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    • Feds ready to act should 'foul play' be detected in trucker convoy funding, says public safety minister

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    Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the federal government will be in a position to act should law enforcement detect nefarious financial support of the “Freedom Convoy.â€

    His comments come amid speculation that the convoy received American-backed financing as it pursued its occupation of the nation’s capital in an attempt to convince elected officials to remove all vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions.

    American crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, where the convoy’s more than $10 million were raised, removed the group’s fundraising page last Friday after stating it violated the platform’s terms.

    “We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity,†a statement from GoFundMe reads.

    One million dollars had already been released to the organizers of the protests with the intention of being spent on fuel, food, and lodging costs. The rest of the money will be refunded directly to donors.

    While information about donors, their location, and their intention remains limited, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly indicated in a press conference last week that there may be U.S. ties.

    “We are now aware of a significant element from the U.S. that have been involved in the funding, the organizing,†he said.

    Mendicino said on Monday that Canada has a “robust†intelligence community that will flag to the government concerns of national security, as well as a separate branch within the RCMP that looks into these types of issues.

    “That’s why I’m certainly confident that wherever there’s foul play of the sort, that we’ll be in a position to act appropriately,†said Mendicino.

    The public safety minister added that there are laws in place that prohibit anyone from contributing to an initiative that undermines national security.

    “If, for example, someone was contributing with the intent of either causing public harm of trying to undermine public safety, that would be something that would be against the law and there would be appropriate sanctions for that, if proven in the court of law,†he said.

    Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair added that it is necessary to cast a light on the sources of funding who are endorsing “illegal activity.â€

    “I think when [Canadians] understand the source of some of this funding, it helps them understand the motivation of this protest – who is actually behind it – and I think it also reveals some of the false nature of claims being made and the positions being put forward,†he said on Monday.

    MPs on the House of Commons Public Safety and National Security Committee have called GoFundMe to testify about the funds raised.

    “Important questions remain about how such a huge sum of money could be raised by anonymous donors and what their motivations were. People are rightly worried about American interference and what sort of standard is applied when donations are accepted,†reads a statement from the NDP’s public safety critic Alistair MacGregor.

    “It's not enough for GoFundMe to cancel the campaign as though there's nothing to see here.â€

    Tamara Lich, one of the protest organizers, said in a video last Friday that they are redirecting donations to U.S.- based GiveSendGo, which describes itself as a free, Christian crowdfunding platform.

    Co-founders of the platform said in a statement Monday the Freedom Convoy has become GiveSendGo’s with more than US$4.5 million raised in less than 24 hours.

    “In light of allowing this campaign we have seen an overwhelming outpouring of support from across the globe,†said Heather Wilson.

    However, they also make note of recent attempts of “bots†seeking to overwhelm their system.

    Some U.S. Republicans, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, have criticized GoFundMe for its conduct amid the events.

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also tweeted out that “patriotic Texans†donated to the “,†and that he has assembled a team to investigate potential fraud.

    “Texas donors will get justice! #GoFundMe,†he said.

    Responding to these comments, Mendicino said it’s not the concern of the attorney general as to how Canada operates in accordance with the rule of law.

    “We have rules, we have laws, we have principles, we have values, those are all enshrined in the Charter and where those rules are broken there is an appropriate way to address that through law enforcement,†he said.

    Blair simply added: “We’re all entitled to an opinion, and in my opinion he’s wrong.â€

    The protests have gained the attention of former U.S. president Donald Trump who released a statement last week applauding the movement.

    "The Freedom Convoy is peacefully protesting the harsh policies of far left lunatic Justin Trudeau who has destroyed Canada with insane Covid mandates," Trump said.

    Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman says while Trump’s comments are unsurprising, elected U.S. officials shouldn’t be weighing in.

    “There is no role for a sitting U.S. senator, a congressperson, a governor, a state's attorney general to involve themselves in what is happening in Ottawa today. They shouldn't be a part of this. Specially they're encouraging raising money, this is ridiculous,†he said.

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    The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

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    The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    Canada

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    • In the middle of the small crowd — near the tents, the lineup of kids awaiting face painting, the snack table — stood a jubilant Chiara Padovani. 'When I say 'tenant, you say 'power,'' she commanded to several dozen tenants, who chanted back with gusto. What looked like a summer block party in front of two north-end Toronto apartment buildings last month was a celebration of what renters who withheld payments for months called a 'huge victory.'

