In the news today, Nov. 22

By The Canadian Press

Five stories in the news for Thursday, Nov. 22

———

INJURED HUMBOLDT PLAYERS TO REUNITE ON ICE AGAIN

Seven months after they were both paralyzed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, Ryan Straschnitzki and Jacob Wasserman will finally have a proper reunion. Straschnitzki, a defenceman, and Wasserman, a goaltender, last played together in April in the SJHL playoffs, but their season ended after a horrific crash in northern Saskatchewan killed 16 people and left 13 others with serious injuries. The two young men will be on the ice together Friday at a short exhibition sledge hockey game at the University of Denver.

———

CONVICTED WINNIPEG LETTER BOMBER TO BE SENTENCED

A Manitoba man convicted of sending bombs to his ex-wife and two lawyers will learn today how long he will be behind bars. The Crown is seeking a life sentence for Guido Amsel, who was convicted on four charges of attempted murder and numerous other offences earlier this year. The defence has asked for a sentence of between 20 and 25 years. Amsel, who is 52, sent letter bombs to his ex-wife, Iris, and two Winnipeg lawyers who represented her in the summer of 2015.

———

ONTARIO SET TO REFORM SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

The Ontario government is set to lay out its plans to reform the province’s social assistance program, just months after it moved to cancel a basic income pilot project. A pair of Progressive Conservative cabinet ministers will introduce the plan at Queen’s Park this afternoon. The government announced in July it was “winding down” a pilot project that provided payments to 4,000 low-income earners in cities such as Hamilton, Brantford, Thunder Bay and Lindsay.

———

TWO NAMES LEAD PACK FOR POTENTIAL HALIFAX CFL TEAM

A businessman trying to bring a CFL team to Halifax says a contest to come up with a team name is a “horse race” between Atlantic Schooners and Atlantic Storm. Anthony LeBlanc of Maritime Football Ltd. won’t say which name has the upper hand, but he says he’s surprised the vote is as close as it is. The name is to be unveiled in an event Friday at Grey Cup festivities in Edmonton.

———

FORMER STUDENT DRAFTED VOTE OPTION ON B.C. BALLOT

The first time he was old enough to vote in an election, Sean Graham says he realized the system was flawed. His hometown riding in northern Alberta was a secure seat for a party that he didn’t support, so voting for anyone else under the first-past-the-post system felt like a wasted ballot. Only a few years later as an undergraduate student at the University of Alberta, Graham crafted a pitch for a new electoral system. That model is now being considered by voters in British Columbia, where a provincewide referendum on electoral reform is underway.

———

ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Calgary today, where he is expected to make an affordable housing announcement.

— Finance Minister Bill Morneau will address the Economic Club of Canada today — one day after the release of his fall economic and fiscal update.

— Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc meets municipal leaders gathering in Ottawa to promote local empowerment.

The Canadian Press

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today