A Vancouver man is facing multiple assault charges after allegedly attacking five women and causing thousands of dollars in property damage during a 40-minute crime spree.
Cole Stanley Martin, a man Vancouver police describe as “well known” to them, appeared in court on Monday. He is charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, one count of assault, one count of assaulting a police officer, three counts of uttering threats, and one count of breaking and entering.
The 38-year-old was arrested after a brief struggle with police on Saturday afternoon in the Fairview neighbourhood, where he reportedly chased several women and threatened others with broken glass.
According to a police news release, Martin — who was possibly in psychosis at the time — began smashing glass and destroying property near the Vancouver General Hospital around noon on Saturday.
He then allegedly approached a woman in her car, “made shooting gestures,” and tried to open its door. When the woman drove away, Martin reportedly chased her vehicle down the street.
About half an hour later, he allegedly chased joggers near the entrance of a nearby apartment building. Those joggers hid inside, but Martin allegedly smashed the front door in an attempt to pursue them, police said.
Five women allegedly attacked in one man’s Vancouver crime spree
Five women allegedly attacked in one man’s Vancouver crime spree
Afterward, police believe Martin accosted a female witness to that incident, cornering her and demanding her phone. He then allegedly approached another woman who was walking on Oak Street, grabbed her hair and punched her.
She escaped with help from a bystander and both fled to a nearby building “with a number of other frightened people,” reads the news release. Martin is believed to have chased them through the hallways and stairwells of the building, threatening them with a large piece of broken glass.
“He was also using that broken piece of glass to threaten other women that he saw in the building,” Const. Tania Visintin said in a Sunday news conference.
“So far from witness accounts, he was running by men on the street and his target was females.”
Martin was arrested near Oak Street and West 10th Avenue and brought to the hospital to be treated for cuts from the glass, and because police thought he may be in psychosis.
Vancouver police are still looking for additional victims and witnesses to come forward in the case, noting Sunday there were at least 30 minutes when officers did not know where Martin was.
Anyone with information about the incident, cell phone or dashcam footage is asked to contact the detachment at 604-717-4021.
More than 5.2 million children around the world have lost a parent or guardian to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, with three quarters of those children losing a father, and more than half of the total losses occurring over a six-month period in 2021, a new study suggests.
The modelling study published last week by The Lancet Child & Adolescent health journal also found that the number of children impacted by the loss of a caregiver nearly doubled between May 1, 2021 and Oct. 31, 2021, compared to the previous 14 months. Primary caregiver was defined as either a parent or one or both custodial grandparents. Secondary caregivers included a grandparent or relative who lived with the child.
Researchers looked at excess mortality and fertility data from 21 countries and extrapolated the data. They estimated that nearly two out of every three children who lost a parent or caregiver – about 2.1 million – were between the ages of 10 and 17. Another half a million children were aged four and under, while 740,000 were between the ages of five and nine. In every age group and region studied, more children lost fathers than mothers, in line with data that shows COVID-19 has a higher mortality rate for men than women.
The study, which analyzed data from March 1, 2020 to Oct. 31, 2021, found that the number of children under the age of 18 impacted by the death of a parent or caregiver as a result of the novel coronavirus exceeded the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19. The study's authors also believe that the estimates are likely to be drastically lower than the actual numbers.
“It took 10 years for 5 million children to be orphaned by HIV/AIDS, whereas the same number of children have been orphaned by COVID-19 in just two years,” senior author Lorraine Sherr, a professor with the University College London said in a statement, adding that figures do not account for the Omicron variant.
The paper noted that new World Health Organization mortality estimates show that countries in Africa were under-reporting COVID-19 death rates by a factor of 10.
“Consequently, the real-time global minimum estimate for the number of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and caregiver death reached more than 6·7 million children by Jan. 15, 2022, after adjustment for this under-reporting,” the paper said.
Researchers found significant disparities in the countries studied in terms of the total number of children orphaned, with Germany seeing the fewest number of children losing a parent and India seeing the most. Peru and South Africa had the highest estimated rate of orphanhood at 8.3 cases per 1,000 children for Peru and 7.2 cases for South Africa.
Data also showed that the increase in orphanhood was tied to a surge in cases, with researchers suggesting that accelerating vaccine access was critical to protecting the children in the worst-affected areas, but that these same regions had the lowest vaccination rates.
In addition to grief, the paper noted the extended impact of losing a parent or caregiver. Children may also experience inadequate care, mood changes in the surviving parent, food and housing insecurity, as well as family disintegration, the authors wrote, highlighting the need for immediate and ongoing support for affected children.
“Adolescents face post-orphanhood risks … including sexual violence, exploitation, HIV infection, suicide, child labour, adolescent pregnancy, separation from family, household poverty, and leaving school to care for younger siblings,” the study wrote.
Lead author Dr. Susan Hillis, who was with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while this study was being conducted, said in a statement that all national COVID-19 response plans need to include support for orphaned children that prioritizes preventing deaths through equitable vaccine access, ongoing support for affected children, and reducing their risks of poverty and other childhood challenges.
There were some limitations to the study, however, including the fact that the actual numbers of children affected by a parent or caregiver’s death can not be accurately measured due to the varying degrees of quality in the reporting systems of different countries, researchers said. A system that can better track these deaths should be established for future pandemic responses in order to respond more quickly to the needs of children, they recommended.
Manitoba reported five new deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, as the number of Manitobans in hospital with the virus continues to drop.
The new deaths bring the total COVID-19 death toll in the province to 1,680 since the last update on Friday. Details about the deaths were not available.
The province said as of Monday there are 474 Manitobans being treated for COVID-19 in hospital, a drop of 39 from Friday. Of the people in hospital, 204 have active cases of COVID-19.
The number of people being treated in intensive care went up to 30 since Friday, an increase of one patient; fourteen patients have active COVID.
Manitoba announced 111 new cases on Monday, bringing the active case total to 9,388. The province said previously the actual number of cases in Manitoba is likely higher, as rapid tests are not counted toward the total.
Manitoba’s five-day test positivity rate is 16.7 per cent.
On the vaccine front, 86.2 per cent of eligible Manitobans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 82 per cent have received two doses to be considered fully vaccinated, and 43.8 per cent have received a booster dose.
