Canada Post honours Canuck comedians with new stamp series

Five Canadian faces who put their stamp on the comedy world now appear on a series of limited-edition stamps. 

Canada Post released its Great Canadian Comedian series on Friday. The collection features powerhouse laugh-masters Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Catherine O'Hara, who all have roots in the Toronto area, Quebec legend Olivier Guimond and Hamilton's Martin Short.

"It's super exciting. Part of our mandate at Canada Post is to honour Canadian heroes," said Jim Phillips, Canada Post's director of stamp services. "What better heroes do we have than our comedians, especially our comedians who have made their way south of the border?" 

Canada Post issued a stamp featuring the late comedian John Candy in 2006, said Phillips.

After the success of that run, the postal service was inspired to develop a series featuring a number of comedy luminaries, he said. 

Phillips said Canada Post's research department gathered a list of comedians who could be featured. "We had to make some tough decisions" to narrow down the field down to five, he said. 

Many of the comedians who didn't make the cut this time may appear in a future series, said Phillips. He mentioned Hamilton's Eugene Levy and Ottawa-born Ghostbusters star Dan Ackroyd as possible honourees. 

"If it goes well, we'll do another one," Phillips said. 

The collection —which includes five booklets containing a total of 50 stamps — retails for $42.50. A single booklet costs $8.50.

Canada Post won't be reprinting the series once it's sold out, Phillips warned.

"It's not a joke, but they're going to go really fast."

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Woman with amputated leg adopts 3-legged dog

A Neepawa woman who lost her leg has adopted a three-legged dog, and the pair have spent the last few months learning to walk again together.

When Tracey Bergen was 11, a vascular issue forced doctors to amputate her leg below the knee. Then, last December, Bergen had to have another surgery to remove her knee.

"I was in rehab learning to walk again with a new prosthesis," she said. "Someone had put Manitoba Mutts dog rescue on Facebook … and almost right away I saw Café and read her story, and I had to have that little pup."

Tripod dogs

Manitoba Mutts said it's actually not difficult to find home for "tripod" dogs. It's more difficult, the group says, to find homes for dogs with emotional challenges, scars or separation anxiety.

Café, a four-year-old Shepherd-cross, had already been the centre of a massive fundraising campaign.

"She was hit by a car and her leg didn't heal properly so she was surrendered to Manitoba Mutts because her previous owners couldn't keep up with her vet bills," she said.

The organization raised $1,000 for Café to have the surgery she needed before Bergen adopted her.

"I actually picked her up on my last day of rehab," said Bergen. "I loved her. She was just the cutest little thing."

Café is actually about half the size of Shepard-breed dogs. "I can actually keep up with her when she walks, so that's good," Tracey Bergen says. (Sara Calnek/CBC)

After a few days adjusting, Bergen said Café was just fine.

"She's had an easier time of it than I have," she said. "It took her a couple of days to really get used to our stairs. We had 15 stairs to come up to our front door and within a couple of days she was doing just fine."

Bergen and her husband Tim have a history of opening their home to others.

The pair have three biological daughters and have adopted a young girl and her brother .They had originally planned to foster children, but when her daughter became a permanent ward of the province, The Bergens adopted her as well as her brother.

"This is the only way we could really think of to be able to give back," she said. "It was just our way of opening up our hearts and our home."

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Canada's premiers pose like it's 1864 in Charlottetown

Every year, the province that hosts the annual summer meeting of the Council of the Federation has to come up with an original idea for the premiers' traditional group photo call.

With this week's meeting held in the birthplace of Confederation, the government of Prince Edward Island couldn't resist an homage to one of the most famous photos in Canadian political history: the Sept. 6, 1864, shot of the delegates to the Charlottetown Conference as they began Canada's journey from colonies to Confederation.

The premiers, just like the Fathers of Confederation 150 years ago, posed on the steps of Government House (also known locally as Fanningbank) in Charlottetown.

Today, it's the residence of Lt.-Gov. Frank Lewis, seated in the 2014 photo in the spot occupied in 1864 by Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.

(George P. Roberts/National Archives of Canada)

The staff at Government House have 1864-style top hats for tourists to use when they want to recreate their own photo in the same spot. This week, some of the premiers struck a pose with the same props.

Government House has placed markers on the steps to help visitors and premiers alike figure out in whose spot they are standing.

The Council of the Federation isn't the first group of dignitaries to pose on the steps this summer. Governor General David Johnston and most of the provincial lieutenant-governors did a similar photo with their spouses in June.

Were the premiers' placements deliberate? One of the officials tells CBC News they did plan the placements somewhat (Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard is in Canada East Father of Confederation George-Étienne Cartier's spot, for example) but "they didn't lose sleep over it."

Host Premier Robert Ghiz is in the place of William A. Henry (from the former colony of Nova Scotia). Stephen McNeil, Nova Scotia's premier, is in Thomas D'Arcy McGee's spot.

The biggest difference? Two female premiers, something that would have been unthinkable in Canadian politics 150 years ago.

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Canada Post honours Canuck comedians with new stamp series

Five Canadian faces who put their stamp on the comedy world now appear on a series of limited-edition stamps. 

Canada Post released its Great Canadian Comedian series on Friday. The collection features powerhouse laugh-masters Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Catherine O'Hara, who all have roots in the Toronto area, Quebec legend Olivier Guimond and Hamilton's Martin Short.

"It's super exciting. Part of our mandate at Canada Post is to honour Canadian heroes," said Jim Phillips, Canada Post's director of stamp services. "What better heroes do we have than our comedians, especially our comedians who have made their way south of the border?" 

Canada Post issued a stamp featuring the late comedian John Candy in 2006, said Phillips.

After the success of that run, the postal service was inspired to develop a series featuring a number of comedy luminaries, he said. 

Phillips said Canada Post's research department gathered a list of comedians who could be featured. "We had to make some tough decisions" to narrow down the field down to five, he said. 

Many of the comedians who didn't make the cut this time may appear in a future series, said Phillips. He mentioned Hamilton's Eugene Levy and Ottawa-born Ghostbusters star Dan Ackroyd as possible honourees. 

"If it goes well, we'll do another one," Phillips said. 

The collection —which includes five booklets containing a total of 50 stamps — retails for $42.50. A single booklet costs $8.50.

Canada Post won't be reprinting the series once it's sold out, Phillips warned.

"It's not a joke, but they're going to go really fast."

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Gaza conflict: Return to normalcy after Hamas-Israel ceasefire

More than 2,100 people killed in 7-week Gaza war

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How to run 160 km really fast: Meet Ontario's ultramarathon man

Want to know how to run 160 kilometres really fast? Step one: Don't listen to the voices in your head.

Rob Krar spent his childhood running and cross-country skiing on the local trails around Ancaster and Dundas.

But the races he's been running – and winning – most recently are 160 kilometres. That's longer than the distance from downtown Hamilton to Barrie.

Rob Krar lines up to start the Leadville 100 "Race Across the Sky" on Aug. 16. (Courtesy of Matt Trappe)

Krar, 37, who now lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, won one "ultra-marathon" in June, the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run. He ran that race in 14 hours and 53 minutes, the second-fastest finish in the race's history.

And then last week Krar picked up another win, the notoriously tough 100-mile Leadville 100 "Race Across the Sky" in Colorado. He crossed that finish line at the 16 hour, 9 minute and 32 second mark.

You can see how tough the race is, in terms of the thousands of feet of elevation gains and losses, in the data recorded by the GPS watch he was wearing. Krar outlasted even the watch, whose battery pooped out after 97 miles.  

'You're not going to finish'

How it feels to put your body and mind through something like that is not exactly predictable. After the 100-miler in June, Krar said he felt like he'd had the "greatest race of my life." Confidence and energy followed him all the way.

But, Krar said, the Leadville race was the toughest 100-mile he'd had. He wasn't feeling well from the start, during line-up at 3 a.m.

One voice in his head would root for his continued success: "Rob, you're doing great."

Just as soon, another would tempt: "Just lay down, take a nap on the side of the trail. You're not going to finish."

But ultimately, he did finish, in the second-fastest time in race history.

Training in the Grand Canyon

Krar grew up on the Mountain and started running in grade 6, at Westview Elementary School. Throughout elementary and high school at Westmount Secondary he ran indoor and outdoor track and trained for triathlons.

He posted a photo recently of his final high school race, where he and his 4x400 metre relay team set personal bests in the Ontario championships: 

He got a track scholarship to Butler University, where in between competitions he trained to be a pharmacist.

He has left and come back to running several times in his life.

"Deep down I don't think I was running for the right reasons," he said. "Reflecting upon it now I think was too concerned with running certain times and impressing certain people."

