'Flying sheepdog' drone may be herding dogs to the unemployment line

It appears as though replacing human workers won't be enough to satisfy our shiny metal overlords when they take over. 

As evidenced by this footage of a drone successfully herding sheep, robots are coming for all of the jobs — canines included. 

Irish farmer and aerial photographer Paul Brennan uploaded the video seen above on Saturday after experimenting with his new quadcopter in a sheep pasture.

Despite soaring high above the flock at several points to capture its scope, Brennan's "drone sheepdog" was able to herd approximately 120 sheep from one field to another in just minutes.

"Watch the sheepdog of the future Shep the Drone as he moves sheep from one field to another" wrote Brennan in the description of his YouTube video, which has now been viewed more than 100,000 times.

Brennan told the BBC that his quadcopter worked "perfectly" in rounding up the sheep on his brother's Dublin farm, but the U.K.'s National Farmer's Union isn't so keen on seeing dogs replaced by drones.

An Old English Sheepdog at the 138th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show February 10, 2014. (Timothy Clary/AFP/Getty)

"There may be a use to check-in on animals grazing on common land or in the hills but that's about the limit," said a representative for the organization to BBC News. "The reality is that a good sheepdog is a far better way to go about the job."

Some of the commenters on Brennan's YouTube video were similarly put off by the idea of a "flying sheepdog."

"It's people like you who are contributing to the epidemic of unemployed sheepdogs," wrote one commenter. "For shame."

"So now, even the Border Collies are losing their jobs," wrote another.

All robot-related dog unemployment jokes aside, many are pointing out that this is a particularly useful application for a drone.

Commercial drone applications have been making headlines for years, but often only for novelty's sake (or because they've run afoul of the law.)

What a sheep's-eye view of a 'quadcopter' might be like. (Mel Evans/Associated Press)

When contrasted against drones that deliver beer, tacos and mistletoe, a sheep-herding drone seems like a work of "shear" genius.

While SHEP is by far the most high-profile sheep-herding drone at this point, Brennan's drone was not in fact the first quadcopter to successfully wrangle sheep.

At least half-a-dozen similar videos dating as far back as June, 2013 can currently be seen on YouTube, though none of the drones are seen herding as many sheep as SHEP.

Other videos on YouTube show drones herding cattle, mountain goats and even Canadian geese.

That'll do, drone. That'll do.

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Reddit user's photos show 'breathtaking' Saskatchewan sights

Tourism Saskatchewan might want to get in touch with a Reddit user touting the exciting geography of this province.

"Breathtaking Photos from my Glorious Road Trip across Saskatchewan," reads the title of the March 29 post from HippySol in the Canada section of the website.

The images hosted on Imgur are mostly sarcastic jabs at Saskatchewan's seemingly unending flatness and wide open spaces. Some of the sights include a train, another train and an icy patch.

People seem to enjoy the dry sense of humour as the Reddit post has around 2,400 upvotes and the Imgur gallery already has more than 36,000 views.

It's all in good fun and you can flip through the photos above to see what all the fuss is about.

Just don't expect to see anything as truly beautiful as these Saskatchewan scenery shots.

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Hamilton taxidermist makes 'cute forever friends' with dead rats

Ankixa Risk is an affable and enthusiastic Hamilton business owner who just happens to enjoy skinning rats.

You know, for art's sake.

She's a Toronto transplant now living in Hamilton who started practising taxidermy about a decade ago. Now, she's bringing it to the masses with one-day lessons in "casual taxidermy" where you too can learn to gussy up a rat and turn it into art.

"I'm making cute forever friends," Risk told CBC Hamilton from her exhibit at Compilation on Wilson Street, near James Street North. "I love the presentation of the afterlife."

'It took my mother a long, long time to be able to look at a piece.'- Ankixa Risk, taxidermist

That presentation varies – one of those "forever friends" is a rat riding a bike. Another is a graffiti artist rat holding a spray can. Next to that is a mounted, mythical Jackalope – a jackrabbit with antelope horns.

"I just realized I'm wearing the same skirt as she is," she says, pointing to another one of her stuffed buddies.

Jackalope aside, most of her work is done using rats in an effort to keep things ethical and sustainable, she says. They come from reptile supply stores and after she or a student skins them, the meat from the animal is sent to reptile zoos to be served as dinner.

Occasionally though, a carcass will come to her through other means. Sometimes it's someone's pet that they'd like to have preserved.

She'll only do that for rats and some other small animals like hedgehogs – no dogs or cats, as she feels like it could be traumatic for the person in the long run.

