Contributing to spouse's RRSP is a clever way of splitting income

With the Conservative government recently backing away from plans to expand the options for income splitting, it's a good time to revisit spousal RRSPs, a type of income splitting that can provide tax benefits for couples in a variety of situations.

RRSP deadline

The deadline for contributing to your RRSP if you want to claim the tax writeoff for the 2013 tax year is March 1, 2014.

A number of measures have been introduced over the years to allow retired Canadians to share their income with their spouse or partner and therefore pay less income tax. For instance, it's been possible to share Canada Pension Plan retirement benefits for more than a decade. The splitting of eligible pension income was introduced back in 2007.

Both of these measures have led some people to question whether it still makes sense to use an even earlier income-splitting measure – spousal RRSPs.

Well, the experts have an answer to that question. They all agree that, depending on the circumstances, a spousal RRSP can still offer potentially lucrative tax benefits for some couples.

The rules

The idea behind all income-splitting measures is to shift income from a family member in a higher tax bracket to a family member in a lower tax bracket. CPP sharing and pension income splitting allow for this, as does a spousal RRSP.

Spousal RRSPs allow the high-earning individual to contribute to their spouse's RRSP but claim the deduction themselves. When it comes time to withdraw the funds from the RRSP, the money is taxed in the hands of the spouse, as long as the contribution remained in the plan for at least two calendar years after the year in which it was first deposited. So, setting up a spousal RRSP can be a good idea if your spouse or common-law partner is likely to be in a lower tax bracket than you in retirement.

Here are four situations in which a spousal RRSP can provide a substantial benefit to taxpayers:

1. You want to retire before age 65 — "There are limitations to pension income splitting," points out Wayne Drew, a tax partner with MNP in Waterloo, Ont. "For instance, spousal RRSPs can be used before age 65, but in the case of RRSP or RRIF income, you must be 65 or over to qualify for splitting." So, couples under 65 who want to retire early would be real beneficiaries from a spousal RRSP. Pension income-splitting rules also limit the splitting to 50/50. A spousal RRSP results in 100 per cent of the withdrawals being taxed in the hands of the spouse in the lower tax bracket. 

   Tax tip

   Consider contributing to a spousal RRSP in December rather than the following January. A contribution made in December 2013, for instance, would have allowed withdrawn funds to be accessed in 2016 and taxed in the hands of the lower-income spouse. But if the contribution had been put off a month until January 2014, the funds could not be accessed on a tax-advantaged basis until 2017.

2. One spouse is older than 71 — Normally, you can't contribute to an RRSP in the year after you turn 71 even if you're still working. But if you have a spouse who is 71 or under, you can contribute to a spousal RRSP and still reap a tax break. "I've had many clients do that," Drew says, "As long as they have earned income from the previous year, this can be a great move for those over 71 who have younger spouses."
3. You're saving to buy your first home — A spousal RRSP can allow both spouses to access RRSP funds to purchase a home. Under the Home Buyers' Plan, a first-time buyer can withdraw up to $25,000 tax-free from their RRSP to help them buy a home. A spousal RRSP can allow the other spouse — even one who doesn't work outside the home — to access another $25,000 in funds for the same purchase.
4. One spouse wants to take a year off to have a child — Let's assume that a couple is planning to start a family a few years from now. The higher-income spouse can contribute to a spousal RRSP and get a tax break worth up to 45 per cent of the contribution. Then, assuming the three-year non-contribution period has been satisfied, the lower-income spouse can withdraw those funds and pay little or no tax. "This may be particularly advantageous in providing additional family funding when a lower-income spouse takes time off work, perhaps to raise children or start a business that isn't expected to earn profits for a number of years," says the accounting firm KPMG. It adds an important warning: unlike tax-free savings accounts, funds withdrawn from a spousal RRSP can't be recontributed to the plan at a later date without drawing down on future contribution room.

The experts say it's best to use tax software programs (or hire a tax professional) to figure out if any income-splitting or -sharing manoeuvre makes financial sense. That's because these type of moves have the potential to affect a whole range of other things, like Old Age Security clawbacks and the age amount tax credit. Tax software can optimize tax savings by suggesting the best method of splitting income.

Tax experts also say pension income splitting and spousal RRSPs are not either/or things. "Depending on your personal situation, the strategies can be combined in a manner to produce the most effective financial and tax results," notes Ernst & Young in the firm's online Managing Your Personal Taxes publication.   

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Loretta Saunders murder suspects' case adjourned for 3 weeks

The man and woman accused of first-degree murder in the death of Loretta Saunders won't be back in court for another three weeks.

Victoria Henneberry, 28, and Blake Leggette, 25, were charged Thursday in the death of the 26-year-old Saint Mary's University student.

They were charged earlier with stealing her car.

Henneberry and Leggette were brought to the provincial court in Halifax on Friday surrounded by a heavy police presence. Leggette was brought up to the courtroom, but Henneberry remained in the courthouse cells below.

A large crowd of Saunders family and friends packed the courtroom. One man yelled "gutless coward" at Leggette. There was a brief flurry of applause, but the crowd was quickly silenced by the sheriffs, the CBC's Blair Rhodes reported.

 Both Leggette and Henneberry will be back in court on March 19.

Police confirmed Thursday they believe Saunders was killed on Feb. 13 — the day she disappeared. Police also said they believe she was killed in the apartment unit she was sharing with Leggette and Henneberry.

Her body was found Wednesday afternoon, after almost two weeks of searching, on the median of Route 2 of the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Salisbury, N.B. Forensic investigators from both Halifax police and RCMP in New Brunswick are working on the case.

The body of Loretta Saunders, 26, was found on the median of Route 2 of the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Salisbury, N.B. She had been last seen Feb. 13. (Facebook)

Saunders was last seen in the Cowie Hill Road area of Halifax on the morning of Feb. 13. Five days later, her car was located in Harrow, Ont.

Yalcin Surkultay, who dated Saunders for 2½ years, told CBC News that when he last saw his girlfriend, she told him she was going to try to collect rent money from her roommates.

An autopsy will be performed on Saunders's remains, which were transported to the coroner services office in Saint John.

Police will not say how Saunders was killed, only that it's part of the evidence in the murder case against Leggette and Henneberry.

The Nova Scotia legislature observed a moment of silence in her honour on Friday.

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Death from below: Skiers and the hidden pitfalls of tree wells

Even expert skiers and snowboarders fear an invisible menace on ungroomed hills — camouflaged death traps known as "tree wells."

'I saw the bottom of his snowboard next to a tree, and just him wiggling.'—Peter Smart, owner and operator of Extremely Canadian in Whistler, B.C.

Enthusiasts familiar with all kinds of terrain were reminded of the perils of tree wells this week when Chris Johnston posted a helmet-cam GoPro video showing him traversing through evergreens on his way down a backcountry run, only to take a spill into a depression of deep, loose snow near the base of a tree.

When the White Rock, B.C., man woke in the darkness of the three-metre-deep cavity, he felt something blocking his lungs.

"I was breathing in snow," he recalled. Johnson was lucky to survive, but it took him 15 minutes to wriggle free.

Tree wells form during or just after big storms or snow cycles. The general principle, according to the ski-industry website DeepSnowSafety.org, is that the fresher the snowfall, the higher the risk of falling into the hollow spaces created near ungroomed and treed areas.

According to the Canadian Ski Patrol, 90 per cent of people trapped in the hazards are unable to rescue themselves, although many more cases may go unreported.

According to the Canadian Ski Patrol, 90 per cent of people trapped in the hazards are unable to rescue themselves, although many more cases may go unreported. (Duk Han Lee/CBC)

DeepSnowSafety.com estimates that one-fifth of ski-related fatalities are caused by accidents in tree wells and snow immersion suffocation (SIS), in which a victim is smothered by powder snow.

Canada has had two fatalities so far this season from SIS and tree wells, Paul Baugher of the U.S. Northwest Avalanche Institute, told CBC News.

