Quebec police continue search for quarry workers

Police say they will work night and day to find two workers presumed to be buried under rubble after a landslide at a quarry near l'Épiphanie, Que., 50 kilometres north of Montreal.

Repentigny police Sgt. Bruno Marier said Wednesday between 60 and 80 workers would continue searching the grounds overnight in hopes of finding the two missing people.

Marier said the crews faced challenges when trying to bring equipment down the 100-metre-deep quarry. He said a loader had been brought on site safely and would be used to excavate.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, a dog from the K-9 unit reportedly discovered four areas of interest. Provincial police said searches yielded no results.

Marier said workers had been given avalanche alert systems as a precaution.

Quebec's Public Security Minister Stéphane Bergeron said the rules put in place by the workers' health and safety board (CSST) did delay the rescue work this morning but will keep people safe on the unstable terrain.

"Yesterday, we had to interrupt the operations because the CSST wanted to be sure that all this operation could be conducted under the parameters that will ensure the security of the personnel. We have been able to start again the operations this morning," he said Wednesday.

Bergeron said the search will carry on until the people are found.

Survivor speaks

Benoît Robert, the loader operator who was rescued, spoke to media Wednesday from the hospital in Terrebonne, Que., where he was recovering from the shock of his ordeal.

Barely holding back tears, he recalled being inside the cab of his loader, in the process of filling up a truck when he saw the ground began to shake.

At first, he said, he thought he was having problems with his vision.

Robert said that's when the woman in the truck said to him, "We're sliding. We're going to die."

He said his loader fell seven to eight metres before stopping. Robert said he thought about jumping from the vehicle, but as he watched an avalanche of rubble cascading down the side of the quarry right in front of him, he said he knew he would be killed if he tried to escape the cab.

He said the loader fell about another 100 metres before it came to a stop, and he was able to get outside.

"I was lucky," he said.

Soon after, he scrambled over to the partially buried truck and called out, asking if anyone was there.

But Robert said he heard no response.

He thanked the police, his co-workers and paramedics for their help and support.

Robert said he was grateful to be alive.

"It's difficult, what I lived through, but I am still here," he said.

Doctors confirmed Robert he did not suffer any physical injuries in the landslide.

He said his employers, Maskimo Construction and Excavations G. Allard, are caring and would have never sent him deliberately into a dangerous situation.

Robert said he sends his best wishes to the families of the missing workers.

"I don't know if they'll be there in the future but I know the family is still there and they could live difficult moments," he said.

Two still missing

On Tuesday, three workers fell into the large gravel quarry after a landslide carried two trucks and a loader and buried them at the bottom of the pit. One man, who only suffered minor injuries, was rescued yesterday by helicopter.

Family members gathered at the site Wednesday as search-and-rescue efforts continued for a man and a woman who are still missing.

"At this time we still have hope, but it's more of a recovery mission than a safety mission now," said Marier.

Using metal detectors, thermal cameras and search dogs, rescue workers continued their search Wednesday after halting operations overnight because of dangerous conditions.

This morning, a crane was on its way to the quarry, where it will be used to help lower equipment needed to dig through the rubble. (CBC)

On Tuesday, crews were able to uncover and peer into one of the trucks buried under the rubble, but officials said that it was empty.

Rescuers have been unable to reach the second truck's cabin.

Marier said the next step is to use an excavator, which is already at the bottom of the pit, to help dig around the buried trucks.

A crane on site will lower a bucket down to the excavator. The bucket will then be attached to the crane and used to help sift through the rubble.

Rescuers face with risky conditions

Marier said it's possible the two people managed to jump out of their trucks when the landslide occurred.

"That's the problem, we don't have any information if the two occupants of both vehicles were able to get out of the vehicles when the landslide happened," he said.

Marier said experts believe the landslide was followed by an avalanche of mud, which has made rescue efforts especially challenging.

Crews are dealing with many obstacles, especially the unstable, muddy ground, which Marier said could jeopardize the safety of rescue workers.

Investigators are looking into the cause of the landslide, which remains unknown.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

CBC Windsor talks about incoming premier Kathleen Wynne

Incoming premier Kathleen Wynne is taking calls Thursday on Ontario Today with host Kathleen Petty and we're hosting a live chat at the same time from here in Windsor.

Starting a noon Thursday, follow the interview with our audio player below or on CBC Radio One (97.5 FM in Windsor) and join the conversation in our live chat below and share your thoughts on the challenge ahead for the incoming premier and the province.

We'll also be reading some of the comments and questions from the chats live on air during Ontario Today.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Widespread price-fixing alleged in Toronto home construction

A construction-industry conspiracy to inflate the price of building foundations for houses has been operating for nearly 15 years in the Toronto area, Canada's Competition Bureau maintains in a 120-page search-warrant application obtained by CBC News.

The bureau says some of the biggest companies that pour concrete basement foundations for new homes have:

• Agreed to fix prices.
• Established agreements not to compete.
• Attempted to stifle smaller competitors.

With more than 330,000 new houses built in the Greater Toronto Area since 1997, the alleged price-fixing could have added hundreds of millions of dollars to the total tab for home construction — or several thousand dollars per house.

McGill University competition-law expert Richard Janda says the case has some similarities to the Quebec construction industry, where a public inquiry has unearthed pervasive collusion. (CBC)

"It's pretty striking," McGill University law professor Richard Janda, an expert in competition law, said after reviewing the documents obtained by CBC News. "It's fairly weighty evidence."

Those documents allege that up to 10 companies in the concrete-forming business — those who assemble the moulds for basement foundation walls, pour concrete into them, then dismantle the frames — either orchestrated or abided by the price-fixing scheme. They supposedly crafted their arrangements through the Residential Low Rise Forming Contractors Association of Metropolitan Toronto and Vicinity and pressured rivals who tried to undercut their fees.

"The alleged co-conspirators allegedly participated in, and may be continuing to participate in, meetings, telephone conversations and other forms of communication among themselves and/or with their competitors for the purpose of exchanging competitively sensitive information, fixing prices and allocating customers," the warrant application reads.

An Ontario Superior Court judge granted the application last March, allowing Competition Bureau officers to raid the offices of three of the companies and the industry association and to cart away financial records and thousands of paper and computer files.

So far, no charges have been laid and none of the allegations in the search warrant application has been tested in court.

CBC News contacted the companies named in the warrants, and all refused to comment. Their association would only answer questions by email, saying "we expect to be exonerated once the facts are known."

'The way business is done'

Several industry insiders told CBC News it's "common" that concrete forming companies discuss their prices with each other.

"It's the way business is done. This is very common," said a veteran construction manager at a Toronto-area homebuilder, who asked to remain anonymous, citing concerns about compromising his business relationships. "They have a coffee … they talk about suppliers — and eventually there's a typical consensus of where prices should be."

He also said that in cases where a contractor has an established relationship with a homebuilder, rival formwork companies will rarely try to snatch away that work. "They'll say, 'Either you're going to get the contract or I'm going to get the contract, but at the end of the day, you know, we have to help each other out and we shouldn't price below this level.' "

But the construction manager said he doesn't believe that the consumer suffers. "I don't think that it has enough of a bearing on the end price," he said, adding that he would rather companies talk among themselves about their prices than have one bid so low that it ends up losing money.

Competition-law expert Janda, however, said the whole idea of a free market that yields better service and prices "disappears" when companies collude.

"Who loses is the public," he said. "It's pretty similar to theft, in the sense that rather than having prices that are set according to who can offer the best service and who can do so most cheaply, prices are set according to, basically, a monopolist.

"When allegations of this kind started to emerge in Quebec in the construction industry, people started paying attention to the possibility that the entire structure of the industry was problematic."

Decade-old concerns

Concerns about concrete formwork in the Toronto area first surfaced more than a decade ago, according to the Competition Bureau warrants and other documents obtained by CBC News. In 2000, the warrant application shows, the owner of a concrete-forming company wrote to the industry association worried about measures he thought were "illegally restricting competition." Two years later, a letter from another concrete-forming contractor cited "what I seen and heard at the meetings … fixing prices to $32/foot."

In both instances, the documentation shows the Low-Rise Forming Association replied rejecting the accusations.

The two contractors finally took their complaints to the Competition Bureau in 2010, it says in its warrant application, sparking the current investigation. The bureau's application says one of them — Lou Rocca, also a Toronto restaurateur — became its main informant, providing years of documents from Low-Rise Forming Association meetings.

The most explicit of those is a "standard contract" form that, Rocca is quoted telling bureau officers, the conspiring companies would use to set their prices. A copy of the boilerplate contract submitted as part of the Competition Bureau's court filing has prices already printed in it for certain types of concrete-forming work, and Rocca told officers the companies would circulate it at the association's spring meetings and agree on what to charge for that year.

Another document, minutes from an association meeting, contains a reference to an investigation into "underpricing." Rocca told the Competition Bureau that was an instance when rivals wanted to challenge him because he refused to go along with their scheme.

Yet another file, notes supposedly taken by Rocca's lawyer at an association meeting, quotes a frustrated forming-company owner sarcastically saying, "I have to go back to the cartel and ask permission" before signing any new contracts with home builders.

The bureau's court filing says Rocca told officers that his competitors also repeatedly spoke at those meetings of "an agreement between all of us," of having to "stick to the LRFA prices as we asked you to" and of a need "to control this."

Further documents detail trips that executives from different companies took together to Las Vegas and the Bahamas, trips that Rocca says were pitched as occasions for ostensible business rivals to sow the camaraderie required for them to collude.

