Justice minister says federal government giving bail reform ‘serious consideration’

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. – Police in New Westminster, B.C., say they have arrested a person suspected of stabbing two people at a Skytrain station in the city.

They say numerous people had called to report a stabbing on Columbia Street, outside the station around 6:45 p.m. on Friday.

Police say officers rushed to the scene and arrested someone matching the suspect’s description.

They say investigators confirmed that two people had been stabbed, one had suffered minor injuries while the second victim was left with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Police say the suspect remains in custody.

Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the incident and have not yet spoken to police to reach out.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

CALGARY – All Calgary Public Library locations have been closed due to a cybersecurity breach.

The library posted the news on its website, stating the closures took effect as of 5 p.m. Friday.

The post says that in addition to the closures, all servers and library computer access are being turned off.

No further details on the incident were provided, but the post says the library and its security team are working diligently to determine the scope of the breach and that more information will be provided when it’s available.

Earlier this spring, a hacker demanded ransom money after obtaining data from a server used by libraries throughout British Columbia, but a system manager said the leak was limited and no ransom was paid.

A cybersecurity incident also disrupted Toronto Public Library services late last year, and forensic investigators found the hackers stole the personal information of current and former staff members.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

WHITEHORSE – The Yukon government says its coroner’s service is investigating six suspected toxic drug deaths between Sept. 23 and Oct. 4.

A statement from the health minister says four of the deaths are confirmed as related to toxic drugs, bringing the total number of drug overdoses in the territory this year to 12.

It says an investigation into the other two deaths is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Health Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee says a key concern with the tragic surge of fatalities is the increasing presence of xylazine, a veterinary tranquillizer that has been detected in significant quantities in the deaths.

McPhee says xylazine is not an opioid and is resistant to the opioid-reversing medication naloxone, raising the risks for those using illicit substances.

The Yukon government declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022 in response to a surge in overdose deaths in the territory.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.