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Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…
Liberals to sell budget as boon to fairness
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TRURO, N.S. — The relatives of victims of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting have told their lawyers to boycott the public inquiry investigating the tragedy, after its commissioners decided to prevent cross-examination of key Mountie witnesses.
The law firm representing 14 of 22 families issued a statement saying it was instructed not to attend the hearings on Wednesday and the next three hearings on the schedule. Patterson Law said the families are “disheartened and further traumatized” by the commission’s decision Monday to prevent the law firm’s lawyers from directly questioning Staff Sgt. Brian Rehill and Sgt. Andy O’Brien.
Rehill was the RCMP’s risk manager at its Operational Communications Centre in Truro, N.S., when the rampage that claimed 22 lives over two days began in nearby in Portapique, N.S., on April 18, 2020. When the centre received reports of an active shooter, Rehill assumed command while O’Brien assisted in overseeing the early response.
The federal-provincial commission of inquiry agreed Monday to provide special accommodations for three senior Mounties when they testify about command decisions they made as the tragedy unfolded.
Rehill and O’Brien will face questions from commission lawyers via Zoom calls that will be recorded and broadcast at a later date. Participants and lawyers who wish to observe their testimony must remain off screen with their microphones muted while each Mountie is speaking.
No reasons were given for the special arrangements. The commission has said this information is considered private because it deals with physical or psychological health needs.
Participating lawyers were told to submit questions for Rehill and O’Brien to commission lawyers in advance of the officers’ testimony, which is expected to take place on Monday and Tuesday, beginning with Rehill.
Sandra McCulloch and Rob Pineo, the lawyers for the majority of the families, left their seats at the inquiry unoccupied on Wednesday and held a news conference outside the public library in Truro. Pineo said it’s now unclear whether the family’s representatives will return to the process, adding that he will keep consulting with them.
“This was supposed to be the process that would get the families information and get their questions answered and that is simply not happening,” he said, recalling that they had to hold a public march in Truro and Halifax to pressure the federal and provincial governments to launch a public inquiry instead of the limited review that was originally planned.
Nick Beaton, whose pregnant wife, Kristen Beaton, was killed, said he’s now referring to the mass casualty commission as “a review,” adding that he believes the public inquiry has evolved into a “love triangle” between the commission, the RCMP and the government.
Lawyer Tara Miller said her clients have given her instructions not to attend this week and next week.
“In addition to being fundamentally offside, what this decision does is further erode the confidence of family members who are the most affected,” she said in an interview Wednesday.
“These are individuals who put children to bed alone at night. These are the individuals who celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Days with memories.”
Miller said it has been her clients’ position all along that participating lawyers should be allowed to engage in unfettered but appropriate cross-examination of witnesses.
“That is a fundamental tenet of any kind of a litigation proceeding, and that includes public inquiries,” Miller said.
Miller also said cross-examination of Rehill will be central to the inquiry’s purpose.
“This was the individual who had command of the entire first response,” she said. “The decisions that he made and why he made them, those are all questions that are highly relevant.”
Lawyers for the families of victims Gina Goulet, Lillian Campbell, Aaron Tuck, Jolene Oliver and Emily Tuck said in interviews that they will continue to participate next week despite the restrictions on questioning.
Meanwhile, Staff Sgt. Al Carroll — former district commander for Colchester County — is expected to testify Thursday via a live Zoom call. He will be provided with breaks during his appearance, the commission said Tuesday. He could face direct cross-examination.
The National Police Federation and the federal Department of Justice had requested that O’Brien and Rehill be allowed to provide their information by sworn affidavit and that Carroll testify in person with questions asked only by commission counsel.
Commission chairman Michael MacDonald closed the hearing on Wednesday by describing the absence of the families’ lawyers as “unfortunate.” However, he said earlier in the day he didn’t expect that the accommodations would prevent the gathering of “necessary information” from the Mounties.
Staff Sgt. Bruce Briers took the witness stand Wednesday. He was the risk manager who oversaw the RCMP dispatch in Truro during the second day of the rampage on April 19, 2020. On cross-examination, Briers broke down in tears over not having heard, after he came on shift at 7 a.m., that the killer’s replica police car had a distinctive, black push bar on the front.
He said he now realizes that two officers had mentioned the bar at different points in the morning, adding “I didn’t hear either time. I wish I had; this is one of those regrets.” The bar was also visible in a photo of the replica vehicle that was distributed among some senior officers at about 7:27 a.m.