"One was in-bounds at Whistler, another was out of bounds at Pemberton," said Baugher, who works with the U.S. National Skiers Association to publish safety information on DeepSnowSafety.org.

'Umbrella effect'

Baugher said his U.S. data showed there have been three similar deaths in U.S. since January, and that the U.S. averages roughly four SIS-related deaths a year.

What makes tree wells so tricky to spot is the layer of dry, fluffy powder snow that accumulates around the trunks, further obscured by the surrounding snowpack.

A skier demonstrates the depth of a tree well for the U.S. public safety information website DeepSnowSafety.org. (Courtesy DeepSnowSafety.org)

Overhanging branches create an "umbrella effect," explained Peter Smart, who runs guided ski expeditions for Extremely Canadian in Whistler, B.C.

"Hardwood trees in the East don't form big tree wells. They're the result of the umbrellas of coniferous trees," Smart said. "Snow falls down and slides down, so nothing falls underneath. Once the snowpack is deep enough, it starts to climb up around the branches of the trees, so there's nothing to see — just tree branches going down into the snow."

Smart said Extremely Canadian ensures that tree-well safety is part of everyday instruction for his groups. Even so, there's not much someone can do if they fall in and need rescue.

"Hope you're not alone. It's that simple," Smart said, noting that he spotted a snowboarder earlier this week who had apparently fallen head first into one of the tree wells.

"I saw the bottom of his snowboard next to a tree and just him wiggling," he said. "His buddies were there; they got him out."

'Easy to choke on powder'

Iain MacMillan, editor of Ski Canada magazine, remembers tumbling into a tree well decades ago when he went slightly off the groomed run in Whistler to experience fresher powder.

Skiers who explore backcountry runs are advised to buddy up and keep each other in sight in case someone falls into a tree well. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

"I'm struggling, I'm choking on snow," he recalled. "It was annoying because more branches and snow kept falling in the more I wiggled."

MacMillan said he managed to get at least one of his skis off and dig himself out after roughly 10 minutes. A skiing companion up ahead was also buried in a tree well, but she also made it out.

"In a worst-case scenario, you've got your head down, you can't get your skis off, and your hands are stuck," MacMillan said. "It's easy to choke on powder snow because it's so light, dry and fluffy, so you inhale it quickly."

'I'm struggling, I'm choking on snow. It was annoying because more branches and snow kept falling in the more I wiggled.'—Iain MacMillan, editor of Ski Canada magazine

He advised skiers who explore off trail to unstrap their poles, which can restrict arm movement if you become immersed in snow.

He now skis with a backpack with a whistle attached to the chest strap and also has an Avalung device — an apparatus that draws air from snow so a skier or rider can breathe through a tube in case of an avalanche burial. Radios and cellphones can also be used to call for help.

Tree wells appear to be a problem mainly in Western slopes, according to Ron Cameron, VP of operations for the Ontario division for the Canadian Ski Patrol. He has never encountered a case in Ontario, though he said some incidents may go unreported.

"Is it a big risk here in Ontario? I do not believe so," he said.

Despite the known risks of tree wells, MacMillan said it's unlikely skiers and snowboarders will keep off fresh powder.

"Just looking at a photo of untracked snow, it's like it's calling you," he said. "You don't hear the metal edges of your skis on the slope because it's all fresh and light and fluffy. There's just a primal rush that you don't get on a groomed run. That's why we go there."

Tree Wells & SIS Safety: What To Do If You Go Down from SIS Safety Videos on Vimeo.

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400 Halifax home-care workers walk off the job

More than 400 home support workers in Halifax walked off the job Friday morning in their fight for more pay.

Soon after 8 a.m. the protesting Northwood Homecare Ltd. workers loaded onto buses headed to the Nova Scotia legislature. 

That's where new legislation is being introduced by the Stephen McNeil government that will force the union to work out a deal with the employer to determine which are essential staff. Only non-essential workers will be allowed to hit the picket line.

Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union leader Joan Jessome calls it "draconian" and said there are hundreds of union members ready to speak at the law amendments committee, which could tie up the legislation for days.

She said workers could be on strike for days before legislation forcing them back to work is finally passed.

When the protesters first arrived there were enough workers to almost encircle the entire block of Province House.

Jessome said they'll picket as long as provincial politicians remain inside. 

The home-care workers supply services provided by Northwood Homecare, which means about 1,800 people living at home will no longer receive their help.

"This isn't about the frail and the elderly," Jessome told The Canadian Press. "This is about busting the collective bargaining process for public-sector workers."

The striking workers say they want to receive the same pay that their colleagues in hospitals receive.

The premier said other care workers have agreed to what he calls the government's "very generous" offer and he's calling on the union to follow suit.

"We're going back to the table and that offer will not be on the table is my message. It will not be the same offer. It will be less than what is there," said McNeil.

Northwood has been preparing to deal with the walk-out, asking clients to make other arrangements and looking to bring in non-unionized staff to help with the most frail or those without family.

But clients are worried. Gail Kernick is 64 years old and gets daily help from a Northwood home support worker.

"I'm praying things are going to work out for them and things are going to go right," she said.

More than 700 Victoria Order of Nurses home care workers in rural parts of the province are also set to strike next week

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Facebook exempt from Quebec's French language law, lawyer says

Quebec's language law does not have jurisdiction over social media because it's intended to start conversations and not promote or sell products, according to a Montreal-based lawyer.

Eva Cooper owns a women's boutique clothing store with locations in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood, as well as in Chelsea, Que., just north of Gatineau.

Eva Cooper has been told to change the language on her store's Facebook page from English to French. (CBC)

She offers customer service in French and English and her store features signs and promotional materials that are bilingual. 

But the Facebook page for Cooper's business, Delilah {in the Parc}, features only English content. A customer recently complained to Quebec's French language office and Cooper received a letter ordering her to translate the page, or she could face a fine.

Lawyer Michael Bergman, who specializes in constitutional and human rights issues, told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning the Quebec government can't regulate Facebook because it is fleeting, free communication.

Bergman believes this could become a human rights issue.

"The language charter was enacted before social media existed and, for that matter, before the internet was popular," Bergman said.

"(The French language office) is expanding into the cyber sphere an ancient concept, so to speak, of traditional advertising. Social media is far from advertising, it's an interactive dialogue."

Bergman also said the law does not stipulate all advertising must be in French and it specifically mentions just paper items such as catalogues, pamphlets or brochures.

The law in question is Quebec's Bill 101, which Bergman said has never been challenged in court.

"The reason I joined Facebook in the first place - I didn't do a website - was because it was a way to communicate," she told CBC News.

But the provincial language office argues Facebook is more than just a conversation.

Lawyer Michael Bergman says Bill 101, the language law in Quebec, was enacted before social media or the internet existed and has never been altered to include new forms of advertising. (McGill College)

"When it's used for commercial publication, or commercial advertising, then it has to be written in French," said Jean-Pierre Le Blanc, a language office spokesman. "More and more we see businesses using social media to advertise, to sell products. This is where the law comes in."

On Thursday, social media users agreed with Cooper and expressed their opinions on, you guessed it, Facebook and Twitter.

Cooper has benefited from this story, in a way. Her Facebook page has been "liked" more than 5,200 times since her story was aired on CBC News late Wednesday night.

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SNC-Lavalin put Gadhafi son's wife on payroll as Libya fell: Ex-VP

Canadian engineering giant SNC-Lavalin is facing fresh allegations about the company's close ties to Libya's former Moammar Gadhafi regime, including the claim in court documents that SNC put the wife of a Gadhafi son on its payroll during Libya's 2011 civil war, despite UN economic sanctions and Western military intervention.

The allegation comes from Riadh Ben Aissa, a former executive vice-president of SNC-Lavalin's international construction arm who has been jailed in Switzerland since April 2012. He is accused of corruption and money laundering after years as a company top-earner who won billions in megaproject contracts in Libya and across North Africa.