He moved to Arizona after university, and as his trail runs for fun stretched longer and longer, he started entering trail races: 25 kilometres, 50 kilometres, 50 miles, 100 miles.

'Deep down I don't think I was running for the right reasons. Reflecting upon it now I think was too concerned with running certain times and impressing certain people.'- Ultra-marathoner Rob Krar

After several major injuries requiring him to take breaks from the sport, Krar's found a few training regimens he counts on.

One involves a feature in his backyard: The Grand Canyon. Krar has set records there for running its rim-to-rim trails – he holds the fastest known time for a double-crossing of the giant crater.

Now, he runs 30 miles there before a big 100-mile race. Even such a majestic landmark sparks some of those bifurcated feelings about long-distance running.

"The canyon is magical; the canyon for me is so amazing," he said. "But I literally have had some of my most desperate, darkest [moments]" there, he said.

And more practically, a race like the one he just won in Colorado requires some training for descents that can beat up runners' quad muscles. Running the Grand Canyon's 5,000-foot descent helps him train.

'What I'm doing currently is unsustainable'

He didn't really plan to be here, and this summer he's trying to figure out what's next. He works seven night shifts in a row as a pharmacist, taking the next seven days to train. He learned discipline and time management as a student athlete, which comes into play nearly daily now.

Krar is grateful for having such steady pharmacist work for the past decade. But it's hard to balance that with his sport.

After the Western States run in June, the "biggest win of my life," Krar rode a wave of euphoria. But he's realized since that he "wasn't terribly happy."

"It was a slap in the face for me," he said. "What I'm doing currently is unsustainable." 

The North Face offered him a professional running contract last year, and now his career is highlighted on the brand's website. It's yet another part of his life he never could have predicted, when he was growing up in Hamilton.

"I feel like I have this amazing opportunity that I wasn't expecting my running to be," Krar said.

But even as he wrestles with fitting it all in, at a basic level, Krar loves to run. 

"Some days I'm out there and my mind's racing. Sometimes I'm not thinking about anything," he said. "It's the one time in the day where I can think my clearest. I love all the days."

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Thigh bone on Mars? Curiosity rover snaps strange photo

NASA's Curiosity rover photographed an object on Mars last week that bore an uncanny resemblance to a femur or thigh bone.

But it's just a rock, the U.S. space agency says.

"If life ever existed on Mars, scientists expect that it would be small simple life forms called microbes," NASA said in the caption for the image. "Mars likely never had enough oxygen in its atmosphere and elsewhere to support more complex organisms. Thus, large fossils are not likely."

Mission scientists believe the rock was sculpted into its unusual shape by wind or water erosion. 

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Archeologists discover Labrador's 1st snowmobile

A team of archeologists in Nunatsiavut say they've found Labrador's first snowmobile — and there are plans in the works to get it back up and running.

The snowmobile is a nearly 100-year-old Ford Model T that was converted to ride through snow on skis. Chicago scientists used the makeshift snowmobile during an expedition to Labrador, and it was later abandoned in 1928.

"It's an amazing piece of Labrador history," said Jamie Brake, an archeologist in Nunatsiavut, on the north coast of Labrador.

Brake said the site and the snowmobile were vulnerable.

Archeologist Jamie Brake said they brought the snowmobile to Nain to preserve it and to get residents excited about their history. (CBC)

"We know that quite a number of pieces of it had gone missing over the years," he said. 

"We felt it was important to bring it to Nain, so it could be protected and used to give people a chance to learn about their history and to get people excited about their past."

Brake's team used modern snowmobiles to tow it to Nain, also on Labrador's north coast.

Now, the snowmobile is on display.

"It's the first time I've seen something that old... almost 100 years old," said Nain resident Elizabeth Kohlmeister.

The machine is in great shape for its old age — it still has its original engine and transmission.

"[It's] got a crank on the front of it that you would turn to get the engine started," Brake said.

Archeologist Jamie Brake said they took the Ford Model T snowmobile to Nain to preserve and restore it. (CBC)

The plan now is to get the makeshift snowmobile restored, and in a couple of years, it could be driving around town.

"This is absolutely restorable and we can — it's totally in the realm of possibility to get this thing running again," Brake said.

"I think people would be pretty excited about their history and heritage if they were seeing this, the original snowmobile, in Labrador, driving around."

Susan Kaplan, an anthropology professor with Bowdoin College, said it's an exciting find.

"It's going to have a new life, new meaning," she said.

"It's bringing it into the 21st century where it still has a life."

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Japanese tennis player terrorized by bee at U.S. Open

Buzz Off

Finally gets relief but then loses to Venus Williams

CBC Sports Posted: Aug 25, 2014 9:40 PM ET Last Updated: Aug 26, 2014 4:18 AM ET

American Venus Williams wasn't Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm's only opponent on the opening day of the U.S. Open.

During the second set of Monday's matchup, the 43-year-old player had to stop her service game twice because a bee began to buzz around her.

You read that correctly.

Date-Krumm, afraid of being stung, tried to run away from the bee before finally help from three ball people who helped her fend it off.

Click on the video above to watch Date-Krumm avoid the insect.

---

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But things got worse for Date-Krumm as she eventually fell 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to Williams.

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

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Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

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LobsterCam in Halifax harbour is live once again

The popular live LobsterCam is back up and running in Halifax harbour. 

The camera came back online last week after a months-long hiatus. It was last operating at the end of 2013.

The simple webcam in a lobster trap has captured the fascination of people around the world.

Since it first started in 2011, the LobsterCamera has attracted hundreds of thousands of hits and more than 6,000 fans have recommended the site on Facebook.

The lobster webcam was set up by Nova Scotia Webcams and Murphy's on the Water, which is a restaurant and tour boat operator.

Ralf Pickart, who runs Nova Scotia Webcams as a division of QVISTO Inc., wondered what it would be like to be a lobster, so he set up a lobster trap and attached a webcam.

On its first day in August 2011, the webcam attracted 14,000 hits.

Murphy's has several lobster traps in Halifax harbour and has a scientific lobster licence from Fisheries and Oceans Canada for educational purposes.

They say any lobsters caught in the webcam trap are released back into the ocean.

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400 garden gnomes missing in Austria

Austrian political party issues a garden gnome alert

The Associated Press Posted: Aug 25, 2014 8:43 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 25, 2014 8:43 AM ET

A leading Austrian political party has issued a garden gnome alert after 400 of its figurines disappeared from lamp posts used in campaigning.                

Placed by the Socialist Party ahead of elections in western Austria, the gnomes were hung three meters from the ground — presumably in part to prevent mass pilfering.

But a party statement Monday said that 400 gnomes, valued at around $4,000, had gone missing over the weekend.

A garden gnome is seen in a flower pot - a possible hiding spot for the missing Austrian figurines. (Sang Tan/Associated Press)

The party suspects the heists were less outright theft and more dirty electioneering, accusing the rival conservative People's Party of being behind the disappearances. 

It notes that some of the gnomes have been replaced by People's Party posters.

The People's Party denies involvement in the gnome scandal.

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

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LobsterCam in Halifax harbour is live once again

The popular live LobsterCam is back up and running in Halifax harbour. 

The camera came back online last week after a months-long hiatus. It was last operating at the end of 2013.

The simple webcam in a lobster trap has captured the fascination of people around the world.

Since it first started in 2011, the LobsterCamera has attracted hundreds of thousands of hits and more than 6,000 fans have recommended the site on Facebook.

The lobster webcam was set up by Nova Scotia Webcams and Murphy's on the Water, which is a restaurant and tour boat operator.

Ralf Pickart, who runs Nova Scotia Webcams as a division of QVISTO Inc., wondered what it would be like to be a lobster, so he set up a lobster trap and attached a webcam.

On its first day in August 2011, the webcam attracted 14,000 hits.

Murphy's has several lobster traps in Halifax harbour and has a scientific lobster licence from Fisheries and Oceans Canada for educational purposes.

They say any lobsters caught in the webcam trap are released back into the ocean.

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Saskatoon berry gets name change in U.S.

The Saskatoon berry gets a name change when it crosses the border into some U.S. states. 

In Michigan and Minnesota, the delicious berry is known as the juneberry, which is what the variety found in the northeast U.S. is called. 

Researchers at Cornell University found that Americans loved the taste of Saskatoon berries, but the name didn't resonate as well as juneberry. To capitalize on their thirst for the small purple berries, some U.S. marketers are asking Canadian growers to change their labelling. 

"It's just on a request by our distributor if going into certain regions," said Sandra Purdy, president of the Saskatoon Berry Council of Canada. "He says 'they're more familiar with juneberries, so can you put that on the label,' and of course I do, but it's in much smaller print beneath the word 'Saskatoon berry.'" 

