Monday, December 29, 2025
ADVT 
National

Chinese balloon flew through Canada's 'radar gaps'

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 17 Feb, 2023 11:24 AM
  • Chinese balloon flew through Canada's 'radar gaps'

OTTAWA - The deputy commander of Norad says a suspected Chinese spy balloon passed through "radar gaps" during its flight over Canada.

Lt.-Gen. Alain Pelletier says that affected the military's ability to track its flight path as it flew over central British Columbia.

Pelletier and Maj.-Gen. Paul Prevost of the Canadian Armed Forces strategic joint staff are appearing before a parliamentary committee this morning.

The two say the Chinese balloon passed near several Canadian military bases during its journey through Canada on Jan. 30-31.

But they say the balloon did not pass over anything of particular significance before it re-entered the United States and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4.

Pelletier says they won't know exactly what the balloon was capable of until it can be analyzed.

MORE National ARTICLES

Two officers dead after shooting in Innisfil

Two officers dead after shooting in Innisfil
The South Simcoe Police Service said police responded to a disturbance call in Innisfil, Ont., just before 8 p.m. Tuesday when the shooting took place. Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, said the two police officers who died were involved in a shooting with a 23-year-old man inside the home.

Two officers dead after shooting in Innisfil

Housing strategies abound in Vancouver mayor race

Housing strategies abound in Vancouver mayor race
Statistics Canada data published last month confirmed that B.C. leads the country as the province with the highest rate of unaffordable homes, due largely to the number of people paying high rents to live in downtown Vancouver. The city's home price-income unaffordability is also routinely ranked among the worst in the world.

Housing strategies abound in Vancouver mayor race

Stink bug invasion: Pests thrive in B.C. heat

Stink bug invasion: Pests thrive in B.C. heat
The brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive species in Canada, is thriving in the province this season thanks to summer-like weather extending into the fall months, experts say. Although population counts aren't readily available, the unwelcome intruder is earning notice across the Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver and parts of the Okanagan, particularly Kelowna.

Stink bug invasion: Pests thrive in B.C. heat

Crown seeks 12 years for Amanda Todd harasser

Crown seeks 12 years for Amanda Todd harasser
The Crown is seeking a 12-year prison term for 44-year-old Aydin Coban, who was convicted in August of several offences related to an unrelenting online attack aimed at Port Coquitlam teen Amanda Todd. She endured three years of online stalking and abuse as Coban hid behind aliases and threatened and blackmailed her, before she took her own life in 2012 when she was 15.  

Crown seeks 12 years for Amanda Todd harasser

Vancouver Police investigating after Downtown Eastside shooting

Vancouver Police investigating after Downtown Eastside shooting
Just before 11:00 this morning, the VPD received 9-1-1 calls reporting a man standing at East Hastings and Columbia Street had just fired a gun, then ran out of the area. The witnesses also reported bear spray had been deployed around the same time.

Vancouver Police investigating after Downtown Eastside shooting

Make work-hour pilot permanent: student advocates

Make work-hour pilot permanent: student advocates
The International Sikh Students Association has long been calling for this change, and launched a petition early this year to move that cap from 20 to 30 hours to up the quality of life for students. Jaspreet Singh, who founded the association, said the government's decision to temporarily lift the cap came as a surprise.

Make work-hour pilot permanent: student advocates