Building highways isn't the only solution to the growing problem of traffic congestion in and around the Halifax Regional Municipality, says the head of an organization that advocates for rail-based public transit.

The new mayor and council are planning big changes for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, and one of those is at the top of the staff organizational chart now that chief administrative officer Marie Walsh is set to retire.

The Montreal English Theatre Awards ceremony is being held this evening at Le Gesù theatre. For the community, it's a time to celebrate their achievements and resilience coming out of the pandemic, together.

Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) was developed in Montreal by a local studio that collaborated closely with Indigenous designers and consultants.

Loved ones, friends, and people from across the city have all come together to support each other at Pastel Rita, the café Jocelyn Després helped so many call home.

Facing soaring food prices and an escalating housing crisis, Quebec student associations are urgently calling on the provincial government to fund internships required for post-secondary training.

Quebec provincial police have confirmed that the body found in a Montreal nature park on Oct. 30 was that of kidnapping victim and cryptocurrency influencer Kevin Mirshahi.

Mosquito-borne disease is a major global public health issue. One path toward the development of evidence-based strategies to limit mosquito biting is the study of the mosquito nervous system—in particular, the sensory systems that drive biting behavior. The central nervous system of insects consists of the brain and the ventral nerve cord. Here, we describe a protocol for dissecting, immunofluorescent labeling, and imaging both of these structures in the mosquito. This protocol was optimized for Aedes aegypti and works well on Anopheles gambiae tissue. It has not been tested in other mosquito species, but we anticipate that it would work on a range of mosquitoes, and, if not, our protocol will provide a starting point from which to optimize. Notably, a limited number of antibodies cross-react with Ae. aegypti proteins. This protocol is intended for use with validated antibodies and can also be used to test new antibodies as they are generated. It has been successfully used to visualize protein tags, such as green fluorescent protein, that have been introduced into the mosquito to amplify or detect their presence.

Creating transgenic mosquitoes allows for mechanistic studies of basic mosquito biology and the development of novel vector control strategies. CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing has revolutionized gene editing, including in mosquitoes. This protocol details part of the gene editing process of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes via CRISPR–Cas9, through testing and validating single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs). Gene editing activity varies depending on the sequence of sgRNAs used, so validation of sgRNA activity should be done before large-scale generation of mutants or transgenics. sgRNA is designed using online tools and synthesized in <1 h. Once mutants or transgenics are generated via embryo microinjection, sgRNA activity is validated by quick genotyping polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing.

Mosquitoes take blood meals from a diverse range of host animals and their host associations vary by species. Characterizing these associations is an important element of the transmission dynamics of mosquito-vectored pathogens. To characterize mosquito host associations, various molecular techniques have been developed, which are collectively referred to as blood meal analysis. DNA barcoding has diverse biological applications and is well-suited to mosquito blood meal analysis. The standard DNA barcoding marker for animals is a 5' fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. A major advantage of this marker is its taxonomic coverage in DNA sequence reference databases, making it feasible to identify a wider range of mosquito host species than with any other gene. However, the COI gene contains high sequence variation at potential priming sites between vertebrate orders. Coupled with the need for primer sequences to be mismatched with mosquito priming sites so that annealing to mosquito DNA is inhibited, it can be difficult to design primers suitable for blood meal analysis applications. Several primers are available that perform well in mosquito blood meal analysis, annealing to priming sites for most vertebrate host taxa, but not to those of mosquitoes. Because priming site sequence variation among vertebrate taxa can cause amplification to fail, a hierarchical approach to DNA barcoding-based blood meal analysis can be applied. In such an approach, no single primer set is expected to be effective for 100% of potential host species. If amplification fails in the initial reaction, a subsequent reaction is attempted with primers that anneal to different priming sites, and so on, until amplification is successful.

