B.C. Premier welcomes plans to reform bail system, calls on parliament to pass proposed legislation swiftly
CBC
23-05-17 04:02
The Canadian government has introduced legislation that will make it easier to keep violent offenders in jail. Individuals charged with serious violence involving a weapon who have a recent conviction for a similar offence will have to show why they should be released, a so-called “reverse onus” rule. Courts will also be able to consider an accused person’s previous criminal history and risk to community safety when deciding whether to grant bail. Angela MacDougall, executive director of the Battered Women's Support Services in Vancouver, Canada, said: “The challenge is always in the implementation and the follow-through."
The bill will also “expand the use of reverse onus” for firearm and intimate partner violence offences. Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director of Battered Women’s Support Services in Vancouver, expresses that it is too soon to gauge the impact of the new bail-reform legislation. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced the bill on 2 February, saying it was a response to concerns raised by premiers, police associations and victim rights groups.
Last month, the province of British Columbia announced it was creating 12 “hubs” comprising police, dedicated prosecutors and probation officers to deal with repeat violent offenders. The Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative will involve targeted enforcement and enhanced investigation and monitoring, tailored to local communities. The province’s Attorney-General, Niki Sharma, said that British Columbia is making efforts to deal with repeat offenders. The legislative programme comes against a backdrop of rising violent crime in Canada.
Case involving B.C. mortgage broker heads back to court as investors fear for their savings
CBC
23-05-17 02:41
Greg Martel, a controversial Victoria-based mortgage broker, owes over CAD 226m ($182m) to hundreds of investors who bought investments that, according to documents, may not have been real. Martel is the sole director of My Mortgage Auction Corp. (MMAC), which did business as Shop Your Own Mortgage, and the chief creditor, identified by a civil suit as 1548199 Alberta, claims it is owed CAD 17.6m. Two weeks ago, MMAC and Martel were put into court-appointed receivership overseen by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Neil Bunker, PwC's vice-president, said in a virtual town hall meeting with investors that procedures have not yet unveiled the missing millions or indeed, proof the investments ever existed. The case will resume in a Vancouver court on 5 May. Martel was accused of running his business like a Ponzi scheme. He claimed his investment arm provided annualised rates of between 50 and 100 per cent on bridging loans, when bank interest rates were at a historic low.
Australia's housing crisis cannot be solved by simply abolishing negative gearing and reducing capital gains tax, according to independent economist Chris Richardson. He explained that, after several studies, even if legislation is changed significantly, it would barely affect housing prices, which rose by over 1% a month in Sydney in August. In fact, he argued that Australia's "overuse" of negative gearing is part of a wider problem. The only solution is to build more affordable homes, he added, calling on Australians to say "Yes In My Backyard", particularly older homeowners who often object to new developments in their area.
Wildfires in western Canada aren't just having short-term effects with the blazes devastating the ecology and changing the terrain in the long-term, but are also having "cascading" financial effects. The area from which the wildfires were clearing was home to Canada's larch, the most fire-resistant tree on earth which can also be harvested regularly for lumber. The lack of this lumber could mean higher construction costs for buildings and homes locally. Meanwhile, increased pollution as closer inspections of particulate matter emissions would be likely after a fire as well as the physical power to the fires themselves.
Toronto's real estate market has turned around after a period of near 18% shrinkage in home prices, with the housing rebound strong enough to provide sellers with the upper hand, according to a report from RBC Economics. Back-to-back months of price rises, low stocks and high demand conspire to see sellers in major Canadian markets and beyond re-enter the market. But bankrate.ca warns that "affordability" is still a thorny issue in Toronto, calling for a shift in mindsets towards smaller homes and apartments.
'My heart is so much hurting': Kenyan father facing deportation pleads to stay
CBC
23-05-17 09:00
David Kipkoech Keter is facing deportation from Canada, despite claiming refugee status on the grounds of being gender non-conforming. Keter arrived in Canada as a visitor in 2016 and claims that persecution would await him if he were to return to Kenya, which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada denies. Keter has complied with all the demands of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) but is still facing deportation on 9 June, despite a humanitarian and compassionate claim and a pre-removal risk assessment application being denied. Keter's wife has applied for spousal sponsorship of his permanent residency but has yet to receive a response. His predicament highlights one of the main challenges facing people fleeing persecution based on their gender identity, sexual orientation, or gender expression; they may not have sufficient evidence to support their claims.
Sophia Ito, one of Canada's Top Women Wealth Advisors, has spoken to The Globe and Mail about how she has managed her career in wealth management alongside raising her two daughters. Only 15-20% of financial advisors in Canada are women, but almost half of those listed in the inaugural Canada's Top Women Wealth Advisors’ ranking have children under the age of 18. For Ito, having a supportive partner at home and a collaborative structure at the office helped her to manage her priorities over the years so that she now has more time for her career. She is due to be presented with the Women in Wealth Management award from Wealth Professional on 28 November.
Researchers at Queen’s University revealed that people perceive those with deep, baritone voices as being more suitable for positions of leadership when compared to higher-pitched counterparts, regardless of gender or the audience present. Jillian O'Connor, an assistant professor of psychology at Queen's University, said this preference also stretches to stereotypically feminine leadership settings, including parent-teacher associations and school boards.