Then there's roadkill. Risk isn't above plucking an animal from the side of the road or the woods to use for her art. She's still lamenting a roadside possum carcass she missed while driving not long ago because she didn't have the right storage tools on her.

Most of Risk's work deals with "anthropomorphic personification," and posing animals as people. (Adam Carter/CBC)

But in her classes, it's all frozen, ethically purchased rats. Within an eight-hour session, students learn about taxidermy techniques that have been around since the Victorian Age, including how to skin a rat and then stuff it with cotton, fibre and pipe cleaners.

Then it's all about finding the right accessories for the rat to turn it into a proper art piece. Bizarrely, most doll accessories tend to fit them. "They're almost Barbie-sized – just with a more realistic waist," she laughed.

Risk realizes this isn't for everyone, but says most people have an open mind about her work. In some circles, taxidermy is even growing in popularity and becoming a bit of a fad. Her classes are small, but keep selling out. She's even heading to the east coast this spring to teach there, too.

That said, some people will always find this fundamentally creepy.

"It took my mother a long, long time to be able to look at a piece."

adam.carter@cbc.ca | AdamCarterCBC

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Burgess Shale fossil beds in B.C. reveal ancient ancestor of spiders, lobsters

A newly identified marine creature found in a shale site on the Alberta-B.C. border lived more than 509 millions years ago, more than 250 million years before the first dinosaur walked on the Earth.

The creature known as Yawunik kootenayi, was about 10 centimetres long, with two sets of eyes and three long claws, two of which were lined with teeth that were used to help it catch prey to eat. The claws also included long, whip-like appendages used to sense its surroundings.

The Yawunik was an arthropod, which links it to modern day creatures like spiders, lobsters and butterflies. The fossil was identified by paleontologists at the University of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum, and Pomona College in California.

Cédric Aria, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study published this week in the journal Palaeontology, said that the Yawunik belongs to a "stem group" of arthropods that makes it an ancestor of modern-day creatures as diverse as spiders, shrimp, lobsters, and ants.

"It has the signature features of an arthropod with its external skeleton, segmented body and jointed appendages, but lacks certain advanced traits present in groups that survived until the present day," Aria said.

He estimates that over 100 specimens of the Yawunik were found in the shale fields in Marble Canyon.

The creature was named in tribute to the Kootenay or Ktunaxa Nation, who lived in the Marble Canyon region. The Yawunik, meanwhile, was a fierce mythological sea creature.

A fossil of the Yawunik kootenayi, which lived about 509 million years ago, was found in the Marble Canyon shale field in B.C.'s Kootenay National Park. (Jean-Bernard Caron/Royal Ontario Museum)

"Yawunik is a central figure in the Ktunaxa creation story, and, as such, is a vital part of Ktunaxa oral history," said Donald Sam, Ktunaxa Nation Council Director of Traditional Knowledge and Language in the ROM's press release. "I am ecstatic that the research team recognizes how important our history is in our territory, and chose to honour the Ktunaxa through this amazing discovery."

It's the first creature identified from the Marble Canyon, a site located in B.C.'s Kootenay National Park. It's 40 kilometres away from the 505-million-year-old Burgess Shale in Yoho National Park, which is recognized as one of the most important fossil fields in the world.

Scientists first discovered the field in 2012, unearthing the remains of 50 animal species, 12 of them new to the science world. Aria explains that fossils in the Marble Canyon are unusually well-preserved, even including creatures' internal organs. That's thanks to the fine-grain mud that buried the creatures millions of years ago in an area of the canyon with water that had little or no oxygen, which reduced the ability for micro-organisms to decompose the fossils.

Aria says a second new arthropod will be announced to the public in the coming weeks, and that "those are the first of a long list" of new species to be identified.

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Hamilton taxidermist makes 'cute forever friends' with dead rats

Ankixa Risk is an affable and enthusiastic Hamilton business owner who just happens to enjoy skinning rats.

You know, for art's sake.

She's a Toronto transplant now living in Hamilton who started practising taxidermy about a decade ago. Now, she's bringing it to the masses with one-day lessons in "casual taxidermy" where you too can learn to gussy up a rat and turn it into art.

"I'm making cute forever friends," Risk told CBC Hamilton from her exhibit at Compilation on Wilson Street, near James Street North. "I love the presentation of the afterlife."

'It took my mother a long, long time to be able to look at a piece.'- Ankixa Risk, taxidermist

That presentation varies – one of those "forever friends" is a rat riding a bike. Another is a graffiti artist rat holding a spray can. Next to that is a mounted, mythical Jackalope – a jackrabbit with antelope horns.

"I just realized I'm wearing the same skirt as she is," she says, pointing to another one of her stuffed buddies.

