Western Canada has strongest labour markets: Study Alberta and Saskatchewan were the best performing labour markets in Canada between 2005 and 2009, while Eastern Canada lagged well behind its western Canadian counterparts, according to a study released Thursday by a Canadian public policy think-tank. 9/2/2010 8:34:37 AM
Defiant Saskatchewan refuses to bend on clinical trials for MS treatment Saskatchewan is not backing down from its plan to start clinical trials on a controversial new treatment for multiple sclerosis, even though the federal Health Minister, the MS Society of Canada and the health-research community insist it’s too risky. (Ed: Good for Saskatchewan showing political courage.) 9/2/2010 8:03:35 AM
Body of latest fallen Canadian soldier coming home The body of a Canadian soldier who died Monday in a military hospital after being wounded during a foot patrol in Afghanistan left Germany on Thursday morning on a transport plane bound for Canada. A ramp ceremony was held at a military airfield in Landstuhl, Germany for Cpl. Brian Pinkse. 9/2/2010 7:20:30 AM
Hurricane Earl continues on its path toward Canada Hurricane Earl continued its push toward Canada's East Coast Thursday morning gathering strength as it neared Cape Hatteras, N.C., forcing evacuations and creating dangerous conditions. The Canadian Hurricane Centre said Thursday the storm is moving northward at about 31 kilometres per hour. 9/2/2010 7:14:17 AM
Judge is sex scandal 'temporarily' stepping down A Manitoba judge disclosed details of a private sex scandal to the committee that ultimately approved her appointment to the bench years before it became public and forced her temporary reassignment. Lori Douglas announced Wednesday she would remove herself from active duty. 9/2/2010 7:10:50 AM
Early 911 call Ignored in LaFortune torture case Months before assault victim Dustin LaFortune showed up at a Regina hospital disfigured and emaciated, someone in Calgary made a seven-minute 911 call related to the case that was never acted on. The person who placed the Feb. 28 call expressed concern about the well-being of LaFortune. 9/2/2010 6:33:22 AM
Torture suspect faces charges related to female A man who is facing various charges in the case of alleged torture victim Dustin LaFortune is facing similar charges connected to a female who is under the age of 18. Calgary police say Dustin Paxton faces charges of aggravated assault and forcible confinement of the unnamed minor. 9/1/2010 6:06:26 PM
We're no allies on gun registry, NDP tells Tories (Video) New Democrat MPs want no shotgun wedding with the Tories on the long-gun registry issue. Members from rural ridings who oppose the registry are working to distance themselves from the Conservatives on the issue, with at least one saying he's changing his vote altogether. (Ed: Where does rural NDP MP Alex Atamenenko stand on this?) 9/1/2010 6:02:41 PM
B.C. discussed HST with Ottawa before election, documents show Two months before British Columbians went to the polls last year, Ottawa provided government officials in British Columbia with detailed information on the structure of the harmonized sales tax agreement with Ontario - a document that would hold the keys to a pact with B.C. 9/1/2010 5:43:01 PM
Margaret Atwood takes on ‘Fox News North’ Margaret Atwood is criticizing Stephen Harper. "His plan is to create a ‘Fox News North’ to mimic the kind of hate-filled propaganda with which Fox News has poisoned U.S. politics. The channel will be run by Harper’s former top aide and will be funded with money from our cable TV fees!” 9/1/2010 4:52:39 PM
Hurricane Earl churning toward U.S., Maritimes (Video) Hurricane warnings and watches are in effect along a large stretch of the U.S. east coast as Hurricane Earl churns toward North Carolina, where it is forecasted to make landfall late Thursday or early Friday. Earl, or its remnants, is expected to hit the Canadian coast on Saturday morning, most likely near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. 9/1/2010 1:34:31 PM
What Prentice is ignoring: Oilsands mining linked to Athabasca River toxins High levels of toxic pollutants in Alberta's Athabasca River system are linked to oilsands mining, researchers have found. The findings counter the reports by a joint industry-government panel that the pollutant levels are due to natural sources rather than human development. 9/1/2010 1:05:19 PM
Abousfian Abdelrazik gets OK to sue Canada Abousfian Abdelrazik, a Montreal man who was stranded in Sudan for six years, has been given the green light to sue the federal government and Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon. The 48-year old Sudanese-born man, a Canadian citizen since 1995, alleges his right to freedom and security was violated. 9/1/2010 12:55:54 PM
PM's priorities 'prisons and planes': Ignatieff Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff hit out at the Conservative government Wednesday, arguing its priorities are "prisons and planes." Ignatieff was referring to estimates that the government's law and order agenda will cost billions because of the need for more prisons. 9/1/2010 12:53:32 PM
Health minister rejects MS therapy trial The Canadian government will not fund a clinical trial of liberation therapy for multiple sclerosis, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq says. This comes a day after a panel of experts recommended against a clinical trial. (Ed: Bad move, we should be supporting a trial. How would you like to live with MS?) 9/1/2010 12:36:28 PM
Air force chief defends $9B/$16B F-35 jetfighter purchase The head of Canada's air force is flying to the defence of the federal government's planned $9-billion purchase of 65 new stealth jetfighters. Lt.-Gen. Andre Deschamps describes the F-35 Lightning II as an expensive -- but necessary -- part of the country's defence network. (Ed: What else would he say with Peter Mackay looking over his shoulder.) 9/1/2010 8:15:29 AM
Harper's latest: 'Give us a majority to avoid coalition' Prime Minister Stephen Harper, intent on shaping the ballot box question for the next election, will try to persuade voters they have a "stark choice" in the next campaign: a "stable" majority Conservative government, or a "coalition" government of Liberals, New Democrats and Quebec separatists. 9/1/2010 7:31:48 AM
Nude bondage photos of Manitoba judge contained in complaint Naked photographs of a senior Manitoba judge engaged in bondage are part of a man's complaints to legal watchdogs about the judge's past. Alexander Chapman said Jack King showed him about 30 sexually explicit photos, naked in various forms of bondage, in chains, with sex toys and performing oral sex. 8/31/2010 7:32:57 PM
Mounties finally name suspect in McCann disappearance A man questioned as a “person of interest” in the baffling disappearance of an elderly Alberta couple has now been named a suspect in the case, RCMP confirmed Tuesday morning. Bret McCann, the couple’s son, said RCMP told him last week that they were planning on declaring Vader a suspect. 8/31/2010 5:11:29 PM
Ignatieff challenges NDP on gun registry vote Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says NDP Leader Jack Layton and his deputy Thomas Mulcair can side with the police or Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the fate of the federal long-gun registry. "Make up your mind, Jack. The hour is getting late," Ignatieff said. 8/31/2010 4:49:31 PM
Bell, Telus must rebate phone customers: CRTC Bell, Telus and other phone companies must pay back about $310 million to urban customers in the culmination of a bitter dispute with consumer groups that has lasted years, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has ruled. The rebates will be between $25 and $90 per customer, the CRTC said Tuesday. 8/31/2010 4:47:55 PM
Housing prices and sales to slow, CMHC says Expect to see home sales and prices fall in Canada the second half of 2010, while housing starts moderate, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's second quarter Housing Market Outlook released Tuesday.
8/31/2010 7:34:55 AM
Opposition undeterred by Tory refusal to hand over emails The federal government’s refusal to give a Commons committee the e-mail records of a Conservative staff member has not deterred opposition members who say they will fight to get the documents into their hands. 8/30/2010 7:44:10 AM
Oilsands: Elevated levels of toxins found in Athabasca River A study set to be published on Monday has found elevated levels of mercury, lead and eleven other toxic elements in the oil sands’ main fresh water source, the Athabasca River, refuting long-standing government and industry claims that water quality there hasn’t been affected by oil sands development. 8/30/2010 7:16:31 AM
Protesters bare feelings at downtown Guelph, Ontario demo There were a few stares in Guelph, Ont., Saturday as a small group of women went topless. They staged an event that was aimed at encouraging women to be comfortable in going topless in places where men can go shirtless. About 50 observers -- mostly male -- showed up. 8/30/2010 12:10:56 AM
Former CSIS boss had warned about domestic terrorism The day after his unexpected resignation was announced last spring, Canada's former spy master warned the government not to underestimate the spectre of domestic terrorism. "It has sometimes been suggested that the phenomenon of terrorism has been exaggerated in Canada." 8/29/2010 11:15:01 PM
Families try to send food to Afghan soldiers after hearing complaints Some families of front-line soldiers in Afghanistan have been trying to ship their loved ones packages of food after receiving complaints the troops have been living mainly on rations during their time overseas. The Canadian Forces acknowledged there have been problems getting fresh food to several units. 8/29/2010 11:11:58 PM
Canadian rescue capacity questioned in wake of Arctic ship grounding The rescue of a cruise ship stranded on a rock in Arctic waters is raising questions about whether Canada would have the ability to respond quickly enough to a true disaster in its Far North. “The weather was good and that provided the time for a coast guard ice breaker to travel 500 miles to conduct a rescue.” 8/29/2010 10:51:18 PM
Quebec Cessna missing with 2 aboard A search is continuing for a second day along the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec for a missing plane carrying two men. Search and rescue officials are scouring the north shore for a Cessna 180K plane, possibly a float plane, reported missing on Friday. 8/29/2010 7:16:01 AM
Tamil migrant review hears of torture A lawyer representing some of the female Tamil migrants who recently arrived in B.C. has urged that the processing of two women be prioritized, saying that one is suffering from a shrapnel wound and the other was tortured. 8/29/2010 7:13:44 AM
Bust out your breasts in Guelph Ladies’ breasts and naked man-chests: that’s what you’ll see if you swing by the Top Freedom Day of Pride in Guelph on Saturday. It’s an event that encourages everyone — but women especially — to go top-free in public. More than 200 people have signed up for the event on Facebook. 8/28/2010 9:23:56 AM
Hey PM Harper: Have you noticed that Canada's 'majestic' ice shelves disintegrating Canada is home to plenty of ice, but the ancient, undulating ice shelves on the north coast of Ellesmere Island are something special. For starters, the shelves are "beautiful landscapes," says earth scientist John England. A century ago, they covered almost 10,000 square kilometres, today the shelves are a tenth that size. 8/28/2010 9:19:25 AM
Body of U.S. climber who perished 21 years ago found on Alta. glacier After 21 years buried under ice and snow at the foot of Alberta’s Mount Snowdome, the body of American William Holland was found this month perfectly preserved in his full climbing gear, spiked boots on his feet and rope slung over his shoulder. 8/28/2010 8:49:38 AM
Dustin LaFortune discusses his ordeal Dustin LaFortune, the man at the centre of a case of alleged torture, says he is relieved an arrest has been made. LaFortune, 26, was interviewed by CBC News on Friday at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina, where he is recovering from a number of injuries his family describe as resulting from torture. 8/28/2010 8:42:05 AM
3,000-year-old tools unearthed in Labrador Workers at a housing project in Sheshatshiu, central Labrador, have uncovered 3,000-year-old artifacts, including tools and weapons. What started as a housing development has evolved into an archaeological dig. 8/28/2010 8:38:05 AM
Census burden 'colossally inflated,' MPs told Political posturing dominated a debate about the government’s decision to scrap the mandatory long-form census at parliamentary hearing Friday with Conservative MPs trying to make opposition members seem out of touch with the common man and their rivals in opposition trying to make the Tories appear out of touch with common sense. 8/28/2010 7:49:36 AM
Omar Khadr: U.S. wary over example of first military tribunal case After working for a year to redeem the international reputation of military commissions, Obama administration officials are alarmed by the first case to go to trial under revamped rules: the prosecution of a former child soldier whom an American interrogator implicitly threatened with gang rape. 8/28/2010 7:45:11 AM
Judge slams RCMP for destroying evidence A provincial court judge in Regina has slammed the RCMP for destroying video evidence that could have been used in a drinking and driving case. "I can only conclude that the police do not understand their obligations to preserve and disclose evidence," Judge Clifford Toth wrote. 8/28/2010 7:32:19 AM
John Baird thumbs nose at request for Public Works emails Government House Leader John Baird says the Public Works department will not give an opposition-dominated Commons committee the e-mails it had demanded of a former ministerial staffer who stopped the release of an access request. 8/28/2010 7:24:13 AM
Oil companies could drill in Harper's new beluga sanctuary The federal government has quietly left the door open to offshore oil drilling in a conservation area for beluga whales in Canada's Arctic waters that was unveiled with much fanfare by Prime Minister Stephen Harper this week. (Ed: The PM's whole Arctic 'Sovereignty' pitch is all about oil and gas rights.) 8/28/2010 6:46:07 AM
Ignatieff's old-fashioned bus tour to continue into fall The summer road show of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff is on an extended run into the fall. When Ignatieff gathers his MPs in Baddeck, Nova Scotia for their end-of-summer retreat starting on Sunday, he’s expected to announce that his cross-Canada bus odyssey will carry on. (Ed: He was in Penticton last Monday.) 8/27/2010 10:44:07 PM
Booze, gambling revenues now worth more than oil and gas royalties to Alberta It's a seemingly bottomless well of riches the Alberta government continues to tap. But instead of extracting it, you plug it, play it and drink it. Indeed, booze and gambling are suddenly worth more than the individual takes from conventional oil and natural gas. 8/27/2010 9:17:46 PM
If your mailperson is sick, Canada Post holds your mail Letter carriers in B.C. have filed a stack of grievances to protest Canada Post's refusal to backfill them when they take time off work, according to their union.
