Addressing harmful algae in Hamilton - CHCH Morning Live May 28, 2026

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:01]Good morning. It's Thursday, May 28th.

[00:00:03]Here's what we're working on.

[00:00:06]>> I'm Simone Gavros reporting live from Hamilton's waterfront. The city is looking at different ways to mitigate the growth and smell of harmful algae blooms. I'll tell you how, coming up.

[00:00:17]>> One person's in hospital after a daylight stabbing in downtown Hamilton.

[00:00:22]>> It's a Carolina power play. Back for Gostisbehere, watched by Evgeny KUZNETSOV SCORES.

[00:00:30]>> And the Montreal Canadiens lose again as the Hurricanes take a 3-1 series lead.

[00:00:51]>> Good morning. Thursday morning. Last Thursday of May. Where is this month gone?

[00:00:54]>> Where has it gone?

[00:00:55]>> It has flown by and it was pretty miserable for the beginning, but the end looking pretty good.

[00:01:00]>> It's pretty nice.

[00:01:01]>> Yeah.

[00:01:02]Uh yeah, you guys are stuck with me again. Sorry.

[00:01:05]>> [laughter] >> Happy to have you.

[00:01:07]>> Yes. You're doing too many jobs.

[00:01:09]We're calling this the Emily Vukovic morning live.

[00:01:12]>> [laughter] >> I'll just bow occasionally.

[00:01:15]Uh yeah, I mean, the job's been pretty easy this week. We've got lots of sunshine to report on. Yesterday, we saw a daytime high of 24 degrees. The sun is going to continue today, but because of that cold front we were talking about earlier in the week, temperatures have returned to slightly below seasonal averages. Okay, let's talk traffic.

[00:01:33]Right now, we are outside our studios.

[00:01:35]This is the 403 and Waterdown Road.

[00:01:39]Looking good.

[00:01:40]Still early. Look at 6:01.

[00:01:42]Uh QEW, this is the Skyway. This is the Hamilton side.

[00:01:47]Not bad. Starting to see a little bit of volume pick up. QEW at Appleby Line moving well in both directions. QEW Ford Plant also looking good.

[00:01:57]Woodward Avenue moving well both directions at this hour and then we are going to be taking a look at your forecast details including your long range. I'll get you right into the weekend. That's ahead but first the news.

[00:02:12]>> Thank you Emily. The city of Hamilton is looking at different ways to mitigate the growth and smell of harmful algae along its waterfront after a particularly bad season a couple of years ago. Simona Gabrovec joins us live from Macassa Bay with all the details.

[00:02:26]Good morning Simona.

[00:02:29]>> Good morning Rick. Now right now this morning there is no sign of any blue blue green algae that might be growing here in the water in Hamilton's area but this was something that we saw a lot happening in the summer of 2024 and a lot of people just describing the smell of that the water that was coming off of there. Many saying that it smelled like rotting eggs. So now the city is looking at different ways to mitigate the growth of this blue green algae that we see along the water and they've highlighted a couple areas across the area across the water just to target that and that's going to be starting closer to the end of this year. Now Macassa Bay has been picked as the spot to launch the nature based pilot including aquatic plantings and floating treatment wetlands.

[00:03:11]Bayfront Park Beach will be using aeration to reduce stagnant water and odors that would follow and aeration and mechanical circulation will continue across Pier 5 to 7. Bayfront's boat launch and Pier 8 are slated for future pilot areas while Pier 4 Park and the western part of Macassa Bay will remain untouched and act as control areas. The city report says that the release of various nutrients along with goose droppings and sewer overflows contribute to the blue green algae blooms. Algae last summer wasn't so bad thanks to a colder spring season but 2024 was the most recent year where the blooms really thrived in warm stagnant water and direct sunlight.

[00:03:53]Now, the report says that while complete elimination of these harmful algae isn't exactly possible in the water, these mitigation measures are going to be a way to just prevent the growth from happening and becoming a big problem.

[00:04:06]But again, they're going to be hopefully launching this later this year and into next year as well. Annette, back over to you.

[00:04:11]>> Okay, thanks very much.

