On Sunday, November 26, The Calgary Stampeders battled The Toronto Argonauts for the CFL’s most coveted trophy, The Grey Cup. It was the 105th time the championship game has been played. The game boasted all of the excitement and drama that you would expect and was tightly contested by both teams. The Grey Cup was played in snowy conditions in our nation’s capital, Ottawa.
Other News
Zimbabwe Leadership Uncertain
Robert Mugabe has been the president of Zimbabwe since 1987.
Anyone younger than 37 years old in the African country has never had another leader.
Now, many people in Zimbabwe, as well as the military, want him to step down–to leave the job so they can choose a new president.
There have been demonstrations in the country, as tens of thousands gathered in Zimbabwe’s cities to make it clear that they wanted Mugabe to leave his job. The military placed Mugabe under house arrest.
However, he may try to hold onto power.
US Democratic “Election Wave” In Virginia
Last week, some elections were held in the U.S. state of Virginia, to choose a new governor and other leaders.
There were some surprising results in that election; some key Republicans lost their positions to Democrats.
The new governor, Ralph Northam, was elected on Nov. 7. He is a Democrat.
Republicans are currently in power in the United States; the president, Donald Trump, most of the leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and most U.S. governors are Republican. The Democrats are the other major political party in the United States.
Houston Astros Win Their First World Series
The Houston Astros won the World Series, the biggest achievement in baseball each year, for the first time in their team’s history.
They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to three.
The Astros won the seventh game of the World Series 5 to 1 over the Dodgers on Nov. 1.
It was a hard-fought battle. The two teams were evenly matched. The fact that the World Series even went to seven games means that neither team ran away with the championship.
The Astros won game seven early. They got five points in the first two innings, putting them ahead of the Dodgers right from the start.
Cave On The Moon Could Be Base For Astronauts
Scientists from JAXA, the Japanese space agency, say they have discovered an enormous underground cave on the moon.
The discovery is exciting because the cave could provide a safe place for astronauts to live and work on future missions to the moon.
In 2009, a lunar probe launched by JAXA sent back images of the cave’s entrance. The probe used radar to determine the underground structures below the entrance and sent the information back to JAXA to be analyzed.
In October, JAXA announced that there appears to be a cavern about 50 kilometres (31 miles) long and 100 metres (328 feet) wide leading from the opening.
Scientists say the cave could make an ideal base for astronauts. It would protect the astronauts and their equipment from the extreme heat and cold on the moon’s surface. It would also help keep them safe from micrometeorites (tiny particles of space dust) that land on the moon, and from the harmful rays of the sun.
Quebec’s Bill 62 Bans Face Coverings For Public Workers
People in Quebec are worried that Muslim women could be denied certain public services, after the government passed a “religious neutrality” bill.
The province’s Bill 62 was passed by the Quebec provincial government on Oct. 18. It says that people who work for the government in certain jobs must have their face uncovered. It also requires people who are using government services — for instance, riding a bus or using a library — must do so with their face uncovered.
It also bans public workers, like doctors and teachers, from covering their face while they are working.
School Board Bans Offensive Hallowe’en Costumes
In about a week, many children will be going out for Hallowe’en. They may also dress up on Oct. 31 at school.
One school board in Ontario has written up a list of guidelines for Hallowe’en costumes. They don’t want anyone to be offended by what another child wears as their costume.
Lots of schools ask kids not to wear very scary costumes or ones that include toy weapons. The Conseil scolaire Viamonde (SCV), a French school board in Ontario, has taken things a step further. SCV runs 13 schools in Toronto.
The Viamonde school district asked parents to make sure their child doesn’t come to school in a costume that “can make others feel upset, insulted or humiliated.
33% Of Canadians Say They Are Science Illiterate: Survey
Science plays an important part in our everyday lives. But according to a recent survey, one out of three Canadians don’t feel they really understand it.
The Ontario Science Centre posted a “science literacy” survey online last August. People answered questions about how well they understand scientific information, and whether they believe and trust information they get about science from the media.
Most of the people who took the survey consider themselves “science literate.” That means they feel they have a reasonable knowledge of things like how science is done (scientific methods) and recent discoveries in science.
What’s The “Take-A-Knee” Controversy All About?
People are talking about some athletes going down on one knee during the American national anthem.
Some people think it’s a good idea, and some people think it’s a bad idea.
The idea of going down on one knee (known as “taking a knee”) started in 2016. That’s when American football player Colin Kaepernick took a knee before games during the American national anthem.
He did it to protest people of colour being treated unfairly by police (in this case, in the United States). For instance, many African Americans may be questioned by police (when they have done nothing wrong) or pulled over when they are driving (again, when they have done nothing wrong).
Wounded Warriors Compete In Invictus Games in Toronto
More than 550 “wounded warriors” are gathered in Toronto, Ontario this week, to compete in the Invictus Games.
The competitors are soldiers who became injured during their military service. Many of them are missing a limb, for instance, and many others have PTSI which is a mental health condition caused by trauma.
