Newsstand: February 25, 2015

We interrupt your previously scheduled mysterious tunnel discussions to bring you these local headlines. In non-subterranean news: testing gets underway on Union Pearson Express trains, Chris Brown gets denied at the border, the Great Lakes get frozen, and Yorkdale gets evacuated because of a suspicious package.

By Elizabeth Fraser • Illustration by Matthew Daley

Good news for people who look forward to riding the Union Pearson Express. On Monday, Metrolinx began testing the new trains that will be used in the Union Station to Pearson Airport service that is expected to launch this spring. The diesel trains are set up to run along GO train tracks towards Kitchener in order to begin speed and braking tests. Simulations of evacuation procedures and switch and signal failures will also take place during this intense testing phase.

And good news for people who don’t like Chris Brown: on Tuesday, the entertainer cancelled two Canadian concert dates, including an engagement at the Air Canada Centre planned for Wednesday night. The cause? Brown tweeted to fans that Canadian immigration officials had denied him entry into country. His spokesperson later confirmed that this was true, and that he plans to reapply for admission at a later date. For now, the shows have been cancelled and full refunds are being offered.

Last winter, many Torontonians learned more about meteorology than they ever wanted to know. In between frequent mentions of the dreaded polar vortex, ice coverage on the Great Lakes was also a popular topic of discussion when it peaked at 92.19 per cent on March 6, 2014, edging dangerously close to the record high of 94.7 per cent set in 1979. So far this year, the lakes are not faring much better. Thanks to the Arctic air that has plunged Toronto into record-setting cold weather, experts say that the lakes are 85 per cent frozen, which is bad news since the warmth of the lakes helps to moderate temperatures in surrounding areas.

Finally, a section of Yorkdale Mall was evacuated on Tuesday night after the discovery of a suspicious package. In the end, it posed no safety risk.

Now, please feel free to return to your tunnel theorizing.