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Ford: Canada police probe Doug Ford land deal

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The RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, has initiated a criminal investigation into a land transaction that Premier Doug Ford and his administration facilitated.

The Greenbelt land transfer aimed to facilitate the development of portions of an ecologically protected region near Toronto.

A September ethics report determined that Mr. Ford’s administration “favoured certain developers” in the transaction, which led to its cancellation.

According to Mr. Ford, the government will “fully cooperate” with the authorities.

The RCMP announced the criminal investigation about the Greenbelt agreement on Tuesday. It will be handled by the Sensitive and International Investigations unit of the federal police force, which conducts political investigations involving fraud, corruption, and breach of trust.

The statement further stated that to guarantee a “fair and proper” resolution, it would not divulge any additional information regarding the investigation’s characteristics.

“While we recognise that this investigation is of significant interest to Canadians, the RCMP has a duty to protect the integrity of the investigations that it carries out,” Cpl Christy Veenstra added in a statement.

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Canada police probe Doug Ford land deal.

It is the most recent development in a political scandal involving the Ontario government’s proposal to open up 3,000 hectares of the Greenbelt, which stretches from Peterborough to Niagara Falls and is a protected territory encircling the Greater Toronto Area.

Ford, a Progressive Conservative, had previously made a solemn commitment to refrain from activities on the Greenbelt after his inauguration in 2018.

However, after his re-election in 2022, he recanted his pledge and asserted that the Greenbelt’s opening is imperative to facilitate the construction of additional dwellings in Ontario, where the housing crisis is escalating.

In contrast, authorities have asserted that sufficient land is available for development beyond the Greenbelt’s protected areas, comprising wetlands, forests, and agriculture. Moreover, environmental advocates vehemently opposed the proposal.

Subsequent news investigations unveiled that significant portions of the land involved in the transaction are under the ownership of developers who make substantial contributions to the Progressive Conservative party in Ontario. Furthermore, it was discovered that some of these developers had acquired the land after Mr. Ford assumed office.

Inviting one of the developers to attend the matrimonial rites of Mr. Ford’s daughter in 2022 has prompted inquiries regarding the deal’s potential involvement in conflicts of interest.

ford

Canada police probe Doug Ford land deal.

In response to the revelations, the opposition New Democratic Party in Ontario demanded a formal investigation into the transaction to determine who stands to benefit if the land is made available for development and whether specific developers were informed beforehand.

Two investigations conducted in August—one by the integrity commissioner and one by Ontario’s auditor general—determined that the Greenbelt agreement resulted from a “biassed” process influenced by senior political staff who favored particular developers.

Additionally, they discovered that the fresh-to-be-developed land could increase the proprietors’ net worth by over C$8.3 billion ($6.11 billion; £4.97 billion).

Steve Clark, the housing minister of Ontario, and Ryan Amato, his former chief of staff, both tendered their resignations in early September in response to the revelations. According to the investigations, Mr. Amato was instrumental in the Greenbelt proposal.

After the development mentioned above, Kaleed Rasheed, a minister, tendered his resignation in late September after media reports exposing his concurrent visit to Las Vegas with a developer who stood to gain financially from the Greenbelt agreement.

Mr. Ford renounced the Greenbelt plan the following day, on September 21, and apologized for breaching his prior commitment to prevent the development of environmentally protected land.

“We moved too quickly and we made the wrong decision,” he commented. “This process allowed an excessive amount of advantage to accrue to a select few at the expense of others.” It prompted individuals to doubt our intentions.

Bonnie Lysyk, Ontario’s auditor general, communicated her findings with police as part of the investigation to determine whether a criminal investigation was warranted.

Mr. Ford has maintained that there was no illicit activity. His office announced on Tuesday that he intends to cooperate completely with the investigation.

Mr. Ford’s office issued the following statement to the media: “We have zero tolerance for any wrongdoing and expect all parties involved in the decision-making process regarding the Greenbelt lands to have adhered to the letter of the law.”

While the precise details of the RCMP’s investigation into the transaction remain undisclosed, prior police inquiries into legislators from Ontario have led to criminal prosecution and incarceration.

SOURCE – (BBC)

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Girl, 6, Dies After Eating McDonald’s Cheese Burger

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Angelica Vazquez is being remembered as always being happy and smiling- Photo Samantha Ocasio

A 6-year-old girl in Massachusetts died of E. coli, and her mother alleges the poisoning came from a tainted McDonald’s cheeseburger.

“It was quick. Samantha Ocasio said of her daughter’s unexpected death, “It was really fast,” adding that she does not want it to happen to anybody else’s children, according to The New York Post.

Based in Springfield, Ocasio stated that her daughter, Angelica Vazquez, ate the food before trick-or-treating on Halloween and became ill the following evening.

As she began throwing up, Ocasio asked if she wanted to see a doctor, but the youngster answered, “No, my belly just hurts.”

At first, the mother of seven thought the illness was merely a stomach virus, so she gave her daughter Gatorade and instructed her to rest.

According to masslive.com, things spiralled out of control on November 2 when the girl passed out and suffered cardiac arrest during a bubble bath.

She was taken to Baystate Medical Centre and died 12 hours later. “I love you” was the last thing her daughter said, according to Ocasio.

According to health experts, the E. coli outbreak has been connected to onions served on some McDonald’s cheeseburgers after more than 100 people in 13 states were ill in recent weeks.

However, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported no verified instances of the E. coli strain at McDonald’s in Massachusetts. “My main concern is, ‘OK, if it wasn’t McDonald’s, what is it?’… My daughter was pleased. “She was healthy,” Ocasio stated.

She said that Angelica Vazquez was the only person in her family to eat a McDonald’s cheeseburger, while her siblings preferred chicken nuggets.

McDonald’s stated that the epidemic was linked to slivered onions provided on Quarter Pounders, which differ from the chopped onions used on the smaller cheeseburger the girl ate. Following the outbreak, the restaurant chain announced that it had ceased serving the burgers and was locating a replacement slivered onion supplier for 900 locations.

“We are heartbroken for this family’s loss and express our sincere condolences. “We take any reports of potential food safety issues seriously,” the statement said.

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Canada to Strengthen Border Security After Trumps Threat

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Canada's Public Safety Minister has announced plans to increase its spending on border security

Canada’s Public Safety Minister has announced plans to increase its spending on border security after President-elect Donald Trump promised to levy heavy tariffs because of illegal immigration across the US-Canada border.

Following the meeting with Trudeau, Canada’s public safety minister, Dominic LeBlanc, told reporters, “We believe there is a circumstance where we can make additional investments to ensure that all of the necessary measures are in place and will continue to be in place.” Of course, he declined to disclose how much additional federal government funding would make available.

Canada’s provincial governments have blasted Justin Trudeau for failing to emphasize border security.

On Wednesday, Ontario leader Doug Ford hoped the meeting with Trudeau would be “the start of a more proactive approach from the federal government” and would show it “takes the security of our border seriously . . or risk the economic chaos of Trump tariffs”.

Quebec’s premier, François Legault, an ardent critic of border security, said late Wednesday: “It is critical to secure the borders in both directions.”

We do not want a new wave of immigrants, but Mr. Trudeau must present a plan to comfort Mr. Trump.”

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The US-Canada border is the longest in the world.

The US-Canada border is the world’s longest, spanning approximately 9,000 kilometres on land and ocean. Land security is modest; few walls or fences are sometimes denoted with simple stone markers along residential streets.

While major road crossings have checkpoints, the border is mostly managed by mobile patrols, making it vulnerable to smugglers of migrants, drugs, and firearms.

Tom Homan, Trump’s new border Tsar, stated in a recent TV interview that Canada cannot be a route for terrorists into the US. “It’s an extreme national security vulnerability on the northern border, and it’s one of the things I’ll tackle,” according to him.

According to Homan, the number of migrants apprehended attempting to cross from Canada into the United States increased by about 600 percent, from 27,180 in 2021 to 198,929 in 2024.

The Canadian side of the border is manned by 8,500 frontline Canada Border Services Agency employees, who monitor the nearly C$3.6 billion (US$2.6 billion) in products and services and the over 400,000 persons who cross each day.

However, their union believes an additional 2,000-3,000 border officers are required. “The union has been vocal about the lack of staff at the border for years,” Customs and Immigration Union president Mark Weber stated.

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to deport millions of undocumented migrants once he takes office early next year, and Canadian officials are concerned that many would flee to Canada to escape being apprehended by US immigration agents.

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Canada Post Begins Laying off Striking Postal Workers

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Canada Post Laying Off Striking Postal Workers
Striking postal workers in Lacombe, Alberta huddle to keep warm - Photo by Cory Knutt.

Canada Post has recently been criticized for temporarily laying off striking postal workers. This move has aroused much controversy as the labour strike approaches its two-week milestone.

Canada Post recently announced layoffs aimed at individuals involved in the strike. According to accounts, these layoffs are temporary. However, the decision has exacerbated tensions between the corporation and the union.

Unfortunately, due to the continued national labour disruption caused by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and its severe impact on the company, we have adjusted our operations under the Canada Labour Code,” said Canada Post spokesperson Phil Rogers.

Exact figures are still unknown, but a major chunk of the 55,000 unionized workers is expected to be affected. The layoffs are mostly concentrated in areas where the strike severely affects services.

For many employees, this measure adds financial stress to a difficult situation. Striking workers lose pay during labour disputes, and layoffs exacerbate their capacity to make ends meet.

Canada Post Scare Tactic

The CUPW has slammed the layoffs as a “scare tactic.” They believe this action is intended to pressure workers to return before their demands are addressed. Meanwhile, Canada Post claims it’s an essential precaution to keep operations running throughout the strike.

According to labour and employment expert Deborah Hudson, Canada Post’s layoffs are unusual and will almost certainly face legal challenges from the union.

According to the Canada Post, its company suffered severely during the strike. It was previously stated that the labour interruption has affected approximately 10 million parcels since the job strike began on November 15.

Negotiations between the two sides are currently at a deadlock. The union continues to advocate for its demands, while Canada Post maintains its stance.

The postal strike has no end in sight. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said Wednesday that an Ottawa-appointed mediator was going nowhere because the sides were too far apart on fundamental topics. The mediation negotiations were temporarily postponed, and the administration has no plans to intervene.

Back to Work Legislation

In a statement Thursday, spokesman Rogers stated that Canada Post is “considering its options to move negotiations forward with greater urgency and remains committed to negotiating new collective agreements.”

Meanwhile, union president Jan Simpson stated Wednesday that the CUPW is battling to keep good full-time positions.

If the issue persists, the federal government may interfere. During previous labour disputes, Ottawa enforced back-to-work laws to restore mail services. Whether that happens this time depends on how long and disruptive the strike is.

The Labour Minister says the special mediator will re-engage with both parties once productive bargaining can resume.

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