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  • Labour Department investigating workplace injury aboard N.S. fishing vessel

    The Labour Department has issued a stop-work order on a fishing vessel in southwestern Nova Scotia after a gruesome workplace injury this weekend. RCMP say a 24-year-old man was working in the engine area when it went into gear. He got caught in the machinery and suffered life-threatening injuries. Police were called to Camp Cove Wharf Road in Argyle at 4:43 a.m. AT on Saturday. The man was taken by ambulance to Yarmouth Regional hospital and then to Halifax via helicopter. Incident not considered suspicious RCMP don't believe the cause of the injury is suspicious. In an emailed statement to CBC News, Labour Department spokesperson Shannon Kerr said a stop-work order has been issued and an inspection is being carried out. "Where our inspection is ongoing, we have no further information to share at this time," she said. The vessel was not named. Social media posts have identified the victim as Andrew Saulnier. A GoFundMe page says he's a young father who has had one leg amputated, and more surgeries are to follow. MORE TOP STORIES

  • Kanye agrees with Kim on joint custody in divorce response

    LOS ANGELES — Kanye West agrees with Kim Kardashian West that they should have joint custody of their four children and neither of them need spousal support, according to new divorce documents. West's attorneys filed his response Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court to Kardashian West's divorce filing seven weeks earlier, which began the process of ending their 6 1/2-year marriage. West's filing was virtually identical to Kardashian West's original petition, agreeing that the marriage should end over irreconcilable differences, and that the two should share custody of their children: North, age 7, Saint, age 5, Chicago, age 3, and Psalm, who turns 2 next month. And like Kardashian West's filing, West's asks that the court's right to award spousal support to either person be terminated. According to Kardashian West's Feb. 19 petition, the two have a pre-nuptial agreement, and under it they kept their property separate throughout their marriage. The divorce filings bring an impending end to one of the most followed celebrity unions in recent decades, between the 40-year-old reality TV superstar Kardashian West, and the 43-year-old rap and fashion mogul West. It was the first marriage for West and the third for Kardashian West, who has not asked the court to change her name back to just Kardashian, though she may still do so during the divorce process. The Associated Press

  • Chauvin's lawyers call officer in previous arrest to the stand as first witness

    Lawyers for Derek Chauvin on Tuesday began presenting their case in the former Minneapolis policeman's murder trial, calling to the stand a now-retired officer who pulled over a car in which Floyd was a passenger in 2019 - a year before his deadly encounter with Chauvin. Chauvin's lead attorney, Eric Nelson, argued in court filings that the earlier arrest supported his defense that a drug overdose may have caused Floyd's death in May 2020, not a lack of oxygen caused by Chauvin kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes, as prosecutors charge. Nelson showed the jury a video taken by a body-worn camera during the May 6, 2019, traffic stop in which Floyd became distressed as the officer, Scott Creighton, pointed a gun at him and ordered him out of a car.

  • Richmond crab processing factory fined more than $110K for obstructing inspection, other violations

    A seafood processing company in Richmond and a commercial fisherman have together been fined more than $110,000 for violating Canada's Fisheries Act. On Sept. 8, 2018, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officer inspected Tenshi Seafood Limited — a large crab processing, distribution and exporting plant. When the officer arrived, he witnessed a man run from the factory, hop in his vehicle and speed away with "what looked like a crab crate in the back," according to a statement from the DFO. Then, while inside the building, the DFO says the officer found several undersized crabs discarded in the processing plant. The statement goes on to say the co-owner of Tenshi Seafood Limited, Desi Liu, and some of his staff then obstructed the officer from completing the inspection, saying Liu and his staff wouldn't answer questions or provide the necessary paperwork for the discarded crabs. Liu also tried to destroy evidence by eating a receipt, it said. "That's a serious offence," said Jason Guno, Fisheries and Oceans detachment commander for Fraser coastal. "The fisheries industry is regulated and all entities have to abide by the conditions and one of them is to assist with the regulatory nature of the industry." On March 4, 2021, Tenshi Seafood Limited and Liu were found guilty of violating the Fisheries Act in a Richmond Provincial Court. The company was fined $75,000 and Liu was ordered to pay $25,000. Fisherman also fined Thuong Nguyen, the master of the Dream Chaser commercial vessel and one of Tenshi's suppliers, was also fined $10,000. His license prohibits the fishing of undersized dungeness crabs. "It means that the crabs don't get to mature to the appropriate size. If they haven't had a chance to propagate and reproduce, you're affecting the natural order of things in terms of renewable resources," said Guno. He confirmed that Nguyen was the man the officer first saw fleeing from the plant. "He was later identified and found guilty of obstruction," Guno said. The DFO says, under the Fisheries Act, it is illegal to obstruct or hinder a fishery officer, fishery guardian or an inspector who is carrying out duties or functions. "I think it's a good message to everyone involved in the seafood industry [that] it's a serious offence to not cooperate and assist fisheries officers when they're doing an investigation," said Guno. Tenshi Seafood Limited must also publish a letter addressed to its customers explaining the offences and that it was found guilty.

