CANADA NATIONAL NEWS ARCHIVES MAY 2001

CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER GIVES UP FIGHT TO SEE HIS DAUGHTERS
The Saskatchewan doctor serving time in an Alberta jail for sexual assault says he's giving up attempts to see his daughters.

100 PROTEST PM AT WINNIPEG FUNDRAISER
About 100 uninvited guests showed up to greet the prime minister at a Liberal party fundraiser Thursday night, and when they couldn't get inside, they smashed a window.

ALASKA GOVERNOR SEEKS OTTAWA'S SUPPORT OVER PIPELINE
The governor of Alaska is in Ottawa on Friday hoping to get Canada's support for a gas pipeline through the Yukon and British Columbia.

DAY FACES NEW CALL OVER LEADERSHIP
Canadian Alliance MP Jim Abbott has said nothing publicly during his party's turmoil. He says he's not calling on Stockwell Day to resign, but says that would be the fastest way to deal with the party's leadership problems.

B.C. NDP NO LONGER OFFICIAL PARTY AFTER RECOUNTS
British Columbia's New Democrats have lost another recount and been reduced to two seats in the provincial legislature.

NAZI CARTOON RULED FAIR COMMENT
A New Brunswick cartoonist has won his appeal against a former teacher who questioned the Holocaust.

OTTAWA DENIES BACKSTROKE ON WATER EXPORTS
Efforts to put a price on Canada's fresh-water supply are based on resource protection not economics, Environment Minister David Anderson insisted Thursday.

WEATHER SPARKS NEW ALBERTA FOREST FIRE FEARS
Temperatures and fears rose in northern Alberta Thursday, as a huge forest fire threatened to flare up and force another round of evacuations.

VANCOUVER TRANSIT STRIKE A PROBLEM FOR AIDS PATIENTS
Vancouver's nearly two-month-old transit strike is making people sick, say officials at a downtown AIDS clinic.

MOTHER ARRESTED AFTER BABIES FOUND STABBED TO DEATH
Police have arrested a 22-year-old woman after her two babies were found stabbed to death on Wednesday in her Granby, Quebec, apartment.

CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER GIVES UP FIGHT TO SEE HIS DAUGHTERS
The Saskatchewan doctor serving time in an Alberta jail for sexual assault says he's giving up attempts to see his daughters.

DUPLESSIS ORPHANS WERE OTTAWA'S FAULT, SAYS LANDRY
Quebec Premier Bernard Landry says his government is willing to negotiate compensation for the surviving Duplessis orphans - but he says the blame for their plight lies with Ottawa.

MISTRIAL DECLARED IN MURDER CASE OVER CBC NEWS REPORT
A judge in Windsor, Ont., declared a mistrial on Wednesday in a murder case, saying CBC news coverage had tainted the accused's right to a fair trial.

NEW POLL SHOWS ALLIANCE TUMBLING IN ONTARIO
Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day says he is doing his best to reach out to the Progressive Conservatives, but Tory leader Joe Clark doesn't seem interested.

OTTAWA WANTS 'SMART CARDS' FOR IMMIGRANTS
Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan announced Wednesday that Canada will go ahead with plans for tamper-proof identification for immigrants.

MISSING B.C. TEEN FOUND TRAPPED IN WEEK-OLD WRECK
A British Columbia teenager who disappeared more than a week ago has been found alive trapped inside his wrecked car on the side of the road.

COLD, RAINS SLOW GIANT ALBERTA FOREST FIRE
Cool weather, rain and patches of overnight snowfall have eased the threat of the mammoth forest fire in Alberta, but officials are warning people in its path not to be complacent.

DAY'S LEADERSHIP IMPEDES UNITING THE RIGHT
Bringing together small-c conservatives into one united political force remains an attractive prospect for both the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance. But while Stockwell Day opens his arms, Joe Clark turns his back.

FIRST NATIONS LEADERS ANGRY OVER INDIAN ACT OVERHAUL PLANS
Aboriginal leaders in Manitoba are furious with Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault, who they say is pushing ahead for changes to the Indian Act without consulting them.

INQUEST FINDS DEATH OF TEENS ON WORKSITE TOUR ACCIDENTAL
A coroner's inquest ruled Wednesday that the deaths of two 14-year-old southwestern Ontario teens last November while riding an all-terrain vehicle at a John Deere plant were accidental.

PROJECT GENESIS AIMS TO KEEP FAMILY FARMS ALIVE
It's not the type of job description that usually gets a lot of response: back breaking work, long hours, small profit.

HEFTY PAY HIKE PROPOSED FOR MPS
Members of Parliament should get a flat salary of $131,400 and lose their tax-exempt expense allowance, a government commission recommended Tuesday.

OTTAWA SAYS CANADIAN IMPRISONED BY SAUDIS WASN'T TORTURED
It's been a rough six months for William Sampson. He's been locked in a Saudi jail, accused of terrorist bombings and hospitalized by a serious heart ailment. But has he been tortured, as family members have told the media?

BAFFIN ISLAND PAINTING SOLD FOR RECORD $2.2 MILLION
A new record price for a Canadian painting was set on Tuesday night. Lawren Harris's Baffin Island sold at auction for $2.2 million.

SLAVE LAKE SPARED BUT OTHER COMMUNITIES EVACUATED
The cool wet weather in northern Alberta is helping to slow down the growth of the province's forest fires, but officials warn the burning conditions are still extreme.

