VANCOUVER —
One of the men charged following a heated confrontation over masks at a Vancouver pizza restaurant is an investment advisor at Canaccord Genuity.
The company issued a statement to CTV News on Friday saying the employee has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
“We are incredibly disappointed to learn of a shameful incident of inexcusable behaviour involving one of our employees,” a spokesperson for Canaccord Genuity said in an email.
“Canaccord Genuity rejects the disgraceful behaviours, opinions and actions of the individuals involved. They are in no way representative of our firm’s values.”
Vancouver police confirmed this week that assault charges have been approved against James Henry Davidson and Brenton Thomas Woyat.
Profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn identified Woyat as an investment advisor at Canaccord Genuity as recently as Thursday, though both pages appear to have been deactivated.
The allegations stem from a late-night altercation at the Pizza Pizza location in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood on Feb. 20.
Video shows two men confronting staff in an apparent dispute over the restaurant’s mask policy. The pizzeria requires everyone capable of wearing a mask to do so, in accordance with the province’s mask mandate.
“You guys are complete morons. COVID is a joke. You are completely brainwashed,” one man yells in the video.
The recording later shows a teenager who was waiting outside the pizzeria getting roughed up.
Police said the men drove away from the scene, but that officers pulled over two suspects minutes later. Const. Tania Visintin said one of them is facing a possible charge of impaired driving as well, but she could not specify which one.
Visintin described the behaviour captured in the video as “ridiculous” and “embarrassing.”
“This young man was just outside a pizza joint trying to eat pizza and he gets assaulted by two grownups,” Visintin said Thursday.
Police said they’ve seen a growing number of incidents involving customers who become belligerent when asked to abide by provincial guidelines in businesses.
“It’s unfortunate because these shop owners or store employees are just doing their job, they’re just making a living and following the rules,” Visintin said.
Woyat is scheduled to appear in court on March 17, while Davidson is due to appear on April 9.
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Allison Hurst
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in base metal and utility stocks, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 103.40 points at 24,542.48.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 192.31 points at 42,932.73. The S&P 500 index was up 7.14 points at 5,822.40, while the Nasdaq composite was down 9.03 points at 18,306.56.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.44 cents US on Tuesday.
The November crude oil contract was down 71 cents at US$69.87 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.42 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$7.20 at US$2,686.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.35 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was little changed in late-morning trading as the financial sector fell, but energy and base metal stocks moved higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 0.05 of a point at 24,224.95.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 94.31 points at 42,417.69. The S&P 500 index was down 10.91 points at 5,781.13, while the Nasdaq composite was down 29.59 points at 18,262.03.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.71 cents US compared with 73.05 cents US on Wednesday.
The November crude oil contract was up US$1.69 at US$74.93 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was up a penny at US$2.67 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$14.70 at US$2,640.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up two cents at US$4.42 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.
