We're hearing more about rabies in the news. Here's what to know about the virus
Public health officials in B.C. and Quebec are dealing with rabies in wild animals that have come into contact with people or domestic pets. In Vancouver, it was a single skunk but in parts of Quebec, there is an outbreak of rabies in raccoons that has transmitted the virus to three cats.
On Friday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which is responsible for national rabies surveillance, said that the number of animal cases fluctuates from year to year, but preliminary data suggests "increased rabies activity in raccoons, particularly in Quebec, is a major factor contributing to the higher number of confirmed rabies cases reported this year."
Between January and September of this year, 397 laboratory-confirmed rabies cases in animals were reported to the CFIA. In 2025, there were 281 cases in the entire year.
Public health officials emphasize that rabies infections in humans are still "extremely rare."
Here's what you need to know.
WHAT IS RABIES?
Rabies is a viral infection that affects the nervous system, including the brain. In Canada, rabies infections in humans are rare, but almost always fatal if it's not treated before symptoms develop.
The virus infects the nerves around the site where it entered the body and then makes its way into the spinal cord and brain, ultimately leading to death.
HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?
Rabies is transmitted to humans when they are bitten or scratched by an infected animal. Saliva is the most common source of transmission. In Canada, wild animals such as bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes are the main carriers of rabies, but they can transmit it to pets such as cats or dogs and farm animals.
Bats are the main carrier of rabies in Canada. Experts urge people to see a health-care provider if they've had suspected contact with any bat because their bites or scratches are tiny and might go unnoticed.
People should also seek medical attention immediately if they have come into contact with other animals that may have rabies.
On Wednesday, Vancouver Coastal Health issued a news bulletin about a skunk with rabies that had bitten a "small" number of people in Vancouver. Those people were treated and the health authority urged anyone who may have been bitten or scratched by a skunk in the city's West End neighbourhood between Sept. 22 and Oct. 17 to contact them.
The government of Quebec has reported an outbreak of rabies in raccoons and is continuing to do surveillance. Its latest count available online is 313 confirmed raccoons with rabies in the province since the beginning of the year. Three cats have been infected through raccoons.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?
There is no treatment for animals with rabies. The only way for the infection to be confirmed in animals is to examine the brain after death.
Humans must receive treatment before symptoms appear, which usually happens about three to eight weeks after exposure, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
People should thoroughly wash the area where they were bitten or scratched with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately.
The treatment is a series of vaccines and an immunoglobulin injection.
The first rabies vaccine shot is given immediately, followed by shots on days three, seven and 14.
The immunoglobulin injection, a ready-made antibody that starts fighting the virus right away, is also administered because it takes time for the body to mount an immune response from the vaccinations.
Side effects of the vaccine are usually mild and temporary. They can include fever, chills, sweats and feeling unwell.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO PROTECT PEOPLE AND PETS?
The Wildlife Rescue Association of BC said in a news release on Friday that the most effective prevention strategy for people is to "avoid direct physical contact with wildlife, particularly animals that appear sick, injured, unusually aggressive, lethargic, or disoriented."
The association also urged people to make sure their pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations and to "keep them leashed and supervised outdoors to help prevent contact with wildlife."
HOW COMMON IS RABIES DEATH IN HUMANS?
There have been 28 deaths from rabies in humans reported since 1924.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
By Nicole Ireland | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Calgary flood survivor to testify in Canada’s first youth-led federal climate trial
Sadie Vipond was 7 when her grandmother woke her in the middle of the night, and they fled their home. Outside, Calgary was in the midst of its largest flood in more than a century. They went to a friend’s place on higher ground as surging waters cut short the school year. At the city’s zoo, water rose high enough for a hippo to swim out of its enclosure — a memory that stays with her 13 years later.
Next week, she will testify in Canada’s first federal youth-led climate trial — a lawsuit she joined at 13. She’s one of 15 young Canadian plaintiffs in La Rose v. His Majesty the King, which will run for four weeks in Vancouver.
The plaintiffs from seven provinces, the Northwest Territories and Yukon were all between the ages of 10 and 19 when the case began. They are arguing that Canada is putting young people’s health, safety and futures at risk by supporting fossil fuel development while repeatedly missing its emissions targets. They want the court to require the government to develop and carry out a climate recovery plan that protects their constitutional rights.