Ken Mooney, regional grievance officer for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, says he has grievances from postal carriers who say their routes across B.C. were left uncovered for as many as three days. 8/27/2010 8:14:58 PM
Controversy swirls over Canada's part in Roma debate Canada is being drawn into President Nicholas Sarkozy's controversial initiative to expel Roma (Gypsy) migrants, with Immigration Minister Jason Kenney coming under criticism for agreeing to attend a France-hosted meeting here next week that has been described by some as an "anti-Roma" gathering. 8/27/2010 7:51:57 PM
Launch MS clinical trials immediately, researcher urges Clinical trials of the controversial liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis should happen immediately, says a former University of Saskatchewan researcher who proposed an eerily similar theory more than a decade ago. Bernhard Juurlink published a hypothesis in 1998. 8/27/2010 6:42:33 PM
Ottawa cuts 600 pension, EI workers Hundreds of government workers who handle employment insurance claims are about to join the ranks of the unemployed. Treasury Board President Stockwell Day suggested last March that departments would be able to find the savings through attrition, without actual layoffs. 8/27/2010 6:20:56 PM
Committee wants long-form census reinstated The Commons industry committee passed a motion Friday calling on the Conservative government to reinstate the mandatory long-form census. Conservative MPs voted against the motion, which also called for the removal of the threat of jail time. 8/27/2010 6:17:55 PM
Accused in torture-confinement case laughs as charges read A highly agitated Dustin Ward Paxton fidgeted and laughed as charges against him involving the torture, confinement and sexual abuse of a former roomate were read out in a Calgary courtroom Friday. Wearing a dark blue prison jumpsuit, Paxton appeared via closed-circuit TV from the Calgary Remand Centre. 8/27/2010 6:05:40 PM
Ford recalls 575,000 Windstar vans in U.S., Canada Ford Motor Co. is recalling about 575,000 Windstar vans in 21 cold-weather U.S. states and Canada from model years 1998 to 2003 because of the possibility that the rear axle may fracture due to corrosion, federal regulators reported on Friday. 8/27/2010 6:03:52 PM
No more 'War on Drugs' in Toronto, it's harm reduction Toronto has become the first city in the world – and the first government in North America – to formally endorse a declaration that advocates harm reduction over the war on drugs. The Vienna Declaration called on policy-makers around the world to refocus their approaches to illegal drugs and HIV-AIDS prevention. 8/27/2010 5:46:11 PM
Arrests a 'serious problem' for Canadian Muslims (Video) A prominent Canadian Muslim group is calling for the condemnation of the doctrine of armed jihad and says there is a "serious problem" with radicalized Canadian youth in light of the recent terror arrests in Ottawa. "This is not something that comes as a total surprise . . . we have a problem." 8/27/2010 7:39:32 AM
Liberal leader takes jab at Harper's Arctic photo op Michael Ignatieff told supporters he has been doing politics "in the good old-fashioned way" -- without any photo ops like the one by Prime Minister Harper in the Arctic on Wednesday. He told reporters he laughed when the prime minister talked about Russian aircraft being chased away by Canadian military planes. 8/27/2010 7:27:29 AM
'Tens of thousands' of faulty rail cars riding Canada's tracks with dangerous goods: TSB "Tens of thousands" of defective railway cars, many of which could be transporting hazardous materials, might be riding the nation's railroads. The Transportation Safety Board released a report in which a CN railcar carrying 23,360 kilograms of flammable liquid propylene separated from the rest of the train. 8/26/2010 6:46:20 PM
Police officer sacked for letting inmates beat up a pedophile Quebec City municipal police on Thursday fired one of its officers for allegedly letting inmates beat up a pedophile in a police van. The 38-year-old man is one of three police officers facing charges of criminal negligence and complicity in an assault causing injuries. 8/26/2010 6:39:42 PM
Man arrested in terror case once auditioned for Canadian Idol (Video) The third man arrested in the Ottawa anti-terrorism raids is a former Montrealer who once auditioned for Canadian Idol. Khuram Sher, 28, moved to London, Ontario a month ago and is said to be a 2005 graduate of the McGill medical school and was in 2006 Pakistan after an earthquake in Kashmir. 8/26/2010 6:37:34 PM
Toyota recalls 1.1M Corollas, Matrix in North America Japanese automaker Toyota announced Thursday the recall of 1.13 million of its popular Corolla vehicles in North America due to an engine defect that could lead the car to stop while driving. 8/26/2010 6:05:29 PM
.Massive opium poppy bust in Chilliwack is Canadian record (Video) RCMP made what they said was the largest opium poppy plant bust in Canadian history on Monday, when they discovered a seven-acre field containing an estimated 60,000 plants in rural Chilliwack. When police arrived they found two males tending to the field. 8/26/2010 1:47:46 PM
More arrests expected in Ottawa terror sweep On the surface he appeared to be a well-respected X-ray technician who went home to his wife and child every night. But the RCMP allege that Misbahuddin Ahmed was also involved in a secret cell plotting to launch an attack inspired by the terrorist bombs unleashed in Afghanistan and Iraq. 8/26/2010 7:34:03 AM
RCMP report: Long-gun registry efficient:, Tories have been ignoring report since February An RCMP evaluation report of Canada's long-gun registry concludes that the program is cost effective, efficient and an important tool for law enforcement. The findings of the report have been in the hands of the government since February, but have not yet been released. 8/26/2010 7:10:07 AM
Missing plane found on slope of Apex Mtn., all 4 are dead All four passengers on the missing plane headed for Victoria on Aug. 17 have been found dead in the B.C. Interior. The wreckage of the Piper PA-24 Comanche was found near the top of a slope of Apex Mountain. The aircraft disappeared en route from Penticton to Victoria. (Ed: Pilot Rama Tello pictured.)
8/25/2010 7:10:12 PM
Harper gov't raises phoney Russian Bomber issue again, NORAD says no big deal NORAD is downplaying an incident on Tuesday that saw two CF-18s shadow a pair of Russian military aircraft as they flew within 56 kilometres of Canadian soil. (Ed: Both governments are aware that these scheduled visits will happen approx. 15 times a year near Canada's coasts.) 8/25/2010 2:19:32 PM
Pakistani-Canadians get hands-on in quest to raise funds for flood victims Large nongovernmental organizations have complained of a slow start to donations by Canadians. Distrust of the Pakistani government and its reputation for corruption have donors insisting on giving aid to organizations with an independent presence on the ground, those scrambling to raise funds say. 8/25/2010 8:12:05 AM
CIBC profit jumps 47% Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CM-T made $640-million in the third quarter, an increase of just over 47 per cent, as more customers were able to keep up with their loan payments than a year ago. Also helping the profit picture was CIBC's lower exposure to the slumping investment banking market. 8/25/2010 8:02:59 AM
Ontario, like California, going for broke According to the state treasurer, who should know, California (population 36.4 million) has sovereign debt of $60-billion (U.S.) – $1,650 per person. On the other hand, Ontario (population 13 million) has debt of $220-billion (Canadian) – $16,900 per person. So why does no one appear fussed? 8/25/2010 7:52:57 AM
Wikipedia tampering traced to Winnipeg air force headquarters The computer used to alter information on a Wikipedia entry critical of the Conservative government’s decision to spend billions of dollars on a new stealth fighters has been traced to the air force’s headquarters in Winnipeg. The computer was also used to insert insults, aimed at Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff. 8/25/2010 7:05:04 AM
Facebook on collision course with privacy watchdog The clock has run out on Facebook to revamp its privacy rules to avoid a public showdown with Canada's privacy czar over how it protects the personal information of its 500 million users worldwide. 8/25/2010 7:00:16 AM
Kamloops: B.C.'s HST anger understandable, says Ignatieff Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says the B.C. government is paying a heavy political price for the HST partly because of the way it introduced the harmonized sales tax. He said B.C. residents have a right to protest the way it was implemented. 8/25/2010 6:32:35 AM
Residents confront church group shouting outside gay couple’s home (Video) After a Sunday showdown between evangelists and an unwilling audience, residents of a Leslieville street have sworn to defend their neighbours against what some see as a deliberate targeting of a gay couple with fire-and-brimstone sermons. 8/24/2010 6:21:34 PM
Survey results will never compare to census data: StatsCan chief Statistics Canada’s acting chief statistician says the results of the voluntary survey set to replace the long-form census will “never be comparable” to census data, but insists there is no morale problem among his staff. 8/24/2010 6:04:18 PM
Arrest 11 years after Canadian singer found dead in suitcase Authorities in Bahrain arrested a suspect Tuesday in the death of a Montreal singer whose body was found stuffed inside a suitcase at Heathrow Airport in 1999, according to British police. A post-mortem revealed she'd been stabbed more than 10 times. 8/24/2010 5:57:59 PM
Northern weather proves too much for Harper tour Prime Minister Stephen Harper came face to face with the harsh reality of northern travel Tuesday. Instead of flying to Cambridge Bay, where local residents had gathered for the announcement, Harper held a news conference atthe Lazy Bear Lodge in Churchill. 8/24/2010 5:21:33 PM
Liberals lash out at 'startling' Tory patronage Liberal MPs are accusing the Harper government of handing out hundreds of patronage appointments over the past two years. The government has rewarded 386 former Conservative MPs, cabinet ministers, campaign workers, past candidates and top donors, Mr. Easter said. “Is it just a coincidence.” 8/24/2010 5:11:55 PM
Former Quebec justice minister details allegations against Premier Charest Former Justice Minister Marc Bellemare took direct aim Tuesday at Quebec Premier Jean Charest with damaging, detailed testimony about the role of senior Quebec Liberal party organizers in the appointment of judges. (Ed: And in reality it's not much different in most provinces and Ottawa.) 8/24/2010 5:06:13 PM
Government might help Canadian on U.S. death row The only Canadian on death row in the U.S. may receive help from the Canadian government if he is granted a review before the U.S. Supreme Court, the man's lawyer says. Canada abolished the death penalty in 1976 and has often sought to protect Canadians abroad from facing capital punishment. 8/24/2010 4:38:15 PM
Pakistan asks U.S. military for help, but not Canada The Canadian military’s Disaster Assistance Response Team has no immediate plans to travel to Pakistan to help with flood recovery efforts because it hasn’t been asked to go. (Ed: The last time Pakistan asked, Canada made a big flap about it. More in story.) 8/24/2010 7:55:11 AM
Ontario Mayor denies affair with Belleville's top cop The Mayor of Belleville, Ont., took to the airwaves on Monday insisting he has "absolutely not" had an affair with the town's chief of police, despite rumours otherwise. The rumours began circulating after Belleville Police Chief Cory McMullan revealed she had been the victim of an alleged domestic assault. 8/24/2010 7:24:29 AM
Calgary: Wanted Warrants issued in brutal beating He was badly beaten, emaciated and barely recognizable with parts of his tongue and lower lip missing and now police say the former Calgary man dumped outside a Regina hospital in April was held against his will and sexually assaulted during a two-year-period he lived with a friend. 8/24/2010 7:11:16 AM
Five hostages on Manila bus held Canadian passports A Hong Kong travel agency says five of the passengers who were held hostage on a tour bus in Manila, Philippines, were Canadian -- and three of them were killed in the melee. The 12-hour hostage drama that ended Monday night left eight tourists dead along with their Filipino captor. 8/24/2010 6:51:49 AM
Informant warned Mounties about Pickton in 1999 Two years after B.C. prosecutors dropped attempted murder charges against Robert Pickton, Leah Best warned Vancouver police that the Port Coquitlam man was a killer -- but her warning was not heeded. "I did feel angry about it," Best said. "It didn't seem like they cared." 8/24/2010 6:48:16 AM
'Arctic sovereignty' is about owning the oil Prime Minister Stephen Harper launched his summer tour of the Arctic on a familiar refrain, warning that protecting Canada’s sovereignty is the “first and highest” priority of his northern agenda. Sixty-four Danish tourists apparently didn’t get the message. 8/23/2010 7:41:43 PM
Oil prices keep going down, so why not the price at the pump? Oil prices fell Monday as uncertainty about the prospects for global growth and a stronger U.S. dollar overcame worries about production disruptions in the Gulf of Mexico during hurricane season. Crude for October delivery closed down 72 cents at $73.10 US a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. 8/23/2010 7:23:53 PM
Justice system shame: Court orders release of teen inmate's records, again The Federal Court on Monday ordered the release of the remaining personal records of Ashley Smith, a 19-year-old inmate who killed herself in her prison cell in 2007. Smith was imprisoned at age 15 for breaching her probation after an original incident in which she threw crab apples at a postal worker. 8/23/2010 6:12:33 PM
Amnesty boss says Canada hard to read Canada's position on human rights issues is becoming harder and harder to predict. Salil Shetty said Monday that Canada is now taking drastically different positions in areas such as torture and the death penalty where it has traditionally been progressive. 8/23/2010 5:54:46 PM
Opposition MPs unite to keep spotlight on outgoing Veterans ombudsman Liberal and New Democrat members are using their majority on the veterans affairs committee to force a recall of the members to examine Pat Stogran's analysis that the lives of many injured vets have turned into a bureaucratic nightmare riddled with unfair treatment. (Ed: And our Defence Minister is hiding on the issue.) 8/23/2010 5:08:06 PM
Police chiefs endorse long-gun registry The head of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police says members have endorsed a national firearms strategy that includes the long-gun registry — a program the Conservative government is trying to scrap — at its annual meeting in Edmonton on Monday. 8/23/2010 5:02:34 PM
Why won't Harper get the message? Business economists oppose census change A new survey suggests business economists are overwhelmingly opposed to the Harper government's decision to scrap the long-form census. The Canadian Association for Business Economics says 74 per cent of its members think it's bad policy to replace the obligatory long census with a voluntary survey. 8/23/2010 4:06:49 PM
Doctors call for patients' charter of rights Canada's doctors are calling for the health-care system to be reformed so it better serves patients and are supporting the idea of a charter to enshrine patient rights. Patient-centred care was the overarching theme at the annual meeting where doctors passed several motions related to the concept. 8/23/2010 3:54:47 PM
Ontario: HST price hit worse than projected The New Democrats say the Ontario government should be worried that the HST has pushed up consumer prices far more than expected. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the governing Liberals should reconsider the HST because the projections they relied on to justify the tax have turned out to be wrong. 8/23/2010 11:33:13 AM
Police chiefs plan gun registry defence Canada's police chiefs are planning a large public relations campaign in support of the federal long-gun registry the Conservative government is trying to scrap. The report says the chiefs want to set the record straight about the registry, which they say is effective and efficient. 8/23/2010 9:39:04 AM
Many celebrated Canadians held racist views unacceptable today At least a dozen Canadians who’ve been formally recognized for their historic significance — including a past prime minister — harboured racial attitudes that would be deemed unacceptable today. A review of Parks Canada’s roster of 648 persons of national historic significance turned up several outspoken anti-Semites. 8/23/2010 8:26:12 AM