  • P.E.I. has 3 new cases of COVID-19, all tied to travel

    P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, confirmed three new cases of COVID-19 on the Island Monday afternoon. Word of the new cases came in a news release. The three people involved all recently travelled outside of the Atlantic region, Morrison's statement said. "The individuals, one in their 30s, one in their 40s and one in their 60s … all tested positive through routine testing. They are self-isolating and being followed by public health daily." In relation to a previous positive case, Morrison added a flight exposure notification involving anyone who travelled on Air Canada flight AC8302 from Montreal to Charlottetown on Tuesday, April 6. They should already be isolating in line with public health guidance, "but are also advised to monitor closely for symptoms and if any develop, visit a drop-in testing clinic." Prince Edward Island has now had 165 cases of COVID-19 in the 13 months since the pandemic began. The province now has seven active cases. Elsewhere in the Atlantic region on Monday: Reminder about symptoms The symptoms of COVID-19 can include: Fever. Cough or worsening of a previous cough. Possible loss of taste and/or smell. Sore throat. New or worsening fatigue. Headache. Shortness of breath. Runny nose. More from CBC P.E.I.

  • Alberta bill removes mandatory vaccinations, repeals Bill 10 powers

    Mandatory vaccinations and other measures currently enshrined in the Public Health Act to manage health emergencies would be dropped under new legislation tabled in the Alberta legislature on Monday. Bill 66, the Public Health Amendment Act, repeals powers the government gave itself through legislation passed in April 2020. The measures in Bill 10, the Public Health Emergency Powers Amendment Act, allowed ministers to unilaterally amend legislation by ministerial order. The measure was meant to keep public services operating but was widely criticized for being unconstitutional by giving the government too much power. Health Minister Tyler Shandro said Bill 10 was drafted in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to address fears the legislature would not be able to meet. However, MLAs managed to adapt and kept meeting safely, he said. "The legislature has continued to successfully debate and the government has passed critical legislation to support lives and support livelihoods through this extraordinary time," Shandro said. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms filed a constitutional challenge shortly after Bill 10 was passed into law. . Last October, Shandro announced the government would repeal the the legislation. Last month, an Alberta Court of Queen's Bench judge dismissed the court action for that reason. Edmonton-City Centre MLA David Shepherd, the NDP Opposition critic for health, said the changes proposed in Bill 66 have more to do with blowback over Bill 10 than with improving public health. "It's mostly about cleaning up the political messes for Jason Kenney and the UCP," he said. Shepherd said the NDP proposed amendments to limit the government's powers when Bill 10 was first debated, but they were voted down by the UCP majority in the legislature. He said Kenney chose to strike a special committee of MLAs to examine the Public Health Act rather than admitting he made a mistake. Vaccination a 'personal choice' Other measures included in Bill 66 includes a provision to immediately tell someone who is being detained for public health reasons where they are going and lists criteria that must be met before they can be examined or given medical treatment. The bill defines the qualifications for a chief medical officer of health and mandates the Public Health Act is reviewed every decade. It also removes a provision for conscripting Albertans to help during a public health crisis. Lorian Hardcastle, an associate professor who specializes in health law at the University of Calgary, said the power to unilaterally amend legislation goes back to 2002, when the government implemented changes in the period after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 amid concerns the legislature would be unable to meet during a crisis. "This was a power that was unique to Alberta," she said. "No other province allowed the minister of health to amend other statutes during a public health emergency." Alberta's public health act is more than 100 years old. Last June, the government appointed a special committee of MLAs to review the act and suggest updates. The committee's report, tabled in October 2020, said MLAs received 41 public submissions against mandatory immunizations during a pandemic. People who made submissions argued vaccinations should be a personal choice and mandating them is an overreach of government power. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, told the committee last summer that the power to mandate immunizations has never been used, so she had no issue with the government taking it out of the legislation.

  • How police choose to intervene in crowded parks raises concerns of racial profiling

    Two incidents in a busy Montreal park — widely shared on social media over the weekend — have critics concerned that the likelihood of getting stopped for violating COVID-19 prevention rules depends on who you are and not what you are doing. On Saturday, witnesses filmed a group of five women of colour, who were seated in Jeanne-Mance Park in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood, being surrounded by police officers. Fatima Keita, who was fined more than $1,500 for breaking the province's rules for small outdoor gatherings in public settings, said the park was filled with others doing the same thing. "We're all trying to stop the spread, right?" she said. "But this is not about COVID measures. The police wanted to be authoritarian with me. They wanted to specifically target me." Video of the incident shows that Keita was part of one of many small groups of people sitting together in the park. Quebec's latest rules on outdoor gatherings allow people to meet outside without wearing a mask, provided they are seated two metres apart from those they do not live with. "People were literally kissing each other over there," she told CBC News. David Kroeker-Maus was nearby when he saw a group of about 10 officers surround the women. "No one was bothering us, and no one was bothering most of the other picnic-goers," said Kroeker-Maus, who filmed the incident. "It looked pretty racially motivated." Video of a man being held and punched by Montreal police officers in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood was shared widely over the weekend.(Submitted by Leigh O'Brien) Another video, also from Jeanne-Mance Park, showing a man getting repeatedly punched in the head while being detained by officers, is raising questions about use of police force. Several officers are seen around the man, as they put him in a hold that one anti-racism advocate says looks chillingly familiar. The video shows "shocking, very unacceptable and very questionable use of force," says Fo Niemi, the executive director of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations. He points out that Derek Chauvin, a police officer in Minneapolis, is currently on trial for murder after using a similar hold that resulted in the death of George Floyd. "Did we learn anything from the George Floyd case last year?" asked Niemi. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told reporters Monday morning that it's important to know the context of an incident, beyond what is shared online. "What I can tell you is that police officers are not targeting people based on the colour of their skin if they are in a park. It would be based on people's behaviour," Plante said. Plante says that's why she supports body cameras for police officers: "Where we can also have the beginning, the middle and the end. I think this is very important." In a statement, the Montreal police service said it follows the recommendations of public health and the provincial government when enforcing COVID-19 prevention measures. In the past week, the police service issued 1,005 fines related to COVID-19 prevention, up from 797 a week earlier. For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here. (CBC)