The allegation comes from Riadh Ben Aissa, a former executive vice-president of SNC-Lavalin's international construction arm who has been jailed in Switzerland since April 2012. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

In Canada, Ben Aissa is also locked in a fierce battle with SNC-Lavalin, which has characterized him as a rogue executive who secretly supported the Gadhafi regime. He was forced to resign in February 2012, and SNC is trying to seize his assets.  

But in court documents recently filed in Montreal, Ben Aissa is fighting back and has made a string of allegations against the company, including claims that other senior executives had a long history of lobbying the Gadhafi regime, doing favours for family members and funding junkets and lavish entertainment.

Ben Aissa's most contentious allegation is that during the Libyan conflict, SNC-Lavalin temporarily placed Saadi Gadhafi's wife on its payroll in Morocco, "despite the fact she was not one of [SNC's] employees, to help her and Saadi Gadhafi's children financially. [Then CEO] Pierre Duhaime was aware of this," the court filing states.

SNC-Lavalin has refused to say whether any money went to Saadi Gadhafi's wife, or whether the company is doing any internal investigation.

Duhaime, who was forced to resign in 2012 and faces criminal charges involving alleged bribes paid on a Montreal hospital megaproject, did not respond to questions submitted through his lawyer.

However in court documents the company does acknowledge it was aware of UN economic sanctions imposed in March 2011 as Libya's civil war began to shake the Gadhafi regime. Throughout the 2000s, SNC-Lavalin won billions of dollars worth of construction megaprojects in Libya including the building of an airport, large irrigation systems and even a prison.

History of Gadhafi support

Ben Aissa, who has spent almost two years jailed in Switzerland, argues that for years (predating 2009 when he became head of construction) SNC lobbied the Gadhafi regime. He made the following claims in his court filing:

• Former CEO Jacques Lamarre met several times with Moammar Gadhafi to foster a lucrative relationship.
• Lamarre and another senior executive, tried to assist Saadi Gadhafi in getting a visa from the Canadian Embassy in Tunis.
• SNC considered appointing Saadi Gadhafi to a post of vice-president.
• SNC in 2008 paid $2 million for a visit by Saadi Gadhafi to Canada, picking up the tab for restaurants, hotels and limousines — expenses that were disclosed to the company board of directors.
• In 2009, Ben Aissa claims, SNC paid for Saadi Gadhafi to visit the Toronto International Film Festival, paying $550,000 for an exclusive night for Gadhafi and some SNC employees featuring a performance by rapper 50 Cent.  
• SNC knowingly paid for a luxury condo in Toronto for Saadi Gadhafi, including $200,000 for remodelling.

None of these claims have been proven in court.

Former SNC-Lavalin CEO Lamarre told CBC News in a 2013 interview that he travelled to Libya twice in the early 2000s to meet Moammar Gadhafi, but never discussed specific contracts or agreements.

"No. Never," Lamarre told CBC News. "He was talking about the overall picture. If anything specific that he was discussing, he was complaining about the visa for the Libyan students coming in Canada. It was those kind of discussion and saying that he would like to have a better relationship with Canada and all that. Nothing more specific than that."

SNC claims Ben Aissa directed secret plots

Lawyers for SNC-Lavalin have filed their own response in court, arguing that in 2011 as Libya's Gadhafi regime was falling, Ben Aissa conspired to help Saadi Gadhafi.

The company alleges that without its knowledge, Ben Aissa directed the financial controller of the construction arm, Stéphane Roy, to continue paying the fees on the Gadhafi condo in Toronto.

SNC also argues Ben Aissa oversaw a secret plot to illegally smuggle Saadi Gadhafi and his family out of Libya, contrary to UN sanctions.  

The company cites payments and emails involving Roy, Canadian consultant Cynthia Vanier and former Gadhafi bodyguard Gary Peters, including one in which Roy allegedly sent a copy of Saadi Gadhafi's passport to Vanier to arrange fake identification.  

Vanier was arrested in Mexico in 2011 and spent 17 months in jail being tried on accusations she masterminded the plot. Before any verdict, Vanier was released by Mexico's Supreme Court that had ruled her legal rights had been violated. She returned to Canada in April 2013. 

The RCMP won't talk about their investigation into SNC-Lavalin, not just in Libya but also regarding allegations of bribery and kickbacks here in Canada.

In January 2014 the Mounties charged Roy with violating UN sanctions tied to the condo payments. He has not had a chance to answer the charge but he is suing SNC-Lavalin, claiming wrongful dismissal. 

In January, the RCMP also charged Ben Aissa's predecessor at SNC-Lavalin Sami Bebawi with fraud, bribery of foreign officials and possession of proceeds of crime. He was in charge of SNC's international construction division from 1998 until 2006 with major projects in Algeria and Libya. However, the RCMP say they don't know Bebawi's whereabouts.

Please send tips on this story or other stories to Dave Seglins.
 

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Half of Quebec's anglophones polled feel they can succeed in the province

The number of anglophones who feel they or their children can succeed in Quebec has sharply declined over the past year, a poll suggests.

In a CBC-commissioned Ekos poll, about half of anglophone respondents — 53 per cent — said they feel they can achieve success living in the province.

That's down from 65 per cent one year ago, when CBC carried out a poll for its Living English series.

When asked about their children, 48 per cent of anglophones said they feel their children can succeed in Quebec — down from 61 per cent a year ago.

For allophones living in Quebec, 55 per cent said they feel they can be successful here, and 56 per cent said they think their children can succeed as well.

The results are a stark contrast with francophones who were polled, more than 80 per cent of whom feel they and their children can attain success in the province.

As part of an exclusive two-week series, CBC Montreal will look at what is pushing people to consider relocating out of Quebec, what is keeping them in the province and what hopes they have for their future in Quebec.

A total of 2,020 Quebec residents were interviewed by phone between Feb. 10 and 18, 2014, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. 

Career roadblock

Saint-Bruno resident Christine Kostecki feels she's hit a roadblock in her career path.

Kostecki completed a bachelor's degree at McGill University in nursing, but can't work because she didn't pass the oral section of the mandatory French exam.

"I keep trying and trying. I take French classes, I've had a private tutor … I'm doing what it takes to do it and it just makes me feel so dejected," Kostecki said.

For now, she's a stay-at-home mom, but Kostecki said she'd like to enter the workforce.

"I felt I wanted to do something for the community. Something that was bigger and better and I felt I had the inclination and the drive and the will — but I've been stopped."

Kostecki has two children and encourages them to learn French, but she doesn't know if they'll ultimately stay in the province.

"They need to learn French, but then it's their choice. If they want to stay, they stay. They decide where they want to go.… I feel horrible because Montreal is a wonderful city and it has so much to offer, but we are losing people and it's sad. "

Kostecki's daughter Rebecca Newton, 17, plans to study nursing. She says she may leave Quebec for better job opportunities.

"Yeah, I have thought of it because nurses here don't get paid very much, and if you look in the States they can double their salaries. As much as this is my home it leads you to want to go to other places because you are getting more," Newton said.

Feeling welcome

The Ekos findings also suggest that slightly fewer anglophones feel welcome in the province than they did last year.

In the recent poll, 52 per cent said they feel welcome in Quebec and integrated in Quebec society, while in 2013 roughly 58 per cent of anglophones shared that view.

Newton said she can relate to those figures.

"We are English, but we are also Quebecers. Just because we are English, it doesn't mean we don't belong. It just creates the feeling sometimes.… We don't feel as accepted." Newton said.

Most allophones, 68 per cent, said they feel welcome in the province.

Meanwhile, 91 per cent of francophones said they feel welcome and integrated into society.

When respondents were asked how they define the relationship between Quebec's anglophone and francophone communitiies, roughly 30 per cent of anglophones and allophones said they think relations are difficult or strained. Only 10 per cent of francophone respondents agreed.

About the survey

A total of 2,020 Quebec residents were interviewed by phone between Feb. 10 and 18, 2014, as part of this CBC-commissioned Ekos study. The margin of error for a sample of 2,020 is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Those surveyed included 782 anglophones (with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points 95 per cent of the time), 1,009 francophones (with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points 95 per cent of the time) and 223 allophones (with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.5 percentage points 95 per cent of the time).