Industry infighting

Others in the construction industry say Rocca's accusations are just the latest salvo in a still-simmering spat between him, his competitors and the labour union representing all their workers.

"Allegations by Halton Forming should be taken with a large grain of salt," the Low-Rise Forming Association's lawyers wrote last June in a letter to Toronto-area homebuilders.

The Competition Bureau investigation is still underway. Once complete, the bureau will decide whether to forward the file to federal prosecutors, who would in turn weigh whether to lay criminal charges under the Competition Act. The maximum penalty for price-fixing is 14 years in prison and a $25-million fine.

With files from CBC's Joseph Loiero

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ikea 'monkey mom' returns to Ontario court

Yasmin Nakhuda has taken to social media in her fight to regain custody of Darwin, better known as the Ikea monkey. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Yasmin Nakhuda, the woman who calls herself the "Monkey Mom," is going for Round 2 today in her fight to get Darwin the monkey back.

Darwin — otherwise known as the Ikea monkey — has been living at a primate sanctuary since his romp around a Toronto Ikea parking lot in December.

A judge in Oshawa, Ont., is set to hear arguments today on where Darwin should live until the case can be fully heard. After an interim motion in December, the judge ruled that Darwin would stay at the sanctuary for the time being.

Nakhuda has taken her fight to social media as well, posting videos and photos of Darwin on YouTube and Facebook.

They show him playing at her office, drinking from a baby bottle and splashing around in a bathtub.

The sanctuary has also taken to the Internet to boost support. It set up a fundraising campaign using pictures of Darwin and its website notes that Ikea Canada made a "generous contribution."

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Delisle spying damage still 'ongoing,' CSIS official says

The scope of damage caused by Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle, the naval officer at the centre of an international espionage embarrassment, is unknown, says an official at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Delisle, 41, is in a Nova Scotia court for a two-day hearing after pleading guilty in October to breach of trust and passing information to a foreign entity that could harm Canada's interests.

The case of a Canadian in uniform selling a vast horde of secrets to the Russians is unprecedented.

Delisle is the first Canadian charged under the Security of Information Act. That means the judge has no prior cases to help him sentence the former threat assessment officer with a top secret clearance.

At stake for Delisle is the possibility of a life sentence for attempting to sell Canadian and allied secrets over a four year period.

The wild card at the hearing could be Delisle himself. It's possible that he could take the stand and speak in his own defence.

Since he was arrested in January 2012, he has remained silent and in jail.

Security breach

The first Crown witness to take the stand was Michelle Tessier, director general of internal security at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. She is responsible for personal security and damage assessment after a security breach at CSIS.

Tessier told the court that damage caused by Delisle is still being assessed because it is "ongoing."

"It's extremely concerning to us."

The court heard how Delisle's betrayal involved revealing names and phone numbers of CSIS agents.

"For us, there is a potential loss of life," Tessier said.

"There's an expectation that you will protect that information. It's all about trust. It's about trust. It's about confidence."

On Dec. 9, 2011, Delisle attempted to send secret "Canadian eyes only" documents to Russians, she said.

'Security, quite frankly, was lax, to put it mildly." —Mike Taylor

Tessier said his activities could have tipped off Russia about what Canada has on them.

Under cross-examination, Tessier said she doesn't know the extent of what Delisle gave to the Russians.

"There's a lot of uncertainty," said defence lawyer Mike Taylor.

"You're still offering opinion without definite confirmation."

Tessier maintained that what Delisle did was "very severe."

"We can't take that information back. It's gone," she said.

Approached Russians

The story began when Delisle walked into the Russian Embassy in Ottawa wearing a red ball cap and civilian clothes. He flashed his Canadian military identification and asked to meet with someone from GRU, the Russian military intelligence.

Delisle was posted to the security unit HMCS Trinity, an intelligence facility at the naval dockyard in Halifax. It tracks vessels entering and exiting Canadian waters via satellites, drones and underwater devices.

There he had access to Stone Ghost, an allied system.

On Thursday, the Crown revealed that Delisle also had access to a Department of National Defence secret system and a computer system dealing with message traffic, a NATO system and Mandrake, a government of Canada secret system.

Delisle had to sign a confidentiality agreement to get access to all these secret data bases, according to the Crown.

"Security, quite frankly, was lax, to put it mildly," said defence lawyer Taylor.

Tessier told the court that the Five Eyes, the intelligence alliance between the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, has decided to increase its level of security for Canada because of Delisle

If Canada doesn't satisfy its allies with security upgrades "there's a risk we may be cut off," she said.

In court, Delisle sat quietly, hands in his lap, staring straight ahead, reported CBC's Blair Rhodes.

Delisle is still officially in the navy and drawing pay. The Department of National Defence says that will change once the judge renders his sentence.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Toyota Canada recalls 157,000 cars over airbags, wipers

Toyota Canada is recalling more than 157,000 vehicles to fix airbags and window wipers.

They include more than 140,000 Corolla and Matrix cars from 2003 and 2004 and almost 17,000 Lexus IS models from 2006 through 2012.

The Corolla and Matrix cars are being recalled because of concerns their airbags could be deployed inadvertently due to a possible short circuit in the control module.

The automaker also says the wiper arms of the Lexus vehicles may not be sufficiently tight and may stop working if their movement is restricted, by a buildup of snow for example.

The company says owners of the vehicles covered by these voluntary recalls will receive a letter via mail starting next month.

It is part of a global recall of more than 1.3 million vehicles, including 752,000 in the United States.

In Tokyo, Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman Naoto Fuse said Wednesday there have been no accidents or injuries related to the defects.

But he said the company had received 46 reports of problems involving the airbags from North America, and one from Japan.

There were 25 reports of problems related to the windshield wipers.

With files from The Associated Press

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Quebec quarry search resumes for 2 missing workers

Search efforts are continuing today for two workers presumed to be buried under rubble following a landslide at a quarry near l'Épiphanie, Que., 50 kilometres north of Montreal.

Repentigny Police Sgt. Bruno Marier said a rescue team from the Quebec provincial police was to be on the scene beginning at about 7 a.m. ET to search for a missing man and woman.

Rescue workers are dealing with many obstacles, especially the unstable, muddy ground, which Marier said could jeopardize the safety of rescue workers.

Officials have still been unable to make contact with the two missing individuals. On Tuesday, despite the use of police dogs and thermal cameras, rescuers came out empty handed.

Marier said it's possible the two people managed to jump out of their trucks when the landslide occurred.

"That's the problem, we don't have any information if the two occupants of both vehicles were able to get out of the vehicles when the landslide happened," he said.

Marier said experts believe the landslide was followed by an avalanche of mud, which has made rescue efforts especially challenging.

On Tuesday, a team of experts along with police officers decided conditions were too dangerous to risk continuing the search overnight.

Prior to that, crews were able to uncover and peer into one of the trucks buried under the rubble, but officials said that it was empty.

Rescuers have been unable to reach the second truck's cabin.

One worker was successfully airlifted Tuesday from the pit by a helicopter.

Marier said the man is doing fine, although he suffered quite a shock.

"He is doing great ... he is healthy and he is happy to get out alive."

Investigators will be looking into the cause of the landslide, which remains unknown.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ontario athletes playing in U.S. during teachers' protest

Uncertainty about whether there would be a full high school basketball season this school year made a tough decision easier for Herman student athlete Marko Kovac.

The 6'5" power forward will join teammate Tyler Storie at a prep school in the U.S.

Kovac and Storie will join Iowa's Kingdom Prep Academy. The school is nine hours west of Windsor but plays mainly tournaments on the road.

Kovac has only paid for a flight to Iowa, so far. He said the school is not charging him tuition.

It's an opportunity Kovac may not have taken had the public school teachers' labour dispute with the province not happened.

Some public school teachers have withdrawn their services from extracurricular activities. The move is in protest to Bill 115, which the province repealed earlier this month, and a government-imposed contract.

Herman will host this year's Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association basketball championship, so the team is guaranteed a spot in the tournament.

However, with only three public high schools in the area choosing to play in the local Windsor Essex County Secondary Schools Athletic Association league, Kovac said his coach encouraged him to get the exposure available with an American team.

"He really stressed the importance of me choosing the other opportunity because I'd be playing in front of 50 Division I coaches a night instead of maybe two or three locally," Kovac said.

Herman's athletic director Dillon Lanspeary and head coach Matt Loebach discussed the move and in the absence of clear rules, decided it would be best for the kids to play in the U.S.

Kovac and Storie will play in the National Prep Invitational Tournament in Rhode Island later this week. It's part of the Kingdom Prep Academy's national schedule. Storie couldn't be reached for comment. He was already on the road.

Kovac said he has drawn the attention of several Division I schools since he started playing in the States.

'Major issue'

The Herman athletes' situation is a first locally. Some sports officials are concerned other high school athletes will follow Kovac's and Storie's example.

"This is a major issue now in front of the OFSAA sport advisory council in regards to kids playing basketball for grades 9, 10, and 11, going to prep school in the States, and then coming back to their original school," said Mike Makitrick of the Windsor Essex County Schools Athletic Association.

There are no rules against it, but Makitrick said it could set precedent.

He said the governing body, OFSAA, has been looking into similar situations in other cities and new rules could be coming soon.

Lanspeary said this will give other student athletes a push to try a similar move. He's confident it won't cause a mass exodus.

"These are talented athletes. They are very skilled. You can't just go and play in the States," he said. "Its fantastic. I'm very happy for them and it's great for our school."

