News/Canada/Kitchener-Waterloo

Scientists collecting wastewater samples gain access to a variety of sensitive information.At the University of Guelph in southern Ontario, researchers are working to protect that data.Melissa Perreault is part of the research team focused on developing a policy to better protect Indigenous people from research exploitation, specifically through wastewater sampling. "I want to start by saying how valuable wastewater research is ... but there are other things in wastewater besides [COVID-19]," Perreault told CBC News.During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health departments used wastewater sampling to keep track of the spread of the virus across Canada.The sensitive data found in wastewater — including human DNA and prescribed or illicit drugs — can also give researchers more information abou...

Demand for the services of local food banks has never been higher, and Carolyn McLeod-McCarthy of the Guelph Food Bank says she's worried about the impact U.S. tariffs will have on the local economy and workers."We're quite nervous about what that's going to mean for being able to provide food to people in need," McLeod-McCarthy told CBC News.She said the southern Ontario food bank is seeing more people needing help than ever before."The word unprecedented gets used a lot and that's exactly what's happening: unprecedented growth," McLeod-McCarthy said.Food bank officials and advocates say they want leaders and candidates to make pledges to end food insecurity a top priority during the federal election campaign.Over the last year, they've seen an additional 1,000 people seek assistance. She...