Anglophones are respondents who identified their mother tongue as English; francophones are people who identified their mother tongue as French; and allophones identified their mother tongue as "other."

Percentages for total respondents have been weighted to reflect linguistic population make-up of Quebec.

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Loretta Saunders case: Theft suspects back in court Friday

The woman accused of stealing a car belonging to Loretta Saunders, whose body was found by a New Brunswick highway yesterday, has had her first Halifax court appearance delayed until Friday.

Victoria Henneberry, 28, and her co-accused Blake Leggette, 25, are both facing charges relating to the theft of Loretta Saunders's car. Saunders's boyfriend, Yalcin Surkultay, told CBC they were the Saint Mary's University student's roommates.

Henneberry, who appears on the court docket under the name Victoria Galbraith, was brought from the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility to the courthouse flanked by sheriffs on Thursday morning.

Friends and family of Saunders packed the courtroom, but the case was put over by one day.

Police found Saunders's body on the edge of a highway west of Salisbury, N.B. on Wednesday afternoon. Police are treating the 26-year-old woman's death as a homicide.

Victoria Henneberry was brought to provincial court in Halifax under sheriffs' escort. (Craig Paisley/CBC)

No one has been charged yet, but Halifax Const. Pierre Bourdages said they've identified suspects and charges are coming.

Saunders, 26, had been reported missing by her family. She was last seen in the Cowie Hill Road area in Halifax on the morning of Feb. 13.

Five days later, her car was located in Harrow, Ont.

Police brought Saunders's remains to the medical examiner's office in Saint John. Halifax police said they'll be there until the autopsy is completed. 

Leggette is scheduled for a bail hearing on Friday, but lawyer Lyle Howe said that will likely be delayed because he expects his client will face new charges.

Cheryl Maloney, the president of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, says Saunders's slaying should trigger a national inquiry into the hundreds of murdered and missing aboriginal women in Canada.

Saunders, an Inuk woman from Newfoundland and Labrador, was doing her thesis at Halifax's Saint Mary's University on missing and murdered aboriginal women. 

"We shouldn't be growing up in a country where we are at risk to be missing and murdered more than anyone else," said Maloney.

She said aboriginal Canadian women are five times more likely to be violently attacked than non-aboriginal women.

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Chief Bill Blair knew Doug Ford attack was coming

A spokesman for Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair says Toronto's top cop was not surprised when Coun. Doug Ford attacked the chief in public comments.

Toronto police chief Bill Blair drew the ire of Coun. Doug Ford. (Canadian Press)

The spokesman says Mayor Rob Ford's friend and occasional driver Sandro Lisi told police that a public attack was coming from the Fords.

The threat was allegedly made while Lisi was in custody after being arrested last October on extortion charges related what police say are his attempts to obtain a video that appears to show Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine.

Mark Pugash is the director of corporate communications for the police.

"When Sandro Lisi was arrested and he was being interviewed he said, 'You know, your guy is going to get his,' and when the investigators asked 'Well what guy? He said, 'Chief Blair.' He made it clear that what was going to happen … what we eventually saw happen. We fully expected that we would be the subject of an attack, the investigators and the chief of police and that's what happened."

Shortly after Lisi's arrest last fall, Blair appeared at an Oct. 31 news conference where he confirmed police had in their possession a video consistent with media reports about a video that appears to show Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine.

In response to a reporter's question, Blair further stated he was "disappointed" that such a tape existed. That comment spurred Coun. Doug Ford to go on the offensive. On CBC Radio's Metro Morning less than a week later, the councillor and mayor's brother called Blair "the most political police chief we've ever had" and said he "needs to step down immediately."

Ford also accused Blair of conflict of interest for going on a fishing trip with police services board member Andy Pringle.

This week Doug Ford brought forward a complaint to the Toronto Police Services Board about Blair, which has since been passed to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.

On Tuesday Alok Mukherjee, the chair of the police services board, told CBC News that Ford's complaint was about Blair's comments at the Oct. 31 press conference. Regarding the fishing trip, Mukherjee said "the board did not have a concern."

Pugash also responded to comments Rob Ford made about Chief Blair in a video recorded at the Steak Queen restaurant.

In that video, an inebriated Rob Ford swears about Blair and complains about police surveillance against him while speaking in a fake Jamaican accent.

"The comments were disgusting," said Pugash.

Sandro Lisis's lawyers did not respond to CBC's request for comment on this story. Rob Ford also would not comment when asked about the story Wednesday in Ottawa, where he was attending a gathering of big-city mayors.

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Yukon avalanche forecasters trek White Pass amid funding fears

In the White Pass area of the Klondike Highway in northern British Columbia, Fraser Camp is a bit like a fire hall.

Three men with the Yukon Avalanche Association lace up their heavy boots, check their life-saving equipment and hit the road.

They're off to do snow tests in the area to assess and report on the avalanche risk.

"Our main job is to go out and collect observations and share that with the public," says Justin Abbiss, who's with the team.

On the mountains, the men travel on skis, checking the density of the snow and cutting blocks for "impact tests," where they'll measure the snow's density.

A three-man crew from the Yukon Avalanche Association travels on skis in the White Pass area of the Coast Mountains. (Philippe Morin/CBC)

"I really love the fact that we get to come work out here in the mountains," says Matthew Holmes, "and gather information on the snow pack, and go back to the office and relay information back to the public so that backcountry users can make informed decisions while travelling."

On a recent day, tests of the snow pack revealed a high risk, and in the distance there was another warning sign — a crack in the snow.

That was news for a group of travellers, who happened to be snowshoeing in the area.

"Usually when there's bad conditions on the road, we've already heard about it so we don't really have the reflex to go on the website and check it out," said Sarah Cloutier-Hebert. "You just assume that you will know that something is wrong."

"We didn't check it out," her companion admits, "but we will next time."

Now, however, it's not clear whether that information will still be available. 

When it was formed in 2010, the Avalanche Association received three years of funding from the National Search and Rescue Secretariat. It was the first avalanche-forecasting project in the territory.

That grant — worth $200,000 a year — expires after this winter, and nothing has been announced to replace it.

Members of the avalanche association say they've been talking with government to find money to allow them to continue field work, but if that doesn't happen, their work could soon end.     

Before the Yukon Avalanche Association formed, "effectively we had nothing in place in terms of a public safety avalanche forecasting system," says president Jim Bishop.

Joe Lammers is with the Canadian Avalanche Centre in British Columbia.

He's visiting the area, and says this is a service Yukon needs.

'These mountains are huge, and the avalanche danger here is very real.'- Joe Lammers, Canadian Avalanche Centre

"I'm really blown away by how many backcountry users there are in the area. I've only been here for three days and I've seen snowmobilers, skiers and kiters, which is something new, and the reality is, most of these people are heading into avalanche terrain."

To Lammers, it's a question of life and death.

"Without those tools, a lot of these recreational users are coming into this area blind," he says. "These mountains are huge, and the avalanche danger here is very real. I think they fulfill a very important public service."

Across Canada, about 14 people a year die in avalanches.

The Yukon Avalanche Association says it hopes to reduce that number, partly through education, and partly by getting people check conditions before they head out.

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Campus cheaters hire custom essay writers to avoid detection

Cheating on university essays has never been easier thanks to thousands of papers posted online, but anti-plagiarism software may catch the cheaters — unless they've hired a custom essay writer.

According to a survey by CBC News of 42 Canadian universities, more than 7,000 students were formally disciplined for academic cheating in 2011-12.

'These people don't care about school and like to party…. They just want to graduate and that's it.'— Custom essay writer

Plagiarism was the No. 1 offence, accounting for 50 per cent of the cases.

At least 56 Canadian universities use some form of anti-plagiarism software, but those programs may not detect a custom essay written by someone else for profit.

An essay writer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told CBC News that in the three years he has been writing custom essays, none of his clients has been caught.

"I've never had any problems," he said. "There's a loophole around this."

He said he knows how to beat that system using an online library that he said is not connected to any anti-plagiarism software.

