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Global News
28-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
Canadian doctors group challenging constitutionality of Alberta transgender law
A group representing Canada's doctors is challenging the constitutionality of Alberta's legislation limiting access to medical treatment for transgender youth, arguing it violates their Charter right to freedom of conscience. The Canadian Medical Association says the challenge, filed Wednesday in Alberta Court of King's Bench, is meant to protect the relationship between patients and doctors when it comes to making treatment decisions. 'This is a historic and unprecedented government intrusion into the physician-patient relationship and requires doctors to follow the law rather than clinical guidelines, the needs of patients and their own conscience,' the association said in a statement. The legislation was part of a trio of bills affecting transgender people that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government passed last year. 2:06 Alberta tables bills affecting transgender youth, student pronouns, sex education The association, which represents more than 75,000 physicians, is specifically challenging the bill that blocks doctors from prescribing hormone therapy and puberty blockers to children under 16 and bans gender reassignment surgeries for those under 18. Story continues below advertisement The other bills ban transgender women from competing in amateur women's sports and require children under 16 to have parental consent to change their names or pronouns at school. Smith has said the medical treatment legislation is necessary to protect children and ensure they don't make major decisions before they become adults. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Dr. Jake Donaldson, who is one of three Alberta-based doctors involved in the court challenge, said the law has put him and other doctors in a 'state of moral crisis.' 'It is encroaching upon sort of the autonomy of physicians and our ability to provide what we believe is best, and individualized, evidence-based care for patients,' the Calgary family doctor said in an interview. 'It forces me to sort of stand on the sidelines and refuse to provide care to patients who would otherwise, in all likelihood, significantly benefit from it.' Donaldson said he has roughly 40 young patients who receive the kinds of treatment the law outlaws, although a grandfather clause in the legislation means those patients aren't being cut off. 'From the standpoint of gender-affirming care, what we are able to do in the medical world is help people,' Donaldson said. 'There's good evidence behind what we're doing, (and) there are guidelines that we follow. Nobody's making decisions willy-nilly.' Story continues below advertisement Association president Dr. Joss Reimer said Donaldson isn't alone in being in a moral crisis as a result of the law. She said the association doesn't want to see physicians 'put in a position where they have to choose between following their ethical guidelines … following what their college expects of them, what the guidelines say, or following the law.' 'It's not unprecedented for the CMA to get involved in legal matters, but it was unprecedented for a bill in Canada to restrict the ability for physicians to offer advice to patients,' Reimer said. 4:22 Protests against Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's sweeping new transgender policy in Calgary, Edmonton Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery's press secretary Heather Jenkins said in an email that the government believes the bill will protect children from making 'irreversible decisions.' 'Alberta's government will vigorously defend our position in court,' Jenkins said. Story continues below advertisement The association isn't the first to challenge the constitutionality of Smith's legislation. In December, advocacy groups Egale Canada and the Skipping Stone Foundation, as well as five Alberta families, launched a Charter challenge against all three bills. They also filed for an injunction. Hearings for the injunction application took place in Calgary in March, but a judge has yet to make a ruling. A spokesperson for Egale said in a statement that it welcomes the medical group's challenge. 'No one benefits when governments insert themselves into the relationship between doctors and patients,' it said. Smith has previously said she thinks the three bills strike a fair balance and that the Charter allows for limits on rights. 'We have all kinds of restrictions on the ability of minors to make decisions. And we do that because we want to make sure that they are at full capacity to be able to make decisions that are going to be consequential to them,' the premier said in December. Smith said later that month that she would use the Charter's notwithstanding clause 'as a last resort' to override possible breaches to ensure the legislation is implemented.
