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 Vancouver Police Department issued a statement on Twitter Thursday, saying Killarney Secondary, which has about 2,000 pupils, was put on lockdown as the Emergency Response Team conducted a room-by-room search.
The Liberals promised to provide coverage by the end of the year for children living in a household with an income of less than $90,000 and expanding next year it to include seniors and persons living with a disability.
LifeWorks, formerly known as Morneau Shepell, helps companies with employee and family assistance plans, absence management, pension and benefits administration and retirement planning.
Investigators believe two teenaged suspects, who do not attend Killarney, entered the school just after 9 a.m. and attempted to assault a male student. The suspects deployed bear spray then fled in a vehicle.
The previous estimate was $515 million in losses, but the bureau says in a statement that much of the increase is due to business claims in places where commercial insurance is more available.
Sims made it official Wednesday at an event with the newly formed municipal party Surrey Forward and the party's four declared council candidates, Ramon Bandong, Jim Bennett, June Liu and Theresa Pidcock.
