Halifax man, 27, charged with forcible confinement after incident at shopping mall
According to a media release, police say the suspect was also seen approaching young girls in the parkade of the mall and trying to get them to drink alcohol.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening and was reported to police on Friday. The suspect was arrested Friday night.
In addition to the two counts of forcible confinement, the Halifax man is also being charged with two counts of administering a noxious substance. The suspect is in custody and will appear in provincial court in Halifax on Monday.
Police say the incident is still under investigation and more charges may be laid.
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Globe and Mail
39 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Judge sides with Mobilicity investors, orders Ottawa to repay hundreds of millions of dollars
An Ontario judge has sided with the original investors of a former independent mobile provider in a court battle that has lasted for more than a decade, ordering the federal government to repay hundreds of millions of dollars for unexpectedly altering its spectrum policy and causing them losses. Justice Peter Osborne of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled Wednesday that Ottawa committed negligence and negligent misrepresentation when it induced Quadrangle Group LLC and Obelysk Media Inc. to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Mobilicity in 2008, only to change the rules for the resale of the startup's wireless licences in 2013. Justice Osborne also ruled that the government wrongfully interfered with the sale of Mobilicity's spectrum assets, the invisible radio waves that carry wireless signals, when it extended what was supposed to be a five-year moratorium on new entrant spectrum transfers to incumbents. In doing so, the judge said, the then-Harper government quashed proposed purchase offers by Telus Corp. T-T when Mobilicity was operating under court protection from its creditors. (Mobilicity was eventually sold to Rogers Communications Inc. for a lower price.) Rita Trichur: Wheels of justice grind slowly for Mobilicity's initial investors The lengthy and complex trial, which relied on 10 fact witnesses and five expert witnesses, underlines the question of investors' rights in the face of changing policy frameworks. The case also reinforces governments' 'duty of care' to ensure that their regulatory actions do not lead to unreasonable harm business interests. The decision contributes to continuing debates over the effectiveness of Canada's telecom competition policy and the degree to which the government should put its finger on the scale when it comes to commercial matters. 'At its core, this action is about the transferability of spectrum licenses. But significantly, it is also about the extraordinary and unusual conduct of Government officials with respect to the Mobilicity spectrum licenses in particular,' Justice Osborne said in his decision. Obelysk welcomed the decision in a statement, saying the plaintiffs are reviewing the details and will continue to pursue all appropriate remedies to recover their losses. While the judge did not specify the total damages, Jonathan Lisus, the lead lawyer for the investors, said the parties had calculated the amount at more than $500-million. The case represents a rare instance of a government being found in breach of private law duty of care, Mr. Lisus said. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada spokesperson Andréa Daigle said in an e-mail that the government has taken note of the court's decision and will review its finding carefully. 'As the decision remains subject to appeal, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time,' she said. David Berman: The question now facing telecom investors: Why bother? The origins of the dispute date back to 2006, when the government approached Canadian businessman John Bitove about investing in a new wireless venture, according to the lawsuit filed in 2014. In order to increase competition, the government decided to set aside a portion of wireless licences in a forthcoming auction for new market entrants. Mr. Bitove, who ultimately became the majority owner of Obelysk, and New York-based private equity firm Quadrangle Group LLC eventually did invest. They purchased spectrum licences worth $243-million in the 2008 auction. Notably, they alleged that they did so under the understanding that, if Mobilicity were to fail, they could sell the licences – typically a telecom's most valuable asset – to an incumbent to recoup their investment after a five-year period, mitigating their risk. But in 2013, the government retroactively altered the rules governing spectrum transfers, arguing that new entrant spectrum was never meant to fall into the hands of incumbent carriers. By taking away the company's ability to sell to incumbents including Telus, Justice Osborne said that the government caused a material and immediate devaluation of the value of Mobilicity's licences. Industry Canada, which regulates spectrum auctions, maintained during legal proceedings that it did nothing unlawful, and provided the investors no assurances that spectrum transfers would be approved in their favour after the five-year moratorium. But Justice Obsborne said there was overwhelming evidence that the plaintiffs understood the opposite, and said that if this was not the case, that the government had a duty to correct their understanding but did not do so. The judge rejected the government's view that it could alter the transferability attributes 'at any time it saw fit' and avoid liability to the plaintiffs. 'The actions of the Government were capricious, and they were inconsistent with the expectations which were in turn based on the representations made,' he said. 