Global News
23-05-2025
- Global News
Alberta judge grants bail for man convicted of 1987 murder after new trial ordered
Decades after Roy Allan Sobotiak was sentenced to life for the killing of an Edmonton woman, the 61-year-old is set to walk out of prison. Alberta Court of King's Bench Justice Eric Macklin granted bail Friday to Sobotiak, who was convicted in 1991 for the murder of Susan Kaminsky. His conviction was quashed in February and a new trial was ordered. Macklin told court that Sobotiak is considered legally innocent and must be granted release. Lawyer James Lockyer said his client was to be released later in the day. 'Thirty-six years is a very long time for someone to be in jail,' said Lockyer, who has worked on the case with Innocence Canada. 'It's a good day for him, it's a good day for justice. But he's going to find it difficult getting back into a world he doesn't know.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a good day for him, it's a good day for justice. But he's going to find it difficult getting back into a world he doesn't know." Story continues below advertisement 'I think he'll find a lot of things in the world quite frightening, but he's going to have good support as soon as he gets out and thereafter. So I'm confident he'll manage.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Sobotiak was 26 when he was charged with first-degree murder in the 1987 killing of Kaminsky. The 34-year-old mother, whose body was never found, disappeared after a night out with friends at a north end pub. She was last seen with Sobotiak. The trial heard Sobotiak told an undercover officer that he tortured, sexually assaulted, killed and dismembered Kaminsky before disposing of her body in the garbage. Sobotiak was convicted of second-degree murder. A conviction appeal was dismissed in 1994 and leave to appeal to Canada's top court was denied in 2004. He had been serving his sentence at a federal penitentiary in Alberta. Crown prosecutors agreed to Sobotiak's bail but said he should be kept under house arrest. Lockyer suggested a curfew. Sobotiak is to live in Fort McMurray and must abide by conditions, including a curfew, a travel restriction and electronic monitoring for three months. Innocence Canada, a non-profit that advocates against wrongful convictions, said Sobotiak has always insisted on his innocence. Lockyer said his client is the longest-serving wrongly convicted person in Canadian history, behind David Milgaard and Romeo Phillion. Story continues below advertisement In February, former federal justice minister Arif Virani quashed Sobotiak's conviction and ordered a new trial, saying a miscarriage of justice 'likely occurred.' Months later, lawyers for Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery filed a judicial review, arguing in court documents that Virani provided no reasoning why a new trial was warranted. Lockyer said he finds it surprising Alberta requested a review and Innocence Canada will be supporting Sobotiak and the federal government. 'We think it's unlikely to be successful, but that's not going to be our decision,' he said. Heather Jenkins, press secretary for Amery's office, said in an email Friday the ministry is unable to comment as the matter is before the courts. No date has been set for a new trial.
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Alberta judge grants bail for man convicted of 1987 murder after new trial ordered
EDMONTON - Decades after Roy Allan Sobotiak was sentenced to life for the killing of an Edmonton woman, the 61-year-old is set to walk out of prison. Alberta Court of King's Bench Justice Eric Macklin granted bail Friday to Sobotiak, who was convicted in 1991 for the murder of Susan Kaminsky. His conviction was quashed in February and a new trial was ordered. Macklin told court that Sobotiak is considered legally innocent and must be granted release. Lawyer James Lockyer said his client was to be released later in the day. 'Thirty-six years is a very long time for someone to be in jail,' said Lockyer, who has worked on the case with Innocence Canada. 'It's a good day for him, it's a good day for justice. But he's going to find it difficult getting back into a world he doesn't know. 'I think he'll find a lot of things in the world quite frightening, but he's going to have good support as soon as he gets out and thereafter. So I'm confident he'll manage.' Sobotiak was 26 when he was charged with first-degree murder in the 1987 killing of Kaminsky. The 34-year-old mother, whose body was never found, disappeared after a night out with friends at a north end pub. She was last seen with Sobotiak. The trial heard Sobotiak told an undercover officer that he tortured, sexually assaulted, killed and dismembered Kaminsky before disposing of her body in the garbage. Sobotiak was convicted of second-degree murder. A conviction appeal was dismissed in 1994 and leave to appeal to Canada's top court was denied in 2004. He had been serving his sentence at a federal penitentiary in Alberta. Crown prosecutors agreed to Sobotiak's bail but said he should be kept under house arrest. Lockyer suggested a curfew. Innocence Canada, a non-profit that advocates against wrongful convictions, said Sobotiak has always insisted on his innocence. Lockyer said his client is the longest-serving wrongly convicted person in Canadian history, behind David Milgaard and Romeo Phillion. In February, former federal justice minister Arif Virani quashed Sobotiak's conviction and ordered a new trial, saying a miscarriage of justice 'likely occurred.' Months later, lawyers for Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery filed a judicial review, arguing in court documents that Virani provided no reasoning why a new trial was warranted. Lockyer said he finds it surprising Alberta requested a review and Innocence Canada will be supporting Sobotiak and the federal government. 'We think it's unlikely to be successful, but that's not going to be our decision,' he said. Heather Jenkins, press secretary for Amery's office, said in an email Friday the ministry is unable to comment as the matter is before the courts. No date has been set for a new trial. Sobotiak is to live in Fort McMurray and must abide by conditions, including a curfew, a travel restriction and electronic monitoring for three months. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Alberta judge grants bail for man convicted of 1987 murder after new trial ordered
