A Newfoundland scientist known for identifying a gelatinous, rancid mass that washed up on the island's shores decades ago is hoping to get his hands on a slice of the strange white globs appearing on the province's beaches.
Steven Carr, a biology professor at Memorial University in St. John's, N.L., says the mysterious blobs may be fat or oil that has somehow been preserved by the North Atlantic's icy brine — a process he calls "adventitious pickling."
Philip Grace first shared a picture of the slimy masses last month in a Facebook group of local beachcombers, asking if anyone knew what they were.
Grace wrote that he had found them on the beach along Placentia Bay and some were as big as dinner plates.
Environment and Climate Change Canada says neither the "mystery substance" nor its source has been identified yet, but preliminary tests suggest it may be "plant-based."
Carr was able to use DNA to determine that a 5.6-metre-long stinking mound of goo — nicknamed the "blobster" by local residents — found on a Newfoundland beach in 2001 was a badly decomposed sperm whale, but he doesn't believe the current blobs are animal matter.
He says he is writing to federal officials to request a sample.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.
Cuba's national electrical grid shut down on Friday after one of the island's major power plants failed, Cuba's energy ministry said, plunging the entire country into a blackout.
One of four Canadian cabinet members who are stepping down said on Friday that he has confidence in Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and he played down polls predicting the Liberals will badly lose in the next election.
SaskPower was sentenced Friday morning in a Weyburn courtroom, receiving a record fine, after being found guilty of three workplace-safety related violations when two experienced employees were killed on the job in 2020.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Friday compared the people jailed on charges that they stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to the more than 120,000 people of Japanese origin incarcerated on U.S. soil during World War II.
An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
The Canadian Cancer Society says a proposed settlement that may see tobacco companies pay out billions of dollars would do little to prevent future generations from becoming addicted to smoking.
Police were called to a frozen yogurt shop in Richmond, B.C., Wednesday after a man went behind the counter and scooped some of the product with his hand.
According to Google search data, the top Halloween costumes trending in Canada include everything from Taylor Swift for kids to the Joker and Harley Quinn for couples.
National Defence Minister Bill Blair says Canada is sending $64.8 million in military aid to Ukraine.
A British Columbia family is pleading for information about the disappearance of their son, who was 22 years old when he vanished from Kelowna 18 years ago.
Days after a man was recorded walking behind the counter at a frozen yogurt shop in Richmond, B.C., and scooping product with his hand, a suspect has been criminally charged.
Police in Surrey are asking the public for help identifying a suspect with "distinct tattoos" on his right arm.
A 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy are facing multiple charges after allegedly firing gunshots at a Jewish girls' school last weekend.
Police say five suspects from Hamilton are facing charges in connection with the sexual assault of a female youth in Vaughan earlier this month.
A high-ranking Toronto police officer who admitted to helping several members of the service cheat on promotional exams is appealing her demotion, arguing that she was “villainized†for conduct which was “rampant†throughout the organization.
Calgary police are asking for public assistance to help them identify a suspect they believe was involved in a series of drug store thefts.
The Calgary Public Library said its technology services are still out at all its locations, but officials have placed blame for the problem on a recent ransomware attack.
An Alberta court has found a Langdon man who attacked and fatally injured his mother in 2023 was not criminally responsible in her death.
Ottawa Public Health is urging all residents to protect themselves against the flu and COVID this fall and winter. Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist Jordan Clark spoke with CTV Morning Live about what you need to know about the COVID shot, flu shot and RSV protection this fall.
If you’re heading out trick or treating this Halloween, you may end up with more chips, gummies, licorice, and other goodies – rather than chocolate. Cocoa prices have spiked, and that could be playing a trick with what your kids come home with and what you give out on Halloween night.
The national capital region will be basking in the fall sun over the coming days, with near summer-like temperatures in the forecast.
Police say a woman in her 40s is in life-threatening condition after she was struck by a vehicle in the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough Friday afternoon.
