OTTAWA — Veterans Affairs officials are ready to recommend that the federal government give rental subsidies to veterans who are homeless or nearly so in order to combat what they describe as an unacceptable situation in Canada.
A draft of the new federal strategy to combat homelessness among veterans also recommends the government build new affordable housing units specifically for veterans, suggesting Canada doesn’t have enough units to handle the unique needs of former military members who can have addiction and mental health issues related to their service.
The strategy says that what homeless veterans require is access to immediate housing, peer support and outreach to get them off the street, and months or even years of intensive case management with a broad range of services.
The draft strategy, dated Aug. 4 and obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, says the government has an obligation to help the potentially thousands of veterans who are homeless in Canada.
A final draft of the strategy isn’t expected to be completed and made public until later this year.
The document doesn’t suggest that a veteran will ever go homeless again, but aims to reduce the numbers to a point where “homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring, and no veteran is forced to live on the street.”
“As a department, we’ve got a mandate for the care, treatment and re-establishment to civilian life of veterans in general, and clearly somebody who is homeless is not successfully re-established in civilian society,” said Tim Kerr, director of the veterans priority programs secretariat at Veterans Affairs Canada, which is heading up work on the strategy.
“Because of that, our minister, and our deputy minister and I and my team believe that we have an obligation to address this issue of veteran homelessness.”
The recommendations, if implemented, would mark a shift in veterans benefits programs that leave no room to provide things like housing subsidies that have been successful in the United States at keeping veterans off the street.
Benefits only flow to Canadian veterans who show a link between their military service and their injury or disease, a difficult task for a veteran who becomes homeless a decade after his or her service, said Jim Lowther, president of Veterans Emergency Transition Services (VETS) Canada, a volunteer-based group that has helped about 1,200 veterans off the streets in the last six years.
Veterans affairs workers can get emergency funds from charitable trusts to help homeless veterans pay for rent or food, but the process can sometimes be lengthy, the document says. Instead, groups like VETS Canada and the Royal Canadian Legion step in to help pay for housing and supports.
“We need housing in every province designated housing for vets. We need transition homes in every province to help them get back on their feet,” Lowther said.
The strategy calls on the government to expand the eligibility criteria for benefits and services to help homeless veterans, give local offices the flexibility to quickly get emergency cash for a veteran in need, and better connect those local offices with local service providers to reach more homeless veterans.
Kerr, who spent 28 years in the navy, said the recommendations are based on years of research and months of work by the departmental task force. The strategy itself is a high-level document with the details of how to implement it to be worked out at a later date, he said.
It’s difficult to get an exact count on the number of veterans who are homeless in Canada.
A federal shelter study estimated about 2,250 veterans use shelters annually, but cautioned the actual number may be much higher. Point-in-time counts of homeless populations in cities show veteran form between five and seven per cent of the homeless population, which would put their number over 11,000.
Many homeless veterans in Canada avoid shelters, unlike their American counterparts, because the shelters lack the structure they were used to in the military, said Cheryl Forchuk, a professor of nursing at Western University in London, Ont.
The document says the average homeless veteran is over age 50, became homeless about 10 years after being released from service, and abuse alcohol or drugs.
There are cases of veterans two or three years out of the military who are homeless with some even sooner than that as they burn through savings while waiting for their military pensions to kick in, Lowther said.
Forchuk said research suggests post-traumatic stress disorder doesn’t appear to be a central factor in them becoming homeless.
The military could reduce the risk of a veteran becoming homeless by identifying early on whether they need help with things like money management, or substance use that left unchecked could manifest into addiction in a decade and push someone onto the street, Forchuk said.
“It’s just a matter of where your eyes are. The trauma issues and the PTSD are the obvious things at the top and they’re doing a relatively good job of at least paying some attention in addressing that, but substance use takes a long time to get really full-fledged, particularly alcoholism,” she said.
The document doesn’t call for the establishment of harm reduction programs where, for example, participants receive small amounts of alcohol at regular intervals to help them manage their addiction. The practice is politically contentious, but has been shown to have positive results.
Kerr said his group is looking into how to harm reduction programs could work in the overall strategy.
BY-THE-NUMBERS
A by-the-numbers look at the state of homelessness among Canadian military veterans:
2,250: Estimated number of veterans who use shelters annually.
639: Homeless veterans registered in Veteran Affairs Canada’s database as of June 30.
232: Homeless veterans in the database who are between age 50 and 59.
138: Homeless veterans in the database who are over age 65.
235,000: Canadians who experience homelessness annually.
5-7: Range, in percentage points, of the homeless population who are veterans, based on municipal point-in-time homeless counts.
12,000: Estimated number of veterans experiencing homelessness in Canada, based on that spread.
40,000: Approximate number of veterans who experience homelessness in the United States annually.
47: Percent by which the United States has decreased veterans homelessness since 2010 using measures being considered by Veterans Affairs Canada.
(Sources: Employment and Social Development Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness)

Give rental subsidies to homeless vets: Veterans Affairs draft report


Veterans Affairs officials are ready to recommend that the federal government give rental subsidies to veterans who are homeless or nearly so in order to combat what they describe as an unacceptable situation in Canada.


With the summer of 2016 drawing to a close and the school days set to begin again, enjoy one last blast of summer with your family on a late summer, Labour Day or early September getaway. Find the top 10 travel deals and packages in our gallery.
CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, Mexico: Squeeze in a little R&R in Mexico before summer ends with the Sunsets, Spa and Savings package from CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, located on the beach near downtown Puerto Vallarta. The package includes a $50 food and beverage credit per night, free WiFi and access to the Ohtli Spa wellness areas, including sauna and whirlpool. Rates start at US $119 per night. Book by Sept. 30, 2016 for stays through Dec. 22. Visit marriott.com for more information or to book with code P91. (Courtesy CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa)
Sea to Sky Gondola, Squamish, B.C.: Driving up the Sea to Sky Highway this weekend? Stop in Squamish on a Saturday and ride the Sea to Sky Gondola for 50% off -- or CDN $20.97 for an adult ticket. Offering beautiful views of Howe Sound, this gondola ride is a unique way to experience some of B.C. most beautiful vistas. Offer ends Sept. 10, 2016. Mention "50 after 5" at the ticket window to receive the discount. See seatoskygondola.com for details. (Victoria Revay/Postmedia Network)
1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, New York: Located on the St. Lawrence River, just south of the Canadian border, the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel is a great place to experience a number of outdoor activities before the summer weather comes to an end. Kayaking, river cruises, whitewater rafting and fishing are all available at this AAA Four Diamond-rated hotel. Book the Bed & Breakfast package and receive a breakfast voucher for use at Seaway Grille. Rates start at US $219. See 1000islandsharborhotel.com for more information. (Courtesy 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel)
Bermuda: There are nearly a dozen ways to keep summer going in Bermuda, thanks to the Bermuda Tourism Authority's Splash Sale. Eleven hotels on the island are offering up to 30% off rates when booked by Sept. 12, 2016. Participating properties include the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, Rosewood Tucker’s Point, Fairmont Southampton, Royal Palms Hotel, and Coral Beach & Tennis Club. Book at gotobermuda.com. (Courtesy Bermuda Tourism Authority)
Westin Calgary: Working on your fitness? The Westin Calgary is here to help travellers keep their fitness goals this summer -- even when away from home. Join trainers from CrossFit Ramsay Calgary for sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. The CrossFit classes for Westin Calgary have been developed as overall workouts that enhance areas of fitness including cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength and flexibility. Sessions are available at a cost of $20 per person and guests can register for the program at the front desk. Room rates start at CDN $159. See westincalgary.com for full details. (Courtesy Westin Calgary)
Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown/N Loop/Michigan Ave: Heading to the Windy City? Book a stay at the Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown/N Loop/Michigan Ave -- located in the historic Chicago Motor Club building -- for a getaway that's close to all the attractions Chicago has to offer. The hotel is offering the Park & Stay package this summer, which includes complimentary valet parking service, free WiFi and free breakfast. Accommodations, a tour of the preserved historic elements of the hotel and a photo op with the famous 1928 Ford Model A in the lobby are also included. Rates start at US $159. Visit hamptonchicago.com for full details. (Courtesy Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown/N Loop/Michigan Ave)
Atlantis, Paradise Island, the Bahamas: Escape to paradise at the luxurious Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The resort is offering a tempting all-inclusive package to travellers, with rates starting at CDN $385 per adult, per night for a stay in a Beach Tower Terrace View room. Included in the all-inclusive package is all meals at select restaurants, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, gratuities, WiFi and select activities. Book now through Dec. 16, 2016 for travel until Dec. 20. For full details, see atlantisbahamas.com. (Nicole Feenstra/Postmedia Network)
Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre, Ont.: The whole family will love a swashbuckling adventure on one of the Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre's steamships this summer. Board the Wenonah II or North America’s oldest operating steamship, the RMS Segwun, for the Pirate Cruise or other themed kids' cruises, like the Intergalactic Adventure Cruise, Noah's Ark Adventure or Ice Queen and Snow Princess. Muskoka Discovery Centre -- celebrating its 10th anniversary this year -- also has a variety of exhibits on display. Rates for the pirate cruise start at CDN $11.50 for kids ages two to five, $22.95 for kids ages six to 12 and $39.95 for adults. See realmuskoka.com for additional pricing information and cruise details. (Courtesy Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre)
Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa, Orlando: Located within walking distance from Disney Springs and a short drive from Walt Disney World, this hotel is a family-friendly destination for a late summer trip. Kids can watch nightly theme park fireworks from their rooms or meet Disney characters at the Disney Character Brunch every Sunday. Rates start at US $99. See buenavistapalace.com for more information. (Courtesy Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa)

Last blast of summer: Top end-of-summer travel deals - 2016


Find the top 10 travel deals and packages in our gallery.


