'Mr. Big' stings get stricter rules from Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a lower court ruling that ordered a new trial for a Newfoundland murder suspect, in a decision that puts stricter rules on how police obtain confessions through "Mr.Big" sting operations, but does not forbid the practice.

The justices ruled that so-called Mr. Big stings like the one that convicted Nelson Hart pose major problems — namely, that they tend to produce unreliable confessions and risk becoming abusive.

Mr. Big stings are controversial operations in which undercover officers pose as criminals to draw confessions from suspects.

Hart was convicted in 2007 in Newfoundland of two counts of murder in the drowning deaths of his twin three-year-old daughters based largely on his confession to undercover officers.

In 2012, a majority of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador's Court of Appeal overturned Hart's conviction, questioning the reliability of his confession to undercover officers posing as members of the mob. The Crown appealed to the Supreme Court.

In Thursday's majority decision, Justice Michael Moldaver said, "I have concluded that the April 1 confession must also be excluded.

"As such, it is doubtful whether any admissible evidence remains upon which a jury, properly instructed and acting reasonably, could convict.

"However, the final decision on how to proceed rests with the Crown," Moldaver added.

The ruling clarifies for the first time whether the existing legal framework adequately protects the rights of individuals whose confessions were obtained through this technique, and whether these confessions should be admissible in court.

The Supreme Court said while the "Mr. Big" technique has proven to be an effective investigative tool, it comes "with a price."

Supreme Court ruling in Hart case

CBC is not responsible for 3rd party content

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Canada's economy expands in May for 5th straight month

Factory employees work on Ford Crown Victoria cars. Virtually all industries in Canada's economy expanded in May. (Dave Chidley/Canadian Press)

Canada's economy expanded by 0.4 per cent in May, a sharp improvement from 0.1 per cent the month before.

Statistics Canada reported Thursday that Canada's GDP has expanded for five straight months. On an annualized basis, the economy is growing at a 2.3 per cent pace. The expansion was broad-based, as most industries showed growth.

The service sector expanded by 0.4 per cent, and the goods sector fared even better, expanding by half a per cent.

Three key Canadian industries — manufacturing, mining and oil and gas extraction — all increased. Construction activity also expanded.

Wholesalers and retailers saw noticeable increases, along with the transportation and real estate sectors, warehousing services and professional services.

Two exceptions were the public sector, which was flat, and the finance and insurance industry, which shrank.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pot advocate Marc Emery seeks 'political revenge' against Tories

B.C. marijuana advocate Marc Emery vows to take political revenge on the Conservative government once he is finally released from U.S. custody and returns to Canada later next month.

Speaking with CBC Radio in his first interview since being transferred from a U.S. federal prison to a private deportation facility in Louisiana, Emery said he is frustrated but eager to get home and continue his campaigning work.

"My own government betrayed me and I'm going to wreak an appropriate amount of political revenge when I get home and campaign against the Conservative government," Emery said.

"The whole thing is nonsense. I should never have been turned over to the U.S. government," said the fervent Liberal supporter, already fired up for next year's general election.

'Is all this rigmarole necessary to get me back to Canada?'— Marc Emery, B.C. pot advocate

Emery and his wife, Jodie, have already announced plans to hold rallies in 30 Canadian cities to try to unseat the Conservatives and stir up support for Trudeau.

"Hopefully we'll do a good job and get the young people to vote for Justin Trudeau's Liberals and get that legalization agenda enacted in Canada as soon as possible."

Trudeau has said that by legalizing pot, the government can tax and regulate it. However, the Liberals have so far been cool in their response to the couple's support for Trudeau.

In a brief statement to CBC News last month, Liberal spokesman Dave Sommer said the party "does not endorse the Emerys' plans in any way. They are not affiliated with the party and we haven't had any hand in planning these events at all."

The Conservatives, meanwhile, who oppose efforts to legalize marijuana, seem more than eager to exploit any possible connection between Emery and the Liberals.

Impatient over delay

Emery also criticized the delay in his return to Canada, accusing U.S. and Canadian officials of dragging their feet.

"I've been DNA tested, and fingerprinted, and chained and shackled every inch of the way throughout the United States prison system.

"So, the Canadian government knows who I am, they have my passport. So is all this rigmarole necessary to get me back to Canada?"

Emery was sentenced to five years in prison in 2010 for conspiracy to manufacture marijuana after his Vancouver-based mail order business was busted in a joint operation involving U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies in 2005.

After his paperwork is completed and a flight is booked to Detroit, it is estimated he will return to Canada sometime between Aug. 10 and 25.

Waxing philosophical about his experience in U.S. prison, Emery said many people had expressed some degree of interest, admiration or agreement with his advocacy work.

"I've never encountered any disrespect from prison officials and nor inmates. Inmates were particularly kind to me," he said, adding that he had also joined fellow inmates in forming a band.

"I learned to play bass guitar. I was in a very wonderful band and played wonderful, wonderful music for three years, and I'd never picked up an instrument in my life prior to being in prison, so I bring home something extra."

Getting back in the pot business

Emery said he would probably get back into the marijuana seed business as soon as he could — at least in Canada.

"We sponsored hundreds of political activities and rallies all around the world with that money. Of course I don't regret it. And they've been very fruitful," said Emery.

"We've seen the results of 20 years of my activism throughout the world, and the landscape has changed considerably.

"Most of Canada and most of the United States favours legalization and this is going to come to pass. And a lot of that was due to our early work in Vancouver."

Marc Emery cries while embracing a friend before turning himself in at the courthouse in Vancouver in September 2009. Emery was sentenced to five years in prison in 2010 for conspiracy to manufacture marijuana after his Vancouver-based mail order business was busted. He has been transferred from a U.S. federal prison to a private deportation facility in Louisiana. (Andy Clark/Reuters)

Meanwhile, Emery said, the legalization of marijuana in Washington state and Colorado made his time in prison even more worthwhile.

"That was a great thing. That made my time even more worthwhile. I mean I've always expected I would end up in prison. Don't mistake that. I just thought it would probably be a Canadian prison," he said.

"But an American prison, fine by me, if that's the way you have to achieve martyrdom to achieve something you want, that's fine by me. I was pleased."

In the end, Emery said, he recognizes the irony that many people, including his U.S. prosecutor John McKay, who opposed his work years ago, are now advocates for the legalization of marijuana themselves. 

"Nonetheless, I'm the one that's triumphant. They're the ones that changed the way in their mind to come to where I'm standing, and that's all you want when you're a person like me, that's all that matters," he said.

"Not the amount of time you spent in jail, not the cost, whatever it takes, whatever you have to do in order to get your objectives obtained. And so I'm happy."

Emery spoke exclusively to CBC Radio's On The Coast and CBC News Network's News Now with Ian Hanomansing on Wednesday. You can watch part of his interview on the CBC News Network above.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jet stream anomaly brings heat waves to coasts, chilly days to central Canada

Scorching temperatures are setting records this week as heat waves roll over Canada's East and West, while residents in Central Canada who are experiencing a particularly chilly summer are left longing for a few sweltering days.

The reason for the abnormal summer weather could be extreme fluctuations in the jet stream, according to weather experts.

Temperatures in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary are currently well above seasonal averages, soaring into the 30s.

A heat wave in Newfoundland lifted temperatures to an all-time high this week. The humidex value rose to a record-breaking 38.7 at the St. John's airport on Wednesday.

Thursday will likely be another record-breaker in Newfoundland, said CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon, with the temperature forecast to be close to 30 C, and a humidex near 40.

The 30-degree mark at the St. John's weather station is a rare event — it has reached that mark just nine times over the past 72 years. 

In the West, hot weather has resulted in a summer record for power consumption in Alberta. Residents are being asked to voluntarily reduce their power consumption by turning off unnecessary lights and appliances. 

A heat wave hit Edmonton this week as the city gears up for its annual Heritage Festival. 

Meanwhile, chilly days, rain and sweaters at the beach have been the norm this July in Ontario and Quebec.

A jet stream that is riding high across the North, the West, and over the East Coast — but that is dipping far down in the interior with an Arctic chill — is the culprit for this summer's unusual patterns, according to experts.  

Jet streams: Extreme and locked in place

"The jet stream, a fast band of moving air in the upper atmosphere that directs air masses, is sort of stuck in this one position," said CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe. "This is the same setup that we saw a few weeks ago — we didn't get much of a break from it — and now we are back to this blocked pattern." 

The jet stream looks more like a roller coaster than a bungee cord this summer. (CBC News)

The jet stream is riding high on the coasts, all the way up to the Northwest Territories before diving down across the Great Lakes and then riding up again to Newfoundland and Labrador, like waves in the ocean with troughs and dips.

Where it rides high, it allows warm air to move in from the south. That southern air moves over land and does not spend a lot of time over the ocean, and it's cooking.  

Where the jet stream is riding low, it brings a large swath of cold air from the Arctic abnormally far south. 

Ontario, Quebec and the eastern parts of the Prairies are experiencing a cold low, the summer expression for what was known over the winter as a polar vortex. "It's like an unwanted house guest. It won't leave. It's stuck there and it keeps the warm American air out," said Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips.  

It's not so much the heat that is strange this summer, nor is the stretch of chilly days at the beach, but where it's happening that is odd.

