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W5

    • How avocados became 'green gold' to Mexican drug cartels, and a deeper dive into the Pivot Airlines saga

    A worker selects avocados at a packing plant in Uruapan, Michoacan state, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Armando Solis, File) A worker selects avocados at a packing plant in Uruapan, Michoacan state, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Armando Solis, File)
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    W5 is temporarily on hiatus while the NFL playoffs take centre stage on Saturday nights, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t working.

    In fact, some of the season’s most compelling investigations are underway and I want to give you a taste of what’s to come because I’m just bursting with excitement over some of these.

    First off, reporter Avery Haines and cameraman Jerry Vienneau are beasts. I mean in that in the best of ways.

    For some reason, neither of them have a very developed sense of fear. I’m only being slightly flippant. This is a photo that was taken three days ago.

    W5's Avery Haines talks to a leader of a Mexican cartel, surrounded by armed guards.

    Yes, that’s Avery talking to a Mexican cartel leader. Yes, during the week when the Canadian government said, don’t go to Mexico and if you’re there, shelter in place because of cartel violence.

    This particular cartel is known as the most ruthless in all of Mexico, with a penchant for extreme displays of public violence.

    W5 cameraman Jerry Vienneau shoots video of heavily armed Mexican cartel soldiers in Michoacan, Mexico.

    And yes, that’s Jerry shooting cartel members. I should say, shooting video. Unflinchingly. Beast.

    Here’s the twist. This is not a story about drugs. It’s a story about a lesser-known cartel product. A product that many of us probably have ripening on our counters. Avocados. Yes, the 'Green Gold' as it’s called in Cartel Land is a multi-billion dollar industry and you may be shocked to learn what farmers are doing to protect their crops and their families in an industry that Canadians support by buying hundreds of thousands of tonnes of the little green fruit.

    The average Canadian consumes 2.5 kgs (almost six pounds) of avocados a year. That’s twice as much as the average European.

    PIVOT AIRLINES

    W5 is also continuing its investigation into the Pivot Airlines passengers and crew who were detained for months without charges in the Dominican Republic after the crew reported what turned out to be more than 200 kgs of cocaine poorly hidden onboard.

    We’re chasing down which Canadians were involved in the doomed smuggling effort. You might be surprised to learn who is not investigating this ongoing story. Your confidential tips have been integral in advancing this story, so please keep them coming.

    Another story we’re digging into is how a rather unworldly and trusting grandmother from small town Ontario ended up next to murderers in a Hong Kong federal prison. It seems she was swindled – first out of money and then it got worse.

    With the promise of romance, it seems that a sophisticated crime syndicate tricked her into taking a suitcase into Hong Kong. That suitcase contained clothes with large buttons – buttons that were filled with…cocaine. Our story takes us from Barrie, Ont. to Hong Kong, China, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as we track down the men who gave her the drugs and learn what it will take to extract her from a potential life sentence.

    And finally, in the journalism world, it’s quite rare to land any in-prison interview – especially in Canada. I’ve personally had one cancelled seconds before it was slated to begin. But a few days ago, Genevieve Beauchemin sat down with a renowned convicted murderer in a Quebec prison.

    A man who the court decided killed four people back in the early 1990s. Or did he? Newly-unearthed evidence -- that never made it to trial -- suggests there are some serious concerns that he was wrongly convicted. We’ll lay out the evidence and introduce you to the team who are trying to unmake a murderer.

    W5 is back on the air with original episodes on January 28.   

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    Canada

    • A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.

    • British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.

    • A child was sent to hospital after being attacked by a coyote in northwest Calgary.

    • A commemorative rally marking the fourth anniversary of Joyce Echaquan’s death will take place in Ville-Marie on Saturday afternoon.

    • Alberta's premier spoke to calls for an outside, independent investigation into the death of Jon Wells during an incident involving Calgary police last week.

    • The union representing longshore workers at the Port of Montreal says work at two terminals could come to a standstill next week as the union served a 72-hour strike notice today.

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    Autos

    • A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

    • A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.

    Local Spotlight

    When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

    A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

    A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

    Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

    Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

    A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

    An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

    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.

    • British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.

    • As the weather cools and birds migrate to warmer climates, a wildlife rescue in B.C. has seen a "tragic surge" in animals hurt or killed after flying into windows.

    • A car on fire in a parkade in Vancouver’s downtown core sent black smoke billowing out in the area of Robson and Hornby streets Saturday evening.

    • A woman is dead after being stabbed in a home in Scarborough Sunday afternoon.

    • A large crowd of people hoping to collect a piece of Toronto history gathered outside the ;Leslieville dollhouse' Sunday, as the new owners of the beloved east-end home gave away the dolls, toys, knick-knacks, and teddy bears that covered the property.

    • A grassroots organization is calling on the provincial government to reopen the Ontario Science Centre after it was abruptly closed in June following the discovery of structural issues in the building.

    • The Calgary police homicide unit is investigating after two people were found dead in a home in the community of Penbrooke Meadows.

    • Calgarians gathered for a rally on Sunday in support of the people of Lebanon as conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate in the region.

