 25 confirmed cases
Quebec says it is ready to vaccinate people who have come into close contact with monkeypox as soon as Friday.
-
ESMB to launch legal challenge against Bill 96
The English Montreal School Board (ESMB) announced late Thursday it has hired a legal firm to start a legal action to contest the validity of Bill 96, An Act Respecting French.
-
In backlash to the backlash, Bill 96 leads to flurry of talk on Quebec separatism
Quebec Premier François Legault may not have expected quite this type of fallout from Bill 96, but he found himself hammered by questions on Thursday -- about Quebec independence.
Ottawa
-
'Bulk' of Ottawa grid should have power by Friday, Hydro Ottawa says
Five days after a devastating storm hit Ottawa with wind gusts of 190 km/h, 37,000 homes and businesses remain without power.
-
Here are the Ottawa schools that will be closed on Friday due to the storm
Several Ottawa schools will remain closed for a fourth straight day on Friday as the cleanup continues following last weekend's powerful storm.
-
Former Ottawa police chief Sloly to break silence on 'Freedom Convoy'
The public will hear from Ottawa's former police chief next week for the first time since he resigned at the height of the 'Freedom Convoy' occupation of downtown Ottawa.
Atlantic
-
Senior Mountie surprised to learn hours late of witnesses in N.S. mass shooting
A retired senior Mountie has described to an inquiry his dismay that it took five hours before anyone told him about eyewitnesses who had encountered a mass killer while fleeing the 2020 shootings in Nova Scotia.
-
Police investigating a report of 'multiple shots fired' in Dartmouth
Halifax Regional Police is investigating a report of "multiple shots fired" in a neighbourhood in Dartmouth, N.S.
-
N.S. reports 13 new COVID-19 related deaths, drop in new cases, hospitalizations
Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting a decrease in new deaths, cases and hospitalizations in the province's weekly COVID-19 update.
Kitchener
-
'For the past two nights I haven't slept': Kitchener family says bricks thrown through their window
A Kitchener family has raised concerns about a recent act of vandalism and they're frustrated with the response they received from the Waterloo Regional Police Service.
-
Truck smashes into concrete barrier on Hwy 7
The driver of a tractor trailer is facing multiple charges after the vehicle struck a concrete barrier on the Conestoga Parkway in Kitchener.
-
Guelph Nighthawks are a game changer for young athletes in the community
The Guelph Nighthawks are facing off against the Scarborough Shooting Stars in their home opener Thursday night, and some fans are also hoping to see a different kind of star.
Vancouver
-
'We're starting to see some of those worst-case scenarios': Fraser Valley residents warned to be prepared for potential spring flooding
The Fraser Valley Regional District is urging those living in low-lying areas to have "go kits" ready and important documents easily accessible should homes have to be quickly evacuated.
-
Fewer than half of COVID-19 deaths reported since B.C. changed counting methods were caused by the disease
Data released Thursday by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control provides some insight into just how much overcounting of COVID-19 deaths the switch to "30-day, all-cause mortality" has created.
-
Family waits weeks for passport news so B.C. cancer patient can travel with grandkids to Disneyland
Waiting for passports has been stressful and heartbreaking for the family of a B.C. cancer patient who wants to travel with her grandchildren to Disneyland while there's still time.
Vancouver Island
-
U.S. seizes 1,400 pounds of meth aboard boat near Canada-U.S. border
Investigators were told a man had been hiking near a marina in Sidney, on Vancouver Island, when someone approached him and offered him $1,000 to move a boat from Sidney to Anacortes, Wash.
-
Man dies after logging truck crash near Courtenay, B.C.
A crash involving a logging truck near Courtenay, B.C., on Tuesday claimed the life of one man, CTV News has learned.
-
BC Ferries predicts summer travel demand 'could well break new records'
BC Ferries says its internal research is showing strong demand for vehicle traffic this summer, which could lead to a record-breaking season.