Quebec’s parks management agency (SEPAQ) plans to shoot 287 deer in parks south of Montreal as part of its plan to control animal populations and protect biodivesity.
Though no trains are running on the West Island elevated REM light-rail line, a deer found its way onto the tracks and was caught on camera.
One person is in custody after a standoff in Camrose, Alta. that lasted nearly 18 hours.
Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society North Haven Adoption Centre was robbed during business hours on Wednesday.
Alberta municipalities are getting their first look at new rules around local political parties and how they will be funded.
An 18-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with a shooting that prompted an emergency alert in the Salisbury and Moncton areas of New Brunswick last month.
An investigation is underway after a fatal car crash in Nova Scotia's Hants County on Thursday.
Police say a woman has died following a head-on crash in Bartibog, N.B., Thursday afternoon.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he will look at releasing more information about government travel expenses, which would bring his province in line with some other jurisdictions.
The federal and Manitoba governments have signed a deal to expand food programs.
Health-care support workers in Manitoba have officially ratified a new deal agreed to earlier this month.
SaskPower was sentenced Friday morning in a Weyburn courtroom, receiving a record fine, after being found guilty of three workplace-safety related violations when two experienced employees were killed on the job in 2020.
A man from Prince Albert has died following a collision between a semi and an SUV on Highway 2 near Chamberlain, Sask. on Thursday.
Cleanup and removal of the locomotive and around 20 cars that derailed following a fatal collision with a tractor near Gerald, Sask. is expected to take weeks, CN Rail says.
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
Two police officers took the stand Thursday to describe what they found on Erick Buhr's clothing after his grandmother, Viola Erb, was attacked.
A three-month-long drug trafficking investigation has ended with the arrest of seven people.
Saskatoon police are asking the public for help tracking down a person of interest in an ongoing aggravated and sexual assault investigation.
Saskatoon mayoral candidate Cary Tarasoff says it's time for the city to get its finances back on track after building a reputation of overspending and mismanaging costly projects.
A man from Prince Albert has died following a collision between a semi and an SUV on Highway 2 near Chamberlain, Sask. on Thursday.
Greater Sudbury Police are looking for witnesses and video of an assault that took place late Thursday evening or early Friday morning at the intersection of Cedar and Young streets downtown.
Potential unmarked burials have been detected at a former residential school in northwestern Ontario.
A man from northwestern Ontario has his fishing licence suspended for three years and faces fines of $15,870 for illegally selling leeches and baitfish.
A robbery investigation by London police has resulted in the arrest of a 14-year-old boy.
A new program is hoping to empower sustainability by providing businesses access to a fleet of e-bikes for long-term trials, for free.
Starting on Monday, South Bruce residents finally get to start voting on whether they want their community to become home to Canada's first permanent nuclear waste storage facility.
The City of Barrie relocated its two automated speed enforcement cameras to help deter motorists from poor driving behaviours in school zones.
One person has died following a collision with a train in Bracebridge Thursday evening.
A man found guilty of dangerous driving causing death in 2021 heard from the victim’s family in a Barrie courtroom on Friday ahead of his sentencing.
A Chatham-Kent doctor is facing several sex-related charges involving a minor.
A second suspect is wanted in connection to a commercial break-and-enter investigation.
Money from the federal government will assist the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) in improving the health of Lake Erie and the Detroit River.
A British Columbia family is pleading for information about the disappearance of their son, who was 22 years old when he vanished from Kelowna 18 years ago.
An atmospheric river weather system has hit much of coastal British Columbia, bringing heavy rain, high winds and the risk of flooding.
A 53-year-old man has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with a fatal stabbing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
The Brooks Bandits may have changed leagues, but they haven’t changed their winning ways.
With Halloween just around the corner, the Lethbridge Bulls staff have been hard at work getting Spitz Stadium ready for a different sort of fall classic.
Lethbridge post-secondary schools are trying to navigate recent changes to the cap on international students, announced by the federal government in January.