Yale whistle stop more about family than politics for liberal leader Michael Grant Ignatieff, leader of the opposition, took time out from his cross-country tour to experience a little small town hospitality, Sunday evening. Ignatieff’s namesake, George Monro Grant, had acted as secretary for his life-long friend, Sir Sanford Fleming. (Ed: Ignatieff is in Penticton today.) 8/23/2010 7:24:15 AM
Man used dead father’s pension cheques to pay for strip clubs There are no more private dancers for David Ellwood Butler. Butler’s money dried up a few years ago after it was revealed he had been cashing his father’s government pension cheques for seven years after the man’s death. He says the strippers treated him well and he always had a good time. 8/23/2010 7:17:58 AM
Survey finds most fear boomers will cripple health-care system Four in every five Canadians believe that the demands placed on the health system by aging Baby Boomers will result in reduced access and lower quality care, a poll commissioned by the Canadian Medical Association reveals. 8/23/2010 7:02:04 AM
Tories are gutting Environment Canada, less info on Climate Change Sustained cuts to Environment Canada weather-service programs have compromised the government’s ability to assess climate change. The stinging assessment suggests Canada’s climate network infrastructure is getting progressively worse and no longer meets international guidelines. 8/23/2010 6:59:13 AM
More than 300 people charged with G20 offences to appear in court Monday The stage is set for a crush of people to descend upon a Toronto courthouse Monday as more than 300 people charged with offences related to the G20 summit are set to appear, along with their families, supporters and lawyers for what will be a marathon session of mass appearances. 8/22/2010 7:30:38 PM
Why are Canadians so angry about Tamil migrants? According to an Angus Reid poll, 63 per cent of Canadians believe that a ship carrying 492 Tamil migrants should have been sent back to Sri Lanka. While polls don’t always accurately show the mood of the country, in this instance I believe that the results very closely reflect the sentiments of the majority of Canadian citizens. 8/22/2010 7:24:52 PM
Mounties arrogant, poor team players: criminologist The RCMP is facing criticism in the wake of a scathing Vancouver Police Department report. A British Columbia criminologist and former London police officer said Mounties are trained to believe they are Canada's top cops, while considering other provincial and municipal officers as below standard. 8/22/2010 5:34:07 PM
Teen flies across country to deliver 1946 plane to owner Serge Labreche had just bought the plane of his dreams, sight unseen, at a price that seemed a steal: an iconic Piper J-3 Cub, built in 1946. But there was a problem. It was sitting 6,000 kilometres away from his native Quebec in Whitehorse, and he had no way of getting it back. 8/22/2010 1:17:43 PM
Greens' top priority: Commons seat for leader Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says she will run in the next federal election in a riding where she has a better chance of winning, with the party making a Commons seat its top priority. In the 2008 general election, May battled Defence Minister Peter MacKay in Nova Scotia's Central Nova riding. 8/22/2010 9:42:33 AM
Two inmates escape from Saskatchewan prison Police are looking for two inmates who escaped from a minimum-security prison in Saskatchewan on Friday night. Travis Aaron Taniskishayinew, 21, and Dustin Nigel Ratt, 25, managed to somehow escape from Riverbend Institution, near Prince Albert, police said in a news release. 8/22/2010 7:38:57 AM
Fewer tax rebates for tourists Millions of people visit Canada each year from foreign countries to see relatives and friends, take in the many sights and activities the country has to offer, and to conduct business. In the past, visitors to the country were able to get rebates from the federal government and some provinces. 8/22/2010 7:37:30 AM
Cancer faker released by court A 23-year-old Burlington, Ont., woman accused of faking terminal cancer and keeping money she raised, saying it was for cancer groups, was released Friday on the understanding she will pay $5,000 if she violates the conditions of her release. 8/22/2010 7:23:58 AM
Social networking sites a boon to fraudsters: report When it comes to securities fraud, either con men are getting busier or Canadians are getting smarter. According to a report from Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, 26 per cent of Canadians said they'd been approached with a fraud scheme some time last year. 8/22/2010 7:21:40 AM
Weather systems to clear smoke, deliver rain in B.C. (Video) The buildings on prairie city skylines were becoming easier to see, but a smoky smell similar to a provincial park on a holiday long weekend lingered across much of Western Canada Saturday. However, drifting smoke from B.C. wildfires was starting to clear, officials said. 8/22/2010 7:19:48 AM
Alberta crash kills both parents, leaves 7-week-old baby girl in serious condition The parents of a seven-week-old baby girl were killed in a head-on collision just west of the city limits Friday night. Witnesses tell police the parents' Mercedes was heading eastbound and appeared to cross into the oncoming lane where it hit a full-sized GMC pickup truck heading westbound. 8/22/2010 7:10:32 AM
Canada cools Arctic sovereignty rhetoric The Harper government has put forward a new policy that aims to thaw frosty relations with its Arctic neighbours, but it remains to be seen how much it will cool its rhetoric in the hotly contested region. The subtle change in tone comes ahead of what's expected to be tough negotiations. 8/21/2010 4:28:51 PM
Leadership still an issue for Greens at T.O. convention Despite Elizabeth May's insistence that her leadership is not an issue within the Green party, there continue to be apparent rumblings of discontent. May says any leadership issues are behind the party, which is holding its convention in Toronto this weekend. 8/21/2010 4:26:01 PM
Missing Women: Cops not believed as killing continued Police didn't believe their own sources, their own officers or that there was a serial killer roaming Vancouver's streets, and Robert Pickton got away with murder. He said several officers were ignored, and he specifically referred to Kim Rossmo, a geographic profiler. 8/21/2010 4:10:06 PM
Black market for hackers part of online crime frontier: Report Criminal organizations are calling on black market hackers-for-hire, where they can buy the tools and services they need to break into brokerage accounts, says a new report by Canada's crime watchdog. It's one example of a new frontier of online-based fraud that exists for organized crime in this country. 8/21/2010 7:18:05 AM
Man freed from hole at Saskatoon construction site A man who spent several hours stuck at the bottom of a 2.4-metre-deep hole at a construction site in Saskatoon has been rescued. He was pulled free shortly before 6 p.m. Friday by rescue crews which were called to the scene about three hours earlier. 8/21/2010 6:44:47 AM
Medical Tourism: NDM-1 'superbug' found in Ontario hospital Ontario's first case of the so-called superbug NDM-1 has been identified at the William Osler Health Centre in Brampton, CBC News has learned. NDM-1 is found in South Asia, and the Ontario patient picked it up while undergoing a medical procedure in India, the hospital said. 8/21/2010 6:42:11 AM
Smoke from B.C. fires travels as far as Ontario As forest fires continue to rage in British Columbia, the ensuing smoke has taken a cross-Canada tour and devastated air quality in its wake. The heavy smoke showed up on satellite imaging and at weather stations across the Prairies and even into Ontario on Friday. 8/21/2010 6:24:30 AM
Public warned as B.C. smoke rolls into Saskatchewan The Saskatchewan Health Ministry is warning the public about smoke from British Columbia forest fires. People in western and central areas of the province woke up Friday morning to haze in the sky and the smell of smoke. And southern regions got hazier as the day wore on. 8/20/2010 5:20:19 PM
Yeah, right! Gun program head's ouster not political: Elliott A defiant RCMP Commissioner William Elliott has come out swinging against allegations he ordered the removal of the head of the Canadian Firearms Program to appease the Conservative government. Opposition MPs have suggested Harper interfered with the staffing to silence a vocal supporter of the long-gun registry. 8/20/2010 5:13:46 PM
What a Joke! Gang-rape threat didn't prompt Khadr confession: judge Threats of gang rape did not prompt Omar Khadr to make any self-incriminating statements and no evidence exists that the Canadian citizen was tortured, the military judge said. "Apparently he was listening to different evidence than the rest of us," one of Khadr's Canadian lawyers, Nate Whitling said Friday. 8/20/2010 4:42:13 PM
Women sex offenders often unreported Women sex offenders often go unrecognized and unreported, although society is starting to pay closer attention to them, says a university criminologist. "What we've estimated is that females constitute approximately four to five per cent of all sex offenders," says Franca Cortoni. 8/20/2010 4:20:13 PM
Vets ombudsman 'absolutely correct': Natynczyk At a news conference Friday, Canada's top soldier, Gen. Walter Natynczyk, was asked if veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran, whose term is not being renewed, has been doing a good job. "He has certainly voiced with clarity what the issues are," said Natynczyk. 8/20/2010 3:37:02 PM
Did the Sri Lankan migrants 'jump the queue'? The Catch-22 of the Canadian refugee system is that when they enter the country -- whether by boat, plane, train, bus or foot -- refugees are breaking the law. But if they make if through the entire refugee process, and their claims of persecution in Sri Lanka are accepted, "The illegal entry is A-OK." 8/20/2010 11:50:55 AM
Toronto toddler dies in hot car in Texas A Toronto toddler died in Texas Thursday after being left in a hot SUV. The Houston Chronicle reported that a two-year-old boy from Canada was left for two hours in a car in the middle of the 33 degree afternoon. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate the boy before rushing him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 8/20/2010 10:01:38 AM
Some Mounties cool to workplace probe Some Mounties are unhappy with a probe into the workplace environment of the RCMP, an assessment sparked by complaints over the management style of the force's top boss. Former CSIS chief Reid Morden, who was hired to find out whether links in the RCMP chain of command are broken, handed in his report last Friday. 8/20/2010 8:10:32 AM
HST drives up Canada's inflation rate Canada's annual inflation rate increased to 1.8 per cent for July, boosted by the HST, after a one per cent rise in June. Prices were affected by introduction of the harmonized sales tax in Ontario and British Columbia, and a two percent increase in Nova Scotia's HST. 8/20/2010 7:23:52 AM
Organizers criticized for running Pakistani pageant in wake of flood disaster Organizers of a Toronto beauty pageant that will crown the queen of the global Pakistani diaspora on Friday have attracted controversy for not calling off the event. Critics say it is inappropriate for the Miss Pakistan World pageant to continue while more than 1,600 have died and four million have been left homeless. 8/20/2010 6:40:58 AM
Orca-on-minke attack a whale of an experience Orcas are being sighted in increasing numbers off the coast of Newfoundland this month, and experienced whale watchers have been shocked on three occasions to see the carnivorous predators killing the local minke whales. 8/20/2010 6:35:56 AM
N.S. premier supports clinical trial on MS treatment Nova Scotia's premier has added his voice to a growing chorus of support for a national clinical trial for a controversial treatment for multiple sclerosis. He says the province owes it to those with the disease to fully consider the merits of the treatment. 8/20/2010 6:24:22 AM
Tamil boy sends father a heartfelt letter saying 'don't worry, don't cry.' Since their arrival to Canada aboard the MV Sun Sea, a young boy and his father have been held in separate detention facilities in B.C. The boy recently wrote a letter to his father and gave it to Luxmi Vasan, a Toronto lawyer who is helping the Tamil migrants. "Father, I'm safe," the letter begins. 8/20/2010 6:09:57 AM
Canadians at Dieppe: 'Just slaughtered, slaughtered, slaughtered': Ex-U.K. commando Each year, at events like Thursday's marking the 68th anniversary of the disastrous Canadian-led raid of a Nazi stronghold here, there are fewer people like Alan Saunders and Pierre L'hours. The two men were among only a handful who could actually provide eyewitness testimony to the raid being honoured. 8/19/2010 7:35:03 PM
Man offers to post bail for woman who faked cancer Dressed all in black, his face all but covered in black tattoos, Bob Graham, 39, sat in the back of a Milton courtroom Thursday morning for a very brief video-link appearance by Ashley Kirilow, the 23-year-old who gained international notoriety when she admitted to faking cancer to collect money for herself. 8/19/2010 1:42:27 PM
Toronto Election: Rob Ford forgot marijuana charge, confuses impaired driving charge Mayoral frontrunner Rob Ford was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Florida in 1999, not refusing to providing a breathalyzer sample. An arrest affidavit lists two charges against Robert Bruce Ford: DUI and possession of marijuana. 8/19/2010 12:58:34 PM
Hey PM Harper, want to change something? Dump the Seal hunt Canada will challenge the European Union’s ban on Canadian seal products by seeking a special panel review at the World Trade Organization. “The government is very strongly in opposition to this decision of Europe,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. 8/19/2010 12:51:14 PM
Foster mother faces charges in Sask. child's death A woman who was providing foster care to a 22-month-old boy when he died on a farm near Aberdeen, Sask., will face criminal charges, RCMP said Thursday. The foster mother, 45, faces charges of criminal negligence causing death and endangering the life of a child. 8/19/2010 12:48:29 PM
Rethink Alberta' group brings anti-oilsands billboards, ads to UK The group that created the controversial "Rethink Alberta" tourism boycott campaign in the United States is taking its anti-oilsands message to England. "The objective is to put this issue on the radar screen with the public," said Brant Olson of the San Francisco-based Rainforest Action Network. 8/19/2010 7:48:13 AM
N.S. Nortel retirees picket prime minister A group of retired Nortel Networks employees crashed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's final stop in Nova Scotia Wednesday. The protesters want the Conservative government to pass a private member's bill to ensure that pensioners, not creditors, are the first to be paid out when a company like Nortel is in financial trouble. 8/19/2010 7:38:59 AM
Migrant Tamil toddler has shrapnel stuck in head: lawyer A toddler with a piece of shrapnel lodged in his head is just one of many battle-scarred migrants among the 492 Tamils who arrived in B.C. onboard the MV Sun Sea. The child's injury is just one of many that lawyer Malini Dyonisius says she's learned of during her consultations with the migrants. 8/19/2010 7:24:30 AM
Is Stephen Harper set to move against the CRTC? Last year, as revealed by The Canadian Press, Prime Minister Stephen Harper lunched in New York with Roger Ailes, president of Fox News, and Rupert Murdoch, who owns it. Kory Teneycke, Mr. Harper’s former spokesman, was also present at the unannounced event. 8/19/2010 6:53:04 AM
Government urged to tone down rhetoric, avoid backlash from Tamil community The Canadian Tamil Congress is “deeply concerned” that Ottawa’s rhetoric about the arrival of migrants aboard a suspected people-smuggling ship could “undermine” ongoing investigations and spur “more than a backlash of words” against the Canadian Tamil community. 8/18/2010 7:11:47 PM
Tories Isotope Screw-up: Fallout to last years The president of the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine searches for the words he will use with patients with advanced cancers and cardiovascular diseases because of the Chalk River nuclear reactor shutdown. "The bottom line is there is no excuse,” said Dr. Jean-Luc Urbain. 8/18/2010 7:03:40 PM
