Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen said on Wednesday authorities in El Salvador had denied him access to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man mistakenly deported and being held in a notorious prison in the country.

Basketball's newest star is projected to earn just $78,831 US for her rookie year — about $109,480 Cdn, or less than the real median household income in the States.

Police in Regina are warning the public Jason Paul Thorn, 48, who is considered a high risk to reoffend sexually, is unlawfully at large. 

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A Bilijk (Kingsclear) First Nation man has been remanded on several charges, including one alleging he tried to kill three Mounties with gunfire during a standoff Tuesday evening.

Michael Christopher Sabattis, 34, of Tomahawk Street, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone from the cellblock at the Oromocto RCMP detachment late Wednesday afternoon.

He was charged with the attempted murder of three RCMP officers - Const. Nicholas Gilfillan, Cpl. Jeremy Hardy and Const. Pierre-Alexandre Roy - by shooting a firearm at them, and discharging a firearm with the intent to wound, maim or otherwise endanger those Mounties’ lives.

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An officer who kneed a Calgary man in the torso multiple times was not responsible for that man’s death, the provincial police watchdog said in a new report, while also concluding blunt-force trauma was the primary cause of death.

The MHA for Grand Falls-Windsor says it’s “only a matter of time” before another fatality hits a section of the Trans-Canada Highway in the area.

A concrete barrier divides the highway through the town, but there are businesses on either side of the highway, potentially confusing drivers who may pull out, only to end up going down the wrong side of the highway.

Chris Tibbs asked the minister to do a study on that section of road after another close call last weekend.

He says reduced speed and lights would improve safety.

“Until they can get this fixed, I’ve offered the minister a suggestion of lowering the speed limit to 50 or 60 for that two-minute drive. It’ll give somebody a chance coming around the hairpin turn by the hospital in Grand Falls-Windsor.”

Transportation Minister Fred Hutton says they have no such plans beyond new signage.

“We are well within the regulations of the Transportation Association of Canada. They put strict guidelines in place in terms of what you are permitted to do and not do on highways. We’re within those guidelines and what we plan to do is make signs that are even larger than are required” says Hutton.

John Dyer is filling up his car on Monday afternoon in downtown Toronto for the first time since gasoline prices dropped. He prepaid $60 at the pump, which he said would normally get him three-quarters of a tank, but he’s hoping that today, the same amount will put a bit more gas in the car.

“First fill-up since I’ve heard about it [lower gas prices], but looking forward to getting more gas,” he said. “I buy high-octane fuel, so it’s a big deal.”

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

With just under two weeks until the federal election, five of the six registered candidates in Compton–Stanstead met on April 15 at the community centre in East Angus for a bilingual public debate attended by roughly 50 citizens. Organized by the CDC du Haut-Saint-François and local partners, the evening focused partially on questions from the public, with the New Democratic Party’s Valérie Laliberté absent.

Questions ranged from agriculture and immigration to trade with the U.S., inflation, and housing. Candidates had one minute each to answer, followed by limited open exchanges. Though the atmosphere remained largely respectful, several pointed contrasts emerged between party platforms.

PFAS and fertilizer safety prompt strong reactions

A question about imported biosolid fertilizers and PFAS contaminants (“forever chemicals”) drew detailed responses from all candidates. Liberal candidate Marianne Dandurand said Ottawa was already acting to regulate the full class of PFAS chemicals: “We’re collecting data, financing research, and enforcing specific standards through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” she said, adding that the work begun under former Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau would continue if she were elected.

Green Party candidate Sébastien Tremblay called for “very severe” Canadian standards that exceed international norms. “We shouldn’t have to justify contaminants in our agriculture,” he said.

Paul Lehmann of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), citing his background on a fish farm, voiced general support for stricter environmental standards but admitted, “I don’t have much more to add. I’m prepared for the other questions.”

Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Bresse argued that the issue isn’t just imports. “Refusing American biosolids while spreading our own is incoherent,” she said. “The real fight is getting PFAS out of our value chain entirely.”

Conservative Jacques Painchaud warned of the long-term risks posed by over 20,000 near-indestructible PFAS compounds. “We need to review importation regulations and fund more research,” he said, calling the situation a “public health concern.”

