Federal Court of Appeal overturned court ruling that said Safe Third Country Agreement violated charter Refugee advocates appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada Thursday argued that the Safe Third Country Agreement governing asylum claims between Canada and the United States violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In summer 2020, the Federal Court sided with the advocates and ruled that the agreement violates section seven of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects an individual’s right to life, liberty and security of the person. The following spring, the Federal CourtRead more

Alberta government committed around $73M to aviation industries, tourism The Alberta government and WestJet announced on Wednesday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that promises to make Calgary and Alberta a hub for the aviation industry. As part of the agreement, the government committed around $73 million over a number of years toward the aviation and tourism industries in Alberta. WestJet also said they will designate the Calgary airport as its only connecting hub within its network. “Today’s announcement … is about making Alberta the leading provinceRead more

Canada’s top court overturned a decision that allowed for consecutive periods of parole ineligibility Families of murder victims went before a committee of MPs on Thursday to condemn a controversial Supreme Court of Canada decision on sentencing law. In May, all nine justices on Canada’s top court overturned a 2011 Criminal Code provision that allowed judges to impose parole ineligibility periods of 25 years to be served consecutively for each murder, rather than concurrently. Sharlene Bosma’s husband Tim was killed in 2013. She told the MPs on the justice committee that the provision for consecutive paroleRead more

Nearly four months after the leadership contest began, one of seven contenders will emerge the victor Tonight, the United Conservative Party will announce its new leader and Alberta’s 19th premier. Nearly four months after the leadership contest began, one of seven contenders will emerge the victor. Close to 124,000 people bought or renewed UCP memberships by the Aug. 12 deadline to qualify to cast a vote. Party members have been voting by mail since early September. As of Monday night, about 82,000 members — 66 per cent of the total membership — hadRead more

Canadian Tire, Telus, Tim Hortons and others pull sponsorship from national organization The federal sport minister is ramping up her criticism of those leading Hockey Canada — an organization accused of mishandling allegations of gang rapes — by urging them to vacate their positions before the sports body is damaged beyond repair. “I hope they understand the message and leave before they burn it to the ground,” Pascale St-Onge said Thursday after a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill. Her comments are just the latest salvo aimed at the national ice hockey body. CBC News hasRead more

Federal government says Sask. government is pulling ‘dangerous stunt’ Saskatchewan’s minister of policing and public safety says she does not want provincial police resources involved in a federal firearm buyback program, a position the federal government is calling reckless. On Tuesday, Christine Tell sent a letter to Saskatchewan RCMP Commanding Officer Rhonda Blackmore. “The government of Saskatchewan does not support and will not authorize the use of provincially funded resources for any process that is connected to the federal government proposed ‘buy back’ of these firearms,” Tell wrote. In MayRead more

22-year-old died in hospital days after being detained by Iran’s morality police Demonstrators took to the streets in Canadian cities on Saturday to show solidarity with people in Iran protesting the repression of women’s rights following the death of a young woman after she was held by the country’s morality police. Just north of Toronto, tens of thousands gathered outside Richmond Hill’s Central Library in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who had been detained by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her mandatory headscarf too loosely. She fell intoRead more

RCMP says it is updating its manual to help with sexual violence investigations and provides online training The civilian watchdog agency overseeing the RCMP routinely takes Mounties to task for bungling sexual assault investigations, despite the RCMP’s promises to do better. A spokesperson for the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) for the RCMP said the agency has issued 43 “adverse findings” — conclusions that were unfavourable to the RCMP — in cases involving sexual assault investigations since 2019. Some of those case files have been posted online, with names and locationsRead more

‘The people have waited for a very long time to have a store to call … their own,’ says Chief Lorna Bighetty Helen Bighetty gleamed with excitement as she shopped in the frozen foods aisle of Pukatawagan’s new grocery store Wednesday. “This is absolutely wonderful prices. Like for this one here. This is a deal!” she said, holding a package of frozen ribs priced at $16.99. “If you shop in The Pas, it’s like $25, $30.” And it’s even more down the street at the Northern Store — until recently, the only place people livingRead more

Riverbend Bridge near Port Alberni, B.C., was recently painted to say ‘Every child matters’ The Tseshaht First Nation is condemning an act of hate after a bridge leading to a former residential school on Vancouver Island was defaced with an anti-Indigenous slur on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. According to the First Nation, the incident happened around 10 p.m. on Friday at the Riverbend Bridge, known locally as the Orange Bridge, which crosses the Somass River in Port Alberni, B.C., at Highway 4 and Falls Street. A barrier at the entrance to the bridgeRead more