National News
Family of four killed crash
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C.— A newspaper employee and his family travelling to Vancouver to fulfill a lifelong dream to see an international tennis match were killed in a blazing crash with a semi-trailer, say colleagues.
Colleen Sparrow, interim publisher of The Prince George Citizen, said in an article on the paper’s website the dead are Matt Altizer, 40, his wife Leah and their two children, Jonathan, a Grade 8 student and Emily, a Grade 6 student. READ
Toews outlines Canada’s new counterterrorism strategy
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has spelled out Canada’s counter-terrorism strategy for foiling everything from Islamic terrorist threats to “lone wolf” attackers. READ
Senior Mountie disciplined for sexual affair
A senior Mountie has been reprimanded and will lose 10 days pay for having a sexual relationship with a fellow officer, but the head of an RCMP disciplinary panel suggested he could have faced much worse. READ
Zoos prepare to welcome pandas
The details are fuzzy and the logistics are up in the air, but the cat’s out of the bag — pandas are coming to Canada. READ
Shots exchanged over warning gunfire
OTTAWA — Standing up for victims has clashed with the issue of public safety over the issue of warning gunfire. READ
Partisan seating duel in Senate
OTTAWA — The so-called house of sober second thought witnessed the kind of contest normally associated with first-grade birthday parties, as a showdown erupted over seating arrangements this week. READ
Two days set aside for Smith clemency hearing
A clemency hearing has been set in Montana for the only Canadian on death row in the United States. READ
Old Age Security sustainable in long term: watchdog
The demographic time bomb that will hit Canada once the baby boomers retire won’t cause a fiscal crisis, the country’s budget watchdog says. READ
Effort to clarify self-defence and citizen’s arrest laws raise warning shots
OTTAWA — The lawyer for an Ontario man who was charged after firing his revolver to scare off would-be arsonists attacking his home says Justice Minister Rob Nicholson is on the right track with changes to the self-defence law. READ
Pardon application fee to quadruple later this month despite complaints
OTTAWA — It’s official: The cost of applying for a criminal pardon will quadruple. READ
Divorce of sex killer Russell Williams open to public scrutiny
TORONTO — Key elements of a sweeping publication ban have been lifted on divorce proceedings between convicted sex killer Russell Williams and his estranged wife. READ
Driver of van in Ontario crash that killed 11 ran stop sign: police
LONDON, Ont. — A van carrying 13 migrant workers from South America ran a stop sign before it was broadsided by a truck and the “violent” impact killed 11 people at a rural intersection, police said Wednesday. READ
Canadian airlines adopt early all-in ad pricing to ease shopping comparisons
MONTREAL — Canada’s largest airlines have all launched all-inclusive pricing efforts that make it easier for passengers to determine the actual cost of flying. READ
Huffington Post launches distinct Quebec edition of online news outlet
MONTREAL — Arianna Huffington believes Quebec is distinct enough to have its own Huffington Post. READ
Shafia mom files intent to appeal murder convictions
TORONTO — The mother of the Shafia family has joined her husband and son in filing her intention to appeal her convictions on four counts of first-degree murder. READ
Jury deliberating defamation case against former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm
VANCOUVER — A jury has begun deliberating in the defamation trial of former British Columbia premier Bill Vander Zalm over statements he made in a book that includes his version of the events that led to his resignation amid scandal. READ
Police say it’s a miracle anyone survived crash that killed 10 migrant workers
HAMPSTEAD, Ont. — Emergency officials in rural southwestern Ontario describe the scene of a devastating crash that killed 10 migrant workers and a truck driver as utter “carnage,” with people trapped inside twisted wreckage, dying shortly after first responders arrived. READ
Five-year-old boys fall into icy dugout in rural Saskatchewan
Two five-year-old boys had to be treated for mild hypothermia after falling into an icy dugout in east-central Saskatchewan. READ
Tories quietly revise policy governing use of information gained through torture
OTTAWA — The federal government has directed Canada’s spy agency to use information that may have been extracted through torture in cases where public safety is at stake. READ
Tweak immigration system to focus on job market: TD Bank
OTTAWA — The federal government could put the equivalent of 370,000 more people to work if it tweaked the immigration system to focus on the long-term needs of the job market, says a new report by Toronto-Dominion Bank. READ