"It's not unusual to see extremes. We often see these blocking patterns and get heat waves or cold spells, but what is notable this year is that the heat wave isn't happening in Toronto or Ottawa or Montreal, which is where we normally see the rise in the jet stream," Wagstaffe said.

In addition, the jet stream has been locked into this abnormal pattern twice already this summer. "And for the places that are seeing such cold weather this summer, it is following such an extreme winter," she said.

From May to July, Toronto has had only four days see temperatures above 30 C, Phillips said. "St. John's, N.L., has had more days above 25 C than Toronto or Ottawa, where they may see a record of 20 C this July," he said.

Climate-change related?

While it's not definitive, these patterns could be linked to climate change. With a warming climate the jet stream is unquestionably affected, said University of British Columbia climate professor Simon Donner.

"It's possible that what we are going to see in the future is that jet stream is a bit slower and a bit wavier," Donner told CBC News. "Meaning air is going to drag up further north from southern regions and cold air is going to be dragged further south, and I think that's a little of what we're seeing this summer."

There is a growing number of studies on the connection between a changing climate and an amplified jet stream, featuring bands that stretch farther up and down in either direction.

"Newer studies show that in a warmer climate, you get greater amplitudes in the jet stream, which leads to more extreme weather. And not just extreme hot weather, but reversals too, as the atmosphere tries to balance itself out," Wagstaffe said.

'Don't write the obituary on summer yet' 

Most long-range temperature models show more of the same for the rest of the summer leading into the fall.

The current weather patterns don't come as a major surprise, as they were predicted in Environment Canada's July-August-September forecast outlook. 

The probability of warmer summer weather is higher along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts according to the agency's temperature models, while parts of south-central Canada are expected to see below-normal temperatures.

"At least for August it is looking like more of this cold pool of air that has come down from the Arctic," Wagstaffe said. "As we head into next week the jet stream will become less amplified, so we will see a less extreme version of what we're getting this week."

For those waiting for the chance to unzip the hoodie and cool off with a dip in the lake, all summer dreams are not lost.

"We might see a change in August," Phillips said. He expects the hot weather on the coasts to carry on, but the central part of the country might warm up as well.

"I wouldn't write the obituary on summer-like weather yet."

Plus, he said, there are reasons to be grateful, such as saving money on air conditioning and being comfortable without tossing and turning in the sweltering heat at night.

"People think summer is passing them by if they haven't had humid, hot hazy days where it's more like the tropics," he said. "But I think there is a silent majority that are saying, 'Wow, this is so comfortable.'"

Compared with last year when there was severe flooding rain in both Toronto and Calgary, "nature has actually kind of given us a break."

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Soccer goal death of Ontario teen adds to calls for tip-proof nets

At first it sounds like a freak accident: A soccer net topples, killing a young person on a playing field, a place where kids are supposed to be safe.

But accidents involving soccer goals like the one that killed a 15-year-old girl Wednesday afternoon in Bradford, Ont., north of Toronto have happened before.

The girl was playing on the field with a friend when she became trapped under the crossbar of an overturned soccer net, according to South Simcoe police.

Unable to lift the heavy net, her friend called 911. The girl was rushed to hospital, where she died.

Police are investigating what caused the net to tip over but other — almost identical — accidents have prompted a push in some jurisdictions for laws requiring that soccer nets be anchored to the ground or switched out in favour of safer, tip-proof designs.

Soccer nets are often made of metal and can weigh a few hundred pounds, and their design often makes them top heavy and prone to falling forward onto the field of play.

This soccer goal killed a five-year-old girl in Watson Lake, Yukon in 2012. (CBC)

In July 2012, a five-year-old girl died in Watson Lake, Yukon, when a soccer net tipped over on her as her parents stood nearby.

A CBC.ca story about the Watson Lake accident quoted Toronto-based neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Tator, founder of Think First Canada, a brain and spinal cord prevention agency.

"It's been recognized for a long period of time that goal posts that are improperly anchored can cause injury, and in fact there are several recorded fatalities from falling goal posts," he said.

A coroner's report into the Watson Lake death found that the net was in poor condition at the time of the accident.

In Montreal 2001, a 14-year-old boy was killed after an unsecured soccer net fell on him causing a fatal head wound. The Quebec coroner's inquest recommended all park soccer nets be anchored to the ground.

In October 2003, six-year-old Zachary Tran died when a goal fell on him during soccer practice in the north Chicago suburb of Vernon Hills, Ill. The 180-pound net tipped forward, striking Zachary on the back of the head. He died of cardiac arrest caused by massive head injuries.

Six-year-old Zachary Tran died in 2003 when a soccer net fell on him during a practice. His death prompted his parents to raise awareness about the dangers posed by unsecured soccer nets. (Tran Family)

Tran's parents made it their mission to raise awareness about the dangers of soccer goals and to prevent similar deaths. They pushed for an Illinois law — which passed in 2011 is named after their son — that bans the manufacture or sale of new movable soccer goals that are not tip-resistant. Older goals in Illinois must be properly anchored to the field and schools and soccer organizations in the state are required to have safety plans for movable goals.

Zachary's parents also started a website called Anchored for Safety, which chronicles soccer-net deaths. According to statistics compiled on their website, soccer nets have caused 38 deaths since 1979. Each incident is listed here.

Through the website, the family argues that in the short term, all soccer goals should be secured to the ground so they can't tip over. A long-term goal is to promote tip-proof designs for soccer nets.

The Tran family says other jurisdictions, including Canada, have not passed similar legislation, and that thousands of unsafe soccer goals remain in use across North America.

A YouTube video, posted on the channel of the family's law firm, tells Zachary's story.

In the video, Zachary's mother Michelle Tran said that when her son's accident happened, she was shocked to learn that his death was the 27th time someone in the U.S. was killed by a soccer goal that tips over.

"We didn't know that these structures were unsafe," she said.

Zachary's father Jayson Tran said parents should be on the lookout for any soccer goal that is not anchored to the ground.

"Keep your children away from it or make sure that it is properly secured," he says on the video.

"We want parents to know that an unanchored soccer goal is ... dangerous. When parents see a soccer goal … they need to check it. To make sure that goals are properly anchored. Parents need to report an unanchored goal to whoever owns that goal."

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Canada, U.S. name panel to oversee new $1B Detroit-Windsor bridge

Canada and the U.S. have named the members of the international authority that will oversee the construction of the new publicly owned $1-billion bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit.

Kristine Burr, Genevieve Gagnon and a person to be named at a later date have been appointed by Canada.

Americans Michael D. Hayes, Birgit M. Klohs and Matt Rizik have been appointed by the U.S.

Canadian Transport Minister Lisa Raitt and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder made the announcement in Windsor on Wednesday.

The group of six will oversee and approve key steps in the procurement process for the new crossing. It will also monitor compliance of the Windsor-Detroit Authority with the crossing agreement, signed by Canada and Michigan in 2012.

Raitt also announced appointments to the board of the authority. They include:

• Michele (Michael) Cautillo, president and CEO. Cautillo is a civil engineer who has worked as a transportation specialist and partner in Deloitte's Ontario Infrastructure Advisory and Project Finance group.
• Mark McQueen, chair of the board of directors.
• William Graham and Caroline Mulroney Lapham, daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, as directors.

The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority will be the manager of "all parts of the project" in Canada and the U.S. once it's built, Raitt said.

The WDBA will also set and collect tolls. Canada has agreed to pay for construction of the bridge and will recoup its costs through tolls.

The bridge is expected to open in 2020.

The total cost of the project would be about $4 billion Cdn, including work on freeway interchanges, customs plazas in both countries and infrastructure work.

The final permit was issued last month after a U.S. court rejected a request for an injunction filed by the private company that owns the existing Ambassador Bridge.

"Let's grab a shovel and get this bridge built," Snyder said at the end of his speech Wednesday.

Raitt called the Windsor-Detroit corridor "crucial to the economic prosperity of both Canada and the U.S."

She said 30 per cent of trade between Canada and the U.S. flowed through Windsor-Detroit last year, accounting for $20 billion in goods hauled by 2.4 million trucks.

Raitt said eight million U.S. jobs and two million Canadian positions depend on trade between the two countries.

"Our government is concerned about the reliability and vulnerability of this trade," Raitt said.

The new bridge will have six lanes and border inspection on both sides of the Detroit River, Raitt said.

The Ambassador Bridge, privately owned by Matty Moroun, is 85 years old and has four lanes.

"We need to have efficient transport networks. Nowhere is more critical than where we are today," Raitt said.

A new bridge linking Windsor, Ont., with the Delray community of west Detroit is in the works. (File Photo)

The next step involves securing funding for a U.S. customs facility, along with acquiring land on the American side.

A proposal to transfer 301 Detroit-owned properties to the Michigan Land Bank in exchange for $1.4 million from the Canadian government as part of plans for the crossing was delayed Monday.

A special Detroit city council session was scheduled Monday morning. However, the Detroit Free Press reports, that Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr's office has agreed to delay consideration of such an agreement until September.

The panel is expected to try to move the project forward, but the proposed crossing will still need $250 million in U.S. funding to build a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection plaza in Detroit.

Washington has yet to earmark funds for the plaza.

Snyder promised he would continue "strong and ongoing dialogue" with Washington.

Raitt, meanwhile, shrugged off questions about the plaza.

