Ongoing History Daily: That time when Shaq almost sued 311

Back in the early 2000s, Omaha’s 311 was on a real roll, selling lots of records, playing plenty of gigs, and making their share of big-budget music videos.

In 2001, they managed to get Shaquille O’Neal for a cameo in the video for their song You Wouldn’t Believe. At the time, O’Neal was playing for the LA Lakers and the team was in the middle of a playoff run. The team stipulated that O’Neal was not to play any basketball outside of official games and practices for fear that he might get hurt.

But 311 convinced him to play a little hoops in this video, completely in contravention of orders from the Lakers. There was an added complication.

For some reason, O’Neal showed up with two left shoes. Where was anyone going to get a pair of size 22 basketball shoes at short notice? Nowhere. Shaq still agreed to appear in the video—but if anyone filmed his feet, he promised that he’d sue.

© 2023 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Ongoing History Daily: The time Nirvana set their tour van on fire

Being on tour as Nirvana must have been a pretty intense thing. There were all those nights where Kurt (and sometimes the rest of the band) smashed all their gear onstage. The label had granted the band a $750 equipment allowance when the band went on tour, but given the amount of gear that was trashed, that didn’t go very far.

Hotel rooms and dressing rooms also suffered, often using fire extinguishers in ways they were not intended.

Then there was the time one of their tour vans almost went up in flames. Kurt, who was often keen on using destruction to alleviate his boredom, was giving an interview with a journalist and apparently got bored. So he set the van’s curtains on fire.

The flames were put out before there was some real damage, but the label was not impressed.

© 2023 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Man arrested after break and enter at Peterborough residence

A Peterborough man is facing break-in and other charges following an incident at a residence early Sunday.

According to the Peterborough Police Service, around 3:45 a.m., officers responded to a residential break-in where they learned someone kicked in the front door. The suspect then attempted to get into the bedroom of the female resident before fleeing when she screamed.

Police say the victim’s neighbour assisted police in identifying a suspect.

“After several hours and obtaining a warrant, officers were able to enter the suspect’s residence and take the man into custody,” police stated.

A 61-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with breaking into and entering a dwelling house with intent to commit an indictable offence and mischief under $5,000

The accused was held in custody and appeared in court on Sunday.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Ducks hire former Leafs, Islanders assistant Greg Cronin as head coach

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have hired veteran NHL assistant and AHL head coach Greg Cronin to be their new head coach.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek announced the decision Monday to hire the 60-year-old Cronin, who will be a first-time NHL head coach.

Cronin has 12 years of experience as an NHL assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs and in two stints with the New York Islanders. The Massachusetts native has been the head coach of the AHL’s Colorado Eagles since 2018, and he spent six years as a collegiate head coach at Northeastern.

Verbeek called Cronin “the ideal fit” to take over a young, rebuilding team.

“I felt we needed a teacher of the finer points of the game, and someone who has worked extensively over time with talented young players, helping them develop into successful NHL players,” Verbeek said. “Greg has done all that and more.”

Cronin replaces Dallas Eakins, whose contract wasn’t renewed in April after the Ducks finished their fourth consecutive losing season of his tenure. Anaheim finished in last place in the overall NHL standings at 23-47-12.

The Ducks never finished higher than sixth in the Pacific Division during Eakins’ four years in charge. They’ve missed the playoffs in a franchise-record five straight seasons, and Anaheim was the NHL’s worst defensive team of the 21st century by several measures during the just-completed season.

Cronin takes over a struggling team that is still loaded with young talent, including the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft and a wealth of farm prospects seemingly ready to break into the NHL. Anaheim has a solid long-term base with playmaking center Trevor Zegras, two-time All-Star Troy Terry and promising forward Mason McTavish.

Cronin has never led an NHL bench, but he interviewed for the Boston Bruins’ vacancy a year ago.

He becomes only the Ducks’ fourth permanent head coach since Henry and Susan Samueli bought the franchise from Disney in 2005, joining Randy Carlyle, Bruce Boudreau and Eakins.

© 2023 The Canadian Press

Man dies at scene of reported robbery prompting Edmonton homicide probe

A man “in medical distress” died at the scene after Edmonton police responded to a call about a robbery early Monday in southeast Edmonton.

