Canada's Cody Fournie captures wheelchair racing Paralympic gold medal | Canada News Media
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Canada’s Cody Fournie captures wheelchair racing Paralympic gold medal

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PARIS – When Cody Fournie was at a crossroads in his athletic career, he headed for the track.

The former national wheelchair rugby team player captured wheelchair racing gold Tuesday at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

The 35-year-old from Victoria won the men’s T51 200 metres for Canada’s second gold medal in Paris after Nicholas Bennett’s swimming gold the previous evening.

“During COVID I was in a transition period and not really knowing what I was going to do,” Fournie explained Tuesday.

“I didn’t know how much longer rugby was going to go for me. I just ran into someone and they directed me to coach Geoff (Harris) and everything else is history.”

Fournie posted the fastest 200 of his career with a time of 37.64 seconds.

“It feels really good. All I can say is the hard work, the nutrition and the hydration has paid off,” the Canadian said.

Silver medallist Toni Piispanen of Finland finished in 38.55 and bronze medallist Peter Genyn of Belgium in 38.65.

Fournie earned a silver medal in the 100 metres in May at the world para athletics championship in Kobe, Japan.

He competes in that race Friday at Stade de France.

“The 200 metres has always been a very difficult thing for me,” Fournie said. “My coach and I just kept working on it. During the first 100 metres of the 200 metres, we just worked on a different style of push and it paid off.

“It was just short spurts quickly and then I was able to get into my long strides.”

A quadriplegic since the age of 11, Fournie started playing wheelchair rugby in 2010 before switching to the track just over a decade later.

“The transition from rugby to racing helps because I was putting so much time and effort into training,” he said. “What was the most difficult part about racing was getting this chair figured out.

“With not having any stomach muscles, I had to use my head to change the direction of the chair and that took quite a while to figure out.”

Fournie’s medal was Canada’s third in track and field. Wheelchair racers Brent Lakatos won a silver medal and Austin Smeenk a bronze.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2024.

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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