Purdy, also the owner of Saskatchewan-based Prairie Berries, said there's no need to change the label on products exported to western states, like Washington and California. They know all about the berry with the same name as this city. 

Should Saskatoon berries be renamed 'June berries'?

 

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Bao Bao, rare captive-bred panda, gets 1st birthday cake at National Zoo

Female is only 2nd cub born at the zoo to survive to her 1st birthday

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Watermelon warriors vs. ‘tame and childish,' designer pans CFL jerseys

Fans and fashion designers alike are panning the new Winnipeg Blue Bombers signature jerseys after their release earlier this week.

Winnipeg Blue Bomber Drew Willy and Jason Vega donned new special edition jerseys on Tuesday. (CBC)

"We bleed blue and gold. That's kind of our thing, and there's no gold. Where's our team's colours? Where's our pride?" said Winnipeg fashion-designer Lennard Taylor. "It kind of looks like they went paint-balling. Sorry to say it, Bombers."

The new jerseys are mainly blue with aquaflage (aqua-coloured camouflage) portions on the shoulders. They're paired with aquaflage helmets.

Fan Stephen Drennar isn't impressed either.

"I think they missed a bit on this one. I think some gold could have been incorporated on the digital camo," he said.

But Winnipeg may not have gotten the worst of the CFL's new "signature" jerseys.

Winners vs. losers 

Taylor said Winnipeg is lucky compared to Ottawa and Saskatchewan.

Winnipeg designer Lennard Taylor reviews photos of the new CFL jerseys on Friday. He said the Argos were big winners, while the RedBlacks may have fared the worse. (Karen Pauls/CBC)

"The Saskatchewan jersey reminds me of a watermelon – all those little dots," said Taylor. "The watermelon warrior."

The Ottawa RedBlacks caught a lot of heat for their plaid helmet choice, and according to Taylor, there's good reason.

"I guess they're going for a right-on trend now, a lot of hipsters and other people are wearing the red flannels," he said. "This jersey to me just goes for a young five-year-old kid that likes superheroes and wants to play football."

As for the CFL's winners – the B.C. Lions got reasonably good reviews from Taylor.

"Like the Argos, [the Lions] stayed true to their team colours, and they didn't go too far out the box," he said. "[But] I think the paw print there could be a little more fierce. It looks kind of tame and childish."

The big winner, according to Taylor – was the Argos.

"From a brand image, I think the Argos got their branding the best," he said.

Younger fans wanted, CFL says

CFL officials say they aren't taking all the tweets and bad reviews to heart.

"I just hope fans keep embracing them and provide feedback to us – good and bad and passionate and everything in between," said CFL's vice-president of marketing, Sara Moore.

But love 'em or hate 'em, CFL teams will be wearing the jerseys for at least two games this season, in a bid to lure a younger audience to the game.

"These jerseys very specifically are bold and forward looking," said Moore. "I think [they] appeal to a whole new generation of fans where they might not have that tie to retro or may not have wanted to buy a retro jersey."

Are you a fan of the Bombers' new "signature" jerseys?

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Saskatoon berry gets name change in U.S.

The Saskatoon berry gets a name change when it crosses the border into some U.S. states. 

In Michigan and Minnesota, the delicious berry is known as the juneberry, which is what the variety found in the northeast U.S. is called. 

Researchers at Cornell University found that Americans loved the taste of Saskatoon berries, but the name didn't resonate as well as juneberry. To capitalize on their thirst for the small purple berries, some U.S. marketers are asking Canadian growers to change their labelling. 

"It's just on a request by our distributor if going into certain regions," said Sandra Purdy, president of the Saskatoon Berry Council of Canada. "He says 'they're more familiar with juneberries, so can you put that on the label,' and of course I do, but it's in much smaller print beneath the word 'Saskatoon berry.'" 

Purdy, also the owner of Saskatchewan-based Prairie Berries, said there's no need to change the label on products exported to western states, like Washington and California. They know all about the berry with the same name as this city. 

Should Saskatoon berries be renamed 'June berries'?

 

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Thunderstorm sends Winnipeggers into streets with canoes, snorkels

CBC News Posted: Aug 21, 2014 6:41 PM CT Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 7:01 AM CT

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Exploding rabbit population vexes residents in Sudbury neighbourhood

Residents in Garson are scratching their heads over what to do about rabbits infiltrating their neighbourhood

They're not sure who's responsible for controlling the size of the colony.

One neighbour says he's shooting the rabbits to keep them away from his yard, while another put up Kijiji ads to get them adopted.

Residents say they've counted up to 70 rabbits in the area.

Darren Hood didn't mean to spark a rabbit explosion in his community, when he released more than a dozen rabbits into his neighbourhood last spring.

On Mobile? Click here to watch the video.

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"I didn't know this was going to happen, having that many around," he said.

"But I'm not ashamed. They don't bug me."

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals can only respond if it receives complaints about animal distress.

"Then our authority can kick in and we go and assess what that distress is and what role we can play," spokesperson Lynn Michaud said.

The Lasalle Animal Clinic treats abandoned rabbits, and the veterinarian there says concerned residents should bring them in for a check-up.

"You know if they wanted to bring it in and have it examined that's probably the best," Dr. Janice Vannevel said.
"Rabbits certainly need a lot of specialized care. They need proper hay and proper food and proper shelter. So you want to find out what you're doing and make sure you're giving the animal what it needs."

Officials with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the City of Greater Sudbury report they weren't aware of the situation — but they're looking into it.

Rabbit colony setting up in Sudbury.4:59

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Mars 2020 rover's RIMFAX radar will 'see' deep underground

NASA's next Mars rover will be able to detect ice and stream beds buried dozens of metres below its wheels, thanks in part to a Canadian scientist.

Rebecca Ghent, an associate professor of earth sciences at the University of Toronto, will help develop the Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Exploration (RIMFAX), as part of a team led by David Paige at the University of California, Los Angeles. The device was one of seven tools chosen by NASA for the Mars 2020 Rover from 58 proposals.

It will give the Mars rover something akin to X-ray vision so it can "see" right through rocks and dirt, and spot features buried underground.

"The most important thing about it is it gives us information in the third dimension, in the vertical dimension," Ghent said. "That's something we don't often have in planetary observations."

Rebecca Ghent, an associate professor of geology at the University of Toronto, says she's been interested for a long time in studying underground layers of ice on Mars using ground-penetrating radar. (Rebecca Ghent)

Until now, most observations of Mars have come from orbiters and rovers that can see only the surface of the planet. At best, NASA's current rover mission, Curiosity, has been able to drill several centimetres into the ground.

RIMFAX is a ground-penetrating radar device that will be able to peer dozens of metres into the ground, looking for buried sand dunes, lava flows, stream channels and salt layers, which may help scientists understand the geological processes that shaped the Red Planet.

Ghent said industries such as mining use similar technology to check the integrity of ice roads in the Arctic, or even to look for cracks in buildings.

The technology works by sending radio waves into the Earth and using an antenna to "listen" for reflections as the waves bounce off different layers underground, similar to the way sonar works. The "sound" and timing of the reflections is affected by density, grain size and conductivity of the subsurface layers, as well as their depth.

By scanning the radar back and forth over a surface, the Mars rover will be able to generate a 3D map of the layers underneath it, Ghent said.

It will also be able to follow surface structures such as old lava flows that slope into the ground to see how deep they go.

Ghent is currently testing the conductivity and electrical properties of different minerals and other materials to see how they will affect the radar signals at different depths. That will help scientists interpret the data from the Mars rover, which is set to be launched in 2020.

Ghent is also working on the antenna that the researchers hope to test on Earth – at a site that's dry and rocky like Mars – during next year's field season.

She has already done some tests in Canada's High Arctic, during a trip to Eureka on Ellemere Island in 2010. At that time, she had already started thinking about the possibility of using ground-penetrating radar on Mars.

Rebecca Ghent, wearing a red jacket, tested ground-penetrating radar technology in Canada's High Arctic during a trip to Eureka on Ellemere Island in 2010. (Courtesy Rebecca Ghent)

"Mars is thought to have layers of subsurface ice, and I've been curious for a long about ways we could improve ways to detect and characterize those using radar," she said.

In the Arctic, melting permafrost can generate sinkholes that expose subsurface layers around them. That makes them a perfect testing ground for the radar – researchers can scan from on top of the layers and compare the signals they receive with what they see in the exposed cross-section of layers.

Ghent was invited to work on the RIMFAX team because she had worked with Paige on a device on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, and had done radar work with fellow RIMFAX team member Lynn Carter.