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L’article Federal candidates face off in East Angus ahead of April 28 vote est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Stanstead’s April 14 public council meeting was a packed and wide-ranging session that touched on everything from housing density to fire hall construction to the town’s growing national and international profile. Presided over by Mayor Jody Stone at the town hall, the meeting drew approximately 10 residents and was also covered by members of the German press.

A central feature of the meeting was the first question period, where residents raised concerns about infrastructure. One resident asked about upcoming work on Pierce Street and expressed frustration with persistent water issues. “There’s also a water problem on the street. The water is blocked and coming back to Rue Stanley,” he noted. Mayor Stone responded that although some asphalt repairs were planned for this summer, a decision on which streets would be prioritized had not yet been made.

The town’s finances also came under review. The financial report showed a significant increase in expenses, with $274,340.57 in accounts payable—$143,000 of which stemmed from the town’s share of the shared fire service. “More than half of that is the fire department,” explained the mayor. Council later confirmed that a special meeting will be held April 29 to finalize the construction mandate and borrowing bylaw for the town’s new fire station. Stone clarified that although the town must approve the borrowing regulation, the project would be financed by the fire department, not from municipal coffers.

Housing development was another major topic. Council unanimously adopted amendments to the zoning bylaw to increase allowable housing density in certain sectors. “We move from eight to twelve dwellings per building,” the mayor explained, particularly in the Dufferin and Rock Island areas. This shift was made possible by recent upgrades to the town’s wastewater treatment plant, which previously restricted growth.

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L’article Stanstead council tackles housing, infrastructure, and national profile at April meeting est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to fast-track permits for building a protective tunnel around an aging Enbridge oil pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes, stoking environmentalists’ fears that the project will escape scrutiny, damage the sensitive region and perpetuate fossil fuel use.

The move comes after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January declaring that the U.S. has become too dependent on foreign energy sources. The order mandates that federal agencies identify energy infrastructure projects for expedited emergency permitting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The corps designated the tunnel project on Line 5 as an emergency under the order late Tuesday. The corps had initially planned to make a permitting decision early next year. Corps officials were vague during a conference call with reporters Wednesday morning about how quickly the process may move forward.

The Detroit District’s regulatory chief, Shane McCoy, said that the timeline will be “truncated” but didn’t elaborate beyond saying no steps would be skipped and the process will result in “a very legally defensible, very well-informed decision.”

Multiple groups lined up to criticize the fast-track decision Wednesday, including the Sierra Club, environmental law firm Earthjustice and the Great Lakes Business Network, a coalition of businesses that works to protect the Great Lakes with sustainable business practices.

“The only energy ‘emergency’ the American people face is Trump’s efforts to disregard clean air and water safeguards in order to rush through dirty, dangerous fossil fuel projects,” said Mahyar Sorour, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy.

Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said in a statement Wednesday that Line 5 is “critical energy infrastructure” and the tunnel project is designed to “make a safe pipeline safer.” He noted that Enbridge first began applying for permits five years ago.

Enbridge says pipeline is safe, but tunnel would protect it better

The pipeline runs through northern Wisconsin into Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas before terminating in Sarnia, Ont. Enbridge has used the pipeline since 1953 to transport crude oil and natural gas liquids between Superior, Wisc., and Sarnia. It currently moves about 87 million litres a day, according to Enbridge.

Enbridge wants to build a protective tunnel around a 5.8-kilometre section that runs along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, which link Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Company officials maintain the aging pipeline is structurally sound. But concerns about a potentially catastrophic spill in the straits that could contaminate Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have been mounting since 2017, when Enbridge officials revealed engineers had known about gaps in the pipeline’s coating in the straits for three years. Fears of a spill escalated in 2018 after a boat anchor damaged the line. The company reached an agreement in 2018 with then-Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration to encase the line in a protective tunnel.

Environmentalists push back in court

Environmental groups, tribal nations and Democrats have spent the last five years filing lawsuits to remove the line from the straits. A Michigan appellate court ruled in February that state permits for the tunnel were properly issued. Separate lawsuits from Attorney General Dana Nessel and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer seeking to void the easement that allows the pipeline to run beneath the straits are still pending in state and federal court.

The lawsuits notwithstanding, Enbridge needs only approval from the Army corps and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy before it can begin tunnel construction.

Tribes refuse to consult after fast-track decision

Seven Native American tribes consulting with the corps about the tunnel project’s potential impacts on their treaty rights have ended any discussions beyond impact on historic properties after learning the project would be fast-tracked. Tribal leaders said in a March letter to the corps that the corps has failed to include the risk of a spill in its analysis and has disregarded the project’s effects on climate change.

Katie Otanez, regulatory project manager for the corps’ Detroit District, said Wednesday that the corps continues to consult with 20 other tribes. She did not elaborate.

Pipeline reroute in Wisconsin bogged down in court

Enbridge is embroiled in a separate legal battle over Line 5 in Wisconsin. About 19 kilometres of the line runs across the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation. The tribe sued in 2019 to force Enbridge to remove the line from the reservation, arguing it’s prone to a spill and easements allowing the company to operate on the reservation expired in 2013. A federal judge in 2023 gave the company three years to get the pipeline off the reservation.

Enbridge has proposed a 66-kilometre reroute around the reservation. The tribe has filed a lawsuit seeking to void state construction permits for the project and joined several other groups in challenging the permits through the state Department of Natural Resources’ contested case process.

Companies in this story: (TSX: ENB)

Todd Richmond, The Associated Press

The post ‘The debates could be consequential’: David Coletto on the tightening race ahead of the leaders’ debates appeared first on The Hub.

Nurses from across Nova Scotia are gathering this week for the annual general meeting of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union. While a variety of items are being discussed, violence in the workplace is one of the most prominent. Michael Gorman has the story.

The beating of a young teen girl in a city park is raising questions about bystanders who film violent incidents but don't call the police

Premier Rob Lantz says he will do whatever it takes to protect P.E.I.'s Lands Protection Act amid concerns about how that legislation would be affected by the governing Progressive Conservatives' proposed bill to eliminate trade barriers between provinces. 

In February, Donald Robertson was crossing a Montreal street, pushing his one-year-old through the snow in his stroller, when a man banged him hard in his shoulder. “Hey buddy,” Mr. Robertson called out. “What the hell was that about?” The man stopped, looked at him, and punched Mr. Robertson in the jaw.

Now, there was a time when Mr. Robertson, 52, would have thrown a fist right back. He’d been an angry, lost teenager. His father died when he was 13, and a bad temper only left him more alone. On his 16th birthday, he was asked to leave school, or face expulsion for fighting and other disruptive behaviour.

Cost and a lack of guidance are keeping seniors from retrofitting their homes to prevent falls later, according to new research from Newfoundland and Labrador's seniors' advocate.

Woodstock man remains in custody

On Sunday afternoon, April 13, members of the Woodstock Police Force (WPF) responded to a report of a domestic dispute involving a male and female who resided at the same address. During the course of the investigation, officers determined that the male suspect had produced a loaded handgun and pointed it at the female victim during the altercation.

Following this incident, WPF officers obtained and executed a search warrant at the residence, which resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of firearms, including handguns, rifles, and shotguns, as well as more than 1,500 rounds of ammunition.

Police have charged 63-year-old Allan McLaughlin of Woodstock with the following offences:
• Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose
• Pointing a Firearm
• Assault with a Weapon
• Improper Storage of a Firearm

Additional charges are anticipated as the investigation continues.

Mr. McLaughlin has been remanded into custody.

The Woodstock Police Force remains committed to ensuring community safety and responding swiftly to incidents involving firearms and domestic violence. 

The post Large quantity of firearms siezed after domestic dispute first appeared on River Valley Sun.

An invitation for Swan River residents to participate in an upcoming community cleanup event has stirred concerns about how the town's chronic discarded needle problem is being handled, the mayor says.

The riding of Kenora-Kiiwetinoog is one of the largest in terms of land mass in the country, about a third of the entire province of Ontario.

It’s also considered a swing riding by the Assembly of First Nations, meaning that because of the population, First Nations voters could sway who is sitting in the next Parliament.

This is the third federal election that Tania Cameron is running in as an NDP candidate. She ran in 2008 and again in 2011. Then she decided to work for Elections Canada, also helping to “Rock the Indigenous Vote” in 2015, and stayed working for them until now.

When APTN News caught up to her, Cameron is campaigning in Shoal Lake 39, one of 38 First Nations in the riding – and of those – about half are fly in only.

“Thirty-five will have polling stations I hope. There’s a lot of issues when it comes to trying to represent not only the first nation needs that currently exist but also in the towns and municipalities that have infrastructure needs they need improved access of funding to health care, education and of course that’s federal transfer funding right,” she tells APTN.

In the 2021 election, 57 per cent of eligible voters came out to vote. But Cameron said that number could have been higher. That election year, Cameron wrote a five page letter to Elections Canada saying voter suppression was happening in her riding.

She wrote about a breakdown between First Nations communities and the local returning officer. Cameron said some of the fly-in reserves did not have polls and four weren’t sent enough ballots and had to close the doors early.

“I just went out and said it was voter suppression tactics. Like how dare you take someone’s right to vote away. Especially as First Nations, we only got the right to vote in 1960.

“While there are some First Nations people that choose, I totally respect that right. But for those that choose and don’t have access that was very disappointing,” she said.

The AFN considers it a potential “swing riding” because of the 62,000 people who live here, just over half identify as Indigenous.

A third of that population lives around Kenora.

“I was looking at my odometer and I am just over 2,600 kilometres of driving and 52 hours of drive time because this riding is so huge,” she said.

“It goes down to Nestor Falls, Onigaming First Nation up the Manitoba border all the way to Fort Severn and then comes down to Ignace and back here. I haven’t even got to Ear Falls, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Pickle Lake but that’s on my list for next week.”

Five other candidates are running for the same seat – two are First Nations men who are also from northern Ontario.

Liberal Charles Fox is a former Nishnabe Aski Nation leader, and Independent Kelvin Boucher-Chicago, who has run twice here.

In Kenora – there’s not a Liberal sign or riding headquarters in site. Fox also did not respond to APTN’s request for an interview.

Eric Melillo, the Conservative incumbent, also did not make himself available to speak to us.

The other two candidates include Bryce Desjarlais for the People’s Party of Canada and Jon Hobbs for the Green Party,

While Hobbs admits the Greens are “not going to form government,” he said his party aligns with First Nations values as both “protect Mother Earth.”

Now retired, Hobbs was once the CEO of the Royal Architectual Institute of Canada, often working on housing, medical institutions and restoration in southern Ontario. He said there is already a foundation in place for building a better relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples.

“I’m an architect and we gave our greatest medal the gold medal, to Murray Sinclair for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” he said, “And we really should finish the recommendations in his honour to see those through. some are done but there is a lot more to do.”

Beyond that, Hobbs said there are some immediate needs in the riding.

“Housing is always an issue; drugs is an issue,” he said. “I don’t have the answer to that but we have got to work together. Urban cities, everywhere to fight that.”

Boucher-Chicago said he’s focussing his campaign on the community’s most vulnerable – relaying on his own personal experiences.

“I know all the ins and outs of what these people are going through,” he said. “My dad died out here. He was out here for 45 years. I have a daughter that’s out here she’s been out here for I don’t know how long and I have many relatives and have seen many of them pass away.”

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Boucher-Chicago said he’s choosing to be independent because most of the major parties have laws he can’t support.

“I like to use my good friend John Rafferty, he was from Thunder Bay in 2007, I can’t remember the exact dates but he opposed the gun law registration and for opposing the gun law registration he was put in the corner and that ended his political career,” said Boucher-Chicago.

Since the riding was created more than two decades ago, it has changed back and forth from Conservative to Liberal, with the Conservatives taking the riding the last three elections.

Both First Nations candidates, Cameron and Boucher-Chicago know they are up for a challenge.

Especially considering many of the communities they are relying on, they are having trouble getting into them.

“I would like to fly out to the northern fly in First Nations but when we costed it out we are looking at about 42 thousand dollars,” said Cameron saying that should go to show that accessibility is a big challenge that citizens in the Kenora Kiiwetinoong riding face in their own daily lives.

Her competitor, Boucher-Chicago is in the same situation.

“I’m the little guy at the bottom of the food chain,” he said to APTN.

Boucher-Chicago hopes to go to Sioux Lookout and Red Lake and canvass those towns and the First Nations around them, then where he can’t go, he’s relying on phoning communities and social media.

“Can you imagine trying to fly to all those places, I don’t have a budget like any of the major parties. I basically have just enough to do flyers and signs.”

The post Candidates in northern Ontario look to appeal to First Nations voters appeared first on APTN News.