PARIS -- France's top administrative court overturned a ban on burkinis in a Mediterranean town, in a decision Friday that should set legal precedent regarding a swimsuit crackdown that has divided the country and provoked shock around the world.
The ruling by the Council of State Friday specifically concerns a ban on the Muslim garment in the Riviera town of Villeneuve-Loubet, but the binding decision is expected to impact all the 30 or so French resort municipalities that have issued similar decrees.
The bans grew increasingly controversial as images circulated online of some Muslim women being ordered to remove body-concealing garments on French Riviera beaches.
Lawyers for a human rights group and a Muslim collective challenged the legality of the ban to the top court, saying the orders infringe basic freedoms and that mayors have overstepped their powers by telling women what to wear on beaches.
Mayors had cited multiple reasons for the bans, including security after a string of Islamic extremist attacks, risk to public order, and France's strict rules on secularism in public life.
The Council of State ruled that, "The emotion and concerns arising from the terrorist attacks, notably the one perpetrated in Nice on July 14, cannot suffice to justify in law the contested prohibition measure."
It ruled that the mayor of Villeuneuve-Loubet overstepped his powers by enacting measures that are not justified by "proven risks of disruptions to public order nor, moreover, on reasons of hygiene or decency."
"The contested decree has thus brought a serious and manifestly illegal infringement on basic freedoms such as freedom to come and go, freedom of conscience and personal freedom," the ruling reads.
Lawyer Patrice Spinosi, representing the Human Rights League, told reporters in Paris that women who have already received fines can protest them based on Friday's decision.
"It is a decision that is meant to set legal precedent," he said. "Today all the ordinances taken should conform to the decision of the Council of State. Logically the mayors should withdraw these ordinances. If not legal actions could be taken" against those towns.
But the mayor of the Corsican town of Sisco said he wouldn't lift the ban he imposed after an Aug. 13 clash on a beach.
"Here the tension is very, very, very high and I won't withdraw it," Ange-Pierre Vivoni said on BFM-TV.
He said he doesn't know whether a woman was actually wearing a burkini the day a clash occurred that set a group of Corsican sunbathers of North African origin against villagers from Sisco. It took days to untangle the events leading to the violence that many immediately assumed was over a burkini sighting.
The bans have become a symbol of tensions around the place of Islam in secular France.
Many officials --including Prime Minister Manuel Valls -- have argued that burkinis oppress women. But critics say the bans were feeding a racist political agenda as campaigning for next year's French presidential elections were kicking off.


France's top administrative court has
overturned a town burkini ban amid
shock and anger worldwide after some
Muslim women were ordered to remove
body-concealing garments on French
Riviera beaches.


MAYFIELD, Ky. — A McDonald’s franchisee says he’s been unable to substantiate claims by two customers who reported finding worms in food at the fast-food chain’s restaurants in two Kentucky communities.
Michael Love, owner-operator of the two restaurants, says inspections of the restaurants by health officials did not uncover any of the problems raised by the customers.
Mayfield resident Madison Stephens told WPSD-TV that she visited the local McDonald’s on Sunday and purchased food for her and her one-year-old son. She says that as she was about to bite into her hamburger, a live worm fell out.
At the McDonald’s in Draffenville, about 25 miles away from Mayfield, Lacey Jo Lovett says she also found a worm in her burger on Tuesday.
Stephens says she contacted McDonald’s about the incident, and they sent her a US$10 gift card.

Worms found in McDonald's burgers in Kentucky, customers claim


A McDonald’s franchisee says he’s been unable to substantiate claims by two customers who reported finding worms in food at the fast-food chain’s restaurants in two Kentucky communities.


Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre is at it again, demagoguing against the Energy East pipeline.
Back in January, the former federal Liberal cabinet minister said he couldn’t support the $15-billion pipeline from Alberta’s oil sands to refineries and ports in New Brunswick.
It was too environmentally risky, he opined, and didn’t carry enough economic benefits for his city.
Now the Montreal politician is joining with three dozen radical environmental groups in calling for an indefinite suspension of the National Energy Board’s hearings into the pipeline, which are scheduled to begin in Montreal on Monday.
Coderre and the eco-activists insist the board’s impartiality has been compromised because NEB officials met with Jean Charest.
A former federal Conservative cabinet minister who became the Liberal premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012, Charest had a business relationship with TransCanada, the company seeking to build Energy East, at the time of his meeting with the NEB’s chairperson and two of its commissioners.
The NEB explains it met with plenty of Quebec politicians (including Coderre) while preparing for the opening of its hearings.
Craig Loewen, an NEB spokesperson, insists the meeting was set up “with the purpose of asking Mr. Charest for his thoughts on how the NEB could effectively engage in Quebec and which stakeholders the NEB might consider meeting ...The NEB was not lobbied in any way during this meeting and the Energy East proposal was not discussed.”
A spokesperson for Charest also insists “it was an informal discussion that didn’t last a long time.” Gregory Larroque told the National Observer “from their perspective it was a way of taking advice on how to approach Quebec.”
Still, the optics are bad.
How could the NEB not know Charest had an arrangement with TransCanada? How come Charest didn’t disclose it when the NEB rang him up to invite him?
Even if there is no actual conflict of interest on Charest’s part and no bias or favouritism on the NEB’s, there definitely could be the perception of an ethical violation.
And such a perception could be as damaging to the Energy East approval process as a real conflict of interest.
This is not enough to delay or compromise the hearings, but it does neither the NEB nor TransCanada any good.
If the NEB now decides it must postpone its hearings while new commissioners are found, that’s bad for TransCanada and Alberta, to say nothing of the national economy.
If the NEB proceeds with its hearings and ultimately decides to recommend Ottawa approve the line, Energy East’s many opponents can then lobby the federal Liberal cabinet to reject the line, despite the board’s approval, arguing the impartiality of the NEB’s decision is suspect.
Don’t doubt for a minute that the Trudeau cabinet is looking for any excuse to reject Energy East.
For all his rhetoric about supporting environmentally sustainable pipelines, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is just another kneejerk “green” urbanite with an hysterical concern about climate change and almost no understanding of economics or the modern energy industry.
But isn’t it also inappropriate for a sitting politician to call into question the professionalism and impartiality of an expert panel such as the NEB?
If a Conservative Alberta politician had weighed in on some independent Quebec initiative, the push back from Quebecers and from central Canadian journalists would be deafening.
I don’t think Coderre really cares about the NEB’s reputation or the validity of its upcoming hearings.
He appears to be doing nothing more than pandering to “green” voters.
It looks as if Coderre saw an opening to damage the NEB and Energy East, as well as stop the pipeline, purely for political gain. So he took it.
The potential damage to the country’s economy be damned.

Coderre’s pipeline politics all for show


Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre is at it again, demagoguing against the Energy East pipeline.


REGINA — A woman who has won the largest lottery prize ever in Saskatchewan knew something was up the morning she went to check her ticket.
Mary Wernicke of Neville says she had “a feeling” the day she learned she had won the Lotto Max $60-million jackpot of Aug. 12.
Five days had passed since the draw and Wernicke says she woke up with a strong urge to check her numbers.
Once she discovered she had the lucky ticket, she was able to keep her big win a secret for more than a week in the small town of just 80 people.
Wernicke says it means a great deal to be able to share her good luck with all of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — more than 30 in number.
She had just enough money with her for one ticket when she purchased the quick pick at a drugstore in the town of Swift Current, about 50 kilometres away.
“I only had a $5 bill in my purse,” she said. “I thought to myself, ’If I’m meant to win, that’s all it’s going to take,'” she said.
“They say if you have an itchy hand, it means money is coming your way. Well, both my hands were itchy.”
She’s determined to take her time and not rush into anything. The one thing she knows for sure is the positive impact the money will have on her loved ones.
“It means everything to be able to help my family. I’ve dreamed and prayed about that for a long time.”

$60M Lotto Max jackpot winner only had $5 in her purse


A woman who has won the largest lottery prize ever in Saskatchewan knew something was up the morning she went to check her ticket.


Ottawa jihadi Ashton Larmond was so bent on joining the Islamic State that days after authorities revoked his passport he started making secret plans to leave Canada undetected, crossing first into Alaska, then travelling to Russia by boat, and ultimately to Afghanistan.
Larmond had originally booked a flight for Istanbul to later join ISIL in Syria but authorities invalidated his passport three days before his scheduled Sept. 20, 2013 departure.
Increasingly frustrated about his travel ban, Larmond confided to an undercover RCMP agent that he was making plans to “escape Canada completely off the radar,” according to court filings from Larmond’s surprise guilty plea on Friday. He’s now serving 17 years in prison for counselling a person to carry out a terrorist activity.
In secretly-recorded conversations with the undercover agent, Larmond said he wasn’t afraid of going to prison, and noted that by the time he got out, he’d be a “very bad, well-versed person.”
In a search of his apartment on the day of his arrest — Jan. 9, 2015 — the RCMP found a book of handwritten notes, including co-ordinates for a location near a Russian Arctic port town off the Siberian sea.
Larmond started selling all his belongings and began assembling a survival kit for his jihad journey. At the time of his arrest, he had gathered the following gear: a red waterproof bag, a Zippo lighter, a magnifying glass, a master lock, a Canada Goose patch, “Middle Eastern clothing” with scarves and blanket, all stuffed in a green backpack. He had also purchased a black winter coat and was making inquiries about buying a winter tent, bag liners, camouflage gear, a backpacking frame and a snowmobile.
The Mounties found a list of the items he still needed, including orientation supplies, medical grade stitches, water filtration, orientation equipment, a fishing rod, bear bow (20 arrows), an AR-15 rifle (1,000 rounds), a buck knife, snare trap kit, throwing axe, combat shovel, hacksaw, clothes and camping gear.
The Mounties intensified their sights on Larmond after they intercepted online messages between him and fellow Ottawa convert John Maguire, a one-time hockey-playing punk rocker who radicalized before leaving Canada on Dec. 6, 2012 to join ISIL in Syria. Maguire, believed to have been killed in Syria, appeared in a highly-publicized ISIL recruitment video released on Dec. 7, 2014. In the video, Maguire declared a religious war on Canada and urged other Muslims to either go fight for ISIL overseas or launch attacks on Canadian soil.
In the Facebook and Skype conversations, Larmond said he longed to join his friend and the fight in Syria but visas and permits were a hassle and the RCMP and CSIS were shaking him down.
“I didn’t worry about any of that, just hopped on a plane. This country is very unstable so there was (no) need to worry about a visa or working permit,” Maguire messaged in August 2013.
Larmond and Maguire are said to have met at a lecture in 2012 and built a friendship based on their extremist views of Islam, with a shared desire to wage terrorism abroad.
Months later in November 2013, Larmond texted Maguire saying he was finding it hard to cope in Canada
“I love Canada, but don’t want to live here. I need to get my passport back.” (It had been revoked after he purchased a ticket to Turkey, the same route Maguire used.)
“I’m struggling here,” Larmond said.
“Like I think the government here thinks I’m a criminal/terrorist or something just cause we talk and we friends. Its messed up. Just because I support those who fight against those who kill innocent people,” (sic) said Larmond.
Larmond, a one-time Vanier drug dealer, helped radicalize his less-dominant twin brother Carlos, who pleaded guilty on Friday to trying to leave Canada to commit terrorism abroad. He was arrested at a Montreal airport on Jan. 9, 2015 after checking in for a flight bound for Frankfurt en-route eventually to Syria.
Carlos Honor Larmond, 25, is now serving seven years in prison, along with accomplice Suliman Mohamed, 23, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit terrorism.
The sentencing judge said homegrown terrorism is a virulent form of cancer and that the terror trio’s plans were a betrayal of the teachings of Islam.
The RCMP informant who infiltrated the Ottawa terror cluster was paid at least $800,000, including $250,000 in advance to testify at preliminary hearings that never happened.
The informant, a Muslim convert originally from New Brunswick, went from working at an Ottawa paintball shop to wearing a wire against jihadis — including the Larmond twins, their friend Suliman Mohamed and suspected ISIL fighter Khadar Khalib.

