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Edmonton Journal
8 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
'Someone who needs help': Montreal mom charged with abandoning daughter to be detained until bail hearing
'Right now, we are currently dealing with someone who is experiencing immense distress,' the mother's lawyer said Published Jun 20, 2025 • Last updated 2 minutes ago • 2 minute read Defence lawyer Olivier Béliveau, representing a mother charged in child abandonment, at a Montreal-area courthouse on Friday June 20, 2025. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf/Postmedia MONTREAL — The Montreal mother who allegedly abandoned her three-year-old daughter in rural Ontario, triggering a four-day hunt for the child across two provinces, will remain detained until her bail hearing early next month. On Friday, the mother's legal-aid lawyer said he will try to have his client released pending the outcome of the criminal case, adding that he is working on a plan to get her the help she needs. The 34-year-old woman faces one count of unlawful abandonment of a child, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 'Right now, we are currently dealing with someone who is experiencing immense distress,' Olivier Beliveau told reporters about his client at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse, west of Montreal. 'This is someone who needs help.' The accused, whose name is under a publication ban to protect the identity of the three-year-old, is alleged to have abandoned the girl in Casselman, Ont., on Sunday afternoon. Following an intense search by police and volunteers, she was spotted four days later by an Ontario Provincial Police drone along Highway 417 about 50 kilometres west of the Quebec boundary. Lawyers set hearing dates of July 3 and July 4 for the woman's bail hearing. In addition to ordering a publication ban on the accused's name, Quebec court Judge Bertrand St-Arnaud also signed off on Friday on an order preventing her from contacting the three-year-old or the girl's father. The accused will remain detained at the Leclerc detention centre in Laval, north of Montreal. The defence has so far not requested a psychological assessment for her. No additional charges were laid during the 15-minute hearing on Friday. The Crown has said it opposes bail for the woman, who doesn't have a criminal record. Prosecutor Lili Prévost-Gravel told the court that disclosure of the evidence has started but will take some time. The mother reported her daughter missing on Sunday at a business in Coteau-du-Lac, Que., west of Montreal, and told police she had no recollection of the previous six hours or the toddler's whereabouts. Provincial police and volunteer search teams spent days combing the roadside and forests in part of southwestern Quebec before figuring out the accused had travelled to Ontario. The girl was found alive and conscious by Ontario Provincial Police officers who had started their own search. Read More 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. Cult of Hockey Cult of Hockey Letters Cult of Hockey Sports
Edmonton Journal
13 hours ago
- General
- Edmonton Journal
Bell: Smith government set to punt sexually explicit books out of school libraries
'Parents believe this kind of material is not appropriate for kids,' says Demetrios Nicolaides, the Alberta education minister who wants sexually graphic books out of school libraries Demetrios Nicolaides, Alberta's minister of education and childcare, speaks at a media conference in Calgary on Monday, May 26, 2025. Dean Pilling/Postmedia You remember the story. Sexually explicit books found in Calgary and Edmonton public school libraries, including in schools teaching the youngest kids. Graphic books with graphic depictions of sexual acts, where a drawing can indeed be worth a thousand words. Masturbation. A masturbation game. Sexual accessories. Oral sex. Child molestation. We have come a very long way from Dr. Seuss. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 Parents complained. Demetrios Nicolaides, the Danielle Smith government's point man for schools, was shocked. 'I know some media outlets shared the images but they needed to blur them all out,' he says. 'If the media has to blur out these images because of the graphic nature of the content why would we think it's appropriate in our schools?' The Smith government put out a survey Albertans could answer. They now have the results. When asked when children should be able to access sexually explicit materials in school libraries, these are the numbers. Never. 34 percent. Elementary school. 4 per cent. Middle school. 22 per cent. High school. 23 per cent. At all ages. 17 per cent. A little more than six out of 10 surveyed believe parents should have a role in reporting or challenging sexually explicit content in school libraries. Read More Parents of school age children were the most supportive of children not having any access to the sexual materials in schools. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again After duplicates and blank entries were removed, 77,910 surveys were counted. 'Parents don't believe this kind of material is appropriate for kids,' says Nicolaides, the minister of education. He also talked to school boards and librarians. He has heard the voices on this issue. Now it is time to write up what is called a ministerial order, a policy to make sure children are not exposed to graphic sexual material in school libraries. There is still some discussion if the rules around this explicit material should be any different for high schools but a betting man would say probably not, as Nicolaides points to the survey. 