In the news today: Emergency alert test, Drake shooting investigation

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

Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test

The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today. That means Canadians in most provinces and territories will receive a test alert on their cellphones, as well as through TV and radio broadcasts. The sole exception is Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15. Provincial and territorial emergency management organizations already conduct regular tests of the system, but this is the first time the federal government will test its capacity to issue alerts.

Drake mansion shooting investigation continues

Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake’s mansion. The shooting took place shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday in the affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood, and police were searching for suspects who fled in a vehicle. Police said the security guard, who remains in hospital, was standing outside the gates at the front of Drake’s residence when he was shot from the vehicle. Insp. Paul Krawczyk said Tuesday he could not confirm if Drake was home at the time of the shooting, but he said the rapper’s team was co-operating with investigators.

Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer

The trial of a man who has admitted to killing four women in Winnipeg is expected to begin in front of a judge this morning. Lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki told the court this week their client killed the women, but should be found not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder. Brandon Trask, an associate professor of law at the University of Manitoba, says the case will hinge upon the defence’s ability to prove Skibicki was incapable of understanding the killings were wrong. Skibicki is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and a fourth unidentified woman Indigenous leaders have named Buffalo Woman.

Poll suggests many Canadians oppose encampments

A new Leger poll suggests nearly half of Canadians are opposed to the pro-Palestinian encampments on university campuses. Just 31 per cent of respondents said they support the protests, which started more than a week ago on campuses like McGill, University of Toronto and U-Ottawa. Forty-eight per cent said they should be taken down. Support for the protests was strongest among respondents under age 35.

No ‘diminished supply’ of doctors, Ontario says

Ontario’s Ministry of Health is arguing in arbitration with the Ontario Medical Association that recruitment and retention of doctors is not a major concern. The province is in the midst of negotiations with the OMA for the next four-year Physician Services Agreement, which determines how doctors are compensated. But one doctor involved says the talks are going so poorly that an arbitrator is now being asked to determine compensation levels for the first year. The ministry argues there is no concern about a diminished supply of doctors, as Ontario has seen growth in physicians that far outstrips population growth.

Drought risk puts B.C. fish in peril again

Members from the Cowichan community are marking the staggering loss of fish in the Cowichan River last year with an art project of 84,000 fish rubbings. The project’s manager Jennifer Shepherd and scientists say the threat of climate change and another year of drought could have further consequences for populations of B.C. salmon, trout and other fish in the province. The Fisheries Department says climate change is affecting every stage of the life cycle for Pacific salmon, while the B.C. government warns that drought can dry up fish streams, delay spawning migrations and kill fish in warm water.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press