WEIRD WINDS FUEL RAGING ALBERTA FIRES
Weird, shifting winds and tinder-dry conditions are fuelling the biggest forest fire in Alberta, causing trees to explode, confounding the work of fire-fighters and threatening the town of Slave Lake.

MCGRAY PLEADS GUILTY TO 1985 KILLING
Michael Wayne McGray, who says he has killed 16 people, pleaded guilty Tuesday in the 1985 murder of a teenager in Nova Scotia.

SMOKING RATE DECLINES FOR ALL AGES IN CANADA
The smoking rate among Canadians is at its lowest level since 1965, when government agencies began monitoring smoking patterns.

NAMING NAMES IN THE CORNWALL SEX ABUSE SCANDAL
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Cornwall is among four people who have been investigated by police as part of their probe into allegations of sexual abuse in the eastern Ontario city.

THOUSANDS PREPARE TO FLEE FROM ADVANCING FIRES
Some residents of communities near Slave Lake, Alberta are abandoning their homes as a wind-driven forest fire rushes towards them.

ALLIANCE MPS NOT HAPPY WITH OUSTER OF DAY CRITIC
There's been more fallout from the weekend meeting of the Canadian Alliance National Council over the suspension of council member and party strategist Rick Anderson.

E. COLI STRAIN LINKED TO FOUR DEATHS IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO
Health officials in the Toronto area are battling to contain an outbreak of drug-resistant E. coli bacteria. But they say the public has no cause for alarm.

QUEBEC FOREST FIRE EVACUEES CAN GO BACK HOME
Residents of a northern Quebec town have been given the all-clear and are being allowed to return home after a nearby forest fire forced them from their homes over the weekend.

NEWFOUNDLAND PREMIER DISPUTES WATER QUALITY REPORT
Saying it has nothing to hide from the public, the Newfoundland government Monday released a damning six-year-old report on the province's water quality.

CHRÉTIEN CHAMPIONS PAY RAISE FOR MPS
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said Monday that federal MPs work hard and deserve a higher salary.

QUEBEC CITY SUMMIT PRISONERS FREE ON BAIL
Five people who were arrested prior to the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City last month were granted bail Monday.

POLICE GROUP OPPOSES DECRIMINALIZING MARIJUANA
Canadian police associations told a Senate special committee examining illegal drugs that they strongly oppose decriminalizing marijuana.

SERIES OF 'FLUKES' LED TO HELICOPTER DEATHS
A report into the crash of a Canadian Forces helicopter blames a series of flukes for the deadly accident.

GIRLS CRY WHEN FORCED TO VISIT FATHER IN PRISON
A court-ordered meeting between two young girls and their father, a sex offender, began with a protest and ended in tears at a prison in Alberta Sunday.

FOREST FIRE FLARES, ALBERTA HAMLET EVACUATED
Strong winds pushed a stubborn forest fire closer to a small community in northern Alberta Sunday, prompting about a dozen people to flee their homes again.

MARCH BACKS GAYS LIVING IN SURBURBIA
Two men who say it's their right to live in the suburbs without being harassed for being gay held a march through their neighbourhood Sunday.

POLITICIANS MAY WIN PROTECTION AGAINST GANGS
Federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan says she may add elected officials to the list of people the government wants protected from intimidation by organized crime.

FESTIVAL FORECASTS CHANGE IN WEATHER REPORTS
Some delegates to an international weather festival say it's time TV weather forecasters started talking about some serious subjects on the air.

ALBERTA POLL SHOWS BIG DROP IN ALLIANCE SUPPORT
Stockwell Day's leadership woes don't appear to be limited to internal squabbling. A new poll suggests that both he and the Canadian Alliance have lost voter support in the party's heartland.

ALLIANCE COUNCIL AIMS AT TALKS WITH TORIES
With some of its leader's loudest critics missing, the Canadian Alliance's national council convened for a second round of meetings Saturday to discuss external bridges rather than internal rifts.

MANLEY ARRIVES FOR TOUR OF BALKANS
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Manley arrived in Bosnia Saturday to begin a trip that will take him to Yugoslavia, Hungary and Slovakia.

FAMILY CLAIMS $50 ERROR BEHIND DEPORTATION
A Polish family was broken up and forced to fly out of Canada Saturday night because of what they called a bureaucratic bumble.

FOREST FIRE EVACUATION ORDER LIFTED IN ALBERTA
Although a huge forest fire continues to spread out of control, Alberta authorities have cancelled an evacuation order for one hamlet.

ONTARIO NURSES ISSUE WARNING AS TALKS COLLAPSE
Mediated contract talks between Ontario's 40,000 nurses and the people who run the provinces hospitals broke off Saturday.

CANADIAN ROCK 'ICONS' GET HONORARY PHDS
Guess who got honorary doctorates at Brandon University this weekend? Music buffs don't need a PhD to figure out the answer.

SUSPENSION OF CRITIC LEADS TO NEW DIVISIONS WITHIN ALLIANCE
Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day won several victories on Friday. There won't be an early referendum on Day's leadership and MP Deborah Grey says she will stop criticizing Day in public. But a decision to temporarily suspend a high-profile critic has opened new, very public wounds.

ALBERTA FOREST FIRE GROWING
A huge wildfire burning out of control in central Alberta has almost doubled its size during the last 24 hours and has now engulfed 7,300 hectares, officials say.

FOREST FIRE SMOKE ENVELOPES CENTRAL ALBERTA
A huge wildfire burning out of control in central Alberta is causing concern for motorists and people with lung conditions.

BALANCED ENERGY APPROACH FOR CANADA: GOODALE
Unlike their neighbours to the south, Canadians won't see their demand for energy met simply with a search for new sources of gas and oil.

