Access and Privacy Online

Access and Privacy Online


Hundreds of Surrey Memorial Patients Are Overdosing Every Year

Hundreds of patients are having non-fatal overdoses at Surrey Memorial Hospital every year, according to data obtained through a freedom of information request. But fatal overdoses are rare. According to the BC Coroners Service, four people died after taking illicit, unregulated drugs while they were patients at Surrey Memorial between 2020 and 2025. These deaths […]

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Deputy mayor calls for feasibility report on third-party review of Ramara’s financial systems

Two motions at Ramara’s council meeting this week may bring some debate — and changes — down the road. The first was a notice of motion from Coun. David Snutch, in which he emphasized the need to increase updates to council regarding litigation. The motion suggests using the council information package (CIP) process and that […]

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Weather puts damper on ‘grassroots’ protest

Heavy rain kept numbers low on Saturday at a protest rally in Pickering where demonstrators called for the end of the Ford government. About 50 people showed up outside the commercial plaza on Kingston Road where Pickering-Uxbridge MPP and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s office is located. Among them was Uxbridge resident Patricia Sayers. “We want […]

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20260502 Access and Privacy Online

Your Access and Privacy Online News Summary for Saturday, May 2nd. This week, we begin with a developing voter privacy story out of Alberta.  Elections Alberta says there was no breach of its own systems — but that a copy of the provincial List of Electors, provided to a legitimate political recipient, may have been […]

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Six transgender residents sue Idaho over strict new bathroom ban

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Six transgender Idaho residents are suing the state in federal court, asking a federal judge to declare a strict new bathroom ban unconstitutional. The law, which goes into effect in July, is the strictest bathroom ban in the nation, subjecting people to time behind bars if they knowingly enter a bathroom, […]

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Membertou resets cannabis law creation for community

Membertou First Nation’s chief and council are resetting the cannabis law process they have been working on for several years because they feel it needs more community participation and perspectives. Retired senator Dan Christmas, whom Chief Terry Paul asked to lead the original process in 2023, says the chief and band council want to make […]

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Alberta voter info database shut down amidst probes of alleged data breach

A database belonging to an Alberta separatist group was shut down Thursday as elections officials and Mounties probe an alleged voter-list privacy breach affecting up to three million Albertans. “The RCMP has initiated an investigation and is working with other law enforcement partners in the province to determine if any offences have been committed,” Alberta’s […]

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Immigration minister says she’s accountable after former IRGC official granted a visa

Immigration Minister Lena Diab says she’s accountable after a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official was granted a visa to visit Canada. But she says she didn’t know about the decision made by her department. Online news outlet Iran International reported Monday that Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj was granted a temporary resident visa […]

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They sought help for son with mental illness. He ended up in jail

With their son in the throes of a mental health crisis last November, Bill and Faith Piersing did what they’d been told to do countless times before: They dialed 911. The couple were hoping for a helping hand to deescalate the situation and transport him to a hospital. Instead, the law enforcement officers who showed […]

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The Venice Biennale jury resigns amid tensions over awards ban, Russian participation

MILAN (AP) — The international jury of the Venice Biennale resigned Thursday, just nine days before the world’s oldest and most important contemporary art fair opens, amid tensions over Russia’s participation and the panel’s decision to bar prizes for countries accused of crimes against humanity. The Biennale said in a statement that the jury, made […]

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Indonesia urges social media platforms to disclose the number of accounts closed for users under 16

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia is urging social media companies and digital platforms to report the number of accounts that have been suspended as part of the implementation of government regulations restricting access for children under 16, authorities said Wednesday. “We will continue to insist that compliance alone is not enough; we must also report […]

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Toronto cop accused in corruption probe to stay behind bars after review

A Toronto police constable accused of leaking information to criminals in a wide-reaching corruption case will stay behind bars after a bail review in Ontario’s Superior Court. Const. Timothy Barnhardt is one of eight active and retired Toronto police officers charged in Project South, an organized crime and corruption investigation led by York Regional Police. […]

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