There's a baby boom happening at this Montreal hospital — but not in the way you'd expect
CBC
Unless you're looking to get pregnant, you might want to steer clear of the drinking water at Montreal's LaSalle Hospital.
That's the running joke among a whopping 14 nurses — all of whom work in the hospital's maternity ward and serendipitously became pregnant within weeks or months of each other.
"I think it's kind of like a trend," said Amélie Boisclair, who gave birth to her son William 11 months ago.
"When I first started here, a bunch of nurses were pregnant at the same time so I guess at some point, they kind of just put something in the water and we all [caught] it," she laughed.
WATCH | Some nurses are taking time off, but not because they're sick:
Many of the women — some almost ready to pop, others only weeks along — say they're excited to embark on their journey with people who have become much more than colleagues.
"It's really a big family here so being all in the same boat, it's a lot of fun and it's a big experience to go through all together," said Boisclair.
For Sabina Finnie, who is 28 weeks pregnant, working in the maternity ward lets you "see what's coming, and it's a very exciting experience."
She says it's comforting that her unique insight into the birthing process can be shared with her colleagues during her own pregnancy.
"I find that there's a lot more support, people really understand what you're going through," she said.
Most of the women will continue working until just a couple weeks before their due date, says Shelly Arya, a co-ordinator with Montreal's West Island health agency, CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal.
She says the women will be offered more breaks, half shifts and positions where they're sitting more than standing
However, while management says they're thrilled about the dozen in the oven, the simultaneous maternity leave of 14 women will create some logistical issues in the ward.
"That's a little bit more than 10 per cent of my working population," said Arya.
The province and district social services administration boards say plans are in place to ensure people on social assistance do not miss out on benefits as a result of the strike by Canada Post employees.
Near the exit to Truro, N.S., a cluster of colorful tents and a lone RV can be seen alongside Highway 102, some tucked under the overpass for shelter from the elements.
Police and Public Trust, a project of the CBC News Atlantic investigative unit, scrutinizes the largely off-limits police complaint and discipline systems across the region. Journalists are using access to information laws and, in some cases, court challenges to obtain discipline records and data.
Toronto police have arrested a GTA woman who they allege scammed dozens of Taylor Swift fans out of more than $70,000 by promising them tickets that never materialized.
Montreal was, in years past, considered a haven for renters. But those days are long gone.
WARNING: This story details violent events surrounding a fatal police shooting.
It took Gordon Frentz over 14 hours to drive through the snow from Grande Prairie, Alta., this past weekend to compete at this year's Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.
The coroner's inquest into the drug-related deaths of six men in custody at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre will revisit 2018 recommendations relating to eight other inmate deaths to determine what's been done to implement them, the inquest's lawyer said Monday on the first day of hearings.
Emily Walstrom was expecting to lay her father to rest this month, but instead, she says his cremated remains are stuck in a Canada Post facility in B.C., delayed by the ongoing national postal strike.
A Friday night fire hasn't caused any impact to operations at the Dryden mill, the company said.
With around 55,000 Canada Post workers on strike since Nov.15 and no deal in sight, Toronto businesses say they're gearing up for a tough holiday season.