Person hit by train in south Edmonton
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Praise and ire as U.K. police pose as joggers to stop men from harassing women on runs
Social Sharing Female runners are often told to run in groups, run with a dog, run in a well-lit area, run without earbuds, run with a whistle, run with tech, run varied routes, and — despite the fact all this advice might make them even more fearful — to also run assertively, standing tall and swinging their arms with purpose to not appear vulnerable. As experts have previously pointed out, there's a lot of onus on women to stay safe in public spaces. And that's likely part of why a new police campaign in the U.K., which is aimed at stopping people from harassing women runners in the first place, is getting so much attention. For the last month, undercover female police officers in Surrey, a county in southeastern England, have been posing as joggers in areas identified as high-risk. If they experience harassment, including cat-calling or sexually suggestive comments, a support team steps in. "The change I'd like to see is for people to recognize that it's not right. It's not just a small act. It's a thing that can make someone feel really quite uncomfortable," said Const. Abby Hayward, one of the officers who went undercover, in an Instagram video posted by Surrey Police. CBC News has contacted Surrey Police and has not heard back. But according to local news outlet LBC News, Surrey Police made 18 arrests in the last month in its operations, including the jogging patrols, to tackle violence against women and girls. "One of our officers was honked at within 10 minutes," Surrey Insp. Jon Vale, who runs the operation, told LBC News on Wednesday. "Then another vehicle slowed down, beeping and making gestures just 30 seconds later. That's how frequent it is." The initiative has made headlines around the world and elicited strong reactions online. But amid a wave of both praise and criticism, with the U.K.'s Free Speech Union reportedly calling it a "bizarre social-psychology experiment," some experts say the campaign misses the point and raises new concerns. "I don't want to downplay how unpleasant or scary these moments can be, especially for joggers who just want to stay in the zone without dealing with obnoxious men," Ummni Khan, an associate law professor at Carleton University in Ottawa who researches gender, sexuality and the law, told CBC News. "But I worry about directing resources this way ... [and] reinforcing stereotypes of who is 'dangerous.'" Women frequently engage in 'safety work' on runs Running is arguably one of the most rewarding physical activities, with time spent outdoors, a sense of personal accomplishment and a supportive community cheering you to push just a little faster or tiny bit further. But for many women, the rewards are tempered by the potential risks. An empirical study published in May in the British Journal of Criminology, for instance, found "high levels of abuse" reported by female runners, ranging from verbal comments to being physically and sexually assaulted. "Although women rarely report incidents to the police, their frequent experiences lead to the normalization of abuse, high levels of fear and women runners engaging in significant 'safety work' in order to avoid such intrusions," wrote the authors. WATCH | Many women report they're afraid to run on trails: New research finds some women afraid to run on forest trails 1 year ago Another recent U.K. survey found that 70 per cent of women said they experienced an intimidating incident while jogging, such as being followed or honked at. An Adidas survey in 2023 found that 92 per cent of 4,500 women in nine countries reported feeling concerned for their safety when they go for a run. According to Statistics Canada data released in 2019, one in three women reported experiencing unwanted sexual behaviour in public. And survey data released by the Canadian Women's Foundation (CWF) last summer found that just 32 per cent of women said they felt safe walking or running on or in a recreational trail, park or forest, compared to 61 per cent of men. It's a fact that women are disproportionately affected by gendered violence, said Jean Ketterling, an assistant professor in the women's and gender studies program at the University of Saskatchewan, and a runner herself. While the Surrey Police campaign doesn't put the onus on women to prevent violence against themselves by changing their behaviour, Ketterling also doesn't think it's going to be particularly effective. That's in part because it doesn't address the deeper issues, she said. "It focuses on individual perpetrators, not the structural conditions that make such violence quotidian, especially in intimate and family relationships," Ketterling said. "While I agree that education is an important part of the solution, I want to see resources go to quality, comprehensive sexual health education done in classrooms by trained and well-resourced educators." The problem with 'catching' harassers Surrey Police explained in a news release that harassment is significantly under-reported. Insp. Jon Vale said they'd already made a "number of interventions following reports of harassment of our plainclothes runners." "The next time you see a female jogger, just think, they could be a police