Ashton Larmond's secret plan to join ISIL


Ottawa jihadi Ashton Larmond was so bent on joining the Islamic State that days after authorities revoked his passport he started making secret plans to leave Canada undetected, crossing first into Alaska, then travelling to Russia by boat, and ultimately to Afghanistan.


TORONTO -
Jerome Cruz was gardening in the backyard when suddenly he heard a man “screaming and banging” at a neighbouring house.
At the time, the 69-year-old had no idea three people were being brutally slain with a crossbow bolt. Nor could he know that in a bizarre twist, the triple murder in Scarborough would end up being linked to a suspicious package found downtown.
“It was angry screaming,” Cruz recalled Thursday from his yard, which backs onto the yard of the Lawndale Rd. home where the murders unfolded.
“It went on for about five minutes and then I heard another man trying to calm him down. He was saying, ‘Calm down, be quiet.’”
With his view blocked by a shed, Cruz was unable to see the two men.
But soon after he caught a glimpse of a woman running along the driveway at the side of the house.
Within a few minutes, it got deathly “quiet,” but Cruz just figured the commotion had ended peacefully.
“I thought maybe the young man was drunk or something and now everything was OK,” he said.
But when his neighbourhood was soon filled with the flashing lights of emergency crews, Cruz knew something bad had happened.
Toronto Police say they initially received a 911 call around 1 p.m. for a man bleeding heavily from a suspected stab wound on the residential street near Markham and Kingston Rds.
“When our officers from 43 Division arrived, they found the lifeless bodies of three individuals,” Det.-Sgt. Mike Carbone said at the scene. “They also took one person into custody.”
A fourth victim was taken to hospital, he added.
Carbone refused to reveal if there was any sort of relationship between those involved.
Toronto EMS confirmed two men and one woman were killed and the fourth victim suffered only minor injuries.
Carbone also refused to comment on reports a crossbow or bolts, the arrows fired from a crossbow, were involved in the killings.
However, in the immediate aftermath of the murders, police said the victims suffered what appeared to be fatal injuries from a crossbow bolt. Police couldn’t say Thursday night whether the bolts were fired from a crossbow or used like a knife to stab the victims.
About 90 minutes after the triple murder, cops received a call for a suspicious package inside a condo at Queens Quay and Lower Simcoe St. that is thought to be tied to the attack.
Traffic was shut down in the area and 218 Queens Quay was evacuated while bomb disposal officers were called in.
“We have cleared the package and there is no threat to public safety,” Supt. Bill Neadles said. “Homicide detectives have now taken over the scene.”
While it’s unclear what was contained within the package, Carbone confirmed the downtown incident was tied to the Scarborough murders.
“I’m not going to discuss what was found at the scene other than to say there is a link between our scene here and the one down on the Queens Quay,” he said.
Residents of the Scarborough neighbourhood were stunned by the mayhem that occurred in their community.
“This is a quiet area ... I’m very surprised by this,” Ragu Sangaramoorthy, 41, said.
The family man, who rents a basement apartment two doors down from where the victims were found, recalled having seen three children, maybe 7 to 13, and a woman possibly in her 50s coming and going from the home at times.
“I’m very upset because I have two kids,” Sangaramoorthy said.
Another resident, Sadiya Haque, said her sense of shock and fear is based partly on the many unanswered questions.
— With files from Kevin Connor
RULES FOR CROSSBOWS
When it comes to buying a crossbow in Toronto or across Canada, it turns out that bigger is better, legally speaking.
According to the Canadian Firearms Program as published by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, crossbows with an overall length of 500 mm or less are prohibited across the country.
However, the program states that no licence or registration is required for crossbows longer than 500 mm and that Criminal Code provisions making it an offence to acquire a crossbow without a valid licence were never brought into force.
Here are more guidelines for crossbows, according to Paul Hunkin, from Al Flaherty’s Outdoor Store on Dufferin St. in Toronto:
Age and use restrictions:
— You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase one.
— Crossbows may not be fired anywhere inside the boundaries of the City of Toronto.
Different types of crossbows that are available in stores:
— There are only two types: Prohibited and non-prohibited.
— Prohibited are crossbows that are 500 mm in length or smaller, which can be held and fired with one hand, similar to a handgun.
— Both are classified as “firearms” for legal purposes.
Locations where crossbows are sold and how much they cost:
— Retailers such as Al Flaherty’s, Canadian Tire, Sail, and Bass Pro Shops all sell a wide range of crossbows.
— Prices range from around $400 to well over $1,000.
Purpose of crossbows sold in stores:
— Commonly used for a wide variety of hunting.
— The crossbow hunting seasons do not overlap rifle and shotgun seasons and typically run for a longer period, making them popular among hunters.
— Moose, deer, bears, and sometimes turkeys are hunted with crossbows.
OTHER CROSSBOW INCIDENTS IN CANADA:
-- In December 2010, 24-year-old Zhou Fang shot his father in the back with a crossbow then crushed his skill with a hammer, at a public library in Toronto's east end.
-- In July, a Mission, B.C., father was charged with attacking his son who was shot in the forearm with a crossbow.
-- In November 2007, a 26-year-old man was charged with murder and attempted murder after his mother was killed and father was injured by a crossbow in St-Cesaire, Que.
-- In October 2002, a dairy farmer was shot in the back and injured with a crossbow in St.-Bonaventure.
-- In August 1998, a man asleep in his Hamilton home was shot in the head and injured by a man who fired a crossbow.
-- In 1998, Edward Stuart Walker shot a pregnant Stephanie Celestine Thomas with a crossbow, then stabbed her 46 times in Central Saanich on Vancouver Island.
-- In September 1994, Yvon Gosselin was driven to a gravel pit near Terrace, B.C., where he was killed with two bolts from a crossbow.
-- In May 1995, a man armed with a crossbow entered the Winnipeg Convention Centre shortly before then-prime minister Jean Chretien arrived to deliver a speech. The suspect was arrested.
-- In January 1993, B.C. Institute of Technology student Silvia Leung, 22, bled to death in the campus parking lot in Burnaby after being hit in the shoulder by a crossbow.
-- In November 1991, Ottawa lawyer Patricia Allen was killed with a crossbow by her estranged husband Colin McGregor.
- The Canadian Press

Three dead in crossbow attack in Toronto's east end


A brutal triple murder in broad daylight in a Scarborough neighbourhood, possibly involving a crossbow, is believed to be connected to a suspicious package found downtown Thursday afternoon.


