Jacob Hoggard abandons bid to challenge 2022 conviction before Canada’s top court

Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is abandoning his bid to appeal his 2022 sexual assault conviction before Canada’s top court.

The Supreme Court of Canada website shows the former Hedley frontman discontinued his application for leave to appeal last Friday.

That’s the same day Hoggard, 40, was found not guilty of sexual assault in a separate, unrelated case in northeastern Ontario.

In the 2022 case, a Toronto jury found Hoggard guilty of sexual assault causing bodily harm against an Ottawa woman, but not guilty of the same charge and of sexual interference in relation to a teenage fan.

Hoggard started serving his five-year sentence after the Court of Appeal for Ontario upheld his conviction in August.

The singer turned to the Supreme Court in early September, and the Appeal Court rejected his request for bail pending the outcome of his application to the Supreme Court.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.

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FREDERICTON – With the provincial election approaching, a housing advocacy group is calling on the next government to strengthen tenants’ rights.

In a report published today, the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenants Rights says renters fear losing their homes as the cost of shelter increases.

The group surveyed 346 people around the province, three-quarters of whom said they worried about rent increases and one-third said they lived in unsafe conditions.

Tenants with disabilities, single parents, and racialized people were over-represented in the number of respondents who feared losing their homes.

The group’s top recommendation is for the party that wins the Oct. 21 election to impose a cap on rent increases.

The Liberal and Green parties have promised rent caps, but the Progressive Conservatives have not, saying the existing system is working.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.

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Céline Dion has released a recording of her performance of “Hymne à l’amour” at the Paris Olympics.

Dion’s rendition of Edith Piaf’s song during the opening ceremonies in July marked the Quebecois singer’s return to the stage after announcing her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome in 2022.

Stiff person syndrome is a progressive illness that can cause muscle rigidity and severe spasms as well as affect a person’s vocal cords.

It forced Dion to first postpone and then cancel all the remaining dates on her Courage World Tour for 2023 and 2024. Her Paris performance was widely heralded as a triumphant comeback.

This is the second single Dion has released since her diagnosis, after dropping “Love Again” last year to coincide with the release of the movie of the same name. That song was recorded several years earlier.

“Hymne à l’amour (Live aux Jeux Olympiques de Paris 2024 / Live from the Olympic Games Paris 2024)” is now available for streaming and download on all major platforms.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.