Jackalope aside, most of her work is done using rats in an effort to keep things ethical and sustainable, she says. They come from reptile supply stores and after she or a student skins them, the meat from the animal is sent to reptile zoos to be served as dinner.

Occasionally though, a carcass will come to her through other means. Sometimes it's someone's pet that they'd like to have preserved.

She'll only do that for rats and some other small animals like hedgehogs – no dogs or cats, as she feels like it could be traumatic for the person in the long run.

Then there's roadkill. Risk isn't above plucking an animal from the side of the road or the woods to use for her art. She's still lamenting a roadside possum carcass she missed while driving not long ago because she didn't have the right storage tools on her.

Most of Risk's work deals with "anthropomorphic personification," and posing animals as people. (Adam Carter/CBC)

But in her classes, it's all frozen, ethically purchased rats. Within an eight-hour session, students learn about taxidermy techniques that have been around since the Victorian Age, including how to skin a rat and then stuff it with cotton, fibre and pipe cleaners.

Then it's all about finding the right accessories for the rat to turn it into a proper art piece. Bizarrely, most doll accessories tend to fit them. "They're almost Barbie-sized – just with a more realistic waist," she laughed.

Risk realizes this isn't for everyone, but says most people have an open mind about her work. In some circles, taxidermy is even growing in popularity and becoming a bit of a fad. Her classes are small, but keep selling out. She's even heading to the east coast this spring to teach there, too.

That said, some people will always find this fundamentally creepy.

"It took my mother a long, long time to be able to look at a piece."

adam.carter@cbc.ca | AdamCarterCBC

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Plane with nobody aboard crashes in Saskatchewan

A plane with nobody aboard crashed in a field near Nipawin, Sask., and sure enough, nobody was hurt.

It happened shortly before 6 p.m. CST Thursday at the Nipawin Airport, the RCMP said.  

An initial investigation revealed the pilot tried to "prop start" the plane by standing in front and spinning the propeller by hand.

The engine turned over, but before he could get inside the Aeronca Chief two-seater, it began moving forward on the taxiway, gaining enough speed after 10 metres to become airborne.

Police said the pilot was left behind, embarrassed but uninjured.

A little later, the plane crashed.

The Transportation Safety Board was notified but an official told CBC News that aside from noting the incident, it would not be pursuing the investigation any further.

Nipawin is about 270 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

There are two seats in this Aeronca Chief plane, but both were empty when it crashed in a field beside Nipawin Airport on Thursday. (Nipawin Fire Department)

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Men are going nuts over Lululemon's 'anti-ball crushing' pants

The Canadian sportswear brand famous for making yoga pants the de facto uniform of women on university campuses everywhere appears to have shifted its focus from butts to balls.

That's right, Lululemon has entered the menswear business — and it's attracting a lot of men's business with pants designed for men's business.

Below is a photo of the Vancouver-based company's new "anti-ball crushing" (or ABC) pants, which were engineered to give "the family jewels room to breathe," according to a product description.
 

Lululemon's 'ABC' (or 'Anti-Ball Crushing') pants also advertise a slim-fit style to ensure 'your pants and your bike chain won't cross paths.' (Lululemon)

Lululemon CEO Laurent Potdevin told investors during a call Thursday that this innovative garment was a driving force behind the 16 per cent same-store sales increase the company experienced last quarter.

After suffering an eight per cent profit drop ahead of December's holiday shopping season, this no doubt comes as good news to shareholders.

It may also come as good news to men who've not yet heard of the ABC pants and want to experience a "wide panelled gusset" and "four-way stretch Warpstreme™ fabric" themselves.

While the Internet Archive shows that customers have been able to purchase the $128 trousers from Lululemon's website for at least eight months, few online appear to have heard about the anatomy-friendly pants (as Bloomberg calls them) until reports from the investors call came out this week. 
 

Many were joking about the pants on Twitter Friday afternoon, but dozens of reviews on the product's webpage show that some men do take their… er… bike-seat comfort very seriously.

"I would buy more of these pants except then people at work would think I only owned 5 pairs of one kind of pants in different colours," wrote a customer from Toronto earlier this month. "They are fantastic! Buy one size bigger than normal. If that bugs your ego you can sew in a new label size ..."

"Things will never be the same," wrote another customer from Houston, Texas. "These pants hug me in the right places." 
 

 

Lululemon's intensified push into the menswear market, which saw the company's first brick-and-mortar store dedicated to men's clothing open in November, follows a couple of turbulent years in the world of their women's wear.

In July of 2013, Lululemon was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that its Luon yoga pants were too sheer (if not entirely see-through), following a recall that saw its shares drop 3 per cent in one day.