Letting go of RCMP's Cheliak was entirely political, despite what Harper says There are poor excuses, bad rationalizations, feeble fabrications or, pathetic lies. Bring on the laughable lie, a wallop of obvious nose-stretching that’s all the more alarming emanating from a national police force which seems to be axing senior staff in anticipation of the government’s wishes. 8/18/2010 6:26:54 PM
Winnipeg: Scared mom waits for stalker Amanda Westervelt, 26, is a single mom who lives with her four-year-old son and her mother. She fears for their safety because she's become the obsession of Kevin Steppan, a 25-year-old violent sexual offender. A man she met while living on the streets six years ago, who believes he is the father of her son and an imaginary daughter. 8/18/2010 4:36:00 PM
A little History, how our PM Harper and his office operates By Garth Turner - I walked into the Prime Minister’s office. It was 6:15 p. m. and snow whipped against the outside stone walls of Centre Block. Downstairs the reception was thinning and the foodplates decimated. Upstairs, the door closed behind me, and Harper approached. 8/18/2010 4:28:39 PM
Nearly 70 years later, debate remains over Dieppe raid A debate still smoulders over one of the most ambitious, and disastrous, military endeavours in Canadian history that took place here 68 years ago Thursday. Roughly 5,000 Canadians took part in the 1942 invasion, along with 1,000 British commandos and 50 U.S. Rangers. 8/18/2010 4:13:14 PM
Lawyer lying? Gov't lawyer argues feds have the say on HST, not B.C. The lawyer for a number of big business groups in B.C. says the HST was imposed by Parliament and cannot be overturned by a B.C. court. Vancouver lawyer Peter Gall said the consent of the province is not constitutionally required because Parliament approved the Harmonized Sales Tax. 8/18/2010 4:07:11 PM
Driven Montreal mom wins school language fight Christy Henault wore down two cars driving the 60 kilometres between her home in St. Lazare, Que., to Vankleek Hill, Ont., so her sons could be educated in English. On a typical school day, after driving back home in Quebec to run errands while her two boys were in class, she would put 250 kilometres on her car. 8/18/2010 4:00:48 PM
Updated: Toronto home of skating legend Kurt Browning on fire Firefighters are on the scene of a house fire on Forest Hill Road, near Hillholm Road, on Wednesday morning. “We saw Kurt Browning across the street and we put two and two together,” he went on. “We thought, ‘Holy crap, that’s Kurt Browning’s house!” 8/18/2010 12:59:28 PM
90,000 Mazda 3s and 5s recalled in Canada Mazda Canada is recalling 90,000 vehicles to fix problems with the power-steering system that could lead to a crash. The recall involves model year 2007 to 2009 Mazda 3 and Mazda 5 vehicles built from April 2007 through November 2008. 8/18/2010 12:29:17 PM
Harper's stacked Senate gives thumbs up to offshore drilling A Senate committee says there’s no need to prevent companies from drilling for oil in Canadian coastal waters. With oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico and Chevron drilling deep off the Atlantic coast, the Senate committee on energy launched a study in May. (Ed: No surprise with our PM being a MP for oil country.) 8/18/2010 12:24:41 PM
Don't ban offshore drilling: Conservative dominated Senate A report by a federal Senate committee looking into offshore oil drilling in Canada says the facts do not justify the banning of current offshore drilling in Canada. "We are satisfied that the oversights are such that there is not any imminent danger," said Senator David Angus, chair of the committee. 8/18/2010 11:15:47 AM
Gun registry advocate latest in Tory pattern of quashing dissent: critics The senior Mountie in charge of the controversial long-gun registry is being replaced. As a result of the move, Supt. Cheliak will not be able to attend the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police annual meeting in Edmonton next week. He was to present a major report. 8/18/2010 11:13:11 AM
Two men accused of running Ontario cockfighting ring The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has stopped an alleged cockfighting ring in southern Ontario. Justin Irvine and Scott Hamilton, both of Tecumseh, were charged Tuesday with owning or possessing equipment or structures used in animal fighting or training. 8/18/2010 11:08:42 AM
Robert Pickton could have been caught earlier, Vancouver police report says Police could have caught serial killer Robert Pickton years earlier and probably prevented the deaths of more than a dozen women. The report has remained under wraps for more than a year. But sources familiar with its contents say one of the report’s main conclusions is that women’s lives could have been saved. 8/18/2010 7:20:41 AM
Canadians unsophisticated cellphone users: KPMG Canadians are behind the rest of the world in using their mobile phones for banking and for making purchases. Only about 19 per cent of Canadians surveyed said they felt comfortable using their mobile phone for financial transactions, compared with a global average of 34 per cent. 8/18/2010 7:16:13 AM
Veterans react to looming ombud departure Some former soldiers are speaking out about their treatment after the Tories decision not to renew the country's ombudsman for veterans. Dennis Manuge served in Bosnia. Now, he’s so angry he refuses to wear his medals. Manuge and 6,500 other soldiers in the same predicament have launched a class action suit. 8/18/2010 7:04:54 AM
Husband charged in N.S. teacher's death Comments Police in Halifax have charged Jason MacRae in the 2005 killing of his wife, Paula Gallant, a 36-year-old Grade 3 teacher. The 37-year-old man has been charged with the homicide of Gallant, who was found dead in the trunk of her car in the parking lot of her school. 8/18/2010 6:37:48 AM
RCMP Officer running Gun Registry program ousted "I question why he's been transferred and who has made this decision to transfer him," said Charles Momy, president of the Canadian Police Association. "But it seems interesting that all of a sudden this transfer occurs when we know the vote is coming on this bill. 8/18/2010 6:36:08 AM
Helicopter carrying four people crashes in Quebec A helicopter carrying four people crashed on Quebec's North Shore on Tuesday. Provincial police didn't immediately know if anyone aboard the chopper survived after it went down in a wooded area north of Sept-Iles. Police spokesman Patrick Lowe said the crash site is not accessible by road. 8/17/2010 5:25:52 PM
Media allowed in migrant hearings, Tamil Congress banned (Video) Reporters have been allowed in the room to cover detention hearings for the Sri Lankan migrants who arrived in British Columbia on a freighter last week, but the Tamil Congress and other interested groups are still barred. The hearings are required so authorities can keep the migrants in area jails. 8/17/2010 5:22:43 PM
Ombudsman slams 'deceptive' Veterans Affairs (Video) Canada's outgoing ombudsman for veterans expressed his fury Tuesday over the federal government's treatment of servicemen and women and the thwarting of his work by an obstructive bureaucracy. Pat Stogran said he was speaking out in order to highlight how badly many veterans are treated. 8/17/2010 5:09:15 PM
Restaurant boss got 14-year-old worker pregnant 3 times A former restaurant manager is expected to be jailed for sexually exploiting a 14-year-old employee he made pregnant three times. Judge Mark Tyndale raised the spectre of a four-year jail term Monday for the 35-year-old Calgarian, who earlier pleaded guilty to the charge. 8/17/2010 2:14:55 PM
Hockey legend Guy Lafleur acquitted in Quebec court Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur has been acquitted by an appeals court of giving contradictory testimony at his son's bail hearing. Mr. Lafleur was convicted in May 2009 and was given a suspended sentence a month later. It wasn't immediately known whether the Crown would seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. 8/17/2010 9:31:48 AM
PM takes flak over refusal to allow MP expense audit Stephen Harper's inbox was deluged last May with hundreds of angry emails from citizens outraged that MPs wouldn't allow the auditor general to scrutinize their expenses. "The Conservative Party won't get one more cent from me unless that happens -- now," said one typically incensed correspondent. 8/17/2010 8:00:05 AM
Sri Lanka seeks deal to share intelligence on migrants Sri Lanka is urging Canada to share more of its intelligence if it is serious about tackling what both countries have warned could be a human smuggling operation with ties to the Tamil Tigers. The arrangement would be similar to a deal Sri Lanka reached with Australia last November. 8/17/2010 7:45:25 AM
Laser pointer disrupts flight of Calgary police helicopter Calgary police took a suspect into custody early Tuesday morning after the flight of a police helicopter was disrupted by someone on the ground with a laser pointer. The helicopter was airborne in support of police operations late Monday night when a strike by a laser impaired the vision of the chopper crew, police said in a statement. 8/17/2010 7:25:51 AM
Crown drops charges against former Toronto Humane Society officials A spokesman for the Ontario SPCA reacted with anger, frustration and sadness at a news conference Monday afternoon, denouncing the Crown attorney's decision to withdraw charges against former Toronto Humane Society president Tim Trow and four others. 8/17/2010 7:20:07 AM
Car surfing a growing and deadly problem Tommy Palliser is the only university graduate in his Inuit community of Inukjuak. He’s young, handsome, with a girlfriend of 10 years and two children, a boy and a girl. His group has set up a mentorship program, workshops on making kayaks, a first-ever manual for dog sledding. Small-engine repair is coming soon. 8/17/2010 7:01:27 AM
HST causes B.C. housing market to dry up A new tax regime in Canada's two busiest housing markets caused demand for homes in British Columbia and Ontario to dry up in July, driving a 30 per cent decline in national sales activity from a year ago. Canadian home sales were down 6.8 per cent from June, continuing a months-long cooling trend. 8/17/2010 6:54:43 AM
Family of missing Alberta couple raises funds for reward Family members of two Alberta seniors missing for more than a month after leaving on a trip to B.C. are raising funds for a reward they hope will crack the case. The family of Lyle and Marie McCann hope that the fund will keep the case top-of-mind for the public, son Bret McCann told a news conference Monday. 8/17/2010 6:52:43 AM
Calgarians spot two ATM skimming devices at TD Banks Eagle-eyed citizens are being praised for spotting two skimming devices on bank teller machines as police say they expect to see more ATM fraud incidents in the city this year. The small cameras and false card readers were found Saturday at two TD Bank ATMs. 8/16/2010 11:03:38 PM
Governments looking at letting some people 'out of jail' Federal and provincial justice ministers plan this fall to tackle the issue of whether people with fetal alcohol syndrome who commit crimes belong in jail. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson on Monday told Canadian lawyers that the treatment of fetal alcohol offenders is "a huge problem in our system." 8/16/2010 8:57:52 PM
Layton calls for urgent census debate The NDP is calling for an emergency debate on the Harper government's controversial census changes. Party leader Jack Layton sent a letter to the Speaker of the Commons on Monday asking for a debate on the "integrity of the census" when the House resumes next month. 8/16/2010 7:27:50 PM
Tamil migrants: 'We are not terrorists' Letters purportedly written by two of the roughly 490 migrants who arrived in B.C. aboard a cargo ship deny any involvement with terrorism and claim they are fleeing "mass murder" in Sri Lanka. The Canadian Tamil Congress, which distributed the two letters on Monday, said they were written by two Tamil journalists on board the MV Sun Sea. 8/16/2010 7:24:44 PM
Statscan survey finds BPA present in bodies of 91 per cent of Canadians The vast majority of Canadians – more than nine out of 10 – have detectable levels of bisphenol A in their urine, according to the first large scale survey for the amount of the estrogen mimicking chemical in the population. The highest concentration of the chemical, used to make polycarbonate plastic, were in teens aged 12 to 19. 8/16/2010 7:47:16 AM
Canada’s economic recovery ‘by no means a sure thing,’ expert Canada avoided the brutal financial meltdown that plagued the U.S. economy, but there are some red flags that make recovery for this country “by no means a sure thing,” says a leading U.S. economist. Paul Krugman warned that Canadians’ lavish spending habits, stubbornly high unemployment, and rising housing costs are potential trouble spots 8/16/2010 7:41:12 AM
Dynamite found at house destroyed by blast RCMP in New Brunswick say they recovered a stick of dynamite and detonating wires on the property of a home that was razed by an explosion Friday. Sgt. Bruce Reid said the items were discovered Friday, metres from where the two-storey house once stood in Sussex Corner. 8/16/2010 6:10:39 AM
Tamil man died during voyage from Sri Lanka One of the nearly 500 Tamil migrants who set sail for Canada aboard a cramped cargo freighter died just weeks before the ship arrived. "Their investigation has determined he died of a sickness; he simply couldn't be treated at sea. There's nothing to indicate any criminal intent." 8/16/2010 5:53:42 AM
Two Canadians killed in Iowa after driver falls asleep Two Canadians are among six people killed in a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 80 in Jasper County, Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol says it appears that 19-year-old Do Taw fell asleep at the wheel of a westbound minivan Saturday morning, hit a semi and crossed the median. 8/15/2010 2:14:10 PM
Hot-air balloon knocked out power to 20,000 Quebec homes About 20,000 Quebec homes once again had power Sunday, after a hot-air balloon caused a blackout when it landed on a power line in Carignan, Que., outside Montreal. Saturday was the first day of an international hot-air balloon festival in the area. 8/15/2010 1:54:46 PM
Parks Canada teaches people to scare coyotes Parks Canada is teaching people how to frighten coyotes away, should they encounter any of the animals in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The education campaign was launched after a 16-year-old girl was bitten on the head by a coyote while sleeping outside a tent at the Broad Cove campground, near Ingonish. 8/15/2010 10:06:49 AM
100 activists take ‘healing walk’ against Alberta oilsands The 50-kilometre stretch of highway between Fort McMurray and Fort MacKay in northern Alberta is lined with gaping chasms, lifeless tailings ponds, smokestacks, and piles of sulphur. “Forty years ago, our people hunted, trapped, fished, and picked berries here,” said George Poitras. 8/15/2010 7:43:18 AM
No more census concessions, Clement vows The federal government is sticking to its plan to make the 2011 long-form census voluntary, despite eliminating the threat of jail time for those who refuse to fill out surveys, Industry Minister Tony Clement says. (Ed: Another red herring, no one was ever jailed for refusing.) 8/15/2010 7:38:58 AM
Man arrested after fire set outside PM's residence One man has been arrested in connection with a small fire that was set outside the prime minister's official residence at 24 Sussex Drive. The RCMP arrested the man after he was spotted pouring something flammable on the sidewalk just outside the residence and then lighting it. 8/15/2010 7:37:47 AM
Migrants healthy; boat was well-organized, if cramped Asylum-seekers who spent months at sea aboard the migrant ship that reached B.C. this week arrived in surprisingly good health aboard a well-organized but extremely cramped vessel. Officials described a well-organized, relatively clean ship with separate sleeping spaces, an eating area and a waste-disposal system. 8/15/2010 7:16:22 AM
Alberta RCMP investigate possible murder-suicide RCMP in Alberta are investigating a possible murder-suicide outside of the city of Lethbridge. The Major Crimes unit is investigating after an adult woman and her teenage son were found dead in their rural home at 6:30 p.m. Friday. 8/15/2010 7:04:49 AM
Edmonton toddler finally returns home after latest facial surgery Maddox Flynn is back in Edmonton after a month-long trip to New York for his second major facial surgery. The two-and-a-half-year-old arrived home Saturday morning along with parents Mike and Nicole. “Maddox is doing great and we’re happy to be home.” 8/15/2010 6:58:19 AM
Canada commits $33M to Pakistan flood victims The Canadian government has announced it will commit as much as $33 million to help flood victims in Pakistan. “The people of Canada stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this time of need,” Conservative House leader John Baird said. 8/15/2010 6:50:34 AM
