Former Saskatchewan Party legislature member sentenced to probation for assault

ALTONA, MANITOBA, CANADA – Manitoba RCMP have issued an arrest warrant for an Ontario truck driver who was allegedly involved in a crash that killed a woman and an eight-year-old girl.

Brampton, Ont., resident Navjeet Singh has been charged with two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death as well as obstructing a peace officer. 

Police say officers have attempted to locate the 25-year-old in Winnipeg but have been unsuccessful. 

Police were called last week to a rural area west of Altona, Man., where a sport utility vehicle had collided with a semi-trailer that failed to stop at a rural intersection. 

At the time, Singh was transported to a hospital where he was treated and released. 

Police say the deceased woman was 35.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024. 

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

TORONTO – Ontario Premier Doug Ford says eligible businesses will be getting a share of $2 billion that the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is returning due to a surplus.

This marks the second time the WSIB has given a surplus back to employers, having distributed $1.2 billion in 2022.

Businesses are eligible if they have not been convicted more than once under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act or the Occupational Health and Safety Act since 2020.

As well, the WSIB is cutting the average premium rate employers pay from $1.30 to $1.25 per $100 of insurable payroll.

A new WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program will also give $1,000 to employers that create a new health and safety action plan through the program.

Ford also announced that the province is removing a $150 fee for apprentices taking their first Certificate of Qualification exam, which he says will make it easier for people to start careers in the trades.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

EDMONTON – The Alberta government is forecasting a $4.6-billion surplus this fiscal year, but Finance Minister Nate Horner says Alberta’s in for a “challenging” future.

The government’s second-quarter fiscal update says just $2.9 billion of that surplus is expected to be cash, which would be split between paying down debt and the Heritage Savings Trust Fund.

It says the surplus is largely the result of higher-than-expected income tax revenue thanks to Alberta’s sharp population growth and oil and gas royalties.

But the fiscal update also says “global economic conditions” are presenting risks for the province’s finances.

As such the government has dropped its revenue expectations for the average price of its benchmark West Texas Intermediate oil for the remainder of the fiscal year by US$2.50 per barrel from the US$76.50 price point expected in the first-quarter update.

The government also says it’s planning for population growth to drop significantly next year, and the provincial unemployment rate is expected to grow.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.