Ontario-Update

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(Ott-Hate-Probe)

A 74-year-old woman in Ottawa has been charged with assault, harassment by threatening conduct and mischief after another woman's hijab was pulled off at a protest outside city hall.

Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups gathered there last week after the Israeli flag was raised to mark 76 years since that country's establishment.

The Ottawa police hate-crime unit stepped in after a video online showed a woman in a hijab waving a Palestinian flag when the older woman approaches her from behind and appears to pull off her headscarf.

Police haven't released the suspect's name and won't say when she's expected to appear in court. (The Canadian Press)

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(Ont-Grassy-Narrows)

A new study by researchers at the University of Western Ontario suggests discharge from a paper mill in the northern city of Dryden is worsening mercury contamination in a nearby river system and its fish.

It says the sulphate and organic matter in the wastewater contribute to the elevated production of methylmercury in the Wabigoon River.

The study adds levels of this most toxic form of mercury in the river's fish may be twice as high as they would be without the mill discharge.

The Wabigoon River is upstream from the Grassy Narrows First Nation, which has been plagued with mercury poisoning for more than 50 years. (The Canadian Press)

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(Ont-TTC)

Ontario's Appeal Court has upheld the right of Toronto Transit Commission workers to strike.

The court today dismissed an appeal by the provincial government of a lower-court ruling that declared a law eliminating the workers' right to strike unconstitutional.

The ruling comes just days before potential job action.

The union representing some 12-thousand operators and other front-life staff at the T-T-C could go on strike as early as June 7th in a current bargaining dispute. (The Canadian Press)

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(Ont-Autism)

An Ontario mother says she's astounded her seven-year-old son who has autism has been referred to a trial for deep brain stimulation before getting access to publicly funded therapy.

Alexis Wilson says she has spent years trying to get access to the Ontario Autism Program.

And that struggle is shared by thousands of families across the province.

More than 60-thousand children are registered as looking for services but as of the end of last year, about 14-thousand had access to core therapy through the program. (The Canadian Press)

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(BKW-WNBA-Toronto)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the recent growth of women's professional sports is overdue.

Trudeau was on hand today for the announcement of a W-N-B-A team in Toronto.

Kilmer Sports Ventures is paying 115-million dollars U-S for an expansion franchise to play out of Coca-Cola Coliseum starting in 2026.

The yet-to-be-named team will be the W-N-B-A's 14th franchise and the first outside the U-S. (The Canadian Press)

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(ENT-MUSIC-Gordon-Lightfoot)

A tribute concert for Canadian music legend Gordon Lightfoot is taking place tonight at Toronto's Massey Hall.

Lightfoot's youngest daughter, Meredith Moon, will be among the musicians on stage paying homage to her dad's influence.

Moon says it made sense to hold the concert at Massey Hall because it was a venue Lightfoot cherished and performed at around 170 times over his career.

Lightfoot died just over a year ago at age 84. (The Canadian Press)

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(Ontario Update by Brenda Molina-Navidad)

The Canadian Press