Why didn't Canada just send the migrants back? As hundreds of illegal Tamil immigrants stepped ashore for the first time in three months and requested asylum, many Canadians were asking: Why didn't the government simply turn the boat back? Migration experts say sending the ship away would have violated international law. 8/15/2010 6:37:05 AM
Ontario Mafia hitman reveals his code for killings Ken Murdock’s voice is surprisingly polite when he discusses the dos-and-don’ts of being a hitman for the mob. Murdock, 47, refrains from using words like “etiquette” or “ethics” while revealing the personal code of conduct he followed while carrying out murders for the Hamilton mob. 8/14/2010 7:37:56 AM
Winnipeg father claimed sex with daughters part of aboriginal healing A Manitoba father convinced his 11-year-old daughter to have sex with him by claiming it was a necessary requirement for her aboriginal upbringing. The man pleaded guilty this week in a Winnipeg courtroom to what justice officials say is one of the most disturbing cases they've seen. 8/14/2010 7:15:25 AM
Man dies after being hit by RCMP cruiser A man is dead after an RCMP officer struck a pedestrian near Slave Lake, Alta., with his police cruiser. Police say the Mountie was rushing to a crime scene Thursday night when the cruiser struck a 53-year-old man, who was thrown into a ditch 8/14/2010 7:05:35 AM
Veterans ombudsman will not be re-appointed by Tories Canada's outspoken veterans ombudsman won't be re-appointed by the Conservative government. He apparently ran afoul of the federal government in his criticism of the bureaucracy, which he accused of being more interested in saving money than helping veterans. 8/14/2010 7:01:13 AM
Tamils end months-long sea voyage under terrorism suspicion After months spent crammed into a cargo ship for a journey across the sea, hundreds of Sri Lankan men, women and children arrived in British Columbia under heavy security on Friday, and were quickly met by accusations that human-smugglers and terrorists are in their midst. 8/14/2010 6:22:26 AM
Orcas hunt minke whale off Newfoundland coast (Video) Tourists on a boat tour on the Newfoundland coast got the show of a lifetime Thursday afternoon when a pod of orcas attacked a minke whale. The area is the splashing ground of humpback and minke whales, dolphins and seabirds, but orca whales are rarely seen. 8/13/2010 5:22:53 PM
Tamil migrants to be investigated: Toews An estimated 490 Tamil migrants seeking refugee shelter in Canada will be investigated to determine whether there are "human smugglers or terrorists" among them. Liberal Bob Rae said the need for investigating and prosecuting human smugglers should not affect the rights of those seeking asylum in Canada. 8/13/2010 5:17:28 PM
Oilsands regulator accused of letting rules slide The Pembina Institute says Imperial Oil is being allowed to break rules about tailings for its new Kearl oilsands plant. Imperial said it wouldn't be able to meet new ERCB targets for turning toxic liquid tailings into more manageable solid wastes for the first six years of operation. 8/13/2010 5:12:35 PM
Superbug is proof of medical tourism consequences: Alberta Doctors in Alberta are warning people that there are risks involved in travelling to foreign lands to get medical help, and they're citing a new antibiotic-resistant superbug emerging in southern Asia as a prime example. The individual had been in a hospital in India before being infected and was discharged after being treated back in Canada. 8/13/2010 5:07:46 PM
Migrants including children brought by ambulance to Victoria General Hospital Ambulances have started delivering migrants from a cargo ship to Victoria General Hospital. It is believed a six-month-old baby and two pregnant women are among those brought by about five ambulances to the hospital’s former emergency department. 8/13/2010 4:42:05 PM
Police probe death of Penhold, Alberta teen found next to highway RCMP launched an investigation early this morning after a teenager from Penhold was found dead on the side of Highway 2A just south of Red Deer. The probe began after police received a complaint about 1:30 a.m. of a person lying next to the highway about half a kilometre south of the central Alberta city. 8/13/2010 10:58:39 AM
Tamil immigrant boat not a crisis, more a Government 'political' event The MV Sun Sea freighter that has just arrived on Canada’s west coast, crammed with almost 500 passengers, may be carrying innocent Tamil civilians fleeing the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s ugly civil. Or it may be full of Tamil Tiger terrorists. We won’t know until federal officials process the migrants. 8/13/2010 10:43:24 AM
Chalk River reactor to resume isotope production The troubled Chalk River nuclear reactor is poised to resume isotope production after a 15-month hiatus. Atomic Energy of Canada says it expects to have the Ontario reactor back up and running this month. The 53-year-old National Research Universal reactor supplied a third of the world's isotopes. 8/13/2010 9:54:54 AM
Slain Calgary baby died of head trauma A baby boy who died at the Alberta Children's Hospital this week was a victim of homicide, Calgary police said Thursday. Daniel Herchak was 26 days old when he died of blunt force trauma to the head, an initial autopsy concluded. 8/13/2010 8:31:48 AM
Glitch keeps cellphone maps from ambulances Software designed to provide emergency vehicles with a location on a map for cellphone callers has not been working properly for P.E.I.'s ambulances since it became available in February. Island EMS, the private company that operates P.E.I.'s ambulances, was not even aware the service had been launched. 8/13/2010 8:16:37 AM
Canadian authorities board Tamil ship off B.C. coast Canadian authorities boarded a Tamil migrant ship carrying 490 would-be refugees late Thursday night off the coast of B.C., after intercepting the vessel in the afternoon and escorting it toward Victoria. The ship was expected to land at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt early Friday morning. 8/13/2010 6:50:08 AM
Parks Canada draws fire over re-enactment of Siege of North Battleford They call it the Siege of Fort Battleford, one of the best-known events of the Northwest Rebellion, and Parks Canada will re-enact it again this weekend from the point of view of the terrified settlers. But this year, the rebellion's 125th anniversary, at least one aboriginal historian has had enough. 8/13/2010 6:29:12 AM
Canada Revenue Agency workers accused of helping firms avoid taxes The RCMP is alleging in court documents that three Canada Revenue Agency employees participated in the launch of a Montreal company that helped construction firms avoid paying federal taxes. The RCMP is alleging that Revenue employees were linked to the Delvex Consulting Group. 8/13/2010 6:26:25 AM
Comment: The sad tale of Tony Clement Tony, Tony, Tony. What has happened to you? Rather than fudge the census issue, you could have borrowed a cup of backbone from your colleague, former Minister Michael Chong. Four years ago, Mr. Chong resigned his Cabinet post on principle when he disagreed with the government’s decision to recognize Quebec as a nation. 8/12/2010 6:35:32 PM
Khadr shot twice in back as he sat in alley Seconds after storming an Afghan compound on a blistering July day, a special operations soldier killed a man with a single shot to the head, then shot a second man twice in the back. The second man, who had been sitting with his back to the soldier in an alley, was a 15-year-old Canadian, Omar Khadr. 8/12/2010 6:15:14 PM
Key Ignatieff aide dies in motorcycle crash The sudden death of Mario Laguë, director of communications for Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, has stunned and saddened many in the federal political world. Laguë’s death also leaves a big hole in the Liberal leader’s office, where he was mentor to many young people in Ignatieff’s circle. 8/12/2010 6:01:59 PM
Tamil migrant ship not boarded: military Conflicting reports have emerged over whether Canadian officials boarded a cargo ship believed to be carrying hundreds of Tamil migrants off the B.C. coast. Earlier Thursday afternoon, (a confused) Public Safety Minister Toews said personnel from HMCS Winnipeg boarded the Thai vessel. 8/12/2010 5:33:32 PM
'Keep the Canadians out,' Australian satirist says Canadian-born writer Danny Katz dismisses the liberal, bleeding-heart argument that Canadians should be allowed into Australia, because they "have fled lives of great hardship, suffering under the French-Canadian fundamentalists who brutally force supermarkets to have both English and French labelling.'" 8/12/2010 5:12:31 PM
Khadr defence lawyer collapses in court The trial of Canadian Omar Khadr adjourned abruptly on Thursday after his military lawyer collapsed. The condition of Lt-Col. Jon Jackson was unknown, and it was unclear whether the trial, being held before a U.S. military commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, would resume on Friday. 8/12/2010 4:26:48 PM
Pregnant MP Guergis taken to hospital after accident Independent MP Helena Guergis has been taken to hospital after she was in a car accident at CFB Borden in central Ontario Thursday, but reports say she's unhurt. It's the latest misfortune to hit the beleaguered MP, who was kicked out of the Conservative caucus early this year. 8/12/2010 2:59:42 PM
Belleville’s abuzz over police chief as victim of domestic violence “Oh yeah, everyone’s talking about it,” confided a waitress in a local eatery following Tuesday’s revelation by Chief Cory McMullan that she was the “unnamed victim” in a domestic incident that reportedly left her with a broken arm. Her husband, a 53-year-old retired police officer, has been charged. 8/12/2010 7:39:38 AM
Boatload of migrants a wake-up call for Canada With a boatload of up to 500 Tamil refugee claimants expected to enter Canadian territorial waters as early as Thursday evening, and with more ships reportedly on the way, the Conservative government is scrambling to reverse this country’s growing international reputation as an easy mark. 8/12/2010 7:09:40 AM
What's Ottawa hiding? Conservatives deny motion to release Tommy Douglas files The federal government is brushing off pressure from Saskatchewan to release old RCMP intelligence files on Tommy Douglas. The Saskatchewan legislature had unanimously passed a motion calling for the release of documents on Douglas, who is widely credited as the father of Canada's public health-care system. 8/12/2010 7:07:52 AM
Montreal nightclub in big trouble over 'no fat girls' ad A Montreal nightclub is being criticized after posting an invitation on its Facebook page that specified "no fat girls allowed" for a recent event. The club is distancing itself from the online ad, but people familiar with the city's party scene say clubs regularly — if not overtly — discriminate based on looks. 8/12/2010 7:04:25 AM
Ignatieff uses Nunavut visit to blast Harper on northern policy Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff launched a 24-hour visit to Iqaluit Wednesday by blasting PM Stephen Harper for failing to "translate words into deeds" on numerous issues essential to life in the Far North. Ignatieff reeled off a long list of infrastructure and public service shortfalls in Nunavut. 8/12/2010 7:02:16 AM
Tories 'tweak' short-form census in wake of language protest The federal government announced changes to the 2011 census Wednesday so its controversial plan to scrap the long-form census questionnaire won't violate official language laws. Industry Minister Tony Clement made the announcement hours after a Federal Court sided with a francophone group. 8/12/2010 6:48:13 AM
Quebec fugitive caught after 16 years on the lam A Quebec man who'd been on the lam for 16 years from a federal prison is back behind bars. Robert Chesnay disappeared from the Leclerc Institution, a federal medium-security prison north of Montreal, in 1994. The 52-year-old man had served nine years for importing drugs when he vanished. 8/12/2010 6:34:47 AM
Health Canada survey suggests nutrition labels confuse consumers Consumers are utterly confused by the nutrition facts table on the back of prepackaged foods meant to help shoppers make healthier food choices, a new Health Canada survey has found. (Ed: Many believe that Health Canada made them that way on purpose. They are notoriously pro-the-processed-food-industry.) 8/11/2010 7:14:29 PM
Woman gets jail for trying to jump from jet A Newfoundland woman has pleaded guilty to trying to open the door of a WestJet plane in mid-flight. Barbara Morton, 47, admitted to charges of criminal mischief and not following the directions of an airline cabin crew under the national Aeronautics Act. The jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Winnipeg. 8/11/2010 1:33:24 PM
Federal Court to hear census challenge Opposition to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s controversial census policy gained momentum today when a court agreed to quickly hear arguments from a francophone group trying to block changes to the census. Judge Roza Aronovitch ruled the group had demonstrated that there is an urgency to hearing the case. 8/11/2010 1:10:10 PM
Suspected people-smuggling ship now in Canadian waters The MV Sun Sea — a 59-metre Thai cargo ship which Canadian authorities have been monitoring throughout the summer and which is potentially carrying members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a terrorist group outlawed in Canada — reportedly entered within 200 nautical miles of the Canadian shore this afternoon. 8/11/2010 12:01:17 PM
Ontario police chief says she’s victim of ‘domestic incident’, husband charged Belleville, Ont., police Chief Cory McMullan says she was the victim in a “domestic incident” at her home last Friday. She says it is common for police to not identify anyone involved in domestic incidents in order to protect victims and their families. 8/11/2010 11:56:45 AM
Age does matter, judge says in Khadr case Omar Khadr's defence landed a significant break Tuesday as the military judge declared jurors can consider his age in deciding whether he intended to commit a war crime. He made the statement as prosecution and defence attorneys questioned 15 military officers who represent the potential jurors. 8/10/2010 5:09:54 PM
Clement misled Canadians on census: secret documents Industry Minister Tony Clement was well aware that Statistics Canada had little use for a voluntary census when he was telling Canadians that StatsCan was onside with his decision to scrap the mandatory, long-form survey, internal government documents show. 8/10/2010 5:01:40 PM
Canada's Oil watchdogs are Harper's industry-friendly appointments Most appointed to the agencies that oversee offshore-petroleum drilling in Canada are former industry insiders or government officials with no stated experience in environmental issues. But critics say the industry-friendly tilt of these agencies could be problematic under changes made by the Conservatives. 8/10/2010 4:59:52 PM
Family of missing couple to turn to public for funds The family of an Alberta couple missing for more than a month plans to ask the public for money to augment RCMP search efforts. Lyle and Marie McCann's son Bret says donations could be used to expand and intensify searches in the area where his parents disappeared. 8/10/2010 4:51:11 PM
Canada sees 'dramatic' housing slowdown, global report says Canada led in the global housing recovery in the first quarter of 2010, but moderating global growth, heightened financial market volatility and sluggish job creation have led to a "dramatic" slowdown in Canada, according to the Global Real Estate Trends report. 8/10/2010 4:49:23 PM
Traps set for coyote that bit Nova Scotia teen A coyote hunt is underway in Nova Scotia after a sleeping teenager was bitten at Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The 16-year-old girl was in a sleeping bag outside a tent when a coyote bit her twice in the back of the head early Monday. 8/10/2010 4:22:06 PM
Acadia, Windsor football players banned for drugs Two more Canadian university football players have been suspended after their steroid use was detected in nationwide doping-control tests. The results have prompted new rules and testing policies for university football players across Canada. 8/10/2010 4:20:30 PM
Cyclists should be forced to wear helmets: study A new study is calling on provincial governments to pass laws that force cyclists to wear helmets. The study suggests cyclists are much more likely to wear helmets and avoid injuries if they live in a province with a mandatory helmet law. There is little consistency across Canada in terms of helmet use legislation. 8/10/2010 4:03:54 PM
