Canadiens' Prust to have hearing for Stepan hit

Updated

Phone call set for Friday afternoon

CBC Sports Posted: May 22, 2014 9:46 PM ET Last Updated: May 23, 2014 11:08 AM ET

Montreal Canadiens forward Brandon Prust will have a phone hearing with the NHL on Friday afternoon for his hit on the Rangers' Derek Stepan during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final.

The league made the announcement Friday morning. Game 4 goes Sunday night in New York.

Prust blindsided Stepan in the first period with a late hit, leaving the Rangers centre lying face down on the ice about three minutes into Thursday's game. There was no penalty on the play and an irate Stepan made his way to the dressing room before returning to the game.

Seething over the lack of a penalty call after his teammate was hit, Rangers winger Daniel Carcillo let his emotions get the best of him as he received a game misconduct for shoving a linesman.

There was no immediate word on a possible hearing for Carcillo.

With files from The Canadiean Press

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What's behind irritating Windsor Hum? Blame Michigan's Zug Island

The source of the mysterious Windsor Hum in the southwestern Ontario city is Zug Island — in River Rouge, Mich., indicates a federally funded report released today.

Essex Conservative MP Jeff Watson released the report's findings at a news conference at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor on Friday.

Watson said U.S. officials must now determine the precise location of the noise. Copies of the federal report have been given to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and the mayor of River Rouge.

"We look forward to further discussions with them," Watson said.

Zug Island is home to a U.S. Steel operation and is an area of concentrated steel production and other manufacturing.

Residents in west and south Windsor and the neighbouring town of LaSalle started complaining about the rumbling and humming noise more than three years ago.

It has been described as sounding like an idling locomotive, a transport truck and running refrigerator.

People have complained about sleepless nights, rattling windows and headaches.

Mike Provost is a west-end resident. He lives five kilometres south of Zug Island.

"I think it's exactly what I anticipated," he said of the findings. "I think there's more to be done.

"I wish there was more, but I knew there wouldn't be because of the [border] issue."

Windsor Coun. Al Maghnieh has been fielding complaints about the noise for years, and has been vocal about getting to the bottom of the phenomenon.

"We want to know exactly what the solution is to either stop it or reduce it to a point where it's not affecting the quality of life of residents," Maghnieh said

Watson said it is important to "protect the quality of life" in Windsor.

"We made a commitment to find a solution that would work for the people of Windsor."

In January 2013, Ottawa earmarked $60,000 for two research projects to find the Windsor Hum's origin.

In February 2013, Prof. Colin Novak of the University of Windsor, and a group of fellow scientists and researchers from Windsor and London's Western University set up a state-of-the-art, $250,000 recording station in a woodlot in the western part of Windsor. It was a virtual ear, tuned to record the hum 24/7.

Peter Brown of Western University was also part of the research team.

The first report was "inconclusive," Watson said. The second determined Zug Island to be home to the hum.

Zug Island is just a few kilometres down river from the west end of Windsor.

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Wife of Canadian soldier killed in LAV III rollover addresses media

The wife of an officer at CFB Petawawa in Ontario made a statement on Friday, just a few days after her husband, Lt.-Col. Daniel Bobbitt, died in a training incident in Alberta.

The commanding officer of the 2nd Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Petawawa died Wednesday after an LAV III rolled over during Exercise Maple Resolve 2014. Four others were injured in the incident at Wainwright, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.

Two of the soldiers injured in the rollover were flown to a hospital in Edmonton, where they are reported to be in fair condition. The other two were treated at the base.

Brig.-Gen. Omer Lavoie says the investigation continues into the armoured-vehicle rollover that killed Lt.-Col. Daniel Bobbitt and injured four other soldiers. (CBC)

Bobbitt, a father of three, had 23 years of military experience, including two tours of duty in Bosnia and also in Afghanistan.

His wife, Monica, made a statement at CFB Petawawa, where Bobbitt was based, late Friday morning with the couple's three children behind her.

She said her husband died doing what he loved and he was a proud Nova Scotian. She also said her husband was "the best of us."