The Ottawa Senators concluded its four-game homestand Saturday with a 2-1 loss to Montreal at Canadian Tire Centre.
The Sens, however, were shorthanded from the get-go as they were forced to play with just five defencemen while Colin White made his season debut, as Three Thoughts details.
Sens play with five 'D'
The Senators were forced to deploy the rare 13 forwards, five defencemen lineup Saturday due to a few last-minute changes.
Shortly before puck drop, Thomas Chabot and Nikita Zaitsev were both ruled out with a non-Covid 19 related illness.
"It doesn't happen very often but it happened tonight," Senators head coach D.J. Smith said. "Five 'D' in the NHL is hard obviously and 13 forwards throws the lines off. It is what it is. We've had a lot of crazy things happen this year but you've got to find a way to play."
The ripple effects were thus understandable: Victor Mete was suddenly in the lineup and played 19:40, his third highest time on ice of the year.
Erik Brannstrom played 25:19, his second most time on ice of the season while Josh Brown's 20:36 was a season high. Nick Holden's 24:08 was his fourth most of the campaign while Artem Zub played 24:59.
Dylan Gambrell, who like Mete was originally not in the lineup, was also pressed into action and saw the ice for 7:44.
"It's really hard to play your offside unless you have all kinds of time," Smith said. "The only choice you have if they're putting pressure on you is to flip it off the glass. You can't go tape to tape and one shift you're left, one shift you're right."
The Sens played with five defencemen for the majority of their game in Tampa Bay on Dec. 16 after Zaitsev left injured early in the first. But regardless, it doesn't make the adjustment of playing a d-man short any easier, especially at the NHL level.
"It was a little different but you've got to be ready for anything," Mete said. "It's definitely not as easy it looks."
White scores in season debut
In one of the biggest feel-good moments of the year, Colin White not only made his season debut but scored Saturday.
After the Boston native had missed the first 50 games of the season due to a dislocated shoulder suffered during preseason, he got his name on the scoreboard 1:23 into the second period as he scored from the slot on the power play off of Connor Brown's setup.
"It's been a long year so I was super excited," White said. "I just went out there and had fun today. Brownie made an unreal play and made it a little bit easy for me. It was super exciting for me to score that goal."
White played 14:30 in his return and tallied four shots on goal, tied for the most on the Senators, and won four of his seven faceoffs. His goal was his first since April 28, 304 days ago. He also hit the post in the first period.
"It just felt like anther hockey game," White said. "I was a bit nervous but also excited going into it. I had no nap today. It felt pretty good to get out there and just play hockey. When you watch a lot of hockey, it looks a little easier up top."
Perhaps the most crucial thing for White was to get physical after he returned from an extended absence and he did that with two hits. The 25-year-old moved around the lineup all night as the Sens played with 13 forwards but he didn't care whatsoever who he had on his wings.
"I haven't been in the lineup at all so I kind of expected to play with everyone and eventually I'll find chemistry with someone but right now it's taking it shift by shift and whoever I'm out there with, I'll try to make plays," he said.
Sens embark on five-game road trip
While their longest homestand was just four games over the past six weeks, the Senators will get some time away from Canadian Tire Centre starting Tuesday as they open a five-game road trip in Tampa.
It comes on the heels of 13 of Ottawa's last 16 games being played on home ice where they went 5-6-2 over that stretch.
"We had a very busy schedule," Chabot said. "We've just finished 10 games in 16 days. We've gone through a good stretch here of playing a lot of games at home so it'll be fun to go back on the road."
The Senators also won't mind playing away from home; since Jan. 2, Ottawa has gone 5-2-1 on the road.
However, this trip won't come easy. The Senators open in Tampa Tuesday, owners of the fourth most points in the NHL. They'll then head to Florida, who they beat 8-2 Dec. 14, on Thursday to battle the Panthers whose 35 wins are the third most in the league.
Ottawa will then fly west to face the Coyotes Saturday before they visit the Golden Knights Sunday who sit third in the Pacific Division. They'll conclude the trip on March 8 in St. Louis against a Blues team that has the eighth most points in the league.
"We're playing four of the top teams in the league," White said. "They're all Cup contending teams. It's going to be a tough trip but it'll be nice to get some warm weather."
Five women were allegedly attacked by a single individual during a 40-minute crime spree in Vancouver on Saturday that also caused thousands of dollars in property damage.
The suspect, a 38-year-old man who was possibly in psychosis at the time, was arrested and jailed after a brief struggle near Oak Street and West 10th Avenue that afternoon, according to police.
“Once again, these attacks appear completely unprovoked, and they must have been terrifying for everyone involved,” said Const. Tania Visintin in a Sunday news release.
“We believe there are more victims, and likely dozens of witnesses, who have information and cell phone video footage that can help the police investigation.”
According to Vancouver police, the man was smashing glass and destroying property near the Vancouver General Hospital around noon on Saturday.
He then allegedly approach a 40-year-old woman in her car, “made shooting gestures,” banged on the vehicle and tried to open its door. When the woman drove away, the man reportedly chased the vehicle down the street.
About 30 minutes later, the suspect allegedly chased joggers near the entrance of a nearby apartment building. Those joggers sought refuge inside the building, but the suspect allegedly smashed the front door in an attempt to pursue them, police said.
Afterward, the man reportedly accosted a female witness to that incident, cornering her and demanding her phone.
VPD seeking leads in violent Yaletown swarming
VPD seeking leads in violent Yaletown swarming
Moments later, police said the suspect approached another woman who was walking on Oak Street, allegedly grabbing her hair and punching her. She escaped with help from a bystander and both fled to a nearby building “with a number of other frightened people,” reads the news release.
The suspect allegedly chased after them through the hallways and stairwells of the building, threatening them and branding a large piece of broken glass.
“He was also using that broken piece of glass to threaten other women that he saw in the building,” said Visintin in a Sunday news conference.
The man was later arrested and treated for his glass cuts at the hospital.
“Thankfully nobody was injured, however the trauma that these women will face is obviously inevitable. It’s quite a terrifying incident,” said Visintin.
Asked whether the suspect was specifically targeting women, she said it certainly appeared that way.
“So far from witness accounts, he was running by men on the street and his target was females.”
