A Mountie who got to know the man who later murdered 22 people in Nova Scotia in April 2020, has told a public inquiry he didn’t consider him a friend. Constable Greg Wiley visited the killer’s rural home 15 or 16 times between 2007 and 2011. Wiley says the man was not an official coded source, adding that he got to know him after he called police to report a property crime in 2007 or 2008. He says to the best of his recollection, he was never officially tasked to investigate the perpetrator of the Portapique incident in any way, shape or form.
Saskatchewan R-C-M-P continue their manhunt after a tip in the Saskatchewan stabbing suspect came up empty. Regina police Chief Evan Bray says police no longer believe Myles Sanderson may be in James Smith Cree Nation. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters in Vancouver he’s already been engaged with the parole board and has been told there would be an investigation into its decision to let Sanderson roam free. Parole Board documents show Myles Sanderson has a nearly two-decade-long criminal record and a propensity for violence when intoxicated.
Nova Scotia Power is looking to raise rates by 11.6 percent between 2022 and 2024, and has made the request to regulators. The 11.6 percent is higher than the 10 percent increase in its application in January. The power company points to the rising fuel costs, saying last week that its fuel costs are $681 million higher than the forecast that was the basis for its rate hike application earlier this year.
The Nova Scotia government says it remains committed to closing large institutions housing people with disabilities but has no timeline for when that will happen. Eight adult residential and regional rehabilitation centres are still open even though a report issued in 2013 called for them all to be replaced by small options homes by next year. Community Services deputy minister Tracey Taweel has told a legislature committee that only one is set to close this year because the province needs to ensure residents are supported as they move out. The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruled last October that the province’s failure to offer “meaningful” access to housing services for people with disabilities amounted to a violation of their basic rights.
Halifax’s I-W-K children’s hospital says it recommends that students and teachers wear masks in schools, especially if they are feeling unwell. The hospital says in an open letter that masks should be worn by people who attend school with mild cold symptoms and people who have been in close contact with someone who is ill. The hospital also asked parents to speak with their children about the importance of not bullying other children about whether they do or do not wear a mask in school.