The door hasn't been closed on the local and provincial season for Kovac and Storie. Both would be eligible to play at this year's provincial championship.

The duo played the minimum number of games for Herman that allows them to qualify for the OFSAA championship, but Loebach thought it would be unethical to let them play for both teams for the rest of the season or until WECSSAA had a clear rule on what they're doing.

Herman still means a lot to Kovac and his family. He's still getting his education from Herman and not Kingdom Prep Academy.

"My parents, my brother, just stressed the importance of graduating from Herman and coming from Herman," he said.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Record highs, freezing rain mark active weather day

Wednesday promises to be another day of active weather across Canada, with temperatures across southern Ontario soaring to 10 C or higher — while wind and freezing rain sweep through the Maritimes.

Areas in southern Ontario, such as Niagara, Toronto, and Collingwood, will experience southwesterly winds bringing in the mild air from the Gulf of Mexico, says Environment Canada. The Ottawa area will also receive mild weather after freezing rain overnight.

With the warm air, rainfall of 10 to 20 mm is also expected in southern Ontario, with higher amounts possible in locales that receive a thunderstorm, along with some possible flooding. Southern Quebec will also feel a round of warm and wet weather with generally about 15 to 30 mm of rain, and 40mm or more possible north and east of Montreal, says meteorologist Jay Scotland at CBC's weather centre.

But the warmth will be short-lived — a sharp Arctic cold front will drag east into Quebec on Thursday and temperatures are expected to plunge to below freezing again.

Meanwhile, in the Maritimes, weather forecasts are calling for snow, rain and strong wind gusts. Freezing rain has already began in parts of southeastern New Brunswick, where a wind warning of gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour is in effect.

The forecast has prompted many schools in the Fredericton and Moncton areas to close for the day.

Gusty winds and arctic air are set to blow across the Prairies Wednesday towards the eastern provinces.

Road collisions

Snow and freezing rain are making for a messy commute this morning in some parts of southern Ontario, as police report almost 500 collisions on Ontario highways.

The Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa and all highways around Sudbury, Ontario have been temporarily closed. Some highways are under water, while others are too icy.

The blast of winter weather also has Air Canada, WestJet and Porter airlines warning of possible delays and cancellations at Toronto's Pearson and Billy Bishop airports.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

RIM's BlackBerry 10 ready to launch

The eyes of the technology world were focused squarely on Research In Motion today as the company launches BlackBerry 10, the hotly anticipated line of smartphones with the potential to make or break the company.

CEO Thorsten Heins kicked off simultaneous live events in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Dubai, Johannesburg, Jakarta and Delhi, with the announcement that the company and its ubiquitous product were becoming one and the same — the company has renamed itself BlackBerry.

Heins unveiled a line of new smartphones the company says will help it win back market share in the competitive mobile space.

After pioneering the smartphone concept in the early 2000s, RIM has seen its grasp on the sector slowly erode since Apple released the iPhone in 2007 and several manufacturers followed quickly to market with Android-powered devices tailored to the consumer market.

"They're not really perceived as being hip or cool," Queen's University business professor Barry Cross says of the company's recent woes.

From a high of over $150 in the summer of 2008, RIM shares fell steadily to the $6 range on the TSX as recently as September before a round of analyst optimism over RIM's chances with BB10 pushed the stock into the teens.

Recent data suggests RIM has less than five per cent of the North American market share, and the company has pinned its hopes on BlackBerry 10 to halt that slide and take back the dominance it once had.

Two phone versions

RIM launched two versions of the phone on Wednesday, the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10. The former is a touchscreen device, the latter has a full Qwerty keyboard.

"We know there are a lot of keyboard lovers out there," Heins said. "We heard you loud and clear."

Among the features on the devices are something the company is calling BlackBerry Balance, which will allow one machine to be switched between work and personal user accounts.

The company is pitching the technology as a way for consumers to be able to have only one device with multiple personas — a personal one full of apps and tools for personal use, and a corporate one that can safely house sensitive corporate material.

"You can just switch from work to personal mode," Scotiabank analyst Gus Papageorgiou said. "I think that is something that will attract a lot of people," he said.

Another feature is BlackBerry Flow, a technology that will allow the user to swipe between multiple apps with the touch of a finger. That's something the current round of BlackBerry phones haven't been able to do, but it's seen as key in the multitasking environment.

Analysts and reviewers who've seen the device suggest the company has revamped its web browser to the point where it competes and might surpass those available on iPhones, Android or Windows phones. It also boasts the BlackBerry Messenger instant messaging technology that helped make BlackBerrys so popular in the first place.

The company has revamped its app store and called it BlackBerry World, which will have more than 70,000 applications at launch. That's barely a tenth of what's available in Apple's App Store, or on Google Play, but it's a step toward bridging the gap.

"It's got the ability to start to create some buzz around RIM again," Cross says.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Canada to provide $13M more for Mali aid

Canada will provide another $13 million in aid to Mali, International Co-operation Minister Julian Fantino announced Tuesday in Ethiopia.

Fantino is the Canadian representative at a donor's conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.

"I'm announcing that Canada is providing an additional $13 million to a number of ongoing initiatives aimed at addressing the humanitarian needs that are so pressing," Fantino said at the conference.

A statement from the African Union said leaders had raised over $453 million US "aimed at bridging the funding gap to expedite the deployment of African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA)."

The funds raised will also go to enhance the capacities and training of the Malian Defence and Security Forces, the statement said.

A statement earlier this week from the Canadian government said in the last year, Canada has provided:

• food and nutrition assistance to 1.3 million people in Mali, as well as to 142,000 refugees in Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.
• water and sanitation assistance to more than 49,000 people.
• activities such as the screening and referral of children suffering from malnutrition, as well as activities designed to protect livelihoods and enhance resilience, such as the distribution of seeds and tools for 58,000 people; and cash transfers and cash-for-work programming for 3,000 vulnerable households affected by both the food crisis and conflict in northern Mali.

Despite Fantino's announcement earlier in the day, his spokeswoman initially denied Canada had pledged any further funding for the troubled west African country.

"Canada has not announced any humanitarian funds above what is already being implemented. If and when Canada does, I'll ensure you are made aware," Meagan Murdoch said in an email.

Another spokesman from Fantino's office also refused to confirm the announcement, even after being presented with quotes pulled from a recording of the conference.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-Calgary psychiatrist found guilty of sexual assault

A Calgary jury in the sexual assault case against Aubrey Levin has found the former psychiatrist guilty on three counts of sexual assault against male patients, and not guilty on two counts of sexual assault.

Levin, 74, stood quietly and did not show any emotion as he listened to the decision, while his son and daughter-in-law were visibly emotional.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Donna Shelley declared a mistrial on the remaining four counts of sexual assault because the jury couldn't reach a decision on those.

The Crown is asking for a jail term of between four and seven years.

Jury members began deliberating on Friday and were sequestered over the weekend, but appeared to be unable to agree on verdicts.

On Sunday, the jury sent the judge a letter saying it was deadlocked.

"After vigorous and lengthy deliberations, we are unable to reach a verdict on any of the nine charges and are not convinced further deliberations will help," read the letter.

On Monday morning, Justice Donna Shelley asked jurors to keep trying to reach a verdict in the case.

The jury deliberated all day and finally came to a decision on five of the nine counts at about 7:30 p.m. MT.

Levin formerly served as a court-appointed psychiatrist and was charged with nine counts of sexual assault involving male patients.

The allegations came to light in 2010 after one a patient came forward with secret videos he recorded during court-ordered sessions with the psychiatrist.

The videos, which were played in court, show Levin undoing the man's belt and jeans and appearing to fondle him.

Levin, who immigrated to Canada from South Africa, denied all the allegations against him and claimed he was conducting examinations to help with sexual dysfunction.

Charge pending against wife

The case also saw an accusation of jury tampering. One juror was dismissed after informing the court she had been approached by a woman and offered an envelope full of cash to find Levin not guilty.

A charge of obstruction of justice is pending against Levin's wife, Erica, who has been under house arrest since the alleged encounter.

With files from The Canadian Press

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wireless fee, contract guidelines proposed by CRTC

A public hearing on the draft code will take place Feb. 11 to 15. (Canadian Press)

Wireless providers would face limits on early termination fees and must unlock phones under "reasonable terms" under new draft guidelines released Monday by Canada's telecommunications regulator.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is asking the public for feedback on its draft "wireless code" via an online discussion that will remain open until 5 p.m. Feb. 15, the last day of a public hearing in Gatineau, Que., on the code. The hearing begins on Feb. 11.

Some of the proposals in the draft code, based partly on 3,500 comments submitted by Canadians to the commission in writing and 600 posted in an online discussion forum, include requiring that:

• Customers receive a personalized summary of key terms and conditions in their contract, such as how much they would pay in cancellation charges at different times during their contract and what tools are available to help them monitor their usage of different services.
• Wireless providers be required to unlock customers' wireless devices under "reasonable terms." Options for those terms include fees and time frames.
• Customers be given tools to monitor their usage compared to the limits of their plan in order to be aware of extra fees they might incur if they go above the limits.
• Customers be allowed to restrict features that could incur additional fees, and the ability to specify a cap to their monthly bill. Once the user hits the cap, the service provider would suspend services that could result in extra fees.
• Early termination fees can only include subsidies on the price of phone or other mobile device and discounts the customer received for signing on to a contract of a specific length.

Under advertising guidelines in the draft code, wireless providers would still be able to advertise plans with some limits as "unlimited," but would have to explain "whether there are limits to the 'unlimited' plan and whether the service provider retains the discretion to move the consumer to a 'limited ' plan if usage limits are exceeded."

