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York Regional Police tactical officers are seen in the lobby of a condo building in Vaughan, Ont., Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. Police say multiple people are dead, including the suspect, after a shooting in an apartment building. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Ontario police watchdog says Toronto-area condo shooter was 73-year-old man

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

VAUGHAN, Ont. - A gunman suspected of killing five people in a Toronto-area condo before being shot by police was a 73-year-old man, Ontario's police watchdog said Monday as authorities worked to learn more about what happened.

The Special Investigations Unit said a York Regional Police officer shot the gunman, who died at the scene in Vaughan, Ont., Sunday night.

"There was an interaction between an officer and the armed man in the building. The officer fired his gun and struck the man," the SIU wrote in a statement. "Paramedics were called and the man was pronounced deceased at the scene."

As day broke over the condo on Jane Street north of Rutherford Road, about 15 police cars and a large forensic identification truck remained outside the high-rise. The main entrance to the building was taped off.

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In The News for Dec. 19: Can the world save its own biodiversity?

The Canadian Press 7 minute read Preview

In The News for Dec. 19: Can the world save its own biodiversity?

The Canadian Press 7 minute read Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what's on the radar of our editors for the morning of Monday, Dec. 19 ...

What we are watching in Canada ...

Negotiators in Montreal have finalized an agreement to halt and reverse the destruction of nature by 2030, as the COP15 talks enter their final official day.

An announcement issued early Monday morning says the gathering nations at the biodiversity summit have agreed to four goals and 23 targets.

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Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

Delegates take souvenir photos during a snowfall outside the convention centre at the COP15 UN conference on biodiversity in Montreal, Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

‘Glaciers can’t get a break’: How climate change is affecting Canada’s icy landscape

Amy Smart, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

‘Glaciers can’t get a break’: How climate change is affecting Canada’s icy landscape

Amy Smart, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

VANCOUVER - On a mountain high above the residents of Metro Vancouver, tucked inside a north-facing gully, the region's last remaining glacier is vanishing fast.

The Coquitlam Glacier has survived 4,000 to 5,000 years thanks to its sheltered location on the east side of the Coquitlam watershed.

However, scientists say it's among thousands across Canada that are shrinking more quickly than expected due to climate change, with consequences for everything from ecosystems and climate regulation to water supply and tourism.

"It's hanging in there, but it's certainly wasting away quite quickly at this point," said Peter Marshall, field hydrologist with Metro Vancouver's water services.

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Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

The Coquitlam Glacier is shown in this 2022 handout photo. On a mountain high above the residents of Metro Vancouver, tucked inside a north-facing gully, the region's last remaining glacier is disappearing fast. The Coquitlam Glacier has survived 4,000 to 5,000 years thanks to its sheltered location on the east side of the Coquitlam watershed. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Metro Vancouver

Air Force to add oversight after officers lose pay over ‘egregious’ pilot call sign

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Air Force to add oversight after officers lose pay over ‘egregious’ pilot call sign

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

OTTAWA - While the Royal Canadian Air Force plans to add more control over how fighter pilots get their call signs, a senior officer says there are no plans to abolish the nicknames — or the social gatherings where they are handed out.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Maj.-Gen. Iain Huddleston said he is aiming to have a formalized process for assigning call signs in place by the end of January.

Yet he also defended such nicknames as important for morale and esprit de corps.

"They're a tool that's been used for many years to bring those teams that are focused on fighter operations together," Huddleston said. "So, I think it's important to have that team spirit, that esprit de corps, that camaraderie."

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Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

A CF-18 Hornet sits on the tarmac at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, in Trenton, Ont., on Monday June 20, 2022. A senior Air Force officer says the military will add more oversight over how call signs are assigned to fighter pilots. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

‘Perfect storm’ of inflation, high prices driving more into homelessness: advocates

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

‘Perfect storm’ of inflation, high prices driving more into homelessness: advocates

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

CALGARY - Social agencies and advocates say rising interest rates and high inflation are pushing more Canadians into homelessness.

Chaz Smith, who was once homeless himself, said some of the clients of his BeTheChangeYYC street outreach group have been on waiting lists for affordable housing for more than five months.

He said with interest rates and inflation on the rise, it could make the rental market more difficult to enter.

"My fear is we're going to see people default into the rental market that's already crowded and we're going to see an increase in homelessness throughout all of Canada," said Smith, who founded BeTheChangeYYC.

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Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

Outreach volunteers offer help to the homeless on a -20 C night in Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. Social agencies and advocates say rising interest rates and a high rate of inflation are pushing more Canadians into homelessness. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CP NewsAlert: Countries at COP15 reach deal to preserve biodiversity

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

MONTREAL - Countries taking part in the COP15 biodiversity conference in Montreal say they've reached an agreement on four goals and 23 targets.

