Five stories in the news today, Dec. 27

Five stories in the news for Tuesday, Dec. 27

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TWO HIKERS MISSING ON BC’s CYPRESS MOUNTAIN

A search was set to resume at first light for two hikers believed missing on Cypress Mountain in British Columbia. Authorities say the pair embarked on a Christmas Day hike but have not been heard from since. A search was prompted by the discovery of their car in a parking lot. In a separate incident, rescuers will also try to rescue a snowboarder at first light. That person has been found, but it was too hazardous to mount an immediate rescue.

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TORONTO LAWYER AND FAMILY MOURNED AFTER FIRE

A Toronto law firm is remembering one of its partners as a “vibrant and wonderful person” after news that a family of four died in a fire near Peterborough, Ont. Police said the fire broke out early Christmas Eve in a large cottage on Stoney Lake. Police have yet to confirm the victims’ identities, friends and family took to social media to mourn Geoff Taber, his wife Jacquie Gardner — also a lawyer — and their two sons.

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PRESCRIPTION OPIOID USE GROWING IN B.C.: STUDY

The number of people using prescription opioids long-term in British Columbia was growing at a “silent but steady” rate for years before the current overdose crisis erupted, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of British Columbia show that between 2005 and 2012, there was a steady increase in the use of prescription opioids for treatment periods lasting three months or longer, excluding cancer treatment or end-of-life care.

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CANADA BREEZES PAST RUSSIA TO OPEN WORLD JUNIORS 5-3 win

Canada defeated Russian 5-3 to kick off their preliminary round at the world junior hockey championship in Toronto. The Canadians scored three power-play goals, including a pair by captain Dylan Strome. Canada’s next game is tonight against Slovakia. The championship game will be in Montreal on Jan. 5.

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WHO WILL BE THE FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR?

The Bobbie Rosenfield Award for The Canadian Press female athlete of the year will be named this morning (at 10 a.m. ET). Teenage golfer Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. earned the award last year after a vote by editors and broadcasters across the country. Sprinter Andre De Grasse won the Lionel Conacher Award as The Canadian Press male athlete of the year on Monday.

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