Â鶹´«Ã½

Politics

    • Canada's UN envoy says intervention is the best chance to heal gang crisis in Haiti

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    Canada's ambassador to the United Nations says a looming military intervention is the best chance Haiti has of uprooting gangs that are causing havoc.

    Bob Rae says Canada has been focused on making sure Haitians are in charge of how to restore stability to their country, despite having no elected government.

    The unelected prime minister, Ariel Henry, has today agreed to leave office once a transitional presidential council is created, after months of pressure from Canada and its peers.

    Haiti has been in a profound security crisis since mid-2021, and Henry has called for an international military intervention to clear out violent gangs that have taken over large swaths of the country.

    Rae acknowledged that a military mission is controversial among the large Haitian diaspora in Montreal, but he challenged those who oppose the move to propose another way of ending the chaos.

    Kenya had agreed to lead an intervention, but reportedly suspended the deployment until Haiti has its governance sorted out, a move Rae says is not justified.

    "We have to be able to respond to the security crises that are the most important to us, and Haiti is certainly one of those," Rae told The Canadian Press in an interview.

    "The world is shrinking. And in that world, we must pay more much more attention to what's going on in our neighbourhood," he said. "Insecurity, violence, trafficking, human trafficking (and) drug trafficking affects everybody in the region, including us."

    The instability has led to a rise in regional gun trafficking that has alarmed the 15-nation Caribbean bloc known as Caricom, which said in a statement late Friday that "the situation on the ground remains dire" in Haiti.

    Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has welcomed Henry's eventual resignation, and urged the key players in Haiti to work toward ending the ongoing humanitarian, security and political crises.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Henry hours before his announcement, and affirmed the close ties between Canada and Haiti, according to a late Monday notice from Trudeau's office.

    Henry had been locked out of his own country while travelling abroad as gangs have overrun much of Haiti's capital and closed down its main international airports.

    Rae attended a Monday meeting in Jamaica with several Caribbean leaders along with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

    Henry was in Puerto Rico during the meeting, according to a statement from the U.S. territory's Department of State, and was taking steps to return to Haiti once feasible.

    Haiti's latest security crisis started with mid-2021 assassination of former president Jovenel Moise. Henry was put into power as prime minister with the support of Washington.

    Washington had asked Canada to lead an international military intervention, but the federal government has not been eager to step in. Trudeau has cited past missions organized by the UN in which foreign soldiers sexually exploited Haitians and introduced cholera to the country.

    Canadian military officials have made similar comments, and argued the Armed Forces does not have the resources to lead an intervention.

    Kenya agreed last fall to lead the mission, though that decision has been contested by Kenyan courts.

    Canada's focus has been to strengthen the Haitian National Police, co-ordinating with donor countries to make sure officers have the equipment needed to maintain public order. The country does not have a military.

    Ottawa announced last week that it would provide $80.5 million toward the UN-sanctioned mission, while noting that it requires much more money and personnel from other countries.

    Last October, federal officials told Parliament that Canada is likely to deploy RCMP officers to Haiti to act as trainers during such a mission, instead of sending troops. Canada's work would be focused on preventing sexual violence, they said.

    Rae said that remains the plan.

    Canada's defence chief said last week that managing security could be a lengthy, difficult process in a country like Haiti, which lacks a solid political and economic framework.

    While Haiti has been in chaos for years, gang violence flared up in late February. By early March, gangs freed thousands of inmates, leading Haiti to declare a state of emergency. Some embassies have evacuated non-essential staff during the past week, though Canada's diplomats are working from home instead of from the embassy.

    Quebec has a large Haitian community -- estimated at more than 140,000.

    Many Haitian Montrealers are worried about loved ones amid the violent attacks that have paralyzed the Haitian capital.

    Among them is Wedne Colin, who said his family members had to flee their homes several times to find a place that's safe from the armed gangs that control the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2024.

    -- With files from The Associated Press

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Debate gets testy as MPs consider confidence motion in PM Trudeau

    MPs debated the first non-confidence motion of the fall House of Commons sitting today, seeing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre push once again for a snap election. But with votes secured to keep them afloat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals were quick to turn the discussion into a referendum on the Conservative alternative.