"From this source, you just change the words a little bit around and you just submit that," he said.

Anti-plagiarism programs have limitations

Julia Christensen Hughes, dean of the College of Management and Economics at the University of Guelph, agrees that anti-plagiarism programs have their limitations.

"If a student submits their work, it compares that work to other previously submitted work, and so in that case plagiarism can be detected," she said.

"But if it's an original piece of work just written by someone else, that's not going to show up."

The essay writer said there is a huge market for his services, and finding clients is easy because there are always students with money who don't want to do the work.

"These people don't care about school and like to party," he said. "They just want to graduate and that's it."

The writer said he produces essays for more than 100 students per year and makes almost $30,000 annually.

He added that he has clients who hire him to complete an entire course, which can mean 20 assignments and a few exams, at a cost of $3,000.

"If it's a very hard assignment, I charge $500 per paper," he said. "If it's something easy, I'll do $150. That's my lowest price."

2 Manitoba universities don't use software

Two of Manitoba's largest universities, University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg, don't use any anti-plagiarism software.

Instructors at the University of Manitoba have argued that the institution should subscribe to an anti-plagiarism service because it would make it easier for them to detect plagiarized papers, said Brandy Usick, the university's director of student advocacy and accessibility.

But Usick said just having the software available wouldn't automatically make it easier.

"You still have to sift through the results and determine false positives," she said.

The software scans the paper and within 10 seconds, 400 billion websites, 200 million academic journals and 110 million university sources are checked against the paper in question.

A report called an "originality check" is generated and the professor will judge if the paper is plagiarized or not.

The University of Regina does use an anti-plagiarism program and its students are required to submit their papers to a server that links to a software account.

"Students now have to work harder to conceal plagiarism when it's going on," said Richard Kleer, the dean of arts at the University of Regina.

"They used to be lazy in the past, and we could surprise them. But now they know we're using it."

But the custom essay writer said he could beat anti-plagiarism software and make a good living writing for students.

"This is one of the jobs where there is so much demand out there," he said. "You can do whatever you want."

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Rob Ford in Ottawa to get 'fair share' of infrastructure fund

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is in Ottawa today for a gathering of 22 big city mayors, a meeting he has shunned in the past, dismissing it as "the lefty caucus."

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Ford said he has criticized the mayors' meetings in the past because of the number of people who would attend from Toronto. He said there were 22 Toronto city councillors who went to a Federation of Canadian Municipalities gathering in Vancouver, for example.

"I'm here with one person, one aide. I think that's enough," he said.

Ford said one thing he's worried about is door-to-door mail service from Canada Post, something the Crown corporation announced last year it was cutting.

He says Finance Minister Jim Flaherty knows how he feels about home delivery, although he isn't meeting with Flaherty today. He said he will take the issue up with Flaherty or Prime Minister Stephen Harper if necessary.

"I'm focusing on getting subway money for the city of Toronto and housing money and trying to keep our postal service. And I will take on the federal government," Ford said.

"I can understand what they're trying to achieve. I understand they're going to save money. OK, but I believe there's other ways you can save money and not take away this important service. And Toronto, it's an important service, and that's what people want me to do."

"People have told me, Rob, I want my home delivery. And I do too, and so does my mom."

Ford, who is running for re-election as mayor of Canada's largest city, said on Tuesday he would attend this meeting to make sure that Toronto gets its "fair share" of a new federal infrastructure plan.

Vancouver, Montreal mayors also there

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, as chair of the group, will also speak to reporters in Ottawa after the mayors' morning session.

CBCNews.ca will carry Robertson's news conference live starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Wednesday's meeting will also mark the first time former Liberal MP Denis Coderre will meet his municipal counterparts since being elected Montreal mayor.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi told CBC News on Monday the mayors are expected to spend a "fair bit of time" discussing the growing housing crisis with Candice Bergen, the federal minister of state for social development.

"I'm looking forward to that discussion and continuing that discussion with the federal government about the housing crisis that we're facing across municipalities in Canada," Nenshi said in Calgary Monday.

The federal government's key infrastructure plan will also be a main topic of discussion as numerous questions remain on how the federal funds will be used to meet municipal needs.

"There were some concerns that we had with the criteria of the Building Canada Fund. As I've said before, I think these are solvable … and if they're not solvable for 2014, let's at least fix them for 2015," Nenshi said.

The federal government recently announced the details of a 10-year, $14-billion New Building Canada Fund designed to provide both small and large communities with predictable infrastructure funding.

Of that $14 billion fund, $10 billion has been earmarked to fund provincial and territorial infrastructure projects.

Under the new plan, each province and territory will receive a base funding amount of $250 million per year, plus a per capita amount based on the 2011 census figures.

As it is, Ontario will receive $2.7 billion over 10 years from Ottawa, the most federal dollars of any province. Quebec will receive $1.7 billion and British Columbia just over $1 billion over 10 years under the new plan.

Glen Murray, Ontario's minister of infrastructure, was critical of the new plan and called on the federal government to commit more money to infrastructure spending.

"Since they collect the majority of taxes, we need them as a full partner. The Building Canada Fund might do many things, but it doesn't do much building in Canada," Murray told reporters in Toronto on Tuesday.​​

$660M for Toronto subway

How the federal dollars will be allocated is the question on the mind of anyone who intends to apply for funding under the new federal infrastructure plan.

Ford said on Tuesday that "years of under-investment" have left Toronto far behind where the city ought to be when it comes to transit and housing needs.

While cities can't apply for the new federal dollars until March 31, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced last fall that Toronto would receive $660 million for the extension of a subway line.

"This vital project will drive economic development and unlock countless opportunities," Ford said in Toronto on Tuesday.

"This is a great first step and a major achievement. But even with the Scarborough subway line, our transit system is still years behind where it needs to be."

"The city of Toronto faces unique challenges and we need the federal government to acknowledge this," Ford said.

Ford, who is a longtime friend of federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, will not be meeting with him while in Ottawa. Nor will the mayor be meeting with Harper, the Prime Minister's Office told CBC News on Tuesday.

Federal Conservatives have tried to steer clear of answering questions about the embattled mayor's use of alcohol and drugs, with the exception of cabinet minister Jason Kenney, who said Ford should "step aside."

Kenney may have rubbed Flaherty the wrong way with his comments, but he was seen as representing the concerns of his caucus colleagues at the time.

The Big City Mayors' Caucus consists of 22 mayors who are members of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, a group that represents more than 2,000 communities across the country.

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The No. 1 reason anglophones stay in Quebec

Quebec Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard says he's "worried" by the results of a CBC-commissioned EKOS Research poll, which suggest that half of Quebec's anglophone and allophone population have considered leaving the province in the past year.

Couillard said anyone who lives in the province is a Quebecer — no matter what language they speak.

"I don't want us to start raising barriers between anglophones and francophones," he said.

He blamed the Parti-Québécois's government for creating division with its proposed secular charter.

"It's not good news," Couillard said.

He blamed the separatist government for creating "instability" and said in order to keep Quebecers here, the government needs to focus on restoring the economy, rather than divisive policies.

Quebec Premier Pauline Marois, leader of the Parti-Québécois, would not comment on the poll when questioned by journalists on Tuesday evening. 

No. 1 reason anglophones stay

In the second part of CBC's Stay or Go Series, the EKOS survey asked more than 2,000 Quebecers why they choose to live in the province.

Among those surveyed, almost half of anglophones and allophones who live in Quebec said that their loved ones are what keep them in the province.

The poll suggested that 47 per cent of anglophones and 41 per cent of allophones are staying in the province because their family and friends are in Quebec.

As part of an exclusive two-week series, CBC Montreal will look at what is pushing people to consider leaving Quebec, what is keeping them in the province, and what hopes they have for their future in Quebec.

A total of 2,020 Quebec residents were interviewed by phone between Feb. 10 and 18, 2014, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. 

That was the case for Meghan Low, who grew up on Montreal's West Island.

Low moved to Toronto for work, but was back in Montreal before long.