[00:04:13]Well, the MPP for St. Catharines is calling on General Motors to clean up and remediate its former site on Ontario Street in that city.

[00:04:22]>> Families deserve to know their water and their soil and the air they breathe are safe, and taxpayers should never and should not be left paying to clean up the mess.

[00:04:35]>> GM hasn't owned the building since 2014 when the plant shut down and the company Bayshore Groups purchased the property.

[00:04:42]GM says its former plant was in good condition and met Ontario environmental requirements when it was sold. A city of St. Catharines inspection, though, of the site has found several areas of the roof and walls have collapsed and they're in danger of crumbling further.

[00:04:57]It has ordered Bayshore Groups to fix the structure or start demolition. They have until June 12th to appeal.

[00:05:05]>> Hamilton police say one person is in hospital following a day night a daylight stabbing on James Street North.

[00:05:11]Police arrested one person at the scene and a knife was recovered from the roadside. The incident took place on the sidewalk next to Christ Church Cathedral, which is also home to a drop-in cafe that offers free meals and respite for those in need. Police have not mentioned the cafe directly in connection with the investigation, but community members believe there is one, telling CHCH News that reported open drug use is impacting the livelihood of nearby businesses.

[00:05:38]>> We are a family restaurant and I people are stopped coming. They're They're not coming to the restaurant. I I 17 people on payroll and the dining room is empty.

[00:05:48]So, and that's because this is today, but every day there's something going on.

[00:05:53]>> Causing a lot of trouble for us, and it's scaring our customers.

[00:05:57]>> Would you say that it's impacted you like financially?

[00:06:00]>> Oh, 100%. I can guarantee you my sales probably went down between 25 to 30% since this probably the last 2 years getting worse and worse.

[00:06:09]>> Officials at the Church Cafe say safety is their top priority, and they're working with community partners to try to address that.

[00:06:17]>> Canada is negotiating with Swedish company Saab on a fleet of radar surveillance planes to better monitor threats against our country.

[00:06:25]>> With its suite of advanced sensors and mission systems, Saab's Golden Eye will be a key resource for Canadian Armed Forces to detect and deter threats across the Arctic. The GlobalEye's airborne surveillance capability can track objects and signals up to 650 km away.

[00:06:43]And they'll share in real time that information with the Canadian Forces and our allies.

[00:06:48]At the heart of the GlobalEye system is the Canadian-made Bombardier Global 6500, an aircraft that includes 20% US content.

[00:07:01]>> Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement at a military industry conference in Ottawa. He did not reveal the cost of these planes, but Carney says the purchase would support 3,000 jobs in Canada.

[00:07:13]>> Canada has reached a deal with a German energy company that will buy 1 million tons of liquid natural gas or LNG. It will come from a planned terminal that will be located at Pierce Island near the border of Alaska. The company is called Securing Energy for Europe, and it will expect deliveries to begin by the early 2030s. LNG is chilled into a liquid state, and that enables it to be shipped by sea around the world on specialized tankers.

[00:07:39]>> Changes are coming to Canada's lawful access bill to address concerns about encryption and metadata collection. The federal government says the legislation was never meant to break encrypted services and will clarify that in the bill. Critics warn the law as it stands could weaken privacy protections and force companies to build surveillance capabilities. The bill would require some providers to help police and CSIS in obtaining communication for investigations. Opponents say the legislation expands police powers too far and could expose private information from ordinary Canadians.

[00:08:14]Well, with the FIFA World Cup just 2 weeks away, it's expected to bring millions of visitors to host countries, ours, the US and Mexico. And some health officials say this could be a test of the public health playbook. They're particularly worried about respiratory diseases, airborne viruses, and sexually transmitted infections. Measles is a big concern as all three host countries have recently had surges in cases. A lot of health leaders from World Cup host cities plan to monitor wastewater as a way to track community health during the tournament. In the United States, the Center for Disease Control says it's developed its own World Cup data dashboard with tools to assess the risk of outbreak and identify unusual patterns in real time.

[00:09:05]>> Games two and three of the NHL's Eastern Conference final between the Canadians and Hurricanes were nail-biters. Game four in Montreal was anything but.