NASA announced the seven instruments for the next Mars rover at the end of July.

Ghent said she heard her team's proposal was accepted just minutes before the news conference: "I was just really excited."

The goal of the Mars 2020 rover is to gather information and test technologies that will help pave the way for human exploration of Mars. Its toolkit includes devices that will make oxygen from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and provide detailed weather measurements, including the size of the dust particles blowing around the Red Planet.

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Alabama hunters haul in 459-kilogram alligator

Alabama hunters haul in 459-kilogram alligator

The Associated Press Posted: Aug 18, 2014 11:13 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 18, 2014 11:13 AM ET

A group of Alabama hunters are celebrating the catch of a lifetime: A 4.5-metre-long alligator weighing more than 450 kilograms.

Al.com reports the monster gator was pulled from the water in south Alabama early Saturday during the state's alligator hunting season.

The alligator weighed 450 kg. (Sharon Steinmann/AI.com/Associated Press)

Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries biologists were able to measure the alligator, but weighing it posed a challenge.

The first attempt completely destroyed a winch assembly used to hoist most average gators. So they had to use a backhoe to lift the animal.

The alligator is the largest ever legally killed by an Alabama hunter. It was caught by Mandy and John Stokes, Kevin Jenkins and his children, 16-year-old Savannah and 14-year-old Parker.

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Miss Texas new contender for worst opening pitch

Way Outside

Unique delivery does not work out

By Brandon Hicks, CBC Sports Posted: Aug 16, 2014 5:36 PM ET Last Updated: Aug 16, 2014 5:36 PM ET

50 Cent, meet your match. Miss Texas already has one crown, and now she's coming for yours.

Monique Evans, the current keeper of the Miss Texas crown, threw out the first pitch Friday night as the Rangers hosted the Los Angeles Angels.

It did not go well.

There are many elements that come together to make this one of the Worst Opening Pitches in History:

• Miss Texas' unique windup, which is a cross between something you'd see at a softball game and something you'd see while taking in a performance of the The Nutcracker
• The pitch itself, which seems to not want to have anything to do with the situation, and scurries far off to the right
• Miss Texas' impeccable finishing pose, which was held for several seconds after the pitch was thrown, which in no way diverted attention away from what was transpiring
• Her crown, which she wore, and – it must be said – remained perfectly positioned atop her head for the entire sequence
•  The look of both the Rangers coach waiting to receive said ball, and the Texas mascot, both of whom looked like they could not comprehend what was occurring

It is a work of art, to be sure. And to compare, here again is 50 Cent's opening pitch in New York, in all its glory.

And now the obvious question: who holds the title? Does 50 Cent still reign supreme, or will Miss Texas need to come up with another acceptance speech?

Who holds the title of Worst Opening Pitch Ever?

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

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Alabama hunters haul in 459-kilogram alligator

New

Alabama hunters haul in 459-kilogram alligator

The Associated Press Posted: Aug 18, 2014 11:13 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 18, 2014 11:13 AM ET

A group of Alabama hunters are celebrating the catch of a lifetime: A 4.5-metre-long alligator weighing more than 450 kilograms.

Al.com reports the monster gator was pulled from the water in south Alabama early Saturday during the state's alligator hunting season.

The alligator weighed 450 kg. (Sharon Steinmann/AI.com/Associated Press)

Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries biologists were able to measure the alligator, but weighing it posed a challenge.

The first attempt completely destroyed a winch assembly used to hoist most average gators. So they had to use a backhoe to lift the animal.

The alligator is the largest ever legally killed by an Alabama hunter. It was caught by Mandy and John Stokes, Kevin Jenkins and his children, 16-year-old Savannah and 14-year-old Parker.

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

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English Premier League season begins, chaos ensues

Those who were expecting a return to footballing routine on Saturday didn't get what they wanted, not with birds, fans, and magic spray cans running amok on the first day of the 2014-15 English Premier League season. 

A fan decided that he could take a free kick better than Christian Eriksen during the Tottenham-West Ham match. So he ran onto the field and took his chance. 

Turns out, he can. Tottenham's Eriksen put his effort high over the bar, while the fan managed to curl it over the wall and on goal, where it was stopped by West Ham keeper Adrian.

Arsenal's Santi Cazorla was the unfortunate victim of an unprovoked attack from a malfunctioning spray can that couldn't be contained by a referee. 

And finally, if you're eating, don't watch this next Vine below. If you're eating some sort of custard, close your laptop now and throw it out a window. 

Manchester United's Ashley Young was yelling at someone during the match against Crystal Palace. Then something happened. It may or may not have come from a bird. 

Enjoy the rest of your day. Ashley Young won't. 

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Justin Bieber pays for monkey business

Mally the monkey now lives at a zoo in northern Germany

The Associated Press Posted: Aug 16, 2014 11:29 PM ET Last Updated: Aug 16, 2014 11:29 PM ET

German authorities say Justin Bieber has paid $10,700 US he owed after attempting to bring a pet monkey into the country last year without the necessary papers.

Bieber failed to produce vaccination and import papers for Mally the monkey on arriving in Munich in March 2013, and the animal was seized by customs. Mally became the German government's property after the singer failed to claim his pet, and now lives at a zoo in northern Germany.

(Canadian Press)

Franz Emde, a spokesman for the German Federal Nature Conservation Agency, said that Bieber this week paid a $2,800 fine for the monkey's import plus the costs of several weeks' care at an animal shelter.

Failure to pay could have put Bieber in legal difficulty if he travelled in the EU.

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Steve McQueen Ferrari auctioned off by Ontario's RM Auctions

An Ontario classic car restoration company is taking centre stage in the historic Monterey auction in Monterey, Calif., where it will be auctioning off two rare sports cars.

RM Auctions from Blenheim, Ont, east of Windsor, is auctioning off a Ferrari that once belonged to the late Hollywood actor Steve McQueen. 

Also being auctioned off by RM Auctions is a 1965 Ferrari that's expected to sell at a world-record setting bid this weekend. 

"This is the biggest classic car event in the world. It's the car version of the Kentucky Derby or the Super Bowl," said Gord Duff, a car specialist with RM Auctions. "We bring out 120 collector cars from around the world and people fly in from around the world to bid on the cars. So it's kind of the biggest event on the calendar. "

Duff said he's especially excited about the rare Ferrari that's up for grabs. 

"We're selling a 1965, 275 Special that they only built three of in the world. We're expecting it to break a world-record this weekend," he said. "There is lots of interest. It will be exciting to see it sell."

Duff said cars like these sell in the multi-million dollar range. 

Duff also expects many people will be bidding on the 1967 Ferrari, which was once sold brand new to Steve McQueen. 

"The car was delivered to him when he was filming the movie Bullet," Duff explains. "There's actually photos of him with the car and you can see the Mustang that he used in the movie in the background."

RM Auctions has about 125 cars for auctions at the event and expects to sell about 60. 

The event starts at 9 p.m. EST.

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Sea otter caught on camera in rare sighting in B.C.'s Georgia Strait

Cheryl Alexander almost couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted a sea otter frolicking and feeding in a cove off Ten Mile Point in Victoria, B.C., Thursday morning.

"We ended up having this interaction with him, which was really amazing," she told CBC News.

"He swam right up to where we were standing on the shore, and we have a couple little steps that go into the water, and he put himself on the first step, boost himself up, and then he tried to get on my husband's kayak," she said.

Alexander had her camera ready, and she took photos and video of the encounter, which you can watch above.

The otter visiting the cove near the Alexanders' home was interested in them and their kayaks. (Cheryl Alexander)

Once extinct in B.C. waters as a direct result of the sea otter pelt trade in the 1700s and 1800s, around 5,000 sea otters now call B.C. home, according to the Vancouver Aquarium.

In the late 60s and early 70s, a re-introduction project brought 89 sea otters from Alaska to the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Though the marine mammal has since re-established itself there and in pockets on B.C.'s Central Coast, sea otters have not yet come back to the Georgia Strait in any established groups, making any sighting east of Sooke a rare treat — nevermind an encounter at Vancouver Island's most easterly point.

Alexander said the cute and curious sea otter she photographed Thursday stuck around all night, and was still hanging out in the cove Friday morning. (Cheryl Alexander)

Alexander said the cute and curious sea otter stuck around all night, and was still hanging out in the cove Friday morning when she went out to take a look. She says she hopes the sea otter sticks around, and that more join it.

Sea otters tend to keep to sheltered islands, reefs, fjords, bays and kelp forests and they number roughly 3,000 to the south, from Washington to California, with 22,500 living off the Russian coast and the bulk of the North Pacific Ocean population, almost 72,000, living off Alaskan coastlines.