On Thursday, Bobbitt's fellow soldiers at CFB Petawawa and Garrison Wainwright remembered him as a dedicated professional and devoted father. ​

Brig.-Gen. Omer Lavoie, confirming authority for the exercise, said the rollover is still under investigation but the vehicle was travelling over rough terrain at the time. 

Training exercises were suspended after the death, but resumed Thursday morning.

Officers from the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, a high-level police unit, have also been deployed to Garrison Wainwright to look into the incident.

Lavoie said the military has not taken any extra precautions following the incident, but stressed it already has strict safety procedures for training with armoured vehicles. 

Lavoie also said the Canadian Forces is "a small family" and Bobbitt's death has shocked his fellow soldiers, but they are committed to continuing the training. 

Bobbitt's military career began in Nova Scotia, where he enlisted as a soldier in the reserves in 1988. He transferred to the regular forces and became an officer, later serving as the senior instructor, field artillery, at the Royal Canadian Artillery School.

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Lisa Raitt wants to know what GM Canada knew about recalls

Canadian government officials are trying to determine whether the Canadian unit of General Motors had delayed the recall of some cars, breaking the law in doing so, after the U.S. fined the parent company $35 million for its delayed response.

Transport Minister Lisa Raitt said in the wake of the U.S. move to fine General Motors for not recalling cars with faulty ignition switches as soon as it knew about the problem, she instructed her officials to get answers from GM Canada.

"Having seen what has developed in the United States I've gone back to my officials to go back to GM Canada and ask them when did they find out. Did they find out at the same time as GM in the U.S. told the world or did they know earlier than that?" Raitt told reporters on a conference call.

"I need to get that information and that answer from GM Canada before we move any further because, as you know, if they had that information and didn't put the recall in place, then they could be in violation of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act," she said.

GM Canada began its recalls in February with 235,855 vehicles affected by faulty ignition switches. It issued three more recalls this week for 181,500 vehicles for various reasons.

GM Canada was not immediately available to respond to Raitt's remarks.

In the United States, GM has issued an unprecedented 29 recall notices for a record number of vehicles this year. The most high-profile recall was of cars with defective ignition switches, linked to at least 13 deaths.

The problem was originally noticed by GM more than a decade ago, but the first recalls began only in February of this year, despite years of consumer complaints.

Even though it is clear GM as a company delayed its response, Raitt said it was important to determine separately when GM Canada knew before being able to take any action under Canadian law.

"In order for us to have a good case to prosecute under, it does matter when GM Canada knew," she said.

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Ottawa businessman in 'carefully planned' Air India bribery plot gets 3 years in prison

New

Bribery scheme promised payouts of millions in cash, stock options had it succeeded, judge says

By Dave Seglins, CBC News Posted: May 23, 2014 11:23 AM ET Last Updated: May 23, 2014 11:23 AM ET

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An Ontario judge today sentenced Ottawa businessman Nazir Karigar to three years in prison for arranging bribes to public officials in India in a failed bid to win a $100-million security contract from Air India.

Justice Charles Hackland of Ontario Superior Court in Ottawa convicted Karigar in August 2013 for a conspiracy that dates back to 2005-2006.

In Friday's sentencing, Hackland said that had the conspiracy been successful, it promised payouts of millions in cash and stock options.

"This must be viewed as a serious crime," Hackland told the court Friday. "This was a sophisticated and carefully planned bribery scheme intended to involve senior public officials at Air India and an Indian cabinet minister."

Karigar is the first individual in Canada convicted and sentenced under the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act passed in 1999.

Three companies have been convicted under the law and each paid a fine.

More to come

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Healthcare workers urged to don protective gear to prevent MERS spread

A national health agency is calling for steps to prevent the spread of the respiratory illness known as MERS to Canada.

Infection Prevention and Control Canada is urging health-care workers to use personal protective equipment if working with a feverish, coughing patient.

The agency says this is in light of cases of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus being detected in the United States.

An undated electron microscope image made available by the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases shows novel coronavirus particles, also known as the MERS virus, colorized in yellow. (Canadian Press)

It also says appropriate screening of patients presenting with cough and fever must include a travel history, not only of the patient, but of anyone around the patient who may have travelled in the previous 10 to 14 days.