GREY'S RIDING REJECTS EARLY LEADERSHIP REVIEW
Embattled Canadian Alliance party leader Stockwell Day got a bit of a break Thursday as members of senior MP Deb Grey's riding voted against an early review of his leadership.

FOREST FIRE SPARKS AIR ALERT IN EDMONTON
Alberta's first major forest fire of the year is making it hard to drive on some highways, and raising health concerns for people with respiratory problems.

AKWESASNE MOHAWKS LOSE BATTLE WITH REVENUE CANADA
Residents of the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory near Cornwall, Ont. are not exempt from paying duty on imported goods, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Thursday.

N.B. LOBSTER FISHERMEN BATTLE PROVINCE
Angry lobster fishermen are blockading two harbours in the Bay of Fundy to protest against a decision by the provincial government to allow three new salmon farms to be set up in the area.

JESSICA MURDER SUSPECT APPEARS IN COURT
The man accused of kidnapping and killing five-year-old Jessica Koopmans avoided eye contact with her family as he made a brief court appearance on Tuesday.

REPORT SAYS ARSENIC LEVELS IN SYDNEY NEIGHBOURHOOD UNSAFE
The results of a study on the health risks from coke ovens in Sydney, Nova Scotia have been released.

JUSTICE JOSEPHSON PICKED TO HEAR AIR INDIA CASE
British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Bruce Josephson has been chosen as the trial judge in the Air India case - Canada's worst-ever mass murder.

B.C. LIBERAL CAUCUS MEETING TOO BIG FOR LEGISLATURE
B.C.'s new premier-elect, Gordon Campbell, says there are already signs the province's finances are in worse shape than anticipated.

HENAULT NAMED TO HEAD ARMED FORCES
Ray Henault has been named Canada's new chief of defense staff, replacing Gen. Maurice Baril who is retiring.

COURT BEGINS HEARING ARGUMENTS AGAINST MONTREAL MERGER
A court challenge has begun over Quebec's plan to merge the municipalities on the island of Montreal into a mega-city.

SUPREME COURT HEARS TORTURE DEPORTATION CASES
The Supreme Court of Canada listened to arguments Tuesday in the cases of two men accused of terrorist activity, as the court prepares to decide whether the Canadian government can deport someone who may face the risk of torture in their home country.

GREY HEARS FROM ALLIANCE GRASSROOTS
Canadian Alliance supporters turned out in Edmonton on Tuesday night to tell MP Deborah Grey they don't want her to turn against the party.

FIRST NATIONS LEADER FOUGHT FOR ABORIGINAL RIGHTS
A former First Nations leader and advocate of aboriginal fishing rights was presumed drowned on Monday after his boat capsized on the Fraser River on Sunday.

MAN ACCUSED OF CHILD'S KILLING IN COURT TODAY
The man accused of kidnapping and killing five-year-old Jessica Koopmans appears in court today. 

INQUEST INTO DEATH OF TEENS VISITING PARENTS' WORKPLACE
A inquest has begun into the deaths of two teenagers who were killed while visiting a plant in Ontario last year on "Take Our Kids To Work Day." 

OTTAWA WANTS CHINESE SPY OUT OF MONTREAL
The federal government is pressing for the deportation of a Chinese spy.

FAMILY FRIEND ACCUSED OF ALBERTA GIRL'S MURDER
The mother of a five-year-old girl abducted and killed earlier this month in southern Alberta says she feels betrayed now that a family friend has been charged in the case.

WALKERTON MARKS TRAGEDY WITH 'RIVER OF TEARS'
A small Ontario community that raised alarm bells over the safety of the country's water supply held one minute's silence Sunday to remember the start of the worst E. coli outbreak in Canadian history.

MAN CHARGED IN ALBERTA GIRL'S MURDER
A suspect has been charged with kidnapping and killing five-year-old Jessica Koopmans, whose disappearance prompted an intense search in southern Alberta earlier this month.

AT LEAST 16 HURT ON CRUISE SHIP
It was anything but smooth sailing for passengers of a luxury cruise liner travelling near Vancouver Island this weekend.

VOLUNTEERS JOIN DRIVE TO GET DRUNKS OFF ROAD
The Canadian chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving has launched a national awareness campaign this long-weekend, urging motorists to stay sober.

GREY'S RIDING TO VOTE ON ALLIANCE LEADERSHIP
Former Canadian Alliance deputy leader Deborah Grey could become the next MP to leave Stockwell Day's caucus, according to the head of one of the party's grassroots organizations.

POLICE HUNT FOR CAR IN JESSICA MURDER CASE
Detectives in southern Alberta released a picture Saturday they hope will help solve the murder of a five-year-old girl abducted from outside her home.

CANADA RELAXES FOOT AND MOUTH RESTRICTIONS
The federal government has lifted a ban on imports of animals and food products from some parts of Europe, but will maintain other precautions to stave off foot and mouth disease. 

CONRAD BLACK TO RENOUNCE CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP
Media tycoon Conrad announced Friday that he has started proceedings to give up his Canadian citizenship - which would make it possible for him to claim the peerage title that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien overruled in 1999.

DISSIDENT ALLIANCE MPS UNLIKELY TO BE KICKED OUT OF PARTY
Key members of the Canadian Alliance had a meeting in Toronto on Friday to plan a strategy for the party's national council meeting next week.

FORMER MP SAYS NEW EVIDENCE CLEARS HIM
Former MP Jack Ramsay says new information about a crime he is alleged to have committed 31 years ago should clear his name.