Air Canada signs codeshare and interline partnership deal with Flydubai
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 11:01
Air Canada has entered into a partnership with Flydubai, giving travellers access to new destinations in the Middle East, East Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Southern Asia. Under the deal, an Air Canada marketing code will be placed on nine Flydubai routes from Dubai, allowing customers to visit 60 Flydubai-served destinations with ease. The airlines plan to introduce more features and benefits for loyalty programme customers and will work to improve Dubai connections.
Canada's government needs to balance goals of making renting more attractive and secure while getting rental units built, as the nation's renters face an uncertain future due to a lack of protection mechanisms. Annual rental increases rose to 6.1% in November 2021 according to the Consumer Price Index, and leasing arrangements are short term, with renters able to be evicted for no fault at any time. As the country's population grows, cities such as Toronto are making it easier to gain permission for multiplex dwellings in areas previously reserved for single-family homes.
4 Asian Canadians are dismantling the pervasive and harmful 'model minority myth'
CBC
23-05-17 11:00
Younger generations in Canada's Asian community are calling for an end to the "model minority myth," a stereotype of Asian Canadians being intelligent, quiet, and obedient that they say constrains how they are viewed and live their lives. This month, CBC News spoke to four Asian Canadian artists and activists who are using their crafts to dismantle the stereotype that persists in every aspect of their lives, keeping them from being viewed and living as their full authentic selves. The activists think the myth erases the "full self," and they see it as a symptom of white supremacy.
Poilievre declined meeting with Johnston on foreign interference, citing scheduling
CBC
23-05-17 16:11
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has declined to meet with David Johnston, the government's special rapporteur on foreign interference, citing an inability to find a mutually convenient time. Poilievre has criticised the move by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as only a delay tactic to avoid calling a public inquiry into the matter. Johnston is set to make a call on a public inquiry into foreign election interference by next Tuesday. The leaders of both the ND P and the Bloc Québécois have met with Johnston as he prepares his report.
A woman who was sunbathing at English Bay on Sunday evening was sexually assaulted by a man allegedly claiming to be a massage therapist. The suspect is described as a South Asian man with a medium build, aged in his 30s, who was wearing a black hat, sunglasses, beige cargo shorts, and a white and blue striped shirt. His picture cannot be released as investigations continue. Police officers would like to speak to those attending the event that might have seen him massaging others at the beach.
A man serving a life sentence in Canada for second-degree murder has escaped from a Kingston prison. Joshua Kenneth Kohl's absence was discovered on Tuesday evening and police have now issued a warrant for his arrest. Kohl was part of a group of men who were sentenced for the beating death of a man in Burlington, Ontario, at his 40th birthday party in 2002. It’s the second escape from a Canadian prison of a convicted murderer in less than a year.
Uber has started allowing children aged between 13 and 17 to create passenger accounts as part of its growth strategy in Canada. Teen accounts will be launched first in Western Canada and Quebec, then in Ontario and Nova Scotia over the summer. The move represents a U-turn on a previous policy which prohibited under-18s from holding an Uber account or ordering a ride for an underage passenger unaccompanied by an adult. The company's Pin Verification and GPS will also allow for safe use of the service by teenagers.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have been involved in a "near catastrophic" car chase in New York caused by paparazzi, according to a spokesperson. While police reportedly have no comment, the spokesperson declared that the "relentless" two-hour pursuit endangered the lives of police, pedestrians and other motorists, and called for an end to intrusive photography. The couple were reportedly being driven with Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother, after she watched the Duchess accept the Woman of Vision Award for global advocacy and empowering women and girls.
Alberta, which has suffered an "unprecedented" early fire season with almost two dozen wildfires out of control, offering a clear sign of the dangers of the world's continued dependence upon fossil fuels for energy, according to Vancouver writer John Vaillant. The exodus to greener energy, therefore, was happening too slowly to make a meaningful difference in staving off further destruction of the environment. Vaillant's book "Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast,” provides an excellent summary of the dangers of persistent dependence on fossil fuels.
The Conservatives in Canada have criticised the federal government's strategy for dealing with the opioid crisis, calling for the policy of providing a safe supply of illicit drugs to people at high risk of overdose to be reversed. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called for the government to redirect taxpayer-funded drug programs towards addiction, treatment and recovery programs. Poilievre has put forward a motion for debate this Thursday, which will be voted on next week. The health ministry has defended the policy, arguing that safe consumption sites have saved an estimated 46,000 lives to date.
A municipal worker employed by the District of Oak Bay has died on the job, reportedly after being hit by a vehicle. The police in Oak Bay commended the dead man's service, extending sympathy to family, friends and colleagues. They also confirmed the driver of the vehicle that hit the worker was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Cathay Pacific Airways is giving away 500,000 free airline tickets to Hong Kong, open to those in Australia, Canada, Europe, Korea, the US, UK China and New Zealand. The tickets will be given through a campaign called "Hello Hong Kong". Vouchers for bars, restaurants and other tourist attractions in the city will also be given upon winning the tickets. The tickets come with certain conditions, such as taxes, fees and surcharges all being payable. However, the company said that the promotion aims to encourage more people to visit Hong Kong.
