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.
Up to 140 millimetres of rain was expected near the North Shore mountains and Squamish, prompting the agency to say motorists should avoid driving through water because even shallow, fast-moving water across a road can sweep a vehicle or a person away.
West Fraser also says its pulp shipments to the port of Vancouver, from where the majority of its export pulp ships, have averaged less than 20 per cent of normal volumes.
The Vancouver-based athletic apparel retailer claims in court documents that Peloton is selling "knock-off" Lululemon bras and leggings, infringing on multiple design patents.
The union says the workers are requesting better health, dental, and insurance benefits for all drivers, along with increased payments for time spent waiting for their trucks to be loaded and unloaded
VPD investigators believe the stabbing occurred last Friday afternoon, near Main and Hastings, after a confrontation between two men outside the community centre. Although the incident was not immediately reported to police, officers began investigating after the victim showed up at hospital with several serious stab wounds.
There are currently 2,882 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 212,704 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 303 individuals are currently in hospital and 115 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
