National

National


Province investigating cause of Crescent Spur fire

The BC Wildfire Service has opened a Fire Origin and Cause Investigation into the May 10th Crescent Spur wildfire, says the Ministry of Forests. CN Rail is under scrutiny for alleged noncompliance with the fire prevention measures required by the Wildfire Act, according to the Province’s Natural Resource Compliance and Enforcement Database. Crescent Spur resident […]

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Government action could shut down shipbreaking in Union Bay, lawyer says

A lawyer working with Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound (CCOBS) — a group of Union Bay residents who came together to oppose a shipbreaking operation run by a company called Deep Water Recovery — says the government could easily shut down the ship dismantling activities if they wanted to. The site at 5084 Island Hwy. […]

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More than 70,000 kids in Ontario seeking publicly funded autism supports

More than 70,000 children are seeking support through the Ontario Autism Program, but fewer than 15,000 of them are getting funding for core therapies, the province’s Financial Accountability Office said in a report Wednesday. The Progressive Conservative government has more than doubled the budget for the Ontario Autism Program, now at $720 million, but that […]

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‘Five feet nothing’: Pickton’s safety likely behind Quebec move, says ex-prison judge

When serial killer Robert Pickton was transferred from British Columbia’s Kent Institution to a maximum-security prison in Quebec about six years ago, correctional authorities gave no public explanation or confirmation at the time, citing privacy. But Darryl Plecas, a former prison judge at Kent who went on to be Speaker of the B.C. Legislature, said […]

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Big Brother CCTV project expands in C-K

Closed circuit television surveillance cameras equipped with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) are coming soon to all of Chatham-Kent’s downtown areas. Following a presentation from Chatham-Kent Police Chief Gary Conn May 13, municipal council approved the project that will cost just under $1 million to get off the ground. Dubbed “Bird’s Eye View,” the initiative will […]

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Police’s new administrative building is up and running, but only a temporary fix to a much bigger problem

The Stratford Police Service (SPS) has long needed more space – and more appropriate space at that. In fact, police chief Greg Skinner told the accessibility advisory committee at its May 7 meeting that it goes back longer than one might expect. “I can go back and find minutes back as far as 1991,” Skinner […]

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Assiniboia man arrested for child sex crimes, faces 73 charges

A historic sexual assault case spanning nearly 20 years was the subject of a special news conference at RCMP Headquarters in Regina last week. C/Supt. Ted Munro, Saskatchewan RCMP’s Criminal Operations Officer, explained how investigation into a home-based licensed daycare in Assiniboia resulted in the arrest of Richard John Dyke, 47, late last year.. “Coronach […]

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Cybersecurity plan for federal government takes aim at ‘inefficiencies, blind spots’

The federal government has unfurled a new cybersecurity strategy aimed at protecting its vast array of computer systems and information banks against a growing variety of threats.  The strategy released Wednesday says while the government has made progress on improving cybersecurity in recent years, the online dangers have advanced even faster.  A renewed commitment is […]

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London Drugs says it’s unwilling to pay ransom demanded by hackers

Retailer London Drugs says it is “unwilling and unable” to pay a multimillion-dollar ransom to cybercriminals who claim to have stolen data in a hacking attack that recently shut down its stores for more than a week. The company says in a statement that the criminals could leak stolen corporate files containing employee information on […]

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Canadian immigration asks medical worker fleeing Gaza if he treated Hamas fighters

Lawyers are questioning Canada’s approach to screening visa applications for people in Gaza with extended family in Canada after one applicant, a medical worker, was asked whether he had treated members of Hamas. The Canadian Press obtained a redacted letter sent to the applicant by a Canadian immigration officer, which asks if he has “ever […]

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Peel Police negligence forces withdrawal of fraud charges against man formerly in control of Children’s Aid Society finances

Peel police incompetence has, once again, led to the withdrawal of charges in a high profile case. A year-and-a-half of protracted courtroom appearances, delayed disclosure and postponed trial dates have led to charges against Marino Cader, a former Peel Children’s Aid Society employee, who had allegedly defrauded the organization of approximately $180,000, being withdrawn. The […]

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County of Stettler council agrees no formal letter to be sent on Bill 20

Some members of the County of Stettler council are concerned about the provincial government’s proposed changes to the Municipal Government Act (MGA), but the municipality won’t formally speak against it. Council decided this during a discussion at their May 8 regular meeting. During the council request for information part of the agenda, Reeve Larry Clarke […]

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