The suspect, whose name is not being released while charge approval is pending, is “well known” to police, said Visintin. Police are now looking for additional victims and witnesses, including the helpful bystander and the joggers.
VPD investigating 60 assaults over long weekend
VPD investigating 60 assaults over long weekend
The suspect is described as an Indigenous man, about five feet nine inches, with short “scraggly” hair and a thin beard. He was wearing grey zip-up hoodie and dark pants.
“It would have been very obvious who this man was, he was most likely covered in blood and running around with shards of glass in his hand,” Visintin said, adding that there were about 30 minutes on Saturday when police didn’t know where he was.
Anyone with information about the incident, cell phone or dash cam footage is asked to contact the detachment at 604-717-4021.
The Montréal Canadiens went to Ottawa looking for a fifth straight win on Saturday night and they succeeded. Before this streak, they had eight wins in the entire season.
And while Ottawa is an improved club, going in the right direction with their rebuild, but the Canadiens are hot.
Artturi Lehkonen had the two goals in Montreal’s 2-1 win.
Wilde Horses
It is so easy to love how Martin St. Louis coaches.
The Canadiens have had 25 years of defensive coaches. The type of coach who puts out defensive players in overtime. The type of coach who worries about the best players on the other team, but is not excited about the talent on his own.
Sure, stopping goals is half the game. But how about that other half when you score goals? That’s the fun half, and that is St. Louis’s half. He gets it that there are times when you let your best be their best.
The most challenging offensive situations are when there are fewer players on the ice. That’s why that 3-on-3 with Philip Danault was exasperating. Not that Danault can’t play, but Montreal should score that overtime goal first, not second.
Since St. Louis has taken over, the forwards out first in overtime are Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. That’s the pair that should be out there to go get the additional point.
In this contest against the Senators, during the first 4-on-4 situation in the game, the first over the boards and the pair to take most of the ice-time was Suzuki and Caufield. They dominated. Caufield was all over the place just creating. Suzuki owned the puck too. Even Alexander Romanov got on the ice trying to get a 4-on-4 goal.
It’s enjoyable watching a St. Louis-coached club. All of the moves he has made: keeping the puck in the opposition’s zone, teaching players how to perform as second forward and third forward in the attacking zone. It has paid off in many more goals.
And wouldn’t you know it, you spend time down in the other club’s zone, suddenly, the goals allowed by the Canadiens is down significantly since St. Louis’s arrival. Everyone is impressed with the five goals and the chicken wings, but the two against, on average, is also impressive.
So many wonderful things can happen when a club plays in the offensive end. The Canadiens will get the puck luck. The Canadiens will get the most shots. As a result the Canadiens will gain confidence. The Canadiens will suffer less fatigue. If it goes to overtime, the Canadiens will be ready to keep going.
This is just scratching the surface considering it’s being done with a defence that is not a puck-moving defence. Imagine what St. Louis can do with all of his philosophies when he has a six-pack of defenders who are puck movers.
It could be quite impressive when the club adds defenders who can move it up ice quickly, get out of the zone quickly and play in the offensive end.
It’s easy to get excited about the coming seasons. There’s some time to put in while players mature, but when they do, a more enjoyable brand of hockey is on its way — without a doubt. The entire organization wants to bring excitement to the rink. You can sense it coming.
When I mentioned that there was no chance they were going to lose a top five draft pick, I meant that. At best, the Canadiens were going to win one, then lose one, or perhaps the odd time take two of three. This is starting to get a bit dicey, if you were expecting that one or two hole to draft from this summer.
The Canadiens have won five straight games. They started winning right after St. Louis had a chance to run his first practices. This is no coincidence.
So enjoy, or don’t enjoy, but the Canadiens seem intent on winning. There’s really very little to critique. They’ve allowed only seven goals in five games, while scoring 17.
Wilde Cards
It’s odd — reporting on Carey Price. The latest word about his health from the Canadiens is he is progressing well with his off-ice rehab. That sounds good. Like things are moving in the right direction.
However, the club also added that Price won’t take to the ice in the week to come either, and will continue off-ice workouts.
Progressing well?
How well when he has had two setbacks? How well when he has no plans to take to the ice soon?
It’s five months now since the surgery. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to say progressing when he can’t actually practice on the playing surface of his preferred sport.
At the same time, there is no urgency to get Price back in action. Management doesn’t need Price coming on board to maybe be a world-class goalie at this point the season. The club is winning as it is.
No one likes a lack of transparency. However, in this case, considering the overall situation, the opaque nature that surrounds Price is acceptable enough.
No one needs to be disappointed by living with a little mystery. The bonus is Price gets all the time he needs, in whatever capacity he needs, to get his game in order before he returns.
Thanks to the wonky schedule the past two years, the Seattle Sounders and Nashville SC have never met in their respective histories. That changes on Sunday.
Not only is this the first meeting between two of the league’s best teams from a year ago, it’s also an early look at two of the preseason favorites to win the Western Conference. This should be a good test of the Sounders’ depth and Nashville’s move to the tougher conference.
Here’s what we’ll be watching:
Rotating is needed; Let’s see our depth
Thursday night was a lot of fun for the obvious reasons, but having the second half on cruise control was great for the Sounders’ legs. Even with having made a lot of early subs, Seattle will likely rotate a few key spots because conditioning isn’t yet at midseason levels. Raul Ruidiaz has been posting on Instagram about his hamstring injury, so we could see him not start — or even appear in the matchday squad.
I suspect we’ll see up to four changes, but that gives us an opportunity to see just how deep this team is, even if it’s the first match of the regular season. Maybe we’ll see the likes of Kelyn Rowe, Marlon Vargas, and Leo Chu start. — Mark
Somewhat quietly, Hany Mukhtar put together an MVP-caliber season in 2021. The German midfielder — who once was close to joining the Sounders — had a league-best 28 goals+assists last year and was in the middle of just about everything Nashville did offensively. Mukhtar nominally plays as a wide attacker in Gary Smith’s 3-4-3, but has so much freedom that he may as well be a No. 10. The Sounders can not lose track of Mukhtar; if they can contain him, they should be fine. — Jeremiah
Everybody's on the Nashville train, me included. My thinking is they can do what they did last year, but also not be a tire fire defending set pieces.
The advanced stats don't love them, though. If Hany regresses & they still can't defend restarts, things get tough.
