If you fall for a scam, who should pick up the bill?
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CBC
6 minutes ago
- CBC
Deadly weekend on Quebec roads, 3 children among the victims
Six people died on Quebec roads over the weekend in three separate crashes, including a 29-year-old man and three children under the age of 10. The four were killed in a single-vehicle collision in Saint-Luc-de-Bellechasse, in Quebec's Chaudière-Appalaches region on Saturday. Quebec provincial police said that the crash happened at around 5:30 p.m. on Sainte-Sabine Road when the vehicle veered off the road and slammed into a tree. Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Eloïse Cosette said the road is narrow and unpaved in that area. When officers arrived at the scene, all four occupants were trapped inside. The jaws of life were used to free them from the wreckage. All four were taken to hospital in critical condition, Cossette said, where their deaths were later confirmed. The SQ confirmed all four victims were from the area. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause. Police reported two other fatal crashes on Saturday, both involving motorcyclists. One happened on Highway 105 near Kazabazua in the Gatineau area after a collision with a truck. The other was in Sainte-Flavie on Highway 132, roughly 350 kilometres east of Quebec City. The SQ said the motorcyclist hit a small recreational vehicle that was parked on the side of the road. He was transported to hospital where he later died. The deaths come just as the two-week construction holiday in Quebec draws to a close. It is usually the deadliest time of years for drivers, but this year has been especially bad. As of Saturday, according to La Presse Canadienne, provincial police were reporting 20 deaths on roads and highways under their jurisdiction, compared to 14 the year before. The SQ will be releasing its full report on Monday.
CBC
36 minutes ago
- CBC
Red Deer crime severity tumbles in latest StatsCan report
The latest measure of crime rates across Canada saw one of the steepest year-over-year decreases in Red Deer. According to Statistics Canada's crime severity index, which assesses and tracks the seriousness of crime, Red Deer recorded a 20 per cent decrease from 2023 to 2024. That's the second-biggest drop among 40 other census metropolitan areas analyzed by StatsCan — only Kamloops came out ahead, with a 21 per cent decrease. The numbers, released last week, show the crime severity index is down across Alberta. Red Deer RCMP public information officer Const. Cory Riggs said locally, there's been a notable decline in assaults, thefts and break-ins: 2024 saw 369 fewer reported break-ins compared to the previous year. "Things seem to be going in a good trend," he said. "But we always have to remember to assess local crime trends in our community, and then we also have to adjust our responses based on that." With about 112,000 people, Red Deer is the most heavily populated area policed by RCMP in the province. Compared to other parts of Canada, the city's crime severity index is still high — at 118.7, it's well above the national average of 77.9. Only Kamloops, Winnipeg and Chilliwack, B.C. rank higher. But it's still a 15-year low for Red Deer's crime severity index, which hit a peak of 222.1 in 2017. NorQuest College justice studies chair Dan Jones told CBC's Edmonton AM that because the crime severity index changes every year based on court sentencing decisions, it makes comparing the annual numbers difficult. Finding a definitive reason for why crime rates are down is also tricky, according to Jones. "Sometimes police agencies have a tendency of going, 'Well, it's because we've done this'," Jones said. "We have to do a deeper dive and understand why are they going down ... Are people calling the police less because they think the police aren't going to come? Are they calling the police less because they don't want to bother people?" But he said compared to Edmonton's five per cent decrease to the 2024 crime severity index, Red Deer's numbers are notable. "What's different in Red Deer? Because 20 [per cent], that's a big drop." Riggs said efforts at the Red Deer RCMP detachment to improve community outreach and target enforcement efforts toward local crime trends seem to be making a difference. He added the virtual opioid dependency program, which started as a pilot project in 2024, is also having a positive impact. It pairs officers with a paramedic to patrol downtown and connect people with addictions to resources, and there's also an effort to intervene with treatment options as soon as someone with an opioid addiction is taken into custody. "Crimes such as break and enter and theft often go to fuel drug addictions and things of that nature," Riggs said.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu eyes new markets, smaller trade delegations