"Our government won't let financing disagreements get in the way of construction timelines," Raitt said.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Quebec man going 185 km/h with motorcycle learner's permit faces $3.5K fine

A man from Gatineau, Que., is facing a $3,500 fine and 22 demerit points after leading police on a high-speed chase Tuesday night with only a learner's permit.

The police chase ended after the motorcyclist lost control and crashed. (CBC)

The chase began at about 10 p.m. ET when officers with the MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais spotted a motorcyclist driving erratically along Highway 50 without licence plates.

The officers started to pursue him and the motorcyclist sped away, reaching a top speed of about 185 km/h, which forced officers to temporarily call off their chase for safety reasons.

After Gatineau police were called in, the motorcyclist went the wrong way on a highway exit, lost control and crashed, police said.

He escaped without injury and police discovered he had a learner's permit.

His licence has been suspended for seven days, and the motorcycle has been impounded for 30 days.

Besides the fine and demerit points, the motorcyclist faces charges including evading police and dangerous driving.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

SARS was 'wake-up call' that could prevent Ebola spread to Canada, doctor says

A Toronto doctor who specializes in the treatment of tropical diseases says it's unlikely a recent outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa could spread to North America.

Dr. Jay Keystone, who works in the tropical diseases unit of Toronto General Hospital, was interviewed Wednesday on CBC Radio's Metro Morning.

A woman puts on a protective mask to protect against SARS at a wash station at the entrance to North York General Hospital in Toronto in May 2003. (Kevin Frayer/Canadian Press)

He said the SARS outbreak in 2003 that killed more than 40 people in Toronto helped improve how we identify, treat and contain infectious diseases. He said such measures are lacking in countries affected by the current Ebola outbreak: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone

As of July 23, the number of Ebola cases in West Africa reached 1,201, with 672 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

The fast-acting Ebola virus, which first appeared in 1976, produces a violent hemorrhagic fever that leads to internal and external bleeding. The infection is transmitted by direct contact with blood, bodily fluids, and tissues of infected people or animals.

Though there is no vaccine and no specific treatment for Ebola, Keystone said there are a number of measures travellers to the region can take to protect themselves.

Here's what Keystone told Metro Morning guest host David Common:

How does a person contract Ebola?

"They usually acquire it from close contact with blood and body fluids, and that means someone coughs in your face, you handle a body or you look after someone and don't have ideal infection-control methods. You get the virus on your hands, you touch your nose, your mouth."

What symptoms do Ebola patients show?

"It looks like the flu: fever, headache, sore throat, muscle aches and pains. That's in the first few days. And then vomiting, diarrhea and the really serious part of the illness — that is the hemorrhage part — really doesn't occur until toward the end of the first week."

Once a patient is hemorrhaging, can they be saved?

"It all depends on the quality of medical care. Most Ebola outbreaks have occurred in villages, in mission hospitals where essentially they have a very poor level of health care and very poor infection control methods. The mortality rate in this outbreak ... is about 60 per cent. So you can survive. The better the care, more likely you are to survive but there's no antibiotic or anti-viral agent to treat this disease."

Why has this outbreak been so bad?

"First, there's a lot of cross-border travel. Whereas most other outbreaks have been isolated in the middle of virtually nowhere. Also, people in these countries don't trust the government. They don't believe in the infection. They hide their cases. If someone dies, they take [the body] home. And unfortunately the funeral procedures where you touch the body, and handle the body, markedly increases your risk. These cases are now more in central areas, cities rather than tiny villages. All of those reasons I think have compounded to make this a much greater outbreak."

Doctors treating patients in Africa have died. Foreign doctors have been infected. Should we be worried about Ebola making its way to Canada?

"I don't think we need to be worried. Health-care providers, paramedics, the people who deal with the situation first-hand, I think we're the ones who have greatest risk. You have to remember since 1976 when this virus was first described, there are less than a handful of cases of [patients] who've gone to North American or European countries and very rarely is there secondary transmission. And that's because we have much better public health, infrastructure and certainly better methods of isolating [patients]. SARS was a perfect wake-up call and Ebola is following that ... our health-care system improved dramatically after SARS."

What do doctors in West Africa need to do to control the outbreak now?

"Mostly it's case finding. And that's the biggest problem. Someone comes in ill, they go back to their village and other people are infected but no one knows about it. The problem is they don't have enough personnel to follow up carefully and also people are hiding cases. It's all about case finding, surveillance, making the diagnosis, isolating the individuals and using appropriate isolation procedures. That will help, but it's going to take a long time given what's going on there.

What should people travelling to West Africa know and do to protect themselves?

"The most important thing is to try and stay away from people who are ill. You won't get Ebola unless the individual you're in contact with is sick. So if someone is well, you're not going to get it. So you just need to have a heightened awareness that this is going on and wash your hands frequently, certainly before meals. [Ebola is spread through] direct contact, it's not someone walking into a room with someone with Ebola and getting the infection. Ebola generally is not aerosolized, meaning it doesn't go well into the air."

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Couple gets threatening letter for flying gay pride flag

A same-sex couple in Longueuil, Que., is scared after receiving an anonymous letter threatening them for hanging a gay pride flag from their balcony.

The pair, granted anonymity by CBC News to protect their children, said they found the letter after returning home one night from a friend's place around midnight.

The letter says in French: "For your well-being, remove the homosexual flag! Immediately, as soon as you receive this letter. We don't want people like you in our neighbourhood. Remove it, keep quiet and we will spare you. And you can continue to live your abominable lives without prejudice. Keep it and you will suffer the consequences."

The couple called the police and removed the rainbow flag, which had been hanging from the balcony since March.

The two said police are taking the threats seriously and are investigating.

They said they now ensure at least one adult is home at all times, and are reconsidering leaving their children at home alone in the care of the eldest child, who they said is old enough to babysit.

A couple on Montreal's South Shore found this letter after coming home late one night. (Facebook)

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Temperature, humidex values in N.L. set to approach record highs

Environment Canada says temperature and humidex values are forecast to approach all-time record highs on Wednesday and Thursday.

A special weather statement was issued on Wednesday that humidex values are expected to reach over 35 C.

CBC Meteorologist Ryan Snoddon said it's lining up to be a record-breaking couple of days, with temperatures forecast near 30 C, and a humidex near 40.

"The July 30 record of 27.8 C set back in 1967 is sure to fall today," he said.

"Tomorrow's July 31 record of 29.3 C, set back in 2004, will also likely be broken."

Snoddon said the 30-degree mark at the St. John's weather station is tough to come by — it has reached that mark just nine times over the past 72 years. 

"A couple of other records I'm keeping an eye on are the all-time temperature record of 31.5 C and the all-time humidex record of 38.5 at St. John's YYT," Snoddon said.

"Both records were set on the same date, back on July 6, 1983, and are certainly at risk of being broken over the next two days."

Meteorologist Allison Sheppard, who works with the Gander weather office, said a warm, humid air mass will remain over much of the island for the next 48 hours.

"There are several areas that have values into the high 30s, but it looks like through Gander, in through St. John's, they're going to be in the very high [range], approaching 40 for humidex values."

The heat and humidity will affect the following areas:

• Avalon Peninsula North
• Bay of Exploits
• Bonavista North
• Bonavista Peninsula
• Buchans and the interior
• Clarenville and vicinity
• Deer Lake - Humber Valley
• Gander and vicinity
• Grand Falls-Windsor and vicinity
• Green Bay - White Bay
• St. John's and vicinity
• Terra Nova

Environment Canada reminds anyone taking part in strenuous outdoor activities over the next two days to drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated, and suggests rescheduling outdoor activities to cooler parts of the day.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Highly sophisticated' Chinese cyberattack hits Canada's research agency

A "highly sophisticated Chinese state-sponsored actor" recently managed to hack into the computer systems at Canada's National Research Council, confirms the country's chief information officer, Corinne Charette.

The attack was discovered by Communications Security Establishment Canada.

In a statement released Tuesday, Charette confirms that while the NRC's computers operate outside those of the government of Canada as a whole, the council's IT system has been "isolated" to ensure no other departments are compromised.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is in Beijing, and was scheduled to hold a press conference on his visit Tuesday, but that briefing was abruptly cancelled. No reason was immediately given.

For its part, the NRC says in a statement released Tuesday morning that it is now attempting to rebuild its computer infrastructure and this could take as much a year.

The National Research Council says it is attempting to rebuild its computer infrastructure, which could take up to a year. Canada's information officer said Tuesday that a 'highly sophisticated Chinese state-sponsored actor' recently hacked into the computer systems at the NRC. (CBC)

The NRC works with private businesses to advance and develop technological innovations through science and research.

The NRC says it has already been in contact with many of its "clients and stakeholders," but it could take as long as a year to secure the system.

This is not the first time the Canadian government has fallen victim to a cyberattack that originated in China.

In January 2011, the federal government was forced to take the Finance Department and Treasury Board — the federal government's two main economic nerve centres — off the internet after foreign hackers gained access to highly classified federal information.

The attack also targeted Defence Research and Development Canada, a civilian agency of the Department of National Defence that assists in the scientific and technological needs of the Canadian Forces.

The attacks were traced back to China.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

'You guys can have your own debate': Rob Ford gets heated with mayoral panel organizers

A shouting match erupted ahead of last night's Toronto debate for mayoral candidates, with Mayor Rob Ford alleging bias by organizers, who said they had to restrict the number of staffers that candidates could bring inside because of space constraints.