The agency further says patients presenting with suspected or confirmed MERS infection must be assessed in a timely manner and placed on special precautions.In the U.S., three people have been diagnosed with an infection from MERS.

An American doctor who came to Canada after being exposed to the virus in a Florida hospital where one of the patients was being treated was allowed to return home after testing negative for the disease.

Since the first known MERS infections occurred two years ago, roughly 650 cases have been reported by 19 different countries.

Saudi Arabia has reported the vast majority — 540 cases and 175 deaths.

"The sudden increase in cases in Saudi Arabia is felt to be due mainly to lapses in infection prevention and control practices," IPAC Canada said late Wednesday.

The World Health Organization concluded last week that there was no need to declare MERS a global health emergency despite the recent spike in cases.

IPAC Canada, based in Winnipeg, is a voluntary association of infection prevention and control professionals.

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Habs hope to avoid 3-0 series hole vs. Rangers

Madison Square Garden underwent a recent $1 billion US transformation, and yet it will have another completely different feeling once the New York Rangers hit the ice in the NHL Eastern Conference finals.

Gone will be the fear of impending doom that enveloped the club during its second-round comeback against Pittsburgh. Missing will be the nerves that any goal or loss could mean the end of the season.

Suddenly, the Rangers are the front-runners against the Montreal Canadiens, and their fans now have the chance to celebrate the ride with them.

"Having fan support is obviously huge," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "Unconditional love, it's something that's really beneficial to a team."

'We're trying to prepare for a Montreal team that's going to come out with a lot of energy. ... This is a big game for everybody.'- Rangers forward Martin St. Louis

New York is riding a five-game winning streak, but four of those victories came on the road -- two in Pittsburgh when the Rangers erased a 3-1 series deficit, and the first two in this matchup with Montreal.

The Rangers will skate at the Garden on Thursday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7:30 p.m. ET) with a series lead for the first time since Game 2 of the first round against Philadelphia 15 games ago.

"It's a good feeling, but we know we've accomplished nothing yet," forward Martin St. Louis said. "We're trying to prepare for a Montreal team that's going to come out with a lot of energy. We know that. This is a big game for everybody. We know where the series is, and it's a big opportunity for us."

Nothing is a guarantee, but to take a 3-0 series lead would set the Rangers up for their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals since 1994.

Sense of desperation

Since New York fell way behind Pittsburgh with a dispirited home loss in Game 4, the Rangers have been playing with a sense of desperation. It didn't reset once they eliminated the Penguins, and so far they have shown no signs they will let the Canadiens recover.

"I feel every game is a must-win in the playoffs," St. Louis said. "You go into every game understanding what can happen with a loss and what can happen with a win. It's a lot of momentum shifting, a buildup in the playoffs, and you want to make sure you keep it as long as you can."

The Canadiens' mindset is to regroup and play the kind of road game the Rangers did by jumping on them.

Montreal is still dealing with the loss of No. 1 goalie Carey Price, who was knocked out of the series by injury in the opener, but now is trying to rally around third-stringer Dustin Tokarski.

The inexperienced goalie, who has played in only 11 NHL games, got the surprise nod by coach Michel Therrien in Game 2 over regular backup Peter Budaj and was tabbed again Wednesday to start in Game 3.

Struggled forward Thomas Vanek was dropped to the fourth line in practice on Wednesday alongside Danny Briere and Brandon Prust in another potential shakeup.

"Don't read too much, OK?" Therrien said. "They might change tomorrow."

No excuses

Whatever the lineup looks like, the Canadiens have adopted a motto of no excuses as the series shifts to New York.

"We lost the first two games. We've got to do something different," Canadiens captain Brian Gionta said Wednesday in Montreal before the team flew south. "But at the same time, we had a pretty good game in Game 2. We've just got to find ways to get more goals and get to them a little more offensively."

They netted only two in a blowout loss in the opener, and then scored one on Monday in a 3-1 loss. The Canadiens grabbed what had been an all-important first goal, but they lost the lead just 17 seconds later and were trailing 2-1 before the first period ended.

