Ontario police force under review for trip to Dubai competition

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Dubai trip by Police in London, Ontario, under review

A southwestern Ontario police force is facing scrutiny for its decision to send a team to an international competition in Dubai, an event that saw its members training with and competing against a Russian special unit whose members are accused of committing atrocities in Ukraine.

The London Police Services Board has launched a review of the approval process for the force’s participation in the UAE Swat Challenge competition, which saw dozens of units from various countries face off in tactical, rescue and obstacle course events in late January and early February.

The London, Ont., police service was the only Canadian force to participate. Two U.S. police forces, the New York Police Department and the San Antonio Police Department, also sent delegations.

Participants also included the Akhmat unit from the Russian republic of Chechnya, a group that has been accused of committing atrocities in the conflict with Ukraine.

How grocers decide what gets donated to food banks

On a cool-but-sunny February day in Toronto’s west end, a temperature-controlled truck pulls up at the rear of a Metro grocery store, where pallets of food about to reach their sell-by date sit waiting. It’s time for the Daily Bread food bank’s weekly pickup.

Each package of meat, loaf of bread and deli item has been carefully inspected before ending up on the loading dock.

For grocers, selling perishable items means making continual choices about every item on display — especially the ones nearing the end of their shelf life. For those that don’t sell in time, most stores try to donate them to food banks rather than throw them away.

Metro’s guidelines are straightforward. Two days ahead of their best-before dates, packaged items are discounted at 30 per cent. If still unsold the night before, an employee pulls the items off the shelf and freezes them in the backroom storage for donations to local food banks.

Investigation continues in Quebec stabbings

Quebec provincial police continue to investigate after a stabbing attack west of Montreal that left two women dead and a third critically injured.

Police have not released the ages of the women who were killed on Thursday in a condo tower in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

Sgt. Catherine Bernard says a 70-year-old woman was sent to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Bernard says a 44-year-old man was arrested and sent to hospital.

She says the suspect is known to police, but wouldn’t say if he was connected to the victims.

2 Billion Trees: Quebec wants to cut some down

The federal government committed to planting two billion trees across the country to restore natural habitats and fight climate change, and now Quebec wants to harvest some of them.

The provincial government is asking Ottawa to allow the local forestry industry to chop down trees in areas of the province hardest hit by last year’s forest fires.

Ottawa has committed more than $3 billion to help provinces, territories and organizations plant a total of two billion trees by the end of 2031 as part of a national effort to reduce greenhouse gases.

However, the 2 Billion Trees program does not fund trees designated for commercial use.

But Quebec Natural Resources and Forests Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina says the record-setting 2023 fire season has had tremendous economic impacts in rural regions that depend on the forestry industry.

Saskatchewan teachers to stop lunch supervision

Saskatchewan teachers were expected to stop noon-hour supervision to get the government to address their demands.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation says instructors plan to leave during lunch and then return, as it’s a task they do on a voluntary basis.

This is the latest job action after contract negotiations broke down and teachers went on one-day strikes.

The union says it understands families will be inconvenienced by not offering noon-hour supervision, but that it appreciates the support it has received.

It says it wants the province to negotiate on smaller classroom sizes and more supports for students with high needs.

Prince Harry and Meghan in Vancouver

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are in Vancouver today to meet with Invictus Games athletes at a local curling rink, one year ahead of the competition.

The pair spent the past two days at an Invictus Games training camp in Whistler, where Harry, who founded the Games for wounded, injured or sick service personnel and veterans about a decade ago, tried out sit-skiing and skeleton sledding alongside competitors.

Rasmus Penno is an Invictus Games athlete and a bilateral leg amputee from Estonia who previously competed in the 2018 Games in Australia in rowing.

He says taking part in the Games has been “awesome” and has allowed him to connect with other military service personnel who have had similar life experiences.

He says he met and skied with Prince Harry on Wednesday, and that the Duke and Duchess had asked him about his training.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2024

The Canadian Press