The conflict arose as Ford tried to enter the venue — a church in East York — on Friday, accompanied by his brother, Coun. Doug Ford, his driver and his press secretary.

Candidates were told they would be allowed to take only one staffer inside.

'Stanley Cup winners don't hand back the Stanley Cup.'- Rob Ford, Toronto mayor

"You know what? See you later guys ... you guys can have your own debate," Rob Ford said at one point.

The Fords also alleged the debate was biased because one organizer — who did not take part in or mediate the debate — has stated support for candidate John Tory. Also, one of the members of the media panel is a host at the same station where Tory hosted a radio show before entering the race.

Organizers eventually made an exception and allowed Ford to enter along with his brother and two staffers. The debate itself, which was hosted by the Parkview Hill Community Association, was a tame affair. The candidates tackled issues such as transit, youth unemployment and the culture at Toronto City Hall.

All of Ford's main opponents for mayor — former MP Olivia Chow, Coun. Karen Stintz, former councillor David Soknacki and former provincial Progressive Conservative leader Tory — took part.

When asked about the fracas that preceded the debate, Tory suggested the Fords were trying to deflect a recent newspaper story reporting alleged links between the two brothers and a private printing company that was seeking to do business with the city.

"I think this is just part of the overall circus the Fords bring to town any time there's a story out about them they don't want to talk about," said Tory, who said the debate was handled professionally.

Ford stickhandles question

Rob Ford used a hockey analogy during the debate to describe his desire to win another term as mayor.

"Stanley Cup winners don't hand back the Stanley Cup," Ford said when asked a hypothetical question as to whether he could consider stepping aside for another like-minded candidate with greater support on council.

"We're in first place, our team is on top — if anyone should step out of the race, it's these people on the left," Ford said, gesturing to the four other candidates.

At the end of the debate, he used another sports analogy, inviting those listening to "join the team" this fall.

"We're going to win this election on Oct. 27," said Ford.

Olivia Chow and David Soknacki were two of the five high-profile mayoral candidates who participated in a debate at a Toronto church on Monday evening. (Michael Charles Cole/CBC)

In the last half of the debate, the candidates were asked how they would "bring professionalism back to Toronto's government," if elected as mayor.

Tory got the first crack at the question.

"You act like a professional," said Tory, who added a certain tone needs to be set — something he says Ford has failed to do.

John Tory and Karen Stintz shared their views of how they would handle Toronto issues when they participated in Monday's mayoral debate. (Michael Charles Cole/CBC)

"He's set the wrong example, he's conducted himself in a way that was absolutely the opposite to what's needed to get people to work together as previous mayors have done."

Stintz, who was next up, took a dig at Tory's prior gig as host of an afternoon radio talk show.

"City hall, it's not a talk show, John, it's not a talk show," Stintz said.

"And it's not a gong show, it's not."

Council needs to 'come together,' Chow says

The veteran councillor went on to say that council had performed well, despite some of the stresses it has faced in the past year.

"We stepped up to the challenge, we did what we had to do and we kept this remarkable city running," she said.

Ford said it's all about leading by example, a statement that prompted laughter from members of the audience. 

"You're elected to do something and you do exactly that," Ford said.

Chow said council needs to "come together and do the job that needs to be done" at city hall.

Soknacki said there was a need "to enforce the rules that we have," and put teeth in the rules, which would in the long term lead to a more productive and civil council.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Former Alberta premier's flights had ‘false passengers,’ auditor general says

A review by Alberta's auditor general found "false passengers" were booked on at least a dozen government flights, making it possible for then Premier Alison Redford to fly alone with her entourage.

Merwan Saher also concluded Redford derived a "personal benefit" by taking her daughter on dozens of government flights. Saher raises the question of whether Redford's desire to take her daughter on out-of-province trips may have influenced the decision to use government aircraft rather than commercial carriers.

These findings are contained in an internal report to the government obtained exclusively by CBC News.

University of Alberta political scientist Jim Lightbody said he has never seen anything like the report.

A review by Alberta's auditor general uncovered a scheme in which the staff of former premier Alison Redford booked 'false passengers' to restrict who could fly with her on government flights. (Jason Franson/Canadian Press)

"It reveals a scarcely disguised contempt for taxpayers' money," Lightbody said.

Under pressure from the opposition and the public, Redford on March 4 suspended all out-of-province travel on government planes and asked the auditor general to review the government's use of aircraft.

Saher is expected to issue a final public report next month.

Redford resigned as premier on March 23 after her caucus and the Conservative Party lost faith in her leadership as the Tories plunged in the polls, owing in part to a scandal over what the opposition alleged were lavish travel expenses.

Redford's constituency assistant said she was unavailable for comment about the report.

Blocked passengers

Saher's report reveals how Redford's staff blocked other passengers from flying with the premier on government planes.

The government has an internal website that shows the scheduled flights and available seats for 21 days in advance. 

'It reveals a scarcely disguised contempt for taxpayers' money.'— University of Alberta political scientist Jim Lightbody on report findings

"We were told by [the premier's] office staff and multiple staff from the Department of Treasury Board and Finance that for certain flights the remaining seats available on the plane were blocked to restrict access to Premier Redford on the aircraft," the review states.

Staff entered passengers into the booking system to fill the seats, then removed the passengers before printing the flight manifest.

"The implications of this practice were that other government employees or elected officials would not have been able to travel on those aircraft," the report states, adding that "both Premier Redford and the former chief of staff [Farouk Adatia] denied any knowledge of this practice."

Redford and her former chief of staff Adatia denied any knowledge of the practice of blocking passengers.

Personal benefit

In April, a CBC News investigation revealed Redford had flown her daughter, Sarah Jermyn, on 50 government flights, including for two long weekends in Jasper. On one flight between Calgary and Edmonton, Redford also flew the family's nanny.

"We did not find any government business reason for the daughter's travel on government aircraft," the report states. It makes no reference to the flight that transported the family's nanny.

"We conclude that Premier Redford obtained a personal benefit by having her daughter accompany her on government aircraft," it says.

Saher also concluded the government's travel-expense policy requires that when a decision is made to use the government aircraft rather than a commercial airline, it must be documented. But the review found examples where discretion was exercised, but no documentation existed to explain the decision.

Redford told the auditor general she did not request the government planes, but the report notes that in every case, the request came from the premier's office.

Scottsdale trip

In December 2012, Redford was booked on a commercial flight to Arizona to attend the Western Governors' Association meeting in Scottsdale. But the booking was cancelled and she flew on a government plane.

"The commercial flight and government aircraft both left on the same day within a few hours of each other," the report states. "The passengers on the government aircraft were the premier, her daughter and one security officer."

No documentation was provided to explain why the government plane was used when a commercial flight had already been booked and paid for.

"We also noted that four government officials, including the premier's executive assistant, flew commercially to attend this event," the report states, adding that "there was no process to try [to] co-ordinate their travel to reduce the cost."

Palm Springs trip

In April 2013, Redford flew with her daughter at her own expense on a commercial flight to Palm Springs, Calif., for a holiday.

After former premier Ralph Klein died, a government plane flew from Alberta to Palm Springs and returned to Calgary carrying Redford and her daughter so that Redford could attend Klein's memorial service.

The premier's office publicly explained that commercial flight options were considered, but weren't feasible because bad weather had created a backlog of passengers awaiting flights. 

'Staff involved in the scheduling of that flight told us that Premier Redford insisted on using government aircraft for the return flight.'— Auditor General Merwan Saher in review

Saher's review, however, found Redford's office had identified commercial flights to return her to Alberta.

"Staff involved in the scheduling of that flight told us that Premier Redford insisted on using government aircraft for the return flight."

Redford did not repay the $9,200 cost of the flight.

The auditor general qualified his findings about Redford's use of government planes for out-of-province travel.

"We do not know, considering all of the factors, if the best travel option was selected, because there was no analysis done on the options available," the report states.

South Africa trip

The cost of a December 2013 trip by Redford to South Africa to attend the funeral of Nelson Mandela caused public outrage. Redford took a government plane to Ottawa to catch a ride on the prime minister's jet. Her executive assistant, Brad Stables, flew on a commercial flight to South Africa.

Both Redford and Stables returned to Alberta first class by commercial carrier. The premier's staff said she needed to take a commercial flight in order to attend her cabinet's swearing-in ceremony. The government plane returned empty from Ottawa to Alberta.

The report found Redford decided to bring Stables to South Africa, "even though in our review of the documentation, we noted the federal government had taken care of the on-ground logistics."

The review further found Redford could have returned to Alberta on the prime minister's jet with enough time to attend her cabinet's swearing-in ceremony.

After initially refusing to repay the nearly $45,000 cost of the South Africa trip, Redford relented.

The auditor general's review confirmed Redford, by personal cheque, paid the government $44,254 for the South Africa trip. She issued another cheque for $3,156 to cover the cost of trips in which friends of her daughter flew on government flights, and for a March 2013 flight to Vancouver in which she attended her uncle's funeral, accompanied by her daughter.

Checks and balances needed

Under a section of the review titled "Implications and Risks if Recommendation not Implemented," the auditor general observes that whoever becomes premier in the future has "considerable influence over the way business is conducted within that office and also within the public service.

"Because of this significant influence, there needs to be a proper check and balance system established to monitor and provide oversight of the spending by that office to ensure that expenses and usage of government assets is appropriate."

