WolseleyGirl.com: reflections on life in the granola belt

LAKE ROSALIND, Ont. - There were more water troubles Saturday for the municipality that includes Walkerton, Ont., where a tainted water tragedy was blamed for seven deaths in 2000. Public Health officials warned residents of the municipality of Brockton on Friday not to use water from two lakes

BRAMPTON, Ont. - Officials are confirming a new superbug first found in India and Pakistan has turned up at an Ontario hospital. The province's health ministry says antibiotic-resistant NDM-1 bacteria was confirmed at a Brampton hospital this week. Spokeswoman Joanne Woodward-Fraser says the

Casual smokers may think a few puffs a week are nothing to worry about, but new research in the U.S. claims having even an infrequent cigarette, or being exposed to second-hand smoke, could be doing more harm than people believe. The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and

SASKATOON - A 25-year-old man spent nearly five hours Friday trapped in a hole on a Saskatoon roadway before rescue workers pulled him to safety. "Most of his conversation was, "Just get me out," and that's quite understandable," said Dan Paulsen, assistant fire chief. The man was walking on a

EDMONTON - Edmonton Marathon organizer John Stanton knows there's something in the air, and he doesn't like it. Stanton has been keeping an eye on the acrid grey smoke from B.C. forest fires that is blanketing Alberta and has drifted into Saskatchewan, Manitoba and was creeping into northwestern

WINNIPEG - A little dab’ll do ya: E. coli and algae cropped up at some Manitoba beaches, but the water’s still safe to swim in. Although E. coli counts stood higher than recommended in water tests at Victoria Beach on Monday, by Wednesday the bacteria had fallen back to safe

ST. THOMAS, Ont. - A boil water advisory has been issued for residents in parts of southern Ontario. Officials with Elgin St. Thomas Public Health put out the advisory after a routine water test came back positive for E.coli bacteria. The advisory was issued for St. Thomas along with portions

LONDON - For Africans wondering whether the malaria drugs they've bought are real, there may soon be a quick way of finding out: sending a text message. Across the continent, more than 30 per cent of malaria medicines are estimated to be fake, and many look identical to the real thing. A new

What causes Alzheimer's disease? No one knows the answer. But an article published in the Journal, Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, claims there's an important link between heart disease and Alzheimer's. The link is atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). What amazes me is that since

A new antidepressant being tested in Canada appears to do what no other drug can -- increase connections between brain cells within hours to swiftly improve symptoms. The finding by Yale University researchers may explain how one dose of ketamine can reduce symptoms of depression within 40

TORONTO - Joe Doerksen isn't sure what all the fuss is about. As far as the mixed martial arts fighter is concerned, his sport is no more dangerous than most other high-contact contests and might even be safer than many recreational pursuits. "Ridiculous" is how the 11-year veteran of

Canadian health officials are warning consumers not to eat Goya brand Fruta Mamey Pulp, which has been recalled in the United States for carrying traces of Salmonella. Goya brand Fruta Mamey Pulp comes from Guatemala, and has been distributed in Quebec. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says

NEW YORK, N.Y. - There's a lot less smoking in the movies these days, a new report shows. Tobacco use on the silver screen peaked in 2005 and has been on the decline since, according to research that looked at the most popular films from 1991 to 2009. Last year more than half of the 145 top

EDMONTON - Alberta's chief medical officer is warning people with respiratory problems to remain indoors as a pall of acrid smoke from British Columbia forest fires hangs over the province. Prevailing winds are blowing the smoke into much of Alberta and other weather conditions are keeping it

MILTON, Ont. - The lawyer for an Ontario woman accused of faking terminal cancer and taking money raised to help her hopes she will be released from jail Friday, though he is concerned for her once she is out. Police allege Ashley Kirilow, of Burlington, Ont., pretended to have cancer to raise

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's premier has added his voice to a growing chorus of support for a national clinical trial for a controversial treatment for multiple sclerosis. Darrell Dexter's comments in favour of his province's participation in a trial came Thursday in response to the Manitoba health

REGINA - Saskatchewan has hired an Alberta man to help solve the province's ongoing doctors shortage problem. Edward Mantler, the former senior operating officer at the University of Alberta Hospital, is the new CEO of the Saskatchewan Physician Recruitment Agency. Health Minister Don McMorris

TORONTO - Children exposed to organophosphate pesticides while still in the womb are more likely to exhibit attention and behavioural problems by kindergarten age, researchers suggest. In a study conducted at the University of California at Berkeley, scientists found that prenatal exposure to

CHICAGO -- A stunning number of teens have lost a little bit of their hearing -- nearly one in five -- and the problem has increased substantially in recent years, a new national study in the United States has found. Some experts are urging teenagers to turn down the volume on their digital

ATLANTA - Hundreds of people have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs in three states and possibly more, and health officials on Wednesday dramatically expanded a recall to 380 million eggs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with state health departments