'We have to make life difficult for their goalie, and if we do that, I like our team's chances.'- Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty on the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist

Henrik Lundqvist was the main reason the Rangers were ahead, holding off an early attack and then a third-period surge in which he stopped all 19 Canadiens shots. He made 40 saves overall.

"We are down two, and we are going on the road," said forward Max Pacioretty, who scored the lone Montreal goal in Game 2. "Obviously, we would have liked to have Game 2, but we can only worry about Game 3. We've got to be better.

"We have to make life difficult for their goalie, and if we do that, I like our team's chances."

Pacioretty, a Connecticut native, is also looking forward to the atmosphere at the Garden, even though he will be wearing an enemy sweater.

"I love MSG," he said. "I grew up watching games there. I love going there. I haven't played in the finished building yet, so this will be fun for me."

One person who hopes to be back on the ice on Thursday is Rangers forward Derick Brassard, who was injured early in the opener and missed all of Game 2. He went through a full practice on Wednesday and was waiting to meet with the medical staff and Vigneault to see if he would rejoin the lineup.

Fellow forward Benoit Pouliot sat out for a maintenance day.

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Soldier killed in Alberta base training exercise was commanding officer

The soldier killed yesterday when a​ light-armoured vehicle overturned during a training exercise at Garrison Wainwright in northern Alberta was a commanding officer in charge of a 5,000-troop military training exercise.

Lt.-Col. Daniel Bobbitt, commanding officer of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Garrison Petawawa, Ont., died Wednesday when an LAV III rolled over during the training mission for Exercise Maple Resolve 2014.

Four other soldiers were injured in the rollover at Wainwright, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.

Two of them were flown to a hospital in Edmonton, where they were in fair condition. The other two were treated at the base and released.

CBC National Reporter James Cudmore speaks with CBC's Mark Connolly about the incident

The LAV III is an eight-wheeled military vehicle with a large machine-gun-type cannon mounted on its roof.

"They're a bit top heavy as a result of that turret and that cannon, and they're a bit tippy," said CBC's James Cudmore.

"All you need is a bad road and an incline, some mud or rain, and you can see one of these vehicles tipping over."

While Bobbitt's location in the vehicle has not yet been confirmed, Cudmore said it is likely Bobbitt was sitting in the crew commander's hatch, which would have left his head and shoulders sitting above the vehicle's roof.

"As commanding officer, he would have been looking at the position of the other vehicles as they were moving across the Prairie."

Cudmore said fatalities caused by rollovers – during training and in field – aren't common, but there have been some instances. 

In 2007, a 27-year-old corporal was killed in a vehicle rollover at Wainwright.

In 2008, two soldiers died in a rollover in Afghanistan; several months later, a third soldier died in a rollover during a military exercise at Garrison Petawawa, Ont., Bobbitt's home base.

Officers from the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, a high-level police unit, have been deployed to Garrison Wainwright to look into the accident.

Bobbitt was at Garrison Wainwright as part of Exercise Maple Resolve, a training exercise used to prepare troops for large-scale operations, such as those used in Afghanistan.

"This is featuring all the different bits and pieces of a brigade at war," said Cudmore, "So you've got artillery guys, you've got tankers and infantry, you've got air force elements, everybody working together."

In total, about 4,500 Canadian military personnel, joined by 500 others from the United States and United Kingdom, are involved in the exercise, which includes tactical moves, deliberate attacks, mobile defence and assistance to non-governmental organizations.

Exercise Maple Resolve is scheduled to continue through to June 1.

Bobbitt's military career began in Nova Scotia, where he enlisted as a soldier in the reserves in 1988. He later transferred to the regular forces where he became an officer, later serving as the senior instructor, field artillery, at the Royal Canadian Artillery School.

The father of three had 23 years of military experience, including two tours of duty in Bosnia and also in Afghanistan.

In 1997, he was the military liaison officer to the City of Winnipeg during the Red River floods.

In a statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered his condolences.