He said he could have issued a broadcast on police radio about the push bar and it might have “made a big difference.”
“I have to live with that.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2022.
— With files from Michael MacDonald in Halifax.
Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press
A photo of green onions being sold with the roots chopped off at a Toronto Loblaws store is stirring more anger online against the grocery giant.
The photo posted to the Reddit forum Loblaws Is Out Of Control shows bundles of green onions without the roots at the bottom being sold for $1.79 per bunch.
Many in the comments pointed out that cutting the roots off of a green onion impacts how it tastes, as well as how long it stays fresh.
“I wouldn’t buy those, Glittering_Search_41 wrote. “If you cut off the ends they aren’t retaining their flavour.”
“They will also not keep very long with the root removed,” Mralisterh wrote. “Quartered the shelf life of them, you can already see oxidation. They’re going to rot within days.”
Others speculated that the product could have been chopped by the supplier, or by a new employee in the produce department.
The person who posted the photo said it was the second time they’d seen onions being sold with the roots cut off at the Loblaws located along Toronto’s Lakeshore.
“I believe this is more of a concerted effort to not allow us to regrow our purchased produce and to extract maximum profit,” Party_Setting7622 wrote.
A similar photo of rootless green onions being sold has been posted to the forum before, where one user wondered: “Is that to stop us from regrowing them at home?”
If you cut off the ends they aren’t retaining their flavour.
Loblaw did not respond to a request from comment from Yahoo Canada.
During the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, green onion became a trendy vegetable to showcase on social media, thanks to how easily they can sprout by putting the roots in a glass of water.
Arlene Hazzan Green, co-founder of the Backyard Urban Farm Company in Toronto, says there are many other vegetables that can be grown at home like a house plant, and without a plot or garden.
“All you need is a pot with holes, some potting mix, a saucer, a watering can, some sun and seedlings,” she says.
Hazzan Green explains there’s two types of plants — cold hardy plants, which can grow in cooler temperatures, and heat loving plants, which need frequent and direct light.
Leafy vegetables like kale, arugula, lettuce, chard and mustard greens and herbs, like basil and mint, fall into the first category and can be grown simply in a flowerpot on a window sill or balcony this time of year.
“You don’t need to wait until May 2-4 weekend, which is what everyone thinks,” she says. “I’ve got seedlings that I got started indoors and now I’m planting them outside.”
Tomatoes can also grow easily in a pot, though they fall under the heat loving plant category and need to grow outside and receive lots of sun.
“They’re great on a balcony,” Hazzan Green says. “And they’re way more tasty when you grow your own.”
When it comes to planting green onions, urban farmer Derek Barber of Homestead Toronto says they can be grown from seed, which is generally done in soil. You can also take the ends of another green onion, which would otherwise go to waste, and place them in water to sprout indoors. An entirely new onion won’t grow but you’ll get the leaves. This trick can be done a few times.
“It’s a great way to reuse vegetable scraps and it’s nice to have an ongoing supply of green onion leaves indoors,” says Barber. “The bottom does slowly decompose so you need to cut the new onions higher up the stem to avoid the soft part and you need to change the water regularly.”
Barber says this sprouting trick can also be done with celery, carrots and radish. Though you’re not getting a complete vegetable from it, the sprouts will produce leaves that make a great garnish and can add some fresh flavour to your meals.
Nine people have been arrested in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year, Peel Regional Police said Wednesday.
The arrests were announced at a news conference on the one-year anniversary of the heist.
Police said the suspects face a combined 19 charges and Canada-wide warrants have been issued for the arrest of three other suspects.
During a news conference on Wednesday morning, police said 6,600 gold bars were stolen from Air Canada’s cargo facility on the evening of April 17, 2023 by a suspect who arrived to the warehouse in a five-tonne truck.
The gold, along with about $2.5 million in foreign currency, had been shipped to Toronto from Zurich in the hull of an Air Canada plane and was offloaded to an Air Canada cargo facility shortly after landing at Pearson Airport that afternoon.
Police allege that the suspect came into possession of the stolen gold and bank notes after presenting Air Canada personnel with a fraudulent airway bill.
“The airway bill was for a legitimate shipment of seafood that was picked up the day before,” Det.-Sgt. Mike Mavity, the major case manager for the joint investigation, dubbed Project 24K, told reporters on Wednesday.
“This duplicate airway bill was printed off from a printer within Air Canada cargo.”
Mavity said a forklift arrived a short time later and loaded the stolen gold and currency into the back of the truck. The suspect then drove off with the gold bars, which were estimated to be worth about $20 million.