officer with colleagues nearby ready to stop you. Your behaviour is not welcome in Surrey," he said. And many people online have expressed enthusiasm for the campaign. "We need this! I've had two catcalls this week while out," wrote a commenter on a recent Instagram post from Canadian Running Magazine.. "Police everywhere: make this a widespread practice, please. So much violent stranger crime against women originates in men following and harassing women in the wild," wrote Elle Kamihira, a women's rights podcast producer, on X. WATCH | Victoria's Queer running club aims to race past exclusion: Victoria Queer Run Club founder Leah Fulton says the group creates a welcoming space for runners at a time when there seems to be less inclusivity in events. Khan, with Carleton University, said catcalling or street interactions can be experienced as deeply invasive, frightening and unwelcome. But she has concerns about the approach of using undercover police to "catch harassers," explaining that these kinds of interventions risk disproportionately targeting lower-income and racialized men, as well as reinforcing "stranger danger" narratives. Plus, some people may come from places or contexts where greeting one another in public is considered friendly, she added, and women might interpret encounters in a variety of ways based on race, class, identity and past experiences.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Norval Morrisseau family, estate rep have long said they're art fraud victims. Court docs question that
Social Sharing A Radio-Canada investigation that included looking into a civil lawsuit indicates members of Norval Morrisseau's family and the man representing the late Indigenous artist's estate — who for years have presented themselves as the main victims of forgers and art dealers — might have played a role in this system that continues to undermine his legacy. Ritchie Sinclair, Morrisseau's former apprentice, said he can't help but feel relief after learning about a $1.45-million lawsuit filed by a Calgary art gallery against Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. EA Studios (Jasper) Ltd.'s claim takes aim at Morrisseau's children — Victoria, Peter, Eugene and Lisa, and their three siblings who are now deceased, Christian, David and Michael. "From at least the early 2000s on, for financial gain, the adult children supported and promoted the authenticity of many of the fraudulent works and assisted, by spreading false information, in undermining efforts to expose and stop the fraud," alleges the claim. "This is huge," Sinclair told CBC. "This is the first time [the Morrisseau children] have been named in a lawsuit. The truth must get out." Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. firmly denies all allegations, which have not been proven in court. James White and the Morrisseau Family Foundation Morrisseau was from Ojibway Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation in northwestern Ontario and died in 2007 at age 75. As a prolific artist who did not keep records of his works, Morrisseau's catalogue has become a popular target for forgeries. Morrisseau witnessed the proliferation of forgeries, fighting against it until his death. His efforts included sending cease and desist letters to galleries that sold fake paintings When they pleaded guilty, some of the main actors of the fraud collectively identified more than 2,000 forgeries that they either created, sold or acquired over the years. Various experts say there could be as many as 10,000 forgeries in circulation, making Morrisseau one of the most counterfeited artists in the world. Radio-Canada reached out to academics and museum curators who specialize in Indigenous art and/or Morrisseau's work but they refused to be interviewed, citing fear of reprisal. Sinclair said he's not afraid to speak out. For the past 20 years, he has been sorting, archiving and publishing online lists of alleged fakes and various court documents pertaining to the forgery rings. He's faced multiple lawsuits, mostly for defamation, from those who dealt in the market of forgeries. In one of these cases, the court ordered him to pay $25,000 to a plaintiff, art dealer James White. White recently pleaded guilty to counts of uttering forged documents and possessing property obtained or derived by crime for the purpose of trafficking. The 84-year-old Ontario man has always staunchly denied the existence of forgeries. The agreed statement of facts said White bought over 500 fake Morrisseaus between 2016 and 2021, for a combined sum of over $450,000, and would then sell or consign the paintings to third parties across the country. WATCH | In this 2005 The National report, Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau is seen painting: Bogus Norval Morrisseau paintings pop up in 2005 10 months ago White also admitted to having sold prints of some of the forgeries he acquired. Police seized 114 prints of 15 counterfeit paintings at White's residence, each accompanied by a certificate of authenticity made by his company, White Distribution Ltd. These certificates bore the seal of the Morrisseau Family Foundation, an organization created by Morrisseau's children shortly after his death, with the mission of protecting his legacy. Authorities also recovered, from White's home, a device used to put the foundation's