Ottawa, June 24 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has denied meddling in an investigation into the 2020 mass shooting, the worst the country's history.
Brenda Lucki, head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has been accused of pressuring local officers to help advance Trudeau's gun control plans, the BBC quoted the Halifax Examiner as saying, which was the first to report on the development.
According to the Halifax Examiner, the accusation stemmed from notes made by a local RCMP officer, released as part of a public investigation into the mass shooting on April 18-19, 2020, during which a gunman posing as a police officer killed 22 people in Nova Scotia.
The suspect died in a stand-off with police.
Addressing reporters on Thursday, Trudeau said that his government "did not put any undo influence or pressure" on police.
"It is extremely important to highlight that it is only the RCMP, it is only police that determine what and when to release information," the BBC quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Denying the accusations, Commissioner Lucki said in a statement released on Tuesday that information sharing between the federal government and police is normal during a high-profile event such as a mass shooting.
The RCMP chief however acknowledged that she "should have been more sensitive" in her approach.
Canada's opposition Conservative Party has called for a debate in the House of Commons, and a parliamentary committee voted on Thursday to hold a hearing into the matter.
In the wake of the deadliest rampage in Canadian history, Prime Minister Trudeau in May 2020 announced an immediate ban on the sale, transportation, importation, or use of some 1,500 makes and models of "military-grade assault-style" weapons.
The firearm has been seized and further work and analysis will be done to determine if there are any connections to any ongoing investigations. Surrey RCMP is working closely with partners at the Surrey School District as well as the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
Also, 93.4% (4,040,218) of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose, 90.9% (3,929,828) received their second dose and 54.0% (2,335,461) have received a third dose.
Susannah Goshko, the British High Commissioner to Canada, said her country's passage of new sanctions legislation on Thursday will strengthen its ability to target individuals close to President Vladimir Putin if Russian forces put one toe over the Ukraine border.
Avalanche Canada and Parks Canada issued the joint warning that applies from Thursday to Sunday, saying there's a weak layer buried under about 60 centimetres of snow.
A statement from the board says the type of black powder needed to fire the five-kilogram, muzzle-loaded naval cannon is difficult to find in most parts of the world but it will continue to search for alternative stocks.
In June of 2021, the SEU began an investigation into alleged street level drug activity. The investigation led police to properties in Maple Ridge and New Westminster. Utilizing covert strategies police were able to further the investigation and obtain search warrants.