Nashville is a very good defensive team and have probably the best centerback in the league in Walker Zimmerman. But one of their weaknesses is set-piece defense, both in corner kicks and free kicks. Given Nashville’s style of play, it’s likely that the Sounders will get their chances with corner kicks and they need to make the visitors pay.
Another thing to keep an eye on: fouls. Seattle got fouled 511 times last season, which was the most in the Western Conference. With João Paulo, Nicolás Lodeiro, and now Albert Rusnák, free kicks could be a treat this season. — Mark
As great as the atmosphere at Lumen Field has been since the very first Sounders MLS game, the one thing we’ve never really been able to do is get the whole stadium singing a song. We had hoped to make that happen in the MLS Cup final with “Bluest Skies” but maybe that was a bit too ambitious. According to Brian Schmetzer, ECS may try to get everyone singing “Sounders ‘til I Die” in the 74th minute. The lyrics don’t get much easier than this one: “I’m Sounders ‘til I die / I’m Sounders ‘til I die / I know I am, I’m sure I am / I’m Sounders ‘til I die!” Let’s make it happen. — Jeremiah
A special home opener
It’s been two very long years since the Sounders have had a home opener in what could be considered normal circumstances. We’re obviously not in that now, but we’re at a point where we can safely go about having vaccinated fans in the stands. If you remember in 2020, Jordan Morris scored a 93rd minute winner against Chicago. That was a lot of fun. Ideally we won’t need a stoppage time goal to beat Nashville, but let’s make memories with this one. — Mark
After a noble fight against the Toledo Glass City, the Sudbury Five lost 102-100 for game three. The Five, nonetheless, showed chemistry on court with some of their plays.
Zena Edosomwan was able to put up 21 points this game and 14 rebounds. Harvard grad Edosomwan joined the Five back in December after playing in the NCAA for four years. The 6-9 player showed great mobility and control on the court.
Tyrell Gumbs-Frater, Marcel White, Jeremy Harris and Josiah Moore all scored more than ten points last night as well. White had a particularly good game drilling in the buckets shooting 5-6 field goals and 4-5 three-point shots.
As far as assists go, Jason Calliste had 6 for Friday evening and Dexter William Jr. assisted 5.
It was the Glass City’s guards Travon Howard and Christopher Darrington that made the difference as Howard scored 30 points total for the game and Darrington, 29. Glass city also totalled 16 second chance points for the evening while the Five scored 10 as a team.
The team is hitting the road once again for Syracuse to take on the Stallions on Sunday. The Five will be playing on home court on March 5 when they welcome the Lansing Pharoahs.
The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) is looking for input on their draft 2022-26 Five-Year Financial Plan before it is expected to be adopted at the March 11 board meeting.
RDEK Board Chair Rob Gay asks residents to visit the project page and learn about the draft plan before the public comment period ends.
“The budgeting process begins in September with the RDEK staff, and there have been meetings with directors, stakeholders, commissions and more that have helped inform this draft plan,” Gay said in a press release. “While those meetings will continue in the coming weeks, we also want to hear from the public and to get the community’s thoughts about our projects and services and the potential impact on property taxes.”
The plan lays out how tax dollars are spent on more than 100 services across the regional district.
The budget includes items such as capital projects, solid waste and transfer stations, human resources, and construction.
The draft 2022 operating budget proposes a 4.6 per cent increase over last year, the RDEK says, which works out to approximately $14 on average for residential assessments of $462,000.
“It’s important to remember in the RDEK model, municipalities and electoral areas are affected differently depending which RDEK services they receive,” the regional district explained.
The 2022 operating budget is $38.2 million and the capital budget is just over $8.8 million.
The RDEK has summarized expenditures in the draft plan, with 20 per cent going towards protective and emergency services, seven per cent to utilities, eight per cent to development and transit, and 13 per cent to administration. Seven per cent is allocated for recreation and culture, 18 per cent for solid waste, eight per cent for recycling, 13 per cent to municipal debt payments, and 6 per cent to other services.
Overall in 2022 there is a proposed 6.7 per cent increase in total taxes collected. The RDEK says that the 1.7 per cent increase in new assessment will lessen the overall impact for shared services to a proposed increase of 4.6 per cent.
Property taxes for 2022 have increased at a total of $21,241,918. 2021 property taxes were $19,837,121.
Some of the larger capital projects in the coming year include:
• Fairmont Flood and Debris Flow Mitigation – Cold Spring Creek Upgrades
• South Country Aquifer and Elko Sinkholes Project (grant dependent)
• Windermere Water – Distribution System Upgrade
• Hosmer Fire – Construction of new fire hall (Area A’s portion of the Elk Valley Tax Sharing Grant)
• Organics Composting Facilities (Elk Valley, Central and Columbia Valley Subregions)
• Edgewater Connectivity Project – Phase 1
“Year in and year out this board and our staff work diligently to find a balance between providing quality services to our residents and being mindful of the tax impacts. As service level expectations increase, and the region continues to grow and evolve, this task becomes that much more challenging and I’m proud of the balance we have achieved in this year’s draft plan,” said Gay. “Having the public’s feedback is an important next step in the process and we look forward to gathering their input over the coming weeks.”
The public comment period is open until noon on Monday, March 7, 2022. Copies of the plan and comment forms are available online at engage.rdek.bc.ca/budget or in-person, by request, through the Cranbrook and Columbia Valley RDEK offices.
Three days without Sens games feels kind of weird after that ridiculous stretch, doesn’t it?
Here are some thoughts. Five of them.
Development Mode
I’d like to draw attention to something D.J. Smith said before Saturday’s game against the Boston Bruins. Ian Mendes asked the coach if he had a conversation with Erik Brännström about the three penalties the young defenseman had taken in the previous game. D.J. had this to say:
Brännström then played over 27 minutes in that game - a career high.
A lot of fans saw this as a huge change of heart from D.J., but I actually think this is pretty in character for him. One thing I’ve noticed about this coach from listening to him speak to the media is that his focus is always on individual player development rather than what’s going to help him win games immediately.
Lassi Thomson needs to go to Belleville because we don’t want to ruin his confidence by keeping him here.
Egor Sokolov needs to stay in Belleville because we want him thriving in the AHL.
