Montreal Canadiens star Carey Price apologized on Tuesday to people affected by the 1989 Montreal massacre after he made a social media post in support of a firearms rights group in the days leading up to the anniversary of the mass shooting.
The goaltender said on Instagram that he stands by his opinions but acknowledged the timing may have been hurtful.
“I acknowledge that amplifying any conversation around guns this week may have upset some of those impacted most by the events here in 1989, and to them, I apologize,” he wrote in a statement posted to his Instagram story.
His apology came on the 33rd anniversary of Dec. 6, 1989, when a man motivated by a hatred of feminists shot and killed 14 women and injured 13 other people at the École Polytechnique engineering school.
Price on Saturday posted a photo of himself dressed in camouflage holding a rifle, with a caption expressing his opposition to a federal bill that would ban assault-style firearms.
“I love my family, I love my country and I care for my neighbour. I am not a criminal or a threat to society,” the caption read. Price went on to call the Liberal gun legislation “unjust.”
He also expressed his support for the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, which has been criticized in recent days for using “POLY” as a promo code to offer discounts in its online shop.
The Montreal Canadiens apologized Monday to those who had been hurt by the controversy and said they were making a donation to Polytechnique’s annual fundraiser in memory of the victims. The team said Price was not aware of the promotional code nor of the “unfortunate timing” of his message.
Price wrote Tuesday that “despite a previous statement released,” he was aware of the Dec. 6 tragedy and the importance it holds to Montrealers.
“I think the people of Montreal know my heart and my character and know I would never intentionally cause pain to those impacted by gun violence,” he wrote, adding that his “heart and prayers” are with the victims.
The debate comes as MPs in Ottawa are discussing Bill C-21, which would enshrine a definition of prohibited assault-style firearms.
The coalition for firearm rights and Conservative MPs have denounced proposed amendments to the bill as an attack on law-abiding, licensed gun owners.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Monday it appears the gun Price is holding in his Instagram post is legal and will remain so under the government’s legislation.
“You see now the consequences of that, where people are operating from false assumptions and confusion. We need to make sure that we have a thoughtful debate that is based on the facts,” he said.
Before his apology, Price had written on Twitter Monday that he raised the issue of guns because the debate is happening now, and “not out of disrespect for anyone.”
“I continue to stand beside my fellow hunters and sport shooters who have legally acquired our property and use in a safe manner,” he wrote.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2022.
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.
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.
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.