"It's a great city … but I think what makes it home, for me, is just the people," Low said.

Meghan Low tried living in Toronto, but moved back to Quebec to be with her friends and family. (CBC)

Longtime Montrealer Janet Torge left the city in 1991 to move back to Ohio, where she grew up.

Torge said her son had learning disabilities, and she felt it would be best for his education to move to the United States.

"There was a bit of anger in me. I felt like I had to leave — for my kid at least," she said.

But Ohio never felt like home. Six years later, Torge had found her way back to Montreal.

"I missed the coffee, I missed the terraces … Montreal fit with me. It fit better even than where I came from."

Torge said she has advice for those who are fed up with Quebec politics:

"Leave! You'll either find a comfort level somewhere else, or you won't and you'll come back," Toge said.

Work and quality of life

Our exclusive poll found that after loved ones, work was the second most common reason anglophones said they are staying in Quebec.

About 19 per cent of anglophones said they are staying put because of their jobs

Quality of life was the main reason cited by 17 per cent of those polled.

For allophones, the results were reversed ​— quality of life was cited by 17 per cent, while 14 per cent said work was the reason they stayed in Quebec.

Of the francophones who were polled, 29 per cent said they continue to live in Quebec because of family and friends, while 23 per cent said quality of life is the main reason they stay.

Just 13 per cent of francophone respondents said their jobs are what keep them in Quebec.

About the survey

As part of an exclusive two-week series, CBC Montreal will look at what is pushing people to consider leaving Quebec, what is keeping them in the province, and what hopes they have for their future in Quebec.

A total of 2,020 Quebec residents were interviewed by phone between Feb. 10 and 18, 2014, as part of this CBC-commissioned EKOS study. The margin of error for a sample of 2,020 is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Those surveyed included 782 anglophones (with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points 95 per cent of the time), 1,009 francophones (with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points 95 per cent of the time) and 223 allophones (with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.5 percentage points 95 per cent of the time).

Anglophones are respondents who identified their mother tongue as English; francophones are people who identified their mother tongue as French; and allophones identified their mother tongue as "other."

Percentages for total respondents have been weighted to reflect linguistic population make-up of Quebec.

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Caesar salad recalled over possible Listeria contamination

A third brand of salad on the recall list due to possible Listeria contamination. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has put a recall notice on three brands of caesar salad products because of possible Listeria contamination. 

One of the caesar salad brands recalled due to possible Listeria. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency )

These products have been sold in Buy-Low Foods and Nesters Market stores in British Columbia and Alberta.

They were also sold at at the Safeway and St. Martin's Family Food stores in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan. 

The agency said people should check to see if they have these products in their homes. If so, they should throw them out or return them to the store where they purchased them. 

Food contaminated with Listeria may not look or smell spoiled, but it can make people sick. 

Symptoms include: vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. 

Pregnant women, elderly people, and those with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk

Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store.

Here are the brands to look out for. Spelling follows the actual labels: 

Brand Name	Common Name	Size	Code(s) on Product	UPC
Signature Cafe	Chicken Caesar Salad	140 g	Best Before dates  up to and including MR01	0 58200 131451 0
Signature Cafe	Chicken Caesar Salad	300 g	Best Before dates  up to and including  MR01	0 58200 13119 2
Fresh 'n Delicious	Ceasar Salad	100 g	Best Before Dates  up to and including FEB 28/14	Starts with 2 06430
Fresh 'n Delicious	Ceasar Salad	205 g	Best Before Dates  up to and including FEB 28/14	Starts with 2 06419
Fresh 'n Delicious	Chicken Ceasar Salad	280 g	Best Before Dates  up to and including FEB 28/14	Starts with 2 06422
Nester's Own	Ceasar Salad	100 g	Best Before Dates  up to and including FEB 28/14	Starts with 2 06430
Nester's Own	Ceasar Salad	205 g	Best Before Dates  up to and including FEB 28/14	Starts with 2 06419
Nester's Own	Chicken Ceasar Salad	280 g	Best Before Dates  up to and including FEB 28/14	Starts with 2 06422

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Wild horse cull opponents arrested in central Alberta

Five people who say they were documenting the wild horse cull in central Alberta have been arrested.

The province of Alberta issued 200 licences to capture the animals, which it says pose a threat to native animals and their food supplies. Licensees can keep the horses for personal use or sell them for slaughter.

Shannon Mann, who is opposed to the cull, joined a small group of people camping near a cull site in the Sundre, Alta., area for the past week.

They were on Crown land near a capture pen — but were not interfering — when RCMP officers arrived and told them they had to leave, she said.

"We asked them where should we move to, and we got three separate answers from three different officers so they didn't clearly really have a boundary," she said.

"One said we couldn't be within the line of sight of the capture pen, one said we should be on the other side of the trees. And then one said we should be a kilometre away."

Mann said they were in the process of moving when police handcuffed two men and three women and took them to the RCMP station in Sundre, which is about 120 kilometres northwest of Calgary. 

"Nobody was tampering with the site," she said. "We actually weren't even that close to it. But they told us that us being in that vicinity would prevent horses from going into his trap."

The province estimates there are 980 wild horses near Sundre based on an aerial survey done before the June floods and this year's harsh winter. That number is up from 853 the year before.

Provincial biologists have said in the past they don't consider the animals true wildlife, but rather feral descendants of domestic horses used in logging and mining operations in the early 1900s.

The Canadian Wild Horse Foundation, however, argues that the horses are native wildlife and should be protected as such.

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Ex-Liberal senators' expenses missing key details

A CBC examination of federal Liberal Party documents released Monday reveals that key details are still missing, eight months after the party announced it would make its travel expenses transparent, as it began a release of travel claims by senators who were formerly part of its caucus.

The disclosure does not include travel costs incurred by spouses — who are permitted to travel business class to Ottawa with senators at public expense — and provides less overall information than what was previously issued by Conservative senators.

Ex-Liberal Senators' travel claims

The Liberal Party began a release of details on Monday about its former senators' travel expenses. Click here to see the data. 

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau announced his party's "Open Parliament" plan for MPs and senators last June, which pledged "quarterly online expense reports that are easily accessible by Canadians." 

The information on senators released Monday is tucked away on the Liberal Party website on a page titled "Senators who were formerly members of the National Liberal Caucus." 

The expenses made public include travel costs for the former Liberal senators, per diem claims for meals while in Ottawa and some hospitality expenses. The data covers a period from last September until Dec. 31.

Conservative senators started posting their travel costs, including for their spouses, online last fall. Liberal MP John McCallum said his party chose not to post spousal expense claims because "we decided to do what the ministers currently do, which is to release MP travel and hospitality." He added that the party will eventually post those spousal costs.

5 senators claim more than $10,000

A review of the expenses that were made public Monday shows that several then-Liberal senators each incurred thousands of dollars in travel costs between Oct. 14 and Nov. 22. There is no suggestion that these expenses did not fall within Senate guidelines.

Nova Scotia Senator Wilfred Moore claimed over $15,000 in travel and meal expenses during the period. Included in his expenses was a bill in late October of just over $3,300 in travel for one return trip from Chester, N.S., to Ottawa.

Moore told CBC News he was surprised that he was among the highest spenders and that he tried hard to keep his travel expenses down. He said the high tally might have been due to an unexpected extra trip he made to Ottawa for a Senate sitting.

At least five members of the then-Liberal Senate caucus each claimed over $10,000 in travel costs during the five-week period.

All members of the Senate, who earn a base salary of $135,200 annually, are limited to a certain number of reimbursed flights per year, but there is no restriction on travelling business class or on the amount they can spend on any specific flight.

While the Senate already publishes quarterly summaries of office, travel, living and hospitality expenses for each senator, these reports don't reveal any specific costs, just the total for each three-month period.

Earlier this month, a CBC News review of that information showed that some Tory Senators routinely billed the public to bring their spouses to Ottawa. Alberta Senator Scott Tannas claimed more than $12,000 in airfare and hotel costs for himself and his wife for a two-day trip last fall. In an interview with CBC, the newly appointed senator apologized for the amount of the travel claim. 