'Good first draft'

Consumer groups and wireless providers alike gave the plan an initial thumbs up.

"This draft code is a good start to work from," said Shawn Hall, a spokesman for Telus.

He added that the company will provide input once it's had a chance to review the draft in more detail and it thinks a national wireless code of conduct is "the right thing to do."

Lindsey Pinto, as spokeswoman for Open Media, a Vancouver-based public advocacy group that has campaigned for better treatment of wireless consumers by their mobile service providers, called the document a "good first draft."

The group, which will testify at the upcoming hearing, was particularly happy that the guidelines specify that they won't prevent customers from benefiting from provincial laws concerning wireless contracts that benefit the consumer. Pinto noted that some provinces, such as Quebec and Manitoba, have existing rules that are good for consumers.

One of the group's only concerns, she added, is that it would like the code to specify that termination fees can be made as monthly payments rather than a lump sum. The draft code allows wireless providers to charge a customer for the amount their mobile device was subsidized by the service provider when they signed a term contract – such as an iPhone that is "free" with a three-year contract. Pinto wants assurances that consumers don't get "slapped with the $700 cost of a phone" all at once.

"The more specific the code is … the less room big telecom companies have to basically go around it and apply what is a defacto termination fee."

However, not everyone was impressed with the draft code.

Technology journalist and blogger, Pete Nowak, tweeted that it "does little that isn't already happening."

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

A year after N.L. boy's death, search-and-rescue doubts persist

The tragic death of a Labrador teen lost on the ice one year ago sparked some changes to search and rescue procedures, but some continue to question whether it's enough.

Randy Edmunds, the Liberal MHA for Torngat Mountains, was one of the people who scoured the area surrounding Makkovik for 14-year-old Burton Winters.

He's not convinced the concerns of people in the town have been allayed.

"It has to be hard on the family, but they still maintain they want to see what went wrong fixed, and the reason they want this so badly is because they don't want to see another family go through this," Edmunds said.

Newfoundland and Labrador Emergency Services Minister Kevin O'Brien, says a review found that the status quo — save for some changes already made — is sufficient going forward.

"The review found that we're doing things right — that the partners involved are well tuned to ground search and rescue," O'Brien said. "Sometimes the outcome is not what we want it to be, we'd like to be, all of the time. But that's not the way the world runs."

In Makkovik, however, people remain unconvinced, as they continue to deal with the scar left by last year's tragedy.

Key changes, 1 year later

Two key changes have been made since Burton Winters died on the ice near Makkovik.

Soon after the tragedy, the Newfoundland and Labrador government spent more than $500,000 on 26 thermal imaging cameras to be used by search teams across the province.

One of the units is stationed in Makkovik.

Harry Blackmore is president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Search and Rescue Association. (CBC)

"It has limitations — it cannot see through objects, or snowbanks, or thick snowstorms," said Barry Andersen, the local ground search and rescue team leader in the coastal Labrador town.

"It's not perfect, but it's a great tool."

Newfoundland and Labrador search volunteers had the equipment on their wish list to government for years.

Harry Blackmore, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Search and Rescue Association, says the cameras are a welcome addition to their toolbox.

He says the cameras give searchers a capability they didn't have before.

"It won't tell you exactly what it is, but it will let you know there's something there, and then you send your teams out to investigate," Blackmore said.

He says ground search and rescue teams in the province handle between 120 and 140 calls a year — about one every three days.

Other than the new cameras, there has been only one big change in the past year: a change to the "call back" protocol.

"The only thing I can report that has happened is that JRCC [the rescue co-ordination centre], through the federal system, has said they would follow up to make sure that the calls are closed on the end," Blackmore said.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government spent more than $500,000 on 26 thermal imaging cameras not long after the Burton Winters tragedy last year. (CBC)

"But I thought that was already there, personally. But that's the only major thing that we've seen, that has changed in the system itself."

That was a major source of controversy last year, blamed for the slow response to get searchers in the air.

Military officials used to wait for a call back from anyone needing assistance in a search. That's changed.

Blackmore stresses the importance of the province and feds working more closely together.

"Big key issue for us is to make sure this is a seamless system … to make sure what happened with Burton doesn't happen again. When phone calls are made, they're followed up, to make sure that everything is responding the way it should respond."

He says he thinks there is room for improvement.

"The people that are in charge in each division need to work closer together."

Painful anniversary in Makkovik

In Makkovik, memories of those days are still fresh.

Last week, as the painful anniversary approached, teachers had students each write a letter to Winters — a letter they'll burn during a fire at a community vigil.

Eric White, Winters's friend and cousin, thinks of him every day.

"Weird, funny, lovable — that's pretty much the only words," he said. "Brave, too."

After Winters went missing last January, a massive ground search launched immediately.

'It has to be hard on the family, but they still maintain they want to see what went wrong fixed, and the reason they want this so badly is because they don't want to see another family go through this.'—Randy Edmunds

But a search from the air took days because of problems with weather, mechanical problems with military aircraft, and because of search and rescue policies.

Since the tragedy, the Labrador teen's family and people throughout the province have been calling for a public inquiry and pushing for improvements to search and rescue.

The province has brushed those calls aside, however, and the inquiry hasn't happened

Still, beyond the thermal imaging camera, and the call-back protocol, the search team also has personal satellite transponders to lend to people who are going on snowmobile trips. People are taking them — and in a couple of cases, have used them.

RCMP Cpl. Kimball Vardy says parents are also taking a strong role in trying to prevent another tragedy.

Kevin O'Brien is the minister responsible for emergency services in Newfoundland and Labrador. (CBC)

"A lot of the parents are talking to their kids now about when they go off, when they go off on skidoo, to say where they're going, tell them where they're going, who they're going with," Vardy said. "And when they're going to be back."

St. John's East MP Jack Harris is less sure that everything is running as smoothly as it could.

"I think there's been some changes in the protocols, but I don't think it's been investigated, at least in a public way, to the point where there's a comfort level there that the role of the province, the role of the RCMP, the role of emergency services in dealing with this, that there's a comfort or a confidence level in the public's mind that there should be," Harris said.

St. John's East MP Jack Harris is not convinced that enough has been done to improve search and rescue services. (CBC)

Harris wants the Canadian Forces to put a greater emphasis on search and rescue throughout the country.

That includes increasing resources to cut response times — adding primary search assets like Cormorant helicopters.

CFB Goose Bay did get a third Griffon helicopter, one that was brought back from Afghanistan. That means there's a better chance a Griffon will be available, if needed, in the future.

Back in St. John's, Blackmore says one thing has changed, as a result of public pressure.

"I think if you call for any extra resources, where everything has been in such turmoil over the last year, I don't think any asset would be turned down, unless it was totally, drastically unavailable," he said.

"Because nobody wants this to ever happen again."

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Montreal recovering from major flooding

Did you see the Montreal flood?

Submit your breaking news, stories, photos and videos.

Upload Now You must be a member of the CBC News Community to upload. Sign Up now.

City employees are working to clean up debris after a water main break Monday caused a major flood in downtown Montreal.

During peak afternoon rush hour, water gushed onto the streets, covering a large area of the downtown core near McGill University. Mayor Michael Applebaum said the cause of the flooding appeared to be a break in a 120-centimetre (48-inch) water main, located in a construction zone on Pine Avenue near Peel Street.

The city said it's still

Water continues to flow near the McGill campus, although there is significantly less than the major flooding seen Monday.

University Street remains closed between Sherbrooke Street and Pine Avenue.

Classes are cancelled at McGill's Wilson Hall and Birks building. Classes at the Wong Building are being relocated.

The James Administration building is closed until noon Tuesday and the north entrance to the McConel Engineering Building is closed except for emergencies.

Officials are asking people to avoid the Milton Street entrance of the campus.

FACE School is also closed.

Montreal city crews worked overnight to clear the streets and re-salt streets and sidewalks. (CBC)

Workers fixed the water main break Monday evening, but crews worked overnight to clear the streets and re-salt streets and sidewalks.

As the water flooded onto the streets, Mayor Applebaum urged residents to be careful.

"We will continue to work without stop," Applebaum said Monday.

McGill expects 'extensive' damage

Officials are still trying to figure out what caused the break.

A note sent to employees at McGill warned of "severe flooding" on the campus and inside several buildings.

"We are trying to assess damage as best we can, but it will be extensive," the note stated.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Discovery of woman's torso prompts police probe in Ontario

Investigators are trying to identify a woman whose torso was found inside a garbage bin in Kitchener, Ont., this weekend, the latest in a series of dismemberment cases that police in Ontario have dealt with in a span of just a few months.

Waterloo Regional Police Staff Sgt. Perry Cort told CBC News that the most recent discovery was made by a person who was looking through a dumpster on Frederick Street in Kitchener yesterday.

The person then called police just after 11 a.m. Saturday.

Police say the torso discovered in Kitchener, Ont., was clothed in a T-shirt similar to the one shown in this image. (Waterloo Regional Police)

Waterloo Regional Police issued a news release Sunday, saying that investigators have confirmed the remains are human and they believe that the human torso belongs to a white woman.

There are no details yet on the age or identity of the deceased.

"[For] the officers right now, the focus is on trying to find out who this lady was, who her family is and of course, focusing on who did this," said executive officer Kevin Thaler, when speaking with CBC News by telephone on Sunday.

Police say that the deceased wore a black T-shirt with the words "Forget princess, I want to be a vampire" on the front.