The goals include protecting 30 per cent of Earth's lands, oceans, coastal areas, inland waters, as well as, reducing by $500 billion annual harmful government subsidies and cutting food waste in half.

More coming

Negotiators finalize nature deal ahead of final day of COP15 convention

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Negotiators finalize nature deal ahead of final day of COP15 convention

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

MONTREAL - Negotiators in Montreal have finalized an agreement to halt and reverse the destruction of nature by 2030, as the COP15 talks enter their final official day.

An announcement issued early Monday morning says the gathering nations at the biodiversity summit have agreed to four goals and 23 targets.

The goals include protecting 30 per cent of the world's land, water and marine areas by 2030, as well as the mobilization, by 2030, of at least $200 billion per year in domestic and international biodiversity-related funding from all sources, both public and private.

There is also a pledge to reduce subsidies deemed harmful to nature by at least $500 Billion by 2030, while having developed countries commit to providing developing countries with at least US$20 billion per year by 2025, and $30 billion per year by 2030.

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Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada speaks to reporters at the COP15 the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Sunday, December 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

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Shooting at condo building in Vaughan, Ont., leaves six dead including gunman: police

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Shooting at condo building in Vaughan, Ont., leaves six dead including gunman: police

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

VAUGHAN, Ont. - A lone gunman opened fire and killed five people at a Toronto-area condo building on Sunday evening before he himself was shot by police, the regional force's chief said.

Jim MacSween, head of the York Regional Police Force, offered few details in the hours immediately following the shooting in Vaughan, Ont. But in a hastily called news conference outside the building, he said police immediately realized a complex situation was unfolding.

"Once the officers arrived they were met with a horrendous scene," he said. "Numerous victims were deceased."

MacSween said officers were called to what he described as an active shooting at around 7:20 p.m. In a separate news release, York Police said early reports suggested a man had shot multiple people.

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Monday, Dec. 19, 2022

Four cows have been captured in a small Quebec town after months on the loose

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Four cows have been captured in a small Quebec town after months on the loose

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

QUEBEC - After several months on the run, four cows from a herd of runaway cattle were captured on Saturday night in St-Sévère, Que.

The regional chapter of the Union des producteurs agricoles says the cows were transported back to their original farm on Sunday morning.

Specialists examined the cows after their capture and confirmed the animals were in good shape.

The union says weather conditions over the last few days prevented the entire herd from being captured, so another operation will take place soon to catch seven or eight animals that remain at large.

Read

Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

A cow grazes in a pasture on a farm near Cremona, Alta., Wednesday, June 26, 2019. After several months on the run, four cows from a herd of runaway cattle were finally captured on Saturday night in St-Sévère, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Moscow accuses Ottawa of leading isolation effort, amid squabble over tweets, summons

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Moscow accuses Ottawa of leading isolation effort, amid squabble over tweets, summons

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

OTTAWA - Russia's ambassador to Canada says Ottawa is at the vanguard of an effort to isolate his country, following a series of social-media squabbles and ongoing salvos where each country summons the other's top diplomat.

Oleg Stepanov told Russian state media that he's exasperated by Canada's foreign-affairs department tweeting unflattering information about the war in Ukraine, particularly recent tweets about Russian men fleeing a military draft.

"When there is no real diplomacy on the Canadian side, no ability or appetite to deal with matters serious to Russia, they turn on this Twitter megaphone," Stepanov told RIA Novosti last week, in Russian.

He added that Canada appears to be leading an effort by Western countries to isolate Russia.

Read

Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

The flag flies outside the embassy of the Russian Federation to Canada in Ottawa on Monday, March 26, 2018. Russia's ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, says Ottawa is at the vanguard of a social-media effort that it argues is meant to demoralize Russian soldiers.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Argentina fans delighted over thrilling World Cup win against France

Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Argentina fans delighted over thrilling World Cup win against France

Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

TORONTO - Canadian soccer fans stood in chilly pre-dawn lineups, painted their faces and ultimately wound up on a wild ride on Sunday as they packed bars to take in a particularly tense World Cup final.

But it was Team Argentina's fans who ultimately got to celebrate after the squad headed by superstar Lionel Messi secured the win in penalty shots.

At Cafe Diplomatico in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood, fans in a packed tent screamed and jumped up when Argentina took the title, hugging each other and waving flags. Music filled the tent and fans danced in celebration, with many screaming Messi's name.

"That is a perfect representation of what this beautiful game is," Argentina fan Ian Saya said as he celebrated the win.