Later that year, company founder Chip Wilson ignited controversy by saying that Lululemon yoga pants "just don't work" on some women's bodies. Many accused Wilson, who established the business in 1998, of fat-shaming larger customers, slamming Lululemon online and threatening to boycott the store.

A poorly-received charitable partnership with the Dalai Lama, shopping bag messages that appeared to discourage customers from wearing sunscreen, and Wilson's plans to build an enormous dock on his waterfront B.C. property despite complaints from neighbours further damaged the company's public image.

Wilson stepped down from Lululemon's board of directors in February, saying in a statement that he believed the company to be "back on track" in terms of product, brand and culture.

If the popularity of the anti-ball crushing pants are any indication, he may have been right.

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'Also Shot on iPhone 6' ads parody stunning Apple billboards

A series of iPhone 6 parody ads are winning nods of approval from even the most die-hard of Apple fans this week for having some cheeky fun with the company's latest billboard campaign.

The ads in question, installed across the world earlier this month, display spectacular photos above a line of text that reads "Shot on iPhone 6."

"People take incredible photos and videos on iPhone 6 every day," reads the campaign's companion site on Apple.com.

Called World Gallery, the website contains approximately 60 photos (many of which have been spotted on billboards), as well as information about who took each image, where it was shot, and which apps were used to enhance it.

The photos used for the campaign are undeniably stunning, and a few people have gone so far as to suggest that they weren't in fact shot with an iPhone 6. Many more are rolling their eyes at Apple's apparent suggestion that anyone can shoot a billboard-worthy photo using a smartphone.

Let's face it – the average iPhone user is a lot more likely to have pet portraits and last night's dinner in their camera roll than a perfectly lit field of Thai sunflowers.

The "Also Shot on iPhone 6" parody campaign makes this abundantly clear.

Satirical versions of Apple's new ads have been popping up around San Francisco in recent days, prompting lots of discussion online about what photos shot by a typical iPhone 6 user tend to look like.

As a Tumblr set up to document the project shows, awkward bathroom selfies dominate the game.

The Bold Italic reports that two San Francisco advertising creatives (who wish not to be named) are behind the spoof campaign.

"The iPhone 6 ads are all over San Francisco and we walk by them everyday. All the photos Apple selected for the campaign are beautiful," one of the artists explained. "Our thought was that people don't always take pretty pictures on their phones, so we thought it would be funny to show the other, non-beautiful, photos people take."

The duo started putting up posters in neighbourhoods in and around San Francisco with blown-up iPhone images on Sunday, and the web's been loving on them ever since.

Here are some of the most popular parody ads posted to the project's Tumblr page so far:

(alsoshotoniphone6.tumblr.com)

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Sabres fans cheer Coyotes' OT win in Buffalo

The impending arrival of Connor McDavid has created an uncomfortable scenario in the NHL this season, pitting fans in some cities against their own teams amid hopes of landing a transcendent player in the upcoming draft.

The team that finishes the regular season with the worst record will receive the best odds (though still only 20 per cent) of getting the No. 1 overall choice via the draft lottery. That pick will presumably be used on McDavid, the 18-year-old OHL superstar.

The rest of the slots are determined by reverse order of finish, so the bottom team will, at worst, pick second. And with another "can't miss" prospect, U.S. college phenom Jack Eichel, also entering the draft, the rewards for finishing last have seldom been higher.

With little hope of a playoff berth in their near future, many fans of the rebuilding Sabres have been quietly rooting against their team this season. But on Thursday night, with their NHL-worst club hosting second-worst Phoenix, many Buffalo fans couldn't contain their joy when the Coyotes' Sam Gagner scored an overtime goal that put his team six points up (or down, depending how you look at it) on the Sabres in the overall standings.

The unusual reaction wasn't lost on Buffalo's players, who despite management's efforts to "tank" the season by icing an inexperienced and talent-poor roster, don't go into games wishing to lose.

Defenceman Mike Weber called it "a whole new low." 

"We understand what this team's doing, what the organization's doing, the place we've put ourselves in," Weber said. "But I've never been a part of something like that, where the away team comes into a home building, and they're cheering for them."

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Welcome to Atlantic Canada, the world's newest country according to Air Canada

Remember to get your Canadian dollars changed over to East Coast pesos.

Haven't you heard? Atlantic Canada is separate from the rest of Canada, according to an Air Canada ad.

The graphic was sent out in an email, advertising savings on a flight "between Canada and Atlantic Canada."

Needless to say, the ad was met with a massive eye roll from Canadians, yes Canadians, in the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The CBC contacted Air Canada for a reply. They sent this tweet.

Read the online world's reaction here.

