Happy hump day! Here are the five things you need to know this Wednesday: a B.C. couple is outraged after finding out their son with Down syndrome was repeatedly locked in a windowless room at school; the Conservative Party has dropped a candidate after a former editorial he wrote emerged; The former premier of Newfoundland and Labrador has blasted Stephen Harper, calling him a "lousy prime minister"; Montreal’s mayor is defending a plan to dump sewage into the St. Lawrence; and Conservative Leader Stephen Harper sits down with Canada AM.
Plus, for "Dream Big Wednesday", we're bringing all you need to know about the best spots to watch changing leaves across Canada.
1. 'Quiet room' outrage: A B.C. couple has pulled their seven-year-old son with Down syndrome from school after learning that he’d been repeatedly removed from class and locked in a windowless "quiet room." The parents say they were outraged and heartbroken when they found out. The school district says staff will meet with the parents this week.
2. Candidate dropped: The Conservative Party has dumped their candidate in Missisauga-Malton, Jagdish Grewal, in light of an editorial he wrote calling homosexuality an "unnatural behaviour."
3. Danny Williams slams Harper: The former Newfoundland and Labrador premier is once again asking voters to choose anyone but Conservatives in the federal election. Danny Williams, the former Progressive Conservative leader, told CTV’s Power Play that voters "can’t trust" Stephen Harper, who he said is a "lousy prime minister," but a "good political strategist."
4. Sewage dump: Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre is accusing Environment Canada of playing politics after the city was asked to suspend its plan to dump eight billion litres of untreated wastewater into the St. Lawrence. Asked how the sewage dump was safe for the environment, Coderre said: "because the experts say so." He also said that oxygen in the river would help dissolve the waste.
5. Sit down with Harper: Canada AM has a one-on-one interview with Conservative Leader Stephen Harper. He discusses the campaign so far, and the changes in this election from previous.You can find it at http://canadaam.ctvnews.ca/ after 8 a.m. ET.
And one more thing for "Dream Big Wednesday":
According to Parks Canada spokesperson Omar McDadi, just 14 per cent of the world's forests put on fall displays of colour. Luckily, some of the most spectacular autumn views are found in Canada.
With fall in swing, here's a round-up of some of the best spots to enjoy the changing leaves.
