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Some government websites taken down in response to security risk: AI minister
Some federal sites taken down after security risk
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Some government websites have been taken down temporarily as a precaution against a security risk, says Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon.
In a social media post, Solomon says the websites went dark to protect government systems and Canadians' information following guidance from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.
He says this is being done in response to a vulnerability identified in PHP, a widely used programming language.
Solomon says this is a global issue and governments and organizations around the world are also taking protective measures.
The FBI’s cyber division says the vulnerability could allow malicious actors to remotely execute code in the programming language, potentially compromising sensitive data and networks.
The PHP Foundation, which includes developers who work on securing the programming language, says it has released fixes for the vulnerabilities, along with instructions on how to update systems.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
— With files from The Associated Press
By Catherine Morrison | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Social media ban for under-16s consistent with Charter, government says
Ottawa says social media ban Charter-compliant
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The Liberal government says while its proposed digital safety legislation might affect freedom of expression, the bill itself is consistent with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Bill C-34 would ban social media access for kids under 16 and experts have warned it is likely to face a constitutional challenge.
The government included the analysis in a Charter statement, a document issued by the justice minister that looks at whether a bill is consistent with the Charter.
It says the bill might engage freedom of expression and equality rights, as well as section 8 of the Charter, which deals with privacy.
But it says the social media ban is consistent with the Charter for a number of reasons, including the fact that age-based restrictions already apply to activities like voting and driving.
It says there is considerable evidence about the risks social media use poses for young people and social media platforms with adequate safeguards will be exempt from the ban.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Anja Karadeglija | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Musical about genetic discovery conceived as way to process 'life-changing' family secret
Musical conceived as way to process family secret
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
After Noam Tomaschoff's parents revealed to him that his dad — the man who raised him from birth — was not his biological father, his gut instinct wasn't to keep harbouring the secret they had kept for 31 years: It was to share it, and share it widely.
"My brain automatically told me, like, you need to make something out of this," he said of his reaction in the summer of 2022.
That intuition led the writer-actor to process the news through penning a one-man musical with his two childhood friends based on his real-life extraordinary genetic discovery.
Another aspect of the personal bombshell was the fact that the only child actually had more than 35 half-siblings.
"I've met people who have had similar experiences and when they don't have an outlet, whatever it may be, to wrangle it and make sense of it and own it, it can remain a big obstacle, something you never get past," he said. "I think it was my way of getting through it."
After successful runs at the Toronto and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, a showcase in New York, and performances in other Canadian cities, "Our Little Secret: A True New Musical" is heading to the Off-Mirvish stage, giving the Toronto-born performer a special homecoming.
"It's everything. It's like the Olympics," he said of the show hitting the CAA Theatre for a nearly three-week run, beginning Nov. 3.
For Tomaschoff, the last four years have been a whirlwind.
He had a typical childhood and said he never had any reason to suspect his parents were keeping anything — let alone an identity-shaking secret — from him. But as detailed in a lengthy 2023 Toronto Life feature, when he was 31, a woman he was dating, who is now his fiancée, told him about direct-to-consumer genetic test kits. On a whim, he ordered one. When he told his mom about the impending DNA test, the series of life-shifting events unfolded.
Unable to conceive naturally, Tomaschoff's parents turned to sperm donation and decided to tell only a few family members. Tomaschoff said it wasn't in his nature to lash out at his parents. Intellectually, he said, he understood their reasons for not telling him.
"That was the general guidance at the time; it made sense," he said. "There wasn't as much of a support structure. There's a lot of shame around this type of thing, so I was never there being like, 'How could you do this?' I know why they did it."
After taking the DNA test, Tomaschoff connected with other people who were conceived via the same sperm donor. The man died before Tomaschoff learned of their relation, but he has since grown close to some of his half-siblings, he said.
While his parents wanted their son to keep the truth under wraps, Tomaschoff refused. Before learning about his true backstory, the 35-year-old artist had been living in Los Angeles, struggling to land auditions and feeling "creatively adrift" after wrapping up an independent feature film project, he said.
"I had never had such a stroke of inspiration about any other project I've done in my life" he said.
After receiving a slot in the 2023 Toronto Fringe Festival, Tomaschoff wrote the show with his best friends, composer Ryan Peters and producer Russell Citron, whom he had met in high school and, fittingly, bonded with over a love of musical theatre.
The show, then called "Our Little Secret: The 23andMe Musical," sold out all its performances and earned awards, including the Patron’s Pick and Best of Fringe.
Tomaschoff has since performed it at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 and later in Montreal. The show is currently playing at Edmonton's Citadel Theatre until Oct. 25. Ahead of its return to the Toronto stage, Tomaschoff said the show's rise has been "very amazing and humbling."
"Our Little Secret" has evolved since its original conception. Initially, Tomaschoff said, it focused on the fun, joyful and wow moments, but after receiving constructive feedback that it lacked emotional, vulnerable notes, he said the show now better balances the highs and lows of that time period.
"It would be unsatisfying for the general audience to see a show that's just kind of all happy. It certainly wouldn't be true if it was all sad," he said. "It's trying to have everything in there that was a key step along the way, whether it was a difficult moment or overcoming that."
The new production is directed by veteran stage performer Adam Pascal, best known for his role in the original Broadway and West End productions of "Rent." In "Our Little Secret," Tomaschoff speaks directly to the audience — referred to as breaking the fourth wall — and plays multiple roles, including his parents, Gideon Tomaschoff and Sylvie Leone-Tomaschoff.