[00:09:15]It's a Carolina power play. Back to Gostisbehere, watched by Evans. THE PUCK SCORES! SEBASTIAN AHO ON THE BOARD. And for the fourth consecutive game in the series, Carolina strikes first.

[00:09:29]>> Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal, and Logan Stankoven all scored in the last 5 minutes of the first period, and Carolina cruised to a four-nothing win over the Habs last night. That gives the Canes a commanding 3-1 series lead heading back home for game five tomorrow night. Carolina smothered Montreal outshooting the Habs 43-18 including a 19-3 edge in the third period. Frederick Andersen made 18 saves for his third shutout in 12 playoff games this spring and the eighth of his career. As for Montreal, they're now in do or die mode.

[00:10:02]Hamilton's PWHL team has named its first 10 coach. Mississauga native and Burlington resident Chris Spahr joins the expansion team after serving as head coach of the Boston Fleet last season.

[00:10:13]The 39-year-old was a finalist for coach of the year after he guided the Fleet to a league record 18-point improvement year-over-year. Spahr played in the OHL, ECHL and German League before starting his coaching career with the Niagara IceDogs in 2016. He's also coached in the OHL, AHL and in Austria.

[00:10:32]With the PWHL expanding from eight to 12 teams this fall, the league has revealed an expansion process that will unfold in six phases. The league says it's designed to support roster construction for the four new clubs and maintain a competitive balance and roster continuity for the current teams.

[00:10:48]Starting June 2nd, the eight current clubs will protect three players.

[00:10:52]Expansion teams will then be allowed to sign their first five players before the free agent signing periods begin. The PWHL entry draft will be held June 17th in Detroit.

[00:11:04]At the Memorial Cup, Everett blanked host Kelowna 4-0 to advance to tomorrow's semifinal against Chicoutimi.

[00:11:10]The winner of that game will move on to Sunday's finale against [music] Kitchener.

[00:11:16]Di Jon Assabou scored a career high 29 points and added six rebounds and two assists as the Toronto Tempo upended the Chicago Sky 111-104. Marina Mabry had 24 points and seven helpers while Brittney Sykes added 20 points as Toronto evened its record to 4-4. Hamilton's Kian Nurse had one rebound in seven minutes of playing time.

[00:11:38]Legendary running back Troy Davis will be inducted into the Ti-Cats Wall of Honor this fall. His name and number 32 will be added to the exclusive club during a halftime ceremony at Hamilton Stadium on October 9th when the Ti-Cats host Edmonton. Davis played in Hamilton from 2001 to '05 and is the team's franchise leader in rushing yards, attempts, and 100-yard rushing games. He also holds the Ti-Cats single-game and single-season rushing records.

[00:12:08]>> Fly ball to right field, >> [cheering] >> HIT WELL, AND GONE!

[00:12:16]>> CAVAN BIGGIO HIT HIS TEAM-LEADING 11th home run in the sixth inning to give the Blue Jays a 2-1 win over the Marlins in the rubber match of their three-game series. Kevin Gausman allowed one run on six hits. He struck out five over five innings. Jeff Hoffman picked up the win.

[00:12:31]Tyler Rogers earned his second save with a 1-2-3 ninth. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

[00:12:36]returned after a two-game absence after he was hit by a pitch on the right elbow on Sunday and he had a couple of singles.

[00:12:45]>> [snorts] >> All right, not a bad start to the day in terms of conditions. That should play nicely for traffic. 403 and Waterdown Road moving well in both directions.

[00:12:54]We'll take a look at some of the other cameras throughout the region. This is the Skyway Hamilton side. We are starting to see a little bit of a backlog. This is likely due to a volume, but there could be something happening on the other side. And if I see it, I will let you know what it is. At Dorval Drive, QEW, looking good both directions, moving well.

[00:13:13]And this is at Erin Mills Parkway.

[00:13:14]Again, everybody moving well at this hour.

[00:13:19]And King Road also looking good.