Braidwood 'happy' after Taser loses court challenge The retired judge behind the Braidwood Inquiry says he's "quite happy" that the B.C. Supreme Court has dismissed a legal challenge by Taser International to overturn his findings. The company argued against Commissioner Thomas Braidwood's conclusion that the conducted energy weapons increase the risk of fatal heart failure. 8/10/2010 4:01:25 PM
Speeder convicted after bragging online A 19-year-old man from a Toronto suburb has pleaded guilty to careless driving after boasting online that he drove 100 kilometres an hour over the speed limit on a residential street. Vladimir Rigenco was banned from driving for six months and sentenced to 12 months probation. 8/10/2010 3:56:17 PM
Pathologist Dr. Charles Smith's victims to be compensated Ontario will offer payments of up to $250,000 for each person whose life was directly affected by Dr. Charles Smith's flawed pediatric forensic pathology. The decision announced Tuesday comes almost two years after the Goudge inquiry's report on 45 criminally suspicious children's deaths. 8/10/2010 3:42:19 PM
Federal Directive Toughens Stand On U.S. Deserters In Canada Canada's Harper government is painting U.S. military deserters as criminals in a new directive to immigration officials that is coming under fire as too tough on conscientious objectors and war dissenters. The Conservatives want officials to consult their superiors on the way to handle them. 8/10/2010 10:48:29 AM
Man has stalked Regina woman for 35 years, why isn't he in jail A man who has stalked a woman for 35 years now has three weeks to get out of Regina. Gerald Klein, 63, has been stalking Cathy Kaip since 1974. The judge likened Klein to "a toxic gas swirling around Ms. Kaip's shrunken world," looking for ways to get into her life no matter what she does. 8/10/2010 10:38:52 AM
Regina: Man stalked woman for 35 years, why isn't he in jail 8/10/2010 10:33:32 AM
B.C. immigrant workers found in squalid conditions near Golden, B.C. The B.C. government has terminated a contract with a Surrey forestry company after 25 workers were found living in substandard conditions. They were living in a bush camp and complained of a lack of food and told government officials they were not fully paid and on the job seven days a week. 8/10/2010 8:59:53 AM
Former inmate says prison farms changed his life (Video) A former inmate who worked on one of six prison farms that Ottawa plans to close says the program teaches prisoners valuable job and life skills. John Leeman had never worked a real job when he went into jail but he learned skills while working on a prison farm that allowed him to find meaningful employment. 8/10/2010 6:32:10 AM
Alta. man dies in motorcycle crash, not wearing helmet The Montana Highway Patrol says a 46-year-old Canadian man has died in a motorcycle crash in southeastern Montana. The patrol says the man was in a group of three motorcyclists who were eastbound on U.S. 212 near Ashland at about 2 p.m. Sunday. 8/10/2010 5:49:03 AM
Top U.N. official denounces trial of Gitmo 'child soldier' A top United Nations official on Tuesday denounced the Pentagon's trial of so-called "child soldier" Omar Khadr at Guantanamo Bay, saying the proceeding was a violation of international legal norms and "may endanger the status of child soldiers all over the world." 8/10/2010 5:44:58 AM
RCMP well prepared for Dziekanski report, spin doctors hard at work In June, Thomas Braidwood released his long-awaited report into the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski after being Tasered at the Vancouver airport. The RCMP, which was heavily criticized by Braidwood, was well prepared. The documents include answers to anticipated questions from reporters. 8/9/2010 9:50:18 PM
Tourists swayed by anti-oilsands video: poll (Video) Potential tourists to Alberta have had second thoughts about travelling to the province after watching a controversial anti-oilsands ad produced by a U.S. coalition. The Rethink Alberta video, posted on YouTube, intercuts scenic images with shots of toxic tailing ponds, oil-covered ducks and native people worried about their health. 8/9/2010 9:31:47 PM
Coyote attacks girl in N.S. national park A teenaged girl was attacked by a coyote while sleeping at a campground in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Highlands National Park early Monday, Parks Canada says. Cape Breton RCMP said a 911 call was received around 4:30 a.m. and was attended to by Parks Canada. 8/9/2010 9:28:46 PM
Police bosses arrogance delayed Pickton arrest, former officer says The investigation that finally led to the conviction of Robert Pickton was seriously hampered in its early days by internal animosity toward a Vancouver police officer who believed a serial killer was behind the disappearances of so many women, according to a 31-year veteran of the force. 8/9/2010 9:08:26 PM
Police shut down massive grow-op in northern Alberta Police have charged six men after a massive $6.5-million grow-op was discovered approximately 400 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. RCMP executed a search warrant last Thursday in a secluded area near High Prairie, seizing 6,500 marijuana plants along with production equipment, documentation and weapons. 8/9/2010 8:31:50 PM
Honda recalls 44,000 vehicles in Canada over ignition malfunction Honda Canada said Monday it will recall 44,000 vehicles over concerns about the possible malfunction of the ignition interlock feature in several models. Honda is recalling approximately 18,000 Accords, 21,000 Civics and 2,000 Acura 1.7ELs — all from 2003. 8/9/2010 1:10:11 PM
Canada 15th most popular for plastic surgery Canadian physicians performed the 15th most cosmetic surgery procedures in 2009, according to the first detailed survey of international plastic surgery. The United States remains the top spot. China, Brazil, India and Mexico rounded out the top five. 8/9/2010 9:12:15 AM
Chrétien up and about after brain surgery Former prime minister Jean Chrétien was up and walking Sunday and in good spirits at the Jewish General Hospital, his longtime aide Bruce Hartley said. He is expected to be released from the hospital early this week but will have to rest for several weeks, doctors say. 8/9/2010 6:42:03 AM
Family 'ashamed' woman lied about cancer A woman accused of pretending to have cancer so she could raise money for herself is to appear in an Ontario court Monday to face charges, but her father says she won't have the support of her family. "She was pleading for me to be there because she doesn't have anybody else," a weary Mike Kirilow said. 8/9/2010 6:39:18 AM
Aging Canadian inmates filling prisons Canadian prisons are undergoing a demographic shift with wide-ranging implications for the correctional system. The number of federal inmates older than 50 have surged by almost half in less than a decade. Canada's federal prison ombudsman says the numbers will rise even further. 8/8/2010 2:04:35 PM
Welcome to Banff, home of service with a vacant stare Before the summer’s over and it’s too late to do anything about the scourge, someone has to say something about service in tourist towns, and especially about restaurant service in Banff. Banff! – gateway to the Rockies, a town that has a hallowed-if-complicated place in every travelling Canadian’s heart. 8/8/2010 11:11:37 AM
Jean Chrétien up and walking following emergency surgery, aide says Jean Chrétien is continuing his seeming quick recovery following surgery to remove a pool of blood that was putting pressure on the former prime minister's brain. “He was up and walking today,” said longtime aide Bruce Hartley Sunday. “His spirits are very good.” 8/8/2010 11:08:55 AM
Toronto Star: Harper’s Ottawa becomes Republican la-la land When you have finished laughing at Stockwell Day — for building jails for criminals he cannot find — think of the failed American regime of crime and punishment. Day, bent on building more prisons, does not want to know that the crime rate has been declining for 20 years. 8/8/2010 10:45:18 AM
Hundreds mourn Edmonton family killed in B.C. highway crash A colourful sea of head scarves filled the gym. Six caskets sat at the front of the room on a small, elevated platform. Three of the soft pink caskets held the bodies of the young girls who died last Sunday in a crash near Golden, B.C. (Ed: Son at front left survived.) 8/8/2010 7:15:42 AM
Calgary businessmen’s plane still missing off Cape Breton coast The urgent effort to rescue two Calgary energy executives and avid pilots who went missing after their small plane disappeared off the coast of Nova Scotia has turned into a grim search for their bodies and the aircraft. 8/8/2010 7:12:41 AM
Working mother wins human rights decision A Canada Border Services Agency officer who had to give up her full-time position after the birth of her first child has won a six-year battle with her employer over its failure to accommodate her. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal said the federal agency discriminated against Fiona Johnstone. 8/8/2010 6:00:03 AM
Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien recovering from brain surgery Former prime minister Jean Chretien is recovering at a Montreal hospital following surgery Friday for a spontaneous subdural hematoma. “Mr. Chretien is well and recovering at the hospital. He is expected to be released in the coming days,” the Jewish General Hospital said Saturday. 8/7/2010 10:50:58 AM
Could legal California pot send Canadian profits up in smoke? In a column on the Guardian's website this week, B.C. writer Douglas Haddow writes that a move to legalization would be "devastating to the Canadian economy, halting the flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. into Canada." Are they just blowing smoke? Not necessarily, some academics say. 8/7/2010 7:50:48 AM
Canadians Faith in Mounties in decline, poll shows Public opinion of the RCMP continues to decline in the wake of the latest Mountie fiasco. The RCMP has been embroiled in a number of scandals over the past several years. There was a head-office pension scandal, the death of Robert Dziekanski after being Tasered at Vancouver airport, a number of (in custody) RCMP deaths on duty...... 8/7/2010 7:37:45 AM
'I'm a legend': Pickton Serial killer Robert Pickton bragged that "everybody knows about me" in a jail cell conversation after he was arrested, according to transcripts from police. The transcripts are from conversations the Port Coquitlam pig farmer had with an officer posing as his cellmate after his arrest in 2002. 8/7/2010 6:43:22 AM
Premiers to build bulk-buy drug program Canada's premiers and territorial leaders say they will work to establish a pan-Canadian purchasing alliance to bulk-buy prescription drugs, medical supplies and equipment. Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said provinces must continue to find innovative ways to offer health-care services to Canadians. 8/7/2010 6:41:57 AM
Thief holds yard sale with 'criminal' prices (Audio) Getting a bargain at a garage sale can sometimes feel like a steal, and recently in Sarnia, Ont., that's exactly what customers got. Police have arrested a man they say held an impromptu garage sale in June. But everything he sold didn't belong to him. 8/7/2010 6:39:44 AM
3 bodies found in Regina housing complex Police are investigating the discovery of three bodies at a north Regina home late Friday afternoon. Police would not release the identities, ages or genders of the victims found in the low-income housing unit in the Uplands area, pending notification of next of kin. 8/7/2010 6:32:59 AM
Baird moves to House leader as Harper shuffles cabinet John Baird, the new Conservative House leader and a man branded as a pit bull of a politician, is a close confidant of Stephen Harper. The man has a reputation for a parliamentary style that runs hot, then cold, with little if any warning. 8/7/2010 5:47:00 AM
Ontario may be least dog-friendly province Dog owners who truly want what's best for their canine counterparts might want to steer clear of Ontario. Because most animal lovers like to believe they're giving their dog a good home, polling Canadians on which province is most dog-friendly can be difficult, said one national pollster. 8/6/2010 9:15:15 PM
Premiers keen to tackle climate change — but disagree how Canada's 13 provincial and territorial premiers collectively said Friday more must be done to combat climate change across the country, but their road maps for getting there continue to take drastically different routes. 8/6/2010 5:28:53 PM
Pickton probe 'a screw-up:' former Vancouver mayor The man who was mayor of Vancouver during the time Robert Pickton was murdering women from the city's Downtown Eastside says he feels some personal responsibility. Phillip Owen that the investigation was "a screw-up" and he wishes things had been handled differently. 8/6/2010 5:15:47 PM
Ontario Civilian watchdog involved after 11-storey fall Ontario's civilian Special Investigations Unit is looking into a case in North York where a man was injured during his arrest by police Wednesday afternoon after a woman survived an 11-storey fall. Police believe the only reason she survived the drop was because she landed on a ground-floor satellite dish. 8/6/2010 6:54:17 AM
Conservative lead dries up, poll suggests The federal Conservatives' lead over the Liberal Party appears to have evaporated, with both parties virtually tied at the same level of support. Support for the Liberals has gone up by three percentage points since the previous week, while the Tories have seen a 3.5 percentage point drop. 8/6/2010 6:51:10 AM
Canada, U.S. both lose jobs in July Canada and the U.S. each suffered higher-than-expected job losses in July, according to separate reports issued Friday. The U.S. economy lost 131,000 jobs in July, keeping the American unemployment rate at 9.5 per cent, the Labour Department reported Friday. 8/6/2010 6:49:33 AM
75 rats per block overrun Halifax area More rats than ever are scurrying around the Halifax Regional Municipality this summer, scientists and exterminators say. Andrew Hebda, a zoologist at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, said there has been a lot of demolition and construction in peninsular Halifax, which can disrupt the rodents. 8/6/2010 6:48:31 AM
Cancer patients lack access to new drugs: lobby A British report said that of 14 countries studied, Canada ranked 13th in usage of cancer drugs launched in the last five years. "I think this means that many cancer patients, many Canadians, aren't getting the treatments that might help them for their cancer," Dr. Kong Khoo said from Kelowna. 8/6/2010 5:44:30 AM
Tewksbury to lead Canada's team for 2012 Games Former Olympic champion swimmer Mark Tewksbury has been named Canada's chef de mission for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Tewksbury, 42, competed in two Olympics, winning gold in the 100-metre backstroke at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. 8/6/2010 5:36:47 AM
Canada, U.S. government intervene in BlackBerry controversy Government officials in Canada and the United States are lining up behind Research In Motion Ltd. as the Canadian technology powerhouse attempts to prevent a blackout of BlackBerry services in several foreign countries. RIM is trying to strike deals with several nations. 8/6/2010 5:25:19 AM
Pickton nearly caught before killing most of his victims Serial killer Robert "Willie" Pickton was charged with attempting to murder one sex-trade worker who escaped from his Port Coquitlam farm after a bloody knife fight in 1997 that left both of them barely alive. Despite the police investigation, the case against him was dropped. 8/6/2010 5:15:56 AM
Police say cash-for-gold rivalry spurred hitman conspiracy It’s a tale of two Orthodox Jewish gold jewellers, a 32-year-old Iranian-born ex-mixed martial arts champion and a 71-year-old woman who has been charged with a bizarre hit man plot allegedly targeting well-known Toronto goldman Jack Berkovits. “Life was good until I put out a sign that said ‘I buy gold.’" 8/6/2010 5:14:02 AM
PM to announce cabinet shuffle Friday Media reports Thursday night speculated that none of the major portfolios will be involved and that the shuffle has been prompted because of several retirements, including that of government House leader Jay Hill. 8/6/2010 5:06:43 AM
Poll indicates Canadians swear more than Americans, Brits Canucks have the biggest potty mouths, says a new poll comparing Canadians to Americans and Brits. “No shit! Really?” said one Vancouver man. Most American tourists said the poll got it wrong. “I swear like a sailor,” said Joanna from Chicago. “But Canadians swearing more? No way.” 8/4/2010 8:51:40 PM
