Penny Boudreau, who strangled her 12-year-old daughter, tries for 'early' release
The Conservatives focused on toughening up the chance for early parole for criminals convicted of multiple murders. Leader Pierre Poilievre promised to use Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, known as the Notwithstanding Clause, to reintroduce the Protecting Canadians by Ending Sentence Discounts for Multiple Murders Act, which the Supreme Court of Canada struck down in 2022 because, in their opinion, it violates an offender's Charter rights.
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The Supreme Court's decision has impacted the sentences of some of Canada's most notorious killers like Alexandre Bissonnette, who was serving a life in prison with no chance of parole for 40 years for shooting and killing six people in a Quebec Mosque in 2017. After the Supreme Court's decision, Bissonnette will be eligible for parole after serving 25 years.
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The decision doesn't affect Boudreau, who was convicted of one murder (not multiple murders). She is required to provide her DNA and is prohibited from owning weapons for her lifetime. She has no previous offences that offer insight into her mindset at the time of the murder. She has referenced experiencing low self-esteem, a sense of inadequacy and fears of abandonment, according to her psychological risk assessments in her prison file.
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Her assessments described her overall risk for unescorted absences and/or day parole was 'generally low.' These ratings, it said, have withstood the test of many years of incarceration and would not be expected to change unless 'you were in an unhealthy relationship which is currently not a concern.' It also noted Boudreau has recently spoken of 'how you work through the many emotions that come with accepting the offence you committed, daily feelings of guilt and shame.'
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Boudreau toured a community residential facility — halfway house — last December and met with the director. The location remains confidential. In March, the Parole Board of Canada acknowledged recent threats made to Boudreau's personal safety increase the need for security and suggested any measures necessary will be taken when Boudreau appears before the hearing.
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Today, there is still a memorial for Karissa on the LaHave riverbank where her body was found. Sarty goes there when she is struggling to make sense of how her friend's mother, a woman she knew, could forsake her unconditional love for her daughter.
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'I have my own son and my love is deep. He could curse me and put me down to the lowest, and I'm still going to look at him and say, 'I love you.'
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National Observer
3 hours ago
- National Observer
Federal retrofit loan program is set to dry up by year's end unless Carney steps in
Pressure is on the federal government to refill dwindling coffers — that could run dry this year — of its loan program to help Canadians improve energy efficiency in their homes. The Canada Greener Homes Loan program was launched in 2022 and initially earmarked with $2.6 billion in funds for interest free loans, spurring significant demand for improvements like heat pumps. In recognition of the high demand, last year Ottawa kicked in an additional $600 million. But according to an access-to-information request supplied to Canada's National Observer, that latest top-up will soon be exhausted, too. As of mid-June, $155 million had been dispersed from the top-up fund and the government estimates about 3,500 loans are being issued each month. The average loan is about $25,000, suggesting that nearly $90 million is being loaned every month. At that pace, funding could dry up by the end of the year. 'The disruption of a program like this is very hurtful and very unproductive,' said Brendan Haley, policy director with Efficiency Canada and adjunct research professor at Carleton University. 'It kills businesses, because businesses have a whole plan around this loan even being available.' In a letter sent to Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson last week, Efficiency Canada and 80 other organizations and businesses urged the government to provide more funding for the program in the upcoming federal budget due this fall. The groups are also calling for a four-year extension to the program, with an additional $4.3 billion set aside for loans. The call comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney's government plans steep budget cuts across departments, but Haley says funding the loan program aligns with Carney's priorities. Because they are loans and not grants, the value of the program is booked as an asset on government balance sheets. The Liberal election platform promised to fund home retrofits and lower utility bills by making it easier for households to switch to heat pumps and other energy efficient upgrades. The platform said eligible costs could include insulation upgrades, window replacements and heat pump installations. Pressure is on the federal government to refill dwindling coffers — that could run dry this year — of its loan program to help Canadians improve energy efficiency in their homes. Carney may have had a reputation for knowing the climate change file well before becoming prime minister, but his early days saw the repeal of the consumer carbon price and the rushing through Parliament of his major projects legislation, which would let megaprojects sidestep environmental rules. He's also under tremendous pressure from the Conservatives and auto industry to repeal the electric vehicles sales mandate and strike a grand bargain with the fossil fuel sector that could see production increase. All eyes are on the fall budget to see how his stated climate priorities hold. 