The insect eggshell is a multifunctional structure with several important roles, including generating an entry point for sperm via the micropyle before oviposition, serving as an oviposition substrate attachment surface, and functioning as a protective layer during embryo development. Eggshell proteins play major roles in eggshell tanning and hardening following oviposition and provide molecular cues that define dorsal–ventral axis formation. Precise eggshell formation during ovarian follicle maturation is critical for normal embryo development and the synthesis of a defective eggshell often gives rise to inviable embryos. Therefore, simple and accurate methods for identifying eggshell proteins will facilitate our understanding of the molecular pathways regulating eggshell formation and the mechanisms underlying normal embryo development. This protocol describes how to isolate and enrich eggshells from mature oocytes of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and how to extract their eggshell proteins for liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) proteomic analysis. Although this methodology was developed for studying mosquito eggshells, it may be applicable to eggs from a variety of insects. Mosquitoes are ideal model organisms for this study as their ovarian follicle development and eggshell formation are meticulously regulated by blood feeding and their follicles develop synchronously throughout oogenesis in a time-dependent manner.

In insects, oocyte resorption (oosorption) or follicular atresia is one of the key physiological processes and evolutionary strategies used to optimize reproductive fitness. Mosquitoes are ideal model organisms for studying egg maturation in arthropods, as their follicle development is initiated only following the ingestion of a blood meal, followed by a carefully orchestrated series of hormonally regulated events leading to egg maturation. A cohort of approximately 100 follicles per mosquito ovary begin developing synchronously. However, a significant fraction of follicles ultimately undergo apoptosis and oosorption, especially when available resources from the blood meal are limited. Therefore, simple, rapid, and reliable techniques to accurately evaluate follicular atresia are necessary to understand mechanisms underlying follicle development in insects. This protocol describes how to detect apoptotic follicle cells within the Aedes aegypti mosquito ovaries using a commercially available fluorescent-labeled inhibitor of caspases (FLICA). Caspases are key players in animal apoptosis. In this assay, the FLICA reagent enters the intracellular compartment of follicles in dissected mosquito ovaries and covalently binds to active caspases. The bound reagent remains within the cell and its fluorescent signal can be observed by confocal microscopy. Although this method was specifically developed for visualizing apoptotic ovarian follicles during Ae. aegypti mosquito egg development, it should be applicable to other mosquito tissues that undergo caspase-mediated program cell death in a time-dependent manner.

Transposon-mediated transgenesis has revolutionized both basic and applied studies of mosquito vectors of disease. Currently, techniques such as enhancer traps and transposon tagging, which rely on remobilizable insertional mutagenesis, are only possible with transposon-based vector systems. Here, we provide general descriptions of methods and applications of transposon-based mosquito transgenesis. The exact procedures must be adapted to each mosquito species and comparisons of some differences among different mosquito species are outlined. A number of excellent publications showing detailed and specific protocols and methods are featured and referenced.

A Two-Day Festival in the historic Arts & Industries Building brings community, artists and scholars together for a “Culture Lab”

An unlikely friendship with Guy Burgess, the infamous British double-agent, brought unexpected joy to Stanley Weiss

The ancient burial structures, strikingly similar all across Europe and the mediterranean, have puzzled scientists and historians for centuries

Wanita Johnson, who celebrates her birthday this weekend in Whitehorse, still has a sharp memory for how the Second World War helped shape her life.

Paraglider Ben Lewis remembers spinning around wildly as he got pulled up higher and higher into the violent storm. That was when he realized, about 6,700 metres up in the sky and still rising, that he was not likely to see his family again.

Stephanie Yuill spent five weeks visiting First World War sites across Europe on a bike she bought from the grocery store. 

Hay River RCMP say they believe two weekend incidents, including one in which a person was shot, are linked to drugs and organized crime.

A group of volunteers have been providing emergency services to West Dawson residents during the periods of freeze up and break up, when there is no reliable access across the Yukon River to town.

A man who fled from police, drove onto a walking trail, triggered a shelter-in-place advisory for the Chateau Nova hotel in Yellowknife and subsequently broke into a home was on bail at the time and under house arrest, police say.

