Canada’s youngest dangerous offender, who sexually assaulted baby, seeks prison leave

TORONTO – Canadians engrossed in the drama of the U.S. presidential election expect to gather in bars and living rooms to watch the votes roll in Tuesday, but many say the usual fanfare of watch parties will be muted by anxiety over the especially combative race.

Dustin Herberman of Vaughan, Ont., says he’ll follow the results with his parents, who lean more to the right of the political spectrum than he does. He’s steeling himself for a night of delicate chit-chat meant to avoid squabbles over polarizing candidates Kamala Harris for the Democrats and Republican candidate Donald Trump.

“Pretty much it’s just kind of agreed upon by everyone — you don’t push too many buttons during the vote,” he says of the house rules.

The 35-year-old Herberman plans to monitor CNN with occasional flips to Canadian networks but expects there will be “a little bit of a fight for control of the TV” with his dad: “It’s probably going to be flipped at least part of the time to Fox News.”

For poll watchers who prefer a bigger gathering, there are events planned across the country, many of them organized by provincial political associations, non-partisan policy organizations and expat groups.

Meanwhile, pubs, bars and eateries eyeing a chance to spur traffic on a typically slower Tuesday will turn at least some of their screens from sports to the news channels – especially in the border city of Windsor, Ont., where one city councillor hoped “the talk of the town” will drive business.

“This year is more captivating than any year that I could possibly remember since the 30 years I’ve lived in Windsor, no question about it,” Renaldo Agostino says of the U.S. race.

Agostino says several bars, eateries and a comedy club were among the businesses planning events in downtown Windsor, where U.S. news is inescapable due to the saturation of Detroit radio, TV and cross-border traffic.

Over in Toronto, VideoCabaret’s “Vox Pop ’24: The Elephant Rolls Over, An American Election Watch Party” will double as a fundraiser for the theatre’s upcoming 50th anniversary. The “evening of satire, music and scintillating banter,” promises performances, panel discussion, special videos, and a themed buffet and bar, say organizers Janet Burke and Anand Rajaram.

Most of all, it will offer a safe space to process what will likely be an inflammatory outcome, no matter the vote result, says Burke.

“You look around and folks were saying, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to watch,’ ‘I’m going to hide under my bed,’ ‘I’m going to just wake up the next day and see what happens,’” says Burke, founding member of the theatre.

“So we’ve invited people to come and wring their hands together. Let’s all just join hands and see what happens.”

And when the results come in, “we’ll slink off or we’ll jump up in great relief,” she says.

Like Agostino, political marketing expert Dave Bussiere senses “a heightened interest” and broader curiosity among Canadians than what was seen in the previous two U.S. elections.

Bussiere, an associate professor at the University of Windsor, runs a political marketing course focused on predicting the fates of Harris and Trump and says he’ll be watching the results roll in with the neutrality of “a scientist.”

But he can easily see how emotions can get the best of some observers.

“The support for each of the two parties has become more polar. So I could picture people, if they’re doing a watch party, to want to be amongst people who agree. People seem to not have as much patience, or don’t have much patience with people who support the other party.”

Bussiere says he’ll tune into TV news coverage with his wife and son, but also plans to connect virtually with his brother in Montreal, two daughters in Toronto and his students.

Canadian prime time coverage Tuesday is set to include live reports on CBC from chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault and senior Washington correspondent Paul Hunter; a panel of experts on CTV News Channel led throughout the evening by chief political correspondent Vassy Kapelos, while “CTV National News with Omar Sachedina” will be on location in Washington, D.C.

Global News’ Dawna Friesen and correspondents are set to host a national live stream available on GlobalNews.ca, YouTube, the Global TV App, Pluto TV and Prime.

Rajaram says his event makes no pretence of leaning towards Harris and away from harsh rhetoric that has especially targeted marginalized groups.

“We’re saying in the invites, cheekily: Don’t be alone on election night. But it goes far beyond that. It’s: ‘You don’t need to be alone,’ period, says Rajaram, associate artistic director of VideoCabaret.