COURT SAYS PROVINCE PAYING DAY'S LAWSUIT WAS PROPER
A challenge of an Alberta government decision to pay the cost of settling a defamation suit brought against Stockwell Day has been lost. 

HUMAN RIGHTS AGENCY VOWS TO LOOK IN MIRROR
Canada's Human Rights Commission is promising to improve its own workplace after recent complaints about harassment and discrimination internally. 

TEARFUL SERVICE HELD FOR JESSICA KOOPMANS
Mourners filled a church in southern Alberta Friday to remember a young girl who was abducted and murdered earlier this month.

ALLIANCE STRATEGIST STIRS NEW TURMOIL IN PARTY
Another day of self-inflicted problems for the Canadian Alliance. Stockwell Day's communications director resigned - the third person to leave the job since Day became leader last fall.

SEARCH FOR MISSING GIRL IN MANITOBA
Volunteers and emergency personnel are still searching for a three-year-old girl who disappeared on Monday in northern Manitoba.

ONE YEAR LATER WALKERTON RESIDENTS STILL WORRIED ABOUT WATER
It was one year ago this weekend the people of Walkerton, Ont. were told not to drink their tap water. A deadly strain of E. coli had contaminated the town water supply.

CAMPBELL READY TO TAKE REINS OF POWER
British Columbia's new premier says he plans to govern without an official opposition in the B.C. legislature.

DEBT DETAILS BUT NO BUDGET DATE FROM MARTIN
Federal Finance Minister Paul Martin did some declaring and defending Thursday, announcing a record surplus while arguing there is no need to table a full budget right now.

INFLATION SOARS TO 10-YEAR HIGH
Inflation has hit its highest rate in a decade jumping to 3.6 per cent in April, Statistics Canada revealed Thursday.

DIVIDED REACTION IN CANADA TO BUSH PLAN
Like oil poured into water, two very different views of the White House's new energy plan surfaced in Canada Thursday. 

ONTARIO WARNED AGAINST DRUG TESTING WELFARE RECIPIENTS
Ontario's Human Rights Commission is warning the provincial government to proceed carefully with its plan to test welfare recipients for drug abuse.

CHRISTIAN TEACHERS WIN IN SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court of Canada says graduates from a small, Christian university in British Columbia have every right to hold teaching jobs in public schools in the province.

MONTFORT BATTLE ENDS IN ONTARIO COURT OF APPEAL
French Canadians across the country will now have to wait for the Ontario Appeal Court to render a decision in the case of the Montfort Hospital.

B.C. LIBERALS WIN MAJORITY
Just 33 minutes after the polls closed the CBC Decision Desk said Gordon Campbell and his B.C. Liberals will form a majority government in British Columbia.

DOOR LEFT OPEN FOR DISSIDENT MPS TO RETURN
The Canadian Alliance won't expel the MPs who have demanded Stockwell Day resign as party leader and accused him of dishonesty and incompetence.

CAPE BRETON SHOCKED BY CLOSURE OF LAST UNDERGROUND MINE
It is the end of underground coal mining in Cape Breton.

PIE PUSHER GETS 30 DAYS FOR ASSAULT ON CHRÉTIEN
The man who shoved a cream pie in Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's face has been sentenced to 30 days in jail.

DEMAND FOR PILOTS COULD OUTSTRIP SUPPLY IN NEXT DECADE: STUDY
There could be a shortage of qualified commercial pilots in the next 10 years if training, regulation and government assistance aren't updated, said a study released Wednesday.

JUDGE RULES OTTAWA TO PAY FOR BURNT CHURCH DEFENDANTS
A judge in Miramichi, N.B., has ruled that the government will have to pay for lawyers for at least two members of the Burnt Church band.

EDMONTON OFFICER KILLS KNIFE-WIELDING ASSAILANT
A police tactical officer in Edmonton shot and killed a man late Tuesday night. Police say the man was armed with a knife and the police officer shot when the man lunged at him.

DNA TESTS MAY IDENTIFY "TITANIC" VICTIMS
Scientists will partially exhume the remains of three people who died aboard the luxury liner Titanic when it sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic in April 1912.

CANADA LOSES IMPORTANT SOFTWOOD LUMBER DECISION
The U.S. lumber industry has been given the green light to proceed with its quest to penalize imports of softwood lumber from Canada.

TORONTO IN TOP THREE FOR 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES
There's good news for three cities who want to hold the 2008 Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee says Toronto, Paris and Beijing meet all the requirements to hold the Games.

DISSIDENT MPS TO BREAK AWAY FROM DAY
Several Canadian Alliance MPs are expected to announce Tuesday afternoon that they are abstaining from the party's caucus to show their disapproval with party leader Stockwell Day.

N.B. WILL KEEP VIDEO LOTTERY TERMINALS
People in New Brunswick have voted to keep video lottery terminals after a province-wide referendum.

U.S. ENVOYS IN CANADA TO DISCUSS BUSH'S NATIONAL DEFENCE PLAN
American envoys arrive Tuesday to begin consultations about George W. Bush's national missile defence plan.

HIGH PROFILE U.S. SUPPORT FOR CANADIAN SOFTWOOD LUMBER
Prime Minister Jean Chretién received some high profile U.S. support for trade in Canadian softwood lumber.

BATTLE TO SAVE HOSPITAL LIKELY HEADED TO SUPREME COURT
The Ontario government argued Monday that a lower court's decision to spare a French hospital from downsizing was wrong.