    • A child was sent to hospital after being attacked by a coyote in northwest Calgary.

    • With CTV broadcasting NFL football games on Sundays this season, Â鶹´«Ã½ at Six with Austin Lee will be broadcasting live on our website and the Â鶹´«Ã½ App.

    • The federal holiday on Sept. 30 will bring some schedule changes in Ottawa as Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

    • A 23-year-old man sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries following a dispute with another man Saturday night at a bar in Gatineau, Que., police say.

    • Provincial police (SQ) say a head-on crash on Highway 30 in Candiac has left two people dead.

    • The provincial Crown corporation in charge of liquor sales in Quebec says a computer issue resulted in all its products being temporarily listed at 30 per cent off on its website.

    • Sandy Yep's roots dig deep in Chinatown. His family planted themselves in the neighbourhood in 1895, and four generations later, he was raised in its vibrancy. "When I was growing up, you would hear mahjong being played, you would hear voices of families laughing and running," Yep said. His ties to Chinatown are framed in several photos displayed in an outdoor exhibit in the heart of the neighbourhood.

    • A person is in critical condition after a serious crash that closed down Highway 795 south of Calmar on Sunday.

    • Kim Ruether lifted her son's eyelid and saw his still, dilated pupil staring at the ceiling as he lay on a stretcher in a northwestern Alberta hospital hallway a decade ago. She says she didn't need a doctor to tell her the boy was dead.

    • Thousands of kilometres of rural roads and highways in Alberta are nearing the end of their useful lives, and new research says the province is quickly running out of time to make the repairs needed to preserve them.

    • Women entrepreneurs from across New Brunswick were front and centre at a ‘pop-up shop’ showcase on Sunday.

    • The East Coast Ukrainian Festival kicked off at Pier 21 in Halifax on Saturday, celebrating Ukrainian culture and traditions.

    • Residents in Tadoule Lake, Man., and Churchill can expect to see heavy rain trickle in Sunday afternoon, lingering until Monday evening.

    • RCMP in Thompson, Man., are investigating two shooting incidents that took place within an hour Saturday evening.

    • As the temperatures begin to drop and the leaves change colour, the time for fall suppers has returned in Manitoba.

    • The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation takes place on Sept. 30 every year and is meant to recognize residential school survivors and their families.

    • The Town of Lumsden held their ninth annual Scarecrow festival Saturday.

    • The Saskatchewan Roughriders moved into second place in the CFL's West Division with a 29-16 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday.

    • People in Guelph may notice a new addition at the entrance to Franchetto Park in Guelph.

    • A young motorcyclist has been taken to an out-of-region hospital after a single vehicle crash in Woolwich Township.

    • A grassroots organization is calling on the provincial government to reopen the Ontario Science Centre after it was abruptly closed in June following the discovery of structural issues in the building.

    • RCMP are seeking tips after a church on Main Street in Loon Lake burned to the ground.

    • Saskatoon Police Service has arrested a suspect in connection with two separate stabbing incidents that occurred earlier this month.

    • Minister of Health Everett Hindley wrote to healthcare provider unions on Friday inviting them to join a nursing task force, something the government previously said no to.

    • Ontario Provincial Police remind the public that ‘a case is never closed until it is solved,’ while highlighting the force's continued investigation of the 1996 disappearance of Melanie Ethier.

    • The CEO of the Ottawa Mission is responding to controversial comments made this week by Premier Doug Ford about those living in homeless encampments that received swift blowback from advocates.

    • A crash between a car and motorcycle closed a portion of Oxford St. in downtown London for several hours on Sunday.

    • On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.

    • The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Monday, Sept. 30.

    • A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.

    • A Barrie police officer suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries while arresting a suspect Sunday afternoon.

    • Members of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are sounding the alarm on a rising number of online and phone scams targeting residents.

    • Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.

    • The BSI aims to elevate Black academic excellence, promoting scholarship, mentorship, and cultural knowledge.

    • The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Monday, Sept. 30.

    • British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.

    • A man was found dead in a home in the Ditidaht First Nation on Vancouver Island Saturday morning, prompting local council to ask residents to shelter in place.

    • For decades, Melven Jones couldn’t talk about what happened to him as a child. He didn’t even remember it.

    • Fire crews in Vernon, B.C., responded to a large house fire early Saturday morning.

    • 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.

    • The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.

    • A 10-year-old boy from Lethbridge is being praised as a hero after a routine summer outing at the pool nearly turned tragic for his friend.

    • A man and woman have been charged after a Lethbridge ice creamery was broken into earlier this week. Staff arrived at Cookie Crimes, in the 300 block of Sixth Street South, just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday to discover the front window broken.

    • Ontario Provincial Police remind the public that ‘a case is never closed until it is solved,’ while highlighting the force's continued investigation of the 1996 disappearance of Melanie Ethier.

    • Sault residents may notice some commotion on the Algoma University campus over the next two weeks as a team conducts an archaeological search.

    • The Pride crosswalk in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has been hit by vandalism for the second time in less than three months.

    N.L.

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