Nov 20 2020

Muscling in on Maples

Canada is world-famous for our sugar maples. These beautiful trees give us maple syrup in spring. They paint the woods bright orange each fall. We have so many, we put the leaf on our flag.

But not all maples are Canadian. Norway maples are creeping into our forests, our parks, and our streets. This invasive...

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Politics

President-elect Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are joined by family members after Mr. Biden delivered his victory address in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 7, 2020.
Nov 13 2020

A New President

The United States has elected a new president. Joe Biden will replace Donald Trump as the leader of the U.S. government. He takes office in January. The president-elect has plenty of experience. Mr. Biden was Barack Obama’s vice president for eight years. Now he’ll be...
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Health

Nov 06 2020

A Name Change for Asbestos

Asbestos, Quebec is changing its name. Why? Because it’s named after a mineral that kills 100,000 people a year. That’s not a great selling point for a town that’s trying to attract business. Asbestos is a strong, fireproof mineral. It’s made up of long, silky fibres....
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Science

Oct 30 2020

Playing TAG with an Asteroid

OSIRIS-REx, a NASA spacecraft, left Earth four years ago to visit an asteroid called Bennu. Its mission? To scoop up some space dust and bring it back to Earth. Asteroids are small rocky objects that orbit the Sun. Bennu is located between Earth and Mars. It’s just 332...
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Environment

Oct 23 2020

Canada Bans Single-Use Plastics

Canadians use 15 billion plastic bags a year. We use almost 57 million straws a day. In 2016, 29,000 tonnes of plastic trash ended up littering Canada’s land, water, and air. That’s enough plastic to make 2.3 billion single-use water bottles. The federal government has...
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Environment

Photo credit: Robin Loznak.
Oct 16 2020

Taking Canada to Court

Is it up to the government to protect Canada from climate change? Fifteen kids and teens say it is. They’re taking the government to court to prove it. The young activists announced their lawsuit October 25, 2019. It was the morning of the Vancouver climate rally. Ten...
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Culture

Oct 09 2020

#DearEverybody

People all look different. We come in all shapes and sizes. We have different genders and cultures. We come in different colours and races. This diversity wasn’t always reflected in our books, movies, and ads. However, that’s finally starting to change. Unless you have...
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Animals

Oct 02 2020

Bye-bye, Birdy

Fall is here. The days are getting shorter and cooler. And everywhere you look, birds are on the move. Long, honking vees of Canada Geese wing across the skies. Turkey vultures soar by the dozens. Flocks of songbirds gather in gardens and at feeders, then fly off. They...
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Environment

A forest burns as the Bobcat Fire grows, out of control, near Wrightwood, California, on September 18, 2020. [EPA/DAVID MCNEW]
Sep 25 2020

All Fired Up

Wildfires are searing the west coast of the United States from Mexico to the Canadian border. Almost 27,000 square kilometres of California, Oregon, and Washington state have gone up in flames over the past month. That’s an area half as big as Nova Scotia. California...
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History

Sep 17 2020

Pop-up History Lessons

Look around your city or town. You’ll probably find some heritage plaques. On buildings and monuments. At parks and schools. They tell you about local history. In July, five new signs popped up around Toronto. They looked like heritage plaques. But they weren’t. These...
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Sports

Sep 11 2020

Hockey Bubbles Up for the Cup

It’s playoff time in the NHL. Only four teams are left, duking it out in the conference finals. Each team wants to make it to the finals and take home the Stanley Cup. The fans are cheering. The stands are full… Or are they?
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Animals

Aug 28 2020

Saving Seahorses

Amanda Vincent has been protecting seahorses for her whole career. In May, her work was rewarded. The B.C. marine biologist won the $250,000 (US) Indianapolis Prize. She’s the first marine biologist to win this important conservation award. “I’m absolutely thrilled....
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Indigenous

Bill Reid toonie. (Royal Canadian Mint.)
Aug 19 2020

A Painting in Your Pocket

Keep your eyes open for a new special edition toonie. If you find one, you’ll be able to carry around a famous piece of art in your pocket. This coin honours Bill Reid, a famous Haida artist from B.C. One of his best-known works appears on the coin. It’s called Xhuwaji...
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