Friday May 09, 2008
ACROSS CANADA 
Armed posses spreading violence across Prairie communities
Sitting outside her home in the blue light of dusk, Christie Jebb lights a cigarette with shaking hands. She can't afford to sleep at night any more, she says. She's afraid the gang that has been terrorizing her here on the Opaskwayak Cree Nation reserve will return to finish the job.
Iceberg dead ahead!
A surge in the number of icebergs off Newfoundland has imperilled marine traffic and added work for the flight crews who monitor offshore.About 600 icebergs are currently on the Grand Banks, roughly double the total all last year, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Two years ago, the area had virtually none.
Trying to challenge polygamy stretches the long arm of the law
It has been handed down like a curse from one attorney-general to the next.For two dozen years, the challenge of how to take legal action against polygamist practices in the community of Bountiful has confounded B.C.'s criminal justice branch.
How an inquest highlighted the cracks in Peter Lee's peaceful, kind facade
Until the final weeks before he killed his family and himself, Peter Lee managed to hide his violent nature from the outside world.A contradictory picture of Mr. Lee has emerged at the inquest into the five deaths that occurred when Mr. Lee's rage finally exploded last September.
A good, solid, community-minded building
More than any other building type, schools define their communities. When schools close, as will happen increasingly with our aging society, it hurts all, regardless of age or stage on the family cycle. When a fine school opens to the public, it is a joyous occasion, like the arrival of a new child.
Burlington gets an 'urban anchor'
The affluent Toronto suburb of Burlington needs no lessons from anyone about the high cost and environmental downside of sprawl. More than a decade ago, the burgeoning town crafted a progressive plan intended to blunt the impact of strong growth by encouraging greater population densities north of the Queen Elizabeth Way. Among the scheme's sensible proposals was the development of a new urban centre at the intersection of Upper Middle Road and Appleby Line, with tall buildings being the focus in the north Burlington expanse of low-rise suburban housing.
Dobell defends his perusal of seized files in BC Rail probe
Ken Dobell, former deputy to Premier Gordon Campbell, confirmed yesterday that he handled confidential government documents that police seized in a political corruption case.And he said that when he did so, he had not signed a court undertaking that would have restricted him from talking to anyone about the documents.
Look west for higher-end higher density
Halton Region is often overlooked by the broad base of condominium buyers and doesn't grab the attention of high-density market gurus focused on Greater Toronto.Burlington and Oakville can largely claim to have delivered nicely on the great suburban promise of the 1960s and 70s: tight-knit, affluent communities with good schools and plenty of recreational amenities nearby, mostly oriented around the Lake Ontario shore. Most importantly, they have remained free of the big-city hassles of traffic and overcrowding. While that's the Chamber of Commerce line, there's a considerably high degree of satisfaction and civic pride among current Burlingtonians and Oakvillians, and no shortage of low-rise buyers who view the two cities on the western frontier of Greater Toronto as their first choice in terms of desired location.
'Busybodies' told that Bernier's life is private
The Harper government is confident that Maxime Bernier's relationship with Julie Couillard, a woman who had biker connections, did not compromise national security, and background checks on the spouses of ministers will not be introduced as a result.
Northern towns gang up on carbon tax
Dozens of northern B.C. communities challenged Premier Gordon Campbell's groundbreaking carbon tax yesterday by backing a resolution that says the levy is unfair to northerners.About 140 voting delegates at the annual general meeting of the North Central Municipal Association supported the resolution in a blunt rebuke on the eve of a major address to the group by Mr. Campbell.
Ottawa shirked duty to soldiers, minister says
The federal Minister of Veterans Affairs said yesterday that past governments did not do enough to help Canadian soldiers who returned from combat with service-related mental illnesses. ''Some of these people have seen atrocities they don't even want to talk about or think about, and most of them are unimaginable for the average Canadian to picture,'' Greg Thompson said. The minister made his comment a day after the Department of National Defence revealed that at least 1,500 of the 20,000 men and women who have served in Afghanistan since 2001 have suffered from ''operational stress injuries'' - an umbrella term that includes illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and addiction.
Officer defends decision to tie up teen in cell
A Victoria police officer has defended the decision to put an intoxicated 15-year-old girl into a padded cell and keep her leashed to the cell door for four hours with her hands and feet tied.