Dear Amy: My mom is nearly 90 and is in great health.
She is living with my husband and me -- and we all get along well in our small home.
My older sister had been taking care of her but called nearly two years ago and proclaimed that Mom had to move in with us, as she could take NO responsibility for her because she had her own life to live.
Big Sis moved across the country to be with a man she met online -- one in a long line of "soul mates."
She now hates this man, but is scared to leave due to ruined credit, no job and nowhere to go.
She calls Mom daily with tales of how awful her partner is, but how she can't leave.
All of her friends and her counselor have advised her on ways to exit, but she seems to prefer to stay and whine about her life. I understand it is scary to start over.
These calls are very stressful for Mom; and when she is stressed I am stressed, as stress for her often leads to illness.
Should ask Sis not to call, or if she does call, to just pretend everything is fine? Mom's radar regarding her children is legendary and she would then worry about why Sis is no longer talking about her miserable life.
Is there a middle ground? -- Trickle Down Stress
Dear Trickle Down: You cannot ask your sister not to call your mother.
Instead, you should do two things: Ask your sister to be aware of the impact her daily narration has on your mother. Tell her, "She worries excessively about you and ruminates on your situation. This is affecting her health. Can you be more mindful of this when you talk to her?" She needn't pretend that her life is perfect, but she could change her tone if she wanted to.
Your second focus should be on helping your mother to manage her own stress. Continue to reassure her that your sister has options, and that she is just blowing off steam. Simple meditation techniques could help both of you: Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and visualize releasing these stressors as little balloons or butterflies that flutter skyward.
Dear Amy: My husband and I have been friends with two other couples since we were all young parents.
Twenty years later, we are in our early 50s and our children are busy tackling college and careers. The problem is that one couple seems to be aging less gracefully than the others.
They have become increasingly judgmental, self-righteous and hypocritically condescending. They are like a bad caricature of spiteful old curmudgeons, constantly finding fault. Our adult children are regular targets of their barbed comments.
We enjoy getting together with the other couple. But with such a long history, meeting without the grumpy couple (even if they have been invited and declined to attend) leads to hurt feelings, and they then express even greater levels of bitterness.
Is there a way to address this without exacerbating their behavior? I am afraid that bringing it up will just add fuel to their negative feelings. I can't see moving into the next decade, if being with them means constantly feeling judged. -- Flawed Friendship
Dear Flawed: Why do these people hold so much power over you, even to the extent that you worry about their hurt feelings when they themselves have declined an invitation?
They are responsible for their own feelings. They are responsible for their own behavior.
Some friendships simply run their course. It sounds like you need to break up with these people.
Breakups are hard. Feelings do get hurt. If you have tried mightily to have a positive friendship and these people can't play, then you should stop spending time with them. The other couple might choose to maintain the friendship, but you will feel liberated if you exit, respectfully and deliberately. You can say to them, "We're at different points in our lives now, and we can't seem to find a way to spend time with you that is positive and enjoyable."
Dear Amy: "Perplexed" described a familiar dynamic for people who write to you. Her (adult) daughter was being a pill, but Perplexed didn't know what to say to her!
Why are people so afraid of their children? -- Unafraid
Dear Unafraid: It can be very hard to offer criticism to people you love. And yet, when you really love someone, that is exactly what you have to do.

Elderly mother is stressed by Sis' calls


Dear Amy: My mom is nearly 90 and is in great health.


OTTAWA — A Coquitlam woman says she has incurred $135,000 in damage to her rental property due to a medical marijuana grow-op licensed by Health Canada without her knowledge or consent.
And she says the federal government’s new regulations leave the door wide open to continued abuses, especially in B.C. where the number of state-sanctioned grow-ops has increased exponentially.
“I don’t want this to happen to other property owners,” said the woman, who shared documentation of her plight but spoke on condition of anonymity.
She said she’s convinced there are many other victims who won’t report the problem due to fear that their home’s property value will plunge.
Urging landlords to amend their rental agreements, she said they should insist on bimonthly inspections and clauses prohibiting the manufacture or storage of drugs, whether legal or illegal.
“The government has taken the position that homeowners do not have the right to prevent their homes from being turned into commercial-scale grow-ops, or even know about it,” she said Tuesday.
“People need to protect themselves.”
A B.C. lawyer who successfully fought the former government’s attempt to crack down on state-sanctioned home grow-ops, meanwhile, said the lack of a requirement for landlord consent is a “defect” in the new regulations.
But Abbotsford lawyer John Conroy, lead counsel in the Allard vs. Canada case that led to the new regulations, amended his comment in a subsequent e-mail exchange, saying a consent requirement could have an “unreasonable” impact on renters.
He said he hopes the Trudeau government, which said the August regulations were an interim step en route to pot legalization, will resolve the dilemma.
“It seems to me there are valid concerns on the part of the owners and tenant-patients in the current market that will hopefully ultimately disappear in a legal market.”
Health Canada’s new regulations, which took effect last week, were in response to the Federal Court of Canada’s Allard decision in February.
The case involved four B.C. residents who challenged the former Conservative government’s 2013 requirement that patients buy pot from government-regulated suppliers rather than grow it.
Justice Michael Phelan concluded the restrictions violated their charter rights, and dismissed the government’s argument that they were justified for health and safety concerns — from fires to violent break-ins to severe mould.
A Health Canada official said Tuesday that the government’s regulations strike “an appropriate balance” between the rights of patients and public safety.
The new rules are nearly identical to those of the 2001 regime, and that’s a problem for the Coquitlam resident.
She complained that the new system doesn’t require the owner’s knowledge or consent when a tenant makes a successful application. (Consent is only required if the licence-holder doesn’t live in the rental property.)
The second is that the regime, relying on the recommendations of the patients’ physicians, allows for quantities vastly higher than what a typical user requires.
In her case, the grow-op she discovered last year in her two-storey rental home — located across the street from an elementary school — contained 400 plants that were being grown for illicit sale, generating $20,000 a month.
It was operating under the authorization of a Health Canada licence obtained not by her tenant, who shared the upper floor with his young son, but by two individuals who were paying him to run the grow-op in his basement.
(Because the applicants didn’t obtain her consent she plans to sue Health Canada for failure to enforce its own rules on disclosure requirements.)
Health Canada statistics produced during the Allard case said the number of production licences in Canada soared from 83 on Dec. 31, 2001, to just under 9,000 in 2011.
The total then more than tripled to a little over 28,000 by the end of 2013.
More than half — 16,010 — involved successful B.C. applicants even though the province has roughly 13 per cent of the Canadian population. The data also showed that on Nov. 13, 2014, the B.C. applicants grew just under 1.7 million indoor plants — a staggering 69 per cent of the national total of a little over 2.4 million plants.
And the average amount Health Canada authorized patients to use was 18.2 grams of dried marijuana, or between 18 and 37 joints, a day.
Justice Phelan, in his February decision, said experts “largely agreed” that the recommended daily amount of medicinal pot ranged up to five grams a day for most patients.
poneil@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/poneilinOttawa

B.C. renters' grow-op leaves woman's home with $135,000 in damages


OTTAWA — A Coquitlam woman says she has incurred $135,000 in damage to her rental property due to a medical marijuana grow-op licensed by Health Canada without her knowledge or consent.


Russell RCMP are searching for two suspects, one of whom dressed in full hockey goalie gear, in connection with a beer store robbery in the Manitoba town on Aug. 15, 2016. (SCREENGRAB OF RCMP VIDEO)
Russell RCMP are searching for two suspects, one of whom dressed in full hockey goalie gear, in connection with a beer store robbery in the Manitoba town on Aug. 15, 2016. (SCREENGRAB OF RCMP VIDEO)
Russell RCMP are searching for two suspects, one of whom dressed in full hockey goalie gear, in connection with a beer store robbery in the Manitoba town on Aug. 15, 2016. (SCREENGRAB OF RCMP VIDEO)
Russell RCMP are searching for two suspects, one of whom dressed in full hockey goalie gear, in connection with a beer store robbery in the Manitoba town on Aug. 15, 2016. (SCREENGRAB OF RCMP VIDEO)
Russell RCMP are searching for two suspects, one of whom dressed in full hockey goalie gear, in connection with a beer store robbery in the Manitoba town on Aug. 15, 2016. (SCREENGRAB OF RCMP VIDEO)
Russell RCMP are searching for two suspects, one of whom dressed in full hockey goalie gear, in connection with a beer store robbery in the Manitoba town on Aug. 15, 2016. (SCREENGRAB OF RCMP VIDEO)
Mounties have released surveillance video of the most Canadian of thefts.
As reported in Thursday’s Winnipeg Sun, the theft occurred Aug. 15 in Russell, Man., when two men broke into and robbed a beer store. The surveillance video shows a man wearing mitts or gloves, a large coat, and ball cap running across a parking lot and shattering the store’s door, then crawling inside and stealing a couple cases of beer before bolting.
Here’s the uber-Canadian part of the story: the second suspect, trailing behind his cohort, was dressed in goaltender gear, complete with a goalie stick.
“However, he may have been a defenceman or forward in disguise as he was wearing jersey #17 — a non-traditional number for goalies,” RCMP said in a release, clearly enjoying the comedic outfit used by the suspect. “He is described as having a medium build, wearing a blocker, trapper, and carrying a goalie stick.”
RCMP ask that with anyone with information about the theft or who has played a goalie matching this description to call them.


Mounties have released surveillance
video of the most Canadian of thefts.


TORONTO -
When gunfire erupted in an east-end laneway over the weekend, an 11-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy ran for their lives.
Sadly, their grandmother, Peggy Ann Smith, was unable to outrun the gunshots.
The 61-year-old, who was sitting at a patio table enjoying a warm summer evening with one of her daughters and two of her grandkids, was killed by the barrage of bullets fired at a townhouse complex on Don Mount Ct.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions,” Loretta Smith said Monday of her mom’s murder. “We just want justice for her.”
Loretta lives at the top of the street in the same row of townhouses as her sister Lisa, who was with their mom when she was killed.
She was out front of the complex, near Dundas St. E. and Broadview Ave., chatting with a friend when the gunshots rang out in the back laneway around 6 p.m. Saturday. Loretta ran to her sister Lisa’s unit, terrified her daughter Savannah may have been hurt.
She was stunned to see that her mom had been killed.
“My daughter said that they heard someone say, ‘Run,’ and then they started hearing the gunshots go off,” Loretta said, as her sisters, Lisa and Lori, held one another crying on the back porch just steps from where their mother was gunned down.
She said Savannah, Lisa and Lisa’s young son ran to take cover inside.
“My sister said, ‘Run, mom!’” Loretta explained. “She thought (our mom) was right behind her and then she realized that (our) mom didn’t make it.
“They came out after they stopped hearing the gunshots and saw my mom laying there,” she said, adding her sister initially thought their mom fell and hit her head.
But Lisa quickly realized their mom was fatally shot.
“I’m still in shock,” Loretta said. “I’m trying to stay strong for my kids. I have five kids that need me right now.”
Loretta said her daughter, Savannah, who lit candles at a growing make-shift memorial in the laneway Monday, has been seeing the deadly shooting replaying over and over in her mind.
“She’s really shaken up by all this,” Loretta said. “She witnessed her grandmother being shot.”
Peggy grew up in the area and was living in a nearby seniors building.
But Loretta said her “church-going” mom visited the Don Mount Ct. complex daily to spend time with her three daughters, 13 grandkids and a great-grandchild.
“We’re a very close, loving family,” she said. “Everybody loved her.”
“She was just a very caring, loving person who didn’t deserve to die like this.”
Toronto Police homicide investigators are looking for at least two gunmen, possibly three, who fled the scene.
Detectives are reviewing surveillance video from nearby security cameras and may release images in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the victim’s grief-stricken family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with the financial burden of unexpected funeral costs.
Donations can be made at gofundme.com/2m7aayk.
'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'
Her 13 grandchildren called her “Nanny Peggy.”
But Peggy Smith was also like a grandma to many residents of her Riverdale neighbourhood and more than 100 gathered Monday night for an emotional candlelight vigil in memory of the slain 61-year-old.
The vigil on Don Mount Crt. began with a local pastor leading the crowd in prayer as Smith’s three daughters and other family members cried uncontrollably.
At least one young child could be heard crying out: “Why nanny?”
“The gun violence is senseless and it needs to stop,” neighbour Joan King told the large crowd in attendance. “Put the guns down.”
Her own home, a few doors down from where Smith was gunned down Saturday, was riddled with bullets just a few months ago.
“Enough is enough,” King said.
Mayor John Tory, holding a lit candle, took a moment to thank everyone on behalf of the family.
“They are obviously dealing with an unspeakable tragedy,” he said. “And I know that they are greatly comforted by all of you being out here.”
Earlier in the day, life-long friend Brenda Desroches described Smith as “a beautiful woman.
“The kids loved her. The grown-ups loved her. Everybody loved,” she said.
Desroches often sits out behind the complex with her friend and said it could have just as easily been her or one of the neighbourhood kids who was gunned down.
“The guns have got to go,” she said. “They are killing innocent people who are loved.”
cdoucette@postmedia.com

