Category: Canada

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Canada World

Ottawa Terrorism Investigation Results in Charges Against Twin Brothers

Ottawa terrorism investigation, twin brothers
Ottawa terrorism investigation, twin brothers

An Ottawa terrorism investigation has resulted in charges against twin brothers. 24 year old twins Ashton Carleton Larmond and Carlos Larmond have been charged with terrorism related offenses, and both appeared in court on Saturday via video link. Both brothers are being held in custody at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. Ashton is currently charged with instructing to carry out activity for a terrorist group, facilitating terrorist activity, and participation in the activity of a terrorist group. Carlos is currently charged with attempting to leave Canada to participate in terrorist activity abroad and participation in the activity of a terrorist group. Ashton Carleton Larmond was arrested in Ottawa while Carlos was arrested when he arrived at Montreal Pierre-Elliott Trudeau International Airport in order to travel out of Canada for terrorism related purposes.

The twin brothers charged after the Ottawa terrorism investigation were arrested Friday. According to Assistant Commissioner James Malizia “Today’s arrests speak to our ability to tackle a threat that is multifaceted and constantly evolving. Through collaborative efforts with our partners, we were able to prevent these individuals from leaving Canada to engage in terrorist activity overseas.” Ottawa defense attorney Joseph Addelman is representing both twin brothers. Homegrown terrorists are becoming a big concern for many countries including France, Canada, and the USA. The recent Charlie Hebdo attack shows just how dangerous these individuals can be, and nations around the globe are on heightened alert due to recent terror attacks in a number of countries. A proactive approach is necessary to mitigate these risks.

 

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Canada Ft Mac

Fort MacMurray Mayor Rules Nothing Out With Falling Oil Prices

falling oil prices, Fort MacMurray
falling oil prices, Fort MacMurray

According to Fort MacMurray Mayor Melissa Blake nothing can be ruled out and all options are on the table as falling oil prices create the possibility of economic damage to Wood Buffalo. Blake spoke up and said that the local council will have to reexamine the current priorities if falling oil prices continue. According to Mayor Blake “Because of the current economic circumstances, we will have to take a harder look at our financial future,” she said. “I know we will have to make some very hard decisions if the economic downturn continues.” Any solution that has been examined already could have negative consequences for the Wood Buffalo area, and this is something that local government officials want to avoid if at all possible.

The falling oil prices mean that Fort MacMurray could see less income than expected in the coming year, but the infrastructure of the area needs work and capital projects planned are much needed. According to Councillor Phil Meagher “During the Klein government, nothing was done and we ended up extremely behind on things at the worst possible moment. As we are talking about this, Highway 63 is being twinned. That highway shouldn’t have been twinned 10 years ago, it should have been twinned in the 1990s after careful planning.” On the other hand if projects are scaled back or put on hold and falling oil prices reverse quickly the results could be disastrous. Fort MacMurray Mayor Melissa Blake explained “At this point, all options are on the table if things continue to get worse. It’s unfortunate we are facing these economic circumstances and we have to do what is necessary to get by. At the same time, we cannot be caught by surprise again and be unprepared for a rebound.”

 

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Canada

Man Suffers Crushed Leg After Quebec Road Rage Incident

Quebec road rage, motorist pedestrian collision
Quebec road rage, motorist pedestrian collision

A Quebec road rage incident that resulted in a motorist pedestrian collision has left a man with a crushed leg, and police are still looking for the driver of the vehicle. Drummondville, Quebec police say that on New Years Day 27 year old Jean-Sebastien Leroux was chased down by a car and run over, and it was no accident. Leroux had just finished attending a concert with his aunt and uncle at 3 a.m. In the morning when a motorist nearby floored the gas and was squealing tires near the group. Jean-Sebastien spoke up and said something, advising the man to drive carefully because of the crowds in the area. This caused the driver to target Leroux, pointing the vehicle at him and chasing him down then running over him.

The victim of the Quebec road rage incident tried to get out of the way of the vehicle but this was not possible, and the motorist pedestrian collision was intentional by the driver. Leroux told police “The car eventually ran over my foot and my calf.” Afetr running over the man the driver of the vehicle sped away, and Jean-Sebastien was taken to a nearby hospital. Leroux suffered a compound fracture in his tibia and also in his fibula as a result of the motorist pedestrian collision, and doctors were forced to insert a steel rod in his leg to ensure proper healing of the fractures. Jean-Sebastien’s mother is asking for help finding the driver from people on social media.