'These are people who work for the citizens of Alberta, and someone, sometime, somehow, should have said, 'No, this is wrong.'"—Jim Lightbody

Lightbody, the political scientist, said many people within Redford's office and various ministries would have known about the "blatant abuse" of government aircraft, yet no one spoke out publicly.

"These are people who work for the citizens of Alberta, and someone, sometime, somehow, should have said, 'No, this is wrong,'" Lightbody said.

University of Alberta political scientist Jim Lightbody says the auditor general's findings detail a blatant abuse of public resources. (CBC)

Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith said the auditor general's findings are yet another example of what is fundamentally wrong with a government that has been in power for too long.

"They just have a sense of entitlement that runs so deep, beyond the premier's office, into the cabinet ministers' offices, down into the level of the staff, and it is just pervasive," she said. "It is part of the culture."

Alberta is the only province in Canada that still maintains a fleet of aircraft for government employees.

Smith said Redford should be required to repay the government for all flights that carried her daughter, and she repeated her call for the government fleet of aircraft to be sold.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

PMO defends government's recognition of feminist icon Thérèse Casgrain

A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper dismisses accusations from the opposition parties and others that the government is erasing the late feminist icon Therese Casgrain from Canada's public history.

Carl Vallee called the accusations "ridiculous," pointing to a revised citizenship study guide — Discover Canada — that for the first time included mention of Casgrain.

The guide, launched in 2009 and updated in 2011, has a section on the women's suffrage movement that includes a sentence on Casgrain's activism, which helped Quebec women win the right to vote in 1940.

The Canadian Press reported this week that a volunteer award named for Casgrain in 1982 was abruptly eliminated in 2010, unannounced, to be replaced by the Prime Minister's Volunteer Awards in 2011.

Casgrain's granddaughter, Michele Nadeau, said the cancellation was made without consulting the family or a Casgrain foundation she heads in Montreal.

New Democrat MP Niki Ashton called on the government to revive the award, saying its demise reflects Harper's frequent attacks on women's rights.

'Deeply symbolic': NDP

"He took out a feminist icon and replaced her with himself," she said in an interview.

New Democrat status of women critic Niki Ashton says the move is 'deeply symbolic' and 'emblematic of [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper's approach to women's equality.'

"It's deeply symbolic. It's emblematic of Harper's approach to women's equality."

Ashton said the brief reference to Casgrain in the citizenship guide is no substitute for the volunteer award honour.

Stéphane Dion, a Quebec Liberal MP, also called for reinstatement of the Casgrain award, saying the substitute prime minister's award is "insulting" to the memory of a pioneer in women's rights.

Dion said the way the Casgrain award was ended, without an announcement, is typical of the Harper's government's penchant for secrecy.

"You do it openly and explain why," he said in an interview.

New award maintains 'spirit'

A spokeswoman for Employment Minister Jason Kenney, whose department is responsible for administering volunteer awards, said the program was changed to broaden eligible recipients to include businesses and not-for-profit groups, as well as individuals.

The Casgrain award recognized two individuals, while the Prime Minister's Volunteer Awards recognize 17 individuals or organizations.

Alexandra Fortier said that two of the five new categories "maintain the spirit and the objectives of the Casgrain award."

She also suggested there was fading interest in the Casgrain award in its final two years, with only 52 nominations in 2008 and 69 in 2009, its last year.

The first year of the new Prime Minister's Volunteer Awards in 2011 attracted 751 nominations.

The Canadian Press reported earlier this month that the number of nominations for the prime minister's award has fallen sharply since, to 482 in the second year and 315 in the current third year.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Beaver blamed after tree hits car on highway 'still at large'

A family of four visiting P.E.I. from Quebec was lucky to escape injury when a tree fell on their car as they were driving down the highway, say RCMP.

The car suffered damage to its windshield and roof. A roof-mounted cargo box was also damaged. (RCMP)

The family was driving along Route 16 in the eastern end of the province, near Priest Pond. The driver saw the tree starting to fall but was unable to avoid it. The vehicle sustained significant damage to the roof, windshield, and to a cargo box that was mounted on the roof. There were four people in the car — a couple in the front seats and a one- and a two-year-old in the back — but none were injured.

RCMP examined the trunk of the tree that had fallen and saw that it had been gnawed just about all of the way through by a beaver. Several other large trees in the area that were still standing had similar damage.  Arrangements were made to have the damaged trees taken safely down.

"The beaver is still at large," said RCMP in a news release.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Live chat with expert gardeners coming up at 12:30 p.m. ET Monday

A hibiscus flower grows near the entrance of the South Carolina Botanical Garden on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, in Clemson, S.C. The garden is rebuilding after losing thousands of species of plants in a July 2013 flood. (Associated Press/Jeffrey Collins)

Get your garden growing with a live call-in conversation with Ontario Today's Ed Lawrence at 12:30 p.m. On Monday, July 28, we'll have expert gardeners Donna Parker, Jon Peter, Claudette Simms and joining us for the first time, Master Gardener Tena van Andel ready to help. Join us online or by phone at 1-888-817-8995 or do both.

No gardening problem is too big to be solved by our panel of experts. Think you can stump the pro's? Give it a shot.

Every Monday at 12:30 p.m. our experts can help you with everything from stopping that critter that keeps digging up your acorn squash to getting rid of the Japanese Beetles infesting your grape vines. Plenty more too. Listen live to Ed Lawrence on Ontario Today right on this page at 12:30 p.m. Monday and and join the online conversation too.

Live Blog Gardening chat July 28

 

Meet the gardeners

Our rotating group of online panelists will include Jon Peter, Curator and Manager of Plant Documentation at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton-area Master Gardeners Claudette Sims, Donna Parker and Tena van Andel as well as Master-Gardener-in-training Marie Clarke.

Jon Peter

Jon L. Peter has diplomas in horticulture from the University of Guelph and from the prestigious Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture. Since graduating, Jon has worked at some of the finest botanical institutions in North America, including the Arnold Arboretum, The Morton Arboretum & the New York Botanical Garden. Jon is currently Curator & Manager of Plant Documentation at the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Claudette Sims

Claudette Sims, a retired educator, has been a member of Halton Region Master Gardeners since 2005 and is proud to be Vice President of Master Gardeners of Ontario. She is passionate about gardening and loves to attract and observe wildlife in her garden. Over the years, she's gained a better appreciation of the role and beauty of native plants in our gardens. 

Donna Parker

Donna Parker, a retired educator with a background in Environmental Science, has been a Master Gardener since 2000.
She has worked with woody plants at Sheridan Nursery and had her own garden design and consultation business in the greater Hamilton area. She volunteers on the gardening hotlines at the Royal Botanical Gardens and for Halton Master Gardeners. Donna gardens in Ancaster and loves the challenge of designing and creating beauty among the wonderful old trees.  

Marie Clarke-Davies

Marie Clarke-Davies, an executive producer at CBC News and has been involved with Halton Master Gardeners since 2011. Her passions are creating bird—and pollinator—friendly gardens and working with native plants, though she admits to a weak spot for the garden designs of Japan and Italy. 

Send us your questions in advance through email at hamilton@cbc.ca or ask our panelists live using the comment box on this page on Monday at 12:30 p.m. at cbc.ca/hamilton. Your garden will love it if you do.

Tena van Andel

Tena van Andel is delighted to have been a Toronto Master Gardener since 2003. She enjoys her role as Past Coordinator for Toronto and as Event Coordinator on the board of the Master Gardeners of Ontario Inc. She will talk to anyone about anything horticultural, although orchids, large trees and the exotic bring a special gleam to her eye.

Did you know?

Master Gardeners in Ontario are experienced gardeners who have studied horticulture extensively and continue to upgrade their skills yearly through technical training. Master Gardeners start out as master gardeners in training until they complete the educational and volunteer component of the mandate.

Master gardeners and master gardeners in training provide free garden advice to the public by participating in volunteer activities such as garden advice clinics, answering questions via email and now in online chats!

READ MORE

Need help? Ask an expert

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Why aren't more people paying off their mortgages faster?

Paying down your mortgage faster. It's one of those boilerplate suggestions that financial advisers love to make to their clients.  After all, throwing extra money at the biggest debt most Canadians have can result in big interest savings and being mortgage-free years sooner.

So why isn't everyone doing that?

According to a spring analysis by the chief economist at the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals, only 35 per cent of Canadians with mortgages took some kind of action in the past year to speed up the date of their "burn the mortgage" party.  That suggests that almost two-thirds of those mortgage holders paid off their mortgages as the contract dictated, at least over the previous year. 

A recent survey (carried out on May 21-22) commissioned by CIBC and carried out by Angus Reid found that only 55 per cent of the 1,509 online respondents with mortgages had taken some kind of action to repay their mortgages faster since they'd originally bought their homes.

Since mortgage payments are made with after-tax dollars, putting extra money down on a debt with an interest rate of 3.49% is equivalent to getting a guaranteed, risk-free return of over five per cent. If your mortgage rate is higher, so would the return be.

Why not?

So why the seeming reluctance by many to do this?   

Mortgage experts say personal circumstances are often at the top of the "why not" list.

"Young families or first-time buyers are in an expensive period of life and are unlikely to have much free cash to put towards their mortgage," points out Jason Scott, a mortgage associate with TMG The Mortgage Group in Edmonton and author of Approved! Mortgage Advice for all Stages of Life.