  • Councillors approve energy plan that puts Edmonton on the road to a net-zero future

    The City of Edmonton is moving toward being a low-carbon municipality within 30 years, and is adopting an energy transition strategy now to help get it there. Council's executive committee agreed Monday that council as a whole should approve the Community Energy Transition Strategy at a meeting next week. The plan aligns with goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to keep the global temperature increase to no more than 1.5 degrees above average, and to become carbon neutral by 2050. The strategy would expand on current investments like the district energy system in the Blatchford neighbourhood, along with an electric vehicle charging infrastructure, more electric buses and LRT, and energy efficiency standards for new buildings. The energy initiatives are estimated to cost Edmonton $100 million a year, plus capital costs for new city buildings starting in the 2023-2026 budget cycle. The city would also need consistent investment totalling about $2.4 billion a year from the federal and provincial governments and the private sector. Mayor Don Iveson said the city needs to set incentives and regulations while it's developing renewable energy industries. "That's going to unlock hundreds of thousands of jobs answering these challenges and achieving carbon neutrality — a balanced carbon budget if you will — by 2050." Edmonton is in a challenging position as GHG emissions have increased over the past decade. The city has one of the highest per capita emissions levels in the world at 18 tonnes per person. Four major sources contribute to GHG emissions in Edmonton: transportation (31 per cent of total emissions); manufacturing, industry and construction (27 per cent); commercial and institutional buildings (20 per cent) and residential buildings (18 per cent). Boost retrofits The committee heard from 20 people at the meeting, including representatives from the city's Energy Transition Climate Resilience Committee. One member, Shafraaz Kaba, encouraged council and administration to adopt any measures that will quickly advance the goal of zero emissions by 2050. "We underline that every decision city council makes has to be a carbon decision," Kaba told the committee. "The time is now to make this happen." The city's strategy would incorporate stricter regulations when constructing new homes and buildings, which could mean changes in zoning bylaws and codes. Chandra Tomaras, program manager of the City Environmental Strategies department, said right now only seven per cent of renovation permits are related to energy retrofits. That needs to be 10 times higher to reach the city's goals, she said. "We need 10,12,13,000 homes a year being renovated for energy efficiency," Tomaras said. Tomaras said one of the important steps in the plan requires partnerships and advice from industry to emission-neutral buildings. Coun. Ben Henderson is calling for net-zero building standards to be adopted sooner rather than later. Some things, like replacing furnaces, are easier to retrofit but the structure of a building is not, Henderson suggested. "That's the bit that I'm worried about, that we are just building ourselves another set of neighbourhoods that are going to be our nightmare 10 years from now," Henderson said. "I would love us to get there as fast as we possibly can." Stephanie McCabe, manager of the urban form and corporate strategic development branch, said the city will continue to work with industry on establishing net-zero building standards and bring in regulations while watching the affordability of new housing.

  • 'Unhinged conspiracy theorists:' Kenney blasts protesters for threatening top doctor

    EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is urging the public to hold on a little longer by following COVID-19 restrictions while condemning those using threats and intimidation to protest the rules. Provincial sheriffs estimated about 750 people gathered at the legislature on Monday to protest public-health restrictions. Some chanted "lock her up" in reference to the province's chief medical health officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw. "They also chanted 'just say no' to vaccines," Kenney later said on Twitter. "It’s particularly offensive to threaten a committed public servant like Dr. Hinshaw, a consummate professional who has offered the best possible health advice to govt. I call on those responsible to stop the threats & law breaking, which is a disservice to their own cause." Kenney added that another large protest on Sunday at GraceLife Church west of Edmonton, which was recently closed by health officials for violating restrictions, resulted in the arrest of a protester who allegedly shouted racial insults at a First Nations woman on a nearby reserve. Kenney said a car belonging to the chief of Enoch Cree Nation was also vandalized. No tickets were issued at the legislature protest, Alberta Justice spokesman Jason van Rassel said. "Albertans respect the freedoms of speech and protest," said Kenney. "But breaking the law, trespassing, threats and intimidation go too far. I condemn these actions and statements. It is increasingly clear that many involved in these protests are unhinged conspiracy theorists." Earlier Monday, Kenney held a news conference and asked Albertans to keep following the rules and get vaccinated. Kenney said the amount of available vaccine is increasing and he expects a quarter of Albertans will have some protection from the novel coronavirus in a matter of weeks. Half of the population should have at least one shot by the end of May, two-thirds by the end of June and three-quarters by mid-September, he said. "We're nearing the end of a long and tiring journey. It is our path to recovery and freedom," Kenney said. "Once two-thirds of us have immunity, we'll start to feel back to normal. There'll be no formal restrictions. (Calgary) Stampede, sporting events, other festivals will be possible, especially if outdoors. "Once three-quarters of us are immune, we expect we'll be fully back to normal." Kenney said masks and physical distancing will still be encouraged of Albertans but not mandated. The province has opened what it calls rapid flow vaccination clinics in Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. Mega clinics — each able to able to administer up to 1,000 doses per hour and 6,000 per day — opened in Calgary and Edmonton on Monday. Kenney has said vaccine rollout is critical, as the impact of COVID-19 on the province has become a race between the rise of the variants and getting a critical mass of people vaccinated. The variants, which are more contagious than the original strain, now make up about half of Alberta's 14,800 active cases. On Monday, Alberta reported a slight dip in new COVID-19 cases with 1,136 infections. It said 679 new variant cases were also identified. There were also 390 people in hospital because of the virus and 90 were in intensive care. "Right now the variants are winning that race," said Kenney. He added that socializing among young people remains a concern. A Calgary high school had to shut down recently because students were having house parties. And in Athabasca, northeast of Edmonton, a number of schools had to be closed because of infections. "A bunch of kids from one of those schools were brought together by their parents for a birthday party," Kenney explained. "Apparently the virus had a 100 per cent attack rate at that birthday party. All of the kids, who came to that birthday party, got sick." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. — By Bill Graveland in Calgary The Canadian Press