 

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Canada

Suspect in Child Assault Makes CCTV Court Appearance

suspect in child assault, CCTV court appearance
suspect in child assault, CCTV court appearance

21 year old James Paul, the suspect in child assault against a 6 year old girl from the Paul Band First Nation, has made a CCTV court appearance to answer the charges that were filed against him. During the closed circuit television court appearance Paul’s case was handled by the Stony Plain provincial courthouse. James is still being held in custody and the matter of bail was not addressed during the recent hearing. The charges against James include aggravated assault, kidnapping, and attempted murder and the 6 year old girl is lucky to be alive. The victim can not be identified due to a publication ban and the fact that she is a young minor. On December 20, 2014 the 6 year old girl was found unconscious in the snow, and she had been there for hours after she was brutally attacked by James Paul.

The CCTV court appearance by the suspect in child assault and attempted murder is routine, even though this case is not. After being found the 6 year old was taken to a hospital in Edmonton where she is still recovering from the attack. Paul is being held in the Edmonton Remand Centre, and his attorney was represented by proxy at the hearing when an adjournment was requested. The proxy for the defense attorney also cited concerns about the safety of the defendant while he is in custody, because apparently a lot of people would be willing to do to Paul what he did to an innocent little girl. Paul will have another CCTV court appearance on January 14, 2015.

 

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Canada Politics

In 2015 Canadians Can Expect An ISP Warning Notice When Copyright Infringement Occurs

ISP warning notice, copyright infringement
ISP warning notice, copyright infringement

Starting this year Canadians can expect an ISP warning notice when copyright infringement occurs or is suspected. The laws regarding copyright infringement have been updated, and ISPs now face a requirement to send out warning notices regarding the downloading of copyrighted material and programs. Up until now an ISP could voluntarily send out the warning notice but was under no legal requirement to do so. According to a news release from Industry Canada “It formalizes a voluntary practice aimed at discouraging online copyright infringement, provides copyright owners with a tool to enforce their rights and respects the interests and freedoms of users.” In addition the ISP must also keep records of all notices sent for the previous 6 months in the event that the owner of the copyright decides to pursue legal action.

The new laws in Canada regarding copyright infringement and ISP warning notices will not just affect ISPs, search engines will also need to meet certain requirements as well. From this point forward a search engine must remove any copies of copyrighted material within 30 days of being advised that the material has been removed from a website. This includes cached versions of a website, and if compliance is not made then the copyright owner can make a claim and pursue legal action against the search engine involved. The latest regulations also include a mandatory review every 5 years, so that the Copyright Act can be reviewed and any necessary adjustments made. This is good news for copyright owners, but it can spell major headaches and an enormous burden for ISPs and search engines alike.

 

Categories
Canada Politics

Express Entry Immigration System Gives Immigration Priority to Certain Groups

Express Entry immigration system, immigration priority
Express Entry immigration system, immigration priority

Starting in 2015 Canada will launch an Express Entry immigration system that is designed to give immigration priority to younger migrants who have top professional qualifications and to those who already have the offer of a job in Canada. In 2014 it was apparent that the current Temporary Foreign Worker Program was having difficulty satisfying the demands of the labor market in Canada, and many thought that the program was open to abuse by companies and migrants both. There have been claims that the TFWP allowed employers to pay foreign immigrants less than Canadian workers, and that some companies fired Canadian citizens to hire foreign workers who did not need to be paid as much. The new Express Entry immigration program is expected to work better for everyone.

The Express Entry immigration system, which gives immigration priority to certain categories, is expected to help meet labor market needs while allowing Canadian citizens some protections as well. The previous TFWP was justified by Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government because Canadians often refuse to take fast food chain restaurant jobs. The temporary foreign workers were not allowed to apply for permanent resident status and they were given fewer rights and protections than the new Express Entry immigration system. It is too soon to tell if the new system will be more effective or if it too will fail. Many Canadians feel that foreign workers and the companies who hire them are given an unfair advantage over citizens born in Canada.