Tricia Chan

  • Ontario rented 'counterfeit' giant rubber duck, Dutch art studio claims

    A new controversy has arisen about the giant rubber duck with a hefty price tag coming to Ontario. A Dutch art studio claims the massive display of artwork, which is costing Ontario taxpayers $200,000, is a fraud. In a news release dated May 31, the studio says the six-storey-tall, 13,600-kilogram yellow duck being toured around the province to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday is a ripoff of Florentjin Hofman’s installation. “In 2014, Studio Florentijn Hofman retained Mr. Craig Samborski to assist in the production of our art installation in Los Angeles.

  • Iceland shoppers seem thrilled about Costco's arrival

    It’s usually an exciting time when a new retailer opens their doors nearby, and the launch of the first Costco in Iceland proves that Reykjavik residents are not immune to the power of a big box brand. The first location opened on May 23 at 9 a.m. local time and the Iceland Monitor reports that the company called in the national search and rescue team to help with crowd control. It was expected to be a busy opening day, with almost 70,000 Icelanders joining a Facebook group dedicated to the country’s only location.

  • Newfoundlanders rescue baby moose trapped in snowbank

    While Canadians across the country are starting up their barbecues, some Newfoundlanders are still facing winter woes, such as a moose calf trapped in a snowbank. “I happened to look out the kitchen window and I knew I wasn’t seeing something right,” Kathleen Tucker told The Weather Network in a recorded video. Kathleen’s husband, Leonard, and his brother, Robert, decided to grab their shovels and try to help the moose calf who was half buried in snow and weak from the cold.

  • Pink pineapples hit Instagram months after FDA approval

    A popular summertime fruit has undergone a dramatic makeover thanks to genetic engineering and fresh photos are trickling through social media. Del Monte Fresh Produce plans to produce and distribute a pink flesh pineapple after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it last December, as reported by NBC News. The typically yellow fleshed fruit has been modified to tone down the enzyme levels.

  • Liberal MPs caught in copy and paste flub on Facebook

    Two Ontario MPs are facing backlash online after a copy and paste error snowballed into a social media blunder.

  • Journalist narrowly escapes death after GoPro is shot off his chest in Iraq

    An Iraqi journalist had a close call with death in Mosul after a bullet fired by an ISIS sniper narrowly missed him and instead hit the GoPro strapped to his chest. Ammar Alwaely was working in the Al-Zaraee district with The Sun reporter Owen Holdaway when they came under fire by a sniper. Footage of the incident captured on Holdaway’s camera is heart-stopping.

  • Irish Eurovision singer draws comparisons to Justin Trudeau

    Ireland’s entry into The Eurovision Song Contest may have just been booted from the competition, but his star is only shining brighter after being compared to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media.

  • B.C. man films strange encounter with alleged dog abuser

    In these images taken from a YouTube video, the face of a woman has been pixelated to protect her identity. Police in Burnaby, B.C., say they are investigating allegations of animal abuse after a man recorded an argument between himself and a woman after claiming that she kicked his dog. Dean Borosevich and his small female dog named Buttons were out for a walk Sunday on Rosser Street near the Lougheed Highway when the bizarre confrontation occurred.

  • Scientology facilities closed by police in Tennessee after alleged kidnappings

    Police in Cannon County, Tenn., have closed several Church of Scientology facilities and charged three men who are affiliated with the religious organization after they found members living in squalor and being held against their will. “The Cannon County Sheriff’s Department would like to make the general public of this county aware that the Scientology facilities are closed and not operating in Cannon County,” said a statement from the sheriff’s office. The Cannon Courier reports a 911 call prompted police officers to investigate a property, which they described in their reports as a double-wide trailer with tiny cabins behind it.

