Thursday: Whale carcass to Toronto, Rob Ford to rehab, Telecom privacy follow-up, and more...

The federal government has offered to move a blue-whale corpse from Trout River, Newfoundland, to Toronto, before it explodes -- but some residents say it's a valuable attraction...Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has somehow survived a series of scandals -- but today, he's finally stepped down and taken a leave, after the revelation of a new video in which he's allegedly smoking crack...and forget playoff beards -- the Montreal Canadiens have a talisman of success in the post-season, and it's a taliswoman: the legendary singer Ginette Reno.

Part One

Trout River Whale carcass to Toronto
the town of Trout River, Newfoundland is enjoying a burst of tourist activity -- because of a blue whale corpse that may, itself, experience a much-less-pleasant burst sometime in the near future. A resident explains why she wants the whale to stay.

Rob Ford takes leave
Last year, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denied having smoked crack cocaine. Then he admitted it, but swore he was not an addict. Today, he's taken a leave, in part because of a video taken this past weekend that allegedly shows him...smoking crack.

Syria chlorine attacks
Syria may have agreed to surrender its chemical weapons -- but a former chemical weapons inspector finds compelling evidence that the regime is still using chlorine.

Part Two

Telecom privacy follow-up
Canada's privacy commissioner says the country's laws need to change to force telecommunications companies to report details on what customer information they are handing over to authories.

Ginette Reno
The Montreal Canadiens made short work of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round -- and as the second round begins, they're calling once again on their good luck charm: Quebec icon Ginette Reno.

Part Three

Marx book publisher
When the London publishing company that owns the rights to the collected works of Marx and Engels asserts its copyright, Communists everywhere decry their uncomradely behaviour.

Fracking study
A new report commissioned by Canada's Environment Minister finds that there isn't enough scientific knowledge on the enviromental impact of hydraulic fracking, but says groundwater contamination is the greatest concern.

Hot Docs: The Agreement
The Agreement follows diplomatic efforts by the European Union to get Kosovo and Serbia to agree to terms for future EU membership.