“There’s a community of people here who are as invested in the world and that worldview as you are, and we want to be a hub for people to feel safe and feel supported.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2024.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Alberta premier braces for crucial party vote

Thousands of members of Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party gather Friday in Red Deer ahead of a crucial weekend vote on the job performance of their leader, Premier Danielle Smith.

The party’s rules don’t say what level of support in a leadership review is considered a passing grade. But Smith has said that she’d like to see a higher level of support than the 54 per cent she received when party rank and file picked her to replace then-premier Jason Kenney in 2022.

Earlier that year, Kenney resigned as leader after receiving a lacklustre 51 per cent of the vote at a scheduled party leadership review.

The vote comes at the party’s annual general meeting, and at least 5,500 members are registered to attend.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Smith wouldn’t say what percentage she would like to receive, but said she thought the number of party members attending the event was a sign of support in itself.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

N.S. Tory, Liberal leaders stump outside Halifax

Two of the three main party leaders in Nova Scotia’s Nov. 26 election campaign are scheduled to be at opposite ends of the province today.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston is spending his second consecutive day in Cape Breton, where he will campaign but doesn’t have any announcements planned.

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill is scheduled to be in his home riding of Yarmouth in southwestern Nova Scotia, and his party is expected to release a statement on illegal lobster fishing in that part of the province.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender will remain in the Halifax area and has an announcement scheduled in Dartmouth.

On Thursday, Chender promised to protect residential tenants by putting stricter limits on rent increases.

How the U.S. election could affect markets

Whichever candidate wins the U.S. president election next Tuesday, experts say investors will be relieved to shed some uncertainty over what kinds of policies to expect.

But macroeconomic factors like interest rate cuts and geopolitical tensions will be far bigger influences on markets in the coming year than the outcome of the election, they say.

“What we really look at … is looking at which candidate can play a more critical role in shaping economic growth,” said Brianne Gardner, senior wealth manager of Velocity Investment Partners at Raymond James Ltd.

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’s promises are focused on domestic competitiveness, particularly among renewables, semiconductors and infrastructure, said Brianne Gardner, senior wealth manager of Velocity Investment Partners at Raymond James Ltd.

On the other hand, Republican candidate Donald Trump is likely to cut taxes, especially corporate tax rates, which will boost profits, Gardner said. Sectors like oil and gas or banks are likely to do well under Trump thanks to tax cuts and deregulation, she said.

Canadians keen to watch combative U.S. election

Canadians engrossed in the drama of the U.S. presidential election expect to gather in bars and living rooms to watch the votes roll in Tuesday, but many say the usual fanfare of watch parties will be muted by anxiety over the especially combative race.

Dustin Herberman of Vaughan, Ont., says he’ll follow the results with his parents, who lean more to the right of the political spectrum than he does. He’s steeling himself for a night of delicate chit-chat meant to avoid squabbles over polarizing candidates Kamala Harris for the Democrats and Republican candidate Donald Trump.

The 35-year-old Herberman plans to monitor CNN with occasional flips to Canadian networks but expects there will be “a little bit of a fight for control of the TV” with his dad: “It’s probably going to be flipped at least part of the time to Fox News.”

For poll watchers who prefer a bigger gathering, there are events planned across the country, many of them organized by provincial political associations, non-partisan policy organizations and expat groups.

Meanwhile, pubs, bars and eateries eyeing a chance to spur traffic on a typically slower Tuesday will turn at least some of their screens from sports to the news channels – especially in the border city of Windsor, Ont., where one city councillor hoped “the talk of the town” will drive business.

Uber bans customer over racist rant video

Ride-share giant Uber has banned a customer from its app after one of its drivers posted a social media video showing him enduring a racist tirade.

Mandeep Sehgal says it was important for him to call attention to it because South Asian drivers are increasingly facing racist taunts and Uber was taking too long to hold his belligerent customer accountable.

Sehgal said South Asian Uber drivers are also increasingly installing cameras in their cars for safety due to the hate.

Uber, in an emailed statement this week, confirmed action had been taken.

“We have been in touch with the driver, and have removed the rider from the platform,” the company said.