EDMONTON – Decades after Roy Allan Sobotiak was sentenced to life for the killing of an Edmonton woman, the 61-year-old is set to walk out of prison. Alberta Court of King's Bench Justice Eric Macklin granted bail Friday to Sobotiak, who was convicted in 1991 for the murder of Susan Kaminsky. His conviction was quashed in February and a new trial was ordered. Macklin told court that Sobotiak is considered legally innocent and must be granted release. Lawyer James Lockyer said his client was to be released later in the day. 'Thirty-six years is a very long time for someone to be in jail,' said Lockyer, who has worked on the case with Innocence Canada. 'It's a good day for him, it's a good day for justice. But he's going to find it difficult getting back into a world he doesn't know. 'I think he'll find a lot of things in the world quite frightening, but he's going to have good support as soon as he gets out and thereafter. So I'm confident he'll manage.' Sobotiak was 26 when he was charged with first-degree murder in the 1987 killing of Kaminsky. The 34-year-old mother, whose body was never found, disappeared after a night out with friends at a north end pub. She was last seen with Sobotiak. The trial heard Sobotiak told an undercover officer that he tortured, sexually assaulted, killed and dismembered Kaminsky before disposing of her body in the garbage. Sobotiak was convicted of second-degree murder. A conviction appeal was dismissed in 1994 and leave to appeal to Canada's top court was denied in 2004. He had been serving his sentence at a federal penitentiary in Alberta. Crown prosecutors agreed to Sobotiak's bail but said he should be kept under house arrest. Lockyer suggested a curfew. Innocence Canada, a non-profit that advocates against wrongful convictions, said Sobotiak has always insisted on his innocence. Lockyer said his client is the longest-serving wrongly convicted person in Canadian history, behind David Milgaard and Romeo Phillion. In February, former federal justice minister Arif Virani quashed Sobotiak's conviction and ordered a new trial, saying a miscarriage of justice 'likely occurred.' Months later, lawyers for Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery filed a judicial review, arguing in court documents that Virani provided no reasoning why a new trial was warranted. Lockyer said he finds it surprising Alberta requested a review and Innocence Canada will be supporting Sobotiak and the federal government. 'We think it's unlikely to be successful, but that's not going to be our decision,' he said. Heather Jenkins, press secretary for Amery's office, said in an email Friday the ministry is unable to comment as the matter is before the courts. No date has been set for a new trial. Sobotiak is to live in Fort McMurray and must abide by conditions, including a curfew, a travel restriction and electronic monitoring for three months. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
CBC
29-01-2025
- Business
- CBC
Peavey Mart closures a hit to rural customers and local economies, says Weyburn councillor
It's the end of an era, as the Canadian retailer Peavey Mart is preparing to shutter stores across Canada. On Monday, the national farm goods retailer announced it would begin closing all 90 of its locations across the country. Peavey Mart, a retailer with western Canadian roots stretching back to the 1960s, has 12 Saskatchewan stores listed on its website, with locations in Saskatoon, Humboldt, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Kindersley, Swift Current, Regina, Assiniboia, Yorkton, Weyburn and Estevan. The Red Deer, Alta.-based retailer has also sought an initial order for creditor protection from the Alberta Court of King's Bench, a move the company said came after a thorough evaluation of all of its options. Weyburn's Peavey Mart, located in the southeastern Saskatchewan city's downtown, was seen as a draw for bringing business to the core area, said Laura Morrissette. Before she became a city councillor for the city of about 11,000 people, she worked at the Peavey Mart, which she said brings back good memories. "I really loved Peavey Mart because I was able to give people that real hands-on customer service.… I always took pride in doing that," said Morrissette. "You meet so many unique people, and we had a mantra at Peavey Mart: 'If you can't find it at Peavey Mart, you probably didn't need it anyway.'" WATCH | Sask. shoppers react as 12 Peavey Marts to close in province: Sask. shoppers react as 12 Peavey Marts to close in province 7 hours ago Duration 1:34 The store was known for offering a vital service to rural communities, stocking everything from horse feed to farm equipment and even live chickens. While Morrissette has fond memories — like people coming in to buy Peavey Mart-branded toys during the Christmas season or ordering bees that got shipped in from Australia — the effect of losing jobs due to the store closing is paramount to her, especially because she knows the employees who work there. "Any town that has a Peavey Mart in it is going to be impacted, because it's the loss of jobs, it's the loss of taxes for the city — which is, to me, a very underlying thing, because we definitely don't want to see job loss in our community." Weyburn Mayor Jeff Richards said he hopes the city is able to find another retailer to fill that soon-to-be-vacant spot. "[It's] the only place I know where you can get a roll of barbed wire, a chocolate bar and a pair of work boots," he said. Patrons outside other store locations shared similar sentiments, like Prentice Willy, who said he shopped for work and gardening items at the Saskatoon Peavey Mart for years. "I'm not happy with it. I wish it would stay open," he said. "I enjoyed the store. It has always been good to me." CBC reached out to Peavey Mart to find out when the last day of business would be for its Saskatchewan locations, but the company did not respond before publication.
