Fort Frances Time Online Edition - April 21, 2017

Early Learning students at St. Michael's School were busy this morning making “seed bombs" in conjunction with "Earth Day" tomorrow (April 22). The students made pulp by soaking recycled paper in water overnight. This morning, they blended the pulp, squeezed it dry, and placed small lumps in muffin trays. Seeds then will be pressed into the pulp and dried.

Skyler Friesen of the Rainy River Owls, centre, did his best to break the defensive pressure of Muskies' Chase McGuire, left, and Ethan Jourdain during their exhibition soccer match here yesterday. The boys posted a 1-0 victory on a goal by Cam Lidkea, with Jacob Albright earning the shutout.

Neila Booth bid farewell to employer Doug Cuthbertson this morning to start off her last day at Northwoods Gallery & Gifts. Booth, 61, is retiring after 12-and-a-half years there and before that, 11 years at Tammi's Flower Garden. Well-known for her service with a smile, Booth said she'll miss the customers most of all.

TORONTO—Ontario is following British Columbia's lead, promising to introduce a tax on foreign homebuyers that the province hopes will help cool the frantic housing market—easing concerns about a potential bubble in Canada's fastest-growing urban region.

OTTAWA—The federal government says it's trying to figure out how much its troubled electronic pay system has short-changed the unions representing thousands of civil servants facing pay problems.

But officials aren't saying whether the unions will be granted emergency payments like those being offered to workers who have been paid improperly through the Phoenix pay system.

MONTREAL—When Sarah Jane Green was a little girl, her father passed on his love of space and universe to her—even naming her after a character in the “Doctor Who” TV show.

So after he died suddenly of an illness in 2015, Green knew exactly how to pay tribute to him.

WOSS, B.C.—Police say a train derailment in the tiny community of Woss, on northern Vancouver Island, killed two people and injured three others yesterday.

Dave Rushton, the community's regional elected representative, said the cause of the accident is under investigation, but early reports indicate a crew was on the tracks when the rail cars approached without warning.

TORONTO—The federal government will be testing whether hiding the names of job applicants would improve its hiring practices, in what it calls an effort to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the public service.

WASHINGTON—Here's some good news for Canadian pot smokers: high taxes will not join the munchies, the pasties, and short-term memory loss as unwelcome side effects of smoking up.

The Canadian government is hinting it wants to keep pot taxes low.

MONTREAL—The Quebec government is setting aside $6.4 million over five years to fight sexual exploitation by targeting pimps and johns.

Public Security minister Martin Coiteux said his government will create a mixed force of 25 investigators from various police agencies to address the issue.

VANCOUVER—A toxin was the cause of death for two beluga whales at the Vancouver Aquarium last November, but the exact substance couldn't be identified.

The aquarium announced the conclusion of a five-month investigation yesterday saying an investigation also determined the toxin likely was introduced by food, water, or through human interference.

TORONTO — Foreign nationals who don’t live in Canada’s biggest city and its surrounding communities will pay an additional 15 per cent tax on home purchases under legislation proposed by the government of Ontario province.

MILWAUKEE—Kyle Lowry's seething silence said everything.

While DeMar DeRozan answered questions about one of the Raptors' worst losses in franchise history, Toronto's all-star point guard leaned back in the chair beside him—his lips pursed, his eyes narrowed in an angry glare.

MONTREAL—With his team facing elimination, captain Max Pacioretty says it's the perfect time for the Montreal Canadiens to show what they're made of.

The Canadiens have their backs against the wall after dropping Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarter-final series 3-2 in overtime to the N.Y. Rangers last night.

TORONTO—The silence of the Toronto Blue Jays' clubhouse after another loss yesterday was interrupted by the occasional deep exhale or the sound of clothes being jammed into suitcases.

Maybe a trip out of town is the best thing for Major League Baseball's cellar-dwellers.

ATLANTA—Ryan Zimmerman has faced R.A. Dickey enough to know what to expect from his knuckleball.

“I don't want to say it's comfortable because when he's got a good one going, it's not easy,” he remarked.

“[But] having faced him a few times before, you at least know what to expect.”

LONDON—Britain marked Queen Elizabeth II's 91st birthday today with gun salutes as the monarch celebrated quietly at home.

A troop of the Royal Horse Artillery rode horse-and-gun carriages past Buckingham Palace before staging a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park at noon.

LONDON — Holocaust denial just got a little harder.

PARIS — France began picking itself up Friday from another shooting claimed by the Islamic State group, with President Francois Hollande calling together the government’s security council and his would-be successors in the presidential election campaign treading carefully before voting this weekend.

TILLER, Ore. — A dot on a map in rural southwestern Oregon is generating a big-city buzz.

Almost the entire town of Tiller is up for sale.

A potential buyer has come forward but is remaining anonymous — and backup offers are still being accepted.

BOSTON — People looking for the perfect family pet tend to choose a dog based on appearance or breed ‚Äî but that’s barking up the wrong tree.

“If you think they’re cute, you bring them home,” said Jodi Andersen, a dog trainer and author.

LONDON — Britain is marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 91st birthday with gun salutes, as the monarch celebrates quietly at home.

A troop of the Royal Horse Artillery will ride horse-and-gun carriages past Buckingham Palace before staging a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park at noon (1100GMT). There will also be a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London an hour later.

The 2017 Business & Community Expo goes today (April 21) from 4-9 p.m. and again Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Fort Frances Curling Club. Admission is $3 per person, with children 12 and under being free.