ANGRY STRIKERS END OCCUPATION OF HALIFAX SCHOOL
Striking janitors have ended their brief occupation of a school in Halifax after other strikers persuaded them to leave.

TRUE NORTH SINKING HAPPENED FAST, INQUEST TOLD
The tour boat that sank during a school trip in Ontario last June was taking on water before it capsized, says one of the survivors.

POLICE CRITICIZED IN DEATH OF MENTALLY ILL EDMONTON MAN
Grieving relatives accuse Edmonton police of using excessive force on a mentally ill man who died during a struggle with officers on Friday.

MANITOBA URGES TRANSFUSION PATIENTS TO GET HEP C TEST
Manitoba is launching a campaign to track down people who may have contracted Hepatitis C from tainted blood.

PM, ATLANTIC PREMIERS TALK TRADE IN THE U.S.
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien is in Atlanta, Georgia for a three-day trade mission on behalf of Atlantic Canada.

DAY'S DISSIDENTS DEBATE THEIR NEXT MOVE
A handful of Canadian Alliance MPs will meet Monday to weigh the pros and cons of staying in Stockwell Day's caucus or leaving to form their own coalition in the House of Commons.

FRANCOPHONES BATTLE FOR HOSPITAL'S SURVIVAL
The Ontario government will begin contesting a decision by a lower court to spare a French hospital from downsizing. Some say this is the most important linguistic rights case in Canadian history.

INQUEST BEGINS IN TOUR BOAT ACCIDENT
An inquest begins Monday into the drowning of two 12-year-olds in a school boating accident.

N.B. HOLDS VIDEO GAMBLING REFERENDUM
Polls have opened in New Brunswick, where voters will determine the fate of video lottery terminals. The government is holding a referendum, letting the people decide whether the province's VLTs should stay or go.

MANITOBA URGES TRANSFUSION PATIENTS TO GET HEP C TEST
Manitoba is launching a campaign to track down people who might have contracted Hepatitis C from tainted blood.

DROWNED GIRL'S FATHER SAYS COLLENETTE SHOULD RESIGN
The father of a 12-year-old Ontario girl who drowned during a school boating trip last June is calling for the resignation of Transport Minister David Collenette.

DAY'S DISSIDENTS DEBATE THEIR NEXT MOVE
After a weekend of meetings in their own ridings, several disgruntled Canadian Alliance MPs have headed back to Ottawa to make one of the toughest decisions of their political careers.

PRAIRIE VILLAGE SHOPS FOR WAY TO SURVIVE
Despite a dwindling population, a tiny community near Manitoba's southern border has come up with a way to avoid disappearing altogether.

ASTRONAUTS RAISE PROFILE OF SLEEP DISORDERS
Some international researchers are hoping to open people's eyes to a problem they don't think gets enough attention: sleeping disorders.

POLICE SEARCH FOR CLUES TO ALTA. GIRL'S MURDER
An autopsy is scheduled Monday on the body of a young girl thought to have been five-year-old Jessica Koopmans of Lethbridge.

PM, ATLANTIC PREMIERS TALK TRADE IN THE U.S.
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien left Ottawa for Atlanta, Georgia Sunday to lead a trade mission representing Atlantic Canada.

MANLEY URGES HALT TO JEWISH SETTLEMENT EXPANSION
Foreign Affairs Minister John Manley wrapped up an eight-day trip to the Middle East Sunday by supporting a proposal to freeze the expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied land.

DAY WINS RIDING VOTE BUT MAY LOSE MPS
Stockwell Day survived another challenge to his leadership of the Canadian Alliance Saturday night, but divisions remain within the caucus.

POLICE RELEASE SUSPECT IN B.C. GIRL'S DEATH
The RCMP have released a 17-year-old youth after questioning the boy about the death of a 14-year-old Langley girl.

FAMILY OF MISSING ALBERTA GIRL AWAITS AUTOPSY
Only a medical examiner can confirm if a child's body found in a farm field is that of a Jessica Koopmans, police said Saturday. But the family decided to issue a statement before going into seclusion.

JESSICA'S BODY FOUND - GRANDFATHER SAYS
Police say only a medical examiner can say for sure, but the grandfather of Jessica Koopmans says a body found in a farmer's field near Fort Macleod is that of his five-year-old granddaughter.

LIBERALS SCRUTINIZE SECOND LETTER FROM MP
Senior Liberals are studying more controversial correspondence from a government MP already under fire over a letter he wrote a war veteran.

HELLS ANGELS DESCEND ON HALIFAX
The RCMP are sending extra officers to Halifax this weekend to watch over an anniversary bash expected to draw nearly 100 Hells Angels from Canada and the U.S.

YOUNG PERSON'S BODY FOUND IN ALBERTA FIELD
A woman walking her dog in a farmer's field in Fort Macleod, Alberta made a gruesome discovery Friday afternoon, when she found the body of a young person.

ALLIANCE MPS FACE WEEKEND OF TOUGH DECISIONS
The Canadian Alliance is heading into what could be a pivotal weekend for the future of the party.

B.C. ON BRINK OF DUMPING NDP
British Columbia politics has the reputation for being the most colourful and unpredictable in Canada. And so far, this current election campaign hasn't disappointed.

NORTH BATTLEFORD RESIDENTS WANT RETRIBUTION FOR WATER WOES
While the city of North Battleford waits to be told safe water is flowing through its pipes, some residents say they want to see heads rolling.

KLEIN WARNS ALLIANCE: "YOU DON'T UNITE BY DIVIDING"
Ralph Klein says it would be a mistake for Canadian Alliance MPs to desert the party and form an independent group in Parliament. He says such a splinter group would stall the creation of a viable conservative coalition.