Brinks Canada, which was hired to provide security and logistics services for the transportation of the shipment, showed up at the facility a few hours later to pick up the items.
Police said Air Canada employees tried to locate the container, realized it was missing, and quickly launched in an internal investigation. Police were notified about the stolen goods shortly before 3 a.m. the following day, Mavity said.
This is a breaking news update. More information to come…
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…
Liberals to sell budget as boon to fairness
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It’s now up to the federal Liberal government to sell a spending plan it says will help younger Canadians catch up to their elders.
So far, if unsurprisingly, their critics and political rivals are unimpressed.
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The $535-billion budget seeks to restore economic fairness for millennials and gen-Z voters at a time when the minority government is ailing in the polls.
It includes $8.5 billion over five years to help build millions of homes and another $2.6 billion for student aid and grant programs.
And it commits funding to the first phase of national pharmacare and promises federal standards for long-term care — two commitments the Liberals made to the NDP.
But New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh isn’t in a hurry to say if his party will vote to support the budget and keep the minority Liberals in power.
Federal budget announces measures for open banking
The federal budget announced several measures affecting the banking sector, including long-promised details about a framework for open banking.
Open banking is a system that would allow consumers to easily access their financial data across multiple institutions, apps and services.
The specifics will come with legislation to be tabled before the end of the year, but the federal budget sets out six core elements for the framework.
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It also names the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada to oversee and enforce the system.
The budget earmarks $4.1 million over three years for the Finance Department to complete the policy work necessary to establish and maintain the oversight entity and framework.
Trio found guilty in Coutts, Alta., blockade
Three men accused by the Crown of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 have been found guilty of mischief.
Jurors deliberated for three hours Tuesday night before finding Alex Van Herk, Marco Van Huigenbos, and Gerhard (George) Janzen guilty of one count each of mischief over $5,000.
Gasps of surprise were heard in a courtroom packed with supporters of the trio when the verdict was announced.
The trio were on trial in Court of King’s Bench for their roles in a blockade that tied up cross-border traffic between Canada and the United States at Coutts for two weeks in early 2022 in protest of COVID-19 rules and restrictions.
Van Herk said he’s proud of participating in Coutts and holding politicians accountable.
“If that’s what it takes, that we can show politicians what is right, and we’ll do whatever sentence that is. I’d do it again tomorrow.”
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The maximum sentence for public mischief over $5000 is 10 years in prison.
Police to announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police are set to announce arrests in a heist of nearly $24 million in gold and cash from Toronto’s Pearson airport last year.
Peel Regional Police are expected to reveal details this morning of their joint task force investigation — dubbed Project 24K — with the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau.
The news comes on the one-year anniversary of the daring heist.
A lawsuit filed against Air Canada by American security company Brink’s alleged that a thief presented a forged document to collect about $23.8 million in goods from a holding facility at Pearson airport.
Brink’s statement of claim alleged that Air Canada staff handed over 400 kilograms of gold, worth more than $20 million, plus nearly US$2 million in cash to the thief.
Closing arguments expected today in Zameer trial
Prosecutors and defence lawyers are expected to make their final submissions today in the trial of a man accused of running over a Toronto police officer.
Umar Zameer has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup died on July 2, 2021, after he was hit by a vehicle in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall.
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Zameer has testified he didn’t know Northrup and his partner _ who were in plain clothes — were police officers and he got scared when two strangers rushed towards his car in the largely empty parking lot shortly after midnight.
He told the court he was trying to drive away quickly to save his family from what he believed to be robbers and he didn’t see anything in front of his car or realize he had hit anyone until after his arrest.
Auston Matthews has one more shot at 70 goals
Auston Matthews has one more chance to reach a milestone not touched in nearly three decades.
The Maple Leafs sniper was unable to score in Tuesday night’s 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers, leaving him stuck on 69 goals for the season.
Matthews and Toronto visit the Tampa Bay Lightning to close out the regular season on Wednesday night. The 26-year-old centre is looking to become the first player to score 70 goals in a campaign since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny both registered 76 back in 1992-93.
Matthews, who had found the back of the net 10 times in his previous eight games before the loss to the Panthers, can become just the ninth player in NHL history to score 70 goals in a season, joining the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Mario Lemieux.
Toronto’s defeat to Florida, coupled with Ottawa’s 3-1 victory over Boston, means the Leafs will play the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. The Panthers and Lightning are set to square off in the other Atlantic Division matchup.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2024
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