Kids ran for life as bullets felled grandma


When gunfire erupted in an east-end laneway over the weekend, an 11-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy ran for their lives.


Alex Ovechkin got hitched.
The Washington Capitals superstar on Sunday tweeted a photo of two hands with wedding bands displayed on the appropriate fingers
The photo is accompanied by a caption, which, when translated from Russian, reads "This is happiness."
Ovechkin, engaged to Russian model Nastya Shubskaya for roughly a year, will play in the World Cup of Hockey next month for Russia.
The wedding was reportedly small and private.
After the international tournament wraps up in Toronto, the 30-year-old goal-scoring machine will start his 12th NHL season.

NHLer Ovechkin, model Shubskaya announce marriage


The crime was juiced with hatred — pure and simple.
Six bullets ventilated Olympic bronze medalist shot putter Dave Laut on Aug. 27, 2009 in the quiet, leafy backyard of his stucco ranch house.
One more .22 calibre slug that shattered the back of his skull put a personal touch on the hulking high school athletic director’s grisly demise.
Laut, 52, was already lying dead on the ground as his horrified wife Jane called 911 reporting a prowler lurking outside their Oxnard, California home.
“Somebody ... somebody was in our back yard,” she breathlessly told the operator.
Press reports said cops had no suspects.
As for Laut, the beloved 6-foot-3 gym coach was described by friends and family as a “gentle giant.”
Five months later, detectives made an arrest: it was Laut’s wife and high school sweetheart Jane.
Almost immediately, the defence began painting a portrait of the Olympian as a violent, bullying rapist who kept his family in a state of terror. But there was little evidence of the gut-wrenching abuse Jane was claiming.
There was, however, a $300,000 insurance policy. Jane was also spending the family’s money at a gold medal rate, cops learned. Even borrowing $60,000 from her mother-in-law to keep the party rolling.
When cops found the murder weapon, hidden in a grandfather clock, they also found a how-to for cold-blooded wives. Jane had a legal article outlining how to claim self-defense and say you’re suffering from battered woman’s syndrome.
And then there was his desire to end the unhappy marriage.
“They were having problems that last year and she told me Dave wanted to leave the marriage,” Rebecca Laut, Dave’s sister-in-law, told the Ventura County Star. “Jane said, ‘He says he’s going to leave and take Michael, but that’s not going to happen. I’m not going to let him take Michael (their 10-year-old son).’
“(He) was planning on leaving her. He was looking up divorce attorneys hours before his death. I believe he was leaving her that night and he was planning to take their son and she was not going to allow it to happen.”
The dead man’s family scoffed at any indication a domestic war was raging behind the walls of the couple’s tidy suburban home.
“We never ever heard about any type of domestic violence. She changed her story so many times and once she was arrested then all of a sudden it was about domestic violence,” Rebecca Laut told the Los Angeles Times.
“She was my sister-in-law and I knew her and she was also my friend,” Rebecca says. “I am positive there was never domestic violence. The only domestic violence there was is what she did to Dave and her son Michael on that night. Because of her killing her own husband she took away her son’s father.”
Jane Laut’s legal team hammered away at the theme the dead sportsman was a violent psychopath. In the end, the jury didn’t believe her and she was found guilty in March of killing the “gentle giant.”
She scoffed at a manslaughter plea deal that would have seen her walk out of prison in six, short years.
On Tuesday, a California judge sentenced her to 50 years in prison. Her lawyer says he plans to appeal.
For Laut’s family, the agony and confusion has not gone away.
“I mean, if you knew Dave and the kind of person he was and the way he beamed when he talked about Jane and how he had her up so high on this pedestal, I mean, he just — he loved her,” said Rebecca Laut.
SEXXX-RATED HEIST
A carnal crazed cat burglar broke into an Ohio sex store and made away with sex toys, lubes, the upper half of a $2,000 sex doll and a $46.99 blonde wig, according to police.
Cops say Ellis Doyle, 26, went through a ventilation pipe and slithered into Cirilla’s adult novelty store. But surveillance cameras captured the hormone-charged heist man — as he returned for a second visit.
The Smoking Gun quotes cops: “walks around the store again and then walks over to the ‘Eva’ mannequin and strips the clothing off of it and takes the top half of the mannequin and takes a blond and burgundy wig off a display and places it on its head and walks out the front door.”
Doyle allegedly got away with $2,650 in R-rated goodies. The Eva mannequin was found at a nearby Red Roof Hotel. He has his preliminary hearing on Monday.
MOST WANTED
NAME: Gregory Pictou
AGE: Unknown
CIRCUMSTANCES: On Feb. 21, 1981, the body of John Gleason was found in a state of mummified decomposition in the basement of the National Native Cultural Centre in Ottawa. He had been stabbed approximately 50 times in the front and back torso — his throat slit from ear-to-ear. Pictou is wanted for first-degree murder.
He was last seen in New York City in the 1980s.
CONTACT: Ottawa Police or the RCMP


The crime was juiced with hatred — pure
and simple.


Even when you go sightseeing at 'special sites', there's no guarantee any ocean friends will actually show up. But if they do, everyone's hoping for a jaw-dropping friendly seal pup and whale meet-and-greets like these kayakers on Wildcoast Adventures and Kelp Reef Adventures tours in British Columbia.
After brushing by several adorably curious seal pups, they spot a mom humpback whale and her calf way off in the distance. It's a great show until both dramatically disappear under the water. Just seconds later, these folks find themselves with front row seats in the wildest splash zone ever!

WATCH: Sightseers get a whale of a surprise off B.C. coast


After brushing by several adorably curious seal pups, they spot a mom humpback whale and her calf way off in the distance.


CHUUK STATE, Micronesia — The U.S. Coast Guard says two stranded mariners were rescued Friday after crews saw their "SOS" in the sand on an uninhabited island in Micronesia, Hawaii News Now reports.
A U.S. Navy aircraft crew spotted the pair on the beach and gave their location to the Coast Guard in Guam. Hawaii News Now says the two, who had no emergency equipment, were picked up and taken to a patrol boat.
The Coast Guard received a report about the couple’s 18-foot vessel going missing on Aug. 19. Hawaii News Now says the two departed Weno Island on Aug. 17, and they were expected to arrive at their destination to Tamatam Island the next day.
Hawaii News Now says that on Wednesday, a ship noticed flashing lights from the uninhabited Chuuk State island where the two were later found. The U.S. Navy was alerted and spotted the survivors on the beach.

'SOS' in sand leads to rescue of 2 people stranded on island


The U.S. Coast Guard says two stranded mariners were rescued Friday after crews saw their


