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.
WorkSafeBC says while the hazards may be different depending on the area, potential problems include building materials with asbestos, chemical or biological contamination, structural or electrical damage and animal carcasses.
As the SkyTrain arrived at Gateway Station, the suspect ran off the train and out of the station. The victim remained on the train and was met by SkyTrain staff and Transit Police at Surrey Central Station. The victim was taken to the hospital with multiple stab wounds.
Since the announced detection of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, a new poll suggests Canadians bracing for the worst. More than four in five respondents to an online survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies said they support closing the Canadian border to travellers coming from specific countries where the variant is already present.
At the outset of the pandemic, Canada's lack of biomanufacturing capability came into sharp focus, and the incapacity to produce COVID-19 vaccines domestically caused some major initial stumbles in the country's early vaccine rollout.
The federal government has introduced a bill in the House of Commons that would repeal mandatory minimum penalties for drug offences and some gun-related crimes. It would allow a judge to exercise discretion in imposing sentences that relate to the facts of the case, including considerations of the individual's experience with systemic racism and whether they pose a risk to public safety.
Snowfall warnings have been issued for parts of central and northern B.C. Environment Canada predicts 15 to 20 centimetres of snow will fall in the northeast, including the Prince George, Williston, McGregor and Peace River areas, intensifying throughout the day and continuing Tuesday night.