[00:13:22]Okay, so in terms of our forecast, really there's not that much to talk about. We are seeing such a nice dry spell of weather. You can see not even cloud cover and that's what kind of kept us a little cooler this morning. There was that blanket effect that didn't exist. So we're allowing a little bit of cooler air coming in. 21° is the warmest we're going to get today but it's still going to be very pleasant. Lots of sunshine. That UV index eight that's considered very high. Tonight cool.

[00:13:52]We're going down to a low of nine staying very clear and then throughout the day tomorrow lots more sunshine.

[00:13:59]Daytime high 25° again that UV index at eight that's considered very high. So sunscreen will need to be a top priority.

[00:14:08]Okay, this is the high pressure that's really been dominating most of Ontario.

[00:14:11]Now we still have that northwesterly flow and that's why our temperatures are staying slightly below our average. Now this area of low pressure could bring us a few isolated showers throughout the evening on Friday and into Saturday morning but then by Saturday afternoon because we're still seeing that northwesterly flow we're going to see sunshine but temperatures are going to be a touch on the cool side. If you're just heading out the door in the next little while temperatures sitting around 13° but again lots of sunshine you'll need your sunglasses but I don't know like this morning guys I put on a light jacket. I felt like I needed it. We'll have more traffic and weather coming up but back to the desk. That's why I put on this light jacket.

[00:14:53]>> Mhm I had a light jacket too this morning. Coming up after the break Emily's going to be back with a preview of what's to come in chit chat and in business news there may be an end to the company versus founder saga involving Lululemon. Stay with us.

[00:15:09]6:17 on your Thursday morning. It's Emily again. What is coming up in chit chat?

[00:15:14]>> It's like you're popping up all over in our studio. I think she's going to be next.

[00:15:18]I took the elevator from the traffic and weather desk over [laughter] here.

[00:15:21]Okay such a great chit-chat lineup today. The beloved Wishbone series, which follows a small dog with a big imagination, is the subject of a brand new documentary.

[00:15:32]Netflix has dropped the first trailer for Enola Holmes 3, and just in time for those chilly Canadian summer nights, Heed Rivalries iconic Team Canada fleece jacket is finally available for pre-order.

[00:15:48]>> Finally. Finally.

[00:15:49]>> And speaking of waves in our newsroom as well.

[00:15:52]>> [laughter] >> Emily, thanks. Checking the markets this morning, the Canadian >> [laughter] >> is at 72.14 cents US. Gold is down $61 US an ounce. Oil is up $2.25 >> [music] >> US a barrel. It is sitting just under $91 a barrel in midday European trading today. All the key markets are down this hour.

[00:16:14]>> Hong Kong and Tokyo are down, while Shanghai posted some minor gains today.

[00:16:20]At Wednesday's close, the TSX dropped [music] 241.5 points, but the Nasdaq and Dow Jones were up.

[00:16:27]>> Lululemon says it has reached an agreement with the company's founder on the issue of appointing board members.

[00:16:33]Chip Wilson wants to change how the retailer operates and was demanding to place three nominees on the company's board. Lululemon Athletica Inc. was strongly opposed to that proposal. The new agreement will have two of the three people Wilson pitched join the board, and in exchange, he will stop his attacks on the brand. Lululemon has also agreed to appoint an additional director with product and brand expertise in apparel by October the 1st.

[00:16:58]>> There is a recall out for window blinds that were sold at Costco Canada. Bali Springs cellular shades with the model number BC 23 pose a choking hazard. They were sold online through Costco Canada from January 1st of last year till April 9th of this year. The problem is the end caps on the bottom rail may not be glued properly and could come off presenting a choking hazard for young children. You can head to costco.ca for a full refund.

[00:17:28]>> The Australian government has launched legal action against 3M over contamination foam fire from firefighters. The foam contains so-called forever chemical. The suit is seeking more than 1.9 billion dollars making it the largest suit brought by Australia. The government says it reflects the past and future environmental economic and cultural costs of the contamination. The government alleged 3M gave assurances the firefighting foam was safe to dispose, biodegradable and non-toxic while withholding its own testing that showed significant adverse environmental effects associated with its use.

