By Canadian Press

In the news today: Ontario legislature resumes, Jewish groups demand apology

Sep 25, 2023 | 2:16 AM

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

Ontario legislature resumes with new cabinet faces

Ontario provincial politicians are heading back to the legislature today after its summer break that saw a whirlwind few weeks of developments in the Greenbelt controversy.

Premier Doug Ford announced last week that he would reverse his decision to open the Greenbelt for housing development, after enduring nearly a year of public outcry over his plan.

He will have to start the process of returning those lands to protected status, while still forging ahead with his target of building 1.5 million homes by 2031, and with several cabinet ministers brand new to their portfolios.

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Jewish group demands apology after MPs honoured man who fought for Nazis

Jewish advocacy organizations are condemning members of Parliament for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.

MPs honoured 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka in the House of Commons Friday, during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Ottawa.

The advocacy groups are also calling for an explanation for why the invite was extended in the first place.

Here’s what else we’re watching …

Court martial begins for Lt.-Gen. Steve Whelan

A court martial begins today for Lt.-Gen. Steve Whelan, who was removed from his job as head of military personnel after being accused of sexual misconduct.

The allegations came to light in 2021, only months after Whelan took over the job from Vice-Adm. Haydn Edmundson, who was also accused of sexual misconduct.

They were among several high-profile cases that led to an external investigation of the Armed Forces, resulting in a damning report from former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour.

RCMP to demolish Roxham Road building in Quebec

The RCMP says it will demolish the last of its structures at Roxham Road, an outpost built to deal with the influx of migrants that used to cross into Canada on foot from Upstate New York to apply for asylum.

The federal police force will hold a news conference this morning near the facility before demolition work begins on the structure, located about 50 kilometres southeast of Montreal at the end of a rural road in southern Quebec.

Tens of thousands of asylum seekers crossed into Canada using that clandestine route before it was shutdown in late March after the U.S. and Canada reached a deal to close a long-standing loophole in the 2004 Safe Third Country Agreement and have it apply to the 8,900 kilometres of shared border.

Attacks ramp up in weekend campaigning in Manitoba

Manitoba’s party leaders stepped up their attacks over the weekend in a bid to gain momentum heading into the final full week of the provincial election campaign.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew pledged to improve highway safety in the province’s north, as well as fund more staff and equipment at health facilities in the region, during a campaign stop in Thompson over the weekend.

Kinew on Sunday accused Progressive Conservative Leader Heather Stefanson of turning her back on northern Manitobans through cuts and closures, which he said force people to wait longer and drive further to get the healthcare they need.

Kids needing spinal surgery wait too long: report

A new report on long wait times for children needing care highlights delays in spinal surgery for scoliosis.

The report by the Conference Board of Canada says four in 10 kids have surgery beyond the recommended six-month wait time for the procedure that involves fusing the curved part of the spine with two titanium rods to prevent it from curving further.

The report estimates 13 per cent of the surgeries in Alberta are done beyond that time frame, while the number jumps to 68 per cent in Nova Scotia, though data from all jurisdictions is limited.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2023.

The Canadian Press