Ottawa's new trade minister says he's looking to sign deals in South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond — and to convince businesses to actually use the trade agreements Canada has already signed. 'My primary role as Canada's top salesman is to be out there hustling, opening doors for businesses and accessing new markets,' Maninder Sidhu told The Canadian Press. 'My phone has been ringing with opportunities because people want to deal with reliable, stable trading partners.' Prime Minister Mark Carney has tasked Dominic LeBlanc as minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade. Sidhu's job focuses on countries other than the U.S. Export Development Canada says Ottawa has 15 free trade agreements covering 51 countries, offering Canadian exporters preferential access to over 1.5 billion consumers. But Sidhu said Canadian businesses could be doing a lot more to look beyond the U.S., particularly as Washington threatens and imposes a range of tariffs. Story continues below advertisement Sidhu served four years as a parliamentary secretary in roles reflecting all three branches of Global Affairs Canada: aid, trade and diplomacy. The job saw him represent Canada in trade promotion events in Southeast Asia and security forums in the Caribbean. Sidhu worked as a customs broker before politics — a job that focuses on navigating red tape and tariffs to secure the best rate for trading goods. Sidhu said he plans to visit Brazil soon as the South American country seeks to revive trade talks that kicked off in 2018 between the Mercosur trade bloc and Canada. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy His predecessor Mary Ng put an emphasis on large trade missions which took months to plan. The minister would sometimes fill a plane with corporate and business leaders, spending a substantial chunk of time in one or two countries. Sidhu said he is hoping to bring smaller delegations of companies with him on his trips abroad, with a focus on specific sectors, 'whether it's South America, Indo-Pacific to Europe, to Africa.' 'Businesses feel like they're heard, but they're also getting higher-level meetings on the opposite side in the countries that we take them into,' he said. Ottawa is navigating its trade ties with China as the two countries work to revive the decades-old Joint Economic and Trade Commission, a forum to sort out trade irritants. Story continues below advertisement China has been roundly accused of engaging in coercive trade practices and of restricting certain commodities or services like tourism during political disagreements with Ottawa. Sidhu said the goal there is to offer 'stability' to industry, with an emphasis on 'how do we work through those challenges, and how do we make sure that those conversations are facilitated.' Sidhu also downplayed the chances of a bilateral trade deal with the United Kingdom. Trade talks collapsed last year over the U.K.'s desire to sell more cheese in Canada and after Britain blocked Canadian hormone-treated beef. Both countries are using a temporary deal put in place after Britain left the European Union, and the U.K. will soon enter a trade bloc that focuses on the Pacific Rim, Sidhu noted. He said Canada would still be open to a full deal. 'If U.K. and Canadian businesses already have access on 99 per cent of the items that we trade, then if we're looking at trade agreements, we need to make sure that we're getting the best value for our negotiations,' Sidhu said. He also said Canada could consider 'sector-specific agreements' with other countries, instead of comprehensive deals that span most industries. 'We are getting very creative in how we can open up more doors,' he said. Story continues below advertisement Sidhu did not name specific countries where Canada might pursue sector-specific agreements. Canada had been looking at a trade agreement with India that would be limited to certain sectors — before Ottawa suspended talks in 2023 following an assassination the RCMP has linked to New Delhi. Ottawa launched security talks with India this spring and agreed to re-establish high commissioners. Sidhu was circumspect when asked when Canada might re-establish trade talks with India. 'This is a step-by-step approach,' he said, adding that the eventual return of top envoys will help 'to carry out those very important conversations.' Sidhu said Global Affairs Canada is still sorting out how Carney's decision to cut spending in all departments will affect the trade branch. 'It's really going to be a focused approach, of where we can make the best impact,' Sidhu said. The Business Council of Canada has urged Ottawa to expand the number of trade commissioners, who provide the contacts on the ground for Canadian companies looking for export opportunities. While Sidhu did not say whether Ottawa's cuts will mean fewer trade commissioners, he said he's heard a clear message from chambers of commerce that these positions are extremely valuable. 'It comes down to return on investments, what programs are working (and) where can we get the best bang for our buck for Canadian industry and Canadian workers,' he said. Story continues below advertisement 'A lot of the business community doesn't even know that (the Trade Commissioner Service) is there to help. And so my job is to help amplify that.'