Edmonton Police are investigating the case as a suspicious death and the homicide section has taken over.

In a news release, police said officers arrived at a home near 76 Street and 105 Avenue at about 5 a.m. “following the reports of a robbery.”

They found an injured man. EPS said police and paramedics tried to save his life but he died from his injuries.

An autopsy has not yet been scheduled.

Detectives think dash cam footage from the area would help their investigation. Anyone driving in the area of 76 Street and 105 Avenue on Monday between the hours of 4:45 a.m. and 5:15 a.m., is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.

Investigators are also asking anyone with residential video from the area over that time frame to contact police.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Free pancake breakfast and fair kicks off 2023 Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede announced it is hosting a free pancake breakfast and fair. The family-friendly event is in celebration of 100 years of Pancakes at the Stampede.

Community Round Up event organizers and volunteers will fire up the grill June 10 from 9 a.m. to noon. The festivities will take place at Cavalry FC Regional Field House in Okotoks.

In addition to the free breakfast, the morning attractions will include horse-drawn carriage rides, demonstrations and live entertainment. The Calgary Stampede will run from July 7 to 16.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Snakes in a car: 2 'large boa constrictors' found free in vehicle during Kitchener traffic stop

Waterloo Regional Police say that a pair of boa constrictors were found loose in a vehicle with a small child inside during a traffic stop in Kitchener over the weekend.

Officers pulled the vehicle over on Saturday night, shortly after 6 p.m., near Ottawa Street and Shaftsbury Drive.

Police say an officer soon discovered that the 35-year-old woman who was behind the wheel was a suspended G1 driver before arresting her.

The car was then searched by officers who found 30 grams of suspected fentanyl and “two large, uncontained boa constrictor snakes,” according to police who said a child was also inside.

The Kitchener woman was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, failure to comply with undertaking, driving while under suspension, and being a class G1 licence holder unaccompanied by a qualified driver.

Police say the vehicle has been impounded for seven days.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Sexual harassment in the workplace spurs Sask. project offering free legal advice

WATCH: The Shift Project from the Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan is providing free legal advice to anyone who believes they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

Lawyers in Saskatchewan are hoping to educate residents about legal information when it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace.

Hilary Peterson, program coordinator with the Public Legal Education Association (PLEA), said they are offering free legal advice to people who have been subject to sexual harassment in the workplace through the Shift Project.

“It’s funded by the Department of Justice. We, PLEA, host it,” Peterson said.

She said it’s open to anyone working for a Saskatchewan company who has experienced what they believe to be sexual harassment, even if they’re not sure if the incident was indeed harassment.

“People who use our project don’t have to report in any way. They don’t have to discuss it with their employer, but what our lawyers do is give people options.”

Peterson said the lawyers helping in the project are trauma-informed and are mindful of what might be triggering for people.

The Canada Labour Code defines sexual harassment as any contact, gesture, comment or conduct of a sexual nature that is likely to cause offence or humiliation to an employee; or that can be perceived by an employee under reasonable grounds as placing a condition of a sexual nature on employment.

A study from Statistics Canada noted that in 2020 one in four women and one in six men reported experiencing inappropriate sexualized behaviours in the workplace over the previous year. This included verbal and non-verbal inappropriate communication, sexually explicit material, suggested sexual relations and unwanted physical contact.

“Approximately one-third of women (32 per cent) and one-quarter of men (26 per cent) said that they had not received any information from their employer on how to report sexual harassment and sexual assault,” read the report.

The study said bosses and supervisors were often the perpetrators of inappropriate sexual behaviour, adding that 28 per cent of women who were targeted with sexually explicit material at work identified a person with authority as the one responsible. The same was found with 30 per cent of men who experienced unwanted physical contact or suggested sexual relations.

The report said many people didn’t want to speak out about their experiences due to fear of having a negative impact on their careers.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Summer 2023 weather: What to expect across Canada

WATCH ABOVE: Global News meteorologist Anthony Farnell takes a look at what's expected weather-wise across Canada this summer.

The summer season is here and the forecast is looking hotter than normal for much of Canada. We are still in a very “blocky” pattern that features a large upper-level ridge in the middle of the country. This has been an almost constant feature since the end of April and has led to record heat and extremely dry conditions as it oscillates back and forth from west to east.