[00:18:03]>> World Cup tickets are more expensive than expected and that's something the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey have noticed. They issued subpoenas to FIFA for information on how it arrived at those prices. They're also demanding information related to fan complaints about being misled. FIFA released tickets in batches that officials say created fake scarcity.

[00:18:25]Some fans alleged they bought tickets in more expensive parts of the stadiums but received tickets for less expensive seats.

[00:18:34]>> We're going to take a quick break. Emily is going to be back once again with your traffic update and 7-day weather forecast. Stay with us.

[00:18:43]>> 6:23 [snorts] on your Thursday morning. This is the QEW. This is the south end of the Burlington Skyway. We're starting to see a lot of volume picking up. A lot of people must have places to go on Thursday mornings because it's been busy at this early hour but not seeing any major issues. I think it's just volume at this point. So that's the Burlington side and it looks as though it's just busy. A lot of people have to get places today.

[00:19:10]This is the west side of the Garden City Skyway. Things are looking good, moving well in both directions. That's good good news. And this is the 403 at King Road. Again, everybody behaving themselves. And I think they're doing that for me because we know how good I am at traffic. So, they're like, "You know what? Let's just drive well today.

[00:19:26]Poor Emily has to do this." She doesn't have a clue.

[00:19:30]Okay.

[00:19:31]I'm directionally impaired even when I'm driving, so you can imagine what that's like.

[00:19:36]Okay. Weather, I know. Weather, we're good. It's sunny and warm for the next couple of days. We don't have a lot going on when it comes to your forecast.

[00:19:44]Could see a few showers by the end of the week, but for the most part, it's looking great. 12° in Grimsby right now.

[00:19:50]We're 10 through Hamilton, 14 in Mississauga, 15 in downtown Toronto. If you're just about to take the puppers out for a little stroll, we're looking at some sunshine and 15° in the next hour or so. So, very comfortable, but again, light jacket weather. You might feel a little chill in the air. It's fairly gusty yesterday afternoon. The winds have really eased throughout the morning hours. 21° for Hamilton today.

[00:20:14]Brantford also at 21, Kitchener getting up to a daytime high of 20, 21 for the city of Toronto, and 20 for Milton.

[00:20:22]Tonight, we're going to remain very clear, but a little bit cooler than last night. We were into the teens. We're looking at single digit lows for the most part right across the board. And then we warm up a little bit more throughout the day tomorrow. We're seeing daytime highs into the low to mid-20s and tons of sunshine. High pressure really dominating the lower Great Lakes right now. Quick look at the 7-day forecast. As you can see, lots of sunshine, but right in here, that little caveat, we could see an area of low pressure moving very quickly, just a line of showers brushing through Friday overnight into Saturday. And if you're heading to a concert on Saturday night, conditions are looking really good.

[00:20:59]Sunday, lots of sunshine, and then we could see some showers move in at the beginning of next week. Rick, Annette.

[00:21:05]>> Thanks, Emily. A long-standing ban on garden gnomes has been lifted at least temporarily at the world's most famous flower show.

[00:21:12]>> The Royal Horticultural Society rarely allows these tiny statues at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. Not this year.

[00:21:20]Celebrity design gnomes were featured in the displays along the River Thames.

[00:21:24]Then they were auctioned off for charity. The top selling gnome was created by Queen's Sir Brian May. It's called Billy Badax.

[00:21:32]Don't know if it's in there or not or if we can see it. And sold for the equivalent of $6,800 Canadian. All the money raised from the gnome auction goes towards the society's school gardening program.

[00:21:43]>> My guess is Billy Badax is the one with the guitar. Maybe the one with the ax.

[00:21:47]>> Well, I don't >> Right beside the one with the guitar.

[00:21:48]>> Maybe.

[00:21:51]>> $6,800 bucks though.

[00:21:53]>> For a garden gnome. And then you can say, "Oh, Sir Brian May."

[00:21:55]>> This is true.

[00:21:56]>> Yes.

[00:21:56]>> This is true. That's the highlight.

[00:21:58]All right, stay with us here on Morning Live. More to come after the break. Good morning.

[00:22:03]6,800. That's pretty pricey.