 Here’s what you need to know to get the day started: | | | 10 years after deadly train disaster, Lac-Mégantic still grieves for those who were lost | | |  | Raymond Lafontaine lost his son, two daughters-in-law and an employee in the train derailment in 2013. He surrounds himself with family photos to remember them by. (Rachel Watts/CBC) | | | The house Raymond Lafontaine built 21 years ago is filled with family mementoes.
Framed photos of his grandchildren line the walls. Stained glass windows handcrafted by his brother are installed in the living room, which looks out over the majestic water of Lac-Mégantic, Que. And on the dresser sits a single candle, embossed with a photo of his son, Gaétan.
But Lafontaine's once-lively home is quiet now.
Gaétan is dead; Lafontaine's grandchildren, orphaned. Raymond and his wife are separated. The construction business he built is up for sale, his surviving sons burnt out from stress.
Ten years ago, early in the morning of July 6, 2013, the Lafontaine family was ripped apart.
Gaétan, and Raymond's two daughters-in-law, Karine Lafontaine and Joanie Turmel, along with an employee, Marie-Noëlle Faucher, were among 47 people killed after a train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded on the main street of Lac-Mégantic, a town of about 6,000 located in Quebec's Eastern Townships, just north of Maine.
"Ever since this happened, we don't feel like we've been living," Lafontaine said. "Our kids were a gift from above."
To mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy, townspeople will set out on a candlelight walk just after 1:00 a.m. on July 6 — the hour that the train derailed.
But Lafontaine will be staying home. He says grieving for his life as it was before 2013 is hard enough — never mind reliving the moment that left his family devastated.
"Every day we think about our kids. Every day this tragedy haunts us," said Lafontaine. "It's 10 years of nightmares." | | | | | Strong stomach | | |  | (Yuki Iwamura/The Associated Press) | | | | Joey Chestnut celebrates after winning his 16th championship title during the 2023 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest on Coney Island, New York, on Tuesday. He ate 62 hot dogs to claim victory. Watch the video here. | | | | | | | | | In brief | | | Grocery rebate payments from the federal government are expected to start landing in eligible Canadians' bank accounts today. The government has billed the one-time payment as targeted inflation relief for some 11 million low- and modest-income households. It repeats the temporary boost to the GST rebate the government offered last year to address growing cost-of-living concerns. Those eligible for the GST rebate as of January 2023 will be eligible for the one-time top up; no application is required. The payment amounts are based on net income and family size. Eligible families of four will receive up to $467 by direct deposit or cheque from the Canada Revenue Agency. Single people without children will get up to $234 and seniors will see a rebate of up to $225. Read more on this story here.
One of the Toronto’s oldest, best-known sports corporations has found itself on a dubious list. Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment — owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors, among other pro sports franchises — has been named one of Toronto's largest property tax debtors, with an unpaid bill of roughly $1.18 million, dating back to the 2019 tax year. That number came to light at April's meeting of the city's general government committee, when the annual list of largest property tax debtors with tax arrears greater than $500,000 was made public. MLSE disputes that charge and says it's in discussions with the city to resolve the issue. The disagreement is over BMO Field at the city-owned Exhibition Place. Traditionally, organizations that rent at Exhibition place pay property taxes to the city as a portion of their lease payments. MLSE's Toronto FC and the Toronto Argonauts both play out of the stadium. But MLSE said in a statement to CBC Toronto that it operates at BMO Field under a "management agreement" with the city, and the teams pay the city a "user fee" — not rent. As a result, they shouldn't be tagged with a property tax fee, the company argues. Read the full story here.
The global weather pattern El Niño has returned for the first time in seven years, according to the World Meteorological Organization, setting the stage for further extreme weather and soaring temperatures. The UN agency made the declaration on Tuesday, after months of forecasting suggesting the weather pattern was likely to return. El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern associated with warming of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Historically, Canada is mostly affected by El Niño during winter and spring. Milder than normal winters and springs occur in western and central Canada. "I would bet a few loonies on the fact that with El Niño, especially if it's strong and it's large, we're in for a warmer than normal winter coming up," said Dave Philips, senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. It could also mean fewer hurricanes in Atlantic Canada, he said. Read the full story here.
A year and a half into the war, Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia might not look particularly impressive on the map, but at the front, it's clear that progress is being made — albeit slowly. More than three weeks since the long-awaited summer offensive began, Ukraine has only retaken a handful of villages along the southern front lines, as confirmed by geolocated photos and videos. The bulk of them are south of the village of Velyka Novosilka, which CBC visited alongside Ukraine's 68th Brigade. The assaults themselves are not easy. Satellite imagery shows that the Russian lines consist of many overlapping defences, ranging from minefields to fortified machine gun nests to anti-tank ditches and barriers. Ukrainian troops must navigate and overcome these hurdles under a hail of artillery and small arms fire. Read more on this story here.
As anti-trans sentiment rises in the U.S., a Texas doctor no longer feels safe offering gender-affirming care — which will soon be banned in the state. From her now near-empty home in the Dallas suburb of Plano, with moving boxes stacked high in the garage, pediatric endocrinologist Ximena Lopez says she never thought she'd see this day. Fearing violence that could target her family — a response by some to the type of medical treatment she offers — Lopez is closing her health clinic, selling her house and fleeing Texas for California. "I don't feel safe," she said. "With so many people with guns [who] have gone to protest against me, or our clinic … armed." For years, Lopez has operated a clinic at a Dallas medical centre that offers what's known as gender-affirming care for young people. It's aimed at aiding and comforting transgender teens. Now her patients and other teens like them are worried what will happen when the health care they call lifesaving is made illegal. Read more on this story from CBC's Paul Hunter.
Now here's some good news to start your Wednesday: Twins Mackenzie and Taylor L'Heureux, who grew up on a small farm near North Battleford, Sask., have done almost everything together since they were born. Now, the 19-year-old sisters are using a little sibling rivalry to push themselves to pursue their dreams as they compete on the North American rodeo circuit. "It's definitely hard having to train ourselves and then our horses on top of that. It's kind of a big learning experience," said Taylor. Read their story here. | | |  | Did the Wagner mutiny weaken Vladimir Putin? | The Wagner Group’s rebellion may have been cut short but could it have revealed cracks in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hold on power?
Listen to today's episode | | | Today in history: July 5 | | | 1811: Venezuela becomes the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.
1905: The House of Commons passes bills to establish Alberta and Saskatchewan as provinces. They officially joined Confederation on Sept. 1 of that year.
1935: The Canadian Wheat Board is established. It was initially formed as a voluntary marketing agency, but in 1943 the sale of wheat through the board became compulsory. The board’s monopoly was ended in 2012.
1946: Swimwear is forever changed when the bikini makes its debut in Paris. The two-piece swimsuit created by designer Louis Réard was named for Bikini Atoll, the site of an atomic bomb test earlier in the week. | | | (With files from CBC News, The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and Reuters) | | | | |  | CBC NEWS APP | The most convenient way to get your news
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