A man from northwestern Ontario has his fishing licence suspended for three years and faces fines of $15,870 for illegally selling leeches and baitfish.
Members of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service’s traffic unit are investigating a motor vehicle crash that occurred earlier this week.
Ontario's top court breathed new life into a Charter challenge of the provincial government's emissions target on Thursday, a decision heralded as a major victory for the group of young people -- including 17-year-old Sophia Mathur from Greater Sudbury -- who brought the case and others looking to hold governments to account on climate change.
A five-hour drive from St. John's, N.L., and well off the beaten path, Point Leamington seems an unlikely spot for a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the ‘Fellow in Yellow.’
John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn’t be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.
A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.
A B.C. judge has issued a decision in a years-long dispute between neighbours that began with a noise complaint over barking dogs, crowing roosters and quacking ducks – awarding $15,000 in damages to the plaintiffs in the case.
An Ottawa man was arrested after taking a shower in a stranger's house, Ottawa police say.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Chef Paul Natrall, the man behind Indigenous food truck Mr. Bannock, is bringing cooking classes on First Nations fare to schools and offices throughout Metro Vancouver.
The Celtic Colours Festival is taking place at venues around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia from Oct. 11 to 19.
One of four Canadian cabinet members who are stepping down said on Friday that he has confidence in Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and he played down polls predicting the Liberals will badly lose in the next election.
The head of the RCMP and Canada's ministers of foreign affairs and public safety will be summoned to testify at a House of Commons committee about the bombshell allegations made this week about Indian state-sponsored interference in Canada.
The federal and Manitoba governments have signed a deal to expand food programs.
More details are expected today on a proposed deal that would see the three major companies pay out billions of dollars to provinces and territories as well as smokers and their loved ones.
The Canadian Cancer Society says a proposed settlement that may see tobacco companies pay out billions of dollars would do little to prevent future generations from becoming addicted to smoking.
Already multitool smart devices, Apple Watches added another buzzworthy feature last month: an app to detect sleep apnea.
One of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages in this country is now available through Google's translation service, the first time the tech giant has included a First Nations, Metis or Inuit language spoken in Canada on its platform.
A federal judge on Friday delayed an order requiring Google to open up its Android app store to more competition until an appeals court decides whether to block the shake-up because of legal questions surrounding a jury's verdict that branded Google as an illegal monopolist.
Meta has launched a new campaign to protect teens and children from social media sextortion scams. It’s designed to help teenagers and their parents easily spot online scammers, who trick young people into sending intimate photos and use financial blackmail, threatening exposure.
How One Direction became the internet's first boy band.
Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor who starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film of 'South Pacific' and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, has died. She was 93.
Every Christmas growing up in Minnesota, Jimmy Darts' parents gave him US$200 in cash: US$100 for himself and US$100 for a stranger. Now, with over 12 million followers on TikTok and several million more on other platforms, philanthropy is his full-time job.
Credit card fees for small and medium-sized businesses are starting to dip lower as a deal reached between the federal government and the two major card companies is set to take effect.
Federal limits on the number of international students permitted to study in Canada could cost Ontario schools close to $1 billion in lost revenue, the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) says.
A federal judge on Friday delayed an order requiring Google to open up its Android app store to more competition until an appeals court decides whether to block the shake-up because of legal questions surrounding a jury's verdict that branded Google as an illegal monopolist.
The origin of modern humans' long-standing love affair with carbs may predate our existence as a species, according to a new study.
A British travel documentarian's YouTube video announcing his move to Winnipeg, Man. has gone viral, with Manitobans praising the transplant's kind words about his new Prairie home.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the ‘Fellow in Yellow.’
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the European Open tennis tournament with a 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) loss to Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut on Friday.
A representative for Kylian Mbappe has denounced reporting in the Swedish press about the French soccer star as 'totally false and irresponsible.'
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.
Canada’s border guards have seized more than 1,900 stolen cars so far this year at railyards and ports, which is over a hundred more than in 2023.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