A mix of town and cottage on Georgian Bay
The small town of Owen Sound is located on Georgian Bay, at the mouth of the Sydenham River, and it straddles the sound after which it's named.With a population of approximately 22,000, the town has a mix of permanent homes and cottages, says David Cheer, president of the Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound.
Drop patent regulations, generic drug makers urge
Canada's generic drug companies are urging Parliament to abandon proposed regulations that would delay their ability to reproduce some of the most popular name-brand drugs that are currently on the market, including Viagra and Lipitor.
A crumbling relationship that gives Olympic boosters the shivers
Native drums echoed down the swank corridors of the Pan Pacific Hotel yesterday, prelude to an event that banged yet another nail into the coffin of Premier Gordon Campbell's once-extolled ''new relationship'' with the province's aboriginal community.
Rules urged for spies in Afghanistan
Canada's spies working in Afghanistan are doing so without a rulebook, the watchdog that reviews CSIS's operations says.Eva Plunkett, Inspector-General of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, says the agents are doing ''commendable work'' but that laws governing the spy service need to be updated now that agents are being dispatched to war zones.
Canada's backing of Israel unshakeable, Harper says
Prime Minister Stephen Harper used the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding yesterday to defend it against regimes who hate the Jewish people and their state.In some of his firmest language yet, the Prime Minister said Canada's support for Israel is unshakeable as Israel continues to face intimidation from other nations.
Sarkozy takes strong stand on Canadian unity
French President Nicolas Sarkozy firmly realigned France's foreign policy toward Canada yesterday, distancing himself from Quebec sovereigntists and saying he no longer wants to choose between Canada and Quebec.
Liberal carbon-tax plan splits NDP, Greens
A Liberal green plan that would levy taxes on carbon use while offering a matching cut on income taxes split the political parties yesterday, setting up a potential electoral battle for Canada's left-wing vote.
RCMP book entire hotel for Vancouver Games
Anyone thinking of reserving downtown Vancouver hotel rooms for the 2010 Winter Olympics should scratch the landmark Blue Horizon off their list: The Mounties have slapped down their credit card to book the entire place.
Hospitals under pressure to reveal C. difficile outbreaks
Patient advocates are calling on governments across the country to force hospitals to tell the public about the outbreak of a highly contagious superbug that claimed the lives of 62 patients at one Ontario health-care institution.
A choice between bird and habitat
Barry MacKay knows that a lot of people see cormorants as noisy, messy and even ugly birds. ''They just hate them,'' said the avid bird lover from Markham, Ont. ''A cormorant colony is a very noisy, smelly place and it can shock people.''
Canada needs to show it cares about most vulnerable
You have all read about international surveys ranking Vancouver as one of the best places in the world to live, work and visit.But for every one of those, you will also read about the social challenges of homelessness, drug addiction and mental health facing our city.
Russian hockey hero upset over death of drunken fan on Aeroflot flight to Toronto
Hockey legend Vladislav Tretiak has taken hundreds of flights over his career and witnessed many bizarre incidents on planes, but nothing like last week's midair altercation that left a drunken Russian passenger dead.
Officers withheld evidence, lawyer says
Homicide investigators were so determined to prove that chiropractor Kirk Klymchuk bludgeoned his wife to death with an axe in 1998 that they actively concealed evidence capable of showing his innocence, a jury was told yesterday.
VANOC takes another step against brokered tickets
Some national Olympic committees have made a killing in the past selling prized event tickets to scalpers for a premium, Canadians connected to the International Olympic Committee said yesterday.''It's a travesty and it's absolutely wrong,'' said Paul Henderson, an IOC member from 2000 to 2004, who headed Toronto's unsuccessful bid for the 2008 Summer Games.
McGuinty challenges equalization
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is taking a new approach in his bitter feud with federal Conservatives, offering to chat ''adult to adult'' about Tory demands for corporate tax cuts in exchange for a discount on the province's equalization tab.
Housing options grow in Mill Pond
The stock of low-rise homes in Richmond Hill's exclusive Mill Pond community typically consists of detached century houses that sell at anywhere from the $700,000s to approaching $1.5-million, according to Arten Development Group.