CANADIAN AND U.S. DOCTORS SAY QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE DETERIORATING
More than half of Canadian and U.S. doctors say the quality of care they can deliver has deteriorated in the past five years, according to a new study.

MANITOBA CORONER ORDERS INQUEST IN 911 MURDERS
Manitoba's chief medical examiner has called an inquest into the murders of two Métis women whose pleas for help were ignored by 911 operators.

CDN LAWSUIT SEEKS DAMAGES IN FIRESTONE TIRE CASE
A class action lawsuit has been launched in Canada for those injured in accidents involving Firestone tires and Ford Explorers.

PRIVACY COMMISSIONER SAYS PM'S APPOINTMENT BOOKS PRIVATE
Canada's privacy commissioner is siding with the prime minister in a dispute over disclosure of Jean Chrétien's appointment books.

OTTAWA COP CHARGED WITH ASSAULT
An Ottawa police constable has been charged with assault in connection to a videotape that shows a uniformed officer apparently roughing up a handcuffed woman at a squad car.

AFN TURNS DOWN REVAMPED INDIAN ACT
Matthew Coon Come has offered a plain-spoken but strongly-worded opposition to Ottawa's plans to overhaul the Indian Act.

ONTARIO UPS NUMBER OF HOSPITALS WITH POSSIBLE CJD
Ontario Health Minister Tony Clement says there's a possibility that patients at four hospitals could have been exposed to the brain-wasting disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob.

MP APOLOGIZES FOR REBUFFING WAR VET'S PLEA FOR HELP
Liberal MP Tom Wappel has apologized for snubbing a constituent's appeal for help because the man had voted for the Alliance party.

POSSIBLE CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB CASE REPORTED IN WINDSOR
Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor, Ontario. has closed its operating rooms after a patient tested positive for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

HOMEPAGE VIRUS SLOWING DOWN
Quick out of the gate - "HomePage" hit thousands of users of Microsoft Outlook address directories Wednesday, but it was mostly confined to Asia and Europe. 

NEWFOUNDLAND WITHHOLDS DRINKING WATER REPORT
The opposition in Newfoundland is angry that the government is keeping a report on the province's water supply submerged in cabinet secrecy.

ALLIANCE MP CALLS FOR FINAL RESOLUTION TO LEADERSHIP WOES
The Canadian Alliance caucus may soon reach a defining moment in its struggle over Stockwell Day's leadership. Former Alliance House leader Chuck Strahl said on Wednesday the issue has to be resolved soon.

SOPHONOW'S PROSECUTOR OVERLOOKED SUSPECT
Former Crown attorney Stuart Whitley says he was stunned to learn just last year that while he was prosecuting Thomas Sophonow he had information pointing to another suspect in the murder case.

OPPOSITION MPS WONDER ABOUT LIBERAL CAUCUS DISCIPLINE
As the Canadian Alliance caucus continues to struggle with discipline within its ranks, the governing Liberals have their own problems. But so far, it seems none of them are in danger of losing their jobs, and opposition MPs wonder why.

VET SAYS LIBERAL MP SPURNED HIM FOR VOTING ALLIANCE
A legally blind Canadian war veteran says when he asked his MP for help he was reprimanded for having supported the Canadian Alliance in the last federal election.

CANADIAN-ARAB GROUP THREATENS DAY WITH LAWSUIT
A Canadian-Arab group says it plans to sue Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day over remarks it says could incite hatred against Arabs.

MP APOLOGIZES FOR 'NAZI' REMARK
The Liberal MP for Kitchener-Waterloo says he apologizes to anyone who felt hurt by reports he had compared government policy on revoking citizenship to Nazi Germany.

DOSANJH CONCEDES DEFEAT ONE WEEK BEFORE B.C. ELECTION
British Columbia Premier Ujjal Dosanjh has conceded his New Democrats are now just trying to hang on to Opposition status after the May 16 election.

ALLIANCE GRAPPLES WITH LEADERSHIP QUESTIONS
Canadian Alliance caucus members are meeting in Ottawa to deal with their divisions over Stockwell Day's leadership.

AIR CANADA TOO POWERFUL, SAYS COMPETITION COMMISSIONER
The federal competition commissioner says the government should force Air Canada into some real competition and allow foreign airlines to fly between Canadian cities.

"I'LL NEVER USE THE WATER AGAIN" PRAIRIE CITY RESIDENTS SCARED
Some people in North Battleford, Sask., told their city council on Monday night they would never drink the city's water again.

ALLIANCE MPS CAREFUL WITH WORDS, BUT NOT HIDING THEIR MEANING
The Canadian Alliance is poring over the language being used by some key MPs about the leadership of Stockwell Day. The party is trying to determine if Chuck Strahl and Val Meredith have violated the Alliance ban on public criticism of the leader.

POLICE SEARCH DOOR-TO-DOOR FOR JESSICA
Police in Lethbridge are now going door-to-door in the area Jessica Koopmans was last seen.

B.C. NURSES SET JUNE 5 FOR CONTRACT VOTE
The British Columbia Nurses Union is going to hold a vote on the latest contract offer from employers. However the union is strongly recommending rejection.

LAWYER SAYS EVIDENCE WITHHELD AT SOPHONOW TRIAL
A Crown attorney who helped prosecute Thomas Sophonow admits crucial evidence that could have helped Sophonow's case was withheld from his defence lawyer.