'The continuation of this Greener Homes Loan program is certainly going to be a good test case,' Haley said. 'There were quite clear promises made in both the Liberal platform and Mark Carney's leadership campaign that are extremely consistent with continuing this specific loan program and improving it.' Renée Proctor, press secretary for Robertson, said the minister welcomes feedback and has seen the letter from Efficiency Canada. 'At this point in time, we're not going to speculate on policy or funding decisions given that the process for Budget 2025 is underway,' she said. The Greener Homes Loan program is part of a government retrofitting initiative that previously also included grants. However, the grant portion was abruptly cancelled last year citing 'higher-than-expected uptake.' 'The speed at which Canadians are applying and getting approved for Greener Homes Grants has also been significantly faster than NRCan's initial expectations and has skyrocketed since the fall,' the department said in February 2024, citing $5.1 million grants issued each day. A report from Green Communities Canada found that for Canada to reach its net-zero target, close to 500,000 retrofits are needed each year. Drew Tozer, a partner with Foundry Heat Pumps, a heat pump installation company in the Greater Toronto Area, said if the loan program is disrupted, it would be part of a boom-and-bust cycle for efficiency programs that does more than short-term damage. 'Contractors who made the strongest commitment to participate in the program get hurt the most when it ends,' he said. 'Short-cycling through programs erodes the trust and willingness of contractors to participate in future programs. 'That matters, because the rate at which [we] electrify homes largely depends on the level of buy-in or resistance from contractors.' According to Efficiency Canada, there are two main drawbacks with the existing loan program that should be addressed to maximize impact. First, up-front costs for retrofits are high and homeowners need to pay for the upgrades up front unless the contractor is willing to take on the risk of completing the work while waiting for the loan to be issued. 'The typical reason to take out a loan is to eliminate up-front costs,' the advocacy group says. 'The current system acts more like an incentive paid back, rather than a loan that enables people unable to pay full costs to afford retrofits.' Second, most home heating and cooling systems are replaced after an unexpected breakdown, such as a furnace going out in the dead of winter. So, applying for a government loan, waiting for it to be processed and then hiring a contractor isn't realistic for many people in those emergency situations. Fast access to financing is critical, Efficiency Canada says.
Ottawa Citizen
4 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Today's letters: Pierre Poilievre, while re-elected, is damaged goods
cartoon for Ottawa Citizen by Greg Perry THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Pierre Poilievre won a byelection and is back in House of Commons. Conservatives are happy to have their leader back, but the question to ask is: 'Should they be?' You can slice and dice it any way you want, but voters in his riding rejected his policies and Poilievre lost his seat after 20 years. Under Poilievre, the Conservatives blew a 25-point lead, almost a guaranteed win. The Leader of the Opposition had to run to a rural Alberta riding to find a seat he figured he was confident enough he could win. Do the Conservatives really believe Poilievre's right-wing agenda is going to ring with voters during the next election after all of this? Randall Albertini, Orléans With the recent byelection, the Leader of the Opposition will be returning to the House of Commons after losing the seat he held for many years, thanks to a colleague stepping aside. His reputation of adolescent pugnacity, of flinty defensiveness and attack-dog tactics too often shuts down constructive debate. He claims inspiration from canvassing in a rural riding, and while past behaviour is usually the best predictor of future behaviour, I remain hopeful that he will embrace a new approach. Canada would benefit from an Opposition leader who uses critical thinking to advance thoughtful review of government policies, not one who merely creates gridlock. More than party posturing, we need decorum and productive opposition that elevate debate and promote meaningful progress. If he can rebuild his role as a thoughtful, principled voice, he could redefine what it means to lead the Opposition. Marie-Lyne Fréchette, Orléans I am tired of all of the belly-aching about Mr. Carney not being present. There has been one issue after another for him and Canada. Mr Carney has not had time to breathe in the past few months. I know for a fact that he has been seeking out an office. As we all know, there's not a lot of rental space in Ottawa. Instead of whining, reach out to Mr. Carney's staff and let them know if you are aware of spaces that could be suitable. Shirley Sears-MacKay, Ottawa The flight attendants just want to be paid when they show up, not just when they go up.
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Was Battle River-Crowfoot the last hurrah for the long ballot protest?