We don’t want to match Tim Stützle against top lines right now because that would be bad for his confidence.
Alex Formenton isn’t on the powerplay because we want him to get more reps at 5 on 5 and on the penalty kill.
Brännström needs to play big minutes so that he can learn to play in the NHL.
Listening to him speak, I don’t get the impression that D.J. Smith genuinely thinks that Chris Tierney is a better powerplay option than Alex Formenton, or that the team is better off with Josh Brown and Nikita Zaitsev in the lineup than Lassi Thomson and Jacob Bernard-Docker. With D.J. Smith, It’s rarely about whether or not the player can help the team right now. It’s always about whether or not the player is playing at the level that D.J. Smith expects from him. And to his credit, he’s gotten results in terms of player development. Tkachuk, Norris, Batherson, Formenton, Stützle, Thomson, JBD, Brännström and others have all developed really well in the NHL.
This coach has proven himself capable of getting the most out of his young players. His focus on player development is, I think, exactly what the team has needed during these rebuild years. But his track record in games that matter - meaning, the first few games of this season and last - is pretty horrendous. Next season, this team needs to start winning. They’ll have to do it with a young roster - with some players who have clearly won the coach’s trust, and some who have not. That, I think, will be the real test for D.J. Smith.
Formenton’s role
Buckle up, folks, because it’s going to be non-stop contract talk from here all through the summer — and maybe into the fall if Josh Norris takes after his best friend (please no. I can’t do that again).
Unsurprisingly, UFA Nick Paul and RFA Josh Norris have drawn the most attention, with good reason, but at what point do we start talking about Alex Formenton, who will be an RFA this summer as well?
Formenton has blossomed into a great all-situations player. He’s a menace on a penalty kill and really any time he’s on the ice. He’s played well in the third and fourth lines, and looked great next to Tim Stützle on the second line - good enough that he’s starting to look like a real top-six option in the long term.
I still think I’d like him best as a third liner who can move up the lineup if necessary - which is why I think the Sens should go after top-six wingers right now, so guys like Formenton and Brown can move down the depth chart. I’d love it if the Sens could lock him up long term in the $2-3M range, but who knows what their plan is? I’m certainly very curious to see what happens during the offseason.
Chabot is so special
A regular season game against the Minnesota Wild has no right to feel as special as Tuesday’s game did.
And yet, it almost felt like a tribute to Thomas Chabot, a night for appreciating everything the veteran defenseman has done and continues to do for the Ottawa Senators. Coming off an injury that kept him out of the lineup for three games, Chabot was suiting up for his 300th NHL game. The pre-game interviews with Chabot and with coach D.J. Smith were really good, as both reflected on Chabot’s career and his importance to this team.
And then there was the game itself, where he scored two goals including the game winner and assisted on a third. You couldn’t have scripted it better, except perhaps to give him a hat trick.
For all the recognition that Chabot does get, it still feels like we don’t appreciate him enough considering everything he has quietly done for this team and this franchise.
Chabot broke into the league right when things started to go really badly in Ottawa. In just his second season, he was asked to fill the massive hole left in the lineup by Erik Karlsson’s departure. I think we were all so used to Karlsson at that point that the things Chabot was doing seemed normal - and a lot of us were disappointed when he couldn’t do all the things Karlsson did, which was never fair to him.
This season, it’s become especially evident that he’s an important leader in the dressing room. He’s been mentoring every young defensive prospect that’s come up from Belleville, from Erik Brännström to Lassi Thomson to Jacob Bernard-Docker, and you can bet Jake Sanderson will join that club as well. I frequently joke on Twitter about Chabot being the “team dad,” but that’s really how it feels when he talks about the young players he’s mentoring. A year from now, we could have a defensive lineup that’s just Chabot, Zub, and four players that Chabot mentored.
We’re very lucky to have Chabot here, and I hope he gets to see this team achieve real success soon.
Good vibes only
For a bad team, the Sens are really fun to watch, aren’t they?
I’m glad that they’re finding ways to enjoy the season. And I have to say that every one of those videos makes me more excited to watch this team play meaningful games. This a team I’d love to follow through a deep playoff run.
The Dream Gap Tour comes to Ottawa!
One of my biggest pet peeves about the way women’s hockey is talked about in the hockey world (and believe me, there are a lot of them) is how it’s always framed as some kind of charitable endeavor.
“Support women in sports by watching this event!”
“Attend this game because female athletes deserve to have people watch their games!”
“Tune in to prove that people like watching women’s hockey!”
“We need to put women’s sports on TV so little girls can see that they can play hockey too!”
Look. There is a place for all these statements - especially when we’re talking about a PWHPA event - and if wanting to support women in sports is your reason for watching women’s hockey, then more power to you. But I don’t watch women’s hockey for any of these reasons. I watch women’s hockey because it’s fun.
Why should you attend the PWHPA showcase in Nepean this weekend? Because it’s fun hockey. I don’t believe any of the 2022 Olympians will be playing in this tournament so soon after flying home, but if you look up the rosters, you’ll surely recognize plenty of names from past Olympic years.
If you enjoyed the Olympic tournament and want to see more of the best women’s hockey players in the world, get your tickets to the PWHPA showcase.
SEATTLE — The Seattle Sounders’ return match against Motagua Thursday might have started out with some nervous energy on behalf of the home team. It’s been noted —perhaps ad nauseum at this point — the Sounders premature exit in the 2020 version of the tournament was a bitter disappointment given the team was coming off their second MLS title with a team that was mostly intact, at least at the top of the roster. And a mostly dour 0-0 draw in the away leg of the opening round didn’t do much to brighten spirits.
So after 30 minutes with no score for the home side and Motagua with the clear best chance of the match, fans could have been forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu.
A few moments later, the Sounders got a boost from a very familar face, and by the end of the match, everybody was getting in on the fun.
A 5-0 victory over a defeated and deflated Motagua side won’t suddenly make the Sounders favorites to win the tournament — though it certainly moves them near the top of the list. So the Sounders will move on and look to do more than merely survive and advance. They’ll hope to thrive as well.
