Saskatchewan NDP blasts Scott Moe for tax hikes while in office

TORONTO – Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government is considering buying back Highway 407, which runs across the Greater Toronto Area.

The Mike Harris Progressive Conservative government sold Highway 407 in 1999 for $3.1 billion dollars to a consortium that included SNC Lavalin, Quebec’s provincial pension fund and Spanish company Ferrovial.

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 50.01 per cent of 407 ETR, which runs the tolled highway.

The province owns a 22-kilometre stretch on the highway’s eastern flank and tolls drivers at a significantly cheaper rate than the private portion of the highway.

Ford is also doubling down on his idea to build an expressway tunnel underneath Highway 401 across the GTA, after announcing the launch of a feasibility study on it last week in an effort to reduce gridlock.

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

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Toronto police say they’ll be increasing their presence across the city ahead of the one-year anniversary of the start of the Israel-Hamas war and warn that violence at any demonstrations will not be tolerated.

Police Chief Myron Demkiw said Wednesday that there will be more plainclothes and uniformed officers dispatched across Toronto, in addition to command posts set up in Jewish neighbourhoods and near mosques.

He said the force was taking those steps to ensure safety amid a rise in hate-crime reports and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

“We know world events always have an impact here at home,” Demkiw said at a news conference. “This includes the potential for increased protest activity and acts of violence.”

Monday will mark one year since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. The Hamas attack saw 1,200 people killed and 250 abducted. Israel’s counteroffensive in Gaza has left more than 41,000 dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Demkiw said that as the anniversary approaches, there will be three police command posts in Jewish neighborhoods, and a fourth will move between various mosques across the city.

“The Toronto Police Service will be a visible and reassuring presence for as long as necessary,” he said.

In the year to date, there have been 350 alleged hate crimes reported in Toronto – a 40 per cent increase since this time last year, Demkiw said. He added that the greatest increase has been in alleged hate crimes against the Jewish community, which are up by 69 per cent.

Demkiw said Toronto police are working with municipal, provincial and federal partners, as well as intelligence services, to “monitor potential threats.”

Several public gatherings have been planned to mark the one-year anniversary of the war.

Demkiw said police will work to ensure safety at any demonstrations while maintaining the right to protest and free expression.

“We know emotions are intense, and as demonstrations continue, we must balance the right to assembly with the need to maintain public order and public safety,” he said.

The chief added that officers have managed more than 1,500 demonstrations across the city and have made 72 protest-related arrests since Oct. 7.

Demkiw said demonstrators have become “increasingly confrontational” against police, including the alleged use of weapons and assaults against officers. Such actions “will not be tolerated,” he warned.

“Communities are hurting, and the trauma of the conflict is deeply personal for many. For those who have family members directly affected by the violence abroad, the feelings of helplessness and frustration are real,” he said.

“But we must stand together as a city, and violence and hate, whether directed at each other or at the police, is not the solution.”

The increased police presence in Toronto comes as police in nearby York Region announced a similar move on Wednesday, saying they’ll be deploying more officers and command posts near faith-based institutions, schools and community centres.

York Regional Police said that starting on Wednesday, officers will be increasing foot and mobile patrols near these buildings, and will be operating two command posts in the community until Tuesday next week.

Police in Durham Region said Wednesday that they would also be increasing their presence and would have proactive patrols in areas around faith-based institutions, schools and community areas.

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

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

KANANASKIS, Alta. – The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says a pilot of a small plane that crashed into a mountain west of Calgary, killing all six people on board, didn’t fully understand the weather conditions when he took off and kept flying with poor visibility.

The pilot and five passengers were killed en route from the Springbank Airport just outside Calgary to Salmon Arm, B.C., where they were all to attend a social function in July 2023.

The agency says its investigation found the pilot had flown that route several times before and had recently qualified to fly the Piper aircraft his father had recently purchased.

The flight, scheduled to leave at 7:30 p.m., had been delayed due to weather and the window was closing to travel to Salmon Arm before dark.

The safety board found the pilot did not receive a free weather briefing offered by Nav Canada, but garnered information from an unspecified internet source and from someone at the airport before deciding to take off shortly before 9 p.m.

About 15 minutes into the flight, the plane crashed into the northeast face of Mount McGillivray in Kananaskis Country in rainy conditions.

“The pilot’s decision to depart was influenced by an incomplete understanding of the weather, familiarity with the route, time pressure and a personal desire to complete the flight,” the board said in its report published Wednesday.

“When the pilot encountered clouds and reduced visibility, for unknown reasons, he decided to continue the flight toward the destination and, subsequently, the aircraft collided with terrain in the cruise altitude.”

The board did not make any safety recommendations.

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

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.