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#Quebec, #Contraband; #DonnaconaInstitution; #CSC; #Security; #Safety Quebec, Sep 28 (Canadian-Media): Contraband and unauthorized packages containing items including cannabis concentrate, marijuana, tobacco, cell phones, SIM cards, cellphone chargers, packages of rolling paper, wax, USB keys, and USB cables were seized Sept 20, 21, and 22, 2020 at Donnacona Institution, a federal maximum-security institution by vigilant staff members of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) with a total estimated institutional value of $211,100.  Correctional Services Canada. Image credit: Wikipedia Using a number of tools including ion scanners and drug-detector dogs to search buildings, personal property, inmates, and visitors CSC, in partnership with the police prevents drugs from entering its institutions to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. A complete smoking ban in all federal correctional institutions was introduced by CSC in 2008. CSC's dedicated telephone tip line for all federal institutions helps to receive additional information about activities relating to drug use or trafficking that may threaten the safety and security of visitors, inmates, and staff members working at CSC institutions. The toll-free number, 1‑866‑780‑3784, helps ensure that the information shared is protected and that callers remain anonymous.
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#Manitoba; Contraband; #StonyMountainInstitution; #CorrectionalServicesCanada; #Investigation Manitoba, Sep 1 (Canadian-Media): A package containing contraband, with total estimated institutional value of $420,368, was seized on August 31, 2020, at about 7:30 A.M on the perimeter of the minimum security unit at Stony Mountain Institution as a result of the vigilance of staff members, Correctional Services Canada(CSC) reports said.  Contraband. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons Included in the contraband seized were cell phones and chargers, prepaid SIM cards, THC concentrate, shatter, steroids, tobacco, marijuana, hashish, and rolling papers. The police have been notified investigating is being done by the institution. CSC's heightening measures as well as its use of a number of tools used by the CSC with its to prevent drugs from entering its institution include ion scanners and search of buildings, personal property, inmates and visitors using drug-detector dogs in order to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. CSC also partners with the police to take action against the culprits trying to introduce contraband into correctional institutions. A telephone tip line for all federal institutions has been set up by the CSC to receive additional information about activities relating to security at CSC institutions related to drug use or trafficking that threaten the safety and security of visitors, inmates and staff members working at CSC institutions. The toll-free number, 1‑866‑780‑3784, helps ensure that the information shared is protected and that callers remain anonymous. #Surrey; #BritishColumbia; #CBSA; #RCMP; #IllegalDrugs; #InvestigativeLaw Surrey (British Columbia), August 28, Canadian-Media): A significant suspected drug seizure and arrest at the Pacific Highway, British Columbia port of entry was announced Aug 28 by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).  Image: CBSA, Image credit: Twitter handle Prevention of illegal drug smuggling that endangers the safety of Canadian communities and generates profits for organized crime is being done by the CBSA and the RCMP by working together. On August 12, 2020, a commercial driver was referred by CBSA officers at Pacific Highway for further inspection. Due to anomalies revealed after X-ray imaging of the tractor and trailer, officers continued their examination and located seven boxes of suspected dried opium poppy plants (including the pods), weighing 29 kg total. Schedule I of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act regulates Opium poppy and its derivatives and only licensed dealers under the Narcotic Control Regulations are allowed to import or export opium, with a valid permit. “Opium poppy is the source of all natural opioids, including doda, a highly-addictive street drug made from dried pods and husks. The CBSA conducts risk-based screening at the border and works with the RCMP to protect Canadians from all forms of drug smuggling,” said Daniela Evans, Director of Pacific Highway District, Canada Border Services Agency in the news release. After arresting the driver, officers turned him along with the suspected opium poppy plants, over to the RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit. The driver was released pending a further ongoing investigation. The CBSA estimates the value of the suspected opium poppy plants at $58,000. "Investigations such as this, highlight the important relationship between the Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime in detecting and interdicting drugs in the first instance and bringing those allegedly responsible through the court process. Such partnerships are critical in supporting our ongoing commitment to combating transnational organized crime, " said Inspector Stephen Lee, RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime in a news release. #Ottawa; #OttawaPolice; #HateCrimesUnit; #CatherineMcKenna Ottawa, Aug 11 (Canadian-Media): Hate crime is being investigated by the the Ottawa police hate crimes unit after a man screamed obscenities outside Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna's constituency office last week, Ottawa Police Service confirmed Aug 10, media reports said.  