Alexander says she was ecstatic to see a sea otter this far into the Salish Sea, and she hopes others join it. (Cheryl Alexander)

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Kilobots robot swarm coordinates to form shapes

They look vaguely like miniature hockey pucks skittering along on three pin-like metal legs, but a swarm of small robots called Kilobots at a laboratory at Harvard University is making a little bit of history for automatons everywhere.

Researchers who created a battalion of 1,024 of these robots said on Thursday the mini-machines are able to communicate with one another and organize themselves into two-dimensional shapes like letters of the alphabet.

Much smaller groups of robots have been able to carry out similar tasks, but never a group this size.

The Kilobots are told by the researchers via an infrared transmitter to do a certain job. The robots then do it collectively without further input from a human being.

In a study published in the journal Science, they formed themselves on a large tabletop into the shapes of the letter "K," a star, a solid square and a wrench.

It may be a step forward for collective artificial intelligence, although the researchers acknowledge the Kilobots are not exactly thinking deep thoughts.

In a study published in the journal Science, the Kilobots formed themselves on a large tabletop into the shapes of the letter "K," a star, a solid square and a wrench. (Michael Rubenstein/Harvard University])

"This is a 'collective' of robots — a group of robots that work together to complete a common goal," said Harvard computer scientist Michael Rubenstein, who led the study. "If you call collective artificial intelligence the ability of a 'collective' to start to behave as a single entity, you could call this collective artificial intelligence."

The Kilobots are simple and inexpensive robots built to talk to fellow Kilobots and sense the location of those others using infrared light. They use vibration motors to slide across a surface on their three legs.

But the surface must be very smooth. The one used in this study was essentially a 2.4 metre by 2.4 metre "dry erase" board tabletop. Even minor surface friction like that of paper halts them.

The robots measure about three centimetres in diameter and five centimetres tall. The material to build each of them cost just $14.

Rubenstein said the research anticipates a day when people may send many robots acting as a single entity to perform a task — perhaps to a destination like Mars — instead of humans or a single robot.

A "collective" may better handle an unknown environment — for example, forming into a snake shape to navigate sand dunes or like a ball to roll down a hill. He said a "collective" also is "fault tolerant" — if a single robot among 1,000 breaks down, plenty are left to do the job.

The Kilobot name is a play on the word kilobit, meaning 1,024 bits of digital information. But to some it might sound menacing — as in "killer robot" — as if it belongs in a movie like Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

"I tell people that these robots are not very dangerous. The only way that they could hurt you is if you try to eat one. They can't even go over a piece of paper. So they're kind of stuck where they are," Rubenstein said.

On mobile and can't see the video? Watch here

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'Suspicious person' following kids in Brantford turns out to be dad

A case of two kids being followed by "a suspicious person" in Brantford was resolved after a man matching the description of the person identified himself to the police — as the children's father.

Brantford police issued a public advisory last week after a witness noticed an unfamiliar car approach two children on their bikes in the area of Waxing Way and Ashgrove Avenue and reported to police,

The driver pulled up alongside the two children and asked for directions, according to the public advisory. One of the children responded and pointed in a certain direction, and the car "followed beside them slowly for a distance."

"This is concerning to our service as well because the citizen who observed this was close by and the citizen could have been asked for direction from this man, however the unknown man chose to ask the young children instead," police said in the public advisory at the time.

The mystery was solved when a man contacted the child abuse and sexual assault unit on Thursday after reading media reports about the incident. In a new release Friday, police said the man provided details of the incident and descriptions of the person and the car. 

"The citizen admitted approaching the children on bicycles, have conversation with them and then follow behind. The citizen is the father of these children," police said in a release on Friday.

Police thanked the witness for reporting a suspicious event to the police. They also thanked the father for coming forward.

"We continuously ask that citizens act on the side of caution in the interest of the safety of our children than to hesitate," police said. 

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Maritime sea life linked to early European explorers

Two major food sources for millions of birds and fish in the Bay of Fundy may have been brought to the Maritimes unwittingly by early European explorers.

Hediste diversicolor, or mud worms, were likely carried to the shores of the Bay of Fundy by early European explorers, according to new research from the University of New Brunswick. (Jim Wolford/Government of Nova Scotia)

​Research from the University of New Brunswick suggests mud shrimp and mud worms are invasive species from Europe carried across the Atlantic in ship ballasts, perhaps that of Samuel de Champlain.

"There's no way to tell for sure," said researcher Tony Einfeldt, "but it very well could have been him."

Einfeldt's conclusion comes from genetic analysis — comparing the genes of the Bay of Fundy populations of mud shrimp and mud worms to those on European coastlines.

A female Corophium volulator, or mud shrimp, is shown in its protective U-shaped burrow. (Jim Wolford/Government of Nova Scotia)

"We can tell where they came from because the genetic identity of both species in the Bay of Fundy matches that of those in Europe," he said.

To explain how they got here, Einfeldt had to match movement patterns of the invertebrates with movements in history.

"We know that both of these species are not very good swimmers. They don't disperse naturally very well," he said.

Many invasive species can be traced to ships' ballast water.

UNB researcher Tony Einfeldt collected specimens in Europe to compare with those on this side of the Atlantic. (Submitted by Tony Einfeldt)

​Large ships pump water in and out to offset cargo loads. Sea creatures get sucked in with the ballast and can be borne great distances.

Neither shrimp nor worms have ever been found in the ballast water of any modern ship.

However, the first ships that crossed the Atlantic didn't use water for ballast, but rather rocks, sticks and mud.

​Mud is where both of these species make their home.

​"And the only ships that we know of that did this were the earliest ones used by the expeditions of Samuel de Champlain in the early 1600s and Henry Hudson," he said.

Tony Einfeldt looks for mud shrimp and mud worms in Maine, just south of the Canada-U.S. border. (Submitted by Tony Einfeldt)

​Einfeldt said that is likely how they were transported.

Einfeldt's genetic work has been able to pinpoint several introductions of these species along the East Coast.

"The Bay of Fundy populations most likely came from France and the Bay of Biscay," he said.

"A second introduction that occurred in the Gulf of Maine is more likely from northern Europe, like the Norway, Germany, Denmark area," said Einfeldt.

The researchers are now using new techniques in hopes of determining exactly which coast they came from.

The semipalmated sandpiper is one of many birds that feed on mud shrimp and mud worms on the Fundy coast. (Nature Canada)

​Einfeldt said these invertebrates have become extremely valuable to the Maritimes' ecology.

"The reason that many of these birds and fish come to our mud flats is to feed on these prey. There's so many of them," he said.

"The idea that so much of what our ecosystem runs on came from our history — it's very exciting."

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'I need a recharge': hitchBot sets off on final leg of cross-Canada trip

After a stop to recharge, Canada's most famous — and only — beer cooler-turned-hitchhiking robot will set off on one of the final legs of its cross-country journey.

HitchBOT, the brainchild of a group of Ontario researchers, will have managed to thumb its way from Halifax to Victoria in about three weeks. 

Last check on Wednesday, the chatty, social media-savvy robot was in Kelowna, B.C., on its way to the Open Space art centre on Vancouver Island before heading to a local First Nations community. 

"I need to recharge, hitchhiking is tough," it tweeted. 

HitchBOT left Nova Scotia on July 26 for the 6,000-kilometre journey to Victoria.

The little traveller, about the size of a six-year-old child, was made using pool noodles, an old beer cooler bucket, Wellington boots, rubber gloves, solar panels and a computerized "brain."

David Harris Smith, an assistant professor at Hamilton's McMaster University, conceived the idea of creating a collaborative art project centred on a hitchhiking robot.

He says hitchBOT is also an experiment that looks at the interaction between people and increasingly ubiquitous technology.

It has been an incredible adventure for the small robot, which has met hundreds of people, visited a powwow at Wikwemikong, met the world's most famous albino groundhog, Wiarton Willie, grooved to the Harlem Shake in Saskatchewan and partied all night at a wedding in Golden, B.C.

Perhaps most fascinating is the fact hitchBOT has made it all the way to British Columbia, depending on the kindness of strangers to get it safely to its destination.

HitchBOT is equipped with a GPS and 3G wireless connectivity that allows it to post frequent updates of its position on the internet.

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HitchBOT nears the end of its cross-Canada journey

After bumming its first ride in Nova Scotia to start its cross-Canada journey, hitchBOT, the hitchhiking robot, is nearing its final destination of Victoria. 

The talking, tweeting, hitchhiking robot has drawn international attention, even making People magazine. 