An image of a similar T-shirt was released to the media on Sunday.

Police have not recovered any other remains so far.

A forensic autopsy is scheduled to take place at a Hamilton hospital on Monday.

Investigators were due to return to the scene where the remains were found on Sunday. Thaler said that 28 officers have been assigned to the case.

Prior dismemberment cases in Canada

In the past six months, police in southern Ontario have encountered at least two other cases involving dismembered bodies.

Police found parts of a missing woman's body in Toronto and in Peel Region last summer. The victim's former boyfriend was later charged with second-degree murder.

That same month, another woman's torso was found at the bottom of Niagara Falls. Police later identified the deceased as a missing mother from New York state.

Both of those cases followed another high-profile dismemberment investigation in Canada that occurred in the spring of last year, in which a Chinese exchange student was slain in Montreal and pieces of his body sent through the mail.

A Canadian suspect, Luka Rocca Magnotta, was arrested in Germany last year, brought back to Quebec and charged with the first-degree murder of Jun Lin.

With files from The Canadian Press

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Can Kathleen Wynne bring change to Ontario?

About The Author

Robert Fisher is a CBC News anchor and regular political commentator on CBC Radio. An award-winning journalist with more than 30 years of experience in public and private radio, Robert was a senior news anchor and political affairs specialist for the Global Television Network. Prior to that, he worked for 10 years with CBC Television, reporting on national, political and municipal politics.

Kathleen Wynne made history in Toronto becoming Ontario's first female premier and the country's first openly gay premier.

Now her task is to ensure she does not become history.

Her start during an appearance yesterday at her first news conference as the premier-designate set a new tone! Will it continue?

Some of that is up to PC leader Tim Hudak and NDP leader Andrea Horwath. But her party has a role to play in that, too.

Coming together after this convention should not prove to be a problem for the Ontario Liberals.

Leadership rival Charles Sousa's decision to throw his support to Wynne and not Sandra Pupatello at the convention was an important signal that things in the party and, more importantly, Ontario politics had to change.

When Wynne spoke to the media on Sunday, she called for an end to "the rancor and viciousness" she has seen in the legislature and she expressed a desire for debate to take place in a less poisonous atmosphere.

In my years of watching Ontario politics I cannot remember a time when things were so bitter and so divided.

Wynne now has a chance to change that and what she said during the Liberal leadership race, at the convention itself and at her first news conference tend to support the view that she wants and may well get it.

All of that said, Wynne is beginning the "delicate dance" as leader, in not running away from the Dalton McGuinty-led government past of which she was a major player and, setting her own course as premier.

And as she promised she is "hitting the ground running."

Kathleen Wynne (left) and Sandra Pupatello (right) entered a weekend convention as the two front-runners in the race to succeed departing Premier Dalton McGuinty. But it was Wynne who pulled ahead on the third ballot to become the premier-designate and claim the leadership job. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

There have been talks with her leadership rivals, the leaders of the opposition, a call to the clerk of legislature to recall MPPs for February 19th, a decision to hold the party's scheduled caucus on Tuesday and the creation of a transition team headed by her talented friend, former MPP and cabinet minister Monique Smith.

And with the quick recall, time is compressed to get to job one: the selection of a new cabinet.

Wynne's leadership rivals — with the exception of Pupatello and Kennedy, who have not committed to running in the next election — will be a part of the new team.

There's already talk that:

• Sousa, backed up by his solid business-Bay Street CV, will be Wynne's new finance minister.
• Eric Hoskins will be promoted, perhaps to education minister with a mandate to deal with the ongoing teachers dispute.
• Glen Murray will land in a place to spotlight his ideas for among other things, the transforming the province's troubled manufacturing sector.
• Harinder Takhar, even with his support of Pupatello, will also be a part of the Wynne administration. Takhar represents an important and growing political demographic that the Liberals need now and into the next provincial election.

There will also be many new faces in the new cabinet including, likely, the party's president, Ottawa Centre MPP and new dad, Yasir Naqvi, as Wynne surely anticipates a long list of veteran resignations.

Then, there's a throne speech and, a budget, the deficit, the teacher issue and, a glimpse inside those heavy briefing books that may yet provide Wynne with some surprises.

So will all that and more change Wynne?

Some things will be different. She is, or will soon be, the premier, not just a minister — though she's promised to be her own agriculture minister for a year and she is no longer just an MPP.

This 59-year-old grandmother, who proved at the convention she can boogie with the best of them, is the person at the top — the person where the buck starts and stops at Queen's Park. She is the person who will determine the fate of her government and party.

In talking privately with Liberals, who will serve with her and who have in the past, the consensus is clear: "What you see is what you get."

One former cabinet minister told me he was always careful about what he said to Wynne. Asked why? He responded because unlike McGuinty, "she always listened."

Ontarians are now in search of the same thing.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Freezing rain, snow hit southern Ontario

Areas of southern Ontario are receiving snow and freezing rain as a series of low-pressure systems move in from the United States, creating a slippery morning commute for some.

However, temperatures are expected to rise this afternoon.

Environment Canada has issued freezing rain warnings for much of southern Ontario as the warm front moves along a northeasterly path. Precipitation will change from snow to freezing rain and then just rain in many areas.

Although some regions, including London and Sarnia, have already reported freezing rain, warnings were lifted in those areas around 6 a.m. ET. Other areas, stretching from Kingston to Parry Sound, are still under warnings, according to an update from Environment Canada at 8 a.m. ET.

Around midnight, Toronto began receiving snow, which changed to freezing rain just ahead of the morning commute. A total of 150 flights were delayed or cancelled at Toronto's Pearson International Airport as of 6 a.m. ET, and several traffic collisions were reported around the city.

A number of schools across Ontario cancelled bus service.

As the system moves northeast, it will bring snow to an area stretching from Georgian Bay down to Peterborough and regions along the eastern shores of Lake Ontario. This precipitation will change to freezing rain this afternoon and evening.

Temperatures in Toronto were expected to rise this afternoon to a high of 2 C as the freezing rain turns to rain. Tuesday could see highs of 8 C and thunderstorms.

Warnings for Quebec

Environment Canada also issued freezing rain warnings for southwestern Quebec for Tuesday.

Manitoba was expected to see light snowfall although four to eight centimetres were expected in the north.

Southern Alberta is expected to see colder temperatures beginning tomorrow, as the mercury drops by 15 degrees or more. Parts of the province are already experiencing the cold, and Environment Canada issued a wind chill warning for the area around Rainbow Lake in the northwest, with –40 C forecasted into Tuesday morning.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

House returns as Idle No More protesters gather

MPs are set to return to the House of Commons today as Idle No More protesters plan to march to Parliament Hill for a world day of action.

The protesters are opposed to environmental law changes adopted after the House of Commons and Senate passed Bill C-45, the second omnibus budget implementation bill, but Government House Leader Peter Van Loan told reporters Monday morning that the government is "firmly committed" to its budget law because its changes are "critical for long-term growth and prosperity."

"This is what Canadians have come to expect from our government and we will continue that," Van Loan said.

The protesters plan to meet on Victoria Island, where Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence and Manitoba elder Raymond Robinson spent six weeks limiting their food intake to fish broth, herbal tea and water, and then march the kilometre or so to Parliament Hill for a noon ET rally.

Just days after Spence and Robinson ended their protests, New Democrat MP Romeo Saganash will hold a press conference to discuss a private member's bill he's bringing on the rights of aboriginal people.

A spokesman for the NDP said the bill "is about making sure the laws of Canada are consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people."

Saganash helped negotiate the UN declaration. Last Thursday, he called for Canada to move beyond its belated endorsement of the declaration.

"The norms that are there are minimum standards that all countries should respect that endorsed the UN declaration," Saganash said. "Canada finally came on board not too long ago. Thank you very much, but let's move forward from that."

Economy still Conservatives' focus

Government House Leader Peter Van Loan says the government plans to continue focusing on Canada's economy over the next few months.

The first piece of legislation on the order paper will be a technical tax bill, to update legislation based on changes made more than 10 years ago, he said. The next bill to be dealt with is the Fair Rail Freight Service Act, dealing with railway contracts.

In a morning news conference with reporters, he also highlighted the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act and the Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act as priority bills in the government's eyes.

Van Loan also previewed new legislation to be introduced shortly that he said would enhance public safety by bringing in new measures for dealing with high-risk offenders who are found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder.

When asked about C-30, the government's languishing online surveillance bill, Van Loan said "don't foresee that being debated in the next couple of weeks," adding that the government needs to "strike the right balance to deal with changing technology and privacy" issues.

As for complaints by Idle No More that the last budget implementation bill infringes on indigenous sovereignty, Van Loan says it's got Royal Assent and become law, and it won't be revisited. First Nations are working on court challenges in an attempt to block it by other means.

The house leader also noted that the government's First Nations Financial Transparency Act is currently before the Senate and should be passed soon. The Northern Jobs and Growth Act, which is intended to boost resource development in the North, is also a priority for the government during this sitting, he said.

Van Loan said that one of the major beneficiaries from the government's resource development agenda could be First Nations who could see new economic opportunities for their people.

MPs are set to return to the House of Commons Monday as Idle No More protesters plan to march to Parliament Hill for a world day of action. The grassroots movement has held earlier marches on Parliament Hill, including this protest in December. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

The meeting between aboriginal leaders, including Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, was constructive, Van Loan told CBC News earlier.

