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    • Liberals aim to hit the brakes on car theft with new criminal offences

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    OTTAWA -

    The federal government is going after car thieves in its , which proposes several new Criminal Code offences specific to auto thefts.

    The Liberals are proposing new charges for the use of violence while stealing a vehicle and for links to organized crime, as well as laundering money for the benefit of a criminal organization.

    They're also planning to make it illegal to own or sell the electronic and digital devices police say are being commonly used to steal cars.

    A new aggravating factor will be created for thieves who involve a youth in their operation.

    These specific changes were proposed after a national auto theft summit was held in early February, bringing together police, governments, municipalities and private-sector partners to tackle the growing problem.

    An estimated 90,000 cars are stolen each year in Canada and many of the thefts involve organized crime.

    The Insurance Bureau of Canada paid out around $1.2 billion in claims in 2022, a record high. That year, vehicle thefts rose by 50 per cent in Quebec and almost as much in Ontario.

    The government earmarked $28 million in February to help stop the export of stolen vehicles, most of which are destined for Africa and the Middle East.

    The money aims to give the Canada Border Services Agency more capacity to detect and search containers.

    Insurers say the majority of the vehicles are being stolen from Ontario and Quebec and exported through the busy Port of Montreal.

    Around 1.7 million containers moved through the port last year, including 70 per cent of Canada's legal vehicle exports, according to port authorities.

    An operation led by the Ontario Provincial Police searched 400 shipping containers at the port between December and March, and turned up 598 stolen vehicles.

    Insurance fraud prevention group Equite Association said the top three targets for thieves are Honda CR-Vs, the latest Dodge RAM 1500 series and Ford F150s.

    The budget also contains a promise to amend the Radiocommunications Act to regulate the sale, possession, distribution and import of the types of electronic devices being used to steal cars.

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    • A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

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    • Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.

    • How to win the fight with kids over phone use

      The end of the day — when school, extracurricular activities and homework are (hopefully) finally done — is the window that many kids have for downtime. It can be a struggle to convince them not to go on their phones.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    Sports

    • 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.

    • Heading into Friday’s game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."

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    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.

    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.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    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 six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.

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    • British Columbia Conservative Party Leader John Rustad was at a low point in his life two years ago, both personally and politically.

    • York Regional Police say they are looking for a homicide suspect after a wellness check led police to a body at a home in Richmond Hill early Saturday.

    • Toronto police say they have now identified a third person who they believe was involved in a shooting that left two men dead in North York earlier this week.

    • A man is fighting for his life in hospital a day after a vehicle smashed into several others in and around an intersection in Milton before flipping over.

    • The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.

    • A robust crew of volunteers are raising funds and awareness for first responders and veterans Saturday at Calgary police headquarters in northeast Calgary.

    • Heading into Friday’s game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."

    • A joint police operation to promote safe driving on Highway 417 in the Ottawa area has resulted in laying dozens of charges in three hours Friday, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • Whether it was a big truck, or a small one, the construction trucks rolling past the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) on Saturday had a very important job, and it's putting smiles on the faces of little ones.

    • The 17th annual Canada Army Run is scheduled to take place Sunday in Ottawa, impacting traffic throughout downtown.

    • Montrealers can get used to taking a stroll on several car-free streets during the summer in the years to come thanks to a new commitment from the city.

    • Some residents in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) are raising concerns about the decision to repave the de Maisonneuve bike path, arguing that other roads in the borough should be a higher priority.

    • Montreal Police (SPVM) say residents of a home in the Saint-Laurent borough were evacuated early Saturday morning after a vehicle fire spread to the house.

    • Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

    • Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.

    • The Lower Sackville area in Nova Scotia has access to a new section of trail, according to a news release from the government of Canada on Saturday.

    • Kings District RCMP in Prince Edward Island is investigating a fatal, single-vehicle crash that occurred on 48 Road in Head of Cardigan on Friday.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • Three men are facing charges after a traffic stop netted $70,000 worth of cocaine on Thursday.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    • The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson.

    • Regina police arrested three youths in connection to a bear mace incident at a Regina high school on Friday.

    • Heading into Friday's game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."

    • Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.

    • The provincial government is considering new rules to restrict a municipality’s ability to install new bike lanes if it means traffic lanes would be removed.

    • Police said the pedestrian, a 52-year-old man, was taken to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries and the driver of the vehicle failed to remain at the scene.

    • Heading into Friday's game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."

    • The City of Saskatoon is proposing changes to the proposed downtown shelter site plan following feedback from nearby residents and businesses.

    • The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.

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    • The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

    • British Columbia Conservative Party Leader John Rustad was at a low point in his life two years ago, both personally and politically.

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    • 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.

    • Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way’s annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.

    • Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

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