HitchBOT left Nova Scotia on July 26 for the 6,000-kilometre journey to Victoria. According to its latest tweets, hitchBOT plans to meet some new friends in a Salish First Nations community in Victoria on Wednesday. 

It has been quite an adventure for the small robot, which has met hundreds of people, visited a powwow at Wikwemikong, met the world's most famous albino groundhog, Wiarton Willie, grooved to the Harlem Shake in Saskatchewan, and partied all night at a wedding in Golden, B.C.

HitchBOT is dependent on human beings for its survival.

David Harris Smith, an assistant professor at Hamilton's McMaster University, first came up with the idea of creating a collaborative art project centred on a hitchhiking robot. He worked with a team of researchers based in Ontario that was interested in looking at how humans interact with technology. 

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Young hooded seal makes unusual visit to Montreal waters

A young hooded seal is making its presence felt in waters around Montreal.

The curious animal is believed to be about a year old, which could explain its appearance in waters outside the normal range of seals.

"Young animals lack a bit of experience," Josiane Cabana, spokeswoman for the Quebec emergency network for sea mammals, told Radio-Canada.

The seal has been spotted on three occasions.

• In the Old Port last week.
• At the Longueuil Marina on Monday.
• By La Ronde on Tuesday.

Cabana said it's not likely that the animal is lost or in difficulty.

A network volunteer who has seen the seal says it appears healthy.

It's not unusual for sea mammals to make it to Montreal — another seal was spotted last year near the city's Old Port and a beluga was spotted the year before.

A minke whale even made it to Repentigny, just east of Montreal, a few years ago.

"Seals are animals that travel and explore," Cabana said.

She said the seal population in the St. Lawrence is booming, which may be leading some of them further inland.

If that's the case, the appearance of seals in Montreal waters could become a more frequent occurrence, she said.

Cabana cautioned it's illegal to feed or otherwise approach wild mammals like seals.

The young hooded seal climbed up on a dock at the Longueuil Marina in Quebec on Monday. (CBC)

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Turkish scientists to study 2-headed dolphin calf

Turkish scientists will study the rare animal

The Associated Press Posted: Aug 11, 2014 3:06 PM ET Last Updated: Aug 11, 2014 3:06 PM ET

Turkish scientists will examine a two-headed dolphin that washed up on a beach in western Turkey, say Turkish media reports.

The remains of conjoined dolphin calf were discovered on a beach in Dikili, near the Aegean city of Izmir last week by a vacationing gym teacher, the private Dogan news agency said.

It quoted Akdeniz University marine biologist Mehmet Gokoglu as saying the dolphin was a rare occurrence, similar to conjoined twins.

Marine biologists at Akdeniz University will study the dolphin.

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Rare panda triplets born in China

China announced Tuesday the birth of extremely rare panda triplets in a further success for the country's artificial breeding program.

The three cubs were born July 29 in the southern city of Guangzhou, but breeders delayed an announcement until they were sure all three would survive, the official China News Service said.

The mother, Ju Xiao, and the three as-yet-unnamed cubs are healthy, the news agency said. Photos showed the three sleeping and standing in their incubator, their bodies pink and mostly hairless. Ju Xiao was impregnated in March with sperm from a panda living at a Guangzhou zoo.

Newborn giant panda triplets, which were born to giant panda Juxiao (not pictured), are seen inside an incubator at the Chimelong Safari Park on August 9. (China Daily/Reuters)

Ju Xiao was under round-the-clock care for the final weeks of her pregnancy, according to the report. The triplets were born within four hours of each other and currently weigh between 230 grams and 333 grams.

The report said the triplets were only the fourth known to have been born in the world through artificial breeding programs, but it wasn't clear how many had survived from such births.

China has devoted major resources to increasing the numbers of the country's unofficial national mascot and regularly announces the birth of pandas born at zoos and at the Wolong breeding centre in the southwestern province of Sichuan, where most wild pandas are found.

There are about 1,600 giant pandas in the wild, where they are critically endangered due to loss of habitat and low birth rates. More than 300 live in captivity, mostly in China's breeding programs.

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Two dozen riders stranded on top of roller-coaster rescued by crane

Firefighters reached the cars by tower bucket and each of them was slowly emptied

CBC News Posted: Aug 10, 2014 6:10 PM ET Last Updated: Aug 11, 2014 9:42 AM ET

Authorities say all 24 people on a roller-coaster stuck near the top of a Six Flags America ride in Maryland have been rescued. 

Prince George's County Fire officials were called to The Joker's Jinx roller-coaster just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday. No injuries have been reported.

"All 24 patrons on the ground being evaluated by EMS," tweeted Maryland Fire Chief Marc Bashoor.

Firefighters reached the cars by tower bucket and each of them was slowly emptied and riders lowered to the ground.

Assistant Fire Chief Paul Gomez said the riders were stuck sitting upright. It took several hours to get them down.

Firefighters reach riders stranded on a roller coaster at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Md., on Sunday. (Marc Bashoor/Prince George's County Fire Dept./Associated Press)

A Six Flags America spokesman said in a statement that it is not yet clear what caused the ride to stop but that it has a computerized safety system that "performed as it is designed to."

Six Flags' website says the ride goes 96.5 km/h per hour and turns upside down four times.

With files from The Associated Press

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

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Toronto fire hydrants earn $24 million in parking tickets since 2008

It's the street equivalent of a desert mirage, an elusive piece of prime parking real estate that, for some strange
reason, everyone else just happened to miss.

This fire hydrant is the cause of more parking infractions than any other hydrant in Toronto. Since 2008, it's generated about $289,000 in parking fines. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press)

Eventually, however, a telltale slip of paper tucked beneath a windshield wiper offers an explanation: you parked in front of a fire hydrant.

Maybe it was an honest mistake. Or maybe you thought you could slip in and out before your illegal parking job caught the attention of a passing bylaw officer. Either way, now you've been hit with a hefty fine.

And as it turns out, some hydrants seem to be more tempting — and more costly — than others.

In Toronto, one hydrant stands above the rest. People are fined so often for parking in front of it that on Google's Street View, a white Toyota can be seen with a yellow slip under its wiper blade as a parking-enforcement officer walks away.

Since 2008, cars that parked too close to the hydrant at 393 University Ave. have been ticketed 2,962 times. Those fines add up to $289,620 —more than any other hydrant in the city.

Here's a list of the city's top 10 earning fire hydrants, when it comes to parking ticket revenue

1. 393 University Ave., $289,620

2. 112 Merton St., $212,300

3. 33 Elmhurst Ave., $207,030

4. 56 The Esplanade, $191,110

5. 5519 Yonge St., $173,330

6. 99 Atlantic Ave., $163,760

7. 361 University Ave., $152,530

8. 43 Elm St., $152,220

9. 5100 Yonge St., $145,310

10. 6 Spring Garden Ave., $131,110

So, why is this one particular hydrant such a cash cow for the city? There are a few possible explanations. It's right by the
courthouse and near a major downtown intersection. The hydrant itself is in the middle of a busy sidewalk set back some distance from the street, and it would be easy enough for drivers to miss. No markings on the street make it obvious that the spot is off-limits.

Anthony Fabrizi, the city's manager of parking ticket operations, says the hydrant needs to be a certain distance from the street so pumper trucks can park there.

"There's lots of logic to the madness when you see behind the scenes," Fabrizi said.

In Toronto, the fine for parking within three metres of a fire hydrant is $100. It used to be $30 until the city hiked the fine in
early 2008.

A Canadian Press analysis of Toronto's parking-ticket data found the city has collected more than $24 million since 2008 by fining people who parked too close to hydrants.

Fabrizi says all parking fines, including those from parking next to hydrants, add up to $80 million a year.

That may seem like a big number, but Fabrizi says it only represents about one per cent of the money needed to run all of the city's programs.

"The amount of revenue that parking generates is so minuscule compared to the overall revenue that it really doesn't serve a great purpose as a revenue generator."

About half the revenue from parking tickets pays for parking enforcement and operations, he added.

"Parking is a bit of a funny business in terms of budgeting," Fabrizi said. "We have to budget in terms of firm numbers the costs associated with enforcing parking. So we know that there's about a $50-million cost ... so that is a $50-million budget that has to be paid even if no parking tickets were issued.

"Historically, we see that parking tickets and fines, once it goes through the courts, generate about $80 million a year. So the program pays for itself and then there's a little bit of a margin, about $30 million extra."

Most parking tickets in Toronto are handed out to people who let their parking meters expire or who park in no-parking areas. Tickets for parking too close to fire hydrants only accounted for 1.45 per cent of all parking infractions last year.

While the hydrant at 393 University Ave. is by far the city's golden goose, many others are also quite lucrative.