  • Sask. softball officials try to silence parents after coach charged with child abuse, says mom

    Saskatoon softball officials are trying to silence parents after a prominent coach was charged with child abuse, says one mother. Heidi Dutton says parents were told to sign a confidentiality agreement before entering an emergency meeting over the weekend. The meeting was called to discuss the sexual assault charges against 56-year-old Ricky Davis. Dutton refused to sign. "It's 2021. It's time we teach our girls and women that sexual assault is something we talk about openly and we don't hide," Dutton said. Dutton says officials need to create a safe space to invite any other victims to come forward. But she said softball officials are trying to shut down discussion with the attempted "gag order." 'We've done our job' Saskatoon Minor Softball League volunteer board member Noreen Murphy declined to discuss the non-disclosure agreement. She said they've dealt with the issue, and there's nothing more they can do. "We've done our job. We've suspended him. To me, that's all we're involved in. That's it. We're moving forward. We have a league to prepare for," Murphy said. According to police, Ricky Davis, 56, was charged with sexually assaulting a child between the ages of five and nine between February 2012 and December 2017. Police investigators "are concerned that there may be other victims" and are asking them to come forward, according to a news release. After charges were announced late last week, Davis was suspended from his positions as coach of the under-16 girls' Saskatoon Hustlers team, as the team's local zone commissioner and as Saskatoon Minor Softball League board member. An emergency meeting was held at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex in Saskatoon on Saturday. Dutton and other parents were asked to sign a form as they entered. Non-disclosure agreement Dutton said she thought it was a standard COVID-19 contact tracing form, but it was a non-disclosure agreement. She refused to sign and took her seat. Shortly after the meeting began, she said another parent asked why they had to sign, and asked if police told officials it was necessary. According to Dutton, an official said the forms were necessary because they "didn't want to see discussions in the media." An official asked her to leave, but she argued against it and was allowed to stay. During the meeting, Dutton said, she and others raised concerns about Davis. Dutton said this was the first she's heard of any alleged criminal behaviour, but she and others have lodged multiple complaints over the years about Davis's methods and lack of transparency. Dutton said she and others have either resigned or been forced off the minor softball board for questioning Davis. Ricky Davis, 56, is accused of sexually assaulting a child.(Supplied by Heidi Dutton) Murphy said the league, like other minor sports organizations, has a rigorous, 10-step screening process for coaches and volunteers that includes a criminal record check. Murphy said they will be posting a statement on the SMSL website and social media notifying everyone of the suspension. The Hustlers team posted a statement on its website Monday afternoon. "Protecting the participants within our softball community is our first priority and it is a responsibility we take seriously," read the statement. Davis's first court appearance was scheduled for Monday morning in Saskatoon, but it was delayed due to a backlog of other cases. No one from Softball Saskatchewan could be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

  • Yukon headed for minority government as two main parties in a tie

    WHITEHORSE — Yukon is headed toward a minority government with the Liberal and Yukon parties tied with the same number of seats after Monday's election. With all of the votes counted, the Liberal and Yukon parties had eight seats each, and the NDP had won two seats. The riding of Vuntut Gwitchin is slated for a judicial recount after Liberal candidate Pauline Frost, the territory's health and environment minister, was tied with New Democrat Annie Blake at 78 votes each. No other candidates ran in the riding. Elections Yukon said the recount is scheduled to be held on Thursday. If the race is still tied after the recount, Yukon's Elections Act says the winner will be determined by drawing lots. Ten seats were needed for a majority government. Yukon Liberal Leader Sandy Silver called it an "interesting result," but said the party would wait to see the recount results of Vuntut Gwitchin before making further statements. "Now, more than ever, Yukoners have told us that we need to work together, and we will," he said Monday night at a news conference in Dawson City. The Liberals came into the election looking to build on their surprise 2016 majority win. Silver had urged Yukoners to not change the course in this election, pitching his government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the reasons his party should continue to lead the territory. Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon said Monday's results showed more support for his party and its platform. Like Silver, Dixon said he would be closely watching the results of the judicial recount. "The tie result in Vuntut Gwitchin creates a considerable degree of uncertainty," he said. "Until we see the results of that tie break, we will have to remain interested in the final outcome." Dixon noted the Liberals will be given the first chance to form a government, but the Yukon Party would be pushing forward its agenda and priorities. New Democrat Leader Kate White, who pitched her party as a progressive alternative to her two main rivals, said Monday's result showed residents want political parties to work together. Opposition politicians had questioned the decision to hold an election during the pandemic, particularly as the territory worked through its COVID-19 vaccination rollout. Monday's race was the fifth election in Canada during the pandemic, and the first that didn't result in a majority win for the governing party. In New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, all the governing parties went on to form majority governments after calling an election. — By Nick Wells in Vancouver. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Charges laid after teen in Nanaimo, B.C., robbed and told to walk home naked