When he was creating the musical, he kept his folks in the dark about its contents, a move he described as "my little payback." But when his parents first saw it performed, they really liked it, he said. With every new iteration of the script, he strives to represent them authentically, while not shying away from difficult moments.
"It's a negotiation, but we always strive to arrive at consensus around each new version of the script, which I think it must be the first musical in history where the parents essentially have an editorial role in the writing of it," Tomaschoff said. "But it's another way that we kind of keep each other honest."
Tomaschoff's story is specific, but he said the show deals with universal themes such as identity and family crisis. He wants audiences of all ages to walk out of the show inspired to embrace honesty in their relationships.
While he's had years to process the truth, Tomaschoff said during performances, he can still tap into the initial moment of shock.
"I think I will be able to forever because it was just such a life-changing moment."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Kaitlyn McGrath | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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8 activités qui vont t'en faire voir de toutes les couleurs ce week-end à Montréal
Pour démarrer le mois d'août en grand!
C'est le premier week-end du mois d'août et il te reste encore bien du temps pour profiter au max de l'été dans la métropole. Tu pourras donc encore faire le plein de festivals, de street food, de vues incroyables et de soirées qui n'en finissent plus.
Au programme pour ces trois jours de congé, faire une saucette à la piscine, découvrir un resto aux allures de la Californie, faire un tour au cinéma, faire la fête dans le Village et bien sûr, manger, manger, manger! Parce que Montréal est définitivement le meilleur endroit pour les foodies invétéré.es. Attention, car les prochaines semaines s'annoncent autant festives!
Participer au défilé du festival Fierté Montréal
Coût : gratuit
Quand : dimanche 7 août à 13 h
Adresse : rue Renée-Lévesque (Le Village) Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Viens célébrer les communautés 2SLGBTQI+ lors de la parade hyper colorée du festival Fierté Montréal. Sors tes plus beaux atours funky et va danser dans les rues du Village.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Se bourrer la panse au Shack Attakk
Prix : 💸💸
Type de bouffe : casse-croûte, californien
Adresse : 2500, rue Beaubien E., Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Si tu rêves de la Californie, ce restaurant du quartier Rosemont devrait te faire de l'oeil. En plus de la décoration qui te plonge directement dans une beach house de Malibu, tu pourras y retrouver un menu hyper varié et hautement cochon. Ça vaut le détour!
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Voir un bon film au Cinéma Moderne
Coût : 15 $ pour l'admission générale
Adresse : 5150, boul. St-Laurent, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi y aller : Pour passer une soirée collé-collé avec ta personne préférée ou faire le plein de culture, direction le Cinéma Moderne, un établissement unique en son genre à Montréal. Ce cinoche du Plateau propose des films documentaires et des fictions internationales qui ont fait les palmarès de nombreux festivals. En plus du décor intime, tu peux y consommer de l'alcool durant la présentation puisqu'un bar se trouve sur les lieux.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Faire un tour à l'événement culinaire les Premiers Vendredis
Coût : varié
Quand : du 5 au 7 août 2022
Adresse : Quai de l'Horloge, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Pour cette édition spéciale du mois d'août, les Premiers Vendredis auront lieu au Vieux-Port de Montréal et se tiendront sur trois jours! Ainsi tu n'auras aucune raison de ne pas profiter de la bonne ambiance et du meilleur du street food de la métropole. Mets ça à ton agenda.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Prendre un verre avec une vue sur la ville
Coût : 💸💸
Adresse : 55, rue Saint-Jacques 8e étage, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : L'été, rien de plus agréable que de prendre un verre sur une terrasse. Encore mieux lorsque celle-ci offre l'une des plus belles vues en ville. Cocktails, plats à partager et repas décadents : le menu de la Terrasse Place d'Armes est à faire saliver et l'horizon à couper le souffle. Ça promet une soirée que tu ne risques pas d'oublier.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Faire du lèche-vitrine à la Grande Fabrique de Montréal
Quand : Les samedi 6 et dimanche 7 août
Adresse : rue Sainte-Catherine E., à l’est de l'avenue Bourbonnière, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Un énorme marché extérieur prendra place sur la rue Sainte-Catherine ce week-end. Artisan.es, marchand.es, restaurateur.trices seront de la partie pour te proposer leurs spécialités et créations. Ça promet d'être un lèche-vitrine qui sort de l'ordinaire.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes, site extérieur.
Site Web
Boire une bonne bière fruitée et rafraichissante
Prix : 💸💸
Type de bouffe : pub
Adresse : 380, rue Saint-Paul E, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Tu ne sais pas si tu as plus envie d'une bière ou d'un cocktail? Le pub BreWskey dans le Vieux-Port t'offre un mélange des deux avec ces bières mousseuses aux fruits. Tu pourras goûter à une bière coco-framboise ou même à une stout crème à la glacée chocolat vanille.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
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Faire un pique-nique au Canal Lachine
Coût : gratuit
Adresse : Canal Lachine, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Pour un joli panorama de la ville et un pique-nique instagrammable à souhait, tu dois te rendre sur les berges du canal de Lachine dans le quartier Sud-Ouest à Montréal. Tu peux faire tes emplettes au marché Atwater, aller te chercher des bières à la succursale de Tite Frette à quelques pas de là avant de t'étendre sur ta couverture dans l'herbe.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.