Latest news with #PrinceEdwardIsland
CTV News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
‘We need to be at the table': Lennox Island First Nation chief discusses meeting with prime minister
Lennox Island First Nation Chief Tabatha Bernard met with Prime Minister Mark Carney last week. (Source: Facebook/Lennox Island First Nation)
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Beamish gets day parole 31 years after killing Shirley Ann Duguay; can't return to P.E.I.
Social Sharing A Prince Edward Island man who served 29 years on a life sentence for killing his past partner has been released from a federal prison into a halfway house — with the condition that he not return to the province. Douglas Leo Beamish's day parole was granted in late May. He has been in custody since he was arrested in 1995 — the year after he killed Shirley Ann Duguay. Her body was found in a shallow grave after she disappeared from her home in Prince County on Oct. 3, 1994. She died of a blunt-force injury and suffocation. Beamish was eventually convicted of second-degree murder in a 1996 jury trial. The case made international news, as it was notably the first time animal DNA was used in a court case. Beamish was living with his parents at the time of the murder and was estranged from Duguay, with whom he shared children. Several white feline hairs were found on the jacket Duguay was buried with. At the trial, experts testified and were able to prove those hairs belonged to the Beamish family cat, Snowball. 'An innocent victim' Beamish had previously been granted unescorted passes from prison, but the day parole and pre-release to a halfway house for six months marks the latest substantial development in his re-integration into society. The conditions of his release include that he not use drugs and alcohol, not travel to Prince Edward Island and have no contact with members of Duguay's family, save for one person whose identity was redacted in the documents provided to CBC News. "Shirley, my sister, was an innocent victim," Marie Arsenault said in a text message to CBC News. She said her perspective has not changed over the years. She believes Beamish should be in jail for the rest of his life in exchange for ending Duguay's. "He is able to now have day visits/parole and visits with his family where he can hug and hold them," she wrote. "But not Shirley's family." WATCH | Family of murdered P.E.I. woman unhappy her killer is getting more freedom: Family of murdered P.E.I. woman unhappy her killer is getting more freedom 10 months ago Doug Beamish, who received a life sentence in 1996 for murdering his common-law wife Shirley Ann Duguay, was recently granted unescorted temporary passes from prison after a Parole Board of Canada hearing. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau spoke to Duguay's younger sister to get her thoughts about the decision. Another condition of Beamish's release is that he has to "immediately report all intimate sexual and non-sexual relationships and friendships with females" and any changes to the statuses of those relationships or any attempts to initiate them. "Information on file describes you as a controlling, manipulative and an abusive partner in your intimate relationships. You have acknowledged that you had difficulty controlling your anger and walking away from conflict situations, and that you could be impulsive," the Parole Board of Canada's written decision reads. "You allowed anger and jealousy to take over your emotions and lose control to the point where you took the life of your intimate partner…. The Board believes you have developed skills to manage your emotions and to better listen and understand people." The seven pages describe Beamish's journey in prison over time. It notes he's had problematic behaviour in the past, but that much of that has changed in recent years and he's been in a lower security facility since 2021. "Your level of motivation and accountability are assessed as high, while your reintegration potential is assessed as medium. You are considered engaged in your correctional plan." Beamish does not have any supports outside of the residential facility he's being released to, so he will not be allowed leave from the facility, and will need to return every night.
CBC
13 hours ago
- CBC
Northumberland Ferries cancelling multiple N.S.-P.E.I. sailings again due to tides
Ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia is once again experiencing disruptions due to the tides. Northumberland Ferries Ltd. says that from July 22 to 28, the company will operate with restricted vehicle capacity on some sailings and has cancelled others due to "tide-constrained loading." Passengers are urged to book their tickets in advance, as space for standby travellers will be limited. Cancelled sailings are: Tuesday, July 22 Depart Caribou at 1:30 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, July 23 Depart Caribou at 1:30 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, July 24 Depart Caribou at 5 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 3:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 25 Depart Caribou at 5 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 26 Depart Wood Islands at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 27 Depart Caribou at 5 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 28 Depart Caribou at 5 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 6:30 p.m. Dredging expected to begin this year In June, the ferry service between eastern P.E.I. and northern Nova Scotia also operated on a reduced schedule for a week due to what the company called "unusually low tides." plans to dredge Wood Islands Harbour this year. A spokesperson for Transport Canada told CBC News last month that dredging is now scheduled to begin after Aug. 1, noting that the harbour is typically dredged on a five-year cycle, with the last operation completed in 2022. This year's assessment revealed more sediment accumulation than usual. The ferry route between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., is currently serviced by two ships — the MV Confederation and the MV Northumberland. This is the first season the MV Northumberland — previously the MV Fanafjord — is on the water. Transport Canada said the vessel can operate at the current depth but "extreme conditions may lead to adjustments."
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Sask. signs trade MOUs with Manitoba, PEI
Regina Watch WATCH: Saskatchewan has inked two new MOUs, this time with Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Security camera catches man vandalizing rainbow flags in Charlottetown
Just four days before Pride Festival events begin in Prince Edward Island, security video captured a man tearing down rainbow flags outside a Charlottetown shop, an incident advocates say reflects a wider wave of anti‑LGBTQ2S+ acts across Canada. You Little Witch store owner Tiffany MacPhee says the flags outside her boutique have been targeted before, and the latest vandalism shows hate can still hit close to home. 'Hate still very much exists. And I think a lot of us Islanders live with rose‑coloured glasses on thinking that it doesn't. But those who know, know, and this is proof,' MacPhee said. MacPhee's security camera recorded the entire incident at about 9 p.m. local time Saturday. At first, she found it funny, a 'temper tantrum' on tape. But the more she watched, the more disturbed she felt, immediately filing a police report and donating to PEERS Alliance, a P.E.I. organization that supports LGBTQ2S+ communities. 'It is another act of meeting hate with love, and that is what we do here. We need to keep doing the work,' she said. PEERS Alliance executive director Josie Baker said queer Islanders recognize a rise in hate-motivated crimes. 'For a while people have been feeling more and more fear. Something like this is just evidence that we are not immune to the trend we are seeing,' she said. Statistics Canada figures show police-reported hate crimes targeting sexual orientation rose 69 per cent in 2023. Similar incidents have been reported across the country this year. A rainbow crosswalk in Newfoundland was defaced. In Nova Scotia, RCMP arrested a woman accused of vandalizing Pride and Every Child Matters flags outside a home. A flag‑raising ceremony in British Columbia was postponed after the ropes were cut. National experts say the vandalism is part of a pattern that resurfaces every Pride season. 'Folks who are inclined to discriminate against LGBTI people are a lot more organized than they have ever been,' said Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada. P.E.I.'s Pride Festival starts Friday. Local advocates say they aren't anticipating or ruling out hate. They urge anyone who sees conflict to call security and create space between protesters and those at risk rather than engage in confrontation.