"I was deeply saddened to hear about the tragic accident today in Wainwright, Alta., that took the life of Lt-Col. Daniel Bobbitt and injured other Canadian Armed Forces members," he said.

"This accident is a painful reminder of how Canadian Armed Forces members put their lives on the line every day in the defence of Canada, whether it be in theatre or training here at home."

"The Canadian Army cares deeply for each and every member," said Lt.-Gen. Marquis Hainse, commander of the Canadian army.

"It goes without saying that we take every death seriously and as such we will explore all facets of these situations to try and learn from them while also providing the best support to the army family whenever a death does occur."

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Rare seahorse spotted in Nova Scotian waters

Two citizen scientists scuba diving off the coast of Nova Scotia recently spotted a species seahorse rarely documented in Canadian waters.

Nédia Coutinho and Martin Roy made the discovery during a dive in St. Margarets Bay, located about 40 kilometres from Halifax.

"I was obviously not looking for a seahorse, but when I saw it, I could not believe my eyes," said Coutinho on the University of British Columbia's website.

"I was so excited, even without knowing that it's not common around Nova Scotia. I have dived on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and in the Caribbean and this is the first time I have ever seen a seahorse."

The pair reported the discovery to Project Seahorse, UBC's online seahorse tracking website.

UBC researchers Amanda Vincent and Heather Koldewey started the program in 1996 to study and help protect vulnerable seahorse species across the globe. 

"This is a thrilling discovery," said Vincent in a release.

"These charismatic and mysterious animals are so highly cryptic — and, in many places, so threatened — that we often have to be very lucky to find them."

Lined seahorses typically live in coastal waters along North and South America, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. They're listed as vulnerable to extinction under the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The seahorses, which grow in length to be about 19 centimetres, can develop elaborate skin fronds in order to camouflage themselves within seaweed.

According to the Project Seahorse website, many species are threatened by harmful overfishing. Part of the problem is that millions of the animals are caught and used in traditional Chinese medicine, caught for aquariums or dried for decorative purposes. Loss of habitat also poses a problem for seahorse populations. 

"Seahorses face so many challenges that they desperately need new allies," said Vincent. "Globally, there are fewer than 15 scientists studying seahorses in the wild, which is why citizen science initiatives like iSeahorse are so important, and why divers like Nédia and Martin are so integral to their conservation."

There are dozens of seahorse species scattered in coastal waters across the globe. The specific number of species is difficult to pinpoint since seahorses have the ability to change their skin colour and grow skin filaments to blend in with their surroundings. 

Divers and snorkellers who spot seahorses are encouraged to upload information to the iSeahorse website, or use the handy iPhone app. 

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Matthew de Grood, accused in Calgary stabbings, to appear in court

The man accused of killing five young people at a party last month in northwest Calgary is scheduled to be in court Thursday morning.

Matthew de Grood, 22, was charged with five counts of first-degree murder after five people were stabbed to death at an end-of-semester party in Brentwood near the University of Calgary campus on April 15.

Lawrence Hong, 27, Joshua Hunter, 23, Kaitlin Perras, 23, Zackariah Rathwell, 21, and ​Jordan Segura, 22 were killed in the early morning attack.

De Grood has been undergoing a 30-day mental health assessment at a secure psychiatric facility in Calgary.

The psychiatric review was requested by Crown prosecutors in the case, who have been brought in from Edmonton.

Dr. Kenneth Hashman, the head of forensic psychiatry services for southern Alberta, says the assessment will make sure de Grood understands he will be appearing in a courtroom, that he understands the charges against him and that he is able to communicate with his lawyer.

"If the court decides that a person is unfit to stand trial, they then fall under the authority of the Alberta Review Board and they have to appear in front of them within 45 days for further determinations," he said in an earlier interview.

Hashman says if a patient has no history of mental illness, then psychiatrists will collect information through a series of tests over a period of 30 days. But even if the accused is found fit for trial, they can still be found not criminally responsible if they were mentally ill at the time of the alleged criminal actions.

Allan Fay, de Grood's lawyer, confirmed he will be looking into whether de Grood could be considered not criminally responsible for the killings.

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