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Should March 25 be World Pothole Day?

If Mark Morrell — who goes by the moniker Mr. Pothole — gets his way, March 25, would be declared World Pothole Day.

"Everyone has them in their local streets and local highways and when they're dangerous, then you report them to authorities," Morrell, a U.K. resident, told Daybreak North's Carolina de Ryk.

"Then they don't do anything and then you have to get the police involved. And I thought, 'I'm not prepared to live in a society that accepts that.'"

Morrell worked for more than 25 years in road structures and reinstatement, and has studied roads around the world including Canada.

'Mr. Pothole' Mark Morrell wants March 25 to be declared World Pothole Day to pressure authorities around the world to do a better job of fixing potholes. (@mrpotholeuk/Twitter)

"To some people they're an annoyance. To some people they cost them quite a few buck in terms of paying out for repairs.

"But unfortunately I have met some families of some cyclists who were killed …. so there's a tragic side."

Morrell has launched a social media campaign calling for better road repairs, urging people to post pictures of potholes and tag their relevant authority.

So far, he says, the results are already encouraging.

"I've had some tremendous successes, where even MPs over here couldn't get roads done ... I've got involved and used social media and surprise surprise, we've got repairs."

To hear the full interview with Mark Morrell, click the audio labelled: 'Mr. Pothole' pushes for World Pothole Day.

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Grown-ups pay big money to attend 'adult preschool' in Brooklyn

Do you ever feel like you didn't make the most of your time as a 4-year-old? Like you failed to appreciate how awesome life was when "gift shopping" meant bringing home a macaroni necklace?  Like you'd give anything to see nap time on your schedule again?

Your inner child is in luck — but only if your outer adult can afford to enrol in "adult preschool," which is an actual thing now. No jokes.

Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., Preschool Mastermind is a one-month long program that purports to help grown-ups over the age of 18 "re-learn the basics and experience the magic of life as it was originally intended."

For between $333 and $999, participants can expect to spend time in class playing games, doing arts and crafts, participating in show-and-tell sessions, going on field trips and completing playsheets, among other activities.

They'll also have nap time.

Some of the activities participants who enroll in Brooklyn's adult daycare can expect, as listed on Preschool Mastermind's website. (MichelleJoni.com / Preschool Mastermind)

According to the course's website, Preschool Mastermind has a limit of 10 students per class — all of whom must apply for the privilege of enrolling.

"Please note, [applications] must be PRINTED and filled out BY HAND," reads the application instructions. "Think markers, crayons, paint… perhaps this means a trip to the art store — ohh fun! Please read carefully (because this time around, you can read). Most importantly, HAVE FUN with it!"

Course founder Michelle Joni Lapidos, 30, indicates on her website that both men and women (or "grownup boys and girls," as she puts it) are welcome in the program, and that she is looking for "bright-minded" students who are "intent on making play more part of their life."  

Course instructor Michelle Joni posted this photo on Instagram, writing: "'You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.' - Play Doh. I mean Plato. " (Michelle Joni / Instagram)

"Miss Joni," who teaches the course out of her Brooklyn home / office space with the aid of an assistant, has "nearly half a degree in Early Childhood Education" according to her bio.

"I wanted to be a preschool teacher for many years, so that is what I originally went to college for!" she wrote. "But then I realized that career path meant being chained to a classroom and told that my butt can't show… AT ALL. So I switched to Fashion Merchandising."

The course's assistant, Candice Kilpatrick (Miss CanCan to students) is described as a former preschool teacher with a master's degree in teaching.

Preschool Mastermind instructors Candice Kilpatrick and Michelle Joni Lapidos. (Hanna Agar / MichelleJoni.com)

ABC News reports that the program's first round of students will finalize the inaugural course on Tuesday by bringing two adults of their choice to class with them.

The activity is being called "parents day," and one grown-up kid is reportedly bringing her actual mom and dad.

Preschool Mastermind is preparing to start a new term this fall, according to TIME. Would you enrol if you had the chance?

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Welcome to Atlantic Canada, the world's newest country according to Air Canada

Remember to get your Canadian dollars changed over to East Coast pesos.

Haven't you heard? Atlantic Canada is separate from the rest of Canada, according to an Air Canada ad.

The graphic was sent out in an email, advertising savings on a flight "between Canada and Atlantic Canada."

Needless to say, the ad was met with a massive eye roll from Canadians, yes Canadians, in the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Read the reaction here.

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F--k no profanity for Medicine Hat college basketball player: it's his last name

For one college basketball player in Medicine Hat, Alta., the f-word is not a profanity — it's his last name.