Bungalows, two-storeys located on ravine site
Garden Homes has launched a development of large, luxury homes in Newmarket that the builder says will be the most prestigious master-planned community in town. Called the Pride of Stonehaven, it will consist of 97 semi-detached houses and single-family residences on 36-, 50- and 55 feet lots at Mulock Drive and Leslie Street, about 30 minutes north of Toronto.
Fire that killed three seniors ruled accidental
Arson has been ruled out as the cause of a fire that killed three women in a North Vancouver apartment building Tuesday night.Police initially labelled the fire suspicious, but Fire Chief Barrie Penman said it was not set deliberately.
Whistler-inspired resort-style residences with private spa
SalusDeveloper: Adera Development CorporationPrice: From the low $200,000s to the mid $400,000sSize: Approximately 550 sq. ft. to 1,580 sq. ft.Sales centre: 6628 120th Street, Surrey BC
Bill not confidence matter, Liberal senators say
Liberal senators say Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was wrong when he told reporters last week that a bill to deny tax credits to makers of violent or pornographic films and TV shows is necessarily a matter of confidence and must not be changed.
Ottawa to reject U.S. firm's bid to buy assets, sources say
Stephen Harper's Conservative government was set to confirm that it will reject the $1.3-billion takeover of the iconic space divisions of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., by American weapons and space firm Alliant Techsystems Inc., sources said last night.
Couple charged in alleged taping of sex assaults
A Toronto man will appear in court this morning for a bail hearing in connection with disturbing allegations that he videotaped his repeated sexual abuse of two young nieces and with possession of child pornography.
Units with quick closings being snapped up quickly
Bremont Homes has completely finished an infill project in a wooded setting in Maple and is offering buyers closing times of between 60 days and four months.The collection of 19 luxury freehold townhouses, called Dreamwood, is selling quickly, however. About 75 per cent have already been snatched up.
If Canada speaks up, world will listen, Balsillie says
The world would listen, if only Canada would speak up.One of Canada's most successful entrepreneurs, Jim Balsillie, served up strong words for the country last night, saying that when it comes to foreign relations and global leadership, Canada should be doing more on the international stage.
Vive le Canada uni
On the beaches of Normandy yesterday, Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France, strongly evoked the memory of Charles de Gaulle in marking the anniversary of the end of the Second World War, yet he tacitly disowned one facet of the Gaullist legacy - favourably to Canada.
U.S. firm expecting final 'no' from Ottawa over sale
Space and weapons manufacturer Alliant Techsystems Inc. appears to be bracing for a final ''no'' from Ottawa on its proposed $1.3-billion purchase of the space assets of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.
Shutdown of school bus fleet causes ordeal for parents
Getting students to and from school proved to be an ordeal for parents on Prince Edward Island yesterday after the province's entire fleet of school buses was pulled off the roads for inspection.
DONE DEALS: MARKHAM
10 COBBLEHILL COURTASKING PRICE: $369,000SELLING PRICE: $364,500 TAXES: $3,214 (2007)LOT SIZE: 25 by 98 feetDAYS ON THE MARKET: 13 LISTING AGENT: Bill Thom, Re/Max Realtron Realty Inc.
MPs back orphan drug proposal
Canada is one step closer to an orphan drug plan after the House of Commons voted in favour of a motion that compels government to consider a policy to help those facing unequal access to medicines.
Toronto police work leads to U.S. arrest
The Toronto Police Service's child exploitation unit played a key role in helping Interpol track an alleged pedophile wanted on an international arrest warrant to New Jersey, according to reports.
Family missing in Arctic found safe after week
Seven family members lost in the Arctic for a week were found safe yesterday, with the parents towing their children in the sled formerly pulled by their snowmobile.''There's a helicopter on site and they're being evacuated to Hall Beach,'' said Bill Kennedy, a search co-ordinator in Repulse Bay, Nunavut, the community from which the family had set out on May 1.
Ruling on Kearl mine permit due next week
A decision in a Federal Court hearing that pits Imperial Oil Ltd. against the federal government will come next week, Mr. Justice Douglas Campbell said yesterday. In two days of hearings in Calgary, concluded yesterday, Imperial Oil was fighting to regain a key authorization to continue preliminary work on its $8-billion Kearl oil sands mine. The federal government in February granted the permit but declared it void on March 20. The government did so because of a separate federal court ruling in early March found that the overall approval of Kearl to be partly incomplete. IMO (TSX) rose 77 cents to $59.19.