"Those numbers will come down substantially. Some of that by virtue of just gaining experience here and knowing how to manage travel better," Tannas said.

Since the CBC review of the Conservative expense claims, the party's senators have released even more expense data, covering up until Dec. 31. 

The Liberals' new system of proactive voluntary disclosure was supposed to take effect last fall. At the time, expenses for a two-week period were made public online, but then removed, after Trudeau expelled all Liberal senators from the party caucus last month.

If you have any tips on this story, or other expense claim stories, please email investigations@cbc.ca or call 416-205-6575.

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Toronto anesthesiologist gets 10 years for sex assaults

George Doodnaught was found guilty in November of sexually assaulting 21 women who were under sedation on the operating table at North York General Hospital. (Toronto Police)

Dr. George Doodnaught, the Toronto anesthesiologist found guilty of sexually assaulting 21 women while they were under conscious sedation in hospital, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Doodnaught was convicted in November of assaults that included kissing, fondling and performing other sexual acts on female patients at North York General Hospital during a four-year period that ended in 2010, leading to a trial that ran, with many adjournments, through most of last year. 

The defence was asking that Doodnaught receive an eight- to 10-year prison term; the Crown wanted up to 15 years.

During his trial, most of the 21 victims took the stand against Doodnaught, a 26-year veteran.

They gave generally similar accounts of being kissed and fondled by him, and of having his penis placed in their mouths or hands. The women testified they were conscious enough to be aware of what was happening, but were not able to move their limbs.

The assaults happened over a four-year period ending in 2010.

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Distracted driving fines in Ontario jump to $280

The fine for distracted driving in Ontario will soon nearly double.

As of March 18, driving with the display screen of a phone, computer, MP3 player or tablet computer visible to the driver will jump to $280 from $155. The total includes a $25 victim surcharge and $5 court costs.

Last week Ontario chief justice Annemarie Bonkalo signed a judicial order approving the new fines.

The fines will not apply to GPS screens.

A ticket for distracted driving in Ontario does not come with demerit points, although drivers could also face a dangerous driving charge, which includes six demerit points.

Toronto police traffic officer Const. Clint Stibbe spoke about the new fines on CBC radio's Metro Morning Tuesday. He said the new fines are a step in the right direction, because police don't believe enough drivers are getting the message about the dangers of driving while using an electronic device.

"We've seen a lack of compliance," said Stibbe, who adds he continues to see drivers using phones and other electronic devices while at the wheel. He's seen drivers texting with two hands while holding the steering wheel with their knees. 

"We're seen fatalities that are directly attributed to the use of a cellphone," said Stibbe. "It's an ongoing problem and it is taking lives."

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B.C. groups seek federal auditor's help on salmon inquiry

New

Green groups say Ottawa failed to respond to Cohen Commission recommendations in salmon inquiry

The Canadian Press Posted: Feb 25, 2014 7:17 AM PT Last Updated: Feb 25, 2014 7:36 AM PT

Two British Columbia conservation groups are asking the federal auditor general to examine Ottawa's response to a $26-million public inquiry into the collapse of West Coast salmon stocks.

The Watershed Watch Salmon Society and SOS Marine Conservation Foundation have filed an environmental petition with the federal auditor.

The groups say in the 16 months since the federal Cohen Commission report came out the government has failed to act on its recommendations.

Already, 18 recommended deadlines have come and gone without any clear action, they say, and another looms next month.

The groups want the auditor general to compel the federal fisheries minister to reply to questions about salmon preservation in writing.

Stan Proboszcz of Watershed Watch says the disregard for the inquiry recommendations is reminiscent of the collapse of cod stocks on the East Coast.

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Rogers fined $500,000 over Chatr ads

The Competition Bureau is reviewing what it calls a "modest" $500,000 penalty imposed on Rogers Communications (TSX:RCI.B) for making what it alleges were unsupported performance claims for its talk-and-text brand Chatr.

The bureau also said Monday that it was also reviewing the decision by Ontario Superior Court not to issue an order to prevent Rogers from making similar kinds of performance claims in the future.

Four years ago, new player Wind Mobile had filed a complaint with Competition Bureau over Rogers' claims that its Chatr brand had fewer dropped calls and a better network than its new wireless competitors.

The bureau had asked that the court impose a $10-million fine on Rogers, the maximum amount allowable.

Although it appeared unhappy with the size of the fine, the bureau says it was pleased that the court recognized in its decision, which was released Friday, that Rogers didn't do adequate testing to support the claims.

However, Rogers took a much different view of the decision, saying the court had found that "virtually every allegation made was false and unfounded."

"The court emphasized that extensive testing conducted by Rogers demonstrated that Chatr's ads were true and correct," it said.

"It did find that certain testing should have been completed by Rogers before any of the ads were published and therefore imposed a modest penalty of $500,000," it said.

However, "all testing was completed shortly after the ads began and confirmed that Rogers network had fewer dropped calls than our competitors," it added.

Chatr was launched in 2010 by Rogers, which also owns Rogers Wireless and Fido, to compete in the talk-and-text market.

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Rob Ford beating claims merit police probe, lawyer says

The lawyer for Scott MacIntyre, who has filed a lawsuit against Rob Ford alleging that Toronto's mayor conspired to have him severely beaten in jail, is calling on police to investigate the incident.

"It is evident that a violent crime was committed," Tim Gleason told CBC News. "It should be investigated."

Gleason is representing MacIntyre, a former relative of the Ford family, who filed a lawsuit against the mayor on Wednesday.

MacIntyre, the former common-law spouse of Rob Ford's sister, Kathy, claims he was beaten in the spring of 2012 while he was in jail on charges of threatening the mayor.

MacIntyre's lawsuit alleges Ford conspired with some of his former high school football team colleagues to try to silence him over what he knew about the mayor's private activities.

"I'm pleased to hear that the police and ministry officials are prepared to investigate the brutal treatment of our client. I don't know why it took almost two years for them to become interested," Gleason told CBC News in an emailed statement.

But Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash said Friday that the force is not investigating because MacIntyre has not filed an official complaint.

"If he files a complaint, or reports a crime, we'll investigate," Pugash said.

Police will not commence a criminal probe simply because MacIntyre has filed a civil lawsuit, he added.

But Gleason discounted the police explanation and said the force should investigate regardless. He said his client feared for his life after being beaten inside the jail and was likely too scared to file a formal complaint with police.

"He was brutally assaulted while he was in custody," Gleason said. "You can see why someone would be reticent in ratting out the culprits if he thought he was to be exposed to that again. Particularly where, whoever was in charge of him, failed to protect him."

The Ontario Ministry of Corrections, meanwhile, said in a statement to CBC News it will investigate whether proper procedure was followed when MacIntyre reported his injuries. The investigation will not examine his allegations against Ford and the ministry, however. 

The allegations against Ford have not been tested in court. The mayor's lawyer Dennis Morris said Wednesday the allegations are "without factual foundation."

Ford has 30 days to file a statement of defence.

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Eldest survivor of residential school marks 110th birthday

About 200 people spanning five generations of the Wabano family gathered at the Moosonee arena on Tuesday to sing a Cree version of Happy Birthday to Marguerite Kioke Wabano, known as Gookum Wabano. 

Granddaughter Joyce Spence Wabano says her 110 year old Gookum always attributed her longevity to her capacity to forgive.

"No use carrying things around. Learn to forgive, and it'll help you to live a long life." said Wabano.

Marguerite Wabano was among the residential school survivors invited into the House of Commons for Prime Minister Stephen Harper's formal apology in 2008.

Joyce Spence Wabano said at 110 years old, her Gookum remains sharp and still lives in her own apartment.

"My grandmother loves visitors, and her wild traditional food, and she drinks her medicines like Labrador Tea, and teas from different trees, that's what helps her to stay healthy. She loves to laugh and joke around with her grandchildren, one of her stronger traits.  And I thank the Lord for my Granny, my Gookum."