'There is a very strong position from parents that it should never be in school and I'm inclined to take significant direction from parents.' The province will set the standard and the school boards will decide how they follow it. The order should be ready in two to three weeks. School will be out for summer so it may be not fully in force at the schools until closer to the end of this calendar year. Of course, the thought of the government weighing into the issue led to hysteria among some sorts. The government was accused of banning books, the jackboots of the Smith government trampling people's rights. The Alberta NDP joined in the hand-wringing, once again a sentiment not in line with most Albertans. 'Some of it may be an emotional reaction to something they perceive the government is doing,' says Nicolaides. But the Smith government is not banning books. 'We're simply saying something that in my mind is already generally understood by society,' says Nicolaides. 'Don't show children graphic sexual material. I think we already have that understanding in society. You don't see certain types of magazines on the shelves in schools.' Books in a school library are seen in this file photo. How did the sexually graphic books end up on the shelves? Nicolaides has sent a letter to the Calgary and Edmonton public school boards to get an answer. The education minister does mention he met with librarians and was told the government shouldn't be involved and the government was limiting the freedom to explore different topics. After the meeting Nicolaides says he discovered the president of the library association had advocated to get some books removed from libraries 'because she felt they were really offensive to a particular demographic.' I'll let you put two and two together on that one. By the way, did anyone ever tell Nicolaides tell there was no problem with a Grade 3 student looking over this sexual material? 'No,' says Smith's main man for schools. But he was told librarians and teachers should be making the rules according to the latest research. 'I asked them to show me the research that demonstrates providing children with graphic sexual images is beneficial in some way and I'd be happy to be proven wrong. 'Naturally, they weren't able to direct me to any kind of research.' And before people once again let their hair on fire, Nicolaides was not looking to get involved in school libraries. The concerns arrived at his desk. 'Of course, it was not on my radar. I didn't wake up one day and say: I'm going to start meddling into the affairs of school libraries.' 'Unfortunately, it seemed like something was going a little haywire and so we were compelled to step in.' rbell@ Cult of Hockey Cult of Hockey Politics Sports Cult of Hockey
Edmonton Journal
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Mike Pemberton wins Yukon Liberal leadership race, will be territory's 11th premier
The Liberals hold a minority government in Yukon with eight of the 19 available seats in the legislature Published Jun 20, 2025 • Last updated 14 minutes ago • 1 minute read A polling station at an Elections Canada office in the Hill Park Building in Mission was open for early voting on Wednesday April 16, 2025. Gavin Young/Postmedia Mike Pemberton has been named the new leader of the Yukon Liberal Party and will be the territory's 11th premier. A local businessman and longtime party insider, Pemberton won the leadership race by 13 votes over former Kwanlin Dun First Nations Chief Doris Bill. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 He will replace outgoing Premier Ranj Pillai who announced earlier this year that he would not be seeking re-election and would step down after his successor was chosen. The party says 873 ballots were cast at the leadership convention in Whitehorse, with Pemberton getting 442 votes, 429 people voting for Bill, and two ballots being spoiled. The next territorial election must be held on or before Nov. 3. The Liberals hold a minority government in Yukon with eight of the 19 available seats in the legislature. Read More 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. Cult of Hockey Cult of Hockey Politics Sports Cult of Hockey
Edmonton Journal
15 hours ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Lorne Gunter: Infill housing unit reduction an attempt to fool voters to re-elect ‘progressive' council
A multi-unit eight-plex is seen under construction on University Ave and 119 Street on Friday, May 23, 2025. Council voted Wednesday to reduce the number of units allowed under the zoning bylaw to six, from eight. Photo by Shaughn Butts / Postmedia Really!? Just who do Edmonton city councillors think they're going to fool? At Tuesday's meeting of council's urban planning committee, councillors voted four to one to reduce the number of units permitted in mid-block developments from eight to six, after councillors had encountered crushing opposition to the eight-unit bylaw they passed more than a year-and-a-half ago. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 Whoop-de-do. If you can take any 50-foot lot on any block in any neighbourhood inside the Henday and build an oversized building on it that blocks out the sun and invades the privacy of the neighbours, who cares whether that building has six or eight suites in it? It's the loss of enjoyment of their property by surrounding homeowners and the loss of value of neighbouring homes that's the problem, not whether the massive wall immediately next door, almost to their home's property line, contains an eight-plex or a six-plex. That's how stubborn the current council majority is about what Edmontonians want, and how obsessed they and administration are with cramming as many extra residents as possible into mature neighbourhoods. The vote Tuesday was nothing but a naked attempt by the 'progressive' majority to save their political skins in this fall's municipal election. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again The eight-plex bylaw has caused huge pushback from owners of existing homes in quiet, single-family neighbourhoods. It is the No. 1 topic council candidates are hearing on doorsteps and at community league meetings. Undoubtedly, the angry voter uprising has every member of council who originally voted for the changes (and all but two of them did) worried about their re-elections this fall. They should be worried. It is a scheme to grow a more densely populated Edmonton that is destructive of neighbourhood and community culture, and at the same time supremely arrogant. It says, 'We (the 'progressive' majority on council and the administration) know better than regular Edmontonians how this city should evolve. And with our superior intelligence, we feel entitled to force change on the rest of you, whether you want it or not.' Edmonton doesn't belong to its citizens, but rather to council and the administration. The proposed change is supposed to come back to the full council in time for a public hearing on June 30. But the term 'hearing' is a misnomer. There has been tremendous opposition to this change since before council passed it and they have wilfully not heard a thing. The proposed change from eight units per lot to six is nothing more than a bone tossed by council to an angry electorate to try to quiet their distemper. The councillors who initially voted for the bylaw include Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, mayoral candidates Andrew Knack and Tim Cartmell and every other member of the current council, except Jennifer Rice and Karen Principe. (Rice was also the only member of the planning committee to turn down the switch from eight units to six because she believes it doesn't reduce the maximum number of units far enough.) I'm guessing the majority on council are laughing at voters behind their backs thinking that maybe — just maybe — we're dumb enough to buy this meaningless change and re-elect them so they can continue their destructive ways for our city. The change doesn't address the lack of parking for these new mega-units. Developers will still be excused from providing off-street stalls, so cars will be parked all over residential streets, potentially even blocking emergency vehicles. The council majority and administration assure everyone though that parking won't be a problem because most of the new residents will be taking transit and won't own cars. In this city? And this climate? That kind of blinkered, delusional thinking is not going to be cured by a public hearing. It can only be treated with a strong dose of electoral defeat. Cult of Hockey Cult of Hockey Politics Sports Cult of Hockey
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Photos: Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals at the Abbotsford Centre
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal 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 Fans at the Abbotsford Centre cheer on the home team before Game 4 of the AHL Calder Cup Finals on June 19, 2025 Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr Abbotsford Canucks players stand for the anthem before Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals against the Charlotte Checkers at the Abbotsford Centre on June 19, 2025 Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr Abbotsford Canucks forward Phil Di Giuseppe checks Charlotte Checkers forward Justin Sourdif during the first period of Game 4 of the AHL Calder Cup Finals at the Abbotsford Centre on June 19, 2025. Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr Abbotsford Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs makes a save during the first period of Game 4 of the AHL Calder Cup Finals against the Charlotte Checkers on June 19, 2025 Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr The Abbotsford Canucks celebrate a first period goal against the Charlotte Checkers during Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals at the Abbotsford Centre on June 19, 2025 Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr Jonathan Lekkerimaki (left) celebrates his first period goal with a teammate during Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals at the Abbotsford Centre on June 19, 2025. Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr Abbotsford Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs makes a save during Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals against the Charlotte Checkers at the Abbotsford Centre on June 19, 2025 Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra behind the bench during Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals against the Charlotte Checkers at the Abbotsford Centre on June 19, 2025. Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr Abbotsford Canucks centre Ty Mueller checks Charlotte Checkers defenceman Michael Benning during the second period of Game 4 of the AHL Calder Cup Finals on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr Abbotsford Canucks forward Arshdeep Bains celebrate after scoring during the second period of Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals against the Charlotte Checkers on June 19, 2025. Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr Full Screen is not supported on this browser version. You may use a different browser or device to view this in full screen. The Abbotsford Canucks face off against the Charlotte Checkers in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals at the Abbotsford Centre on Thursday, June 19, 2025