    A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.

    After Ontario Premier Doug Ford made controversial comments about solutions to get people out of homeless encampments, advocates and members of the opposition spoke up on Tuesday.

    Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.

    We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

    Canada

    • An advocate organization is calling for an inquiry following the death of a six-year-old boy who went missing in Shamattawa First Nation.

    • Montreal battery fire sparks prevention warning

      The smoke over the Port of Montreal has dissipated, but the fire in a container filled with 15,000 kilograms of lithium batteries prompted firefighters to issue a warning about how common these incidents have become.

    • A team at the University of Waterloo are developing a process to 3D-print bones, which could dramatically improve the quality of life for cancer and trauma patients.

    • Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.

    • After Ontario Premier Doug Ford made controversial comments about solutions to get people out of homeless encampments, advocates and members of the opposition spoke up on Tuesday.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • A team at the University of Waterloo are developing a process to 3D-print bones, which could dramatically improve the quality of life for cancer and trauma patients.

    • The province has announced a new plan to lower the age for mammogram self-referrals to 40 from 50 in an effort to get more Manitobans screened for breast cancer.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • The Crown's key witness in the sexual assault trial against former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard will take the stand in a northern Ontario courtroom Tuesday afternoon following the judge's instructions to the jury.

    • Canadian rapper Drake and rockers Arkells are among the top musical talent set to be toasted at the SOCAN Awards tonight.

    Business

    • Metro Vancouver grain terminal workers are now on strike, bringing tens of millions of dollars of exports to a standstill.

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.

    Local Spotlight

    Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

    An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

    Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

    Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

    A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    • Less than one month before voters cast their ballots in the provincial election, a new poll of British Columbians shows half of respondents fear for their safety in their own communities.

    • A new report from Re/Max shows it's becoming increasingly unrealistic for most people to buy a detached home in Metro Vancouver.

    • Jericho Pier has been closed to the public since a storm battered it in January 2022 – but now, the Vancouver Park Board has approved a plan to repair it at a cost of $1 million.

    • An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.

    • A woman fatally struck in a collision in The Junction neighbourhood on Monday evening is being remembered as a 'wonderful and beautiful person' who was a beloved member of Toronto's jazz community.

    • Ontario's ministry of education is now officially investigating a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) field trip at an Indigenous rights rally students participated in, where pro-Palestinian slogans were later chanted.

    • Alberta's premier wants to reinforce the ability to choose whether to receive a vaccination or other medical procedures through changes to the province's Bill of Rights.

    • In-street signs meant to slow drivers down and keep pedestrians safe are having to be replaced at a rapid rate in Calgary because they're being hit by vehicles.

    • A Calgary man is facing child pornography charges after an investigation uncovered years of messages exchanged with an alleged felon.

    • Ottawa police say two people under the age of 18 have been arrested following an incident that prompted a lockdown at Glebe Collegiate Institute around the noon hour Tuesday.

    • After Ontario Premier Doug Ford made controversial comments about solutions to get people out of homeless encampments, advocates and members of the opposition spoke up on Tuesday.

    • Ottawa Community Housing has announced a new development downtown, which in its first phase will see 336 new affordable homes – and that plan is only the beginning.

    • The heat is rising for Quebec Premier François Legault as opposition parties demand answers about his government's investment in the planned Northvolt battery factory near Montreal.

    • Quebec's language watchdog received a record number of complaints from citizens last year and carried out an increasing number of inspections on employers.

    • Quebec's minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit says northern communities can't opt out of paying their electricity bills.

    • One person was hospitalized after a crash involving a Valley Line Southeast LRT train and a semi Tuesday morning.

    • While Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch and his staff still have two weeks of training camp to decide who stays and who goes to cement the 23-man roster for opening night, onlookers saw what could well be the makeup of the squad come Oct. 9's home game against the Winnipeg Jets.

    • An online tool now available to local drivers allows them to begin their fender-bender report from their desktop or their mobile device.

    • As temperatures cool down, the Halifax Regional Municipality is serving eviction notices to residents at one of the city’s larger tent encampments.