Kids’ fitness tax breaks benefit wealthy: Analysis Low income kids, the ones who need the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit most, are disproportionately missing out. Analysts found 55 per cent of parents at the high end of the income scale had claimed the credit for the 2007 tax year, while only 28.2 per cent of lowest income parents had. 8/4/2010 5:15:12 PM
Accused killer Col. Williams cleared of suspicion in North Carolina murders A U.S. cold-case detective probing the unsolved homicides of two women in North Carolina made inquiries earlier this year with Canadian police about possible links between the female victims found near Cape Fear and alleged serial killer Col. Russell Williams. 8/4/2010 5:03:04 PM
Abdullah Khadr released after court ruling Abdullah Khadr, accused by the U.S. government of procuring weapons on behalf of al-Qaeda, is a free man. He has been detained 'without bail' since Dec. 23, 2005. Judge Speyer said he granted the stay because of "gross misconduct" by governments in the case. 8/4/2010 4:57:14 PM
Confidence falls among small- and medium-sized business owners Despite signs pointing to an economic recovery in Canada, small- and medium-sized business owners' optimism declined for the third month out of four, but still remains in the "growth" range, according a survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business Wednesday. 8/4/2010 9:39:33 AM
Nine Bow River rafters get tangled under Louise Bridge, plucked to safety Two families got a little more adventure than they bargained for on the Bow River Monday when their group of four rafts became wrapped around an abutment under the Louise Bridge. All nine, including young children, were plucked from the fast-moving river by the Calgary fire department. 8/4/2010 7:35:57 AM
Losing his family in crash is unbearable: Edmonton boy Aashar Arshad talked fondly Tuesday of the weekly road trips his family would take during the summer to nearby lakes and parks. He recounted how the family would often take long road trips to places such as Lake Louise and Sylvan Lake. It was during a road trip Sunday that Aashar's family was killed in a crash outside Golden, B.C. 8/4/2010 6:24:50 AM
Woman, 84, allegedly defrauded of life savings Police say an 84-year-old Oshawa woman was taken advantage of by two men who befriended her and then defrauded her of her life savings. Durham Region police say the victim was financially independent and living alone when the first man approached her in the early 1990s with offers of landscaping and home renovations. 8/4/2010 6:06:02 AM
Ontario's young drivers alcohol ban challenged Kevin Wiener has a message for the Ontario government — he thinks the new booze ban for young drivers is unconstitutional. The 20-year-old Toronto resident is filing an application in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice challenging the law that came into effect Sunday. 8/4/2010 6:04:36 AM
Botched Surgery: Windsor surgical chief quits ahead of report The findings of an intense investigation into a hospital in Windsor, Ont., where two women underwent unnecessary mastectomies will be released Wednesday, amid reports the hospital's chief of surgery has resigned. (Dr. Barbara Hartwell, surgeon, pictured.) 8/4/2010 6:02:34 AM
Liberals want secret CSIS report released The Conservative government must lift the “veil of secrecy” and release a promised report from Canada’s spy agency detailing allegations that foreign governments are influencing Canadian politicians, the opposition Liberals say. 8/3/2010 8:50:06 PM
Guergis continues PR battle with PM With the wind in her sails after both the RCMP and Parliament’s ethics commissioner said they were going no further with information PM Harper’s office gave to each of them, Helena Guergis has now plans to set the record straight on the problem that got her into trouble in the first place. 8/3/2010 6:50:19 PM
Sky-high Greenpeace publicity stunt on Calgary Tower leads to eight arrests Dozens of police and firefighters were on the scene at the Calgary Tower Tuesday morning, where Greenpeace activists in climbing gear unfurled a huge banner protesting what they say is a "cozy" relationship between big oil and the federal and provincial governments. 8/3/2010 6:32:53 PM
U.S. Supreme Court asked to halt Khadr trial The war-crimes trial of Omar Khadr in Guantanamo Bay should be put on hold until the courts rule on the legality of the hearings, his Pentagon-appointed lawyer says. Mr. Khadr's war-crimes trial is slated to start next week, more than eight years after the crimes he is alleged to have committed as a 15 year old. 8/3/2010 6:21:07 PM
Tories scrap stimulus reports The Harper government has quietly scrapped the large regular reports outlining how it is spending billions in stimulus cash, prompting concern from Parliament’s budget officer that Canadians are now in the dark. “It’s a huge loss, a significant loss from a fiscal transparency standpoint,” said Kevin Page. 8/3/2010 6:17:45 PM
Canada's doctors prescribe treatment for our failing health system According to the wide-ranging policy document from the Canadian Medical Association, the underlying principles of the Canada Health Act — which include universality and accessibility — are not being met and also need to be updated to match the realities of today's health-care system. 8/3/2010 4:35:39 PM
Stockewell Day appears to be 'full on baloney' on crime stats A senior cabinet minister in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government came under fire Tuesday for suggesting that Canada needs to build more prisons in part because of a rise in unreported crimes. The comments were immediately contradicted by the government's main statistical agency. 8/3/2010 4:33:40 PM
Solar tsunami to trigger Northern Lights across Canada Stargazing doesn’t get much better than this. Tonight, the northern lights are expected to make an appearance in the night sky across Canada and the northern U.S., thanks to a spectacular eruption on the surface of the Sun. Early on Sunday, the sun’s surface exploded, spewing plasma directly towards Earth. 8/3/2010 1:02:47 PM
Canadians respond to 'amateur attack' on Kandahar base A brazen daylight attack on Kandahar Airfield resulted in the deaths of between eight and 10 Taliban fighters Tuesday and military officials called the attempt amateurish and desperate. The one-hour assault occurred minutes after a pair of rockets were fired toward the sprawling base south of Kandahar city. 8/3/2010 9:29:49 AM
Fiscal restraint plans to continue: Day The federal government will not ease off on plans for fiscal restraint despite indications Canada could pay off its deficit a year earlier than predicted, Treasury Board President Stockwell Day says. And he was adamant that the Conservative government will stick with its controversial plan to scrap the mandatory long-form census. 8/3/2010 9:18:29 AM
B.C. federal tax collector was in on charity tax fraud scheme A federal tax collector from B.C. is one of the people implicated in a multi-million-dollar charity fraud tax scheme recently busted by the Canada Revenue Agency, according to internal government documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun. 8/3/2010 6:41:36 AM
8-year-old's violent behaviour stuns small town In the isolated town of Stoneville, N.L., population less than 500, residents are starting to wonder what to do about an eight-year-old boy. First, it was a dog bludgeoned to death in June. And now it's a dozen ducks, hens and chicks kept in a backyard as pets. 8/2/2010 10:08:06 AM
Feds order review of veiled passengers The federal government is ordering the transport department to look into a QMI Agency report that Muslim women have been allowed to board flights without having to remove their veils. “If the reports are true, the situation is deeply disturbing and poses a serious threat to the security of the air travelling public,” Transport Minister John Baird told QMI. 8/1/2010 3:59:33 PM
Canadian’s spin on windmill design touted as green-energy breakthrough Giant blades lay strewn around the field as if a helicopter had crashed. Leaving in a rush on a summer day four years ago, Glen Lux mistakenly forgot to unplug the brake and a strong gust brought his big wind machine to life, the six blades spinning in an out-of-control blur. 8/1/2010 11:39:30 AM
Again!: 'Ready-to-eat' meat products recalled over food-poisoning fears The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume a number of ready-to-eat cooked meat products because they may be contaminated with food-borne pathogens. The affected products from G. Brandt Meat Packers Ltd. of Brampton, Ont., have been distributed nationally. 8/1/2010 11:33:51 AM
Caribana parade: ‘It looks as if a third of the city is here’ The sights and sounds of Saturday’s Caribana parade were enough to bring a smile to any face. Especially one covered in sparkles. “She likes to dance,” Latasha Coombs said, smiling with glittery lips as her one year old daughter did her best booty shake between swigs of her sippy cup. 8/1/2010 10:49:35 AM
New Brunswick new centre of French-English tensions Quebec, once the notorious milieu for French-English sparring, appears to have passed the baton east to a less likely hornet’s nest: New Brunswick, where language tensions have recently shifted from latent to feverish. In the past month alone, a smattering of linguistic duels has emerged across New Brunswick. 8/1/2010 10:32:38 AM
Lytton: B.C. Water bomber crew confirmed killed The company that owns a water bomber that crashed while battling wildfires in B.C.'s Fraser Canyon confirmed Sunday that the pilot and co-pilot of the plane are dead. Crews can see the crash site, south of Lytton, but conditions are still too dangerous to reach the wreckage. 8/1/2010 7:39:42 AM
Afghan conflict: The huge scale of Pakistan's complicity When 91,000 classified military documents are leaked about a continuing war, there is bound to be controversy. But as one who spent six years in Afghanistan – first as Canada's ambassador, then as deputy head of the United Nations mission there – my first reaction was how true to life it all was. 8/1/2010 7:07:28 AM
Green Party names ex-NHL tough guy as deputy leader The federal Greens are hoping a former NHL tough guy will boost the party's profile and help it to score big in the next election. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May named Georges Laraque as a deputy leader of the party on Saturday. 8/1/2010 7:01:25 AM
Conrad Black speaks out about prison stay As an appeals court reconsiders his criminal convictions and following his release from a Florida prison, former media baron Conrad Black is finally speaking about his release from a U.S. federal prison.The column is the first time he has written about the day he regained his freedom. 7/31/2010 6:16:13 AM
Wikipedia JSF edits traced to Defence computers in Alberta The mystery of who at the Canadian Defence Department has been altering information critical of the Conservative government's decision to spend billions on a new stealth jet is centered on CFB Cold Lake, Alberta. Defence Department computers were also used to insert insults, aimed at Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff. 7/31/2010 6:05:16 AM
Quebec shuts down French private school over partly English curriculum A decision to immediately revoke the operating permit of a private Quebec elementary school — one that consistently turns out high-performing, fluently bilingual youngsters — over its English-language policy triggered Friday a promise of fiery, unyielding refusal. 7/30/2010 7:33:06 PM
Alberta leads Canada in average earnings Alberta continued to have the country's highest average weekly earnings among the provinces in May, despite a dip from the month earlier, Statistics Canada reported Friday. The average was $985.17, down 0.8 from April, followed by Ontario's $874.66, a 0.3 per cent increase. (Ed: Actually, the North West Territories is much higher.) 7/30/2010 5:24:02 PM
No fence at hospital where Vince Li, the Greyhound killer, will take walks There will be more guards, but no fence at a Winnipeg-area mental health facility where bus beheader Vince Li has been granted escorted walks. Li is being held at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre after being found not criminally responsible for stabbing and beheading Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus in July 2008. 7/30/2010 1:18:54 PM
Pickton's appeal for new trial rejected by Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected serial killer Robert Pickton's bid for a new trial. The top court was unanimous in ruling that Pickton's right to a fair trial was not affected by the trial judge's final instructions to the jury, although they split 6-3 on the reasons. 7/30/2010 8:54:22 AM
Lawyers want return of mandatory long-form census The group representing Canada's lawyers says changes to the census will make it tougher for people who suffer serious personal injuries to get proper compensation. The association says the ditching of the mandatory form will especially hurt women, children, the disabled and others without a regular work history. 7/30/2010 8:04:25 AM
Ontario boy found after spending night in corn field An Ontario family has been reunited with a toddler this morning after he got lost in a cornfield. Three-year-old Jessie Chmile went missing on his family's 16-acre property in Bradford, Ont., at about 7:15 p.m. Thursday. About 120 police officers and firefighters spent the night searching for him. 7/30/2010 7:59:19 AM
Chinese influence on Canada runs deep: Conservative MP says China's influence over Western politicians runs deeper than controversial claims made by the head of Canada's spy agency, Tory MP Rob Anders is alleging. Politicians and government officials are being wooed with extravagant gifts, beautiful young women and too-good-to-be-true business deals. 7/30/2010 6:57:34 AM
Edgy luggage sticker sales grounded over government reaction The large decals — designed to help suitcases stick out and be found easily in a crowd of similar luggage - make it look like the bag is stuffed with packets of cocaine, wads of American bills, sex toys — or even a bound and gagged flight attendant. 7/30/2010 6:52:35 AM
Supreme Court: Pickton appeal ruling due Friday The Supreme Court of Canada will rule Friday on whether convicted serial killer Robert William Pickton will get a new trial. Pickton, a former B.C. pig farmer, was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder in December 2007. He was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for at least 25 years. 7/30/2010 6:01:16 AM
Shameful: Salt-reduction targets shaken off by health minister The food industry tried to dampen expectations that companies will be able to reach the voluntary sodium-reduction targets in foods blamed for playing a big part in dangerously high sodium consumption of Canadians. (Ed: It's criminal that authorities know this is deadly but are still lying to the public.) 7/30/2010 5:55:45 AM
Tax collector accessed private files for gain A tax collector in B.C. used the Canada Revenue Agency's computers to look up the private tax files of hundreds of high-income individuals, apparently in the hopes of hitting them up for a business she ran on the side, according to internal government documents. 7/30/2010 5:53:00 AM
Michigan Oil Spill: Enbridge was warned about pipeline A Canadian company whose pipeline leaked hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into a major Michigan river was warned by government regulators in January that its monitoring of corrosion in the pipeline was insufficient. 7/29/2010 4:02:47 PM
Father Raymond J. deSouza: A thin blue line, doing nothing In the continuing debate over police tactics during the recent G20 summit in Toronto, the focus has been on whether civil liberties were violated in order to keep the peace. From a distance though, it seems to me that the more fundamental question is how the police were unable or unwilling to keep the peace. 7/29/2010 2:07:39 PM
Ottawa gives $110 million to fight diabetes in aboriginals The federal government is giving aboriginal people a $110-million boost to help fight diabetes in their communities, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced here Wednesday. The money will go toward the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative which provides diabetes-related education and health resources. 7/29/2010 1:23:15 PM
Sex scandal gets immigration judge 18-month jail sentence A former immigration adjudicator in Toronto who promised to approve the refugee claim of a South Korean woman in exchange for sex, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail. The actions of Steve Ellis "call for denunciation in the strongest terms," said the judge who sentenced him Thursday morning. 7/29/2010 1:20:24 PM