    NANAIMO, B.C. — Police in Nanaimo, B.C., are investigating an assault on a teenage boy where the attacker is alleged to have told the 15-year-old to remove his clothes and walk home naked. RCMP say the boy attended a gathering for teens when he was kicked and punched by a 16-year-old suspect, who allegedly threw the victim's cellphone, wallet and shoes in the lake. Mounties say when the teen began walking, a bystander helped by giving him some clothing and a ride home, where his parents called police. Investigators were provided with a video that police say was shared on social media, in which a number of people can be heard in the background laughing and jeering at the victim. The 16-year-old suspect was arrested Saturday after being involved in an unrelated car accident, where police say he allegedly threatened the other driver with a metal baton. The teen has been charged with assault causing bodily harm and robbery over the attack on the teen and uttering threats and possession of a weapon after the crash. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Ottawa police chief administrative officer dismissed after allegedly misusing company vehicle

    Ottawa Police Service chief administrative officer Jeff Letourneau is no longer with the service following allegations he was using a company vehicle for personal use and not paying taxes for it. In a statement issued Monday, the Ottawa Police Services Board wrote that effective immediately, "Letourneau is no longer employed in the Ottawa Police Service, as a result of a unanimous decision." The decision comes after a letter was submitted to the board in late March by the president of the Ottawa Police Association Matt Skof. The letter details allegations it received from an anonymous email, that was also sent to city council. It said that Letourneau, who approves purchases of the OPS fleet, was using a fleet vehicle and not paying the taxes on it. It is also unclear if Letourneau was authorized to have use of a company vehicle in the first place. Potentially thousands in unpaid taxes The letter points to the Sunshine List, which discloses salaries earned by city employees that exceed $100,000. According to that list, Letourneau earned more than $242,000 as chief administrative officer last year, but only paid $1,060 in taxable benefits. Comparatively, another former executive with a similar salary paid nearly $13,000 in taxable benefits in 2018. Between 2018 and 2020, Letourneau has only paid between $860 and $1,060 in taxable benefits a police executive, amounts that don't make sense according to Skof. It's believed Letourneau has used the vehicle for personal trips outside of city limits and also used for his daily commute to work from his residence in Braeside, so it would have "well over 150,000 kilometres on it," Skof said. Between maintenance, gas and mileage, Skof said there's a lot that may have been spent "all at the taxpayers expense." "I think the taxpayers would take quite exception to having that amount of money go missing ... by the very person that holds the budget for the entire police department." Skof said how much "misuse may have occurred" could only be discovered through an investigation by the Ottawa Police Services Board. Board looking for replacement In its statement, the board said Police Chief Peter Sloly "has implemented interim measures" until it finds a replacement for Letourneau. The board went on to write that it "is committed to transparency and accountability and will continue to make decisions that earn the highest level of trust." "Due to the confidential nature of personnel matters, the board will not be providing any further comment," reads the statement. At this point, there are no charges against Letourneau and the allegations have not been proven in court. CBC reached out to Letourneau Monday evening for an interview but he declined to comment.

  • Fully vaccinated but still in lockdown, long-term care resident says she's treated 'less than human'

