Top Stories – March 16 – Zelenskyy Addresses Parliament

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Canada’s parliament yesterday. Speaking from an undisclosed location he asked us to imagine being bombed for 20 straight days, and every night is a horrible one for the Ukraine people. Zelenskyy said Canada has always been a reliable partner and all partners need to do more such as aerial support such as closing airspace to stop Russia from invading and bombing other countries. He said the attack was an effort to annihilate the Ukrainian people and he hopes efforts will be expanded to bring peace.

Zelenskyy wants Canadians to imagine the terror and horror unfolding in his country and do more to help save Ukraine. In the emotional address to Parliament he said the sanctions from Canada and its allies are welcome but not enough to end the war and Ukraine needs help to close its skies to Russian aircraft and missiles. And not that he was planning on going there anyway, Russia has banned Prime Minister Trudeau from the country.

Ukraine said it saw possible room for compromise in talks with Russia, even as Putin’s forces stepped up their bombardment of Kyiv. Meantime the leaders of Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia visited the embattled capital, arriving by train in a bold show of support amid the danger. There is a 35 hour curfew under way in Kyiv as missiles and artillery fire around the clock.

Glenmore elementary school and a daycare north of the school were evacuated yesterday after a gas line break. The Kelowna Fire Department says a contractor working on a construction project on Lowland Street hit the line while using a piece of heavy equipment. The gas was eventually shut off as nearby residents were told to shelter in place while Fortis monitored gas levels. The school will reopen this morning.

There were 237 new cases of covid 19 reported in BC yesterday, which included 69 in the interior health region. There are 345 individuals hospitalized in the province and 50 are in intensive care. And rapid tests are now available for those 40 and over at pharmacies.

The Province is adding 22 new adult substance-use beds to serve people in the Okanagan. It’s also working with Interior Health, BC Housing and local service providers to bring complex care housing to Kelowna and Kamloops. These will be to support people living with mental health and substance use who have been caught in a cycle of evictions, shelters, and often emergency rooms and jail cells.

BC’s Children and Family Development Minister Mitzi Dean has named March this week, Social Work Week in the province. Social workers work with society’s most vulnerable people across mental health, health care, senior services, and several other fields. They respond to new challenges such as heat domes and wildfires, atmospheric rivers and floods, and the finding of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at former residential institutions.

West Kelowna mayor Gord Milsom says he’s up for a second term. He says he’ll be on the ballot when municipal elections are held October 15. Milsom says the resiliency and strength demonstrated by West Kelowna residents and businesses throughout the pandemic has made him proud.

BC Housing is effectively managed, but it could do better according to the Auditor General. A report says BC Housing helped women’s transition housing providers make up for the space they lost when COVID safety protocols reduced their capacity. But it says the agency did not assess staffing needs of transition housing providers despite known shortages.

Sports

In Vancouver last night, two Canucks goals within 17 seconds in the second period, helped the home team to a 6-3 win over New Jersey. Next up is a visit from the Red Wings tomorrow night.

Despite already having Baker Mayfield, the Cleveland Browns met with Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson yesterday about a potential trade. Another team that has come out of the woodwork to express some interest is Atlanta, where Watson grew up.

The Montreal Canadiens sat defenseman Ben Chiarot for yesterday’s contest against the Coyotes. The decision was made by management to protect the blue-liner from injury leading up to Monday’s trade deadline.

You want big money, play baseball. The Atlanta Braves signed first baseman Matt Olson to an eight-year, $168-million extension. The deal is the largest in club history.

One of the CFL’s most talented and charismatic figures of the last two decades is returning north. BC Lions co-general manager and head coach Rick Campbell announced that Henry Burris is joining the coaching staff as offensive consultant. The Hall of Fame quarterback was in the league from 1997 to 2016 with 4 teams.

First he was a Cowboy again, then he wasn’t. Tackle Randy Gregory initially signed with Dallas, but then didn’t like the language, so he signed with the Broncos for the same 5 year, 70 Million dollar contract.