‘We all must tend to democracy’: Alberta residents mark Remembrance Day

FERGUS, Ont. – Severe weather researchers say a tornado carved out a “long, narrow path of damage” in a community near Guelph, Ont., on Sunday.

The Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University says it sent a team to investigate in Fergus, Ont., and confirmed a tornado touched down there.

The organization says it has assigned a preliminary rating of EF0, which represents winds between 90 and 130 kilometres per hour.

David Sills, the project’s executive director, says most tornadoes in Canada occur between June and August, and it’s “far less common” to see them in the shoulder seasons.

However, he says, there have been November tornadoes in southern Ontario — and other parts of Canada — in the past.

The Northern Tornadoes Project confirmed tornadoes had occurred in New Brunswick and British Columbia earlier this month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Family members of a man who was fatally shot by Hamilton police over the weekend say they want answers and accountability from authorities as the province’s police watchdog investigates the incident.

The Special Investigations Unit says Hamilton police officers went to an apartment building on Saturday after reports of a man “acting in a threatening manner.”

The watchdog says that after an interaction with a person of interest, two officers fired their guns and the man was hit.

The 43-year-old was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Sunday.

His family has issued a statement identifying him as Erixon Kabera, a father of three who they say dedicated his life to his family and community.

The family says they are disturbed by the SIU’s initial claim that there was an “exchange of gunfire,” since the watchdog later issued an updated statement that said it does not appear the man had discharged a firearm.

“Erixon was not known to possess a gun, nor did he have a history of condoning or engaging in any type of violence,” the family’s statement said.

“More than 24 hours after that disconcerting initial report, the SIU released an update clearly indicating there was no gunfire exchange, and that it was indeed two responding officers who shot Erixon and inflicted fatal wounds on his body,” it read.

“We find that reversal of crucial facts, a full day after telling the entire world otherwise and painting an image of violence for our very own, to be deeply outrageous and unnerving.”

The family alleged that Kabera was shot inside his own apartment, where he had been spending the day resting.

“As we grieve this senseless loss, we respectfully ask for transparency and accountability from the authorities,” they said. “We want to know details of the altercation so that we can understand the truth of what happened in Erixon’s final moments.”

When asked for comment on the family’s statement, the SIU said that its investigators “collected a replica firearm from the scene.”

The SIU had previously said a police officer was also taken to hospital for minor injuries and has since been released.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

CHILLIWACK, B.C. – Mounties in Chilliwack, B.C., say a man was arrested after a short standoff with police along Highway 1 over the weekend.

RCMP say officers attended a call for a single-vehicle incident on Sunday evening.

They say a man was making threats and allegedly had a weapon.

There was a brief standoff, but police say the man surrendered and he was taken into custody.

The Mounties say the highway was briefly closed to ensure public safety.

They say police are recommending unspecified charges against the man.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.