Nicolás Lodiero had so many stops and starts over the last 18 months that Sounders fans must have wondered if they’d seen the last of their talisman at the height of his powers. Whether Thursday’s performance was more substance than flash, it was surely good to see Lodeiro putting in his trademark work rate and quality in a more than solid 60-minute performance. Sparking the Sounders’ rout with a well-taken goal to open the scoring, Lodeiro seemed to grow more into the game, even if his incisive passing didn’t quite come off. From here the Sounders will hope that Lodeiro can continue to build on his performance as the MLS season gets underway, and look to advance deep in the tournament.
CCL matches can be tough on MLS sides as they are coming out of preseason. Lack of match fitness has cost more than a few teams a good start to the MLS season. It was good then for the Sounders to turn the second half of the match into a rout because by the end, everyone seemed to get in on the fun. Once the Sounders had their third goal, Schmetzer was able to empty the bench, getting many of his starters off the field. In fact, Schmetzer had used all five subs by the 77th minute. Pending more news on Raúl Ruidíaz’s health, it looks like the Sounders should be reasonably well rested for Sunday’s MLS season opener.
Granted, João Paulo won’t be coming off the bench much at all this year, but the level of quality the Sounders have at their disposal might be unmatched in MLS history. A bold statement to be sure, but it hardly needs mentioning that it will be tough to make the field. Even without the likes of Will Bruin, Jimmy Medranda and Josh Atencio being available, there were still some notable scratches from the gameday roster and the Sounders didn’t miss beat once the subs started entering.
It’s not hard to see what the Sounders were missing last week in Motagua with the 2021 team MVP not in action. In only one half of action, João Paulo provided an unmistakable boost with his doggedness and work-rate, breaking down an admittedly beaten down Motagua side. Still, with João Paulo bossing the midfield, it was only a matter of time before the Sounders took firm control of the match. And they did. The Sounders scored four of their five goals after João Paulo entered at halftime.
Jordan Morris has been back in action for several months and has even earned a start in World Cup qualifying with the United States national team since his ACL injury. Still, after scoring the third goal which essentially put the game on ice, the expression of relief on his face was clear. After the match, head coach Brian Schmetzer pushed back on whether the goal meant getting a monkey off his back. Scoring goals and helping his team win is great of course, but just being back on the field, playing the game he loves, is what gives him joy.
Today, February 25, Nova Scotia is reporting five new hospital admissions and two discharges.
Nova Scotia is also reporting two deaths related to COVID-19:
a woman in her 80s in Eastern Zone
a man in his 80s in Eastern Zone.
“I want to extend my condolences to the families and friends grieving the loss of their loved ones,” said Premier Tim Houston. “We must continue to work together by getting vaccinated, staying home if sick and following the public health protocols in place as we work our way through the reopening plan.”
There are 44 people in hospital who were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving specialized care in a COVID-19 designated unit. That includes 11 people in ICU. The age range of those in hospital is 0 to 96 years old. The median age is 67, and the median length of stay of people admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 is 6.5 days.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the two Nova Scotians who passed away,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “I continue to ask for people’s patience, understanding and co-operation. COVID-19 is still circulating in our communities. As we move to living with COVID, please continue to practise good hygiene, stay home if you are feeling unwell and get vaccinated whether it’s your first, second or booster dose.”
Of the 44 people in hospital, 41 were admitted during the Omicron wave.
The vaccination status of those in hospital is:
15 (34.1 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
19 (43.2 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
1 (2.3 per cent) is partially vaccinated
9 (20.5 per cent) are unvaccinated.
It is important to note that less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated.
There are also two other groups of people in hospital related to COVID-19:
126 people who were identified as positive upon arrival at hospital but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care
165 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.
Vaccine Coverage:
As of February 24, 2,210,140 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 92.1 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their first dose, and 86.6 per cent have received their second dose.
As well, 62.1 per cent of Nova Scotians 18 and older have received a booster dose, and 0.7 per cent have booked a booster dose appointment.
Cases and Testing:
On February 24, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 1,861 tests. An additional 170 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.
There are 64 cases in Central Zone, 42 cases in Eastern Zone, 25 cases in Northern Zone and 39 cases in Western Zone.
As of today, there are an estimated 1,888 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.
Hospital and Long-Term Care Outbreaks:
NSHA is reporting additional cases related to the outbreaks in three hospitals:
four additional patients in a ward at Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital; fewer than 10 patients have now tested positive
one additional patient in a ward at Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital in Pictou; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
one additional patient in a ward at Cape Breton Regional Hospital; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive.
The Province is reporting one outbreak in a long-term care facility. Three residents have tested positive at Debert Court Continuing Care Residence in Debert. Public health is working with the facility to prevent further spread. Increased public health measures and restrictions are in place.
Quick Facts:
a state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22, 2020, and has been extended to March 6, 2022
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has rocked financial markets in a way we haven’t seen in a while. Checked your portfolio yet? You may see a lot of what you own losing ground in a way that makes you question yourself.
Here’s a five-point checklist that will help you gauge how well prepared you are for stock market turmoil both now and in the future. Stocks have had a great two-year run since the pandemic crash and a pullback at some point is inevitable.
Got bonds?
Most investors have some exposure to bonds to provide stability at times when stocks fall hard. Bonds have been under pressure from rising interest rates, and this will continue through the year. But when stocks plunge, bonds hold their ground. Also, the potential to lose big money in stocks far exceeds the risk in bonds.
Got Canadian stocks?
Most investors have a lot of exposure to the Canadian stock market, which has its advantages right now. One is a big weighting for energy stocks, which benefit from the rise in oil prices that was triggered by Russia’s actions. Gold prices took off early Thursday – there’s another sector with strong representation in the Canadian market. Financials are the largest sector in our index and they were hit hard in the early going Thursday.
Got dividends?
Markets may go up and down, but the dividend stocks loved by so many Canadian investors keep shovelling out cash to shareholders every quarter. The risk of dividend payments being cut comes from recession or an economic shock. We are not at the point yet as a result of what’s happening in Ukraine.
Got cash?
Households where jobs and income held steady through the pandemic have been able to pile up cash in savings accounts. Adding some of this money to hard-hit stocks and funds is a way of following the key investing rule of buying low. Don’t make a big bet on anything – instead, feed money in gradually when stocks are falling.
Got time?