"I think that process that [Harper] got underway will continue, particularly the key commitments for a high-level process on the treaty relationship and a high-level process on comprehensive claims resolution," Van Loan said.

"That does not necessarily require legislation. The dialogue will continue, and occasionally we need legislation to move ahead particular settlements."

The government committed to have the prime minister's office and the privy council, the administrative arm of the PMO, oversee how aboriginal files are handled.

New Democrats seek civility

Van Loan also pointed to the First Nations accountability bill that made it through the House last fall and is now in front of the Senate.

"I think that in the current environment, there's obviously great interest among Canadians in seeing that complete its process," Van Loan said.

New Democrat House Leader Nathan Cullen says the Official Opposition wants to take another crack at instilling more decorum and civility in the House of Commons. Cullen says he's been consulting with some former parliamentarians from both the government and opposition sides of the aisle and in other legislatures.

"We've gone pretty broad on this to find out what works," Cullen said. "We don't think there's a need to reinvent the wheel, but we want to be more bold. I don't think this is a subtle shift that we need, I think that we need things that are more impactful on the working lives of MPs so that they know that we're working on this."

The New Democrats also have plans, he says, "around resolving some of the longstanding First Nations issues and bringing this government around to creating a path forward for Canadians.

"There's been a lot of protest, and now is the time for solutions," Cullen said.

The government is now more than four months late on its commitment to strengthen the powers of Elections Canada, following a unanimous vote in the House last March.

Cullen says he thinks the delay is due to more Conservative MPs facing alleged election scandals.

"It seems they have hit the pause button," Cullen said. "The government makes these commitments to [do things], shortly and soon, and I don't know how they define those terms.

"I don't know if their plan is to rag the puck until the next election so they can cheat and steal another few seats again, but I think Canadians will be watching."

with files from CBC News

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

29 Hamilton city workers fired for doing "little work at all"

live blog

City talking to Hamilton police about possible charges

CBC News

Posted: Jan 28, 2013 9:41 AM ET

Last Updated: Jan 28, 2013 10:38 AM ET

 

The City of Hamilton has fired 29 employees for "neglect of duties, time theft and/or breach of trust." Another two employees received 30-day unpaid suspensions.

City Manager Chris Murray told CBC Hamilton the investigation began in October of last year after concerns about the performance of some workers doing asphalt repair for the city were raised.

Murray said the investigation looked at "what crews were doing with their time. What we found was there was little work going on. Crews were taking long breaks. Some days doing little work at all."

Murray said, in a press release, "building trust and confidence in our services is critical to our collective work and we must be diligent in doing our work in an ethical and responsible way. This is an expectation that the community has of us. I believe what has transpired is serious and therefore requires immediate and significant action. I want to stress this is not a reflection on our entire work force. The vast majority of employees of the City are dedicated public servants, providing essential services to our community."

'We're not done'

Murray said the city is talking to police about possible charges and added that the investigation is continuing. "We're in the process of reviewing their supervisors. We're not done."

Gerry Davis, General Manager of Public Works said in a release "we are taking this situation very seriously. The inappropriate behaviour of this group of employees is very disappointing, but it is not reflective of all Public Works staff. Overall, Public Works is comprised of dedicated and faithful employees who take pride in the work they do to provide the services our community relies on."

The city's general issues committee will get a report on Monday regarding the public works staff. The workers were on leave with pay pending the outcome of an investigation.

CBC Hamilton's Cory Ruf will report live from the city's general issues committee hearing Monday morning.

More to come.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Another arrest in Vancouver sword attack death

Vancouver police say they have made another arrest after a 19-year-old man was killed with a sword in a targeted attack on Wednesday night.

Manraj Akalirai was attacked in South Vancouver by a large group on Elgin Street near East 47th Avenue, just south of Memorial South Park, at about 10:30 p.m. PT.

Several weapons were used in Vancouver's first homicide in 2013, including bats, clubs and a sword. Five men who were arrested shortly after the incident have been released without charge.

Police say Akalirai did not have a criminal record, but there are suggestions the attack had ties to the drug trade and a loose gang connection.

His family denies those allegations and describes Akalirai as a "well-mannered, humble and respectful individual".

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Memorial planned for 9-year-old shot in his home

A memorial for 9-year-old Kesean Williams, orginally planned for Saturday, has been moved to Sunday.

The young boy was shot in the head as he sat in his Brampton, Ont., home on Wednesday night, watching TV. He died a short time later in hospital.

Police say the shot that killed the child "was not a stray bullet." They are working on the theory that the former residents of the home may have been the intended target.

Kesean Williams, 9, died after being shot while watching TV in his home. (CBC)

The senseless act of violence has left the family "devastated," police say, while members of the community say they're worried.

Jennifer Millar grew up in the Brampton neighbourhood where the shooting happened. "We have lost too many kids because of these senseless acts," she said.

Illegal activity has become rampant, she said, with "drugs, and just young teenagers acting foolish."

A neighbour told CBC News there had been a lot of police at the home where Williams was shot — although that was before Kesean, his mother and his brother moved into the townhouse.

"There was a lot of cop activity," she said. "A lot of activity."

Neighbours suspect that before the Williams' family moved into the townhouse it was a haven for drug activity.

Peel Regional police have not made any arrests in the homicide, but say they have no reason to believe the nine-year-old, or his family, had any reason to live in fear.

By all accounts Kesean was a happy, friendly, Grade 4 student at nearby Winston Churchill Public School.

Grief counsellors have been at the school helping the children deal with Kesean's death.

But many parents say they will remain cautious until the crime is solved.

"A lot of people around here have kids," said another neighbour. "So it is really scary."

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

RCMP hopes to hire more women, targets female athletes

The RCMP is using a new strategy in trying to recruit more women to the force — targeting athletes who are already in shape.

Currently women make up only 18 per cent of RCMP officers in Saskatchewan.

Const. Amy Forbes is talking to universities and high schools in the province about possible partnerships with their female teams.

"We'd like to actually integrate ourselves into the team if possible," said Forbes. "So the girls can get to know us, I guess and see obviously we are police officers, but we're human at the same time."

The project is in its initial stages, but Forbes said it's being well received.

The RCMP hopes this type of relationship building will convince more women that becoming a Mountie is a possible career choice for them.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kathleen Wynne, Ontario's groundbreaking premier-designate

Kathleen Wynne has been a community activist, a school trustee, a cabinet minister and now, Ontario's premier-designate.

Wynne defeated Sandra Pupatello on a third ballot at the Ontario Liberal Party convention in Toronto.

"Realize it or not, this was the easy part," Wynne said as she sought to rally support among the supporters of all six candidates after her victory.

A former school board trustee, Wynne has represented the Toronto riding of Don Valley West since 2003, and held several posts in outgoing premier Dalton McGuinty's cabinets, including education, transportation and aboriginal affairs.

That Ontario would get its first female leader wasn't in doubt when Wynne and Pupatello emerged as the final two candidates in the third round of balloting.

Second after the first ballot by only two votes — possibly a better showing than her team may have been expecting — Wynne picked up the support of Eric Hoskins after the first round. She remained in second place after the second round of voting, but then, in a surprise, won the endorsement of Charles Sousa, who many had expected would go to Pupatello. Gerard Kennedy then threw his support behind Wynne.

"That was a critical moment when [Sousa] moved across the floor to us," Wynne told CBC News's Susana Mas. Sousa and Kennedy were critical, she said, and would determine the winner.

Wynne said when she saw Sousa moving, she didn't know at first where he was going.

"But when he started to move to us we thought, 'OK, this is fantastic momentum. We really are on our way,'" she said.

Wynne secured the win on the third ballot by capturing 1,150 votes to Pupatello's 866.

'They judge us on our merits'

In her victory speech, Wynne thanked her partner Jane Rounthwaite. "Jane is on the front line," Wynne said. "Raising money, and the keeper of the lists."

That followed her morning speech to the convention, in which Wynne addressed the issue of her sexual orientation head-on.

"Is Ontario ready for a gay premier? You've all heard that question... Not surprisingly, I have an answer to that question," Wynne said to cheers from her supporters.

"I do not believe that the people of Ontario judge their leaders on the basis of race, sexual orientation, colour or religion. I don't believe they hold that prejudice in their hearts," Wynne said. "They judge us on our merits."

While some may have believed her sexual orientation would make her a difficult candidate for voters to accept, some delegates at Saturday's leadership saw it differently.

"In this day and age, it has totally no significance," said one of Gerard Kennedy's supporters, after they followed him across the floor to Wynne's camp.

"To make an issue of it is irrelevant," she said.

Government House Leader John Milloy, in an online chat with CBC News, said: "I think Kathleen herself addressed it quite eloquently in her [morning] speech when she pointed out that it wasn't that long ago that many of the candidates in this race would not be described as 'acceptable'."

Wynne had pointed out that the race to replace Dalton McGuinty included candidates who were Portuguese-Canadian, Indo-Canadian, Italian-Canadian, female, gay and Catholic.

"Most of us could not have hoped to stand on this stage," she said. "But this province has changed."

Amanda Alvaro, the managing director of Narrative PR, called Wynne's handling of the sexuality issue during her morning speech to delegates "brilliant."

"It would not in any way affect her [ability to win], she told delegates, and clearly people agreed," Alvaro said.

Outside of the convention, on Church St., near Toronto's gay village, several people said the issue of sexuality shouldn't matter.

"It should be an equal opportunity for everyone," Jackie Blackett said. "It just shows that society has really progressed. Personally, I don't think anyone's sexual orientation should be a factor."