  • Montrealers hit by flooding using boats on city streets

    Hundreds of people have evacuated their homes after heavy rains caused flash flooding in about 100 communities across Quebec. One area in particular has been hit severely, but residents are still finding ways to keep up with their daily lives. #flooded #evacuated #mystreet #Pierrefonds #WestIsland #Montreal @pfds_rox @MontRRealQC @CTVNews @globalnews @CBC #RiviereDesPrairies pic.twitter.com/yt9IYRF4o8

  • Orcas killing grey whale calves at 'unprecedented' rate

    Whale watchers and marine biologists alike are being drawn to the Pacific waters off California in an attempt to catch a glimpse of an astonishing natural sight. Over the past week, a pod of orcas have been ambushing and attacking grey whale calves at an “unprecedented” rate in Monterey Bay near Monterey, Calif., according to one marine biologist. “It’s been pretty exciting lately, we’ve seen the killer whales here for eight days in a row,” Nancy Black, co-owner of Monterey Bay Whale Watch, told the The Mercury News.

  • Scarlett Johansson wants to meet woman who once looked just like her

    Scarlett Johansson, left, says she’d like to hang out with a woman named Geraldine, middle, who was photographed in 1967. American actress Scarlett Johansson has become fascinated with a photo that has gone viral. The image features an intoxicated grandmother in her youth who looks nearly identical to the world-famous starlet. The post was titled, “My Grandmother Looked Like Scarlett Johansson When She Was Younger,” but the caption doesn’t do the photo justice.

  • Man smashes glass at Toronto Tim Hortons over coffee dispute

    An altercation allegedly over a dime quickly turned into a scene of shattered glass at a Tim Hortons in Toronto over the weekend. The startling incident was caught on camera as it took place inside a coffee shop located near Jane Street and Alliance Avenue, which is generally considered to be one of the city’s rougher areas. The video uploaded Saturday to YouTube on shows a man engaged in a loud yelling match with a Tim Hortons employee.

  • Jeff Goldblum hands out free sausages in Sydney

    American actor Jeff Goldblum surprised the people of Australia Wednesday with free sausages for people passing by a food truck with his name on it. Fans quickly made their way to the area to grab some grub from the movie star.

  • Gun battle at sea captured in viral video

    A new video shows a private security team on board a cargo ship successfully fending off what appears to be Somali pirates in a tense gun battle at sea. The footage published Thursday on YouTube is taken aboard the cargo vessel. In the video, a small boat can be seen approaching.

  • Quebec PSA warns about dangers of driving while high on marijuana

    A new campaign aimed at keeping drivers sober in Quebec is highlighting the potential risks of driving while under the influence of marijuana. With marijuana legalization around the corner thanks to the federal government, provinces are now left to decide how they will keep impaired drivers off the road. The Quebec Crown corporation known as the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), which is responsible for licensing drivers and vehicles in the province, is getting a jump start on spreading the word about driving while high before the drug becomes legal.

  • Cherry blossom trees in bloom bringing people together in Vancouver

    Alex Zhu takes a photo of Vancouver’s cherry blossoms in full bloom in 2009. An annual tradition in Vancouver fell on the perfect spring weekend, coinciding with Easter and giving people a chance to get outside and enjoy the spectacular display of cherry blossoms that turns the city into an enormous work of natural art. The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is a local celebration of “romance” and “renewal” that brings many of the city’s residents and tourists together.

  • Canadian psychiatrists call for minimum age of 21 to buy marijuana

    Marijuana legalization has been a topic of conversation for some time in Canada, but as it inches closer to becoming a reality, one group is voicing their concerns. The Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) says cannabis legalization could be putting the mental health of young Canadians in jeopardy if strict age requirements are not put in place and adhered to. The group is urging the federal Liberal government to place a ban on marijuana sales to anyone under the age of 21.

  • Meth-addicted python gets clean in Australian prison

    A jungle python, similar to this Burmese python, became addicted to meth in Australia. A two-metre long jungle python has been sober for nearly seven months after it was seized during a Sydney drug raid. The python was being kept in a drug manufacturing area where it was able to inhale and absorb the fumes from illegal methamphetamine production, causing the reptile to become addicted to the drug.

  • Ontario town partners with Uber to deal with transit demand

    This photo shows the Uber application being used on an iPhone at Vancouver’s international airport. Living without a car in a small town can be a challenge, especially when public transit is scarce, but residents of Innisfil, Ont., are bridging the gap by utilizing a popular ride-hailing service. Thanks to a new partnership, residents of this community located roughly 105 kilometres north of Toronto will be eligible for discounted Uber fares to certain locations in town, according to the Toronto Star.