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.
Surrey RCMP is informing the public of three separate shootings that occurred over the weekend. While it is too early to conclusively determine a motive, all three shootings appear to be targeted, and investigators are exploring links to criminal activity and the drug trade.
A teenaged boy from South Vancouver could face criminal charges, after a woman and her dog were stabbed with a knife near the Marine Drive Canada Line Station on Friday night.
B.C. is prioritizing gasoline and diesel for essential vehicles, while working to keep fuel available for people in B.C. Under the EPA, an order restricting the purchase of vehicle fuel in certain regions of the province is in place until December 14 at midnight.
A date has been set for the government to deliver its promised apology to victims of military sexual misconduct. The Department of National Defence announced Monday that the apology will be delivered on Dec. 13 and come in the three parts.
Environment Canada is warning that up to 200 mm of rain could drench the central coast of British Columbia and parts of Vancouver Island through to Wednesday as a third atmospheric river hits the province.
Children in British Columbia between five and 11 years old can start getting shots of a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine today. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said last week that about 350,000 children are eligible to receive the modified dose of the Health Canada-approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