Said Laura Theunisse: "If she can do the job, she's qualified."

Repairing relationships

Wynne may be viewed as a conciliatory leader who wants to repair relationships, especially with the province's teachers, and one more willing to reach out to the opposition parties to keep the Liberal minority government in power.

That said, veteran CBC journalist Robert Fisher pointed out he has seen Wynne in action in question period and in interviews. "She is no shrinking violet, and can be very combative," he said.

"She may well be my best friend in cabinet," said Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid, who backed Sandra Pupatello.

Owing to that friendship, Duguid said it was tough choice to back Pupatello, who, he said, is closer philosophically to him than Wynne. However, he still described Wynne as "very inspirational."

With Wynne at the helm, Ontario will likely get to see their MPPs back in action next month for the first time since October. Wynne has vowed to recall the Legislature on Feb. 19.

She already faces big challenges on several fronts, including dealing with Ontario's deficit, the state of the province's manufacturing sector, and the fractured relations with the province's teachers — where Wynne's Harvard University mediation training may come in handy.

Wynne won't get much time to enjoy her victory. Within minutes of Wynne's win, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak was stressing the need for the government address the province's finances.

"I just had a conversation with Tim Hudak and it was great, great of him to reach out," Wynne told CBC. "And I will certainly be reaching out to Andrea Horwath."

Eventually, Wynne will also have to test the electorate and see if she can become the province's first elected female and openly gay premier.

with files from Susana Mas

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

It's a Wynne-win for Ontario Liberals

Kathleen Wynne will be Ontario's first female premier after dramatic movements on the convention floor earned her the endorsement of two former rivals and propelled her to a third-ballot victory on Saturday.

Those endorsements, from Mississauga South MPP Charles Sousa and former Toronto MP and MPP Gerard Kennedy, came after the second ballot and pushed Wynne past longtime Liberal Sandra Pupatello, who up to that point held a slight lead between the two clear frontrunners.

"That was a critical moment when [Sousa] moved across the floor to us," Wynne told CBC's Susana Mas. Sousa and Kennedy were critical, she said, and would determine the winner. When she saw Sousa, Wynne didn't know at first where he was going.

"But when he started to move to us we thought, 'OK, this is fantastic momentum. We really are on our way,'" she said.

Wynne's victory on the third and final ballot came by a vote of 1,150 to 866 over Pupatello. The pair appeared together on stage and joined hands after the final results were announced.

Wynne said the province is ready to accept an openly gay woman as premier.

"The province has changed, our party has changed. I do not believe that the people of Ontario ... hold that prejudice in their hearts," said Wynne, who is married to Jane Rounthwaite.

In a show of party unity, Wynne then asked all the candidates and all the Liberal caucus members to join her on stage.

"This is a dream team of candidates, this is a very deep bench," said Wynne after thanking all the candidates, her family and the campaign team.

She said with the "easy part" now over, her party must be ready for an election that could come as soon as this year.

"It's about taking the momentum and getting back to the legislature, getting to work and showing the people of Ontario that we can govern in a minority parliament," she said.

Five of the six candidates, including Wynne, represent Toronto, but Wynne said she would be "premier for the whole province."

Pupatello, Hudak, Harper offer congratulations

Pupatello congratulated Wynne and praised the Liberal team.

"Tonight we made history," said Pupatello. "Our final ballot had two strong women on the ballot."

Wynne said Tim Hudak, Progressive Conservative leader, was the first politician to call and congratulate her.

"It was great, great of him to reach out," she said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement Saturday congratulating Wynne and saying he looks forward to working with her "on addressing issues that matter to Ontarians, and in particular the creation of jobs and economic growth."

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford also issued a congratulatory message to Wynne.

Wynne takes over a party with plenty of political baggage, including a $12-billion deficit and a soured relationship with the province's teachers, once a traditional base of Liberal support.

How Wynne won

Wynne, MPP for Don Valley West, finished second on the second ballot with 750 votes while Pupatello appeared to be in good position with 817.

Kennedy had 285 second-round votes to Sousa's 203.

Kennedy was expected to back Wynne but Sousa's endorsement came as a surprise.

In explaining his decision, Sousa told reporters he felt Wynne "has what it takes" to help the province return to fiscal balance while maintaining social programs.

"What's important is that we ensure that we renew our economy so we can afford social programs, health care, education and that we ensure that we balance our fiscal matters for the long term and I believe Kathleen has what it takes," Sousa said.

St. Paul's MPP Eric Hoskins threw his support to Wynne after finishing last among the six candidates in the opening round. Harinder Takhar dropped out to back Pupatello shortly afterward.

Some speculated that Pupatello's lack of a seat in Queen's Park and her desire to call a byelection before bringing back the legislature may have turned the tide in Wynne's favour.

Jackie Blackett, speaking from Toronto's gay village, said Wynne represents a refreshing change in Ontario politics.

"I think it's great," Blackett told CBC News. "It should be an equal opportunity for everyone. It just shows that society has really progressed. Personally I don't think anyone's sexual orientation should be a factor."

With files from The Canadian Press

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Another arrest in Vancouver sword attack death

Vancouver police say they have made another arrest after a 19-year-old man was killed with a sword in a targeted attack on Wednesday night.

Manraj Akalirai was attacked in South Vancouver by a large group on Elgin Street near East 47th Avenue, just south of Memorial South Park, at about 10:30 p.m. PT.

Several weapons were used in Vancouver's first homicide in 2013, including bats, clubs and a sword. Five men who were arrested shortly after the incident have been released without charge.

Police say Akalirai did not have a criminal record, but there are suggestions the attack had ties to the drug trade and a loose gang connection.

His family denies those allegations and describes Akalirai as a "well-mannered, humble and respectful individual".

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Unmarried Quebec couples have no right to alimony, court rules

Unmarried Quebec couples who live together and then split up are not entitled to the same rights as legally married couples, when it comes to spousal support, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled.

By a 5-4 margin, the top court decision released Friday says the province's civil code is constitutional in its treatment of the financial entitlement of couples who are not legally married and who separate.

The decision means Quebec remains the only province that does not recognize "de facto" marriages.

The ruling has broad implications in a province where the 31.5 per cent of couples report being in de facto relationships, versus an average of 12.1 per cent in the rest of Canada.

Justice Louis LeBel, writing for the five-judge majority, said there was no charter violation at play because the current provincial law promotes autonomy.

"The Quebec National Assembly has not favoured one form of union over another," he wrote.

"The legislature has merely defined the legal content of the different forms of conjugal relationships. It has made consent the key to changing the spouses' mutual patrimonial relationship.

"In this way, it has preserved the freedom of those who wish to organize their patrimonial relationships outside the mandatory statutory framework."

While the province's Civil Code does not regulate the status of de facto spouses, some laws — including those governing social assistance, income tax and Quebec's Pension Plan — treat them as a couple.

The case that sparked the debate, known as Lola vs. Eric, had been making its way through the court system for years. It involved a Quebec couple who never married, but lived together for seven years and share three children.

A court order prevents the publication of the parties' real names.

Pierre Bienvenu, the lawyer representing "Eric," said his client is relieved the long court process is over and is satisfied with the decision.

"It is really by force that he was dragged into this long debate," Bienvenu said.

After separating, Lola sought spousal support, but Quebec's Civil Code provides no such provision for couples who are not legally married.

Lola had been seeking a $50-million lump-sum payment as well as $56,000 a month from her former spouse — a well-known Quebec business tycoon known in the case as Eric. Lola was 17 when she met the then 32-year-old entrepreneur.

When they split, Eric agreed to pay generous child support — but he rejected the lump sum and annual alimony settlement claim.

The woman took her case to the Quebec Superior Court in 2009, when a judge rejected her claims, saying that under existing law, partners in a de facto relationship have no rights, duties and responsibilities to each other — no matter how many years they've lived together.

Lawyer says 'ball back in legislators' court'

In November 2010, a Quebec Court of Appeal decision invalidated that section of the civil code, saying the law discriminates against unmarried couples, and the province was given one year to change the law.

The Quebec government described that ruling as a mistake, and appealed to the Supreme Court.

Guy Pratte, the lawyer who argued Lola's case, said Friday morning that he was disappointed with the decision, but it doesn't mean the matter is settled.

"The implication for Quebec society is that the ball is now back in the legislators' court."

Quebec Justice Minister Bertrand St-Arnaud said the decision "confirms the principle of freedom of choice which has always governed life in Quebec, in other words the freedom of couples who choose the rules that will govern their union."

He said there are already a number of options open to unmarried couples who want the same rights as married couples, including civil unions and a cohabitation contract.

St-Arnaud also said it may be time for a "general reflection" on the status of families under the law.

"It's true that in the last decade, our social and family realities have evolved, and is it time for us to start to think again about the regime in our civil code? Maybe."

Statistics Canada says nearly 1.4 million Quebecers are in what the federal agency calls "common-law" relationships, according to the 2011 census, and about 60 per cent of children are born to such unmarried couples.

With files from The Canadian Press

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Memorial planned for 9-year-old shooting victim

A memorial for 9-year-old Kesean Williams is planned for Saturday.

The young boy was shot in the head as he sat in his Brampton, Ont., home on Wednesday night, watching TV. He died a short time later in hospital.

Police say the shot that killed the child "was not a stray bullet." They are working on the theory that the former residents of the home may have been the intended target.

Kesean Williams, 9, died after being shot while watching TV in his home. (CBC)

The senseless act of violence has left the family "devastated," police say, while members of the community say they're worried.

