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 Lions Gate Bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic in both directions for three nights beginning Friday, April 29, 2022. The closures are necessary to complete the counterflow system upgrade, which will include a changeover and testing of the electrical system.
The federal government is investing $6.7 million on a Canada-wide research platform to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on children. Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told reporters today in Montreal the platform will involve researchers at 16 Canadian institutions.
Two weeks ago the central bank raised its key interest rate a half point to one per cent and warned more rate hikes would be coming as it works toward an inflation target of two per cent.
Seth Berkley, the head of GAVI, says while countries such as a Canada are offering fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines with vaccination rates above 80 per cent of its population, the global rate is just 59 per cent. He says in the poorest 18 countries less than 10 per cent of people are fully vaccinated.
The vehicle, which is described as a newer model white Toyota Rav 4, was last seen northbound on Moody Ave. from East 11th Street. Police are appealing for anyone with dash cam or CCTV footage that may have captured the incident or the vehicle, to contact them.
The research published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that vaccinated people who mix with those who are not vaccinated have a significantly greater chance of being infected than those who stick with people who have received the shot.
