Canada takes bronze in men’s swimming, British Columbia landslide assessment planned

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press, intended to keep you informed…

Kharun ends Canadian men’s pool dry spell

Ilya Kharun has won Canada’s first Olympic swimming medal in 12 years.

The 19-year-old from Montreal held his nerve to take bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly in Paris on Wednesday, behind French winner Marchand and silver medallist Kristof Milak of Hungary.

His third swimming medal in Paris was for Canada, following Summer McIntosh’s medley gold and freestyle silver. Kharun was the first Canadian to reach the Olympic podium in the 200 butterfly, although McIntosh is set to join him in the women’s event on Thursday.

Tent collapse at Alberta meditation center kills one

One person has died and several others were injured when a large tent structure collapsed at a Buddhist monastery northwest of Edmonton.

A major emergency response was called to the Westlock Meditation Centre.

According to the local RCMP, they received assistance from officers from several other detachments in the area, as well as ambulance and fire personnel.

According to reports, there was severe weather in the area at the time of the incident.

BC assesses risks to river after landslide

The British Columbia Ministry of Land and Water says staff are conducting assessments near a landslide that blocked the Chilcotin River in the province’s interior, and are seeking to understand risks that may occur downstream.

A government statement said the landslide blocked the river that flows into the Fraser River on Wednesday, and that a sudden release of water could cause “rapid rises in water levels downstream along the Fraser River” south of Hope, B.C.

The River Forecast Centre has issued a flood warning for the Chilcotin River upstream of the landslide and a flood alert downstream.

A flood warning is also in effect for the Fraser River from the Chilcotin River confluence to Hope. A high water warning is also in effect for the Fraser River west of Hope.

Evacuation orders issued Wednesday remain in effect, covering 66 miles (107 kilometers) along both sides of the Chilcotin River. The Cariboo Regional District said there was an immediate threat to life and safety due to flooding.

Forest fire in Jasper leaves foreign workers in limbo

Hundreds of temporary foreign workers left homeless by the Jasper wildfire are now scrambling to secure work permits and shelter.

Heidi Veluw, director of the Jasper Employment and Education Centre, says the city typically has around 1,500 temporary foreign workers working in retail, hospitality, catering and many other sectors.

But like the 25,000 people in Jasper National Park, including 5,000 town residents, the workers were given five hours to leave as flames blocked roads and escape routes.

Veluw said workers with permits that only allow them to work in specific jobs face the biggest hurdle, she said, especially if their employer’s business has been burned down. She said the goal is to give them open work permits, but applying for the documents is complicated and time-consuming.

Immigration Canada is trying to make it easier. It has temporarily waived the fees for foreign workers to apply to have their personal documents replaced and their work permits amended.

Jury deliberates at Coutts murder conspiracy trial

The jury in the conspiracy to commit murder trial of two men involved in the border protest in Coutts, Alta., will continue deliberating today on their guilt or innocence.

The jury of five men and seven women was assigned the case late Wednesday afternoon after five hours of instruction from Alberta Court of Appeal Judge David Labrenz.

Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, $5,000 worth of vandalism and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Olienick is also charged with possession of a pipe bomb.

The two men were arrested after police seized a cache of weapons, ammunition and bulletproof vests during an early morning raid in February 2022.

Prosecutors said the two men planned to use Coutts as a springboard for revolution and were prepared to use violence against the RCMP.

Project developers ask for tax breaks for new homes

A coalition of Ontario developers has written to three levels of government asking for a reduction in taxes on new homes. The coalition says the savings will be passed directly to home buyers.

The new group, the Coalition Against New-Home Taxes (CANT), is made up of 18 developers who collectively plan to build 100,000 new homes over the next 10 years.

The coalition wants the federal and provincial governments to eliminate the harmonized sales tax on all new homes, as they have done for rental housing construction. The coalition also wants the province and the City of Toronto to eliminate the land transfer tax on new homes.

The coalition also wants municipalities to reduce development costs to 2009 levels, adjusted for inflation.

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A glimmer of hope in whale reproduction research

The small population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales has long struggled with inbreeding. But a new scientific study, led by researchers from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, reports an encouraging finding.

Although inbreeding appears to limit the number of calves born each year, it does not affect genetic diversity, a trait essential to the survival of any species.

Last October, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium estimated that there were 356 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet.

The new peer-reviewed study, published Wednesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science, found that researchers initially found that most female North Atlantic right whales did not calve every three years, as females in the much larger southern population typically do.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 1, 2024.

The Canadian Press