In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, tourists and residents walk across Tromostovje bridges in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia. Over the past two decades since Melanija Knavs, who later changed her name to Melania Knauss, left her native Slovenia and married American billionaire Donald Trump after pursuing an international modeling career, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place with almost no night life, into a lively and picturesque city filled with restaurants, cafes and night clubs packed with foreigners. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
In this April 16, 2013 photo, a church is seen on the shore of Lake Bled, northern Slovenia. It was at the lakeside Grand Hotel Toplice in Bled where Melanija Knavs, who later changed her name to Melania Knauss, introduced Donald Trump to her parents during their brief visit to Slovenia in July 2002, two years before they engaged. It is believed that it was the last time that the former model visited her native country. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, a limousine is parked in front of a casino in Portoroz, Slovenia. It was in Portoroz in 1992 where Melanija Knavs, who later changed her name to Melania Knauss, got a big break in her modeling career when Slovenia's womens magazine Jana staged its Look of the Year contest. She took second place that gave her the invitation to cast for an international modeling agency in Milan, Italy. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, tourists walk on the seafront in Portoroz, Slovenia. It was in Portoroz in 1992 where Melanija Knavs, who later changed her name to Melania Knauss, got a big break in her modeling career when Slovenia's women magazine Jana staged its Look of the Year contest. She took second place that gave her the invitation to cast for an international modeling agency in Milan, Italy. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, a group of tourists drink beers in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia. Over the past two decades since Melanija Knavs, who later changed her name to Melania Knauss, left her native Slovenia and married American billionaire Donald Trump after pursuing an international modeling career, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place with almost no night life, into a lively and picturesque city filled with restaurants, cafes and night clubs packed with foreigners. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, souvenirs are offered for sale in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia. Over the past two decades since Melanija Knavs, who later changed her name to Melania Knauss, left her native Slovenia and married American billionaire Donald Trump after pursuing an international modeling career, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place with almost no night life, into a lively and picturesque city filled with restaurants, cafes and night clubs packed with foreigners. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, tourists and residents walk by a statue of a dragon, a symbol of the city, in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia. Over the past two decades since Melanija Knavs, who later changed her name to Melania Knauss, left her native Slovenia and married American billionaire Donald Trump after pursuing an international modeling career, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place with almost no night life, into a lively and picturesque city filled with restaurants, cafes and night clubs packed with foreigners. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, padlocks left by couples hang at a bridge in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia. Over the past two decades since Melanija Knavs, who later changed her name to Melania Knauss, left her native Slovenia and married American billionaire Donald Trump after pursuing an international modeling career, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place with almost no night life, into a lively and picturesque city filled with restaurants, cafes and night clubs packed with foreigners. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, tourists and residents walk over Tromostovje bridges in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia. Over the past two decades since Melanija Knavs, who later changed her name to Melania Knauss, left her native Slovenia and married American billionaire Donald Trump after pursuing an international modeling career, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place with almost no night life, into a lively and picturesque city filled with restaurants, cafes and night clubs packed with foreigners. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Over the past two decades since Melanie Trump left her native Slovenia, became a model known as Melania Knauss and married American billionaire Donald Trump, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place with almost no nightlife, into a lively and picturesque city filled with restaurants, cafes and nightclubs packed with foreigners. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — When Melanija Knavs drove around Ljubljana in a fluffy skirt on a metallic blue Vespa with her boyfriend in the late 1980s, the Slovenian capital was a sleepy town that offered little excitement to rare visitors.
Over the past two decades since she left her native Slovenia, became a model known as Melania Knauss and married American billionaire Donald Trump, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place with almost no nightlife, into a lively and picturesque city filled with restaurants, cafes and nightclubs packed with foreigners.
The heart of the city has been closed to traffic, though, so Mrs. Trump would no longer be able to ride by scooter to her favorite cafe, then called the Horse's Tail, near Tromostovje — the charming stone triple bridge in the heart of the city decorated with small dragon-like statues.
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She would also hardly recognize the renovated downtown since she last visited.
The city is dominated by a majestic castle on a hill by the river Ljubljana that splits the town into two. At night, the castle is lit bright green, the city's traditional color. A boat cruise along the river reveals spectacular architecture while street artists play music and perform for visitors.
The city's center on the banks of the river offers romantic dining and other excellent culinary offerings, including an open kitchen on Fridays when chefs prepare international dishes on makeshift stands that serve as an open-air market the other days of the week.
Slovenia, which has become one of Europe's hottest nature destinations after splitting from Yugoslavia in 1991, is privileged to have both an opening onto the Adriatic Sea as well as chunks of the Alps. It is also known for tasty wines and food specialties such as Kranjska klobasa, a juicy pork sausage, or struklji, a traditional Slovene pastry with various fillings.
Slovenia has often been confused in the past with another small central European state, Slovakia. But since Donald Trump joined the presidential race in the U.S., his wife and potential first lady have come into public limelight, along with the country where she was born and raised.
"Whatever you think of Melania, she put Slovenia on the map of the world," said Janez Bosnjak, a Ljubljana resident.
Born in the hilly industrial town of Sevnica in 1970 when Slovenia was part of Communist Yugoslavia, Mrs.Trump's early life has come under media scrutiny — especially after her official biography had her graduating from the Ljubljana university.
Rok Bogataj, who knew her when they studied at the Faculty of Architecture, said she regularly attended lectures but did not graduate.
"I had an impression that she had serious ambitions to finish her studies, but one day she simply disappeared. We heard that she decided to become a fashion model and that she went to Milano," Bogataj said.
For tourists, Ljubljana is the perfect jumping-off point for daily trips to other attractions. The city is the eco-friendly European Green Capital for 2016, and it's located in central Slovenia. The country, which has 2 million people, offers an abundance of contrasting landscapes and cultures and is proud of being the only country in the world with the word "love" in its name.
More than 2.4 million tourists visited in 2014, according to international arrivals statistics cited by the World Bank, more than triple the number who visited in 1995.
One must-see destination northwest of Ljubljana is Lake Bled where emerald-green waters create a spectacular landscape, with a lush, tiny island and a church tower peeking out of evergreens surrounded by the rocky Julian Alps.
It was at lakeside Grand Hotel Toplice in Bled where Mrs. Trump introduced Donald Trump to her parents during their brief visit to Slovenia in July 2002, two years before they engaged. It is believed that it was the last time that the former model visited her native country.
Not far from Bled are the seaside towns of Piran, called the Venice of Slovenia because of the colorful Venetian gothic mansions, and Portoroz, a French-Riviera style resort with luxurious hotels lining along a sandy beach.
It was in Portoroz in 1992 where Mrs. Trump got a big break in her modeling career when Slovenia's women magazine Jana staged its "Look of the Year" contest. She took the second place that gave her the invitation to cast for an international modeling agency in Milan.
"Melania was one of the girls who participated at the event," said Jana's editor Bernarda Jeklin. "I wouldn't say that Melania was outstanding. She was quiet, introverted. But what I remember were her dangerous, tiger-like green eyes."

Melania Trump's Slovenia has become a tourist hotspot


When Melanija Knavs drove around Ljubljana in a fluffy skirt on a metallic blue Vespa with her boyfriend in the late 1980s, the Slovenian capital was a sleepy town that offered little excitement to rare visitors.


What cultural or spiritual notions have led to the current fascination with Artificial Intelligence?
The idea of a man-made being that eventually surpasses its creator was the subject of at least four movies last year — and comes up again in Morgan, a sci-fi thriller opening Friday.
What’s the deal on our fixation with robots?
And why are they so often the bad guys?
Perhaps stories about robots and Artificial Intelligence reflect our own ideas about consciousness or free will.
Or what it means to be human.
Maybe A.I. represents one way to see human-like beings behave in inhuman ways — a sort of 21st century puppet show. Then again, humans might well feel like God when they help create a new life form, especially a robotic life form that can represent a type of immortality.
And the ongoing problem is this: How do you make sure that machines smarter than people don’t figure out ways to seize power away from their creators?
In a 1942 story, Isaac Asimov spelled out the three laws of robotics:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Interesting — but Science Fiction is full of stories about robotic creations rebelling against those very laws, unwittingly or otherwise. And nobody loves a recalcitrant robot more than Hollywood.
Morgan is the latest example from the robot genre. Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) stars as Morgan, a human-like artificial intelligence; some of the scientists working with Morgan are played by Toby Jones, Michelle Yeoh, Paul Giamatti and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
The humans involved in creating Morgan have great affection for the machine and hope for its progress. They refer to Morgan as ‘she’ and want to continue to observe her development, but something happens to suggest Morgan needs a risk-management assessment. A corporate consultant (Kate Mara) is sent in to decide on Morgan’s future.
It’s not a pretty picture.
To help you brush up on your A.I. movies in advance of Morgan, here are 10 of the best:
ROBOCOP (1987)
An indestructible cyborg (Peter Weller) that’s part machine, part hero cop’s consciousness, appears to be the future of police work. It doesn’t quite work out that way. This action drama/social commentary is directed by Paul Verhoeven.
BLADE RUNNER (1982)
An ex-cop (Harrison Ford) working as a blade runner — an assassin of rogue androids — grapples with his feelings about the human-like replicants. Ridley Scott directs Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, M. Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah.
youtu.be/_19pRsZRiz4
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015)
Evil A.I. Ultron (James Spader) dukes it out with Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow et al in this particular Marvel adventure.
EX MACHINA (2015)
Alicia Vikander is terrific as the A.I. who may or many not have her own ideas about becoming part of the human race. Sci-fi thriller also stars Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac.
THE MATRIX (1999)
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss star in this futuristic thriller (from the Wachowskis) as rebels who dare go up against the machines that have imprisoned human minds. Can they escape the artificial reality created to lull them into cooperating?
A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001)
A robotic boy (Haley Joel Osment) wants his human mother to love him. Then her human son comes home. Steven Spielberg directs Frances O’Connor, Jude Law, William Hurt.
THE TERMINATOR (1984)
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a cyborg sent from the future to kill a woman (Linda Hamilton) in the present. The idea is to prevent the birth of the woman’s son — who will grow up to one day lead a rebellion against the machines. James Cameron directs.
MOON (2009)
Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) has a solo stint on the moon, where isolation is either causing him to go mad or keeping him from finding out the truth about his origins. Duncan Jones co-wrote and directs.
HER (2013)
Joaquin Phoenix stars as a writer who falls in love with the A.I. operating system that runs his life. Well — the machine does have a fabulous human voice (courtesy Scarlett Johansson). Spike Jonze directs; also with Amy Adams.
ROBOT & FRANK (2012)
Frank, an aging jewel thief (Frank Langella) is given a robot butler by his son (James Marsden) to help around the house. Frank retrains his robot to assist in heists. This is sci-fi for the non-sci-fi-fan; also with Susan Sarandon and Liv Tyler, and that’s Peter Sarsgaard as the voice of the robot.
Twitter: @LizBraunSun
LBraun@postmedia.com

Kate Mara's 'Morgan' and the 10 best movies about Artificial Intelligence


What cultural or spiritual notions have led to the current fascination with Artificial Intelligence?