Uber added it has made it easier to report discrimination on its platform, and reminded users that they are required to follow its guidelines, which state “discriminatory language … vilifying, or asking questions about sensitive topics regarding national origin, race, ethnicity” and “making racial comments or using slurs is never allowed.”

A spokesperson for the app did not answer questions about why it took so long for it to ban the customer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.

Maureen Anderson lost both her sons to their overseas service in the Canadian Army, even if they died years later and a continent away from the hot dust and violence of the Afghanistan war.

Growing up, Ron Anderson was more serious, “a little fighter,” his mother recalls. His younger brother Ryan was quieter, softer. Both joined the military before they finished high school, already certain of what their career paths would be.

“My boys were very kind to me, and I miss them terribly,” Anderson said in an interview this week from her home in Oromocto, N.B.

Sgt. Ron Anderson, a father of four, died by suicide in 2014 at the age of 39. Ryan, also a sergeant and a father of two, died in 2017 at 38. Anderson doesn’t like to discuss specifics of how they died, but she attributes both deaths to the post-traumatic stress disorder they suffered as a result of their extensive overseas military service, including in Afghanistan.

Anderson, 78, will be travelling to Ottawa to lay a wreath at the national Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11 as this year’s national Silver Cross Mother. The silver cross, also known as the memorial cross, is awarded to mothers or widows of Canadian soldiers who died on active duty or as a result of it.

Anderson said its “a little overwhelming,” but that she is honoured to have been picked by the Royal Canadian Legion.

Despite having lost her only two children, she says she has never wished they opted for different careers. In some ways, a military life seemed almost inevitable for both of them.

Anderson herself is the daughter of a Canadian Second World War veteran. Her late husband, Peter, was a soldier, serving with the Regiment of Canadian Guards on Parliament Hill and then the Royal Canadian Regiment. Maureen herself served briefly with the Air Force as a nurse in Ottawa.

She said Ron decided early on to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“That was his life and he loved it,” she said, adding Ryan wasn’t far behind.

Ron became a valued Army member, serving in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo before completing two tours of duty in Afghanistan. But after coming home from his second stint there in 2007, his mother said, he changed – becoming distant and short-tempered. “He just wasn’t the same,” she said.

After Ron died, she learned he had received an award in Fredericton after jumping out of a vehicle to administer first aid to a young boy on a roadside in Afghanistan, despite danger around him. Not wanting to be fussed over, Ron never told anyone. “That was his way, but we were devastated when we got the certificate, thinking we could have been there,” Anderson said.

Ryan, she said, started to go “really downhill” after his brother’s death. His marriage suffered and he became isolated, sad and withdrawn. He had served in Afghanistan alongside his brother, as well as on several other overseas deployments, including in Bosnia, Ethiopia and Haiti.

A July 2007 article from Afghanistan in the National Post detailed the dangers the brothers faced when a string of bombs struck their convoy as it headed to Kandahar province to lend support to Afghan police.

Don Martin’s article described Ron Anderson witnessing a suicide bomber detonate and Ryan riding in a vehicle that hit an improvised explosive device, all only days after six of their fellow Canadian soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb.

Since her sons’ diagnoses, Anderson has publicly called for better treatment for veterans with PTSD. She questions whether Ryan was on too many medications, and wonders if veterans might need more talk, check-ins and specialist doctors. In the end, though, she doesn’t have the answers.

“I don’t know how much they’re doing for the soldiers,” she said. “I really don’t know, but maybe they’re not doing enough.”

She does feel that more people are willing to talk openly about PTSD than in the past, and hopes to use her time as Silver Cross Mother to ensure that keeps happening.

Anderson, who is retired, says she keeps her sons’ memories alive by looking daily at their photos and remembering the good times. She also has six grandchildren, including one of Ron’s sons who has joined the military, and several great-grandchildren.

She keeps herself busy seeing friends and volunteering in her community, including helping with the annual Remembrance Day poppy campaign. And while her prominent position in this year’s national Nov. 11 commemoration ceremony will be something new, she says she’s always attended local Remembrance Day events, no matter where her family was stationed.

“I never missed one, whether it was rain, sleet, snow or whatever,” she said. “So that was just part of Nov. 11th for me, always.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.