A messy stretch of Hwy. 401 in Milton is causing major delays Friday morning after a series of collisions triggered a heavy oil leak and forced the closure of two westbound lanes near Regional Road 25, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says.

The crashes happened earlier in the morning commute, prompting officers to reduce the highway to a single westbound lane while cleanup and investigation work continue. Police warn that the closure is expected to be lengthy, and drivers should plan alternate routes.

Crews are working to manage the

The TTC says subway service has resumed on Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) between Broadview and Woodbine stations following a mechanical issue on Friday morning.

Service was suspended just before 7:15 a.m. and resumed around 30 minutes later.

It’s the second day in a row TTC riders faced delays on the transit system.

On Thursday mid-morning, service on Line 2 and Line 4 (Sheppard-Yonge) was shut down for around 30 minutes due to a software issue.

Then

The nomination period for mayoral, council and school trustee candidates for this fall’s Ontario municipal elections opens on Friday.

Candidates have until Aug. 21 to file nomination papers with their municipal clerk.

To run for a position, candidates must fill out a form, pay a nomination fee and provide a list of at least 25 endorsement signatures, with some exceptions.

Individuals, corporations and trade unions can also register to be third-party advertisers starting today, with a deadline of Oct. 23.

Eligible

The federal government is set to make a major funding announcement for a Canada Soccer national training centre today.

A government source, who did not disclose how much funding will be announced, says the money will go to plan, design and pre-construct the centre.

The federal government announced in its spring economic update this week that it’s setting aside $660 million over the next five years for national sport organizations that have faced mounting deficits for years.

In December, Canada Soccer called on municipalities, provincial

Two-thirds of Canadians believe the national economy is on the wrong track and don’t believe it will improve in the short-term, according to a new poll.

The poll from Canada Pulse Insights for CityNews found that only 33 per cent believe the economy is heading in the right direction.

Only three in 10 believed that the national or their local economy would improve over the next 60 days.

The survey was taken ahead of the spring economic update that projected a deficit of $66.

A motorcyclist is dead after a single‑vehicle crash on Highway 407 overnight, shutting down the eastbound lanes near Trafalgar Road in Oakville for several hours.

The crash happened shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday, when officers with the Highway 407 OPP responded to reports of a motorcycle down on the eastbound lanes approaching the Highway 403 ramp. The lone rider was pronounced dead at the scene.

OPP say speed is believed to be a factor in the fatal collision.

The eastbound lanes of

FORT MCMURRAY — Rob Rice says many residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., still can’t stand the smell of campfire.

It reminds them of the treacherous drive a decade ago through a tunnel of flames as, in their rear-view mirrors, they watched the massive wildfire that ripped through thousands of homes.

“You’re seeing ash, smoke and flames everywhere,” said Rice, the 47-year-old owner of a Home Hardware in the city.

“Your life is on the line

TORONTO — Refugees now have to pay out of pocket for part of their drug prescriptions, mental health counselling, dental services, vision care and health equipment — including wheelchairs — as changes to a federal program take effect.

For decades, Canada’s Interim Federal Health Program has provided complete health coverage to refugees and refugee claimants until they are eligible for provincial health plans and benefits.

But starting Friday, they must pay $4 for every prescription and 30 per cent of the cost of supplemental health products and services.

OTTAWA — Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says he’s “encouraged” by the federal government’s efforts to diversify the economy and protect it against increasingly common shocks to global trade.

He also says Ottawa’s fiscal update, tabled earlier this week, will likely have little impact on the central bank’s forecasts for inflation.

Macklem made the comments in an interview with The Canadian Press on Wednesday after the Bank of Canada held its benchmark interest rate steady at 2.25 per cent in a fourth