I would like to take a moment to join all Canadians in expressing our utmost respect and warm wishes to Prime Minister Stephen Harper as he steps back from his role as the Member of Parliament for Calgary Heritage, and the Canadian political stage.
In 2003, Stephen Harper was at the forefront of the movement to unite conservative Canadians across this country under one banner. It would mark the beginning of more than a decade of his principled leadership.
The record Prime Minister Harper leaves in office is a proud one. Under his leadership, Canada’s foreign policy was clear-eyed and robust, and our nation’s principles were never for sale. He was the first Canadian Prime Minister in history to address the Knesset in Israel — a strong show of support for a democratic nation that remains our best and strongest ally in a turbulent part of the world. It was Prime Minister Harper who stood up to Vladimir Putin and led the charge to have Russia removed from the G8. Under Prime Minister Harper, Canada was an active ally in the global fight against terrorism. And he helped usher in a new era of greater respect for Canada’s men and women in uniform.
Here in Canada, his economic record speaks volumes. During his leadership Canada emerged from the global recession faster and stronger than any country in the G7, which included a net gain of 1.3 million new jobs, a balanced budget, and the wealthiest middle class anywhere on the globe. His time in office saw an ambitious free trade agenda open up markets around the world for Canadian businesses, and free trade deals now signed with over 40 countries.
At the heart of that record was a recognition of the everyday challenges facing hardworking families. We proudly note that it was thanks to his principled guidance that Canadians enjoyed the lowest tax burden in 50 years — including a lower GST, income splitting for couples, and tax free savings accounts.
Finally, Canada under Stephen Harper was committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our society. His leadership saw sweeping changes to strengthen child protection laws and the introduction of the Victims Bill of Rights, which once and for all put the rights of victims ahead of the rights of criminals. The creation of the Universal Child Care Benefit helped lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty, and the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health initiative has helped save the lives of millions of mothers and babies around the world.
I spoke with Prime Minister Harper upon news of his departure, and I took the opportunity to personally thank him for everything he has done — for the people of Calgary Heritage and Calgary Southwest before that, for proud conservatives everywhere, and for all Canadians.
I also expressed congratulations for the recent honour bestowed upon him by Ukrainian President Poroshenko. The Order of Liberty, one of Ukraine’s highest honours, recognizes Prime Minister Harper’s contributions to the strengthening of Ukraine’s sovereignty. This is only the latest demonstration of the lasting legacy with which Mr. Harper departs political life.
More than anything, Prime Minister Harper loves his family, and we thank Laureen, Ben and Rachel for sharing him with us for over 20 years. We also thank Laureen Harper for her devotion to so many charitable causes and our country.
Thank you Stephen Harper for your immense contributions to Canada and we wish you well in your future endeavours.
- Ambrose is Leader of the Official Opposition and MP for Sturgeon River–Parkland.


I would like to take a moment to join
all Canadians in expressing our utmost
respect and warm wishes to Prime
Minister Stephen Harper as he steps
back from his role as the Member of
Parliament for Calgary Heritage, and
the Canadian political stage.


OTTAWA -- Former prime minister Stephen Harper will resign today as a member of parliament.
Harper will issue a statement later this morning, 10 months after he lost the federal election and stepped down as Conservative party leader.
But the 57-year-old had chosen to stay on as an MP for his Calgary riding and routinely showed up for votes in the House of Commons over the last few months.
Harper was first elected as a Reform MP in 1993 and would go on to become the first leader of the modern day Conservative Party in 2003.
Since last fall's defeat, he and his wife Laureen have been living in their Calgary home.
Harper will now make a move into consulting on international issues alongside two of his most trusted former advisers.


Former prime minister Stephen Harper
will resign today as a member of
parliament, The Canadian Press has
learned.


All David Bolland did in Chicago was his job.
Ask him to check, he checked. Ask him to scrap, he scrapped. Ask him to occasionally score, he would occasionally score.
That included a bang-bang, last-minute, Stanley Cup-winning goal with Chicago, his last game with the Blackhawks.
That was three years ago. Now Bolland, at age 30, has become something of a punchline, not a person or a player of any consequence in hockey, just salary cap space. That’s how he’s looked at by too many in the hockey world. His rather large contract was dealt from Florida to Arizona, not because anybody wanted him, but because the Coyotes would take prospect Lawson Crouse and the price of doing so was to accept Bolland’s contract. The value of salary cap space in today’s NHL.
Knowing Bolland, I imagine there is nothing he would like better than to be playing healthy and proving his worth to whomever was paying his way. That’s unlikely to happen anymore.
What he shouldn’t be in this case is anyone’s punchline. He’s put in his time. He deserves better than that.
THIS AND THAT
Sometimes, Hockey Canada does the right thing, like adding leading playoff scorer, Logan Couture, to Team Canada’s roster to replace Jamie Benn for the World Cup of Hockey. And then it follows that by doing the wrong thing, adding Jay Bouwmeester to replace the injured Duncan Keith on defence. The choice here was left-shooting defenceman Mark Giordano, but coach Mike Babcock, in particular is a comfort zone coach and Bouwmeester played a solid role for Babcock in Sochi. That kind of looking-back logic has hurt Team Canada in the past ... Wasn’t sure why Team Sweden left Dallas defenceman John Klingberg off their initial World Cup roster. Now not sure why they haven’t added him as an injury replacement to their very strong defence. Sweden ended up inserting Anaheim’s Hampus Lundholm to take Niklas Kronwall’s spot. On a scale, this is equivalent to Canada leaving P.K. Subban off its roster ... Brandon Prust and Matt Martin are both considered left wingers. One can play for the Leafs. Two not likely ... Darryl Sittler is only the eighth NHL player to be called for Canada’s Walk of Fame. The list is rather impressive. The other seven: Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Jean Beliveau, Rocket Richard, Johnny Bower. To separate them, that’s six all-time greats, and maybe the six greatest ever, and two Hall of Fame Leafs greats ... What I’d love to have seen: Sittler going in with Lanny McDonald at his side, the way Don Cherry went in alongside Ron MacLean.
HEAR AND THERE
Should the Blue Jays make the playoffs, this will be Russell Martin’s sixth straight season in the post-season. And if the same happens, it will be Josh Donaldson’s fifth straight post-season. Or every one of his big league years ... Strange Blue Jays season. They are in first place. And I don’t sense they’ve played really complete baseball with an uncertain lineup and so many injuries to date ... Michael Saunders before the all-star game: .298, 16 HR 42 RBI, an OPS of .923. Saunders since his surprising election to the game: .174, 5 HR, 8 RBI, an OPS of .647 ... Marco Estrada pre-all-star break, 2.93 earned run average. Post all-star break: 5.18. Pre: Batters were hitting .173 against him; Post: .279 ... If the Blue Jays don’t pick up a left-handed reliever between now and Wednesday, that role will likely go to Francisco Liriano for the post-season, who may or may not be able to throw strikes ... Justin Smoak is having a rather dreadful season. He’s hitting .227 with 14 home runs. This is Jose Bautista’s free-agent season. He’s hitting .226 with 15 home runs ... Can’t speak for anyone else, but I like the idea of Dioner Navarro in the Blue Jays clubhouse ... What an odd CFL season: The home teams in the East have a 4-13-1 record. The road teams are 11-5 ... The Dallas Cowboys are 24-24 over the past three NFL seasons. They’re 23-11 when Tony Romo starts at quarterback 1-13 when he does not ... I see Danny Valencia is as charming as ever with the Oakland A’s ... If I was young and ambitious, I would quit my job, move to Brazil, go into the concessions business and become filthy rich. But instead, you get the Sunday notes ... Congrats for former Argo Noel Prefontaine and NBA star Kawhi Leonard, both elected to the San Diego State University sports Hall of Fame.
SCENE AND HEARD
Twenty-two medals in Rio was terrific for Canada. Twenty-two medals at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta was even better. Why? There were 306 medal events in Rio, just 271 in Atlanta. Same number of medals. More than 12% more events and no more medals ... Impressive in Rio: Canadian women, who out-medalled Canadian men 16-6 ... What stings: Canadian men not named Andre De Grasse (or part of his relay team) won three Olympic medals. That’s all ... You know Paul Beeston is no longer running the Blue Jays — and Americans are — when neither De Grasse nor Penny Oleksiak has thrown out the first pitch at a Blue Jays game yet ... Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan may never win a championship with the Raptors, but boy they were little-kid excited about their gold medals in Rio. Most excited I’ve ever seen either of them ... When the Florida Panthers inexplicably fired Scott Luce, I wrote he wouldn’t be out of work for long. He wasn’t. Luce, whose father Don was close friends with Tim Horton, is the new scouting director of the Las Vegas NHL franchise ... The worst thing that could happen to Las Vegas hockey: The Raiders and NFL moving to Las Vegas ... I’m looking forward to Ryan Lochte, the mini-series. Or at least the next several episodes of Saturday Night Live.
AND ANOTHER THING
Is there anything more Yankees than this? Kid slugger Gary Sanchez has 32 hits in his first 23 games in Pinstripes and 11 home runs in 80 at bats. Before this, the young Dominican never had more than 18 homers in a minor-league season ... If the Kansas City Royals make the playoffs, look out. Their bullpen hasn’t given up a run in 39.2 innings, a luxury John Gibbons wouldn’t know about ... Can the B.C. Lions please settle on one uniform and one logo so we know who is playing when we see them and don’t have to guess? ... Is it too much to ask to get a decent instant replay, in reasonable time, on a pseudo inside-the-park home run by Melvin Upton Jr.? ... If you missed this Olympic story, you missed something special. American water polo coach Adam Krikorian left Brazil when his brother passed away just days before the Olympics. He then quickly returned to Rio after the funeral to coach the team, which went on to win gold. Coaches do not get rewarded with gold medals. But the women’s team lined up in front of the coach after the medal ceremony and one by one, each player placed their gold medal around the neck of the coach. It was the Rudy moment of the Olympics, but in this case, it was all tears and truth ... Kudos to colleague Gare Joyce, whose part-hockey, part-detective novels were turned into the television series, Private Eyes with Jason Priestley, which has been now renewed for a second season ... Happy birthday to Bismack Biyombo (24), Lou Piniella (73), Robert (Sgt. Slaughter) Remus (68), Shania Twain (51), Ron Guidry (66), Pierre Turgeon (47) and Don Denkinger (80) ... And hey, whatever became of Dave Steen?
BROOKE NEEDS BETTER ADVICE
It seems odd to say this because she’s 18 years old, but Brooke Henderson needs to grow up.
Or failing that, she needs to get better advice than she happens to be receiving these days.
At the Olympics, Henderson didn’t impress a whole lot of people with the way she bypassed her press responsibilities and pouted after a poor third round in the women’s golf event. There is a certain protocol that goes along with being an Olympic athlete and a professional golfer, for that matter. At the Olympics, all competitors must go through a mixed zone area which includes journalists at the conclusion of their round.
Henderson chose not to. She did partake in her media responsibilities after finishing up well on her final round, just missing the podium.
Then in Calgary at the Canadian Open, Henderson, the No. 1 golf attraction in Canada, was working on the practice green when a car pulled up, she slid under the ropes and left the course without a word. Wayne Gretzky, at 18, never missed a day of his media obligations.
It isn’t about talking to me or my colleagues, it’s about talking to you and your television sets and your radios. Part of the responsibility of being a high-paid athlete in an individual sport is making yourself available. Being available only after good rounds is not an image or a reputation young Henderson should want.
AA HAPPY IN L.A.
The job looks perfect from the outside: Alex Anthopoulos, general manager, Minnesota Twins. How would the Twins find anyone better than the man who traded for Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki and Marco Estrada, drafted Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman, and signed Russell Martin as a free agent.
Except for one thing: Anthopoulos is in the process of moving his family from Toronto to Los Angeles. And he’s perfectly happy, he says, in his role as vice-president of baseball operations with the Dodgers. He loves the team, the people he works with, the way in which the front office operates for the first place Dodgers.
The assumption was when Anthopoulos left the Blue Jays that he would be the leading candidate for whatever GM job would come up in baseball, but he seems to like the idea of living in Los Angeles and doesn’t relish the thought of picking up and moving his family again.
If the move out of Toronto proved anything, it showed Anthopoulos doesn’t always do the obvious. He could have stayed with the Jays for long-term and great money and chose to leave for personal reasons. He could now seek out GM work elsewhere, but won’t do that either. Being in baseball matters to Anthopoulos, so long as he’s working with people he believes in. Being in charge doesn’t matter as much and you might have thought.
WHO IS SAFE WITH THE JAYS?
The Blue Jays fired Sal Fasano.
Why anyone in baseball would find a reason to fire Fasano is a head-scratching matter. Spend five minutes with Fasano and you’ll understand why. He looks like baseball. He sounds like baseball. If you want to talk about pitching, about catching, about the intricacies of the game, or just listen to some good old stories, he’s your guy.
And with the firing of Fasano as minor league pitching coordinator comes another question: Who is safe in the Blue Jays front office that preceded the hirings of president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins?
And another question: How much uncertainty is there right now for those whose seasons are about to end, coaches and minor league managers, coaches at the major league level, anyone in scouting and player development?
As the Blue Jays approach the playoffs, those who played a part in player development at various levels are either being let go or must be concerned about their security.
The thinking around baseball: If a baseball lifer like Fasano can get fired, after the firings of scouting director Brian Parker, cross checker Blake Davis, field coordinator Doug Davis, pretty much anyone can and will be let go.