Others, he says, may be sensibly tackling other debts first. "If they have more expensive debt, like credit cards, it's better if they pay off the more expensive debt first," Scott told CBC News.

Industry players say it's also true that, in these days of lower mortgage rates, it may be a tougher sell to persuade consumers that it's worth tackling mortgage debt at all.

You also won't have to dig too deeply to find people who tell you that, regardless of today's lower rates, they just don't have the extra money to tackle their mortgage debt.

I owe, I owe...

After all, we're repeatedly told we're in hock up to our eyeballs. We've all seen the comments tut-tutting Canadians about their debt levels.  

The governor of the Bank of Canada scolds us. Bankers, regulators and politicians wag their fingers in warning. We'll be sorry, they say, when interest rates go up if we still have these big debts.

The debt stats do seem daunting: The level of household debt relative to disposable income was a near record 163.2 per cent in the first quarter of this year, Statistics Canada says. That means Canadians owe just over $1.63 for every $1 in disposable income they earn in a year.

That can make it tough to whittle away at the $1.1 trillion (that's trillion, with a "t"), that we owe on our mortgages, especially when we have another $507 billion in higher-interest consumer credit debt on top of those mortgages.

Viewed against this backdrop, it may then be somewhat of a minor miracle that, in the midst of such a supposedly bleak financial landscape and the competing demands for our extra money (like saving for retirement and the kids' education), many Canadians are actually taking steps to pay down their mortgage debt faster than their mortgage contracts dictate.

And make no mistake. Paying off your mortgage faster can pay big dividends.

How much money can you save? It depends on which strategy you use.

Here are four that can put a surprising amount of extra money in your pocket over time:

Strategy 1: Increase the amount of your payments

Throwing just $100 a month extra at your mortgage can result in formidable savings.  Let's assume a $250,000 mortgage at 3.49%, amortized over 25 years. Monthly payments would be $1,247.

Boost that payment to $1,348, and something magical happens.  You'd save $15,400 in interest charges over the life of the mortgage (assuming a constant interest rate of 3.49%) and you'd pay it off three years sooner.  

Strategy 2: When you renew, keep your monthly payments the same

Let's assume you took out a $250,000, five-year fixed mortgage in 2009 at an interest rate of 5%. Your monthly payments have been $1,454. Now, it's time to renew and your bank is offering you 2.99% for the next five years. As a result, your monthly payments would drop to $1,224.

Great! But what if you keep on with the $1,454 payments you're used to? That extra $230 a month over the remaining life of the mortgage will allow you to pay off your mortgage four years sooner and you'll save $15,700 in interest. Not bad for just maintaining the status quo.

Strategy 3: Choose an accelerated payment option

This is almost painless. Let's use the example of the $250,000 mortgage described in strategy one. Your monthly mortgage payment is $1,247. Divide that by two, and you get $623.50. Now arrange to pay this amount every two weeks.  Because a pay-every-two-weeks strategy results in 26 payments of a half-month's mortgage payment, you end up paying the equivalent of 13 monthly payments a year – or an extra monthly payment every year.

This is what's known as an accelerated bi-weekly payment. Don't just opt for bi-weekly – you want the method that forces you to pay the equivalent of an extra monthly payment each year.

This strategy alone would save the borrower more than $16,300 in interest over the 25-year life of the mortgage. And that 25-year mortgage would also be paid off in a little more than 22 years.  

Strategy 4: Make a lump-sum payment

Most closed mortgages (but not all) allow borrowers to pay off up to 10%, 15% or 20%  of the original principal in each calendar year without penalty.  

Thanks for nothing, you say. "I don't have $50,000 to throw at my mortgage." The good news is that you don't need to pay down the entire 20 per cent. Throwing even a few hundred dollars at it here and there can make a big difference.

One popular suggestion is to put your tax refund to work this way. Assuming we have the $250,000 mortgage described in strategy one, and applying a $1,600 annual payment that the Canada Revenue Agency says is the size of the average refund, that manoeuvre alone would see that mortgage paid off three and a half years early and the mortgage holder would save $20,000 in interest. 

TIP:

When using an online mortgage calculator, make sure it's a Canadian one. American mortgages are calculated differently.

Combining two or more of these strategies would result in even bigger savings.

Fortunately, it's easy to virtually play around with various payment scenarios. Most financial institutions, banks, and mortgage brokers have online mortgage calculators that can spit out the savings for you.

Here's a particularly useful one.

And another one.

And here's a good one from the federal government's Financial Consumer Agency of Canada:

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police to probe vehicle in Costco collision that killed girl, 6

Police in London, Ont., will examine whether the car that reversed Friday into a Costco store, killing a six-year-old girl and injuring others, was mechanically sound.

Addison Hall died, and her pregnant mother and young sister were injured when the car crashed through the store's entryway.

Addison Hall, 6, was struck by the car that crashed into a Costco store in London, Ont., on Friday. (Facebook)

Danah McKinnon Bozek was rushed to hospital and underwent an emergency caesarean section. Her condition was upgraded to fair on Sunday. Police say her newborn daughter, along with the woman's three-year-old daughter, Miah Bozek, remain in critical condition.

"The mechanics of the vehicle are very important to analyze and we do that with any major collision where serious injury or fatality occurs," Sgt. Amanda Pfeffer of the London Police Service told CBC News. "We absolutely have to ensure that the vehicle was mechanically fit at the time of the collision, and that will be one of the focuses of our investigation."

The collision caused panic among shoppers in the busy store on Wellington Road South. Two other people who were injured, as well the driver of the car, have been released from hospital.

On Sunday, shopper Larry Hagan stopped by the makeshift memorial of flowers and stuffed toys that has formed at the store's entrance.

Flowers and stuffed animals form a makeshift memorial at the entrance of the Costco store in London, Ont., where the crash happened. (Tashauna Reid/CBC)

"It's something that no one could ever predict," he told CBC News. "It's one of those things that's so flukey. I don't know if we'll ever find out whether it was a mechanical problem with her car, or whether it was some medical problem she had or whatever."

Police have confirmed that the driver involved in the collision was a woman in her early to mid-60s.

"She has been released from the hospital and she's absolutely an integral part of this investigation," Pfeffer said.

Bozek's husband, Steve Bozek, posted a photo of his daughter Addison as a new profile picture on his Facebook page Saturday, a day after the tragedy.

The posting has prompted an outpouring of condolences from friends and family.

Danah and Steve Bozek were married in 2012, according to her Facebook page.

Pfeffer said many people at the store at the time of Friday's crash were left grief-stricken and traumatized.

"This is a collision that impacted many people, including emergency responders," she said. "Those available at the scene to render assistance and those at the scene that observed what transpired. Obviously any time a child is injured in such a serious way and you witness it, you will be absolutely impacted by that."

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

B.C. man returns to Earth after 4 months on (simulated) Mars

A B.C.-born scientist is enjoying fresh air and real food again for the first time in four months.

Starting at the end of March, Ross Lockwood had been living with five other researchers in a NASA-built Mars simulator environment on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii.

On Friday, he finally stepped out of the dome without his survival suit, and came "back" to life on Earth.

Ross Lockwood, a B.C.-born and Edmonton-based PhD candidate in Condensed Matter Physics, spent 120 days isolated with five others at the HI-SEAS site. (hi-seas.org)

"We didn't get to smell fresh air, or feel wind on our face or sun on our skin, and it's all just overwhelming right now," he told CBC News.

Lockwood, originally from Winfield in the Okanagan, says the study — the second in the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog & Simulation (HI-SEAS) project — is intended to simulate life at a colony on the red planet.

For 120 days, the six researchers lived and worked together in cramped conditions with little contact with the outside world.

Lockwood, now an Edmonton-based PhD candidate, spent much of his time in the dome testing 3D-printed surgical tools. He says working in close quarters with the rest of the team was sometimes challenging.

"Overall it went really well, but confinement was one of the main factors driving psychological distress, and crew cohesion issues as well."

Now that the mission is over, Lockwood is happy he can eat something other than dehydrated food.

"The consistency left a lot to be desired," he said Friday. "So this morning for breakfast I requested a big rack of ribs."

Sending a manned mission to Mars is one of NASA's long-term goals.

Lockwood says he would sign up, as long as there's a flight home.

The HI-SEAS dome is at an elevation of 8,000 ft at an abandoned quarry site on the northern slope of Mauna Loa. (@rosslockwood/Twitter)

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Did a tornado hit southern Ontario? Environment Canada is investigating

Environment Canada is investigating funnel cloud sightings north of Cambridge, Ont., and near Millbank in Wellesley Township, after area residents reported severe weather Sunday night.

The weather agency received photographs and reports of high winds, and what appeared to be funnel clouds in Waterloo Region, said Geoff Coulson, a warning preparedness meteorologist. 

"At this point, we're not quite sure if any of these funnel clouds actually had contact with the surface, which would make them full-fledged tornadoes, or if they did have contact with the surface if any appreciable damage occurred," Coulson said. 

Coulson said a damage survey team would focus its efforts Monday in Grand Bend, where it is believed the storm originated, to investigate reports of downed trees and hydro poles. The team may then visit Waterloo Region to study the storm's path and determine if a tornado touched down.

"Fortunately the worst is over," said Coulson.

"The rain will be pulling out later today and we are looking at an improving situation weather-wise for the rest of the day." 