    Chelsea Dreher, 32, is fully vaccinated after receiving her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in late February, but she hasn't been able to leave her ward, go outside or visit other residents for almost two weeks. That's because she lives at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, a long-term care facility in Regina, and her particular ward has been under a lockdown since a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 a little less than two weeks ago, she said. Dreher has cerebral palsy and has lived at the facility for almost nine years. She said living without any freedom is particularly difficult to deal with because she believed vaccinations would make a difference. "It feels like a kick in the face," she said. After residents and workers were offered the first dose of the vaccine, Dreher said the facility posted a sheet of paper listing everyone in the building who had accepted it. WATCH | Tired of being locked up: While almost all of the residents received the vaccine, she said, only about 50 per cent of the workers did the same. "It makes me mad," she told CBC News. "I think when you're working in a facility where you are working with vulnerable people who are more susceptible to illnesses than the average person, then I think vaccination should be mandatory." After Dreher was fully vaccinated, she asked the unit manager if she would be able to go home for visits. She was told no one would stop her from leaving, but she would need to self-isolate for 14 days when she returned. "I would essentially be closing my door for two weeks," she said. Different restrictions Dreher has a friend in the centre who is also fully vaccinated, and they received special permission to see each other because he doesn't have a lot of family. Long-term care facilities in Regina are subject to Level 3 restrictions — the most stringent — that only allow family members to visit residents who are dying or declining dramatically. When the facility is in Level 3, she and her friend are only allowed to meet in the hallway, and when it's under a lockdown, they can't see each other at all. "I don't understand why we're not allowed to intermingle with residents a little bit because he's not going anywhere else," Dreher said. "He's just going from my room to his room and back." She said that staff at the facility don't face the same restrictions and are allowed to visit in the cafeteria and mingle with workers from other units, while Dreher and her friend are required to meet in the hallway. "They're not under the same restrictions and lockdowns that we are at their end of the shift," Dreher said. "They get to go home and go out to get their groceries and what have you. You know, they still have some liberties that they can take and we don't." Treated 'less than human' Dreher said she didn't expect things to go back to normal after she was vaccinated, but she would like to have more freedom. "One thing that I would really like is to just go home like once a week," she said. "That's really all I want at this point, is to go home and see my family and my animals and eat a decent meal." Dreher said she thought that once she was fully vaccinated, she would be able to see people if she wore a mask, washed her hands and stayed physically distanced, but that hasn't been the case. She'd like to know a timeline or a procedure for relaxing the restrictions. "I'm so tired of being treated like less than human, and I imagine the others here are as well," she said. "It's like you don't have rights anymore, you don't have freedoms, you don't have a say in anything. And it's just aggravating." Ministry reviewing policy Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health said in a statement that it is reviewing the current family visitation policy at long-term care homes and "considering factors including vaccination rates and current community transmission risk." "The decision to put these measures in place was not made lightly and removing the restrictions will only happen when it is safe to do so," the statement said. The ministry said any update to the policy would be announced publicly via a news conference or release. CBC News asked about the vaccine uptake among workers at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, but the Saskatchewan Health Authority did not provide a response. Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Anand Kumar said there's no clear formula to determine when long-term care facilities will be able to open up to more visitors. Kumar, an attending physician at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg and a professor of medicine and medical microbiology and pharmacology at the University of Manitoba, said there will always be a subset of people who can't take the vaccine, who choose not to take the vaccine or whose families choose on their behalf not to do so. Additionally, he said, many long-term care residents have chronic organ failure, which creates a suboptimal response to the vaccine. "So rather than getting the high level of protection that we would hope, there may be a subset of people, particularly elderly people, who have less robust resistance to infection after vaccination," he said. Dr. Anand Kumar, seen here at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg in August 2009, says it may be awhile before long-term care homes can fully reopen. (John Woods/The Canadian Press) Long-term care homes also have to contend with the vaccination status of visitors and workers, Kumar said, and he's concerned about variants, noting that data suggests current vaccines only provide partial protection against the new strains. "My heart goes out to [Dreher]," he said. "It's not fair to her. But then again, it's not fair to the other people that would be put at risk if there was unlimited visitation allowed at this stage." Kumar said he looks forward to the day when all long-term care facilities can open up and allow full visitation, but it may be awhile before that happens. "It may be wiser to kind of do it … on a single institution basis," he said. "That is to say, judge each institution based on the level of vaccination, the number of people who are vaccinated, the number of employees and visitors who are vaccinated, etc. Basically make it a judgment case by case." Mandatory vaccination Kumar said he thinks mandating that all health-care workers in these facilities be vaccinated is the right thing to do. "Quite frankly, if I had my way, everybody who works in the institution or visits the institution would have to be vaccinated," he said. "I think that having a significant number of people not vaccinated, along with a subset of residents who can't be vaccinated potentially or having suboptimal responses to vaccination, really invites disaster." That said, Kumar said he also thinks there will never be a perfect solution. If the maximum number of people were vaccinated at a facility, he said, that would be when the facility might be able to open up for visitation. "At some point you have to start to open up. You have to start giving people some joy back into their lives, especially those that are in long-term care facilities. And so, you know, the question isn't whether it's perfectly safe. The question is whether the risk is an acceptable one." Dreher said she and the other residents at Wascana Rehab have been getting COVID tests "religiously," and she hopes that with the next round of testing, everyone will be negative and the lockdown will be over soon. "And I'll be able to see my friend again, which at this point, is needed," she said. Though her spirits are low, Dreher said she was very excited to get the vaccine because it felt like she was one step closer to getting her life back. "Now I don't dare to hope to get that back because … it's just going to get ripped away," she said. And Dreher has a message for the workers who haven't yet received the vaccine: "Maybe you should find a different job."

  • Alberta updates COVID-19 plans

    Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is urging the public to hold on a bit longer for things to return to normal following a COVID-19 lockdown. Kenney says with more vaccines coming three-quarters of Albertans should have had at least one shot by mid-September.

  • Younger people in COVID-19 hot spots confused about how to get vaccinated, expert says