Catherine McKenna. Image credit: Official site A 90-second video, apparently recorded by a man, who rang the bell of the Ottawa Centre Catherine's Street office around 10:30 a.m. ET Thursday, was posted to social media over the weekend. When the man said to the female employee who opened the door that he wants to speak to McKenna, she told him the office was closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then that the man began to utter verbal onslaughts, at one point calling McKenna a "c--t" before the woman shuts the door. "This isn't an isolated incident. It's not just involving me, my staff members, my family. Too often there are incidents against politicians, often female politicians," McKenna said, relating the incident outside that same constituency office Aug 10 afternoon and suggested such incidents are more common than generally reported." Earlier somebody had spray-painted the same word across an image of McKenna's face on the window of her campaign office, a few day after McKenna was re-elected last fall. At that time, McKenna said such incidents would not prevent her from continuing in politics. But on Aug 10 when a similar question was asked, she said if before she entered public office, she knew about the harassment and abuse politicians face, she might have thought twice about running. She also added that she does not want good people to be discouraged from entering into politics. "I do want good people to go into politics. I want the girls and women out there to think that they can go in and make a difference but not have to put up with this garbage." #NovaScotia; #Apr18ShootingRampage; #ProvincialJudge; #RCMP; #UnsealSearchWarrants Nova Scotia, Jul 20 (Canadian-Media): As part of CBC's application, in a closed hearing July 20, a Nova Scotia (NS) judge, Laurel Halfpenny MacQuarrie, and Crown prosecutors representing the RCMP are expected to question investigators involved in the NS shootings to unseal search warrants in the case, media reports said.  Nova Scotia Provincial Court. Image credit: Courts.ns.ca A 51-year-old denturist, Gabriel Wortman's killing rampage lasting 13 hours and a span of more than 150 kilometres on April 18 and 19 in rural NS resulted in the deaths of twenty-two people, torching of homes, and shooting pets. After a lengthy search, police were able to shoot and kill the man in Enfield, N.S. Following an application launched by CBC, NS RCMP were able to obtain 23 judicial authorizations in the case and, Halfpenny MacQuarrie agreed to release parts of seven of them in May. Much of the information included in the blacked out, was given by the shooter's common-law to police containing details in witness statements and the calibre of the firearms used in the attacks. MacQuarrie is scheduled to consider whether the redacted sections of five search warrants and two production orders should be released to the public. "The issue for this Court becomes how do I adhere to the principle of an open Court while balancing the need to protect confidential and/or privileged information," said Halfpenny MacQuarrie in a June 16 ruling. These documents described what People had told investigators that the gunman had a history of abuse, was paranoid, and had recently stockpiled gasoline. One person described him as a psychopath. During filing of the submissions with the court last month, provincial Crown attorneys Mark Heerema and Shauna MacDonald said that material sealed to protect the investigation, including the models of guns the killer used, should remain sealed for six months. The Crowns also said that the details protecting the interests of innocent persons should remain sealed permanently. Although Canadian courts have different procedure for handling unsealed applications, Halfpenny MacQuarrie said the proceedings for this case on July 20 and July 21, will be closed to the public and media as the judge will evaluate if the Crown can prove that redactions could protect privileged information, and that the release of information could harm investigations. Federal prosecutors are representing the Canada Border Services Agency, as police believe three of the firearms the gunman used came into Canada illegally from the U.S. However, in the absence of an affidavit filed by the agency, the agency says it will not oppose the release of redacted information in the first seven warrant documents. #Quebec, #QuebecProvincialPolice; #AmberAlert Quebec, Jul 11 (Canadian-Media): Bodies of two girls believed to have been abducted by their father have been found in Saint-Apollinaire, southwest of Quebec City by Quebec provincial police after a three-day search, media reports said.  Quebec provincial police. Image credit: https://www.sq.gouv.qc.ca The amber Alert, first issued Wednesday afternoon has been lifted by the Police, and search for the father, 44-year-old Martin Carpentier is being intensified. A Sûreté du Québec spokesperson said paramedics are evaluating the girls' condition. "We're not confirming any deaths at this time," Sgt. Ann Mathieu said. The focus of the Police search was a wooded area in Saint-Apollinaire. A Canadian Armed Forces helicopter had joined in the search. Québec spokesperson Sgt. Louis-Philippe Bibeau said after interviewing several witnesses and the children's mother, investigators had reason to believe the girls were abducted by their father. Carpentier with thin hair weighs 130 pounds and is five feet 10 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a grey T-shirt and jeans. He may be wearing glasses. Th police have said that anyone with information should call 911. #Nunavik, #Quebec; IllegalDrugs; #investigation Nunavik (Quebec), Jul 4 (Canadian-Media): Illegal drugs and alcoholic beverages worth more than $55,000 were seized by the police over the past two weeks, after executing several search warrants across several communities, according to a news release Thursday from the Kativik Regional Police Force.  Seizure of alcoho beverages. Image credit: krpf.ca 14 remote northern villages in the Kativik region in northern Quebec are policed by the Force. A total of 11 search warrants were executed in Akulivik, Kangiqsualujjuaq, Kangiqsujuaq, Kuujjuaq, Salluit, and Puvirnituq, according to the news release. "The success of investigations is directly linked to the amount and the quality of information we receive from the public," said Deputy Chief Jean-François Morin in a written statement. "Lately, we've received a lot of information regarding the illegal sale of drugs and alcohol. This has allowed us to corroborate the information, ask for warrants and conduct seizures. I encourage citizens to continue to report these types of activities, and I pledge to continue our efforts to eliminate contraband." The investigations are in process, and individuals under search warrants may face charges, states the news release. #Canada #JustinTrudeau; #InvestigativeLaw; #FederalEthicsWatchdog; #WeCharityContract Ottawa, Jul 4 (Canadian-Media): Investigation for Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is is in process for the third time by the federal ethics watchdog, this time for his government’s decision to outsource management of a $900 million COVID-19 student grant program to the WE Charity with links to Trudeau's family, media reports said.  