Coulson said that for the rest of the week, southwestern Ontario will get cooler than normal temperatures, well below the seasonal average of 26 C.

22.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iceberg pareidolia: N.L. residents spot Batman, Angry Birds in icebergs

Spotting faces in everyday objects is nothing new. But in Newfoundland and Labrador, it takes a special twist as residents spot everything from Batman to the Olympic flame in icebergs.

This year has been spectacular for spotting icebergs along the province's coastline, and plenty of folks have found a little something extra within the icebergs themselves.

Can you spot the faces or objects in the iceberg photos in the gallery?

22.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Is Canada missing the boat on cycling tourists?

For Steve Langston, a Winnipegger with 30,000 kilometres of world-wide bike travel under his belt, the cycling trails in Quebec felt "like Amsterdam," and proved a rare exception to most others he'd traversed across this country. 

"It was so great. ...It's just well thought out, well executed," said Langston, 30, who's written guidebooks on cycling Canada and Manitoba. Quebec, he says, has "hit a scale where you can go wherever you want."

Quebec is internationally recognized for its extensive 5,000-km cycling network, La Route Verte, which criss-crosses most parts of the province, making it North America's longest bike path. 

But in the two decades since the Quebec government and non-profit Vélo Québec first began work on the route, it remains an anomaly in Canada, even as other countries and regions seek to cash in on the booming trade in cycle tourism.

Ontario is in the midst of its own push to become a cycling destination and is gleaning knowledge from the 80-employee non-profit powerhouse next door in Quebec, which not only runs the cycle route, but also organizes tours, produces maps and does research on cycling in the province. 

"We are catching up to Quebec, which is one of the leaders internationally," said Marlaine Koehler, executive director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, a charity that operates the 1,400-km Waterfront Trail stretching along Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. 

Last year, Ontario's Ministry of Transportation laid out a 20-year cycling plan that included the lofty goal of becoming recognized as the "best Canadian province for cycling and ranked among the top 10 jurisdictions worldwide." 

The move is part of a growing recognition around the world of the economic potential of cycle tourists, a group of travellers that can include those who spend days on the road and those who merely want to hop on a rental bike for the day.

'Popping up all over'

Little hard data on visits by cycle tourists exists, but the U.S.-based Adventure Cycling Association points to a number of signs that cycling is booming: Oregon's quadrupled its state bike routes, three states are seeking to create a Lake Michigan route, bike share programs are on the rise, and so are multi-day biking events and towns marketing themselves as cycling hubs.

In the U.S., there's also a resurgence of interest in a long-dormant plan, hatched in the 1970s, to create a nation-wide network of long-distance cycling routes.

"Things like that are just popping up all over," said Ginny Sullivan, Adventure Cycling's director of travel initiatives. "It's just showing that there is demand."

It's a demand that Europe is already well aware of. A 2012 study by European Parliament estimated that every year, cycle tourists take 2.2 billion trips to the continent, bringing about $64 million in economic benefits. 

In bicycle-friendly Europe, 14 cycling routes cover a phenomenal 45,000 kilometres as part of the EuroVelo project — by 2020, it is scheduled to encompass 70,000 kilometres. 

Australia also has a national cycling strategy aimed at doubling the number of people cycling between 2011 and 2016, one that will help bring in the tourists as well as please locals. 

Other countries looking at how to cash in on the cycle tourism niche include Taiwan, New Zealand, Denmark and Britain.

The financial factor

Here in Canada, though, there's no country-wide plan to create cycling routes worthy of becoming travel destinations.

Marlaine Koehler, executive director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, shown on her bike, says Ontario is catching up to Quebec when it comes to bicycle trails. (Goh Iromoto/ Waterfront Trail)

"I think that is slowly changing, certainly in Ontario," said Koehler. "At a national level, there really isn't the same recognition for what the potential holds."

Koehler also noted that it took the charity a long time to convince Ontario's ministry of tourism that a trail could be a tourism attraction. It eventually won the government over with polls that showed Quebecers would consider a trip to Ontario based on the promise of a scenic trail.

The Waterfront Regeneration Trail is focused on creating a cycling route around the Great Lakes, and has big expansion plans and dreams for the coming years to increase significantly its mileage.

Some of the biggest deterrents for cycle tourists are poor road conditions that force cyclists into traffic and a lack of good signage. 

Quebec was able to overcome obstacles and create its massive network largely because of the support of the provincial government, which created incentives to help municipalities build the necessary infrastructure like trails and other facilities.

Still, Vélo Québec's Jean-Francois Pronovost says the initial struggle was convincing people that a cycling network was financially worth the investment. Now, if you travel on the province's bike paths, businesses recognize the value and welcome the cyclists.

Pronovost, the group's vice-president of development and public affairs, says the creation of that kind of a network requires provincial government input, and he's hopeful Ontario will see that happen. But other than Ontario, he notes, "we don't see many initiatives from provincial governments in Canada."

Small towns win

Studies show visiting cyclists tend to spend more on food and services than a traveller passing through in a car. After hours of pedalling, they have raging appetites — and feel more inclined to pamper themselves.  

Also, smaller towns tend to gain more from a rise in cycle tourism because these travellers are more likely to venture away from big-city attractions than those in a car, research shows.

Some smaller communities are taking the initiative to paint themselves as cyclist-friendly destinations. 

A resident of Twin Bridges, a tiny town of 400 in Montana that sits at the fork of several rivers and touts itself as a fly-fishing destination, decided to welcome cyclists.

Intrigued by the stories of the Lycra-clad visitors passing through, one man convinced the town to invest $9,000 to build a basic shelter for cyclists, and then ask for visitors' donations to maintain it.

Word of the friendly overture spread on the cycling grapevine. And now local stores, the town laundromat and restaurants are benefiting from the rise in cycling visitors.

The initiative speaks to a broader truth about cycling tourism, notes Pronovost: "If you don't have the infrastructure, you won't be in the destination guides." 

22.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two-time champion Furyk grabs lead at Canadian Open

There doesn't appear to be any stopping Jim Furyk from claiming a third RBC Canadian Open title.

The 44-year-old Furyk steamrolled his way to a bogey-free 65 in the third round at Royal Montreal on Saturday to go to 15-under-par 195 and take a three-shot lead over South African Tim Clark, while crowd favourite Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., saw his hopes sag with a three-putt on the 18th to fall seven strokes off the lead.

A forecast of thunderstorms may complicate the final round on Sunday, but Furyk is in solid position for his first PGA win since the Tour Championship in 2010.

He said a key to closing out the US$5.7 million tournament will be "not really worrying about what position I'm in. Not looking at the leaderboard too much. Going out there and trying to attack the golf course the same way I have the first three days.

"I noticed there aren't many leaderboards on the course, that might be a good thing."

He will play the final round in a threesome with Clark, whose only Tour win was the 2010 Players Championship, and Kyle Stanley, whose lone win was at the 2012 Phoenix Open.

Clark had the low round of the day at 64 to move to 12-under. Stanley has been near the lead all week and shot 68 to take third place at 10-under par.

Furyk is a 16-time winner on Tour and will have the edge in experience. But he cautioned that the soft greens and fairways at Royal Montreal have made for low scoring and that anyone close is a threat.

"The guys that are out there who have played well for three days are all capable," said Furyk. "Timmy Clark's got a lot of experience. Kyle's won before.

"The guys out there have all played well. They've played good rounds. You saw Graham and I shoot 7-under (on Saturday). There is a good round out there, so guys can go out there and shoot a low one and definitely put heat on the last group."

Jamie Lovemark, whose best finish so far this season was a tie for 28th in January, shot 67 to take fourth place at 9-under.

But the galleries were watching DeLaet, Canada's top player who is trying to become the first Canadian to win his national open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

But after raising hopes as he and Furyk tied the course record playing together with Matt Kuchar in the second round, he managed only an even-par 70 to stay at 8 under in a tie with Joe Durant (67), Scott Brown (69) and Tim Petrovic (72).

The 32-year-old DeLaet missed a par putt on the second and but kept himself afloat until he sank a long putt for eagle on the par-5 12th. He followed with a birdie on the 14th to get to 10 under, but then put his tee shot on the 15th into a hazard for bogey.

The crowd gave him a rousing ovation as the bearded DeLaet walked up the 18th fairway, but he got too aggressive on a 10-foot birdie putt and then missed a short one for par.

"I kept plugging away," said DeLaet. "I knew I wasn't that far off and if I could just finish a couple under par maybe I'd have a shot (on Sunday.)

"Disappointing to three-putt the last. I really wanted to make that birdie and got over-aggressive. But it was a fun day. The crowds were amazing out there. Hopefully, I can do something special."

If DeLaet was dejected or angry at himself, it didn't show when he met the media off the 18th green. And he wasn't about to concede defeat despite the gap with the leaders.

"Jim is obviously in control of his game right now, but if someone posts something — 13, 14 or 15 — you never know what could happen," he said. "I'm just going to give it my best. I've got 35 million people pulling for me, so that's pretty cool."

Furyk won the world's third-oldest national championship in 2006 at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club and followed with a win in 2007 at Angus Glen in Markham, Ont.

A third win would put him in a tie for second all-time with Tommy Armour (1927, 1930 and 1934), San Snead (1938, 1940 and 1941) and Lee Trevino (1971, 1977 and 1979). Leo Diegel won four titles in the 1920s.