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Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

Argentina's Lionel Messi, right on the pitch, celebrates after scoring his side's first goal on a penalty kick during the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Hassan Ammar

‘Hallowed space’: Divers pull 275 artifacts from 2022 excavation of Franklin ship

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

‘Hallowed space’: Divers pull 275 artifacts from 2022 excavation of Franklin ship

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

Eleven metres below the surface of the Northwest Passage, deep within the wreck of one of Capt. John Franklin's doomed ships, something caught the eye of diver Ryan Harris.

Harris was in the middle of the 2022 field season on the wreck of HMS Erebus. The team had been hauling dozens of artifacts to the surface -- elaborate table settings, a lieutenant's epaulets still in their case, a lens from someone's eyeglasses.

But this, sitting within the steward's pantry, was something else.

"It's probably the most remarkable find of the summer," said Harris, one of the Parks Canada team of archaeologist divers who have been excavating Franklin's two lost ships since they were found under the Arctic seas.

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Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

Parks Canada underwater archaeologist Jonathan Moore observes a washing basin and an officer's bedplace on the lower deck of the wreck of HMS Erebus during a dive in this September 2022 handout photo in the Northwest Passage. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Parks Canada, Marc-Andre Bernier *MANDATORY CREDIT*

‘One side or the other’: Coutts, Alta. still a village divided after convoy blockade

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

‘One side or the other’: Coutts, Alta. still a village divided after convoy blockade

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

COUTTS, Alta. - The sound of blaring horns that echoed through this village 10 months ago has been replaced by the steady hum of semi-trailer trucks filing through the border crossing between Alberta and the United States.

There is an undercurrent in the community of 250 people, belied by a smiley face on its water tower, that suggests an ongoing division dating back to three weeks in late January, when a convoy of truckers and their supporters shut the border in protest of COVID-19 restrictions.

There was hope that time and community events over the year would provide healing.

Keith Dangerfield, who operates the Hills of Home Cafe/Bed and Breakfast with his wife, was an avid supporter of the convoy. His restaurant became a regular gathering spot.

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Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

A truck convoy of anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators blocks the highway at the busy Canada-U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alta., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Pierre Poilievre thinks he can win over new Canadians. Here’s how he plans to do it.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Pierre Poilievre thinks he can win over new Canadians. Here’s how he plans to do it.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

OTTAWA - A young Pierre Poilievre sits in front of a room of Conservative faithful and explains their party's strategy for winning a majority mandate.

That hasn't happened yet. It's 2009 and while the Tories have won two federal elections, they've remained in minority territory for three years.

"We will win a majority if we appeal to naturally conservative-inclined voters and get them out to vote, and we turn small-c conservative immigrants into big-C Conservative voters," the MP says in a video posted to the website of the Cable Public Affairs Channel.

"That's the formula."

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Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asks a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

COP15 negotiators heading towards a global nature deal, environment minister says

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

COP15 negotiators heading towards a global nature deal, environment minister says

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

MONTREAL - A global agreement to protect a significant percentage of the world's lands and waters will be reached by the time the COP15 nature convention ends on Monday, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Sunday.

Guilbeault spoke on the second to last official day of the conference, as negotiators in Montreal pored over the draft of an agreement that would also include mobilizing hundreds of billions of dollars to fund the pledges.

Chinese Environment Minister Huang Runqiu released the new draft of the Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework on Sunday morning.

It preserves the marquee goal of ensuring that 30 per cent of "terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services," be effectively conserved by 2030.

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Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022

Amel Ibrahem, a delegate from Sudan, examines her first ever snowman which she built during a break from the COP 15 summit on biodiversity, in Montreal, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter McCabe

Feds, Northwest Territories to create Indigenous protected area for Great Bear Lake

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Feds, Northwest Territories to create Indigenous protected area for Great Bear Lake

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022

MONTREAL - The federal government, the Northwest Territories and the Délı̨nę Got'ı̨nę government signed off on a plan Saturday to create an Indigenous protected area around Great Bear Lake.

The three governments signed a letter of intent at the COP15 biodiversity conference in Montreal in what the First Nation describes as a major win, having fought to have the lake declared an Indigenous protected and conserved area.

"Our people have kept it that way for many generations, we believe that we have the responsibility to keep it that way for the future generations yet to come," Chief Danny Gaudet of the Délı̨nę Got'ı̨nę said via Zoom.

"It's our turn to have a responsibility to treat this place with respect, it is something that we have been told to keep alive (by elders) because it will be a place of refuge for the future of people, for all living things."

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Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022

December 24, 2024

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