Reach

The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel last year, and the immediate Israeli retaliation that followed, sent shockwaves throughout the world that have shaken Canada culturally and politically.

Here is a look at some of the major developments in Canada related to the conflict.

Oct. 7, 2023 — Hamas-led militants launched air and ground attacks on Israel, killing nearly 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages. The attacks, followed hours later by Israeli counterattacks in the Gaza Strip, marked the beginning of the current Israel-Hamas war. 

The Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Allégresses Church in Trois-Rivières, QC, is picking up the pieces after a fire ravaged the building last week. 

On October 3, local emergency crews were dispatched to help control and put out the fire that had the whole building up in flames. One of the bell towers ended up collapsing because of the fire. 

According to reports, the building was empty of people at the time of the fire, meaning no injuries were reported. 

Thousands of kids across Canada benefit from 4-H programming each year.

Ben Graham, chair of the Canadian 4-H Foundation says 4-H has an enormous impact on our youth.

"It's about team building, learning parliamentary procedure, how you run a meeting, and how to public speak. It's about how to manage projects, whether it's computers or dogs - canine, whether it's beef cattle. It's a real diverse opportunity for kids to learn skills that help them become better leaders and contributors to their community."

Beyond Ready is this year's theme for National 4-H Week.

The Canadian Crop Hail Association member companies are investigating 630 claims of crop damage from isolated storms that hit farms across Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan during the week of September 16-22.

Rodney Schoettler of Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance noted that September brought an unexpected surge in claims:

He says the claim count is much higher than typical [for this time of year] and the severity of losses at this stage is costly to producers and insurers.

On Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini delivered a sermon calling for Muslim nations to unite against Israel. But what are the people of Iran saying? 

"The vast majority of Iranian people do not want their government to meddle into regional geopolitical affairs at their cost. They also don’t want to see Iran as an Islamic state," says Mike Ansari with Heart4Iran. 

Farmers are making some good progress with the harvest. 

The latest crop reports show in Manitoba, 73 per cent of the provincial crop is now in. 

This week's crop report shows there's still some spring wheat, barley and oats to come in.

The canola harvest is now at 78 percent complete, dry beans are at 60 per cent, soybeans at 29 percent,  17 per cent of the flax is now in with the corn harvest just getting underway in Eastern Manitoba.

In Saskatchewan, 91 per cent of the crop is now in with harvest most advanced in the southwest at 99  per cent complete.

Psalm 63:1

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

---

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Colossians 1

My first direct view of Titanic lasted less than two minutes, but the stark sight of her immense black hull towering above the ocean floor will remain forever ingrained in my memory. My lifelong dream was to find this great ship, and during the past thirteen years the quest for her had dominated my life. Now, finally, the quest was over.

Emotional mourners gathered by the hundreds in cities across Canada on Sunday to honour the victims of Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the still raging war in Gaza and roiled tensions in the Middle East and beyond.

In the nation's capital, a sea of Israeli flags could be seen draped over participants in front of Ottawa City Hall, with Canadian flags waving alongside them as they called for the release of hostages still being held in Gaza.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeatedly reiterated calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East on Saturday as he blamed Hamas, Hezbollah and Israel for a staggering number of civilian deaths.

But Trudeau stopped short of outright condemning Israel for beginning a ground war days after the Israeli military crossed the border into southern Lebanon.

"We need to see peace in the region," Trudeau said from Paris on the final day of the Francophonie summit.