Coming off a final round 65 to finish fourth at the British Open last Sunday, Furyk has had only one bogey, on the fourth hole of the first round, at Royal Montreal.

The third round was more complicated, but he cited up-and-down saves for par on the first, sixth, 11th and 16th for keeping his hot play alive.

"The first couple of days I struck the ball really well and never had myself in too much trouble," he said. "Today I found a way to score and get the ball in the hole."

In his career, Furyk has won 10 of 25 times when leading after three rounds.

Clark got off to a phenomenal start, with a birdie on the first and an eagle on the second, and then ran off three birdies on the final six holes. The 38-year-old's experience likely makes him the most dangerous challenger.

"It's always great to get off to a good start," said Clark. "Saturdays are normally the toughest day to score on, so you dream of a start like that."

Clark is coming off a strong showing at the John Deere Classic, where he tied for fifth, helping to turn around a middling season that included a problem with his left elbow that needed a cortisone injection.

"Right now I feel good and I am able to swing how I want to," he said. "Three months ago I started to hit the good again, but I just wasn't scoring. Finally, the last few tournaments, I've started to score."

With thunderstorms in the forecast, start times were moved up two hours to 8 a.m. ET, with the players in threesomes rather than the usual pairs for the final round. The third round was played in breezy, overcast weather, with only a brief, light rain in the afternoon.

Amateur Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., rebounded from a 75 on Friday with a 68 to go to 2 under. He was 4 under through 17 holes, but the big hitter put his tee shot in a hazard and hit a weak chip shot for double bogey on the 18th.

He was happy with his week so far however, which included an opening-round 65.

"Just getting out here and experiencing what the PGA guys experience every week is pretty awesome," the 23-year-old said. "My goal for the week was just to come out here and have some good rounds.

"Just like any other tournament, if I play good I'll make the cut. I had a good day and a bad day, but I made the cut, which was awesome. It's great to play two more rounds on the weekend."

Brad Fritsch of Ottawa shot a bogey-free 67 to move to 3 under for the tournament, while Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was at 3 under after a 68. David Hearn of Brampton, Ont., was also at 3 under after a 70.

Mike Weir of Bright's Grove, Ont., was 1 over on the day and for the tournament.

"No bogeys out here with the wind blowing a bit — I played nicely," said Fritsch, whose sand shot on the 18th helped save par. "Burned the edge a lot today, but I also had some good up and downs.

"It was nice to get up and down on the last, just to make sure it was bogey-free."

22.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Politics is a team sport, so 'wear a cup,' says ex-Harper spokesman

The question I'm most often asked about my time in politics is what part of it I hated the most, which, I suppose, tells you something about the current perception of my former profession.

And what do I answer? I could go with the usual complaints: the constant work, the travel and the dark cloud of knowing that your next mistake could end up being your last. But that's the gig. Wear a cup.

There was also the unremitting questioning of your motives by people who don't know you at all. Get over it.

And then, of course, there were the journalists.

Toe the line

But the worst part of my job was having to promote and defend policies I didn't agree with personally. When that happened, you had to do your job and toe the party line.

Don't shed a tear, because it didn't happen much, at least not on issues that were core to the agenda, but consider yourself fortunate if you never have to look at a camera and argue with all of your heart for something you don't believe in. Especially when, as happens in politics, you are standing on some thin intellectual ice.

Oh, how journalists loved it when they had you in that position. "Andrew," they'd say, "surely you don't believe that."

Maybe not, but it didn't matter what I believed. I wasn't elected. The government had an agenda and it was my job to talk about it.

Members of parliament are rightly in a better position to question government policy, though if the reason they got into politics was to champion a cause they knew their party didn't agree with, they probably shouldn't have made the decision to run for the party in question.

Politics is a team sport, but no matter how closely your world view lines up with that of your political party, there will always be areas where you disagree. Governments have to make decisions on too many files to achieve a perfect union between thought and action.

Imperfect parties, imperfect leaders

Just as voters weigh the pros and cons of a particular party or leader before casting a ballot, and as candidates do the same before running for office, so do political staff before signing up for work. If you are able to find one party that speaks to you on every subject, I'd suggest you haven't done enough of your own thinking.

Parties — and leaders — are imperfect. And so that means as a spokesperson you'll have to go out there and occasionally fire crooked arrows, sometimes at targets you don't believe in or care about.

To pick a particular pet peeve, no one can really mount a compelling intellectual or ideological defence of supply management for dairy, eggs and poultry. I certainly can't. The few who happen to care about it — and benefit massively from it — just happen to be better organized than the majority of us who haven't really thought about it, but might be outraged if we did. Never pick a fight with someone who produces their milk by the barrel, I suppose.

Theory vs. practice

So there I would be, defending supply managed industries every time we had a trade negotiation on the go, which was a lot. At the same moment we were fighting to scrap the wheat board. Yeah, the journalists loved pointing that one out.

But this is where the critics in the ivory towers or op-ed pages often forget that politicians have to get elected. Yes, politics is theory, which is important to read and write about, but it's also practice. It takes the vote of people and the support of stakeholders. And sometimes you have to promise them certain things. Even if it rubs across an ideological grain. Or common sense.

I'm a cynic by nature, but politics truly does have a noble purpose. It is about leading people to change, about making arguments and showing courage.

It's also about picking your spots. Raising the age for retirement benefits was long thought to be a third rail in government, but the Harper government made that change to Old Age Security without future seniors storming the barricades.

Opening debate

Let's hope we're cruising to the point where we can start a conversation about retooling our creaking health-care system. And maybe one day we will free the cheese.

But until that glorious day comes, and the time is right for change, political staff will inevitably find themselves agreeing with the proposition that the revered "ordinary" Canadian needs to pay too much for milk and cheese because 20,000 dairy farmers are afraid of duking it out with producers around the world.

As a private citizen, I now get to say supply management is rubbish. I get to wonder why the Canadian Armed Forces can't just buy kit off the shelf. I get to wonder why regional development agencies exist and why hundreds of government-funded interest groups never seem to conquer the problem they were "temporarily" set up to address.

If you think defending the personally indefensible is a problem unique to politics, think again. Think about whether or not you could defend every action of your employer. Chances are you can't. If you can, lucky you.

I doubt many reporters could defend the decisions of their outlets 100 per cent either, especially those with corporate overlords.

And what do I think about the CBC? I think that it receives significant taxpayer funds, and I believe it can operate within its existing budget.

Beyond that, I couldn't possibly comment.

Andrew MacDougall is a former director of communications to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He is now the senior executive consultant at MSLGROUP London. Follow him @agmacdougall.

22.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ford apologizes for clash between fans, LGBT activists at Ford Fest

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has apologized for the confrontation between his supporters and LGBT activists at Friday's Ford Fest.

Ford fans got into verbal confrontations with protesters at the annual festival at a park in the city's east end. At one point, a few Ford fans grabbed the protesters' signs, tore them up, threw them on the ground and stamped on them. An LGBT rights supporter also claimed to have been assaulted.

Ford said he didn't personally see the commotion because he was in a tent meeting with his supporters, but he still apologized for what happened.

"It's terrible things like that happen," he said in an interview on Saturday with CP24 while attending the Taste of Toronto food festival. "I apologize and we have to move on."

He also thanked Ford Fest supporters, saying the event drew more than 1,500 people.

His brother and city councillor Doug Ford also apologized for the clash, calling it "unfortunate."

World Pride festival controversy

On Friday, about six demonstrators protesting what they called Ford's homophobia turned up at Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough, holding signs that called for the mayor's departure from office.

"He needs to be held accountable," said Poe Liberado, who faced loud jeers from Ford fans.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was greeted by a huge crowd of supporters when he arrived at his annual Ford Fest Friday. (Tashauna Reid/CBC)

"His buffoonery is dangerous, his positions are dangerous and he needs to be taken seriously."

Ford drew heat from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community recently after he remained seated while city council gave a standing ovation to organizers of Toronto's World Pride festival.

He didn't answer questions from reporters about why he didn't stand up, but said he's not homophobic.

"He's a disgrace," said protester Kevin Speight. "He's embarrassing our city."

The mayor's supporters, however, weren't pleased with the anti-Ford sentiment, and number of individuals got into verbal confrontations with the protesters.

"Go home," they yelled. "This is Ford Nation!"

Horse incident

The man who claimed he was assaulted declined to press charges, according to Toronto police.

The man was escorted away from the park to prevent further issues and he left willingly, said Staff Sgt. Tony Forchione.

About 15 to 20 police officers, including five paid duty officers, were at the event, he said.

City officials approved a permit for the party despite concerns from Ford opponents that it is a campaign event that violates municipal rules banning campaigning in public parks.

Sarah Thomson arrives by horse and buggy at city hall in March, where she officially filled out her papers to become a candidate in the 2014 mayoral race. (Steven D'Souza/CBC)

City spokesperson Jackie DeSouza told CBC News after Ford Fest that there were no violations of the conditions of the park permit, such as putting up election signs or distributing campaign materials.

Mayoral candidate Sarah Thompson arrived at Ford Fest on a horse. She had arrived at city hall by horse and carriage in March when filling out nomination papers.

Thompson was asked to remove the horse from the park because it was in violation of city bylaws, DeSouza said.

"She complied as soon as she was warned," DeSouza told CBC News.

Bylaw staff will discuss the horse incident with senior staff to determine if Thomson will be fined, DeSouza said.

22.41 | 0 komentar | Read More