Officials nab grizzly that attacked Ontario woman On Wednesday morning, Deb Freele woke up suddenly when she felt something enter the tent she was sharing with her husband in a Wyoming campground. A grizzly bear had broken into her tent, and was moments from attacking her. "I opened my eyes, I hadn't moved and then I felt the bear crunch down on my arm," Freele told CTV News. 7/29/2010 1:05:38 PM
Food industry urged to pinch sodium from products Canadians need to break their addiction to salt, and food manufacturers need to help. The Sodium Working Group released six general and 27 specific recommendations in its report Thursday that call for manufacturers to voluntarily lower the sodium content of their products over time. 7/29/2010 12:58:55 PM
Chaykin tributes recall 'unforgettable characters' The late Maury Chaykin is being hailed as "one of our greatest actors" and a performer who created "unforgettable characters" in the tributes emerging after his death on Tuesday. Chaykin, the award-winning actor whose prolific career spanned films and television died early Tuesday at Toronto General Hospital at the age of 61. 7/29/2010 11:54:46 AM
GM closes Windsor plant, ending an era General Motors closed its only remaining manufacturing plant in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, ending a 90-year relationship with the border-city. The closure of the transmission plant puts about 500 employees out of work. Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis said city officials are "deeply concerned" about the GM workers. 7/29/2010 5:29:40 AM
GM closes Windsor plant, ending an era 7/29/2010 5:28:17 AM
Missing Mountie presumed drowned Missing Mayo RCMP Const. Michael Potvin is presumed to have drowned, says the force's chief in Yukon. Potvin, 26, wound up in the Stewart River at Mayo on July 13 when the boat he was in capsized. Witnesses said he swam for shore and was only a few metres from the riverbank when he went under. 7/29/2010 5:12:16 AM
More drivers abusing road Flagpersons In her line of work, says Micheline Archambault, the most important thing is patience. Keeping calm, she said, is the only way to handle raging motorists and cyclists who yell, kick and spit when faced with delays. "Oh my God, I've been called every name in the book. Even some I've never heard of," Archambault said. 7/28/2010 5:09:52 PM
Football player must pay kids $590,000 for killing mom (Video) Former NFL football star Tommy Kane, now in prison for killing his wife, has been ordered to pay $590,000 to his children and their guardian for the pain and suffering he's caused. The Montreal-born wide receiver is serving 18 years after pleading guilty in the November 2003 stabbing death of his wife Tamara Shaikh. 7/28/2010 4:27:36 PM
Get informed before selling old gold: Better Business Bureau The Better Business Bureau in British Columbia is advising consumers to do their homework before responding to internet sites or television ads offering to buy their surplus gold. The agency suggests getting two or three appraisals from a jeweller or jewelry store before deciding to sell. 7/28/2010 4:16:15 PM
Suitcase stickers draw ire of Baird's office Two Vancouver entrepreneurs selling eye-catching stickers so travellers can easily identify their luggage say they might consider stopping domestic sales. In one sticker, a gagged and bound flight attendant seems to be stuffed in the luggage. 7/28/2010 4:13:00 PM
B.C. man gets 11 years for child sex tourism Kenneth Klassen, 59, of Burnaby, B.C., was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in prison for committing sex tourism with children and importing child pornography. Klassen received 10 years for the sex-tourism charges and one year for importing pornography. 7/28/2010 4:10:37 PM
Team finds ship missing in Arctic for over 150 years A British ship that had been missing in Canada's Arctic waters for over 150 years was found in just 15 minutes by a team of Canadian archaeologists. A nine-member Parks Canada team discovered the wreck of HMS Investigator on Sunday when ice cleared temporarily on Mercy Bay. 7/28/2010 3:25:01 PM
Mutiny: RCMP brass put pressure on PM to replace chief as rift deepens Prime Minister Stephen Harper is facing an unprecedented crisis in the RCMP and must choose between his hand-picked civilian leader and a group of high-ranking mutineers pushing for a new top Mountie, according to RCMP insiders and experts. 7/28/2010 6:54:44 AM
Vader not guilty in McCann case: sister The sister of a man considered by RCMP as a person of interest says her brother, Travis Vader, had nothing to do with the disappearance of Lyle and Marie McCann of St. Albert, Alta. Bobbi-Jo Vader made the comments to the media Tuesday after Travis Vader made a brief court appearance in Edmonton. 7/28/2010 5:46:05 AM
Man mistaken for murder suspect says police beat him A man who says he wanted to be a police officer is rethinking his future after allegedly being beaten by a group of Toronto police officers. On July 22, Sharmake Abdi, 26, was picking up a paycheque for work he did during the G20 summit for the Commissionaires security company. 7/28/2010 5:44:55 AM
Child left in hot van at Alberta casino Charges are pending after police west of Calgary rescued a toddler who was left in a locked van outside a casino on a hot day. Security called Cochrane RCMP to the casino at the Stoney Nakoda Resort at about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday after noticing a young girl — just over a year old — in distress. 7/27/2010 6:35:26 PM
Ex-StatsCan head defends mandatory census Former chief statistician Munir Sheikh has told MPs looking into the government's decision to end the mandatory long-form census that he resigned because he could not remain head of an agency "whose reputation had suffered." 7/27/2010 5:07:36 PM
Minister 'troubled' as Mounties break ranks over chief's conduct The Harper government is “troubled” by the current conflict in the senior ranks of the RCMP, with sources saying senior Mounties recently brought complaints against Commissioner William Elliott to the deputy minister of Public Safety. 7/27/2010 4:03:21 PM
Canadian priest sorry for giving dog Holy Communion A priest in Canada has apologised after giving Holy Communion to a dog. Reverend Marguerite Rea of St Peter's Anglican Church, in Toronto, received complaints from Christians all over Canada after she fed communion bread to a German Shepherd cross named Trapper. 7/27/2010 3:55:32 PM
Saskatchewan premier calls for clinical trials of MS treatment Saskatchewan is ready to help pay for clinical trials of the so-called liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis sufferers, despite a lack of scientific evidence that it might work, says Premier Brad Wall. Saskatchewan has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis among provinces. 7/27/2010 2:57:07 PM
Questions linger over OPP raids on Government offices There were still a lot more questions than answers Monday after Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne confirmed her ministry was one target of a police raid on a provincial government office complex in Toronto. The anti-rackets branch of the Ontario Provincial Police seized documents July 15 in a raid at the Macdonald Block. 7/27/2010 10:18:44 AM
Calgary is home to the happiest small business owners If you’re a small business owner in Calgary, chances are you’re a happy person right now, according to a survey of small businesses in Canada. The TD Small Business Happiness Index analyzed the happiness levels of small business owners’ in 12 North American cities, including seven in Canada. 7/27/2010 8:45:51 AM
Nissan recalls 51,100 hatchbacks in Canada, U.S. Nissan has recalled more than 50,000 Cube hatchbacks in Canada and the U.S. over "fuel system integrity" concerns. When safety testing was performed on the Cube, researchers found that an unsafe amount of fuel spilled from the vehicle when it was rotated following a "rear moving barrier crash test." 7/27/2010 6:44:35 AM
Truth? Military rejects WikiLeaks Afghanistan friendly fire report The Canadian military is rejecting a report released by WikiLeaks that suggests four Canadian soldiers who died in September 2006 were killed by friendly fire from U.S. forces. The military maintains the four soldiers died in combat with the Taliban. 7/27/2010 6:25:19 AM
Latimer denied bid for extended leave The Saskatchewan farmer who killed his severely disabled daughter has again lost a bid to be allowed to be away from his British Columbia halfway house for five days a week. However, the National Parole Board has extended day parole for Robert Latimer for another six months. 7/27/2010 6:21:43 AM
Mutiny? Senior Mounties complain top cop is ‘verbally abusive’ Senior Mounties have filed complaints recently about Commissioner William Elliott, calling the head of the RCMP “verbally abusive." The group including deputy commissioners Tim Killam and Raf Souccar, has in the last seven days taken the complaints all the way to the Prime Minister’s Office, CBC said. 7/26/2010 8:13:52 PM
P.E.I. inmate escapes police twice in one day A Charlottetown-area inmate facing drug charges escaped local and federal police custody Sunday — twice. Jeremy Carl Stephens, 24, was in the exercise yard at the Provincial Correctional Centre near Sleepy Hollow, P.E.I., when he found a way to climb onto the roof, and make a run for a wooded area nearby. 7/26/2010 6:43:34 PM
Semrau risked his life to treat wounded Afghan soldiers, court hears One month after he shot (and killed) an unarmed Taliban insurgent, Capt. Robert Semrau risked his life to treat Afghan soldiers wounded during a deadly mortar attack in the Panjwaii District, his court martial heard Monday. 7/26/2010 6:20:58 PM
Canadian's death caused by missile: Wikileaks One of the thousands of classified Afghanistan war documents controversially released Sunday by the anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks shows that a Canadian military photographer who died in a 2007 helicopter crash that also killed six other NATO troops was the victim of a heat-seeking missile. 7/26/2010 6:16:14 PM
Medicine Hat Daycare provider charged with manslaughter Police in southern Alberta have charged a Medicine Hat woman with manslaughter in connection with the death of a toddler under her care at her private-home daycare. An original charge of aggravated assault has been upgraded to manslaughter, Medicine Hat police said on Monday. 7/26/2010 4:43:02 PM
Toronto G20 police shot rubber bullets, B.C. woman says A 20-year-old environmental activist from B.C. is suing the Toronto Police Service, claiming she was hit by two rubber bullets during a G20 summit protest. "I hit the ground. It's hard to describe how it feels getting shot," said Natalie Gray of Maple Ridge. 7/26/2010 4:01:44 PM
Leak indicates Western Governments are lying to citizens about Afghanistan The United States asked Canada in 2007 to apply diplomatic pressure to Saudi Arabia and South Africa over alleged Taliban fundraising in the countries. And, secret material released over the weekend has triggered a fierce debate over how truthful Western governments are being in their public accounts of the conflict. 7/26/2010 3:56:54 PM
Apple to sell iPhone 4 unlocked in Canada When the iPhone 4 goes on sale in Canada on Friday, it will bring the ability to pit the big three service providers against each other. Apple will sell its wildly popular device online and through its own retail stores, as well as through Bell, Rogers and Telus. 7/26/2010 3:52:36 PM
Senior commander urges judge to kick Semrau out of the army The former top Canadian commander in Kandahar says a military court has no choice but to kick out of the Canadian Forces a soldier found guilty of shooting a wounded and unarmed Afghan insurgent. A military court is holding a sentencing hearing to determine a penalty for Captain Robert Semrau. 7/26/2010 9:30:42 AM
National chiefs say no to B.C. mine A remote lake in the B.C. ranch country has become the focus of a national dispute over government authority to regulate industry on Crown land. Aboriginal leaders from across Canada have backed National Chief Shawn Atleo's call for the federal cabinet to reject the Prosperity gold and copper mine proposal. 7/26/2010 9:15:03 AM
‘Probably people died’ from excitement as Canada won gold: expert While most jumped for joy after Canada won Olympic hockey gold, others may have died from the excitement, an expert says. Dr. Martin A. Samuels calls such deaths “voodoo deaths,” caused by fright or high stress, a phenomenon he has been studying for 40 years. 7/26/2010 7:12:50 AM
No contract means future government can cancel fighter deal Canada won't be required to sign a contract committing it to purchasing new multi-billion-dollar stealth fighters. The Conservative government's decision in mid-July to spend an estimated $16 billion on the Joint Strike Fighter has sparked controversy. 7/26/2010 6:33:40 AM
Tough Tory stance on offender transfers raises ire of U.S. After years of cordial relations with the United States on the issue of prison transfers, the Harper government’s recent crackdown on repatriating offenders may be causing a diplomatic rift. U.S. officials were seeking to meet “face-to-face” with their Canadian counterparts to discuss the matter further. 7/26/2010 6:31:21 AM
B.C. official briefed on cost of replacing RCMP with provincial police Despite official denials that the B.C. government is considering replacing the RCMP with a new provincial police force. The province’s contract with the RCMP expires in 2012. A version of the document written in April was released to The Sun in response to a Freedom of Information request. 7/25/2010 6:54:30 AM
Married Toronto preacher Benny Hinn romantically linked to healer There’s a new televangelist soap opera. Reports this week suggest a still-married Benny Hinn is now romantically involved with Paula White, another television preacher with a colourful past. The 57-year-old Hinn is best known for his faith-healing “Miracle Crusades.” 7/24/2010 8:42:58 PM
Canada's ascent in video games industry fuels uproar in U.K. Provocative comments by Canada's top games industry lobbyist about luring away British talent and investment has ignited an uproar in the U.K., where opposition MPs and video software firms are demanding new tax breaks and other incentives. 7/24/2010 7:59:32 PM
Hogan's Heroes: Stockwell Day thinks the Census questions are like War Treasury Board President Stockwell Day suggests prisoners of war face less onerous legal obligations to divulge information to the enemy than Canadians did under the old census regime. (Ed: Regardless of Mr. Day's misinformation, no one, ever, has been jailed for not filling in the Census.) 7/24/2010 5:58:56 AM
Oliver Family fights archaic law requiring kids to support their parents When Ken Anderson was just 15 years old, his mother Shirley made it clear: She didn't want him any more. On Aug. 3 and 4, Ken, now 46, will face off against the woman who gave birth to him in B.C. Supreme Court. Shirley Anderson, now 71, is suing Ken and four of his five siblings for parental support. 7/24/2010 5:21:30 AM
Canada's 'Oily' Environment Minister says critics are overreacting to Arctic survey Denying that the federal government has any plans to exploit offshore oil in a proposed Arctic marine park, Environment Minister Jim Prentice said Friday that critics are overreacting to a planned geological survey of the seabed in Lancaster Sound. 7/23/2010 5:12:57 PM
Canada moves to blunt criticism of oilsands at clean-energy conference The Harper government is using an international clean-energy conference to correct what it describes as misleading attacks against Canada's oilsands industry, Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis said Tuesday. 7/21/2010 6:56:56 AM
Ontario backpedals on unpopular eco-fees The Ontario government says it will scrap its controversial eco-fees for 90 days to develop a new system "that works for consumers," but will kick in $5-million during that time to make up for the money no longer being charged to consumers at the cash register. 7/20/2010 3:10:56 PM
Canada missing 'green' boat, finds survey of scientists, bureaucrats More than three out of four leading Canadian bureaucrats, scientists and industry leaders believe the Harper government is missing the boat on "greening" the economy and adopting the wrong policies to address climate change, according to a new international study. 7/19/2010 6:30:14 PM
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East Coast braces for Earl
'Fox News North': Kory Teneycke blasts back at Margaret Atwood 
PM’s top adviser takes the fall as Harper's ratings slipping
Boom of prison expansions underway to meet expected flood of inmates
Fuel tanker runs aground in Canada's Northwest Passage
Astronaut Chris Hadfield to be space station’s first Canadian commander 
Oilsands water data worth examining: Stelmach
How long will Environment Minister Prentice delay Oilsands pollution reports?