At her birthday party, Joyce saID "She received money, because she likes it and what do you give a 110 year old woman who has mostly everything?"

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Conrad Black stripped of Order of Canada

Former media baron and convicted fraudster Conrad Black has been stripped of the Order of Canada by Gov. Gen. David Johnston.

The 11-member advisory council for the order, which made the removal recommendation to Johnston late Friday, reviewed Black's membership in the order following his 2007 convictions for fraud and obstruction of justice in the United States.

Black was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1990.

In November, the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an application by Black to address the advisory council on whether the honour should be terminated.

Black, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, will also be removed from the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. The largely ceremonial council is made up of current and former cabinet ministers, as well as other notable Canadians, who are appointed to advise the Queen.

Gov. Gen. David Johnston has removed Conrad Black as an officer of the Order of Canada, an honour presented to him in 1990. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)

The Governor General's office said in a release that both decisions were effective immediately.

The Prime Minister's Office told CBC News it had no comment on the decisions and the release "speaks for itself."

Black now becomes the sixth person to have lost Order of Canada honours. Those previous to him include:

• ​Garth Drabinsky (2012). 
• Steve Fonyo (2009). 
• T. Sher Singh (2009).
• David Ahenakew (2005). 
• Alan Eagleson (1999).

Black has been involved in a string of legal battles related to his U.S. convictions on fraud and obstruction of justice charges from when he was the head of the Hollinger newspaper business.

Black has argued repeatedly that the U.S. case against him was the result of an unfair prosecution, pointing to the fact that an appeals court later tossed two of the three fraud convictions against him and two other Hollinger executives.

In the end, he served 37 months of a 42-month sentence in a Florida prison and returned to Canada in May 2012.

He returned under a special temporary permit given that he is no longer a citizen, having renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2001 so he could accept a peerage in the British House of Lords.

Black is also currently fighting a tax court judgment that deemed him to be a Canadian resident in 2002 who owed taxes for that year.

Black, who now lives in Toronto, is a columnist for the National Post and co-hosts a current affairs talk show called The Zoomer on Vision TV.

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L'Isle-Verte to honour victims of fire with commemorative mass

Almost 1,000 people will pack a church in L'Isle-Verte, Que., Saturday morning for a commemorative mass to remember the 24 people who died, and eight who are still missing after a fire burned down a seniors residence.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church has been closed to the public while about 50 volunteers from L'Isle-Verte and neighbouring towns prepare for the Roman Catholic ceremony.

'To have this mass open to the province and to the country ... is very good '—Gilles Frigon, parish priest

Political leaders such as Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Gov. Gen. David Johnston and Quebec Premier Pauline Marois will attend the service, along with security officers from the Quebec provincial police and RCMP.

L'Isle-Verte's Mayor Ursule Thériault said she plans to take advantage of Harper's presence to ask for help from the federal government.

"All types of aid for this catastrophe will be welcome," Thériault said.

Parish priest Gilles Frigon said the ceremony will be broadcast so that everyone can grieve.

"To have this mass open to the province and to the country is very good — good for us and also very good for those who are offering us their sympathies," Frigon said.

Messages of condolences, as well as a board with pictures of the victims, will be displayed in the church — a way for people in the community to deal with their pain, said one health-care worker.

"We have many people who are coming to see us.… People are willing to cry, tell us their stories, and look for help," said Pierre-Paul Malenfant, a health and social services co-ordinator at the Bas Saint-Laurent Health Agency.

Media coverage of Saturday's mass will be limited out of respect for the families involved, organizers said. Radio-Canada will transmit video and audio of the mass, sharing with other media.

So far, 24 people have been confirmed dead, and eight people are still considered missing.

Police said the search was suspended on Friday until they get a warrant, after investigators combing through the site found clues they believe could indicate the spot where the fire may have started.

Mourners gather on the steps of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in L'Isle-Verte before the commemorative mass for the victims of the seniors' residence fire. (Elias Abboud/CBC)

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Keystone XL supporters, detractors clash over U.S. pipeline report

The Conservative government received some much-needed good news this week in the form of the U.S. State Department's massive and benign final assessment of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Ever since Stephen Harper called American approval of the $5.4-billion pipeline from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast a "no-brainer" back in September 2011, a lot has been riding on the eventual vindication of the prime minister's thinking.

By January 2012, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver had elevated pipeline politics — and the diversification of the country's foreign energy markets — to "an urgent matter of Canada's national interest."

Throw in the steady stream of Canadian supplicants to Washington on the Keystone file, a multi-million-dollar government ad campaign aimed at U.S. decision makers and consumers and, most recently, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird's impolitic push for U.S. President Barack Obama to make up his mind, and the whole saga is taking on the aura of a slow-motion policy sink hole.

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver says Keystone's 'benefits to the U.S. and Canada are clear.' (Frank Gunn/Associated Press)

With 2014 shaping up as the year the Conservatives need to find some pre-election traction on their bedrock — dare we say, keystone — energy policies, the State Department assessment buttresses many of the government's long-standing arguments.

"The benefits to the U.S. and Canada are clear," Oliver said Friday after the pipeline study was released.

"We await a timely decision on this project."

He'd best not hold his breath.

Eight other U.S. federal agencies have 90 days to comment on the State Department report and the president can then ruminate for as long as his political calculus deems necessary.

"The file has been caught up in a political dynamic that goes beyond a rational exchange of numbers," said David McLaughlin, a former president of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and chief of staff to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

Environmentalists ignore U.S. findings

Certainly the environmental movement is talking past the State report as though it was just another partisan news release.

"If President Barrack Obama truly wants to be able to tell his kids he did everything he could to combat climate change, then he must reject this pipeline because it is a fuse to one of the largest carbon bombs on the planet," Mike Hudema of Greenpeace Canada said in a release late Friday.

The U.S. State Department report on the Keystone XL pipeline is "good news" for the project, says David McLaughlin. (Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press)

The report says nothing of the sort.

Against that incendiary rhetoric, the Conservative Party of Canada responded with its own jeering web advertisement Friday within minutes of the State report's release.

"Now American billionaires are using their wealth to attack our oil industry," says the minute-long Conservative ad. "The distortion of facts and hysterical fear-mongering has to stop."

The ad was apparently in response to U.S. billionaire Tom Steyer, who has been a vocal opponent of Keystone XL.

And so while the State report should give the Harper government critical credibility on a key file, the benefits may be diluted in a political swamp.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, a supporter of the Keystone project, said the State report shows opposition to the pipeline "is not scientific, it's political."

"It is a failing of our prime minister to actually make a proper case for the Keystone XL pipeline by demonstrating that you cannot separate the economy and the environment."

New Democrats, who oppose Keystone, made much the same allegation.

"The Conservative government's bumbling approach to oil sands development has given Canada a black eye and hurt our relationship with our closest ally," said NDP energy critic Peter Julian.

Harper's approach

What is emerging is a consensus among pipeline supporters and detractors alike that the Harper government's take-no-prisoners approach to promoting energy extraction has built a cage of its own.

McLaughlin is among those who note that Canada hasn't provided Obama much of an incentive, let alone political cover, to act.

If the president has "punted," the Keystone decision — to use Harper's recent description — the prime minister has repeatedly punted regulations on oil and gas sector emissions his government first promised in 2007.

Conservatives have also torched some environmentalists as being akin to terrorists, reduced environmental assessments and loudly derided an NDP cap-and-trade proposal as a job-killing tax grab.

Against that stands a U.S. State Department report that, in McLaughlin's assessment, is "good news for the (Keystone XL) project."

"There's now a clear environmental impact assessment on emissions and climate that shows it's not as negative as many environmental groups have pointed out," he said.

"But until and unless we can turn the Obama administration to Canada's corner in terms of making a positive argument that will cause the president some (domestic) political difficulty ... we have to look back over the years and say, have we invested enough political capital in return?"

McLaughlin sees it as a rhetorical question, given the current impasse — a question the State Department report can't answer.

"In that sense, I don't think anything politically has changed from yesterday to today." 

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