Robbers steal donations for refugees from Ottawa furniture bank

Local

CBC: House to Home, an Ottawa non-profit that helps refugees furnish their homes, lost thousands of dollars worth of donations in a robbery earlier this week.

The non-profit provides refugees in need with pre-owned furniture, clothes and other appliances.

House to Home has, since its start in 2020 in the owner’s garage, helped over 500 refugee families.

After nearly losing its warehouse location in March 2023, only to learn its landlord extended their allowed stay to the spring of 2024, House to Home owner Suzi Shore Sauvé says they want to push it as long as they can to help more people.

“We really want [a] new space so we can serve the next 500 families,” she said in an interview with CBC.

National

CBC: Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault clarified his original remarks that the federal government will stop investments in new road infrastructure.

Guilbeault told reporters on Wednesday Feb. 14 that Ottawa will not invest in “large” road projects, but federal policy is unchanged and Ottawa will support provinces with maintenance.

“There will be no more envelopes from the federal government to enlarge the road network,” Guilbeault said, according to a quote from the Montreal Gazette.

Guilbeault’s previous statement received attacks from the Opposition Conservatives, who said the climate activist turned politician is out of touch.

International

CBC: Canada is sending $60 million to Ukraine for F-16 training said Defence Minister Bill Blair on Feb. 14 as allies met in Brussels ahead of NATO ministerial meeting.

The new funds will help Ukraine pay for F-16 supplies and equipment such as spare parts and ammunition according to Blair.

The contribution follows a $15 million donation to pay for civilian pilot instructors. The F-16s are being donated by Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands.