The City of Vancouver is admitting it could have done a better job explaining its plan to replace a section of the seawall that had to be closed indefinitely due to safety concerns, and it's promising a workaround by the start of summer. 

A second local man was sentenced earlier this week for a break-and-enter at a worksite that saw several individuals arrested this past fall.

Ryan Corrins attended Swift Current Provincial Court on Wednesday morning to plead guilty on both counts against him; break-and-enter and theft under $5,000.

The Swift Current resident was handed a 90-day conditional sentence with the first 60 days to be served on house arrest, along with a required 60 hours of community service.

He is not permitted to be within a set distance of any site owned by Whitecap Resources and has been ordered to pay a $200 fine to the court.

For a period of time, Corrins is also prohibited from having any contact with the other individuals charged in the incident; Austin Hill, who was also sentenced on Wednesday, and Jeremy Gardner.

Additionally, he was ordered to provide a DNA sample, respond to any check-ins by officers, report to a probation officer, and more.

The trio were initially arrested on October 27 after Swift Current Rural RCMP responded to a report of a theft and break-and-enter outside of Swift Current.

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A rural route just outside of Fredericton was closed Friday morning after a tractor-trailer went off the road in slippery conditions, and first responders cautioned people to drive with care.

“The intersection of the 104 highway and the 105 highway in Keswick is completely blocked off due to an accident involving a tractor-trailer,” the RCMP advised on social media around 6:30 a.m. Friday.

The Keswick Valley Fire Department provided more information around the same time, advising that traffic from Route 105 to Route 104, about 20 kilometres west of Fredericton, was “blocked entirely.”

“Traffic on Route 104 heading to Route 105 is inaccessible,” it posted on Facebook on Friday morning.

“Traffic [is] being rerouted through the Keswick Landing parking lot towards the Mactaquac Dam.”

The fire department stated roads are “incredibly slick,” advising motorists to take note of conditions and to drive with care.

The Fredericton Independent can be reached at [email protected].

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As the snowy system continues to make its way through our province, Manitoba 511 reports that most roads and highways across the southeast are snow-covered or partly snow-covered.  

Friday morning, Motorists are reporting icy and slushy sections of Hwy 1 near Winnipeg.  

Commuters are to expect reduced visibility this morning, especially when passing vehicles.  

Snowplows, salt and sand trucks are out this morning.   

You are advised to drive according to the conditions of the road. 

A 32-year-old man is facing charges after an armed robbery late afternoon Tuesday at the Irving Parkdale Mainway on St Peters Road. Charlottetown Police say a lone masked male threatened the employee at the gas station/convenience store with a needle and made off with some cash. Police say the suspect fled the scene in an un-plated black Honda Civic. With video surveillance and police work the investigation was solved and the suspect was arrested without incident within 24 hours.

P-E-I’s government is bringing in regulations that will allow a Charlottetown emergency shelter to keep operating.Steven Myers says a recent city decision that would have ended the ability of the shelter on Park Street to continue was unacceptable and would have caused encampments and homelessness.Myers says the province will enact regulation to create a special planning area that includes the shelter and allow the minister to take the decision directly to keep it going.On Tuesday night, the city council had voted to reject the province’s request for an extension of a zoning change to cover the shelter’s operations on Park Street.

The Killers will perform as part of the Churchill Park Music Festival in St. John’s, on July 29.

The Killers are a Las Vegas-based four-piece that formed in 2002, featuring singer/keyboardist Brandon Flowers, drummer Ronnie Vannucci, guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer.

The band has received multiple Grammy nominations, American Music Award nominations, MTV Video Music Awards, NME Awards and more.

Special guests are The Beaches and Matt Mays.

The general on-sale begins on April 2 at noon and is available online at ChurchillParkMusicFestival.com.

With the American government regularly threatening annexation on a weekly basis, there’s one question that I’ve had on the top of my mind — what does the Canadian military think about all of this?

We’re well past the point where anyone can argue that this is a joke or that Trump isn’t being serious.

I don’t think it’s a surprise for anyone that the Canadian Armed Forces are almost entirely dependent on the United States. And partially because of that fact, senior Canadian commanders often have a positive view of the American military. So has anything changed? How long can we rely on the U.S.? And what does the average enlisted man and woman think about the prospect of an invasion from the South?

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There’s no one better to help answer some of these questions than David Pugliese, who has covered the Canadian Armed Forces for the Ottawa Citizen for three decades.

We put all of these questions to him and more.

Featured in this episode: David Pugliese (Ottawa Citizen)

To learn more

“Having U.S.-controlled system running Canada’s new warships too risky, warns former navy commander” by David Pugliese in The Ottawa Citizen

“Canadian general who recommended F-35 deal now calls for purchase of other jets” by David Pugliese in The Ottawa Citizen

“Feds partner with Australia on $6-billion Arctic radar project in 'slap in the face' to Canadian company” by David Pugliese in The Ottawa Citizen

Support us at hatchetmedia.substack.com

The Hatchet is a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exposing power and money in Canada. We deliver important, original and fascinating journalism about how this country actually works.

Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Accelerationist groups are in overdrive to establish a white ethno-state. As an FBI special agent, I infiltrated one

The latest addition to the Churchill Park Music Festival lineup will see The Killers take the stage in St. John’s on Tuesday, July 29.

The Las Vegas-based rock band, known for hits like Mr. Brightside and Somebody Told Me, will be joined by special guests The Beaches and Matt Mays.

Tickets for The Killers go on sale Wednesday, April 2, at noon through ChurchillParkMusicFestival.com.

Meanwhile, tickets are already on sale for the previously announced July 25 show featuring Def Leppard, Sam Roberts Band, and more.

The annual festival, held at Churchill Park, will feature additional acts to be announced in the coming weeks.

Michelin Tire directly employs more than 3,600 Nova Scotians at three factories, in Bridgewater, Waterville, and Granton (Pictou County). Tires are the province’s biggest single export to the United States, worth about $1.3 billion a year.

The post Nova Scotia’s Michelin plants spared from Trump’s tariffs — for now appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Good morning. Opioid samples across Canada are showing a spike in levels of a tranquilizer used for large animals. We explore the worrying drug combination known as tranq, plus your daily election campaign roundup, and a dramatic Saturday sunrise.

Today’s headlines

• Mark Carney says Canada cannot rely on the U.S. any longer and must achieve “economic autonomy”
• Ashlee Shingoose, a victim of the Winnipeg serial killer, is remembered as a quiet and caring daughter
• Canadians born in Iran and Afghanistan are being turned away at the U.S. border after Donald Trump’s executive order
• What does history say? A look at the Trumpian discourse in the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890

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A Minto man who stole firearms from a Fredericton garage two years ago and who perpetrated a series of petty crimes since then was denied the chance to serve his sentence in the community.

Bradley John Madore, 34, formerly of Bridge Street in Minto, was back before Judge Karen Lee in Fredericton provincial court Tuesday for the completion of his sentencing hearing.

The offender appeared remotely from the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre.

At the first part of his sentencing hearing last month, the Crown recommended more time in provincial jail for a series of offences committed over the course of a year and a half.

Defence lawyer Wanda Severns had recommended time already served for some of his offences and a conditional sentence, to be served in the community, for the remainder, so Madore could focus on getting help for his substance-abuse issue and reconnecting with his infant son.

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Committee votes on 2025-2026 budget on Wednesday; property tax bills to go up by 4.7%.

The post Mayor Andy Fillmore calls flat tax rate for next year a ‘gift to our community’ appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Swan River MLA, Rick Wowchuk, has introduced new legislation to increase fines for the illegal killing of protected wildlife species in Manitoba. 

Wowchuk is the PC Critic for Natural Resources and has put this new Bill forward, Bill 221, to deter poaching by raising penalties and to align Manitoba's laws with our neighboring provinces. 

Case in point .... 

In December of 2023 a call came into the Wildlife Rehab Hotline with a report that a Bald Eagle had been shot in Southeastern Manitoba.

The eagle was alive at the time, but critically injured when the staff from Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre and a Manitoba Conservation Officer arrived on scene. 

Following a tip on the 1-800 Turn in Poachers (TIPS) Hotline, Manitoba COs tracked down the illegal hunter and charges were laid under the Wildlife Act for hunting on private land without permission and for killing an eagle, which is a protected species in Manitoba.  The man was fined just over $1100 and his high-calibre rifle was seized. 

Under Manitoba's Wildlife Act, offenders can be fined up to $25,000 or sentenced to jail for up to six months, or both. 

Bill 2-21 would increase the fine to a maximum of $100,000 for first offense, and $200,000 for a repeat offender. 

Wowchuk is an avid outdoorsman and lifelong advocate for conservation and hunter education. He says stronger penalties are needed.  “As a proud hunter and conservationist, I believe we have a responsibility to protect the wildlife we hold dear to our heritage and our shared way of life in Manitoba,” he says.  “Strengthening these penalties sends a clear message to poachers that we take conservation seriously.”

Manitoba has the lowest fines in the western provinces when it comes to killing protected species.

In British Columbia, the first conviction for killing a protected species is a fine up to $100,000 or one year in jail, or both.  On each subsequent conviction, fines are up to 200,000 or up to two years in jail, or both.

In Alberta, fines are up to $100,000, or up to two years jail, or both.  As well, the perpetrator's recreational hunting license is automatically cancelled and that person's right to obtain or hold any such license would be suspended for two years.

In Saskatchewan, fines for shooting a bald eagle can be up to $100,000 and hunting equipment that was used in the act can also be forfeited to the Crown.

Manitoba's protected species include all raptors like bald eagles, golden eagles, hawk and falcons.  Burrowing owls and trumpeter swans are also on the protected species list, as is cougars and of course our northern friends the polar bears.

Currently, under Manitoba's Wildlife Act, offenders can be fined up to $25,000 or sentenced to jail for up to six months, or both. A convicted offender can also have their hunting license automatically cancelled and be suspended for holding any such license for one year.

MLA Wowchuk has proposed the following Wildlife Act amendments to increase the penalties for unlawfully hunting or trapping an animal of a protected species through Bill 221:

•  A convicted person is subject to a fine ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 and imprisonment for up to one year. A repeat offender is subject to a fine ranging from $20,000 to $200,000 and imprisonment for up to two years.
•  The right of a convicted person to hold a hunting licence is suspended for two years and a repeat offender's right to hold a hunting licence is suspended indefinitely.

"So, this new legislation would bring us right in line with the rest of Western Canada," adds Wowchuk.  "These animals are part of our heritage. They're not plentiful and losing one is a is a big loss."

Please listen to more with MLA Rick Wowchuck below!

Wowchuk is encouraging all MLAs to support Bill 221 and to help promote responsible hunting practices across the province.

Anyone with information on illegal hunting activities is encouraged to contact a local conservation office or the TIP hotline at 1-800-782-0076.

(photo credit Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre)

The Provincial Government is warning the public about passive investment immigration schemes that are currently being promoted by some entities.

This scheme is an agreement in which a foreign investor provides money for a business proposition in exchange for permanent residence to Canada, without the intention to reside in a jurisdiction or be directly involved in business operations. 

Passive investment immigration schemes may also include requests to hire specific international workers, in exchange for direct investment in a business or economic development project.

This practice is prohibited in the province and most other jurisdictions in Canada.

Last week's sudden fire that suddenly engulfed one of Killarney-Turtle Mountain's road maintenance graders shook up the staff as this is something you just don't see very often.

"This has never happened before; we've had a few small fires in a loader many, many years ago, but nothing like this," shares Mayor Janice Smith. "When you're dealing with hydraulic hoses, oil, gears, and heat, a malfunction can cause a fire quickly. We're just so thankful that our operator was able to get out and is fine. That was our main concern, as it happened rather quickly. Right now, they're still trying to figure out exactly what happened."

As there were environmental concerns with the leakage of oils and lubricants, the municipality is doing their due diligence to address that issue on the affected road a few miles east of Killarney.

Replacing the grader is covered by insurance, but as it is road maintenance season the municipality is scouting around for a replacement. "We might even borrow one in the meantime because we have operators for all three graders, and they're always in use. Being down one grader is challenging, especially if it's more than just a repair. Hopefully, the system will work well for us, and we'll have a new one on the road very shortly," she adds.

On the brighter side, the municipality was awarded $813K through Manitoba's Grow Fund towards landfill expansion

"Yes, we are so excited here at the Municipality of Killarney Turtle Mountain as we were awarded $813,000 from the Manitoba government under the Manitoba Growth and Renewal Opportunities Fund, also known as the Grow Fund. This fund is specifically for municipalities outside of the perimeter, which is wonderful," shares Mayor Smith.

The grant was to help pay for the new landfill as a new cell needed to be built.  The cost of the project increased dramatically since their last quote and with rising costs continuing the municipality was concerned that price was going to get even steeper.

"It was a big concern because we were going to be borrowing over $1,000,000 and then having to take $113,000 out of the reserve just to build the cell," explains Smith. "This way, we were able to build the cell plus a new shop. And if anyone has been out there, they know the shop is not very nice. Landfill areas are not the prettiest places to be, and we think the shop needs to be in better shape for our staff. If they're spending their time out there, they should have a nice, clean area to do their work, which is very important," she adds.

"So, the project is now going to be $1.62 million, but with these extra funds, we can complete the whole project and only have to borrow half the money we anticipated borrowing," says Smith. "We'll get the new cell engineered and built for that price, and it should last about 10 years, and we can also create a master plan for the future of our landfill, as there are some issues in our quarter out there."

AND Killarney will be welcoming a new Handi-Van to their fleet!

The Federal Government committed close to $4 million to rural Manitoba through the Housing Infrastructure and Communities Canada Grant, and through the Rural Transit Solutions Fund Killarney-Turtle Mountain received funding to purchase a new Handi-Van.

The Rural Transit Solutions Fund is designated to help increase transit services across Manitoba.

"We got to be a part of this wonderful incentive, and if we're a little short [in funding] then we will have the trade in from our old van," notes Mayor Smith.  "It will be a full-sized van with about 26 seats, and will be wheelchair accessible with a lift, everything that's needed for our residents."

Tiny paintings are on display at a Free Little Art Gallery in Winnipeg. It's a place where people can share their artistic works, admire colourful exhibits, and take home a keychain.

Winnipeg can expect periods of snow on Friday, tapering off in the evening. The Interlake and parts of northwestern Ontario are forecast to receive more accumulating snow through the day.

People in the growing Morden-Winkler area of southern Manitoba will soon have a new biking and walking trail connecting the twin cities, linking Winkler and some of its neighbouring communities to the Trans Canada Trail network.

A Manitoba judge is standing by a decision ordering a Winnipeg reporter to hand over to police the full, unedited interview he did with the father of a man accused in connection with a 2023 mass shooting.

Noel Gautron is once again the People's Party of Canada (PPC) candidate for Provencher.

Gautron says the first time he ran for the PPC was for a Winnipeg riding in 2019, then ran again in 2021 for Provencher.

"A bit about myself: (I'm a) firearms enthusiast, classic car lover, and small business owner," he says, adding the reason he got into politics was to offer better political representation.

There are several issues top of mind for him as he takes to the campaign trail.

"I think for everybody, of course, the ongoing trade dispute with the United States is top of mind," he says, adding his views on the matter are different than what has been vocalized in recent months.

Gautron says "a more passive stance towards the United States" seems like the right way to go, given how much trade Canada has done with its southern neighbour.

"It would be very prudent to not agitate the situation further," he says. "This is something that will be very detrimental in the long run."

He does not consider Canada to be in a good position to bargain with the U.S.

Gautron also wants voters to know he is a pro-life candidate, and says the PPC is vocal on the issue of abortion, and is committed to pushing for legislation on it.

The candidate also says he wants to see a reduction in immigration, citing challenges in the housing market as the reason.

"We would like to see a complete halt to immigration intakes until we see a stabilization in the housing market... (and) a deportation of illegal immigrants, as well and illegal asylum seekers."

Written with files from Kenton Dyck

The Seine River School Division (SRSD) is still putting the pieces together, but is glad to be welcoming a new high school in Ste. Anne.

Following the release of the provincial budget last week, the division's superintendent, Colin Campbell, says they are very fortunate to be getting one of 11 schools to be built in the province.

"A lot of credit needs to go to our school board for advocating for building," he says. "We're just really grateful that the government has heard us, and has granted us a new regional high school."

The Ste. Anne school has been put on hold by the NDPs after it was promised by the Tories in 2023.

Early in the NDP's governance, the education minister at he time acknowledged the need for more schools, but that a more balanced, sustainable approach was needed. 

Now it has been given the green light with a tentative open date of Sept. 2028, and touts the hope of freeing space up in high schools around the division, and the schools in the community.

Campbell says the province is leading the project and backing it with the funds needed for construction. That's good, he says, because divisions don't necessarily have the funds to put towards new builds.

The SRSD will be responsible for "very small scale" investments, like furnishing, staffing, and the like, he says.

There's still plenty to be worked out before any of that happens though, Campbell says.

"There's a few things we need to kind of hear post-announcement," he says. "(Including) a confirmation that 'regional school' means vocational."

He says a vocational school is "well past due and needed" in the area, as the ones currently nearby are full, but play a crucial role in helping students navigate career options.

If it the Ste. Anne school is indeed a vocational school — as Campbell is expecting — then the division has to figure out what vocational opportunities the school will include.

"The engineering in the school, and the design, is going to be premade for us, so we need to know what that design looks like before figuring out what vocational pieces you can start to incorporate," he says.

It all makes him glad this is a multi-year project, as it's going to take some time to sort out.

The province also hasn't mentioned whether the school will include a daycare, which had been originally promised as a part of the build.

"We would love to have a daycare... but we can't dream too far ahead until we have a clear understanding of what is involved in the regional school," Campbell says.

He is confident that the government has considered the needs and desires of the division, noting that communication with the province has been great.

When U.S. citizen Kathy Lepold retired more than a decade ago, she and her Canadian husband decided to split their time between the two countries. Summers would be spent in Atlantic Canada, which they had fallen in love with on previous visits, and winters back home in West Chester, Penn., to be close to family and friends.

It took one year of this arrangement for Ms. Lepold to realize her ideals were more Canadian than American: the environmental beauty, the politeness and a health care system that, while imperfect, would not deplete her retirement savings. The two sold their Pennsylvania home and relocated permanently to Wolfville, N.S. The former project manager got her permanent residency, then Canadian citizenship.

A strong earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, and several buildings collapsed in Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, witnesses said. Buildings shook as well in Bangkok, the Thai capital about 1,000 km to the south, and hundreds of people rushed out in panic.

Newfoundland and Labrador Housing has confirmed that a fire on Livingstone Street early Thursday morning has caused damage to four of their vacant homes.

The scene has been released to NLHC and they are in the process of assessing the damage and determining next steps.

They say the affected homes were barricaded while repair work was ongoing, as “there have been frequent break-ins and vandalism which (have) caused extensive delays to (the) work.”

Housing officials are in “continuous dialogue” with police about the issues with the properties.

Metro police were busy last night in the area of Beothuck Place.

A 26-year-old man, who was injured, bolted just as RNC officers arrived on the scene. They caught up with him after a short foot chase.

The man now faces charges of uttering threats, damaging property and breaching a court order.

He was taken to the lockup for court today.

Roads are bare and wet on the Avalon and Burin Peninsula and snow-covered elsewhere across the Island.

In Labrador, roads are bare and dry, with icy patches and good visibility.

Marine Atlantic and provincial ferries are on time.

At the St. John’s International Airport, Canadian North Flight 5T1584 and Sunwing Flight WG581 are delayed. Flights are on time in Gander and Deer Lake.