Justin Trudeau. Image credit: Facebook Page Trudeau and his mother, Margaret, had attended several WE Day events, while Trudeau's wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, is an “ambassador and ally,” as well as hosts a podcast for the group called "WE Well-being." Canada government’s decision to outsource the student grant program to the We Charity founded by Craig and Marc Kielburger has been strongly criticized since its announcement on June 25. The Conservative party of Canada under the leadership of Andrew Scheer had called for an investigation by the auditor general. Conservative MP and Ethics Critic Michael Barrett had written to the ethics commissioner on June 28 with concerns about the prime minister’s connections to the charity. Barrett claimed that Trudeau is obliged to recuse himself from any discussion or decision relating to WE Charity, and that Trudeau violated the Act when he announced that WE Charity would administer the Canada Student Service Grant. Trudeau violated another section of the Act, Barrett alleged, dealing with affording preferential treatment when he said WE Charity was the "only organization" qualified to run the program, when as a matter fact many other national volunteer organizations exist. It’s the third conflict of interest complaint made by NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus to the watchdog about the Canada's Prime Minister. Canada's ethics watchdog has also been informed by Angus about two two earlier instances, that of of prime minister’s role in the SNC-Lavalin affair, and the Trudeau family vacation to the Aga Khan’s private island in 2016, where Trudeau was found in violation of the federal Conflict of Interest Act. #Quebec; PubliInquiry; #CHSLDs; #Investigation; #Covid19RelatedDeaths Quebec, Jun 17 (Canadian-Media): A wide-ranging public inquiry has been ordered by Quebec's chief coroner Pascale Descary, to probe into deaths that have occurred in the province's long-term care homes, private seniors' residences and other residential institutions for vulnerable people over the first six weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, media reports said.  Image: CHSLD. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons A majority of the province's COVID-19 deaths had taken place in Quebec's public or private long-term care homes, known by their French initials as CHSLDs. "This entirely public process will allow the Quebec population to be informed of the facts raised during the hearings and to follow reflection on this important social issue, said Descary in a news release. There had been shortage of staff in these CHSLDs long before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigation by the coroner's office is already in process for the CHSLD Herron in Dorval, in Montreal's West Island, a private long-term care home, that recorded 31 deaths in less than one month. Lawyer Géhane Kamel, the coroner responsible for the CHSLD Herron inquiry, will preside over the larger inquiry. Investigations by Kamel would "form the basis of this survey. The analysis will therefore focus first on the facts surrounding the deaths recorded in this establishment. Subsequently, Kamel and his team will select deaths in several types of residences and several regions in order to provide a representative picture of the situation at the provincial level." said Descary in today's news release. After determining the causes and circumstances of the deaths, the Inquiry will then proceed to provide recommendations on how to prevent these types of deaths in the future. "It is important to remember that coroners intervene in cases of violent, obscure or death that could be linked to negligence. Deaths outside these tags, including those that result solely from a coronavirus infection, are not investigated by the coroners", said the news release. Thus, to be analyzed as part of the investigation, the deaths selected must meet the following criteria:
"To deal both with the complexity of the subject and the large number of deaths, a coroner with a medical background, Dr Jacques Ramsay, was appointed to assist and enlighten Kamel throughout the process of public inquiry" said the news release. Descary ordered a "vast public inquiry" in spite of Premier François Legault's resistance for an inquiry, saying the province is focused on addressing the immediate crisis inside the homes. Last month, Ontario became the first province to announce a wide-scale investigation into its long-term care system as a result of a large number of deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic. #BritishColumbia; #CBSA; #RCMP;#CBSADetectorDog; #CriminalInvestigation British Columbia, May 28 (Canadian-Media): Seizing of 20 bricks of suspected cocaine was announced May 27 by Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA), at the Pacific Highway port of entry Commercial Operations, CBSA reports said. CBSA. Image credit: Twitter handle Border services officers, working in collaboration with the CBSA Pacific Region Intelligence Section, conducted an examination on a commercial tractor-trailer on May 1. and found anomalies. They were then able to discover 20 bricks of suspected cocaine weighing approximately 20 kilograms, with the help of a CBSA detector dog. The driver of the vehicle was arrested. Both the driver and the seized drugs were turned over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit for further criminal investigation. CBSA is mandated to provide integrated border services to support national security and public safety while ensuring free flow of legitimate trade and travel to and from Canada. CBSA estimated the worth of quantity of suspected cocaine to be over $2.5 million. |
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September 2020
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