“This was a way to share my voice, to influence our governments without having the ability to vote,” Vipond said.
The case is reaching the trial stage after seven years of legal motions and appeals, including federal efforts to have it dismissed. Many plaintiffs were barely teenagers when they joined and have grown into adulthood waiting for their day in court.
Now, they have more to lose. Some have taken outdoor jobs, where staying inside to escape wildfire smoke can mean going unpaid. East Coast plaintiffs, who had never experienced wildfire smoke when the case began, now encounter it regularly, said Andrea Rodgers, deputy director of US strategy at Our Children’s Trust, which supports the case.
One plaintiff has since become a mother and will testify during the trial’s first week. “Now, it’s not just about protecting her rights and her future,” Rodgers said. “It’s about ensuring that her son can grow up and thrive in a healthy environment.”
A generation coming of age in a changing climate
Extreme heat and wildfire smoke have limited Vipond’s ability to bike to school and exercise outdoors. Now a third-year environmental sciences student at the University of British Columbia, she said her studies have helped her recognize changes around her — from increasingly dangerous snow conditions to pine beetles destroying an entire hillside.
“A lot of people think that climate change is like a long, slow evolution of changes,” Vipond said. “However, we’re really seeing it from year to year at this point.”
Vipond’s experience reflects a broader reality for young people coming of age as climate change dictates how they imagine and plan their lives. A study published in 2023 found that nearly two in five Canadians aged 16 to 25 said climate change made them hesitant to have children.
That concern also shows up in their politics. In July, a poll found that one in four respondents aged 18 to 34 ranked climate change and the environment among their top three issues, compared with 16 per cent of those older than 55.
The climate risks extend across their lives. At 1.5 C of warming, over half of children born in 2020 would face unprecedented lifetime heatwave exposure, compared with 16 per cent of those born in 1960, a global study projected in 2025.
Rodgers has spent 15 years representing young people in US climate cases, including Juliana v. United States. Its 21 young plaintiffs spent nearly a decade arguing that federal energy policies violated their constitutional rights. The case never reached trial after an appeals court ruled that judges lacked the power to order and oversee the climate recovery plan the plaintiffs sought. She hopes Canada will deliver what those young Americans were denied.
The Canadian trial will also test how international law informs that duty. In July 2025, the International Court of Justice affirmed that governments must protect the climate system to safeguard human rights. Rodgers said the Canadian court could use that advisory opinion to help justify an order requiring climate action, and set an example for courts in other countries.
“Canada really has a choice,” Rodgers said. “Do they want to follow in the path of the United States or forge their own path, one that protects the rights of their own children?”
Vipond joined the lawsuit out of fear for her own future. As she heads to court next week, she said she now feels responsible for speaking for other children too young to vote and generations yet to be born.
People have asked whether she and the other plaintiffs would receive money if they win. She tells them they are seeking accountability rather than a payout.
“Hope is really hard to hold on to sometimes,” Vipond said. “But we’re all fighting to keep it.”
Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada's National Observer.
Copyright 2026, Canada's National Observer. All rights reserved.
Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer.
Calgary flood survivor to testify in Canada’s first youth-led federal climate trial
Sadie Vipond was 7 when her grandmother woke her in the middle of the night, and they fled their home. Outside, Calgary was in the midst of its largest flood in more than a century. They went to a friend’s place on higher ground as surging waters cut short the school year. At the city’s zoo, water rose high enough for a hippo to swim out of its enclosure — a memory that stays with her 13 years later.
Next week, she will testify in Canada’s first federal youth-led climate trial — a lawsuit she joined at 13. She’s one of 15 young Canadian plaintiffs in La Rose v. His Majesty the King, which will run for four weeks in Vancouver.
The plaintiffs from seven provinces, the Northwest Territories and Yukon were all between the ages of 10 and 19 when the case began. They are arguing that Canada is putting young people’s health, safety and futures at risk by supporting fossil fuel development while repeatedly missing its emissions targets. They want the court to require the government to develop and carry out a climate recovery plan that protects their constitutional rights.
“This was a way to share my voice, to influence our governments without having the ability to vote,” Vipond said.
The case is reaching the trial stage after seven years of legal motions and appeals, including federal efforts to have it dismissed. Many plaintiffs were barely teenagers when they joined and have grown into adulthood waiting for their day in court.
