AI & Data Centres: A debate is heating up in Canada and the U.S. over AI’s job impact and the rush to build data centres, with critics warning about water use, light pollution, and security risks. Climate & Wildfire Reality: A fire scientist says human-caused warming is making wildfires bigger and harder to contain, with “when” rather than “if” becoming the key question. Flooding & Storm Damage: Nova Scotia faced widespread flooding with road closures and power outages, while P.E.I. issued rainfall warnings and cancelled some ferry crossings; in Ontario’s Niagara Region, St. Catharines and Lincoln ended flooding states of emergency but recovery continues. Emergency Preparedness: A new study finds Squamish residents’ disaster readiness is modest, with people completing only about 4 of 10 preparedness actions. Northern Transport: A 17-year-old ATR 72 cargo conversion is being ferried from the Philippines to Thunder Bay to expand North Star Air’s service to remote communities. Immigration: Ottawa invited 3,500 healthcare and social services workers for permanent residence in an Express Entry draw with a 475 CRS cutoff. Public Safety Tech Training: Niagara College partnered with CERRA to build defence and public-safety robotics training and applied research. New $20 Bill: The Bank of Canada says a redesigned vertical polymer $20 note featuring King Charles III will enter circulation in late February 2027.