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Trudeau says Canadian attendance at Russian embassy event ‘absolutely unacceptable’

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OTTAWA — It was “absolutely unacceptable” that any Canadian representative attended a party at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

“It never should have happened, and we denounce it thoroughly,” Trudeau said during question period in the House of Commons when pressed by interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen.

The Globe and Mail reported on Sunday that Yasemin Heinbecker, the deputy chief of protocol at Global Affairs Canada, had attended a party at the embassy last Friday to celebrate Russia Day.

Russia Day, which is celebrated on June 12 every year, is the national holiday of the Russian Federation. It marks the adoption of a 1990 declaration that sparked constitutional reforms and ultimately, the end of the Soviet era.

Bergen asked the prime minister Tuesday why a government that supports Ukraine would send a representative “to their enemy’s house to enjoy champagne and caviar.”

Bergen said she hoped Trudeau apologized to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trudeau said he spoke by telephone with Zelenskyy for 45 minutes on Tuesday about Canada’s support for the embattled country that Russia invaded in February.

“President Zelenskyy and I had an extremely positive conversation where this issue did not come up, because obviously there are much more important issues,” he said.

On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told the House of Commons that she is angry about the party, and her department has apologized.

She told reporters on Tuesday that she didn’t know Heinbecker was attending the party in advance and that she did not seek an explanation from her office about why it was approved, because “I would never have approved it, so there’s no explanation.”

Joly said she had a “tough conversation” with her staff and deputy minister Monday, and that she has also spoken with her Ukrainian counterpart.

In a tweet posted Saturday, the Russian Embassy in Canada said the event was attended by Russian and Canadian media, “representatives of Canadian society” and Global Affairs Canada.

It also said Oleg Stepanov, Russia’s ambassador to Canada, gave a speech noting that June 12 also marks the 80th anniversary of Russian-Canadian diplomatic relations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2022.

 

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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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.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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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.

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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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