Now, they have more to lose. Some have taken outdoor jobs, where staying inside to escape wildfire smoke can mean going unpaid. East Coast plaintiffs, who had never experienced wildfire smoke when the case began, now encounter it regularly, said Andrea Rodgers, deputy director of US strategy at Our Children’s Trust, which supports the case.
One plaintiff has since become a mother and will testify during the trial’s first week. “Now, it’s not just about protecting her rights and her future,” Rodgers said. “It’s about ensuring that her son can grow up and thrive in a healthy environment.”
A generation coming of age in a changing climate
Extreme heat and wildfire smoke have limited Vipond’s ability to bike to school and exercise outdoors. Now a third-year environmental sciences student at the University of British Columbia, she said her studies have helped her recognize changes around her — from increasingly dangerous snow conditions to pine beetles destroying an entire hillside.
“A lot of people think that climate change is like a long, slow evolution of changes,” Vipond said. “However, we’re really seeing it from year to year at this point.”
Vipond’s experience reflects a broader reality for young people coming of age as climate change dictates how they imagine and plan their lives. A study published in 2023 found that nearly two in five Canadians aged 16 to 25 said climate change made them hesitant to have children.
That concern also shows up in their politics. In July, a poll found that one in four respondents aged 18 to 34 ranked climate change and the environment among their top three issues, compared with 16 per cent of those older than 55.
The climate risks extend across their lives. At 1.5 C of warming, over half of children born in 2020 would face unprecedented lifetime heatwave exposure, compared with 16 per cent of those born in 1960, a global study projected in 2025.
Rodgers has spent 15 years representing young people in US climate cases, including Juliana v. United States. Its 21 young plaintiffs spent nearly a decade arguing that federal energy policies violated their constitutional rights. The case never reached trial after an appeals court ruled that judges lacked the power to order and oversee the climate recovery plan the plaintiffs sought. She hopes Canada will deliver what those young Americans were denied.
The Canadian trial will also test how international law informs that duty. In July 2025, the International Court of Justice affirmed that governments must protect the climate system to safeguard human rights. Rodgers said the Canadian court could use that advisory opinion to help justify an order requiring climate action, and set an example for courts in other countries.
“Canada really has a choice,” Rodgers said. “Do they want to follow in the path of the United States or forge their own path, one that protects the rights of their own children?”
Vipond joined the lawsuit out of fear for her own future. As she heads to court next week, she said she now feels responsible for speaking for other children too young to vote and generations yet to be born.
People have asked whether she and the other plaintiffs would receive money if they win. She tells them they are seeking accountability rather than a payout.
“Hope is really hard to hold on to sometimes,” Vipond said. “But we’re all fighting to keep it.”
Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada's National Observer.
Copyright 2026, Canada's National Observer. All rights reserved.
Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer.

On a comparé 6 sites de streaming avec du contenu français et certains sont (trop) chers
Ce n’est pas seulement Netflix qui interdit le partage entre foyers. 👀
Maintenant que peu de gens ont le câble, on a comparé les plateformes de Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Crave, Diney+, Club Illico et ICI TOU.TV Extra afin d'évaluer ces sites de streaming offrant du contenu en français à la population québécoise. En effet, le divertissement a beaucoup changé dans les dernières années et c'est à présent en s'abonnant notamment aux plateformes mentionnées que plusieurs consomment des films et des séries.
Ainsi, on a relevé les prix, la facilité d'utilisation et la variété de contenu de chacune des six options sélectionnées dans le but de te permettre de prendre la meilleure décision possible avant de t'abonner à l'une ou plusieurs de ces services de streaming. On leur a ensuite accordé une note selon ces critères.
Netflix
Logo de Netflix.
Netflix
Coût : 5,99 $ + taxes par mois (standard avec publicités), 16,49 $ + taxes par mois (standard), ou 20,99 $ + taxes par mois (premium)
Description : Avec une longue liste de titres originaux populaires habituellement offerts dans plusieurs langues, dont le français, et cumulant plus de 4 500 films ainsi que plus de 2 000 séries de tous les genres provenant des dernières décennies, Netflix est définitivement l'un des sites de streaming les plus reconnus en général. La plupart des gens peuvent sûrement nommer de mémoire plus d'une création du géant du divertissement : Stranger Things, La chronique des Bridgerton, Squid Game et Selling Sunset, par exemple. Avec un roulement fréquent incluant des nouveautés, il n'est pas rare de trouver quelque chose à regarder, même lorsqu'on pense avoir fait le tour des catégories.