TOBACCO COMPANIES FIGHT BACK AGAINST PROPOSED LAWSUIT
Canada's tobacco industry is fighting back against the second province that wants to sue it.

NEWFOUNDLAND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP CLAIMS BIG VICTORY
Newfoundland environmentalists fighting to save the Main River watershed from being logged have won a partial victory.

PARASITE NOT TO BLAME IN NORTH BATTLEFORD DEATHS
Saskatchewan's chief medical officer of health says cryptosporidium is not implicated in the deaths of two people in North Battleford. In a third case, the parasite may have been a contributing factor.

SEARCH FOR MISSING ALBERTA GIRL NOW CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
Police in Lethbridge, Alta., are no longer simply trying to find a lost little girl. They're engaged in a criminal investigation to find out what happened to five-year-old Jessica Koopmans. FULL STORY: click here

DRUG COMPANY FIGHTS TO BLOCK SUIT
An international pharmaceutical company is asking the Supreme Court of Canada to shut down a class action lawsuit it faces for selling diet drugs that have been linked to heart and lung damage. FULL STORY: click here

OPPOSITION SAYS OTTAWA'S WATER POLICY A FAILURE
Opposition MP's in Ottawa are calling for the federal Liberals to deal with what they describe as a national water crisis. FULL STORY: click here

ALLIANCE MPS WELCOMED AT TORY FUNDRAISER
Just hours after being suspended from caucus because of a renewed call for his leader's resignation, Canadian Alliance MP Gary Lunn was breaking bread with the Tories at a fundraising dinner Monday night. FULL STORY: click here

LAWYER DEFENDS USE OF INFORMANT IN SOPHONOW INQUIRY
A lawyer who prosecuted Thomas Sophonow defended his use of a jail informant even though he knew the witness couldn't be trusted. FULL STORY: click here

SEMANTICS LATEST TACTIC IN MOVE TO DUMP DAY
The Canadian Alliance is poring over the language being used by some key MPs over the leadership of Stockwell Day. The party is trying to determine if Chuck Strahl and Val Meredith have violated the Alliance ban on public criticism of the leader. FULL STORY: click here

TOP DRUG ENFORCEMENT OFFICER MAKES CASE FOR SAFE INJECTION SITES
The RCMP's top drug-enforcement officer says Canada should consider providing safe injection sites for users of drugs such as heroin and cocaine. FULL STORY: click here

U.S. FIRM LOCKS UP DEAL TO RUN ONT. JAIL
Ontario's first private jail is going to be run by a U.S. company, the provincial government announced Saturday. FULL STORY: click here

SUDBURY SAWMILL CUTS PROPOSAL TO END STRIKE
An Ontario sawmill has reached a tentative contract with its workers, ending a strike by about 220 employees that began last October. FULL STORY: click here

STATUE HONOURS CANADIAN WOMEN'S ROLE IN WAR
More than half a century after they first suited up for war, a statue was unveiled Saturday to pay tribute to thousands of Canadian women. FULL STORY: click here

RESIDENTS STOCKPILE BOTTLED WATER IN SASKATCHEWAN CITY
Residents in North Battleford are stocking up on bottled water as a cryptosporidium scare continues - and as pressure mounts on the Saskatchewan government to call an inquiry. FULL STORY: click here ADDITIONAL STORY: click here

INDEFINITE BOIL WATER ORDER FOR SASKATCHEWAN CITY
Inadequate water treatment appears to be the cause of a deadly outbreak of a parasite in a central Saskatchewan city, officials said Friday. But the exact cause of the contamination remains a mystery. FULL STORY: click here

ANOTHER ALLEGATION AGAINST OTTAWA COPS
Ottawa police are dealing with a second alleged assault on a woman by a male officer. FULL STORY: click here

MINERS OFFER TO BUY DEVCO
Cape Breton miners are offering the federal government $20 million for Devco. FULL STORY: click here

HEP-C GUIDELINES PROPOSED FOR HIGH RISK IMMIGRANTS
Medical researchers say national guidelines should be established to test high risk immigrant groups across Canada for Hepatitis C. FULL STORY: click here

MERCHANT MARINERS GET FINAL COMPENSATION DEAL
A decades-old battle for recognition by Canada's merchant mariners came to an end Friday as Ottawa announced the final details of a compensation package for the veterans. FULL STORY: click here

OMBUDSMAN MAY HELP SOLVE ATLANTIC FISHING DISPUTES
Three small towns in northern New Brunswick are clinging to hope offered by the federal fisheries minister. Herb Dhaliwal says he's open to funding an ombudsman who would help those towns deal with issues surrounding the native fishery. FULL STORY: click here

ONTARIO NURSES THREATEN MORE JOB ACTION
Nurses in Ontario say they are stepping up their job action and information campaign. They are trying to pressure hospitals to hire more nurses and pay them more. FULL STORY: click here

GROUP SAYS MPS SHOULD GET RAISE, TAX FREE STATUS CUT
The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation has told a federal panel that members of Parliament should be given a raise. FULL STORY: click here

NOVA SCOTIA NDP WANTS TO BAN HANDHELD CAR PHONES
The New Democrats in Nova Scotia are calling for heavy fines for drivers who use handheld cell phones. FULL STORY: click here

ALLIANCE DROPS COMPLAINT ABOUT QUEBEC JUDGE
The Canadian Alliance has decided not to proceed with a complaint to the Canadian Judicial Council about the conduct of a Quebec judge. FULL STORY: click here

