Locals, police searching remote Manitoba wilderness for Norwegian trekker
Manitoba RCMP say officers in Gillam were contacted on Friday after Steffen Skjottelvik failed to arrive in York Factory, 850 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
News organizations fight to publicize evidence presented at fitness hearing of suspect in Lapu Lapu attack
A media consortium has challenged a publication ban on evidence at a hearing to determine if the man accused of killing 11 people at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day festival is fit to stand trial. The ban, which is supported by both prosecutors and the defence, says evidence in the British Columbia provincial court hearing is not publishable until the ban is lifted or after the end of a criminal trial. Adam Kai-Ji Lo, who attended court by video on Tuesday wearing a blue sweatshirt, faces 11 second-degree murder charges over the ramming attack in April, when an SUV drove through a crowd at a Filipino community festival. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Lawyer Daniel Coles, representing the consortium that includes The Canadian Press, argued that lifting the ban would be in the public interest while Crown lawyer Michaela Donnelly and Lo's defence lawyer Mark Swartz opposed lifting or altering the ban. Coles told the court that Vancouver now 'wears the crown of the deadliest vehicle attack in Canadian history' and the attack has garnered significant public attention. He said it was essential to the public interest and the open-court principle to allow the media to report on the matter, as it was not often possible for members of the public to attend court and coverage 'fills that void.' He argued that the court must find a balance between Lo's right to a fair trial with court openness and freedom of expression. 'A proper publication ban — one that can withstand Charter scrutiny — is done with a scalpel and not a hatchet,' he told the court Tuesday. 'It's minimally invasive.' Coles argued that because a trial date has not yet been set, much of what is covered by the fitness hearing 'will be in the rear-view mirror of the public consciousness' by that time. He also said several details are already known by the public, including that Lo had 'significant interactions with police in connection with mental health issues.' 'Any potential juror would know that,' he told the judge, adding that public is also aware of his family history, including the murder of his brother and his mother's attempted suicide. Swartz rebuffed that argument, saying publicly known information is 'very bare bones' and 'quite ambiguous.' He said the publication ban safeguards Lo's right to a fair trial, and there is risk that publishing details of the fitness hearing could taint a jury. He also argued that there is 'real risk' that details heard in the fitness hearing may include evidence ruled inadmissible in a criminal trial. Donnelly agreed. 'There is a real live question about what will be admissible at trial as opposed to what evidence is admissible at a fitness hearing,' she said. She told the court she agreed with the importance of the open-court principle, but argued the ban 'doesn't bar publication forever. It simply delays it.' 'The need to protect the accused's right to a fair trial outweighs any negative effects on the open-court principle and the benefits of an interim publication ban outweigh the negative effects,' she concluded. Last month, Lo appeared in court as forensic psychiatrists Dr. Robert Lacroix and Dr. Rakesh Lamba testified as expert witnesses in the fitness hearing. Their evidence cannot be described due to the ban, but their names and roles are allowed to be reported. Lo is expected back in court when the fitness hearing continues on Friday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2025. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
an hour ago
- Edmonton Journal
News organizations fight to publicize evidence presented at fitness hearing of suspect in Lapu Lapu attack
Article content A media consortium has challenged a publication ban on evidence at a hearing to determine if the man accused of killing 11 people at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day festival is fit to stand trial. Article content The ban, which is supported by both prosecutors and the defence, says evidence in the British Columbia provincial court hearing is not publishable until the ban is lifted or after the end of a criminal trial. Article content Article content Adam Kai-Ji Lo, who attended court by video on Tuesday wearing a blue sweatshirt, faces 11 second-degree murder charges over the ramming attack in April, when an SUV drove through a crowd at a Filipino community festival. Article content Article content Lawyer Daniel Coles, representing the consortium that includes The Canadian Press, argued that lifting the ban would be in the public interest while Crown lawyer Michaela Donnelly and Lo's defence lawyer Mark Swartz opposed lifting or altering the ban. Article content Coles told the court that Vancouver now 'wears the crown of the deadliest vehicle attack in Canadian history' and the attack has garnered significant public attention. He said it was essential to the public interest and the open-court principle to allow the media to report on the matter, as it was not often possible for members of the public to attend court and coverage 'fills that void.' Article content Article content He argued that the court must find a balance between Lo's right to a fair trial with court openness and freedom of expression. Article content 'A proper publication ban — one that can withstand Charter scrutiny — is done with a scalpel and not a hatchet,' he told the court Tuesday. 'It's minimally invasive.' Article content Coles argued that because a trial date has not yet been set, much of what is covered by the fitness hearing 'will be in the rear-view mirror of the public consciousness' by that time. Article content He also said several details are already known by the public, including that Lo had 'significant interactions with police in connection with mental health issues.' Article content 'Any potential juror would know that,' he told the judge, adding that public is also aware of his family history, including the murder of his brother and his mother's attempted suicide. Article content Swartz rebuffed that argument, saying publicly known information is 'very bare bones' and 'quite ambiguous.'