    • Questions are being raised over the use of body cameras in stores as a way to combat crime.

    • Antigonish County District RCMP is trying to track down a man wanted on a provincewide arrest warrant for sexual assault in Nova Scotia.

    • An advocate organization is calling for an inquiry following the death of a six-year-old boy who went missing in Shamattawa First Nation.

    • An MLA recently kicked out of the NDP caucus says he is setting the record straight about a controversial handshake between PC MLA Obby Khan and Premier Wab Kinew.

    • Summer officially gave way to autumn on Sunday, but Winnipeg’s construction season is far from over with work continuing on regional roadways and residential streets.

    • An appeal hearing stemming from a court challenge of the Government of Saskatchewan's Parents' Bill of Rights has come to a close.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP remain at the scene of a "police incident" on Fishing Lake First Nation after it announced officers were in the area searching for a suspect wanted in a long list of armed robberies.

    • A new program is expanding the capacity of breast cancer screening services across Saskatchewan, and a fundraising campaign is underway to get it done. This all comes as age requirement have been lowered for mammogram screening starting in the new year.

    • A reward of up to $50K has been issued by Waterloo Regional Police for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Joshua Bennett.

    • Back in July, a plot of land had an immature crop of corn destroyed. It was an action that outraged local farmers. Now, a new report into the matter has been released and will be presented to regional council Wednesday.

    • A replacement plaque has been installed at a memorial for a Cambridge boy and a Waterloo Regional Police officer who drowned in 1998.

    • The Government of Saskatchewan says a private Christian school, embroiled in abuse allegations, has proved it's met education ministry rules by formally disconnecting from an affiliated church. But, by some indications, connections remain.

    • An appeal hearing stemming from a court challenge of the Government of Saskatchewan's Parents' Bill of Rights has come to a close.

    • A new program is expanding the capacity of breast cancer screening services across Saskatchewan, and a fundraising campaign is underway to get it done. This all comes as age requirement have been lowered for mammogram screening starting in the new year.

    • We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

    • A 49-year-old Sudbury woman who was killed in a tragic collision with a police boat June 7 on Nepewassi Lake was told to remain in a residence on an island until police returned to pick her up.

    • The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.

    • “I was going to make breakfast, and I put the frying pan on the stove and opened it and remembered I needed something from No Frills,†said Frank Wall, who lives just north of Aylmer, Ont.

    • Protesting for more than an hour in a pouring rain, members of tenants’ advocacy group London ACORN called on city council to strengthen a draft licensing by-law meant to discourage so-called ‘renovictions’.

    • Three construction workers are being praised for their actions that police in Barrie say likely prevented an armed man from fleeing before being taken into custody.

    • Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.

    • An Uber driver was handed a 12-month driving ban on Tuesday following a collision that injured a pedestrian and killed a labrador retriever in Barrie.

    • A person from Windsor has died in a collision on Highway 59 in Oxford County.

    • A road in Essex County has reopened following a multi-vehicle crash. According to OPP, County Road 20 had been closed between Iler road and McCormick Road in Harrow.

    • Amherstburg town council has given the go-ahead for restoration proposals for the Belle Vue National Historic Site.

    • A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.

    • A boater was rescued on Monday evening after spending three hours in the frigid waters off Vancouver Island.

    • A man and a woman from Nanaimo, B.C., are facing more than two dozen charges after police seized four guns and several hundred grams of illicit drugs following a complaint about drug trafficking in the city's downtown core.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • Dozens of police officers and support workers have come to Lethbridge for the Social Disorder and Urban Crime Conference.

    • Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

    • To make higher education an easier step to take for Indigenous students, the University of Lethbridge is dropping some fees for those applicants.

    • A 25-year-old suspect was charged with impaired driving Sept. 21 after police spotted two people without helmets on an ATV on Sand Bay Road in Goulais River.

    • A federal offender who was last seen in Sudbury is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for allegedly breaching his statutory release conditions.

    • The Crown's key witness in the sexual assault trial against former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard will take the stand in a northern Ontario courtroom Tuesday afternoon following the judge's instructions to the jury.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½