But for the past two years, Guy Carbagiale Fuck has been asked by his coaches to, literally, drop the f-bomb and go by "Guy Carbagiale" on the roster.

"I played in a very small city," said Fuck. "To avoid community conflict, they asked me to go by my first and middle name."

The Brazilian-born forward says his surname is actually pronounced "Foo-key" and only became an issue when he moved to the United States to play basketball.

'It's my last name, I'm proud of it. Doesn't matter if it means something bad.'- Guy Carbagiale Fuck

Fuck says his name is of German origin and means "fox" — but he agreed not to be identified by it because he was new to the country and knew it had a different meaning in English. 

By the time he moved to Canada in August 2014 and started playing with the Medicine Hat Rattlers, he'd had enough.

"It's my last name, I'm proud of it. Doesn't matter if it means something bad," he said.

However, Fuck was only allowed to use his real name after his team made it to the Canadian Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball championships in March. The team finished seventh overall.

Before that, staff from Medicine Hat College asked the city's local newspaper to only use his first and middle name in news stories about the team.

When asked if he's ever thought about changing his last name, the answer is no.

"No, no, no, I want to have kids, I want to spread the Fuck last name," he said.

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Hawk gets friendly with cows in barn

A hawk seeking shelter from winter storms on P.E.I. has used the refuge so often this winter it is starting to get friendly with the cows there.

"He sat there while the cows were actually licking him, very close to him," Bonshaw farmer Jeff MacQuarrie told CBC News.

"I was amazed! I had to take pictures, it was the first I've ever taken any pictures, and it was a very cool experience."

'That was pretty awesome, to actually come that close to a wild bird.'- Allan MacQuarrie

The red-tailed hawk started making his appearances in the dairy barn in advance of storms a couple of months ago. He was so good at predicting the storms the family called him Boomer, after the local CBC weatherman.

In his first few visits the hawk stayed up in the rafters, chasing away the pigeons, which was a bonus for the MacQuarries. MacQuarrie was surprised to find it on the floor with the cows during a recent storm. Boomer had caught a rat, and was comfortable with the cows close by while it ate.

Jeff MacQuarrie's father Allan was even able to get close enough to touch the bird.

"That was pretty awesome, to actually come that close to a wild bird," he said.

P.E.I. wildlife officials say hawks are usually scared of people, and avoid them except in extreme circumstances, such as when food is difficult to find.

That has been the situation for many birds on P.E.I. recently that rely on small animals for food. More than four metres of snow has fallen on the Island since late January, providing small mammals with plenty of cover.

The province and the Atlantic Veterinary College say they have received calls about strange bird behaviour. A hawk flew under a deck to catch a squirrel, and an underfed owl that was struck by a car.

Boomer has not been in the MacQuarrie's barn since the last storm ended early Monday.

"It's always exciting when he's in the barn," said Jeff MacQuarrie.

"He's kind of a pet."

The family expects he'll make his return at the next sign of snow.

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These may be the bigggest piles of snow in Canada

Friday may be the first day of Spring, but Canada's eastern provinces are still living in a world that most closely resembles the ice planet of Hoth. 

Possibly your best bet for tomorrow's commute. #WinterISurrender #cbcns pic.twitter.com/CF1b1bNr6u

— @larochecbc

The situation has many east coasters declaring surrender 

(Blake Hebb)

BECAUSE THESE ARE REAL PHOTOS

@BrianHigginsCBC bigger banks pic.twitter.com/yHSTlJKRMV

— @allanclow

@BrianHigginsCBC here's the banks in malpeque. pic.twitter.com/H1il2KDOL6

— @allanclow

How many times in 1 week does this have to happen? #pei #peistorm #atlstorm #winterIsurrender http://t.co/iq9JmpbnG9 pic.twitter.com/YnYLuTcnbM

— @ShannonPratt

Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/7Ii5cItVFV

— @lencurrie

And the winner is ... #snowmageddon2015 ... Eddie Duggan from French River, PEI #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/60Qg31S9SO

— @DalExecEd

I found Halifax's version of the wall from Game Of Thrones. #wallofsnow @haligonia #halifax #NSstorm pic.twitter.com/mTCx5FeuNc

— @sarahmaclellan

CBC even started a hashtag: #WinterISurrender

My neighbour has extended the pole on his white flag of surrender #WinterISurrender http://t.co/ZNEXfyw3Oj #cbcns

— @CBCMaritimeNoon

​

The living room window. #pei #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/9ZiVBj9LjX

— @svankampenCBC

Bring on Spring. #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/29veTOsy80

— @srvessey

Some are so angry they're ready to turn to violence 

@CBCNS @RCMPNS @HfxRegPolice I decided this morning more drastic measures were necessary. #oldmanwinter #ihatewinter pic.twitter.com/um07HZs2YO