Du côté des avantages, en plus du contenu, il faut mentionner que la plateforme est très facile à utiliser, même pour un.e enfant ou bien un.e adulte qui n'est pas habile avec la technologie. Aussi, le bas prix du forfait standard avec publicité le rend accessible à une grande partie de la population.
Pour ce qui est des inconvénients, il est certain que les pubs, on s'en passerait même au plus bas coût de souscription. Mais il faut se rendre à l'évidence, l'époque où on pouvait se sauver des publicités sans payer est révolue pour plusieurs sites de divertissement. Ce qui peut vraiment être perçu comme un point négatif est le fait que même avec le forfait à 16,49 $, il n'est possible d'utiliser le compte que sur deux écrans en simultané. Donc pour les plus grosses familles, ça peut être irritant, surtout qu'en plus, pour partager le compte avec une personne qui ne vit pas avec soi, il faut payer des frais de 7,99 $ supplémentaires, ce qui est plus cher que l'abonnement de base.
Classement : 9,5/10
Site Web de Netflix
Crave
Logo de Crave.
Crave
Coût : 9,99 $ par mois ou 99,90 $ avec le forfait annuel, ce qui équivaut à 8,33 $ par mois (de base avec publicités), 14,99 $ par mois ou 149,90 $ avec le forfait annuel, ce qui équivaut à 12,49 $ par mois (standard avec publicité) ou 19,99 $ par mois et 199,90 $ avec le forfait annuel, ce qui équivaut à 16,66 $ par mois (premium)
Description : En t'abonnant à Crave, tu as accès à plusieurs films, séries et autres productions internationales, dont le contenu HBO comme Le lotus blanc, And Just Like That, Euphoria et The Last Of Us. C'est aussi le seul endroit où tu peux trouver la saga complète d'Harry Potter en français, ce qui est un gros plus pour les potterheads du Québec, qui peuvent aussi trouver plusieurs émissions et films d'ici, ce qui fait pas mal de contenu dans la langue de Molière.
Entre certains nouveaux blockbusters que tu peux regarder gratuitement au lieu de les louer sur d'autres sites de streaming, les productions québécoises, les séries et films populaires des dernières générations ainsi qu'une plateforme plutôt facile à naviguer, Crave ne reçoit pas toujours toute l'attention méritée. Netflix détient peut-être beaucoup de contenu original intéressant, des sélections relevées pour toi et des catégories faciles à explorer, mais Crave a l'avantage d'avoir son lot d'options alléchantes pour les francophones.
Note que tous les forfaits Crave offrent un nombre illimité d’appareils enregistrés pour la lecture en continu alors que l'offre de base avec pubs permet d'utiliser un appareil à la fois, et les autres forfaits, quatre. Aussi, il faut savoir qu'un nombre limité de titres sont disponibles sur les plans avec support publicitaire en raison de restrictions de licence.
Classement : 9/10
Site Web de Crave
Amazon Prime Video
Logo de Amazon Prime Video.
Amazon Prime Video
Coût : 9,99 $ par mois ou 99 $ par année, soit l'équivalent de 8,25 $ par mois
Description : Amazon Prime, c'est comme la cerise sur le gâteau pour les fans de magasinage en ligne. En t'abonnant pour moins de 10 $ par mois, tu as non seulement accès à la livraison rapide et gratuite pour tes achats, mais aussi à la plateforme de streaming qui, dans les dernières années, s'est creusée une place dans la compétition. Avec des succès comme Mme Maisel, femme fabuleuse,Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan et L'été où je suis devenue jolie, des sorties récentes comme Bleu royal, blanc et rouge ainsi que des spin off de grosses franchises comme Le Seigneur des anneaux : Les Anneaux de pouvoir, il y a vraiment du bon contenu à regarder sur la plateforme, soit plus de 3 500 films et 1 000 séries. Pour ce qui est du partage, il est possible d' avoir jusqu'à six profils dans Prime Video sur un même compte Amazon.