    A member of the province's vaccine distribution task force is trying to clear up confusion among some people aged 18 to 49 in hot-spot neighbourhoods about how to get immunized against COVID-19. Dr. Isaac Bogoch said residents in that age group living in high-risk areas will be able to get the shots in mobile and pop-up clinics that are locally advertised. And contrary to what some have thought, they will not yet be able to book an appointment online at a mass vaccination clinic. The comments by the infectious disease specialist come after City of Toronto officials said there was some confusion following the announcement by the Ontario government last Wednesday that people 18 and older could get vaccinated with the help of mobile teams. "I wish there was more clarity at the time of the announcement," Bogoch told CBC Toronto. "I think it's important to note that, anyone who lives in those hot spots is certainly eligible for vaccination. There's no age cutoff for vaccination if you live in those hot spots. But the program is really bringing vaccines to the people," he added. Bogoch said these clinics are strategically located in community centres, places of worship, workplaces and at locations close to high density housing. "How will I know where they are? The answer is it's very, very locally advertised. It is truly a locally advertised vaccination. For example, if it's coming to a place of work, people at that place of work will be notified. If it's going to a community centre, members of that community will be notified." Bogoch noted there was a pop-up vaccination clinic in Thorncliffe Park on the weekend in the parking lot of the Masjid Darus Salaam mosque. The clinic was across from Iqbal Halal Foods. "Obviously, that's available for people who live in that area. You have to show proof of ID that demonstrates that you live in that postal code. That's a very local vaccine clinic for a particular community," he said. He said the idea is to lower the barriers for vaccines for the "highest of high risk." Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, general manager of emergency management, agreed that there's been a lack of clarity about the clinics, but said that was partly due to the rapidly changing course of the pandemic. "I appreciate that there is some confusion and I think that we all appreciate how quickly these things are moving and how quickly we're all having to respond and pivot, if you will, to the changes that are being made." Pegg said people 18 and older in hot spots are not eligible to book through the provincial booking system nor at any of the mass vaccination clinics run by the city. "Generally speaking, pop-up and mobile clinics are brought to the attention of eligible clients directly by primary care physicians, employers, building managers, faith leaders and other local leaders, who are directly connected with those for whom these clinics will serve," Pegg said. Alexandra Hilkene, spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott, said more details on how people 18 and older can make an appointment at pop-up and mobile clinics in Toronto and Peel Region will be provided in the near future with the help of Toronto Public health and Peel Public Health. "In these high-risk areas in Toronto and Peel, mobile teams, working with public health units, community groups, and local businesses will be established to administer vaccines to individuals 18+ to targeted settings as supply allows," she said. "This includes high-risk congregate settings, residential buildings, faith based locations, and large employers. Pop-up clinics will also be set-up in highly impacted neighbourhoods to administer vaccines to those 18+, including at faith-based locations and community centres."

  • 3 years in prison for driver of snowmobile in fatal crash

    The man who drove a snowmobile drunk four years ago now has a federal prison sentence for his role in the western Newfoundland collision that killed his passenger, with the judge saying a message needs to be sent that impaired driving is "completely unacceptable in our society." Justice George Murphy delivered his sentence Monday afternoon in Corner Brook Supreme Court, concluding the case involving Thomas Whittle and giving him three years behind bars with a four-year driving ban to follow upon his release. In January, Whittle was convicted of three charges related to the crash, including impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death. The charges stemmed from what Murphy called "a fateful decision" by Whittle and passenger Justyn Pollard to hop aboard a snowmobile in the early hours of Feb 19, 2017. That morning, their snowmobile collided with a taxi van on the bridge to Humber Valley Resort. Pollard, 21, died from his injuries. While Whittle pleaded not guilty to the charges he faced, Murphy said he should not be punished for that decision. Murphy also noted that Whittle had a positive upbringing, a supportive family, and no prior criminal record. But Murphy said he shared concerns the Crown had raised at trial, and prior to the sentencing, that Whittle had shown a lack of insight into his actions and their impact on Pollard and Pollard's family. "I'm not convinced he fully accepts responsibility for his actions that day," Murphy told the court, citing times Whittle had complained about the impact of court-imposed conditions on him that forced him to miss events such as weddings. Justyn Pollard, 21, was killed when the snowmobile he was on collided with a taxi on the bridge to the Humber Valley Resort.(Submitted by Sherry Pollard) Murphy said such impacts paled in comparison with that of Pollard's family and friends. Pollard's mother and best friend watched the sentencing via video link, while his aunt and uncle listened over the phone. All of them delivered emotional victim impact statements on Thursday detailing their grief. "There is no doubt that they have all suffered an immeasurable loss," said Murphy. Murphy sided with the Crown's recommendations for the three-year sentence and four-year driving ban, but declined to grant the Crown's request for a DNA order to put a sample from Whittle into a national database, saying Whittle didn't show any "criminal propensity" to repeat his behaviour. Whittle, who represented himself, had asked for an intermittent sentence to be able to continue working in the community, an arrangement Murphy said was unavailable for any sentence longer than 90 days. Two of Whittle's three convictions were each given the three-year prison sentence, which will be served concurrently. Murphy stayed one other conviction, of driving with a blood-alcohol content above 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, resulting in an accident causing death. Sending a message In handing down his sentence, Murphy ruminated on the continued instances of impaired driving in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada, saying that society's way of dealing with it doesn't appear to be working. "It is a complex problem with no easy solution," Murphy said. He hoped his sentence would work toward accomplishing two goals — demonstrating to society that impaired driving is "completely unacceptable," and sending a message to anyone thinking of drinking and driving. While Murphy called Whittle's actions that night "reckless and extremely risky behaviour," Murphy also said he highly doubted Whittle would ever drink and drive again, and that the sentence was meant more as a general deterrence to society. Whittle was quiet throughout the proceedings, offering only "no comment" when given the chance to weigh in on the proceedings. He has been in custody since Thursday, time that Murphy credited toward Whittle's sentence at time-and-a-half, shaving eight days off Whittle's total to be served. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

  • Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala deploy troops to lower migration

    WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has struck an agreement with Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala to temporarily surge security forces to their borders in an effort to reduce the tide of migration to the U.S. border. The agreement comes as the U.S. saw a record number of unaccompanied children attempting to cross the border in March, and the largest number of Border Patrol encounters overall with migrants on the southern border — just under 170,000 — since March 2001. According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Mexico will maintain a deployment of about 10,000 troops, while Guatemala has surged 1,500 police and military personnel to its southern border and Honduras deployed 7,000 police and military to its border “to disperse a large contingent of migrants” there. Guatemala will also set up 12 checkpoints along the migratory route through the country. A White House official said Guatemala and Honduras were deploying troops temporarily in response to a large caravan of migrants that was being organized at the end of March. Psaki said “the objective is to make it more difficult to make the journey, and make crossing the borders more difficult.” She added that the agreement was the product of “a series of bilateral discussions” between U.S. officials and the governments of the Central American nations. While Vice-President Kamala Harris has been tasked with leading diplomatic efforts to tamp down on the increase in migration at the U.S. border, Psaki declined to share details on her involvement with the discussions and said only that the discussions happened at “several levels." She noted that Roberta Jacobson, who will depart her role as the administration's southwest border co-ordinator at the end of the month, was involved in talks. Mexico announced in March that it was deploying National Guard members and immigration agents to its southern border, and it has maintained more personnel at its southern border since Trump threatened tariffs on Mexican imports in 2019. On Monday, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs ministry said, “Mexico will maintain the existing deployment of federal forces in the its border area, with the objective of enforcing its own immigration legislation, to attend to migrants, mainly unaccompanied minors, and to combat the trafficking of people.” Honduras Foreign Affairs Minister Lisandro Rosales said Monday that Honduras maintains a multinational force at its border with Guatemala that works closely with that government on not only immigration, but also organized crime and other illegal activity. But “there was no commitment on the part of the Honduran delegation to put soldiers on the border, even though there is a clear commitment by the Honduran government to avoid this kind of migration that generates death and mourning for Honduran families,” Rosales said. But Honduras Defence Secretary Fredy Santiago Díaz Zelaya, who was part of a Honduran delegation that met with U.S. officials in Washington last week, said later that the military was studying the possibility of sending more troops to the border to assist in migration control. He said the military always works under a plan and that planning would determine how many troops would assist national police and immigration authorities at the border. “We need to do a correct analysis of the situation, increase troops if it’s necessary,” Díaz Zelaya told local press. He said Honduras would do so “in response to this request that comes from the great nation to the north (the United States) to be able to help on the issue of immigration.” The Guatemalan government denied there was any signed agreement with the United States to place troops at the border to stop migrants. “The Guatemalan government has undertaken protection and security actions at the border since last year, on its own initiative, it is a constitutional mandate,” said presidential spokeswoman Patricia Letona. “In the context of the pandemic, the protection of the borders has become a fundamental aim for the containment of the virus.” Guatemalan troops have been responsible for breaking up the last several attempted migrant caravans. The increase in migrants at the border is becoming one of the major challenges confronting Biden in the early months of his first term. Numbers grew sharply during Trump’s final year in office but further accelerated under Biden, who quickly ended many of his predecessor’s policies, including one that made asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for court hearings in the U.S. Mexicans represented the largest proportion of people encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol, and nearly all were single adults. Arrivals of people from Honduras and Guatemala were second and third, respectively, and more than half of the people from those countries were families or children travelling alone. ___ Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego, María Verza in Mexico City, Sonny Figueroa in Guatemala City and Marlon González in Tegucigalpa contributed reporting. Alexandra Jaffe, The Associated Press

  • SPCA says it's 'overwhelmed' after 77 dogs surrendered in Nova Scotia

    The Nova Scotia SPCA is asking for financial support to help care for 77 dogs in need of urgent treatment. In a news release Monday, the SPCA said 10 puppies and 67 adult dogs were surrendered from a property in Cape Breton. The large number of dogs has "overwhelmed SPCA resources and animal shelters throughout the province," the release said. Many of the dogs are highly under-socialized, while some were pregnant and have given birth. "The best thing to do if pet owners find themselves in an overwhelming situation is to reach out for assistance," Sandra Flemming, provincial director of animal care at the Nova Scotia SPCA, said in the release. The SPCA can be contacted at 1-844-835-4798. One of the 77 surrendered pups, Oreck.(Nova Scotia SPCA) "We welcome and will work with pet owners who accept help. When we were notified of this situation, we worked around-the-clock to ensure the dogs and caregiver received the support they needed." Rehabilitation and medical treatment for the dogs are estimated to exceed $70,000, the SPCA said. It is appealing for donations from the public. Miele, one of the 77 surrendered dogs from Cape Breton. The SPCA is asking for donations to help pay for rehabilitation and medical treatment that will cost tens of thousands of dollars.(Nova Scotia SPCA) On average, one dog or puppy is surrendered to a Nova Scotia SPCA shelter every day. With limited space and existing pets, the 77 dogs have been safely transported to other areas to "relieve pressure" on the Cape Breton SPCA. The mixed-breed dogs are receiving veterinary care, one-on-one expert training, and are being closely monitored, the SPCA said. The dogs and puppies require "extensive" rehabilitation and are not up for adoption or visitors yet. Once they are ready to go into a home setting, they will be posted on the SPCA's adoption website. MORE TOP STORIES

  • Sajjan defends Liberal handling of military misconduct as committee shuts down probe

    When asked why the Liberals voted to shut down a defence committee probe into allegations of high-level sexual misconduct in the Canadian Forces, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said on Monday that he and the government “will not stand for any form of sexual misconduct” and that they will “take strong action on this.”