It's Tuesday, March 17th. Good morning. Happy St. Patrick's Day. We've got wild weather continuing with flurries, snow squalls, strong winds and cold temperatures. The dollar hovering just over 73 cents. I'm Stacey Englehart. While a large portion of the province under some sort of weather advisory, we are under an orange snow squall warning. Areas affected include Owen Sound, Blue Mountains, Northern Great County, near 0 visibility in heavy snow, strong gusty winds, and slippery driving conditions. Numerous highways in northern Ontario had been shut down because of this storm system. A boil water advisory for the city of Owen Sound has been lifted, according to Grey Bruce Public Health. An engineering assessment was conducted and city officials confirm the water is now safe to drink. I'll not like we needed this reminder, but household debt is only getting worse. StatsCan said the amount Canadians owed relative to their income climbed for the 5th consecutive quarter. The agency said the ratio of household credit market debt was 177.2% in the fourth quarter. So in other words, There was $1.77 in household debt for every dollar you earned, so basically leaving you with 23 cents for every dollar you made. Household credit market debt topped 3.2 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 4.4% from a year ago. While the U.S. is begging for NATO's help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and is beginning to issue threats. Iran shut down a critical maritime checkpoint connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea, through which a large portion of the world's oil passes. Although Iran said the strait is open to all nations, excluding the U.S. and allied ships. The Prime Minister met with the British Prime Minister, both agreed safe passage must be restored. Canada said it would help without entering the war. The Defense Minister said countries are reviewing available options. And when you've taken something that's not yours, now you've got to give it back. More than 60 indigenous items from the Vatican now back in Canada. But their journey home is just getting started as experts and elders work to trace their origin and return them to communities that created them. The items are now being housed at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatsino, Quebec. Light 99, three sports. Leafs and Raptors both off last night. Preseason baseball, Jays beat Miami 5-4. The World Baseball Classic semi-final, Italy lost to Venezuela 4-2. So tonight, the championship final will see the U.S. and Venezuela at 8. NHL tonight, the Leafs host the Islanders at 7. PWHL, Toronto is in Boston at 7, and the Raptors are in Chicago tomorrow at 8. JD will keep you posted on the forecast throughout the morning. From the Light 99. 93 News Center. I'm Stacey Englehart.
News Update, 8:00am, Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Mar 17, 2026 | 8:10 AM