De plus, la possibilité de louer et même d'acheter des films récemment sortis en salles apporte un petit supplément côté pratique, puisqu'on va se le dire, ton lit est beaucoup plus confortable que la plupart des chaises de cinéma. Cela dit, dès qu'on s'éloigne des gros titres, le reste du contenu peut être très niche et moins intéressant pour les gens qui consomment surtout ce qui est plus mainstream. Pour ce qui est du français, comme avec Netflix, si c'est un original de la plateforme, tu as de bonnes chances de trouver les doublures dans cette langue. Mais pour le reste, il arrive souvent que l'anglais soit la seule option.
Classement : 9/10
Site Web d'Amazon Prime Video
Disney+
Logo de Disney+.
Disney+
Coût : 7,99 $ par mois (de base avec publicités), 11,99 $ par mois ou 119,99 $ par an (standard sans publicité), 14,99 $ par mois ou 149,99 $ par année (premium) - Prix en vigueur à partir du 1er novembre 2023
Description : Avec plus de 1 600 longs-métrages et 28 000 épisodes sur la plateforme de Disney+, tu as non seulement accès aux films de contes de fées qui ont bercé ton enfance, mais aussi au contenu Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Star et National Geographic, dont plusieurs disponibles en français. Allô les soirées cinéma à la maison! En créant un compte pour adulte, tu as également accès à des options plus matures comme des thrillers et autres, mais il reste qu'on y trouve moins de variété que sur d'autres plateformes.
Côté compte, comme Netflix l'a fait en février 2023, c'est maintenant au tour de Disney+ d'interdire le partage d'abonnement en dehors du foyer. La plateforme explique que le terme « foyer » comprend les appareils électroniques de visionnement associés à la résidence principale utilisée par les individus qui y résident. Il faut donc que les dispositifs se connectent au moins une fois par mois au réseau Wi-Fi lié audit foyer.
Facile à explorer, le site permet donc de se divertir à un prix compétitif, à condition d'avoir un intérêt spécifique pour le contenu offert.
Classement : 8/10
Site Web de Disney+
ICI TOU.TV Extra
Page d'accueil de ICI TOU.TV Extra.
ICI TOU.TV Extra
Coût : 6,99 $ par mois
Description : Pour 6,99 $ par mois, ICI TOU.TV Extra offre des primeurs, du contenu en français de plusieurs diffuseurs partenaires comme Unis TV et TV5, des séries complètes d’ici ainsi que d’ailleurs, Véro.tv, et ce, sans publicité pour la plupart. Il est possible de visionner les films et séries en simultané sur jusqu'à trois appareils.
C'est une plateforme intéressante pour les gens qui veulent surtout regarder du contenu local et francophone. Cela dit, les utilisateurs et utilisatrices aimeraient qu'on y trouve plus de contenu original d'ici puisque pour les productions américaines et internationales, d'autres sites répondent déjà au besoin. Une meilleure navigation de la plateforme est aussi demandée, surtout pour rechercher le contenu québécois. Plusieurs voient cette option comme un second achat afin d'avoir accès aux productions locales et, pour 6,99 $ par mois, ce n'est pas sorcier.
Classement : 7/10
Site Web de ICI TOU.TV Extra
Club Illico
Logo de Club Illico.
Club Illico
Coût : 5 $ par mois pour la clientèle de Helix et Vidéotron, ou 15 $ par mois
Description : Club illico offre un accès illimité à plus de 6 500 contenus francophones pour tous les âges incluant des productions québécoises, du contenu original, des séries exclusives, des films, des émissions jeunesse, et des nouveautés hebdomadaires. Si tu regardes la télé en français seulement et que tu as déjà Helix ou Vidéotron, cette option à 5 $ te garantissant de trouver quelque chose à regarder dans la langue de ton choix avec une plateforme facile à naviguer ne manque pas d'attrait. En plus des émissions d'ici comme Mégantic, La Faille et Lac Noir, tu peux t'installer devant des blockbusters comme Mégalodon, Twilight et Rapide et dangereux.
Cela dit, à 15 $ pour les non-utilisateur.trices de Helix et Vidéotron, il faut vraiment tenir à avoir accès au contenu québécois et francophone pour justifier le prix, surtout qu'il est souvent possible de trouver les films américains ou internationaux les plus populaires (en français également) sur d'autres plateformes de streaming.
Note que le partage de forfait et la création de profils multiples ne sont pas offerts, mais que l’application permet deux visionnements en simultané sur deux appareils différents.
Classement : 6,5/10
Site Web de Club Illico