At 33 Elmhurst Ave., a hydrant lurks in the shadow of a large condo building in North York. Vehicles that parked there have been ticketed 2,253 times since 2008, with fines totalling $207,030.

A nearby federal government building may explain all the parking tickets. The Joseph Shepard building houses branches of Passport Canada, a Canadian Forces recruiting centre and several other federal departments.

If you're visiting Toronto's Mount Pleasant Cemetery, don't park in front of the fire hydrant at 113 Merton St. This unassuming hydrant, tucked between two trees, is the city's third most-ticketed spot, with 2,165 fines handed out amounting to $212,300.

The city also tracks the province or state on the licence plates of people who get fined for parking too close to hydrants. Not surprisingly, almost every ticketed vehicle had Ontario plates.

Drivers with Quebec plates were a distant second, followed by visitors from New York and Alberta.

But pity the two poor drivers with Hawaiian plates, who came a long way only to get busted for parking in front of hydrants.

In response to this story, a member of our online audience tweeted this photo to us. It shows that a ticket is not the only bad outcome for drivers who park beside hydrants.

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7-year-old finds what could be a Stanley Cup ring

A treasure hunter in Tide Head, N.B., uncovered something unusual on the beach last week — what could be a Stanley Cup ring.

Seven-year-old Anthony Thériault said he's collected hundreds of rocks playing on the Restigouche River near Campbellton, N.B.

Seven-year-old Anthony Thériault saw something shiny on the beach. (CBC)

Then, last week, he stumbled on a novel find. 

"I saw something shiny, and that was the bottom of the ring," he said in French.

Anthony then brought it home for his dad to investigate.

"All of a sudden, he said 'Look, Dad, what I found at the river,' " Shawn Thériault said.

"I looked at it, this Stanley Cup ring that said 'Elmer Lach' on it, and then I started checking on it."

Former Montreal Canadien Elmer Lach helped lead the Habs to Stanley Cup victory three times in his career in the 1940s and '50s.

The Thériaults say they've been Habs fans for years.

The Thériaults say they've been Habs fans for years. They plan to investigate the ring further when they visit Montreal next month. (CBC)

They say they don't know for sure whether the ring is real, but they have a theory that Elmer Lach may have lost the ring while fishing there.

For years, the Restigouche River has been a favourite fishing hole for Canadian celebrities, including Elmer Lach's linemate, Maurice (the Rocket) Richard.

Together with fellow Canadien Toe Blake, the three made up the team's famous "Punch Line" that helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1944 and 1946.

If the ring is real, it represents Elmer Lach's part in that 1946 victory over the Boston Bruins.

One year before that, Lach received the NHL's Hart Trophy, distinguishing him as league MVP.

Shawn Thériault and his wife, Geneviève, have been calling jewellers to determine whether the ring is authentic.

"If it's real, we're either going to have to try to contact the family or the Montreal franchise to try to see what we can do with it," Shawn Thériault said.

They plan to investigate further when they visit Montreal next month.

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Deepak Chopra tries to set Guinness meditation world record in Toronto

Spiritual guru Deepak Chopra was joined by hundreds in Toronto Friday and countless more online for a group meditation.

They were attempting to set a Guinness World Record for the largest synchronized online meditation.

The meditation would have to draw 15,000 participants to take the Guinness title.

And as of Thursday night, they had about 93,000 participants registered.

There were four observers on hand from Guinness to monitor the event.

Chopra says there are benefits to engaging in group meditation, and he recommends that people meditate at least once a day.

He says the practice doesn't require much time, and notes that even sitting down quietly for five minutes and watching your breath can make a difference.

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10 wacky backyard inventions from China

In a nation of 1.3 billion, you'll find more than a few eccentric tinkerers

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Toddler apprehended by Secret Service at White House

Secret Service joked that the boy was given a 'timeout'. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

It's usually someone jumping over the White House fence that causes Secret Service agents patrolling the grounds to scramble.

But on Thursday night, a toddler slipping through slats in the gate caught the eyes of the gun-toting officers who are charged with protecting the president.

Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said the child was returned to his parents. Neither the boy nor his parents were identified.

Donovan joked that agents were going to wait until the toddler learned to talk to question him about the incident, but says the boy instead was given a "timeout" and was returned to his parents.

New York Times photographer Doug Mills posted a photo on his Twitter feed of what he says was an agents reaction to seeing the toddler.

A member of the Secret Service looks out the West Wing door after toddler squeezed through WH gate. pic.twitter.com/LtaD0V4p9s

— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) August 8, 2014

It turned out to be somewhat of a challenging day for the Secret Service. Earlier Thursday, Obama's motorcade came to a rare slow crawl and then a complete stop along a major interstate as he traveled to and from Fort Belvoir in northern Virginia to sign a veterans' health care bill.

Donovan said mechanical issues with vehicles in the motorcade caused both stops.

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Lions Bay drainage ditch stars in extreme kayaking videos

Extreme kayaker Ben Marr is at it again.

Last fall, the 24-year-old thrillseeker shot a video of his solo trip down a concrete draining ditch in the community of Lions Bay and posted it to YouTube, where it went viral.

In that trip, he claimed to have achieved a top speed of 54 km/h before being dumped out into Howe Sound.

When Marr, who is from Mallorytown, Ont., recently returned to the chute, he didn't go alone.

The newest GoPro video, posted to YouTube Tuesday and already making the rounds online, shows Marr and fellow daredevil Rush Sturges racing each other down the "Lions Bay slide."

"I think we should go in at the exact same time, pretty much,"  Marr tells Sturges in the video, as the two ready themselves to set off through a break in a chain link fence. "And then we'll duke it out."

"That sounds really scary, dude," Sturges said. 

As Marr starts to pull him in, the 29-year-old from California protests: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Seriously, that sounds sketchy."

"It'll be sick," Marr counters. "You should just calm down, dude."

The men, recording with helmet- and kayak-mounted GoPro cameras, launch in and end up sliding up the banks, spinning around and losing control as they gain speed.

Near the end, Marr make a move to pass Sturges and it looks as though he careens off course just before both get dumped into Howe Sound.

The YouTube post claims they reached a top speed of 72 km/h.

Ben Marr makes a late pass on the left of Rush Sturges, as the two kayakers slide down a drainage chute in the community of Lions Bay, B.C. (YouTube)

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Calgary radio station cuts pop hits in half to keep listeners engaged

A Calgary radio station says it is getting mixed feedback about its decision to run shorter songs on air.

"Now twice the music," is the new slogan for the AMP Calgary radio station. (CBC)

Since last Friday, 90.3 AMP Calgary has been running a new format that edits songs to half the length — meaning it can run 24 songs an hour instead of 12. The goal is to keep listeners engaged.

Steve Jones, vice-president of programming for Newcap Radio — the Halifax-based parent company which runs AMP and roughly 90 other stations across Canada, says there is no denying there has been some negativity. 

"Certain listeners have said, you know, I don't want to hear the music like this.... So we understand this isn't for everybody," he said.

'Generally quite favourable'

"But overwhelmingly the listener reaction has been, 'I love hearing this much music.' I mean it's really cool you can listen to a radio station for 15 minutes and hear six or seven songs in that short period of time. So listener reaction has been generally quite favourable."

But not Calgarians are on board.

"Songs per minute is kind of a pointless metric. I think it's more about the quality versus the actual how many songs you can cram into an hour," said Erik Peach.

Jones says the change was sparked by two-and-a-half years of consumer research. He said society is changing the way we digest media — from audio to video to the printed word.

AMP Calgary was chosen for a few different reasons. Jones says it is not part of Newcap's long-term strategy, but if it works then the company may consider rolling it out in its other centres.

"Our radio station there is in a very competitive situation with a number of other Top 40 radio stations and we thought we needed an advantage to differentiate us from the other stations. We also chose Calgary because it's a progressive, young forward-thinking city," he said.

Modern communication

Jones says the logic of having three- to five-minute long radio songs is from 60 years ago when radio broadcasters played 45 rpm records. The average song on AMP now runs somewhere from 1:45 to 2:30.

"It struck us that we are using logic that's 60 years old in an era where communication has changed dramatically in all its forms," he said.

So the company decided to look at how radio can adapt to a world obsessed with quick communication, like the 140 characters provided by Twitter.

The radio station now uses the program Quickhitz, which comes from a Vancouver-based company called Sparknet Communications, to shave down the songs.

'An insult,' says Jann Arden 

Jones says for years radio stations have been editing songs or playing different versions, but this takes it to the next level.

Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden agrees edits are common in radio, but she says half a song is an "insult" to musicians.