HANGER DEFIANT IN SPITE OF SUSPENSION
MP Art Hanger remained defiant Thursday in spite of being suspended by the Canadian Alliance party for speaking out against leader Stockwell Day. FULL STORY: click here

CORNWALL TEACHER SENTENCED FOR SEX ABUSE
A school teacher in Cornwall, Ont., has been sentenced to two years less a day for sexually assaulting four of his former students. FULL STORY: click here

TOXIC TAR POND NEIGHBOURS REJECT OTTAWA'S OFFER
Some of the families living near Sydney's toxic tar ponds have rejected the government's offer to move them out of the area. FULL STORY: click here

PILOTS RETURN AFTER HISTORIC SOUTH POLE RESCUE
After making aviation history in one of the coldest spots on the planet, two pilots returned to Canada Thursday and basked in the glow of their successful rescue mission. FULL STORY: click here

ONTARIO TORIES RELEASE REVISED PLAN FOR WELFARE REFORM
The Ontario government will require people on welfare to be tested for alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs when abuse is suspected. FULL STORY: click here

NEW BRUNSWICK GAINING DOCTORS, LOSING NURSES
New Brunswick's health minister says the province is gaining doctors, not losing them as some critics are suggesting. FULL STORY: click here

DEATHS MAY BE CONNECTED TO WATER SUPPLY
An investigation has begun to determine if the deaths of three people in the Battlefords, in Saskatchewan, are connected to the contaminated water supply. FULL STORY: click here

OTTAWA DELIVERS RULES ON REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY
The federal government is proposing strict rules over the way science helps some Canadians have babies, but it wants feedback before the draft legislation is voted on by MPs. FULL STORY: click here

ENVIRONMENTALIST BEGINS PARLIAMENT HILL HUNGER STRIKE
A leading Canadian environmentalist has begun a hunger strike to get help for families living near one of the most toxic sites in Canada - the tar ponds in Sydney, Nova Scotia. FULL STORY: click here

MANLEY WON'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ABM TREATY
Opposition MPs failed to get any clear answers from the Liberal government about Canada's current position on U.S. President George W. Bush's plan for a new missile defence system. FULL STORY: click here

NEW QUOTA FOR SNOW CRAB
Federal Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal had news for crab fishermen in Nova Scotia on Wednesday, as well as for cod jiggers in Newfoundland. FULL STORY: click here

ATLANTIC PREMIERS WON'T GIVE UP FIGHT FOR INCREASED EQUALIZATION
The Atlantic provinces say they aren't giving up, after the federal government said it is refusing to change the equalization program. FULL STORY: click here

ALLIANCE MP SUSPENDED AFTER CALLING FOR DAY'S RESIGNATION
The leader of the Canadian Alliance says it's unanimous, everyone in the parliamentary caucus supports his leadership. But Stockwell Day is wrong. FULL STORY: click here

ALLEGED BEATING BY OTTAWA COPS CAUGHT ON VIDEO
Ottawa police have launched an internal investigation after a witness came forward with a videotape showing an alleged police beating of a suspect. FULL STORY: click here

JUDGE RELEASES 911 RECORDING OF MURDERED SISTERS
A Manitoba Associate Chief Justice has released the recordings of five 911 calls made by two Winnipeg women who were murdered. FULL STORY: click here

SASK. ABORIGINAL GROUP CALLS FOR INQUIRY AFTER DEADLY POLICE SHOOTING
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations is calling for an inquiry into the killing of an aboriginal man by the RCMP last Friday. FULL STORY: click here

U OF T SUSPENDS LAW STUDENTS CAUGHT CHEATING
The University of Toronto has suspended eight law students caught inflating their marks on their mid-term exams. FULL STORY: click here

ALLIANCE CAUCUS ANXIOUS TO HEAR DAY'S STRATEGIC PLAN
Canadian Alliance Leader Stockwell Day has headed into a key meeting of his caucus intent on winning support with a new strategic plan. But even before seeing his presentation, some of his critics have complaints. FULL STORY: click here

ALLIANCE DECISION TO MOVE MANNING CREATES NEW CONTROVERSY
Canadian Alliance MPs found themselves embroiled in another controversy on Tuesday. And once again party leader Stockwell Day found himself defending another controversial decision. FULL STORY: click here

PROTESTS CAN'T SHIFT TALISMAN FROM SUDAN OPERATION
The head of Talisman Energy was grilled on his company's human rights record in Sudan at the oil company's annual general meeting in Calgary. FULL STORY: click here

ROMANOW LAUNCHES HEALTH CARE COMMISSION
Roy Romanow says he's hoping to hear from as many people as possible during his national review of health care. FULL STORY: click here

NEWFOUNDLAND COMMUNITIES ANXIOUS AS FPI BOARD REPLACED
Shareholders of Newfoundland's largest seafood producer have voted in favour of ousting the current board of directors. FULL STORY: click here

POTATO EXPORTS TO THE U.S. RESUME AMID BORDER DELAYS
After weeks of delays and accusations on both sides, P.E.I. potato exports to the U.S. finally resumed Tuesday morning, ending a six-month bitter trade dispute between the two countries. FULL STORY: click here

OTTAWA FACING COURT CHALLENGE OVER TREATMENT FOR PRISON ADDICTS
The federal government is once again under pressure to look at the way it handles drug abuse and treatment of addictions inside its penitentiaries. FULL STORY: click here

HADFIELD BACK ON EARTH AS SPACE ADVENTURE ENDS
The space shuttle Endeavour made a picture-perfect landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California after a journey of about eight million kilometres. Mission Control called the mission "tremendously successful". FULL STORY: click here

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