The Township of Uxbridge is inviting residents to join a free guided walk with a park ranger this Friday at Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The 3-kilometre hike will explore the park’s history and forests, with a shorter 1.4-kilometre option available. The walk is free, including parking, and will be rescheduled if it rains.

Contract talks between Unifor and General Motors officially began on Monday in Toronto. More than 4,600 Unifor members at GM plants across Ontario are covered by the negotiations, with about 30 per cent currently on layoff. The union hopes to reach a tentative agreement with GM by Aug. 21, following a recent deal with Ford.

Nearly 30,000 Canadians have signed a petition calling for U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra to be removed from the country. The petition accuses Hoekstra of interfering in Canadian politics and making comments that could hurt Canada-U.S. relations, including remarks about Canada becoming part of the United States. The petition is expected to be presented in the House of Commons this fall, although MPs can present petitions without supporting their contents.