Top stories of the week

The Rundown returns, happy in the knowledge that the bacon supply is safe after all and our Canadian maple syrup is being well protected by police escorts.

People in Manitoba and Ontario will need the comfort of a hot breakfast after being hit with a snowstorm – in this the first week of October.

Bacon, maple syrup, snow… and hockey. This is Canada in winter. But maybe not this year. On Thursday the NHL said it had cancelled all games through Oct. 24 as the labor dispute with hockey players continues.

The bad news and lack of progress has not deterred The Great One from remaining optimistic that we’ll be cheering on our teams by Jan. 21.

And in other news, the Australian premier angered conservationists by approving a pre-emptive kill plan for sharks that get too close to people in the water. Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett said he will always put people before sharks and urged conservationists to “keep it in perspective.” 

In Oregon, a farmer was eaten by his hogs in a case authorities are describing as “so doggone weird” they will have to look at all possibilities in trying to determine what happened.