— @halifax_ukie

*This photo, thankfully, is not from the recent east coast storms

Others have become unintended casualties

​

#WinterISurrender because this poor guy got blown away by a plow truck! Shoutout to @MathesonKatie for the original! pic.twitter.com/pWtVzk7cUc

— @cdskinner03

Just another day in Snova Scotia

​

@MarilynDenisCTV Not in Snova Scotia - it's been cancelled. pic.twitter.com/tR1Eogm2a2

— @halifax_ukie

This is a real problem right now

(CBC/Submitted)

People seriously cannot find their cars

Wind & snow r slowing down, there is a driveway & SUV under the snow, or at least there was before the storm stared pic.twitter.com/MGd6EfrSer

— @srvessey

#WinterISurrender yeah, that little strip of purple is my car :( pic.twitter.com/aGL7r4VwLz

— @dw1doyle

And forget about parking

Soon to disappear Parking meter in downtown Halifax. #winterISurrender #cbcns pic.twitter.com/SRCxzfxamk

— @larochecbc

Do I have to pay? #halifax #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/UPP13PvvZT

— @petes_tw33ts

Actually, forget about driving at all

Sitting in my SUV that I backed into the driveway yesterday to make it easier to drive out today. @islandmorning pic.twitter.com/Ys58OFpwMK

— @srvessey

Unless you've got one of these

... Wait, scrap that

Poor stuck bobcat! #WinterISurrender #nsstorm was doing his best to get by (car to right, off road, but on sidewalk) pic.twitter.com/AKhWElgmGX

— @DrRootz

Getting the mail is a challenge

(Blake Hebb)

And so is just walking

(Acrantrad)

People miss spring so much they're doing this

(Neville MacKay)

And this

#nsstorm. #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/2MNgxHbSxE

— @RobRafuse

And this

This Cape Breton neighbourhood was in full-on winter denial. The first step is asking for help. (Joan Weeks/CBC)

What the east coast really needs right now is a hero

I heard that Halifax needed a hero. #justiceleague #halifax #wonderwoman @haligonia.ca @Live105HRM pic.twitter.com/REfT0Llh67

— @sarahmaclellan

"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope"

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20-foot version of Olaf from Frozen comes to life in Quebec

Benoît​ Sabourin is likely one of the few people in Quebec hoping for sub-zero temperatures to continue.

The 21-year-old from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu built an enormous "real-life" version of Olaf, the snowman from the popular children's movie Frozen, on his front lawn.

"I was walking around town and I noticed that not many kids were building stuff outside, so I decided to build this huge snowman to inspire kids to build snowmen next year," Sabourin told CBC Montreal's Daybreak on Monday.  

20-foot snowman in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu6:07

Sabourin began building the snow man in February at 438 Savard St. and has devoted over 200 hours to the project.

He constructed the snowman by adding block of snow upon blocks of snow and, when it grew too tall to reach, climbing up what he described as a "sketchy ladder." 

"I wouldn't be able to say exactly how tall it is because my measuring tape is not long enough, but it's probably about 20 feet high," he said. 

Benoît​ Sabourin says children are 'just overwhelmed by the size' of his 20-foot snowman in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. (Submitted by Eithne Sheeran)

Sabourin has also documented the evolution of his work on video and is hopeful that Disney, Frozen's creator, will take notice once the full story is posted online.

His hard work has already had a positive impact on local residents.

Sabourin said more than 1,000 people came by his home to take photos on Sunday.

"The kids are just overwhelmed by the size," he said.

"It's fun to see their smiles."

Crowds gathered over the weekend to see the giant 'real-life' version of Olaf. (Submitted by Eithne Sheeran)

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Newfoundland lifts the lid on its ugliest toilets

New

Fire destroys crab processing plant in Cottlesville

New

Black Duck Cove man, 58, dead in snowmobile accident

New

Strong winds close roads, delay flights across the island

Man driving with no licence, insurance and $10K in fines runs from police

IceCaps lose to Monarchs 2-1

Azzo Rezori: A story from court on how not to treat a horse

Deer Lake snow woes puts strain on town crews

Where do humpback whales spend their winters?

Conception Bay Junior Renegades forfeit semifinals over abusive fan

No daycare spots for autistic son, says Corner Brook mom

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What Facebook, Twitter posts reveal about your health

Public pitches in to plan Victoria Park revamp

Jonathan Crowe: Who'd have thought my hockey passion would follow me here?

DaycareDebt: Daycare by the numbers

$52K in outstanding fines, man also driving in C.B.S. with no licence, insurance

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Someone stole an OPP cruiser and the police want it back

The OPP has found its stolen police cruiser.

