Rideau Hall rampage could have ended very differently
OTTAWA—In the early hours of Thursday, July 2, there was a bizarre incident in the nation’s capital. A pickup truck smashed through the security gates at Rideau Hall. The impact disabled the vehicle and the driver continued his intrusion on foot. The RCMP confronted the man, and after a 90-minute negotiation, 46-year-old Corey Hurren was […]
Poor data, deficiencies in case management to blame for slow pace in enforcing deportation orders, says auditor general
A federal audit into deportation proceedings released Wednesday says that Canada’s border patrol agency failed to enforce orders for a majority of individuals who had been flagged by the system for “removal.” The auditor general attributed poor data quality, deficiencies in case management, and lack of follow through on investigating “wanted cases”—individuals with deportation orders […]
More questions than answers on the Rideau Hall ‘incident’
In the wake of a strange Canada Day 2020—thanks COVID-19!—we did have some excitement this year, just not what we wanted or expected. On July 2 a man from western Manitoba drove a truck through the locked gates of Rideau Hall, exited his vehicle and wandered around a bit, and eventually holed up in a […]
Feds’ policing reforms should respect self-governance of Indigenous people, say experts, Parliamentarians, in wake of deadly, violent run-ins with police
As the government works toward a new legislative framework aimed at improving the relationship between police and Indigenous people, some Parliamentarians and Indigenous experts say reforms should be rooted in self-determination, greater autonomy, and self-governance. Such changes could better reflect Ottawa’s commitment to reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, […]
Dafonte Miller case another shocking wake-up call for police reform
OTTAWA—It took Ontario Superior Court Justice Joseph Di Luca four-and-a-half hours’ worth of rationalization to conclude in his judgment that the white off-duty cop and his brother who beat up Dafonte Miller, who lost an eye as a result, didn’t commit much in the way of crimes. The judge said Toronto police Const. Michael Theriault’s […]
Mounting deaths stemming from police wellness checks a ‘wake-up call,’ says Senator
It’s time to “reset” how police and health professionals respond to people in crisis, says a Senator and former leading psychiatrist, in the wake of several police wellness checks that ended in the deaths of the people being checked on. Still, Independent Senator Stan Kutcher doesn’t echo the “well-intended” call that officers be removed from […]
Once you think you have a handle on where terrorism is going it throws you for a loop
OTTAWA—We have been living in a post-9/11 world now for almost two decades. The events of that fateful day led to two military invasions by the U.S. and its allies in the name of ‘fighting terrorism’ as well as actions by other nations in the same vein. We have all learned more than we probably […]
Beleagured Trump signals he’s betting it all on a white racist backlash
OTTAWA—The trajectory of the U.S. presidential election campaign clarified itself on the weekend as President Donald Trump confirmed the unyielding position he is carving out as Americans arrive at an epochal moment of truth in their troubled race relations. If there was any doubt that Trump would pursue the most dangerous, hateful strategy possible, one of inciting […]
Greater national oversight of RCMP officers needed, say experts, politicos, to address structural racism
As the government vows to bring in reforms to the RCMP, Ottawa should move away from its current “patchwork” approach to oversight bodies for the national police force to ensure greater accountability, say some experts and Parliamentarians. Calls for a re-evaluation of how the force is funded, how officers are held to account, and what […]
No pride in police history of neglect and violence against queer communities
OTTAWA—Some of you are new to caring about the humanity of Black lives. And it shows. In 2016, when Black Lives Matter defiantly stopped Toronto’s Pride Parade for 30 minutes to demand an end to uniformed and armed police presence—a parade that prominently featured the prime minister—they were met with outrage from the queer community. […]