In attempting to give Monday's federal byelection in Alberta the longest ballot in Canadian history, a group of electoral reform advocates may have instead created the shortest one — and with further policy changes possibly on the horizon, the future of such protests is unclear. Elections Canada issued special write-in ballots — where voters simply fill in the name of their preferred candidate — after the group known as the Longest Ballot Committee organized over 200 candidates to run against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in Battle River-Crowfoot. Combined, the candidates affiliated with the group received just over 300 votes — 0.6 per cent of the ballots cast. More than 70 long-ballot candidates received no vote at all. Despite the name of his group, organizer Tomas Szuchewycz doesn't seem bothered that no long ballot was printed, or that his candidates earned only a fraction of the votes. "Overall it's been a really fantastic experience," he told CBC News. The Longest Ballot Committee has organized dozens of candidates to run in byelections over the past five years, forcing Elections Canada to adapt its rules to accommodate dozens of names on a single ballot. Prior to Battle River-Crowfoot, the largest number of candidates the group had gotten on a ballot was 91, resulting in a metre-long document that caused counting delays and irritated some voters. By using a write-in ballot, Szuchewycz said Canada's elections body found a "great solution" in the face of his group's efforts. "Elections Canada showed that the ballot hysteria is a non-issue. There are other ways to solve the problem of large ballots than to try to prevent people from exercising their Charter rights," he said. "[For us] it's about getting the message out that our election rules need to be passed to an independent, non-partisan body." The Longest Ballot Committee wants a citizens' assembly in charge of electoral reform, and says political parties are too reluctant to make government more representative of the electorate. Politicians looking to change election rules The group's efforts have certainly caught the attention of politicians who are willing to make changes to Canada's electoral system — but only to make it harder to organize long ballot protests. Poilievre — who has twice run in a riding where the long-ballot candidates have organized, including his victory in Battle River-Crowfoot on Monday — is pushing for the government to bring in legislation that would prevent Szuchewycz and his group from running dozens of candidates in any one riding. "We have to take action because this is a scam. It is unfair, it is unjust and it must stop," Poilievre said on the campaign trail earlier this summer. One of the suggestions Poilievre made is to change the rules around the number of signatures a candidate is required to gather to run — from the current 100 to 0.5 per cent of a riding's population. The Liberals say they are open to some changes. House leader Steve MacKinnon's office has said the government "shares the concerns about the longest ballot initiative" and is "examining the issue." Jayson Cowan, a Battle River-Crowfoot candidate affiliated with the Longest Ballot Committee, said making it harder for candidates to gather signatures could prevent people like him from getting on the ballot. Although the long ballot initiative has been framed as a protest, Cowan said that wasn't the case for him. He argues there aren't enough politicians who are Indigenous or from the disabled community. A member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Cowan previously tried to run as an Independent, but he struggled to gather enough signatures, in part due to mobility issues. He credits the Longest Ballot Committee for helping get his name on the ballot for the first time. "I don't know that I would have had that experience any other way," he said. Both Cowan and Szuchewycz cautioned that raising the bar regarding the number of signatures might also force smaller parties out of the picture. Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault, the head of Elections Canada, offered his own suggestions on how to prevent long ballots in front of a House committee last fall. The long ballot group is able to put forward so many candidates by having electors sign multiple candidates' nomination forms. Perrault argued that rather than raising the number of signatures a candidate is required to gather, "certain penalties" should be imposed on individuals who sign — or encourage others to sign — multiple nomination papers. He didn't say what he thinks those penalties should be. Despite indications of rule changes on the horizon, Szuchewycz said the group is garnering more interest from people seeking to run. "We've been able to put out our message that politicians shouldn't be in charge of their own election rules because it's obviously a conflict of interest, and that message is really resonating with people," he said. Even though the committee has been able to recruit more candidates, it hasn't necessarily translated into success on the ballot. Last year in a Toronto byelection, long-ballot candidate Félix-Antoine Hamel achieved a first in Canadian electoral history by receiving zero votes in a contested riding. While Hamel's result was a novelty just a year ago, dozens more long-ballot candidates have laid a goose egg since — including 75 in Battle River-Crowfoot (although results there still need to be finalized). Brian Wishart, one of the long-ballot candidates who received no votes, said he isn't fixated on the result. "For me, it's about bringing attention to some of the flaws in our election system," he told CBC News. A resident of London, Ont., Wishart voted using a ranked ballot in the city's 2018 mayoral election, but was dismayed when the Ontario government later scrapped the initiative. "It was absolutely fantastic. It's the best I've ever felt about voting in my life," he said. Cowan, who doesn't live in Battle River-Crowfoot and was unable to vote for himself, received just one vote on Monday. "I want to believe that I got through to somebody … [for] somebody who's disabled, who can't get around [to] get through to people, I think that's fantastic," Cowan said, adding that he would run again if the opportunity presents itself. "I really do think that it's an experience that everybody should have…. I want regular people giving it a shot. That would be amazing." Szuchewycz said the Long Ballot Committee intends to keep going in some capacity, but how will depend on what rule changes are pushed through Parliament. "We'll have to see what exactly the legislation is that they pass. Maybe it becomes impossible to do this, maybe it's just slightly harder, or maybe it's even easier. Who knows?" he said. "We'll just have to wait and see."