seal on the certificates. White, through his lawyer, has declined to comment. White is one of eight individuals arrested and charged in March 2023 in the wake of Project Totton, a widescale police investigation to take down the Morrisseau forgery networks. Thunder Bay, Ont., police Insp. Jason Rybak and his team interviewed nearly 300 people, and seized hundreds of alleged and confirmed forgeries from private collections and public institutions. They dismantled two forgery rings in the Thunder Bay area and one in southern Ontario. Many of the people charged following Project Totton have pleaded guilty and others are awaiting trial. The Morrisseau children were never charged during the investigation. "They were taken advantage of, and that was really the approach that we took. They weren't culpable for this," said Rybak, adding that investigators questioned the Morrisseau children. "They're from northern communities and it's just not something that was ever in our interest [...] What would be the purpose of trying to defame them or go after them?" Rybak said it was more practical to focus on prosecuting the subjects with the strongest evidence against them. "Otherwise, like lots of massive fraud investigations, they'll never see the inside of a courtroom because [the cases] are so big." Lawyer alleges 'proximity' between children, forgers While Rybak presents the role of the children as being secondary, a lawyer who specializes in art fraud disagrees. Jonathan Sommer co-founded Art Experts Canada Inc., which specializes in authenticating Morrisseau paintings. He has also represented clients who claim they were sold fake paintings. Sommer said he believes there was "a surprising proximity between [the Morrisseau children] and people who have been charged with fraud." In a 2017 affidavit filed in another civil court case, White indicated that he has "since in or about 2006 developed a relationship with the Morrisseau family." The relationship began before the fraud cases started receiving widespread attention. "I have held several Norval shows across Canada and I often incorporated the paintings of his son, Christian, into those shows, and Christian himself would often appear at those shows to promote his and his father's art," wrote White in his statement. On July 15, 2010, the Morrisseau Family Foundation signed a contract with White. The art dealer would get the exclusive right to produce and sell prints of 14 artworks attributed to Morrisseau and deliver certificates of authenticity for them. In exchange, the foundation would receive $3,500 and 10 per cent of the proceeds. Sommer pointed out that around that same time, the Morrisseau Family Foundation's website prominently displayed White's email address. A stamp bearing the foundation's logo was found at White's residence when police executed a search warrant in 2021. David Voss, a prominent forger who pleaded guilty to producing counterfeit paintings in June 2024, identified White as a "major distributor" of fake Morrisseaus. The agreed statement of facts in his case details how White operated and listed over 1,600 fake artworks produced between 1996 and 2019. However, "no criminal responsibility is attributed to, or admitted by, Mr. White in relation to his dealings in that artwork," said White's agreed statement of facts. Research on various online classified ad sites indicates that prints of these forgeries still circulate abundantly on the second-hand market. They are often accompanied by certificates of authenticity featuring the name of White's company and the Morrisseau Family Foundation's seal. "As a tribute to his father and the teachings bestowed upon him, Christian [Morrisseau] has personally authorized the fine art reproduction," state the certificates. Christian died in 2022. "Some of [Norval's] kids were paid $50 just to sign the back of paintings, saying their dad did it," said Rybak. "David Morrisseau is one example. You find lots where he's written on the back. Well, we interviewed David — he never saw his dad painting any of those." In Voss's agreed statement of facts, the list of forgeries he identified contains 15 paintings that either bear David's signature on the back or have certificates of authenticity signed by David. David died in July 2024. The Morrisseau children went as far as using the image of a forgery "authenticated" by David Morrisseau, titled Great Thunderbird, for their logo and seal of authenticity. That same seal is featured on the certificates produced by White. "I've been following the traces of these paintings and stamps for decades, and the children for sure contributed to promoting them," said John Zamanovich, who specializes in the authentication of Morrisseau paintings and co-directs Art Experts Canada Inc. with Sommer. In 2015, a Chinese buyer acquired around 300 fake paintings and paid Eugene Morrisseau to travel to Asia in order to promote them, according to Rybak, the detective. Eugene posted about the experience on social media two years later, sharing a picture of himself in front of a painting that bears numerous similarities with Voss ring forgeries. The murky origins of Morrisseau Family Foundation In January 2007, less than a year before Norval's death, his children were seeking to establish the Morrisseau Family Foundation. They said they wanted to defend their father's artistic