National

B.C. RCMP conduct hearing delayed over disclosure issues, possible publication ban

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Mar, 2025 02:17 PM

An RCMP code of conduct hearing that could see three Mounties from Coquitlam, B.C., lose their jobs has been delayed until Thursday over disclosure issues and a possible publication ban.

The hearing in Surrey, B.C., was to begin with the testimony of a female officer who lawyers for the conduct hearing said would testify that Const. Ian Solven "outright lied" during his testimony at the hearing earlier this week.

Constables Solven, Mersad Mesbah and Philip Dick face allegations of discreditable conduct and workplace harassment over racist, homophobic and other derogatory messages made in police group chats on personal phones and over RCMP data terminals, which they deny.

John MacLaughlan, a lawyer for the RCMP conduct authority, says the officer scheduled to testify and others who were the subjects of derisive comments in the group chats need time to get independent legal advice and help from their union.

MacLaughlan told the conduct board that the proceedings should remain open to the public to the "greatest extent possible" because of the significant public interest involved, but he would not oppose a publication ban on alleged victims' names.

Brad Kielmann, Solven's lawyer, says he needed disclosure of the female officer's own private communications about the hearing, including Instagram messages, because they could be "highly relevant."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Foreign investment drives growth in BC

Invest Vancouver — Metro Vancouver's regional economic development service — has released a new report that it says shows "how foreign direct investment is a powerful driver of employment and economic growth in B-C." The report says in 2022 that foreign multinational enterprises employed more than 349-thousand people in B-C, which marked a 46.3 per cent increase when compared to 2016.

Foreign investment drives growth in BC

RCMP rolls out body-worn cameras for officers nationally

The RCMP will begin its rollout of body-worn cameras for RCMP officers across the country next week. It expects deployment of more than 10,000 cameras to be finished in the next 12 to 18 months.

RCMP rolls out body-worn cameras for officers nationally

Trudeau off to APEC in Peru, G20 summit in Brazil as peer nations brace for Trump

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on his way to South America this afternoon heading first to Lima, Peru for the APEC summit and then to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both summits aim to improve the multilateral institutions that have drawn skepticism from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

Trudeau off to APEC in Peru, G20 summit in Brazil as peer nations brace for Trump

Rent inflation to slow in the next few years, Desjardins predicts

The rate at which Canadian rental prices are increasing should slow in the coming years as the government's plan to cut back immigration numbers takes hold, a new report from Desjardins says. Rents have been rising fast and rent inflation is "much higher" than increases in the price of owned homes, it said. Inflation of rented accommodation was 8.3 per cent in the third quarter of this year, "the fastest pace since the early 1980s."

Rent inflation to slow in the next few years, Desjardins predicts

Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil

President-elect Donald Trump's promise to slap an across-the-board tariff of at least 10 per cent on all imports including from Canada is unlikely to apply to Canadian oil, energy experts are predicting. The threat of the tariff is causing a lot of concern north of the border, where the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said such a tariff could take a $30-billion bite out of the Canadian economy.

Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil

NDP expected to unveil campaign pledge to remove GST on internet, heat, diapers, more

With the cost of living playing a central role in provincial elections across Canada and in the U.S. presidential race, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is set to unveil a pre-campaign policy plank for the next federal election to differentiate his party from the governing Liberals. Singh is expected to announce this morning that an NDP government would remove the GST on what his party deems "essentials."