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Search continues for Norwegian trekker missing in northern Manitoba, but without crew from northern Ontario
A group from a northern Ontario First Nation paused their search for a missing Norwegian trekker in a remote part of northern Manitoba on Tuesday, citing mounting costs, while RCMP say they have their eyes on the fast-moving Hayes River. Steffen Skjottelvik, 29, never arrived at his destination of York Factory, Man., where he was expected after leaving on foot with his two dogs from Fort Severn, Ont., late last month. However, one of his dogs did show up in Fort Severn. The coastal land between the two, consisting of soggy muskeg, is home to polar bears and wolves. "People think that Steffen shouldn't have been doing that but we all make … mistakes and we're all human beings and that's what we look at it from," Fort Severn First Nation Chief Matthew Kakekaspan told CBC News on Tuesday. "He's a human being and he needs our help…. He's somebody's child." Kakekaspan said searchers from his community were forced to pull out Tuesday morning. In the 2½ days they searched, the group incurred $70,000 in helicopter rental costs, something they could not sustain any longer, said Kakekaspan. Skjottelvik aimed to travel from James Bay to Alaska, according to a Facebook page documenting the journey called Steffen's Great Canadian Journey. Left Fort Severn on July 25 Police have said Skjottelvik is considered an experienced wilderness traveller. RCMP and Kakekaspan have also said the terrain in the area, and the threat from wildlife, make his planned trek path dangerous. Skjottelvik left Fort Severn on foot on July 25 with his two dogs and was expected to arrive in York Factory last Friday — a 300-kilometre distance over a three-week timeline. He arrived in Nanuk camp, about 40 kilometres from York Factory, on Aug. 13 and said he had lost one of his dogs along the way, according to RCMP. Skjottelvik last touched base with a contact in York Factory on Aug. 14, saying he expected to arrive on Aug. 15. RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre previously said one of Skjottelvik's dogs may have been lost in an attack by wolves. But someone from Fort Severn has posted images on Facebook of a husky resembling one of Skjottelvik's dogs that wandered into that community on Monday. On Tuesday, Manaigre said the search thus far has been by boat, drone and helicopters because of the treacherous boggy terrain. He said on Tuesday the police force has one Mountie in the area presently. An RCMP officer flew a drone Monday night equipped with thermal imaging capabilities to look for hot spots that could be Skjottelvik, said Manaigre. Focus on Hayes River He said Manitoba Conservation is in the area with a helicopter conducting aerial searches to complement efforts by local searchers, including a man from Gillam, Man., who is familiar with the area and is searching by boat, and those from Fort Severn who have since left. Manaigre said on Tuesday there was a focus on the Hayes River, one of the fastest-flowing in Canada. "It's just an extremely hazardous river to cross and basically with all the rain coming everything is going into the bay right now so that current was extremely swift," said Manaigre. "It is highly suspected" that Skjottelvik may have tried to cross to an island that is about one kilometre out from the shoreline, and that island is about another kilometre or more from the other side of the river, said Manaigre. "If there's low waters you can technically navigate it by foot, but the tide does swing up and down … four metres," said Manaigre. "We actually had one of the searchers in hip waders today, tethered, trying to just see if he could walk in the river and he wasn't able to stand. It's just the current, it's just too strong." RCMP initially said the Canada Rangers were requested to attend, but they decided against it because "it was just too dangerous." "You need some very experienced people to be going through this terrain, it's basically muskeg bog…. It's almost up to your waist. It's just soft," Manaigre said. "We don't have a lot of resources up in play just due to the logistics involved," he said. "That's probably been the biggest challenge of this is just due to the remoteness, the dangers with polar bears and wolves." Kakekaspan said Skjottelvik's family back in Norway are trying to raise money, some of which would help Fort Severn cover the costs it has already incurred in the search. He also thinks RCMP have not responded with sufficient resources quickly enough based on the harsh terrain and urgent nature of the search for Skjottelvik.