legacy, but also to "establish the rights of the blood children of Norval Morrisseau, his art and artistic legacy," states a sworn declaration signed by Christian. Neither Christian nor any of his siblings owned any copyright over their father's work. Norval excluded them from his will as early as 1999. Instead, he bestowed everything unto Gabor Vadas, his adopted son. We do not believe there is a fraud ring... - Morrisseau's children in an open letter published in 2014 Norval publicly and firmly disavowed his biological children's initiative two months before his death when he was made aware of their intentions. "This foundation does not have my authority or consent to authenticate my art or to otherwise hold itself out as representing me or my interests in any manner whatsoever," Morrisseau said in a news release dated October 2007. His biological children had enlisted the help of Joseph McLeod to register their foundation. McLeod, who died in 2017, was a well-known Toronto art dealer who was denounced by Norval for selling forgeries. The artist sent him cease and desist letters on a number of occasions for using his art, without permission, in promotional material and for selling counterfeit paintings. McLeod helped create and register the foundation. He also supported the children in 2009 to register the copyright to "The Artistic Legacy of Norval Morrisseau." They made McLeod an agent on the copyright registration, giving him the authority to act on their behalf. "Nearly two years after Norval Morrisseau's death, his children registered a copyright on the entirety of his work, despite the fact that they knew their father's will gave the copyright to Gabe Vadas," said Sommer. He said he believes the children's copyright registration and any subsequent deals made thanks to this copyright are invalid. "We do not believe there is a fraud ring [...] Throughout the decades Mr. McLeod has been a friend to the family of Norval Morrisseau," Morrisseau's children said in an open letter published in 2014. From the foundation to the estate In 2010, the Morrisseau children contested the validity of their father's will in court. After two years, they came to an agreement with Vadas, the original sole heir. All of Norval's artworks, the marketing rights to these pieces and the copyright to his work would be split into two shares: one for Vadas and another one to be divided equally between his seven biological children. Since then, the estate of Norval, led by Cory Dingle, has perpetuated the same ambiguity surrounding the management of Norval's works as the Morrisseau Family Foundation, according to Sommer. The EA Studios lawsuit alleges Dingle called into question the authenticity of its Morrisseau collection with potential buyers in order to sell them works from his own collection. Officially registered in 2022, the Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. is comprised of Norval's four living biological children, Vadas and a CEO, Dingle. Sinclair and some other people who knew the artist told Radio-Canada they found it hard to understand why Dingle became head of Morrisseau's estate. Contacted by Radio-Canada, Dingle recounted that he met Norval in British Columbia around 1988. The exact nature of Dingle's role in Norval's entourage is not well documented. Some people exaggerate the extent or nature of their past relationships with Norval for a variety of reasons, said Morrisseau expert John Zemanovich. "In talking to Mr. Dingle, I believe he was around Norval, but I haven't seen any historic evidence that explains the nature of their relationship." Dingle "was an assistant caretaker of Norval for a couple of years. He cleaned up, did dishes, took care of Norval," said Sinclair. "He was a friend of Gabe Vadas." Dingle was ultimately appointed by both Vadas and the Morrisseau children to "represent the estate with respect to various matters," according to the estate's statement of defence in the EA Studios lawsuit. "How was the fraud allowed to prosper for over two decades without any real opposition?" Sommer asked. He said the estate has failed to make any meaningful effort to fight the fraud. "Not only did the estate not act with due diligence, but for years it has been under the influence of people who worked closely with those who have admitted to, or were found liable for, participating in the fraud." Radio-Canada was unable to reach any of Norval's children, except for Victoria, who declined to comment after a brief telephone conversation.
CTV News
14 hours ago
- CTV News
Police looking for dog owner after woman attacked in St. Albert
An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck RCMP are looking for a dog owner after a 61-year-old woman and her golden retriever were attacked in St. Albert Thursday. A news release said the woman and her dog were bitten in the Alderwood neighbourhood by a large, black dog, causing the woman to be hospitalized with a serious injury requiring surgery. The golden retriever also needed medical treatment after getting bitten on its hind legs. The owner of the dog is described as a woman between the ages of 18 and 20 with brown hair. Police said the dog looked similar to a boxer. Police are asking the public to contact them at 780-458-7700 with any information regarding the incident. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers.