    • For the last seven-and-half months, Toronto resident Heather McArthur has been living out what she describes as her 'worst nightmare.' On Feb. 7, her then three-year-old son Jacob along with his father Loc Phu 'Jay' Le departed for what was supposed to be a week-long visit to Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year with family, McArthur says.

    • The head of a committee monitoring the government's response to the inquiry into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass killing says she's pleased with progress made so far.

    • The University of Ottawa's special advisor on antisemitism says he has resigned following posts he made on social media celebrating the pager explosions in Lebanon this week.

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    Entertainment

    • Lawyers representing the producers of 'Russians at War' say they may pursue legal action against Ontario's public broadcaster for pulling support for the controversial documentary amid outcry from the Ukrainian community and some Canadian politicians.

    • Viewers of Jeopardy got a chance to test their knowledge of trivia about B.C.'s biggest city Wednesday night.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    Sports

    • Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he's been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season's playoffs.

    • Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette returned to the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a right middle finger fracture.

    Autos

    • An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

    • Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.

    • The plant was expected to produce batteries for a million electric vehicles a year. Once up and running, it was supposed to create hundreds of permanent jobs in a small southeastern Ontario municipality. But two years later, spending on the construction of the Umicore plant has been delayed in what the company calls a "significant worsening of the EV market context."

    Local Spotlight

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    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

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    • B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

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    • The 'Namgis First Nation says a fish farm it owns near Port McNeill shows the potential of land-based aquaculture in B.C.

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    • An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

    • In the middle of the small crowd — near the tents, the lineup of kids awaiting face painting, the snack table — stood a jubilant Chiara Padovani. 'When I say 'tenant, you say 'power,'' she commanded to several dozen tenants, who chanted back with gusto. What looked like a summer block party in front of two north-end Toronto apartment buildings last month was a celebration of what renters who withheld payments for months called a 'huge victory.'

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    • The Parole Board of Canada says a man who assaulted a young pregnant woman and left her for dead remains too dangerous to be released into the community.

    • Five bison are dead at Elk Island National Park east of Edmonton following an early Thursday morning collision.

    • BREAKING NEWS

      BREAKING NEWS

      A man has been taken to hospital in life-threatening condition following a stabbing incident that happened on Baseline Road in the early hours of Friday morning, according to the Ottawa Paramedic Service.

    • Police say a man who was taken to hospital in critical condition after being shot Thursday night has died.

    • Higher than average temperatures are in the forecast for Ottawa this Friday.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    • The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

    • Premier François Legault's approval rating continued to rise this summer, according to the Angus Reid Institute. After reaching a low at the end of 2023, his support rose by three percentage points over the summer to 39 per cent.

    • Five bison are dead at Elk Island National Park east of Edmonton following an early Thursday morning collision.

    • A mother and daughter say they woke up to flames encroaching on their third-floor apartment near Commonwealth Stadium early Friday morning.

    • An Edmonton man who is charged with sexually assaulting a teen boy is a member of the Alberta sheriffs, CTV News Edmonton has confirmed.

    • Gas prices increased in all three Maritime provinces for the first time in more than a month.

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes "indescribable" pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

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    • A Winnipeg pet rescue is putting out a warning to dog owners across the city about a possible parvovirus in the province.

    • Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

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    • Police are trying to identify a man who approached a woman and child in Wellesley.

    • A gym teacher at a private Christian school in Saskatoon has been charged. Terra MacEwan, 44, is charged with assault with a weapon. A Saskatoon mother who spoke with CTV News says her autistic son was MacEwan's victim.

    • Thomas Hamp says he believed secret police were out to kidnap, torture, and kill him when he fatally stabbed his girlfriend Emily Sanche in February of 2022.

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    • Ontario Provincial Police executed a search warrant in Walkerton.

    • On Thursday, just after 9:30 a.m., a man was found and taken to police headquarters, where he was released with conditions and a future court date.

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    • In a rare move, the Greater Victoria School District Board of Education has been slapped with a ministerial order from the province requiring it to update a student safety plan – drawing concern around political posturing leading up to an election.

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    • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

    • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

    • Lethbridge residents who live near the police range can expect to hear plenty of shots fired Wednesday and Thursday.

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    • North Bay Police Service says one person has died following an industrial accident at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Rail Yard on Tuesday.

    • Three northern Ontario residents are charged with drug trafficking after the vehicle they were in got stuck along a bush road off Highway 17 on Monday.

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