Your timeline when investing in stocks should be a minimum of five years, and preferable 10 years. Over a decade, you can be confident that even sharp declines for stocks will be more than offset by the good times to come.
ICYMI (In case you missed it) … The Carrick on Money Back to Basics Series
Part One: Now’s the time to revisit the most basic rule of personal finance
Part Eight: The investing strategy that has your back when stocks go from glory to gory
Subscribe to Carrick on Money
Are you reading this newsletter on the web or did someone forward the e-mail version to you? If so, you can sign up for Carrick on Money here.
Rob’s personal finance reading list
Five ways retirement can crush your spirit
People whose identity is tied up in their work can feel like they’re losing their identity, status and more when they retire. Tips for a smooth transition include up to 18 months of decompression after leaving your job.
Retirement saving for millennials
Encouragement for young adults to start thinking about putting money away for a retirement that could be as much as four decades in the future. Of course, there’s also the small problem of affording a house down payment.
The fake influencers
How to tell if the personal finance influencers a lot of people follow on social media are legit or really just hustlers trying to sell you something.
The cost of divorce
Canada’s divorce rate was about 40 per cent – and then came the stress of the pandemic. Here’s a look at how much it costs to get divorced, including legal fees and more.
Q&A
Q: If I were to purchase a $100,000 guaranteed investment certificate from EQ Bank plus a $100,000 GIC from B2B Bank and a $100,000 GIC from Laurentian Bank, all to be held in my TD Direct Investing taxable account, would I be covered for the total $300,000 amount by Canada Deposit Insurance Corp.? All three banks are CDIC members.
A: I think this question was prompted by one a couple of weeks ago on CDIC coverage. Again, I asked CDIC to provide the answer. Here’s the answer: “If an issuing bank fails, CDIC protects your deposits (including GICs). Since all three GIC issuers are separate member institutions, total CDIC protection related to these GICs is $300k. If all three issuers were to fail simultaneously CDIC reimburses $300,000.”
Do you have a question for me?Send it my way.Sorry I can't answer every one personally. Questions and answers are edited for length and clarity.
Suggested reading for Black History Month: They Call Me George: The Untold Story of Black Train Porters and the Birth of Modern Canada, by Cecil Foster. It’s about Black porters working on Canada’s passenger trains and it’s one of the best Canadian history books I’ve read. The author was a Globe and Mail business reporter way back in the day. We crossed paths on a few stories when I was a rookie business reporter for The Canadian Press. By the way, CBC has a new TV series about Black train porters.
On Wednesday, the Western Hockey League announce that Prince Albert Raider defenceman Trevor Thurston was handed out a five game suspension, as a result of a sequence of plays that occurred in the final 30 seconds of a 4-1 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday afternoon.
Thurston received a pair of five minute majors penalties, a charging and cross checking major. The charging call was a result of the d-man planting a high hit on Brayden Boehm just inside the Raider blue line. After the whistle, he laid a cross check on Rhett Parsons during a scrum, which resulted in another five minute call, and he was immediately kicked out of the game.
Thurston was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes earlier this season as part of the trade that sent Tyson Laventure and Ross Stanley to Alberta. He is in his third WHL season, and playing for his third team. This season, he is second in penalty minutes in the entire league with 99. Simon Kubicek of the Edmonton Oil Kings leads the league with 104, but he’s played in 15 more games than Thurston.
The Raiders most recently won a 1-0 affair against the Hitmen in Calgary, with Tikhon Chaika registering his first WHL shutout. Thurston served the first game of his suspension in that game. He is eligible to return to the lineup on Tuesday, March 8, when the Raiders host the Hurricanes.
Prince Albert is back in action on Friday night when they visit the Red Deer Rebels. Puck drop is at 8pm.
Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting five new hospital admissions related to COVID-19 on Thursday, along with six discharges.
Public health says there were 46 people in hospital Thursday who were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving specialized care in a COVID-19 designated unit. That number is down from 49 people on Wednesday.
Of the 46 in hospital:
12 are in intensive care
the age range is from zero to 96-years-old
the median age is 67
the average length of stay in hospital is 6.5 days
43 were admitted during the Omicron wave
The vaccination status of the 46 in hospital is as follows:
13 (28.3 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
22 (47.8 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
None are partially vaccinated
11 (23.9 per cent) are unvaccinated
There are also two other groups of people in hospital who have COVID-19:
134 people who were identified as positive upon arrival at hospital but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care
170 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital
Nova Scotia is not reporting any additional deaths related to COVID-19 on Thursday.
VACCINE UPDATE
As of Wednesday, 2,208,080 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.
Of those, 92.1 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their first dose, and 86.5 per cent have received their second dose.
As well, 62 per cent of Nova Scotians 18 and older have received a booster dose, and 0.7 per cent have booked a booster dose appointment.
Public health says as of Thursday, less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated.
CASES AND TESTING
On Wednesday, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 1,826 tests. An additional 187 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.
Of those cases:
65 are in the Central Zone
43 are in the Eastern Zone
49 are in the Northern Zone
30 are in the Western Zone
As of Thursday, Nova Scotia estimates there to be 1,903 active cases of COVID-19.
OUTBREAK UPDATE
A new COVID-19 outbreak is being reported in a ward at Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital, where fewer than five patients have tested positive.
NSHA is also reporting additional cases related to the outbreaks in four hospitals:
two additional patients in a separate ward at Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital; fewer than 10 patients have now tested positive
two additional patients in a ward at Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital in Pictou; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
one additional patient in a ward at Cape Breton Regional Hospital; 11 patients have now tested positive
one additional patient in a separate ward at Cape Breton Regional Hospital; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
Queen’s University has committed $750,000 over five years to the City of Kingston to address pressures on municipal services throughout the year, especially during unsanctioned street parties.
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“The university felt that a financial contribution to the city was an appropriate way to acknowledge and address some of the additional pressures placed on our municipal services throughout the year,” principal and vice-chancellor Patrick Deane said in a news release.
“As an active and supportive member of the Kingston community, the university recognizes and appreciates the hard work of our many municipal and community partners.”
The funding will be distributed annually through $150,000 contributions each year starting this year on to 2026. Last October, the school promised $350,000 to the city to help cover the costs of policing numerous street parties nearly every weekend through September and October.