'Those representations were relied on by the investors who, as noted, did spend billions of dollars under the assumption that the rules would be respected.' Canadian telecoms boost wireless prices, giving lift to sagging stocks Furthermore, Justice Osborne found that Industry Canada later interfered in a bidding war for Mobilicity, which was struggling financially, disrupting Telus's efforts to acquire the company's spectrum. Telus and Mobilicity had been engaged in talks for the sale of the company before the policy change, so the companies decided to go forward and seek approval, despite concerns that the regulator would not allow it. Justice Osborne said the regulator interfered by threatening in 2014 that Telus would be excluded from future spectrum actions if it continued to pursue Mobilicity licences, and by 'unnecessarily, but intentionally, inappropriately, and for tactical purposes,' withholding the release of a response on a proposed licence transfer to Telus, 'at the specific request and with the direct involvement of the Minister's political staff,' the judge found. The regulator eventually made an exception to its policy to allow Rogers Communications Inc. RCI-B-T to purchase Mobilicity and its wireless licences as part of a spectrum swap in 2015. Rogers paid $465-million, which was $82-million less than Telus's highest bid at the time. By effectively removing Telus as one of the two bidders, the government prematurely and 'surreptitiously' terminated what was otherwise a competitive bidding process, and ultimately reduced the value of the licences, Justice Osborne ruled. The government will be required to repay the shareholders for their initial investments in Mobilicity after the sale in 2015, plus prejudgment interest.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Tip from concerned citizen leads to impaired driving charge for Brantford man
Vehicle outside the headquarters of the Brantford Police Service on May 12, 2025. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV News) A Brantford man is facing an impaired driving charge after police were tipped off about an erratic driver. The Brantford Police Service said they received a call from a concerned citizen on Tuesday around 2:30 p.m. They were told a driver had been spotted swerving and driving erratically in the McMurray Street and Brant Avenue area. The caller gave police a description of the vehicle and the licence plate, allowing officers to quickly track down the driver. Officers pulled the driver over on Brant Avenue near Bedford Street. While speaking with the driver, officers said they noticed signs of impairment, and the driver was asked to provide a breath sample. The results suggested he was three times over the legal limit. A 45-year-old Brantford man has been charged with operation while impaired. His vehicle was impounded and his driver's licence was suspended.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Windsor-Essex hotels help crackdown on ‘hub' for human trafficking
A hotel bed is seen in this undated file photo. (Pexels) A new initiative targets human trafficking at hotels in 'high-risk' corridors, like Windsor-Essex. Introduced by hotel representatives across Canada, 'Not in Our Hotel' is a series of free training programs intended to help employees identify and report human trafficking. Dharmesh Patel, the Windsor-Essex chair of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association, said it has been a challenge for operations in the region for years. 'So it isn't really just helpful, it's more like this program was necessary,' said Patel, who also serves as the general manager at the Quality Inn in Leamington. 'We're proud to stand up and say, 'Not in our hotel, not in our city.'' During COVID-19, Patel noted a decrease in activity, likely due to restrictions that required more registration and monitoring of who is in the hotel. 'So, it was hard to hide these victims, and now we're kind of like seeing things going back to normal,' Patel explained. Through the training, employees at all levels will receive a better understanding of what to look for and who to contact. About 75 per cent of human trafficking victims are 'funnelled' through hotels or motels at some point, according to Patel. In the coming weeks, hotels across Windsor-Essex will be briefed on the initiative and how to roll it out to staff. Large chain hotels typically have similar training, Patel noted, but they aren't always offered at smaller sites. 'So they usually look for these smaller places, and we're encouraging those smaller places to be on the lookout more, and install things like CCTV footage just to make it harder for these guys to access these places,' Patel explained. Data recorded in 2023 showed 570 human trafficking incidents were reported to police services across the nation, per Statistics Canada. The agency acknowledged the figure paints a 'partial picture' because the crime is often underreported. Taylor Vetero serves as the Anti-Human Trafficking Project coordinator under the Windsor-Essex Counter Exploitation Network (WECEN). Welcoming the initiative, Vetero noted it's 'crucial' for hotels to work alongside frontline agencies such as the WECEN to properly address the issue. 'I think when we have a population of people who have had choices removed from them, it's really important that we give them the choice when we're talking about different intervention strategies,' Vetero said. He added hotels can be a 'hotspot' for labour and sex trafficking. Because of Windsor's proximity to the 401, the region has been regarded as a busy corridor for human trafficking. The highway allows traffickers to 'get quite far with not a lot of involvement from or intervention from anyone,' Vetero added. 'Other factors that lead to Windsor, Essex County being a hub for human trafficking include the fact that Leamington has some of the most greenhouses in the smallest area in all of Canada,' he noted. An increased population of temporary foreign workers, who may not speak English, creates increased vulnerability. 'They might not understand the laws in our country, and they have a fear of the systems that are in place,' Vetero said. While Windsor Police Service is not involved in the Not in Our Hotel initiative, a spokesperson told CTV News they are 'committed to combating human trafficking in the community.' 'We continue to work closely with local and national partners to identify victims, investigate offences, and hold offenders accountable,' they said in a statement. 'Public education and strong community partnerships are essential in preventing exploitation, and we fully support all efforts that raise awareness and strengthen intervention.'