Jennifer Millar grew up in the Brampton neighbourhood where the shooting happened. "We have lost too many kids because of these senseless acts," she said.

Illegal activity has become rampant, she said, with "drugs, and just young teenagers acting foolish."

A neighbour told CBC News there had been a lot of police at the home where Williams was shot — although that was before Kesean, his mother and his brother moved into the townhouse.

"There was a lot of cop activity," she said. "A lot of activity."

Neighbours suspect that before the Williams' family moved into the townhouse it was a haven for drug activity.

Peel Regional police have not made any arrests in the homicide, but say they have no reason to believe the nine-year-old, or his family, had any reason to live in fear.

By all accounts Kesean was a happy, friendly, Grade 4 student at nearby Winston Churchill Public School.

Grief counsellors have been at the school helping the children deal with Kesean's death.

But many parents say they will remain cautious until the crime is solved.

"A lot of people around here have kids," said another neighbour. "So it is really scary."

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Candidates address Ontario Liberal convention

Candidates speaking to party delegates, first -round results shortly after noon.

CBCnews.ca's live coverage of the Ontario Liberal convention continues Saturday with livestreaming video of candidate speeches, our live blog and live chats and round-by-round voting results - and listen to special coverage from CBC Radio's The House all morning.

 

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wynne tells Ontario Liberals she is ready to lead

If selected as the next Ontario Liberal leader, Kathleen Wynne said Saturday she is immediately ready to take on the job as premier and hopes to quickly recall the legislature.

When speaking to delegates at the leadership convention in Toronto, Wynne said that Ontarians want their government to do the job it was elected to do.

"They expect us to lead and that's exactly what I intend to do – first thing tomorrow morning," she said, vowing to call back the house on Feb. 19.

The legislature was prorogued when Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that he was stepping down in October. He has said that it will be up to his successor to decide when it is recalled.

Wynne, the MPP for the Toronto riding of Don Valley West, is perceived to be one of two front-runners in the leadership race, along with Sandra Pupatello.

The two women have secured the most first-ballot support from delegates and both would make history if chosen as Ontario Liberal leader and the province's first female premier.

Kennedy knows Liberal potential

Gerard Kennedy told delegates Saturday that he believes he has what it takes to give the Liberals "the fresh start we need to be at our best again," by building on the government's prior achievements and reaching out to rebuild support for the party among Ontarians.

The former Liberal MPP and MP enters the convention in third place in terms of committed first-ballot support from elected delegates, behind Wynne and Pupatello.

Alluding to his prior experience with the provincial Liberals, including his prior run for the party leadership in 1996, Kennedy said that he is familiar with the potential the party has in government.

He said the Liberals are best positioned to solve the problems the province is facing — and the best choice for Ontarians.

Kennedy was the second candidate to speak, following a speech by Mississauga-Erindale MPP Harinder Takhar, who entered the convention stage to the tune of the Bachman-Turner Overdrive's Taking Care of Business.

First elected to the legislature in 2003, Takhar has held several cabinet portfolios in the McGuinty government.

He told the delegates about his journey to Canada as a young man, his experiences as an immigrant, his life in business and his eventual path into politics.

Takhar said his campaign has focused on ideas, as well as the challenges facing the province, including the deficit that he said may hamper future opportunities if it is not brought under control.

Each of the six leadership candidates are delivering speeches no longer than 30 minutes — hoopla and supporters' demonstrations included. CBCNews.ca will carry all of the speeches live.

Following the speeches will be the announcement of the first-ballot voting results sometime after 12 noon.

Those results are largely known because about 1,800 of the convention's 2,200 delegates have pledged first-round support to a specific candidate. After the first ballot, they are free to shift support to any contender. Those committed delegates are joined by about 400 ex-officio members, mostly former candidates and party bigwigs whose support is not pledged to a specific candidate.

The last-place finisher will be forced off each successive ballot until one candidate attains a majority.

Late Friday night, the Ontario Liberal Party extended the registration deadline for eastern Ontario delegates to register at the convention until 2:45 a.m. Saturday, as a major highway crash involving dozens of vehicles delayed some of the delegates on their trip to Toronto.

Sources were telling CBC News that Kathleen Wynne's camp opposed the registration extension, but Wynne organizers said that was not true.

Shifting support

Early on, most will be watching to see where Toronto-area MPP Eric Hoskins, who is expected to finish last in the opening round, shifts his support when he is forced off the ballot.

When speaking with Evan Solomon, the host of CBC Radio's The House, Hoskins said Saturday morning that he would consult with his delegates before deciding where to throw his support.

The voting intervals are spaced about two-and-a-half hours apart, but many expect they could take longer. The convention floor is located on a separate level than the voting area, posing a possible bottleneck that could delay voting.

Also, delegates will mark paper ballots that must be counted by hand. The possibility of recounts could cause more delays.

Delegates entering the convention will also face a gauntlet of protesters outside the doors of the former Maple Leaf Gardens. Representatives of teachers unions arrived early Saturday morning to picket the site, and a mass rally and demonstration by labour groups is planned for Saturday afternoon.

More than half the committed delegate support is split between Wynne and Pupatello. In third place is Kennedy, who lost to McGuinty by 140 votes on the fifth ballot in 1996.

Most expect one of Pupatello or Wynne to emerge victorious Saturday, with the victor being the one who can most effectively gather up delegate support from the other candidates.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ontario Liberals could make history if female premier chosen

About The Author

Robert Fisher is a CBC News anchor and regular political commentator on CBC Radio. An award-winning journalist with more than 30 years of experience in public and private radio, Robert was a senior news anchor and political affairs specialist for the Global Television Network. Prior to that, he worked for 10 years with CBC Television, reporting on national, political and municipal politics.

I came across an old campaign button the other day. It features a black and white depiction of Queen's Park and the words: "More Women on Top."

And by tomorrow afternoon or, early evening (here's hoping the Liberals don't take two days to elect a leader as they did in '96 with Dalton McGuinty) a woman will very likely be on top as the new Liberal leader and, automatically premier of Ontario.

It'll be a first for this province though it'll come almost two decades after tiny Prince Edward Island had a woman premier in Catherine Callbeck and on the heels of women premiers in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia.

In the 1990s, Ontario Liberals did elect a woman leader, even though some in the party were not convinced Lyn McLeod, while likeable and solid in her cabinet portfolios, would be able to make the leap to leader and premier against the Conservatives' "Common Sense Revolution" and Mike Harris.

They turned out to be right. The Liberal campaign fell apart, in part because some in the party sat on their hands, unable or unwilling to accept that McLeod, a woman, was leader.

But for Kathleen Wynne and Sandra Pupatello, it'll become a question of for how long?

The current polls would suggest neither redecorate the premier's office since the paint may not have dried before there is another election or, that PC leader Tim Hudak or Andrea Horwath may not like the colour scheme.

And, that's because no matter what you hear from the Liberals this weekend about winning the next election, it's a long way from a certainty and the rebuff the party took in last fall's Kitchener-Waterloo byelection more of a potential reality, province-wide.

So, as delegates vote tomorrow in the Ryerson University basketball court — a part of the Mattamy Athletic Centre a.k.a the former Maple Leaf Gardens — with Pupatello likely to have a slight lead on Wynne, it may well be in the minds of many that they are electing a leader who will lead them to the benches on the left and not the right of the Speaker at Queen's Park. From government to opposition.

Ontario will make history if either Sandra Pupatello (left) or Kathleen Wynne (right) win the Liberal leadership and succeed Dalton McGuinty as premier. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

Both women are very bright, always well briefed and not always with a script and they can be tough. But for many Liberal delegates Pupatello is the one they remember from her days in opposition, verbally trashing Conservative cabinet ministers and relishing the role as "Dalton's attack dog."

However, not all Liberals are entirely comfortable with Pupatello's "ready, fire, aim" approach to politics. And some are concerned by her decision to get a seat in the Ontario legislature (likely Windsor-Tecumseh from old friend Dwight Duncan) and then recall MPPs to resume a sitting interrupted by McGuinty's decision to leave.

And, for some Liberals there's an additional concern that Pupatello as premier might be inclined toward calling a quick election, trying to capitalize on opposition parties lacking funds and in some cases, candidates.

The risk, of course, is that voters might not take kindly to spending millions of their dollars on an election just 17 months or so after the last one, especially when the Liberals are already under the gun for the lost hundreds of millions at e-Health, Ornge Air Ambulance and the closing of not one, but two power plants — one of which was half-built.

For Wynne, there is the obvious and frankly oft-repeated mantra that she has a seat in the legislature and wants the business of the legislature back by February 19th.

Wynne's CV includes a certificate in mediation from Harvard University. And its inclusion is not by accident. It is meant to say if, as premier, she has to negotiate with the opposition and teachers, she's got the training to get it done. But also unsaid is that she might have a willingness to keep the parliament going to avoid an election for, say, a year or so. Maybe longer.

But apart from all the positives there is still one lingering question. If she wins the convention, can she win the province?

Opinion on that is divided especially when her sexual orientation is factored in, even though she has never hidden the fact that she's lesbian.

For some Liberals — even in Toronto — it is as they say "the elephant in the room" but also something they don't or wouldn't want to talk about publicly. But it is and has been through the leadership a discussion in some backrooms.

Still, with the positives and negatives of both front-runners. This is a real race between Wynne and Pupatello and it will be the four male candidates who become the "queen-maker" tomorrow — another first in Ontario politics and another giant step along the road to saying good bye to the province's oldest running 'Boys Clubs!'

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More