Kingston Police racked up a nearly $1-million bill policing the University District last fall. John Howes, director of finance for Kingston Police, told the police services board last Thursday they expected to receive $310,000 of the $350,000, but had not yet.
Howes said at the time that the city’s treasurer, Desiree Kennedy, was following up with the school. Queen’s confirmed the new funding is not part of the money they promised in October.
On Feb. 15, the school announced it would be creating a task force, chaired by Deane, to address the large street parties in the University District. The group includes members of the school administration, student leaders and the City of Kingston.
This isn’t the first working group that has been created to address street parties in the University District. In June 2005, 13 sweeping recommendations were published by a working group assembled by then-principal and vice-chancellor Karen Hitchcock.
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Despite the recommendations, the 2005 Homecoming street parties were notorious and described as a “drunken street brawl.” The front pages of many daily newspapers following the party featured a young Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute student dancing on top of an overturned vehicle.
Deane said in Thursday’s release that the country’s universities and society as a whole “are grappling with significant social issues that require working together on strategies that will lessen the burden on the city and other social services.”
“The challenges we face are complex, and as members of the Kingston community, we are committed to doing the work alongside our partners required to introduce real and lasting positive change.”
Lieutenant Commander Robert Waller has been charged with five counts of sexual assault. His lawyer, Michael Johnston, said he denies the charges.Handout
A senior military officer in Ottawa has been charged with five counts of sexual assault against at least four alleged victims, according to court documents obtained by The Globe and Mail.
The documents say Lieutenant-Commander Robert Waller is charged in connection with alleged incidents in Ottawa and the United States between April, 2016, and the spring of 2018.
Lt.-Cmdr. Waller will plead not guilty to the charges, his lawyer, Michael Johnston, told The Globe on Wednesday.
“The position is he’s absolutely not guilty and that we will be vigorously pursuing his defence,” Mr. Johnston said.
The first court date for the case is Thursday. Mr. Johnston said he will appear on his client’s behalf to elect either a trial by jury or judge and then request time to review the “voluminous disclosure.” None of the allegations have been proved in court.
The Canadian Armed Forces has been gripped by a crisis of confidence in its ability to adequately manage sexual-harassment cases within its ranks and among its most senior commanders. In the past few months, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shuffled out the defence minister and the top bureaucrat in charge of the Department of National Defence.
Several high-ranking officers were placed on leave last year pending sexual-misconduct investigations. Lt.-Cmdr. Waller, who as a member of the senior ranks, is slightly below those officers, was not placed on leave, the military said on Wednesday.
“The member is currently employed as a staff officer analyst within the Vice-Chief of Defence Staff group and working from home,” national defence spokesperson Daniel Le Bouthillier said in an e-mail. “He has no subordinates/no individuals for whom he is responsible or working for him.”
Lt.-Cmdr. Waller’s LinkedIn page describes him as a naval combat systems engineer.
The investigation into the allegations against Lt.-Cmdr. Waller was conducted by the military police, but his case will be tried in the civilian justice system. The government decided last fall to transfer sexual-harassment cases to the civilian courts.
Lt.-Cmdr. Waller was charged with five counts of sexual assault on Dec. 23, 2021. The military confirmed the charges to The Globe in January, but refused to provide the timeframe for the allegations or disclose the number of alleged victims.
The court document detailing that information was obtained on Wednesday. The identities of victims of sexual assault are protected by the courts. The documents show initials for four victims, with one set of initials connected to two counts of sexual assault.
Mr. Johnston took issue with The Globe’s decision to use the officer’s name in reporting on the case before the trial is over. He said he was not seeking a publication ban for his client comparable to the one for the complainants because one would not be granted.
”I think that it’s most unfortunate that a person who’s presumed innocent, has their name published at all in the newspapers,” Mr. Johnston said.
The documents say that two incidents are alleged to have occurred in Virginia in April, 2016, and April, 2018. Both dates were within days of the Virginia International Tattoo, which Lt.-Cmdr. Waller has said he attended as a piper for the Royal Canadian Air Force Pipes and Drums.
“Band trip highlights included getting to perform in the Virginia International Tattoo in 2016 and 2018,” he wrote in an article in the fall, 2021, edition of the Maritime Engineering Journal.
Mr. Johnston said he understands that the charges against Lt.-Cmdr. Waller are “not relating to the workplace.” He declined to elaborate, but gave the example of a client in a different case in which an alleged incident happened “after hours.”
In November, The Globe reported on the case of a woman who says she was one of Lt.-Cmdr. Waller’s alleged victims. At the time, she and her lawyers declined to disclose his name because he had not been charged. She said she was sexually assaulted by a senior officer while she was a civilian volunteer with the Canadian Forces and was accompanying a group on a trip abroad.
The woman came forward to The Globe in part because she has not received any support to cope with the emotional trauma of the alleged incident. She has fallen through the cracks even though the Prime Minister has said the government supports victims, and a Declaration of Victims Rights for people in the military justice system was passed in 2017. The rights outlined in the bill are not yet in effect.
The woman’s lawyers, Michel Drapeau and Stéfanie Bédard, have raised her requests to the highest levels of the government and military. Mr. Drapeau said on Wednesday the government has turned a “deaf ear to her plea for assistance.”
“I find it absolutely deplorable that despite earlier media coverage of their ineptitude, these authorities have chosen to continue to ignore the plight of this young victim,” he said.
Megan MacKenzie, a professor at Simon Fraser University who researches gender and the military, said Lt.-Cmdr. Waller’s case underscores problems with how the military continues to handle allegations of sexual misconduct, because, without one alleged victim coming forward, the public wouldn’t know about it.
She said allowing Lt.-Cmdr. Waller to continue working challenges the military’s own “zero-tolerance” policy on sexual misconduct.
“It would seem that allowing an individual who’s facing multiple allegations to continue to serve is not a zero-tolerance policy,” Prof. MacKenzie said.
Mr. Le Bouthillier said Chief of Defence Staff Wayne Eyre could not comment on the case while it is before the courts. But in a statement, Mr. Le Bouthillier said “we know there is significant work ahead” to ensure the forces create a workplace where everyone feels safe.
“We are taking the necessary steps to address and eliminate sexual misconduct, and misconduct of all types by confronting elements of our institutional history and culture that we’re not proud of,” he said.
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