Canada Archives - National Times

12 Feb

British Columbia Community Devastated After Teen Gunwoman’s Rampage Leaves Nine Dead

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, Canada, TrendingBritish Columbia

British Columbia (Rajeev Sharma): A remote town in northern British Columbia is grappling with grief after an 18-year-old carried out a deadly attack that began inside her home and ended at a local school, claiming nine lives including her own. Authorities identified the shooter as Jesse Van Rootselaar, a transgender woman who had previously attended the school in Tumbler Ridge. Investigators revealed that before heading to the campus on Tuesday, she fatally shot her 39-year-old mother and her 11-year-old stepbrother at their residence. The violence then shifted to the school, where a teacher and several students were killed. Police said…

11 Feb

Ten Dead in B.C. High School Shooting, Suspect Also Found Deceased

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsCanadaBritish Columbia shooting, Canada mass shooting, RCMP investigation, Tumbler Ridge Secondary School

Tumbler Ridge, B.C. (Rajeev Sharma): — Ten people, including the suspected shooter, are dead following a mass shooting at a high school in western Canada on Tuesday, marking one of the country’s deadliest mass casualty events in recent years. The attack occurred at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, a remote community of about 2,400 residents in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), six victims were found dead inside the school. Two additional victims were discovered at a nearby residence believed to be connected to the incident, and another…

11 Feb

U.S. FAA Chief Signals Breakthrough as Canada Moves Toward Certifying Delayed Gulfstream Jets

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsCanada, World NewsBombardier Global Express, Donald Trump, FAA, Gulfstream certification, Transport Canada, U.S.-Canada trade tensions

Washington/Montreal (Rajeev Sharma): — The head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Tuesday that Canada is expected to move forward with certifying certain Gulfstream business jets whose approval has been stalled for several years, potentially easing tensions between the two countries over aircraft regulation. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters on Capitol Hill that discussions with Canadian authorities had led to progress. “I think we've resolved the issues with Canada,” Bedford said following meetings with lawmakers. He added that Transport Canada was anticipated to announce certification decisions regarding the U.S.-manufactured Gulfstream aircraft later this week. Transport Canada confirmed…

11 Feb

Court Sides with Oxford Properties in Yorkdale Lease Dispute, Blocks Discount Retailer Takeover

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsCanadaFairweather Ltd., Hudson’s Bay, Les Ailes de la Mode, Oxford Properties, Yorkdale Shopping Centre

Toronto (Rajeev Sharma): — A legal battle over prime retail space at Toronto’s upscale Yorkdale Shopping Centre has ended in favour of mall owner Oxford Properties, preventing a discount department store from moving into the former Hudson’s Bay location. In a ruling delivered Monday, Justice Jessica Kimmel denied approval for Les Ailes de la Mode — a retailer owned by Fairweather Ltd. — to assume the lease of the vacant Hudson’s Bay store. The judge raised concerns about the commercial viability of the proposed arrangement, stating there appeared to be a “lack of commercial soundness” in the transaction, making it…

11 Feb

B.C. Teacher Suspended for Assisting Students in Standardized Test Cheating

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish ColumbiaB.C. teacher suspension, cheating scandal, Grade 12 Literacy Assessment, Okanagan high school

Okanagan. B.C. (Rajeev Sharma): A high school teacher in British Columbia has been suspended for five days after admitting to helping students cheat on a provincially mandated literacy assessment, according to the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation. Tasha Dawn Whitney agreed to the disciplinary action through a consent resolution published online Tuesday. The misconduct occurred in June 2024 while she was teaching at a high school in the Okanagan. According to the resolution, Whitney exchanged text messages with a Grade 12 student who expressed a desire to have someone else complete the Literacy Assessment on their behalf — a requirement…

11 Feb

Suspect Arrested in 2024 Brampton Fatal Shooting

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsCanadaBrampton shooting, Dayne Gordon, first-degree murder charge, Peel Regional Police, Winardo Winteria Morris

Brampton (Rajeev Sharma): Peel Regional Police have arrested a 41-year-old man who was wanted in connection with a fatal shooting that took place in Brampton in 2024. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. on May 11, 2024, near the intersection of Kennedy Road and Stafford Drive. Emergency crews responded to reports of gunfire and found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a trauma centre, where he later died from his injuries. The victim was later identified as 43-year-old Dayne Gordon of Toronto. Police had previously issued a Canada-wide warrant for Winardo Winteria Morris in relation…

11 Feb

Mass Shooting at Remote B.C. School Leaves Eight Dead, Community Placed Under Emergency Response

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, Canada, TrendingBritish Columbia

British Columbia (Rajeev Sharma): Canada was shaken on Tuesday after a deadly shooting unfolded at a secondary school in the northeastern part of British Columbia, claiming the lives of eight people, including the alleged attacker. Authorities later confirmed that two more individuals were found dead at a residence believed to have a connection to the incident, deepening concerns over the scale of the tragedy. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the violence erupted at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, a small institution serving students from Grades 7 to 12. More than 25 people were injured during the attack, with at…

10 Feb

Via Rail Cancels Additional Trains on Ottawa–Montreal–Toronto Route Amid Operational Strain

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsCanadaCanadian rail services, Ottawa Montreal Toronto trains, travel disruption, Via Rail cancellations

Ottawa (Rajeev Sharma): Via Rail has cancelled seven more passenger trains along the busy Ottawa–Montreal–Toronto corridor on Tuesday, citing what it describes as a period of “heightened operational pressure.” The latest cancellations come a day after eight trips on the same corridor were called off on Monday. According to information posted on Via Rail’s website, a total of 35 trains across eight different routes have been cancelled so far this week. For each affected service, passengers are being notified that the train has been cancelled from origin to destination, with no alternative transportation available due to operational limitations. Responding to…

10 Feb

Ottawa Pays for Parts of More F-35 Jets While Reviewing Future Fighter Purchases

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsCanadaCanada F-35 deal, Canadian Armed Forces, CF-18 replacement, defence spending, fighter jet procurement

Ottawa (Rajeev Sharma): Ottawa has begun making payments for critical components needed for 14 additional U.S.-built F-35 fighter jets, even as the federal government continues to reassess Canada’s long-term fighter aircraft plans amid strained trade relations with the United States, told sources. These payments are separate from Canada’s confirmed purchase of an initial batch of 16 F-35 aircraft, which are scheduled to begin arriving with the Canadian Armed Forces later this year. According to sources familiar with the matter, the latest expenditures are for long-lead items — specialized parts that must be ordered years in advance to keep aircraft production…

10 Feb

Abandoned Montreal Church Seeks Court Approval for Demolition Amid Safety Fears

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsCanadachurch redevelopment, Montreal church demolition, Quebec churches, St-Eusèbe-de-Verceil, urban decay

Montreal (Rajeev Sharma): An abandoned Catholic church in Montreal has become the centre of a legal battle, as church authorities move the court seeking permission to demolish the deteriorating structure, citing serious safety risks, repeated vandalism and mounting financial pressure. The long-shuttered St-Eusèbe-de-Verceil Church, once a prominent place of worship, now stands barricaded behind plywood fencing marked with graffiti and handwritten messages. Among them is a poem lamenting the church’s decay—an expression that reflects the concerns of officials who say the building has reached a point of no return. Years of neglect, unauthorized intrusions and a major fire in 2019…