Zach Harper

    Zach Harper is a News and Social Editor at Yahoo Canada.

  • PHOTOS: 'Miracle on the Hudson,' 10 years later

    It’s been described as “the most successful ditching in aviation history,” but in reality, it was more than that. On Jan. 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 hit a flock of Canada geese after taking off from LaGuardia International Airport in New York. The collision caused both of the Airbus A320-214’s engines to shut down, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. That left Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberg and crew needing to make a decision in seconds: the plane was coming down – it was just a matter of where.

  • Year in Review 2018: In Memoriam

    They were musicians, writers, politicians, chefs and groundbreaking scientists. We lost many of our most beloved heroes, creators and leaders in 2018.

  • Photos: Art Gallery of Ontario, National Gallery of Canada examine humans' impact on the planet with 'Anthropocene'

    Torontonians may have seen this stunning – and indicting – advertisement plastered on streetcars over the last few months. It opened Sept. 28 at the AGO and is being simultaneously staged at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa – the first time the two galleries have staged exhibits in tandem. The Toronto exhibit is curated by Sophie Hackett, the AGO’s Curator of Photography and features images from Edward Burtynsky and the work of award-winning Toronto filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier.

  • Ban pineapple on pizza? Iceland's president says he went too far

    “Hawaiian pizza” may in fact be the one controversial thing Canada has given to the world. A simple search will show you just how full the internet is with people expounding on how much they love or hate pineapple as a pizza topping. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, the Fiery Hawaiian Pizza is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

  • Photos: California devastated by deadly wildfires

    At least 31 people are dead and 228 others are unaccounted for in a wildfire that wiped out a swath of Northern California over the last few days. The Camp Fire destroyed nearly the entire town of Paradise, Calif. last week.  The death toll from that blaze stands at 29, and matches California’s record for deaths in a single fire, authorities say.

  • Photos: These are the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre

    Eleven people were killed when a gunman opened fire at a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday. Most of those who lost their lives were elderly worshippers who had gathered on the Jewish Sabbath for a service that included a bris for a gay couple’s twins, according to LGBTQ publication The Advocate. Numerous reports have said suspected gunman Robert Bowers burst into the Tree of Life synagogue, shouting “All Jews must die” before opening fire on the congregation.

  • Photos: Canadians celebrate pot legalization by lighting up

    They were elated, thrilled, ecstatic, overjoyed… and some just wanted to chill.

  • Photos: These are the first Canadians to buy legal weed

    As of 12:01 a.m., recreational cannabis became legal across Canada. Well before the hour struck, lineups were queueing up outside pot stores in the country’s biggest cities. Ian Power was the first person to purchase legal marijuana in Canadian history. He lined up at midnight in St. John’s during the opening of the Tweed retail location.

  • QUIZ: How well do you know basic pot rules across Canada?

    It’s high time, buds. Recreational cannabis is legal across the country. Canada has gone to pot. A Canadian flag with a marijuana leaf in the middle is seen on Parliament Hill. It also regulates and restricts access to it in Canada, meaning it lays out specific do’s and don’ts for consumption of the drug across the country.

  • Photos: Calgary digs out from October snowstorm

    Calgary received close to 40 cm of snow in 24 hours from overnight into Tuesday to Wednesday morning, according to city officials. The storm broke two October snowfall records, according to Environment Canada. There were collisions throughout the Calgary area, including a fatal crash involving more than 20 vehicles on the highway between Calgary and Edmonton.

  • Photos: Ottawa-Gatineau recovers from devastating tornadoes

    The Ottawa area is picking up the pieces after two tornadoes hit the region on Friday, leaving extensive damage. Over the weekend, Environment Canada confirmed two twisters touched down —one in Dunrobin, west of the city, and again in Gatineau, Que., and another in the southwest of the city. The tornado that struck Dunrobin was an EF-3, meaning it had wind speeds up to 265 km/h, according to CBC News.

  • VOTE: Do you think 'Sesame Street' missed an opportunity with Bert and Ernie?

    Bert and Ernie are one of the most lovable duos in the history of children’s television. For decades, the goofy “Sesame Street” Muppets have enchanted and enthralled children while teaching them about everything from numbers and words to important life lessons — all while engaging in adorable banter. On Tuesday, an interview with former “Sesame Street” writer Mark Saltzman, who is gay, went viral.

  • Photos: Typhoon Mangkhut slams Philippines, China

    Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall in the Philippines over the weekend. The deadly storm lashed the islands with winds, rain and flooding that caused landslides and destroyed homes. At least 66 people have died because of the storm in the Philippines, according to the Associated Press.

  • Photos: How Canada responded to 9/11

    Tuesday marks the 17th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and left more than 6,000 others injured.While the attacks are memorialized in the U.S. every year, Canadians also gather to pay tribute to the victims — and not just because we share a border with the U.S. and our countries are closely intertwined. Twenty-six Canadians lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.It’s also important to remember the 9/11 attacks resulted in Canadian airspace being completely shut down. On Sept. ...

  • Canada’s 'tipping point': How statues have become 'flashpoints' in the conversation about reconciliation

    A statue of John A. Macdonald, which has since been removed, is seen outside Victoria’s City Hall. Outside Victoria, B.C.’s city hall stands an unassuming black metal plaque. “In 2017, the City of Victoria began a journey of Truth and Reconciliation with the Lekwungen peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt nations, on whose territories the city stands,” the message reads.

  • PHOTOS: B.C. wildfires choke western Canada in smoke

    British Columbia’s wildfire season is now the second worst in the province’s history, officials say. The blazes have burned 9,450 square kilometres of land so far in 2018, government statistics indicate.

  • Separating children from parents can have 'unlimited' consequences on children’s health: experts

    “Even with children who are currently with their parents, who have been reunited, we see tremendous challenges.”

  • Who cleans up after crime scenes like the Toronto attack? It's not an easy job

    A tarp lays on top of a body on Yonge St. at Finch Ave. after a van plowed into pedestrians on April 23, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. A suspect is in custody after a white van collided with multiple pedestrians.

  • Tell us: What do you love about Toronto? Do you feel safe after the attack?

    Canada’s largest city is reeling from a van attack that left 10 people dead and at least 15 others injured. Alek Minassian, 25, has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder in connection with the attack, along with 13 counts of attempted murder. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attack “senseless” and said it was “a horrific tragedy,” according to The Canadian Press.

  • PHOTOS: Canadians pay tribute to Broncos with #JerseysForHumboldt

    People around the world have been paying tribute to the team by doing everything from signing up to be organ donors, to leaving hockey sticks on their front porches as part of #SticksOutForHumboldt. On Thursday, the hockey community and Canadians coast-to-coast wore jerseys as part of #JerseysForHumboldt. CBC News reports the campaign was started by Jennifer Pinch, a Langley, B.C. resident who encouraged Canadians to wear jerseys to work, school, or wherever they were on April 12 to show the Broncos’ families and those living in Humboldt, Sask. their support.