The blocking high is the main reason for a historic start to the fire season, in which millions of acres have burned in the west, the largest fire in Nova Scotia history continues to burn, and now dozens of lightning-induced wildfires are raging through Quebec.

Smoke-filled skies have filtered the sun’s rays and reduced air quality at times from B.C. all the way to Newfoundland and Labrador. High-temperature anomalies and low humidity will remain across the north for at least the next couple weeks before the ridge finally breaks down.

Side note: These blocking patterns are notorious for lingering longer than expected and computer models sometimes struggle with how everything evolves. Even after the block breaks down, smoke and northern wildfires will likely be with us through the summer months which could lead to one of the most active years on record.

Another factor that will play an increasing role in the global weather pattern later this summer and into the winter is the developing El Niño. After three years of cool water near the equator (La Niña), the easterly trade winds are increasing which piles up warm surface water off the South American coast. That impacts the jet stream and the weather pattern around the entire planet.

Here’s what to expect across Canada this summer:

A warmer-than-normal summer is likely across these two provinces with the hottest temperatures occurring in July. It’s been a very dry start to the season across southern B.C. and northern Alberta but most areas will return to a more typical rainfall pattern in the months ahead with mostly afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

Frequent frontal systems will bring above-normal rains to the far north extending into parts of Yukon. After a very early start to the fire season in northern B.C. and Alberta, recent rains are helping and near-normal fire activity is likely for the next few months.

Above-normal temperatures are likely to continue right through the summer with times of higher humidity levels. Winnipeg just had its fifth warmest May on record and June is off to a scorching start. Look for the extreme heat to back off in the weeks ahead.

Recent rains have been heavy across southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba but computer models have mixed signals when it comes to how much rain will occur over the next couple of months. There are signs that it will be drier than normal for parts of northwest Ontario.

It’s been a very dry second half of spring in Ontario with signs of a minor to moderate drought developing in some areas like southwest Ontario. It’s also been drier than normal across most of Quebec and with recent lightning strikes, fires are raging across central parts of that province. Smoke from those fires will continue to influence the weather in the weeks ahead until significant rain arrives.

Unfortunately, drier-than-normal conditions are expected to continue for much of the upcoming summer. Big swings in temperature will keep it near seasonal across the north but leaning hotter than normal for southern Ontario and southern and eastern Quebec. I don’t expect the same long-lasting heat waves as in past years and fewer 30 C days are expected.

It was a very dry spring across the Maritimes but the rains have finally arrived and the cool and wet pattern looks to continue through at least the middle of June. This has already given firefighters the upper hand in battling blazes burning in Nova Scotia and will reduce the fire risk in the months ahead.

It looks like a wet summer across the region with above-normal rain extending all the way through Newfoundland. Temperatures will also rebound after the cooler June with a warmer-than-normal July and August.

There is some cooler-than-normal water off the east coast but as a whole, the Atlantic Basin is warmer than it’s ever been at this time year, which could lead to an active hurricane season. The developing El Niño is the main reason why hurricane forecasters aren’t calling for even more activity as often El Niño patterns include more wind shear, which can tear tropical storms apart.

The blocking pattern has led to a very early start to the fire season in the Northwest Territories and record-high temperatures are being set in many locations north of the 60th parallel.

A turn to more typical summer conditions is likely later in June and July but with a warmer-than-normal signal for southern areas. Colder-than-normal temperatures are favoured in parts of Nunavut back towards Greenland.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Staff preparing to deliver Future Ready report to Guelph council

A report hopes to shine some light on the future of Guelph.

City staff will be delivering their Guelph. Future Ready Progress Report to council at Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting.

According to a news release, the report will share data, stories and statistics from 2022. It will provide a transparent account of the city’s progress toward achieving its strategic goals.

Part of the report will go over its corporate performance culture and the effort to replace the aging transit fleet with hybrid or fully electric vehicles.

CAO Scott Stewart says the progress report will offer an inside look at the city’s performance against key metrics set in the current four-year strategic plan.

That strategic plan contains five pillars: powering our future, sustaining our future, navigating our future, working together for our future and building our future.

This is the third component of the performance and accountability cycle of planning, budgeting, reporting and repeating.

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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