Last Great War veteran Canadian once again
Canada's last surviving veteran of the First World War is Canadian again.John Babcock, who was forced to renounce his Canadian citizenship in the early part of the last century when he moved to the United States for work, received a call from Minister of Veterans Affairs Greg Thompson informing him that the government had restored his citizenship, his wife, Dorothy Babcock confirmed in an interview.
Gang link investigated in death of Calgary man
Police are probing whether gang activity was behind the death of an 18-year-old Calgary man and the wounding of a 17-year-old male, both shot Wednesday as they sat in a jeep.
Northern Alberta thieves targeting pickup trucks
Thieves in northern Alberta have stolen 49 vehicles over the past eight days, Fort McMurray RCMP said yesterday, warning that Ford pickup trucks seem to be attractive targets.The bandits are smashing windows and punching out ignitions, prompting police to urge drivers to add locking devices to their steering wheels or brake pedals.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
''Mr. Dion and Mr. Duceppe are quite a group of gossipy old busybodies.'' Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the Liberal and Bloc Leaders questions on Maxime Bernier's personal relationships. A4
TORONTO
Police make headway in three high-profile cases
A trend or a blip? A quick-fire flurry of arrest warrants in three of Toronto's most notorious crimes this year has pushed up the clearance rate a notch. At least for now.
Dump trucks drive the message home
Dump truck drivers who succumb to pressure to overload their vehicles and speed in order to retain hauling contracts have only themselves to blame when they get caught, an Ontario Provincial Police traffic officer said yesterday as a rolling protest by 150 drivers braked to a quiet halt west of Toronto.
Teen stabbed at school 'over a cellphone'
Luke Thomas had reason enough to work two part-time jobs after school and on weekends. The 16-year-old recently got his first girlfriend. He was also trying to break into the music industry, and spent countless hours and dollars recording his own lyrics for an independent album, according to family.
More vaccination urged to curb measles outbreak
In a bid to curb a measles outbreak, Toronto Public Health yesterday urged a second vaccination for those born between 1970 and 1995. ''We are seeing it being spread in the downtown core where there are a lot of young adults working,'' said Vinita Dubey, associate medical officer of health, noting that those born after 1970 typically have had only one shot.
Questions raised about treatment of suspect
Muslim and civil liberties groups say a terrorism suspect is being mistreated in prison, and they are urging the province to investigate. Groups such as the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations say Steven Chand has been unjustly put in solitary confinement at a prison in Milton.
Billboard companies challenge sign bylaws
Two billboard companies facing charges for allegedly erecting illegal signs are challenging Toronto's bylaws.In a court filing last month, Strategic Media Outdoor Inc. argued that billboard bylaws from before amalgamation do not apply to its vinyl ''fascia'' signs.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Bill offers beacon of hope for historic lighthouses
Time has not been kind to Canada's lighthouses. The stations still operating are falling prey to decay - and over the decades many deemed surplus by Ottawa have been burned down, blown up and bulldozed, often without the consent of local communities.
Man fatally shot in brawl at Vancouver strip club
One man is dead after a double shooting in what police described as a ''Wild West'' brawl at a downtown Vancouver strip club.The fight broke out around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday between two groups of men at the Cecil Hotel's popular exotic dancing lounge. ''Fists, chairs, bottles were flying inside the bar,'' Vancouver police Constable Tim Fanning told reporters yesterday morning.
COLUMNISTS
Air Canada skipper moonlighted as chief pilot of warplane museum
Peter Gutowski was a pilot all his adult life. He flew everything from a Boeing 747 jumbo jet to a Corsair, a powerful single-engine fighter from the Second World War. Although too young to have flown against the Axis, he performed in hundreds of air shows as chief pilot for the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton.
Getting to the heart of the matter
Sheila Fraser and her colleagues are auditors, but of a particular kind.They're not really like the auditors who check a company's books and report to shareholders whether the money in and out adds up. By statute, the Auditor-General's group must do ''value-for-money'' auditing, a very wide mandate to decide, at least implicitly, if money is being well spent.
A consensus has finally emerged: The end is nigh
With the Democratic universe finally unfolding as it should, the party's leadership can exhale at last.All sides now agree that the race for the presidential nomination will be decided by early June at the latest. Even Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman agrees.