But Jones believes the songs have maintained their integrity, and said many listeners don't even notice it has been edited.

The way AMP Calgary plays ads has also changed.

"Instead of stopping for five minutes of commercials, we never stop for more than two minutes and we do shorter bursts throughout the hour," he said.

Jones says the ad companies are happy with the change, but there has been a "muted excitement" from the music industry. He says the shorter songs allow for better exposure and more royalties for the musicians.

But Spencer Brown, a music promoter and radio host at the indie CJSW station, says musicians will not be happy.

"Everyone is pretty much shocked and anyone who values music as an art form is pretty disheartened by it," he said.

He thinks the radio station will be a hit with people who have short attention spans, but it's not something for those who love music.

It's not the first time AMP Calgary has made national headlines. It came under fire last March for burning $5,000 in cash on air after holding a contest that asked listeners to vote on whether to raffle off the cash or incinerate it. 

Is your attention span getting shorter?

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Animal rescue uses popular dating app Tinder to showcase dogs

Tinder may be one of the most popular dating smartphone apps currently on the market, but it's got some real dogs on it.

Rosie Animal Adoption is putting dogs on dating app Tinder to help raise awareness about adoption. (DentsuBos)

Take Gracie, for example. She recently came out of a bad relationship. Even so, she loves going out and socializing. She likes long walks, cuddles and belly rubs.

She's a poodle, and she's just a few kilometres away from you.

Rosie Animal Adoption and marketing company DentsuBos are behind the Tinder hack, which is called Tinderdoption.

"[Gracie's] been on the site since last week and she's been receiving a lot of messages… from people who are interested in her," said Zina Hussein of Rosie Animal Adoption.

Hussein told CBC Daybreak on Thursday that DentsuBos approached the rescue network with the idea of a new kind of campaign to get dogs adopted.

She doesn't know whether Tinder is aware of the dogs, but she doesn't see why the app's makers would have a problem with their presence. Rosie's is a non-profit organization and there's no financial motive in advertising dogs on Tinder.

Besides, Hussein said there would be a maximum of 15 dogs online at one time. She thinks the stunt will, at the very least, raise awareness about the variety of rescue dogs available.

"You can find a great companion within the rescue network in Montreal," she said.

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Lions Bay drainage ditch stars in another insane video

Extreme kayaker Ben Marr is at it again.

Last fall, the B.C. man shot a video of his solo trip down a concrete draining ditch in the community of Lions Bay and posted it to YouTube, where it went viral.

In that trip, he claimed to have achieved a top speed of 54 km/h before being dumped out into Howe Sound.

When Marr recently returned to the chute, he didn't go alone.

The newest GoPro video, posted to YouTube Tuesday and already making the rounds online, shows Marr and fellow daredevil Rush Sturges racing each other down the "Lions Bay slide."

"I think we should go in at the exact same time, pretty much,"  Marr tells Sturges in the video, as the two ready themselves to set off through a break in a chain link fence. "And then we'll duke it out."

"That sounds really scary, dude," Sturges said. 

As Marr starts to pull him in, Sturges protests: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Seriously, that sounds sketchy."

"It'll be sick," Marr counters. "You should just calm down, dude."

The men, recording with helmet- and kayak-mounted GoPro cameras, launch in and end up sliding up the banks, spinning around and losing control as they gain speed.

Near the end, Marr make a move to pass Sturges and it looks as though he careens off course just before both get dumped into Howe Sound.

The YouTube post claims they reached a top speed of 72 km/h.

Ben Marr makes a late pass on the left of Rush Sturges, as the two kayakers slide down a drainage chute in the community of Lions Bay, B.C. (YouTube)

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Big Bang Theory stars to get big bucks, $1M an episode for 3 years: reports

Actors Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco will get big raises for their roles on television sitcom The Big Bang Theory after locking in three-year contracts that will see them earn $1 million US an episode, according to a report on Deadline.com.

The pay increases would be significant for Cuoco, who plays Penny, Parsons (Sheldon Cooper) and Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter).

Previous reports had pegged their earnings at about $350,000 per half-hour episode.

The new contracts would also give the trio a bigger piece of the show's overall profits.

The show, set in Pasadena, Calif., centres on two brilliant but socially awkward physicists (Sheldon and Leonard) whose lives are transformed when an outgoing and attractive waitress (Penny) moves into the apartment across the hall.

In March, CBS renewed the hit series three more seasons, which would bring the show to its 10th year.

Simon Helberg, left, and Kunal Nayyar are said to still be in negotiations, but a deal is expected to be reached this week. (John Shearer/Getty Images)

The ongoing dispute over salaries has delayed production for the show's eighth season, and Warner Bros. Television is reportedly still negotiating with cast members Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar. 

If deals can be reached by Wednesday's production deadline, filming will only be one week behind.

That means fans can still expect the show to return on its slated premiere date of Sept. 22.

Big Bang Theory is the No.1 comedy on television, netting huge ratings for CBS and an estimated $1 billion in profits for Warner Bros.over the next three years.

There has been no official comment from Warner Bros, CBS or representatives of the show's stars.

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Woman crashes into firehouse with python wrapped around her neck

Sarah Espinosa was charged with reckless driving, driving while intoxicated, and unlawful possession of marijuana. ( Nassau County Police Department)

A New York woman, who crashed her Toyota Prius into a firehouse with a stolen python wrapped around her neck, faces charges of reckless endangerment and larceny, police said on Tuesday.

Sarah Espinosa, 22, from Albany, drove over the centre median on the Jericho Turnpike in Long Island late Monday and plowed through the garage door of the New Hyde Park Fire House, damaging two fire trucks, the Nassau County Police Department said in a statement.

"Fire personnel who were present at the time of the accident rendered aid to the victim, at which time they discovered a small ball python snake wrapped around the defendant's neck," police said.

Firefighters removed the snake and Espinosa was transported to a local hospital, police said. She was released a short time later.

Espinosa was charged with reckless driving, driving while intoxicated, and unlawful possession of marijuana in addition to reckless endangerment in the second degree and petit larceny.

Police said they were not sure if the snake had been strangling Espinosa and caused her to crash, or if her driving was impaired by intoxication.

Espinosa is accused of stealing the snake from a nearby PETCO store before the crash, police said. The animal, priced at $89.99, was returned to the pet store later on Monday, police said.

She was scheduled to be arraigned later on Tuesday at First District Court in Hempstead. A spokesman with the Nassau County District Attorney's office said Espinosa would be assigned an attorney at her arraignment.

Small ball pythons are smaller and more docile than other types of python, according to PETCO's website.

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Whistler man wants Sea-to-Sky to become a musical highway

Musical highway on Sea-to-Sky?6:28

A part-time Whistler resident wants to turn the Sea-to-Sky into a musical highway by installing grooves that would play Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 as vehicles are driven over them.

Ian MacDonald thinks making the Sea-to-Sky a musical highway would be the perfect way to welcome tourists to Whistler. (Ian MacDonald)

Ian MacDonald says there are musical highways in Korea, Japan, Denmark and Lancaster, Calif. 

He believes the idea could boost tourism in the Whistler area.

"Whistler is a world-class destination, and for those people who I talk to from different parts of the world, they're dazzled by the sights of it," he told Kathryn Gretsinger on CBC's The Early Edition.

"It would be amazing if you could have an added aural component as you enter Whistler for the first time."

MacDonald has taken his proposal to Whistler council, which has referred the plan to staff for consideration.

He has also spoken with officials in B.C.'s highways ministry.

MacDonald is also preparing his own feasibility study to convince lawmakers that a musical highway would make the Sea-to-Sky sing.

MacDonald believes Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (sometimes referred to as Ode to Joy) would be the ideal piece of music for the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

He wants the musical stretch of highway to begin at the entrance to Whistler, near Function Junction.

"For those people who know Whistler, there's the Symphony Bowl, the Flute Ridge, the High Note Trail," says MacDonald.

"I'm going to call it the r'Ode to Joy."

The Sea-to-Sky would be transformed into a musical highway by cutting grooves or ridges into the pavement.

When the right pattern is used, different musical notes can be made as a vehicle traverses that section of road.

People inside and outside the vehicle would be able to hear the tune.

In the City of Lancaster, Calif., a musical highway has been in place since 2008.

The city's capital program manager Ray Hunt says it's put them on the map.

"It's not necessarily a necessity, but it's something that gives pleasure to people who come out and see it," said Hunt. "It's pretty cool."

Hunt says the musical stretch of road wasn't expensive.

"When we constructed the musical road, it cost us about $30,000 and that's just the physical construction costs. It's pretty standard construction techniques."

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• What do you think of a musical Sea-to-Sky? Leave your comments below.

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