The South Porcupine detachment in Matheson realized on Saturday that one of its black-and-white Ford Crown Victoria squad cars was missing.

Police say they spotted the cruiser around 3:30 a.m. Sunday and began following it.

They set up a spike belt that the police car drove over and then came to a stop.

A 30-year-old man from Black River-Matheson Township has been charged with several counts including theft, break and enter, resisting an officer and driving while suspended.

He is set to appear in court Monday.

The charges have not been proven in court.

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Ice planet Hoth or snowbound east coast of Canada? You decide

Friday may be the first day of Spring, but Canada's eastern provinces are still living in a world that most closely resembles the ice planet of Hoth. 

Possibly your best bet for tomorrow's commute. #WinterISurrender #cbcns pic.twitter.com/CF1b1bNr6u

— @larochecbc

The situation has many east coasters declaring surrender 

(Blake Hebb)

BECAUSE THESE ARE REAL PHOTOS

@BrianHigginsCBC bigger banks pic.twitter.com/yHSTlJKRMV

— @allanclow

@BrianHigginsCBC here's the banks in malpeque. pic.twitter.com/H1il2KDOL6

— @allanclow

How many times in 1 week does this have to happen? #pei #peistorm #atlstorm #winterIsurrender http://t.co/iq9JmpbnG9 pic.twitter.com/YnYLuTcnbM

— @ShannonPratt

Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/7Ii5cItVFV

— @lencurrie

And the winner is ... #snowmageddon2015 ... Eddie Duggan from French River, PEI #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/60Qg31S9SO

— @DalExecEd

I found Halifax's version of the wall from Game Of Thrones. #wallofsnow @haligonia #halifax #NSstorm pic.twitter.com/mTCx5FeuNc

— @sarahmaclellan

CBC even started a hashtag: #WinterISurrender

My neighbour has extended the pole on his white flag of surrender #WinterISurrender http://t.co/ZNEXfyw3Oj #cbcns

— @CBCMaritimeNoon

​

The living room window. #pei #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/9ZiVBj9LjX

— @svankampenCBC

Bring on Spring. #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/29veTOsy80

— @srvessey

Some are so angry they're ready to turn to violence 

@CBCNS @RCMPNS @HfxRegPolice I decided this morning more drastic measures were necessary. #oldmanwinter #ihatewinter pic.twitter.com/um07HZs2YO

— @halifax_ukie

*This photo, thankfully, is not from the recent east coast storms

Others have become unintended casualties

​

#WinterISurrender because this poor guy got blown away by a plow truck! Shoutout to @MathesonKatie for the original! pic.twitter.com/pWtVzk7cUc

— @cdskinner03

Just another day in Snova Scotia

​

@MarilynDenisCTV Not in Snova Scotia - it's been cancelled. pic.twitter.com/tR1Eogm2a2

— @halifax_ukie

This is a real problem right now

(CBC/Submitted)

People seriously cannot find their cars

Wind & snow r slowing down, there is a driveway & SUV under the snow, or at least there was before the storm stared pic.twitter.com/MGd6EfrSer

— @srvessey

#WinterISurrender yeah, that little strip of purple is my car :( pic.twitter.com/aGL7r4VwLz

— @dw1doyle

And forget about parking

Soon to disappear Parking meter in downtown Halifax. #winterISurrender #cbcns pic.twitter.com/SRCxzfxamk

— @larochecbc

Do I have to pay? #halifax #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/UPP13PvvZT

— @petes_tw33ts

Actually, forget about driving at all

Sitting in my SUV that I backed into the driveway yesterday to make it easier to drive out today. @islandmorning pic.twitter.com/Ys58OFpwMK

— @srvessey

Unless you've got one of these

... Wait, scrap that

Poor stuck bobcat! #WinterISurrender #nsstorm was doing his best to get by (car to right, off road, but on sidewalk) pic.twitter.com/AKhWElgmGX

— @DrRootz

Getting the mail is a challenge

(Blake Hebb)

And so is just walking

(Acrantrad)

People miss spring so much they're doing this

(Neville MacKay)

And this

#nsstorm. #WinterISurrender pic.twitter.com/2MNgxHbSxE

— @RobRafuse

And this

This Cape Breton neighbourhood was in full-on winter denial. The first step is asking for help. (Joan Weeks/CBC)

What the east coast really needs right now is a hero

I heard that Halifax needed a hero. #justiceleague #halifax #wonderwoman @haligonia.ca @Live105HRM pic.twitter.com/REfT0Llh67

— @sarahmaclellan

"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope"

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More