In a new biopic starring Kate Winslet, Miller's many lives—as an artist, model, muse, cook and war correspondent—need little embellishment

An exhibition at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens explores how Western intellectuals viewed the climate crisis between 1780 and 1930

As a child, the future president acquired a marine animal's skull, which became the first specimen in his natural history collection

When the U.S. Army massacred a Lakota village at Blue Water, dozens of plundered artifacts ended up in the Smithsonian. The unraveling of this long-buried atrocity is forging a path toward reconciliation

After he was forced off the German stage in 1934 by antisemitic hecklers, Leo Reuss found a daring way to hide in plain sight

Texts like the "Sortes Astrampsychi" promised insights on clients' love lives, career prospects, financial woes and families

In the Jim Crow South, activists became martyrs at the hands of white racists, all for the just cause of using the vote to fight for equality and freedom

A Romare Bearden print served as a starting point for the American playwright's 1987 drama, which follows a Black family's struggle to decide the fate of an ancestral heirloom

The New Brunswick Military History Museum is in possession of a unique piece of history that was once used to raise money for frontline soldiers.

Interim PC Leader Glen Savoie urged members to find a common purpose rather than blame former leader Blaine Higgs.

An opioid replacement program in downtown Fredericton will continue to operate at the River Stone Recovery Centre until March 2025 after it got a one-year extension from Health Canada, despite increased opposition to the clinic.

New Brunswick’s Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in the case of a man found guilty of criminal negligence in the death of Fredericton teenager in 2018.

Saskatchewan's Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) is investigating the role the Moose Jaw Police Service played in a crash that killed a 31-year-old man.

A date has been set for an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 37-year-old man in police custody in Atikokan, Ont. who overdosed while in police custody in October 2020. The incident led to an investigation by the province's Special Investigations Unit.

Dave Campbell of Thunder Bay, Ont., is resting his legs after taking the ride of his life through the Western Cape of South Africa in the 800-kilometre bikepacking 'Rhino Run.' Here are some of the photos he shared from his six-day expedition at the end of October.

As a troubled local gym goes dark, some members and the landlord say they haven’t heard from the owner about the future of the business in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Canadians hear the Last Post every year during Remembrance Day ceremonies. Warrant Officer Jeremy Maitland breaks down what it takes to play the melody perfectly.

Jeff Monague has worked to incorporate Indigenous elements into Base Borden's Remembrance Day ceremonies — an acknowledgement he never had as a soldier.

At 2,700 square kilometres, CFB Suffield is the largest military training area in Canada. It has been the site of military training in southern Alberta since 1972.

The mayor of the eastern P.E.I. town of Three Rivers says comments on social media have become so 'aggressive' that council has decided to hold Tuesday night’s meeting virtually instead of in-person out of concerns for their own safety.

Public Schools Branch director Tracy Beaulieu speaks with CBC News: Compass host Steve Bruce about the money for schools in the new capital budget the province presented last week, and about the work that lies ahead.

Juanita Migwans of M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island has been missing for over a month, but her aunt says she’s not giving up on the search.

A federal audit of Canada’s strategy to promote the extraction of critical minerals says the government isn’t giving due consideration to the potential impact of mining on the environment, biodiversity and Indigenous people.

An 18-year-old man is scheduled to make a court appearance on Tuesday, after being charged by the OPP with attempted murder and aggravated assault on a 16-year-old female victim. The charges follow a violent incident in Cobalt, Ont., on Nov 3.

Max Topolnisky, a 100-year-old Second World War veteran, was out selling poppies for the Lockerby Legion in Sudbury, Ont., two days before he died, on Nov. 1, 2024.

The crowning achievement at last year's COP climate conference in Dubai was a global consensus on the need to "transition away from fossil fuels." This year, the conference had not even started yet before BBC News exposed senior organizers of using the event to arrange potential deals for fossil fuel expansion. The recent election of Donald Trump in the U.S. has added an additional layer of uncertainty to this year's meeting.

Medical student Samuel Bonne had read everything he could to prepare for his group's dissection of a cadaver. But after the first cut, he left with lingering questions about what it means to lead a good life and die with dignity.

Winnipeg police are investigating the death of a 23-year-old man who was fatally injured in Winnipeg on Friday.