Bolland has earned the right to be more than a punchline


All David Bolland did in Chicago was his job.


Jihadists and terrorists are actively planning attacks in Canada, according to a new report from the Trudeau government.
Meanwhile, our law enforcement agencies claim that red tape and legal loopholes are stopping them from protecting Canadians.
On Thursday, the Federal Department of Public Safety released a report demonstrating that several terrorist groups and their supporters are active in Canada.
The chilling report tells us what we have long suspected.
We are, by no means, immune to the turmoil and bloodshed of jihadist insurgents.
At least 180 individuals with a connection to Canada are overseas fighting alongside terrorist organizations. That’s up from 130 known terrorists in 2015.
But those individuals aren’t necessarily the problem for Canada right now. A far greater security concern is the jihadists who are here in Canada.
The report discusses two types of terrorists in Canada: wannabe jihadists who have had their passports removed and therefore cannot travel to places like Syria and Iraq, and those who already went overseas to fight for the terrorists but have since returned to Canada.
Despite having significant information about these dangerous jihadists, there are major roadblocks in laying criminal charges and convicting both types of terrorists.
First, let’s look at the jihadists who are grounded in Canada.
Both men who murdered members of the Canadian Forces in Quebec and Ontario in October, 2014 were prohibited from leaving Canada.
So was Aaron Driver, killed by the RCMP in Strathroy, Ontario earlier this month.
In all three cases, the individuals were known and even monitored by authorities.
But this was not enough to stop them from planning deadly attacks.
Despite receiving significant information from agencies such as CSIS and the FBI, the RCMP are often powerless to act.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mike Cabana told CTV News Thursday that police receive information about violent jihadists, but they “cannot proceed with criminal charges” because of legal limitations placed on them by our court system.
Known terrorists are able to plan attacks and recruit new members because our law enforcement officials are bogged down with legal technicalities that prevent them from doing their job.
The second terrorist threat to Canada is from returned foreign fighters.
The Paris attacks, as well as the Brussels airport bombing, were carried out, in part, by jihadists who had travelled to Syria and then returned home to Europe.
There are about 60 known returned foreign fighters in Canada, according to the federal government’s report.
And yet, in most cases, these individuals are living freely in Canada, without any criminal charges.
Our authorities simply don’t know what to do with them.
According to Larry Brooks, a former CSIS counter-terrorism official, it’s tough to prove to a Canadian judge that an individual participated in terrorism overseas.
In an interview with Postmedia, Brooks discussed the challenges of gathering incriminating information from a foreign combat zone.
“It’s tremendously difficult to collect credible evidence that would satisfy a Canadian court for prosecution,” said Brooks.
Believing in an extreme Islamist doctrine is not illegal.
Nor should it be, in a free society.
But traveling overseeing or attempting to travel overseas to join a foreign army is against the law.
We need to remove legal loopholes that allow terrorists to stay out of jail, and we need to give police and prosecutors the tools they need to charge and convict terrorists who have broken Canadian laws.
Our safety and security depend on it.

Police stymied in pursuing Canada’s jihadists


Jihadists and terrorists are actively planning attacks in Canada, according to a new report from the Trudeau government.


A mere 13 kilometres of highway, and the difference is 184 years behind bars.
Just a ten minute drive north into Canada, and Michael Ilk might expect full parole in only a few years — but that international border means his life is probably over, as far as freedom goes, and the 42-year-old Calgarian will die wearing the orange jumpsuit of the Montana State prison service.
“I don’t see any way to protect the public with him outside of prison,” Lincoln County District Judge James Wheelis told the court, as he sentenced the Calgary man convicted on two counts attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
“Who can predict what he will do. Who could have predicted this?”
For firing a 9-mm handgun 14 times at his ex-girlfriend and another man in Eureka, Montana last year and wounding both, the judge determined Ilk should spend life in prison without a chance for parole.
On Monday, he handed the Canadian a staggering 200 years in Montana State Prison, broken down into two 80-year sentences for both charges of attempted deliberate homicide and 20 years per count of aggravated assault, without parole.
“Judge Wheelis takes this kind of thing seriously,” Lincoln County Undersheriff Brandon Huff told Postmedia on Tuesday, in what may be the understatement of the year.
“This was definitely a violent crime, with two people shot.”
Judge Wheelis took the April 15, 2015 shooting so seriously, he actually doubled the sentence recommended by the state.
Thirteen kilometres from the border maybe, but this is obviously a very different world from Canada.
Up here, a sentence of more than a decade for attempted murder is considered shocking, as in 2013, when a Saskatoon judge sentenced Brandon Carelse to 16 years for beating and repeatedly stabbing his estranged wife, leaving her barely clinging to life.
Carelse’s sentence was immediately reduced to 14 years for time served in remand, and despite a history of violent crime, he can expect parole by the time a decade is up.
Ilk, on the other hand, was an upstanding, clean-living citizen when he confronted his ex-girlfriend Hadassah Pereslete and her co-worker Tyler Wilson in a construction site near the Eureka Hills subdivision.
Despite more than a dozen shots fired at their truck, the two victims suffered non-life threatening wounds, and then Ilk made the arrest very easy for police, after chasing their vehicle into the parking lot of the local sheriff’s office.
“Let’s just say it wasn’t a difficult case to solve,” said the undersheriff.
Pereslete was hit in the leg and arm and Wilson was shot in the arm and hand.
Throughout the trial, Ilk maintained the shooting was self-defense, stating Wilson shot at him first after he’d been asked to come to the construction site.
“I’m not a horrible and violent person,” Ilk told the court before he was sentenced.
“I believed I needed to defend myself. If I could change that day, I would in a second.”
But his plea didn’t help his case, nor did the character-witness testimony of family and friends, including three Calgary law enforcement officials, among them his brother-in-law Michael Ferguson, who called the 2015 incident totally out of character for the kind, normally gentle man.
As with the guilty verdict from a jury in June, the sentencing date was an emotional affair, for those who may never see Ilk on the outside again.
Ilk’s lawyer did not return calls on Tuesday, and there is no word yet on an appeal, but in the meantime, at least one of the two victims, who are each suing the shooter for $1 million, is publicly calling the guilty verdict a victory.
“We won!” was Pereslete’s two word exclamation on Facebook, where the 23-year-old has been regularly posting about the shooting.
Pereslete dated and lived with the Calgarian from June, 2012 to January, 2015, after which point she testified Ilk was sometimes abusive and threatening.
Since the shooting, she’s used social media as a conduit for statements about the trial.
“The truth won. Justice won. Humanity won. Life won. We won,” she posted to Instagram.
“This has been the biggest week of my life and I’m happy to say, it’s finished. Goodbye forever, michael ilk.”
mplatt@postmedia.com

Calgarian Michael Ilk jailed for 200 years in Montana State Prison


A mere 13 kilometres of highway, and the
difference is 184 years behind bars.