Vancouver film industry mourns loss of Stewart McLean, praises his joyful spirit

VANCOUVER - Vancouver director and writer Ryan Minaker said he had known actor Stewart McLean for a decade, and remembered him as the "most giving" actor any director could ever have on set.

"What that means in our business is he's not acting for himself, he's acting for everyone around him, and it makes it real, it makes it raw, and he always was able to capture a beautiful raw emotion," said Minaker.

Tributes and condolences have been flooding social media from Vancouver's film industry after the remains of McLean were found in a community just north of Vancouver.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said the body was found during a search of the Lions Bay area, where McLean lived. 

Downtown Winnipeg church invites married couples to repledge their love

A Winnipeg church is celebrating 100 years of weddings by inviting married couples of all beliefs to reaffirm their commitment at a “mass vow renewal” service on June 20.

Life of A Basketball Fan: Taylor Swift attends Cavs-Knicks in Cleveland with fiance Travis Kelce

CLEVELAND (AP) — Turns out, Taylor Swift likes basketball, too.

The global music superstar sat courtside at Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night along with fiance and Cleveland native Travis Kelce as the Cavaliers hosted the New York Knicks desperately needing a win in the series.

Swift and Kelce, who recently signed a 3-year, $54 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, took their seats in Rocket Arena shortly before the opening tip. Their appearance caused a stir as fans reacted to seeing the power couple together.

Kelce didn't need long to settle in and was animated while cheering for the Cavs.

Quartet of vintage ventures makes the old new on Main Street

There’s something new/old going on in the heart of downtown Winnipeg.Since the beginning of April, 468 Main St. has been home to four businesses specializing in retro clothing, furniture and housewares.

Stephen Colbert is back on TV on community access in Michigan along with rocker Jack White

From the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York to ... community access TV in Michigan?

One night after Stephen Colbert recorded his final episode of “The Late Show" on CBS, he made a surprise appearance hosting the “Only in Monroe” community access show broadcast in southeast Michigan along the shores of Lake Erie.

Michigan native Jack White, who grew up in Detroit about 40 miles northeast of Monroe, joined Colbert as his “volunteer music director.”

“Looking forward to hearing some of your music, time permitting,” Colbert joked with White, as laughter could be heard from a handful of people off camera.

Revelers pack a Hong Kong island for a bun festival, a century-old tradition

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong's iconic bun festival drew throngs of revelers to the densely populated city's outlying island, Cheung Chau, to celebrate a century-old tradition that is rooted in prayers for peace and blessings.

Residents and tourists braved the heat to watch children in costumes take part in a parade, called “Piu Sik,” which translates as “floating colors.” Children dressed as legendary deities, historic characters or local politicians were carried on stands above the crowds, moving through the island’s narrow lanes.

The festival highlight is the “bun-scrambling” competition around midnight, where participants climb a tower covered with plastic buns. They have to collect buns, which carry different scores depending on their locations, within a time limit. The one who earns the highest total score wins. But the participant who gets the greatest number of buns in the time allotted will receive the “Full Pockets of Lucky Buns” award.

The race was suspended for decades after bun towers collapsed in 1978, injuring dozens of people. The tradition resumed in 2005.

The shrinking snowfall on Greece’s mountains is provoking anxiety and altering the economy

ARACHOVA, Greece (AP) — As a child, Giannis Stathas remembers being snowed in for days at a time in Arachova, a village famous for its ski resort and long known as a winter playground for Greeks.

“We couldn’t go to school because of the snow,” said Stathas, now mayor of Arachova and the surrounding area. “We might have been stuck at home for two days without being able to go out because of the snow.”

“Now we don’t see that here anymore.”

Stathas says snowfall on Mount Parnassos at an altitude of 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) is what once fell at 300 meters (984 feet).

Best of times, worst of times: Montreal clinic cares for pregnant women with cancer

MONTREAL - On May 15, 2024, Habalet Andrée Loblegnon learned she was pregnant for the fourth time. Two weeks later, she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.

She had noticed a lump under her right armpit during her third pregnancy, but her doctor said at the time there was no cause for concern. It wasn't until the 41-year-old's fourth pregnancy that she received the diagnosis — and was immediately faced with a pressing question.

Her decision was without hesitation: she would carry the baby to term, even though it meant undergoing chemotherapy while pregnant. When she returned home from the doctor to her husband and three children, she said she broke down.

Loblegnon's situation is rare — less than 0.1 per cent of pregnant women in Canada receive a cancer diagnosis — and requires a highly specialized approach to maintain the health of both mother and baby, says Claude-Émilie Jacob, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Montreal hospital centre known as the CHUM.