In the news today: Wildfire evacuees relieved after evacuating Jasper

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Wildfire evacuees relieved after evacuating Jasper

Some wildfire evacuees who were trapped in traffic for hours while leaving Jasper National Park say they are feeling relieved they’ve found safety.

Addison McNeill, who is 24, says she immediately felt stressed when she got an alert on Monday night to evacuate the alpine town about two hours after she moved there from Edmonton.

When she got on the road, she says she saw Jasper’s 4,700 residents and other tourists exiting the town calmy despite being trapped in a gridlock and hot, smoky air for hours

Evacuees were initially ordered to go to British Columbia but were directed on Tuesday to make a wide U-turn as that province was dealing with its own wildfires.

Since then, reception centres have been set up in Grande Prairie, located north of Jasper, and Calgary to the south where evacuees are being helped with accommodation.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Canadian women’s soccer coach to miss Olympic opener, two staffers sent home after drone incidents

The Canadian Olympic Committee says women’s soccer assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Canada Soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi have been removed from the Canadian Olympic team and sent home after two drone incidents at the Paris Games.

The COC also says it has accepted the decision of head coach Bev Priestman to remove herself from coaching the team’s opening game against New Zealand on Thursday.

The committee statement comes after a review of a drone incident in Saint-Etienne, France on Monday and a second drone incident at a New Zealand practice last Friday.

The COC also says that Canada Soccer staff will undergo mandatory ethics training.

Priestman and three players are expected to hold a media availability at the end of their afternoon training session in Saint-Etienne.

BoC expected to cut key interest rate again today

The Bank of Canada is set to announce its interest rate decision this morning as economists widely expect a rate cut.

Forecasters say slowing inflation and a weak economy justify a second consecutive cut by the central bank.

After a historic run-up, the central bank lowered its policy rate for the first time in June, bringing it down from five per cent to 4.75 per cent.

Governor Tiff Macklem signalled at the time that if inflation continues to ease, it would be reasonable to expect more rate cuts.

Last week, Statistics Canada reported the annual inflation rate ticked back down to 2.7 per cent in June after flaring up again in May.

Nygard sentencing hearing set to begin today

A sentencing hearing is expected to begin today in Toronto for former fashion mogul Peter Nygard, who was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault last fall.

The sentencing process has been delayed in part because Nygard’s two previous defence lawyers, Brian Greenspan and Megan Savard, asked to withdraw from the case earlier this year.

Nygard, who once led a multimillion-dollar clothing empire, has also faced health challenges throughout the case, and his health is expected to be raised during sentencing submissions.

He was found guilty on four counts of sexual assault on Nov. 12, but was acquitted of a fifth count, as well as a charge of forcible confinement.

The charges relate to allegations dating from the 1980s until the mid-2000s.

Murder conspiracy accused back on witness stand

One of two men charged with conspiring to murder RCMP officers at the Coutts, Alta., border blockade two years ago will return to the witness stand for a third straight day.

Under cross-examination by the Crown yesterday, Chris Carbert said that he paid $5,000 for the Panther A-15 rifle found under his mattress in a police raid of a trailer in the village the night he was arrested.

He told the court that he had no idea that the rifle was prohibited under Canadian law.

Carbert and Anthony Olienick are being tried together in front of a jury in Court of King’s Bench in Lethbridge.

The two were charged after police made arrests and seized weapons at the blockade in early 2022.

Privacy commissioner probing PC Optimum complaints

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada says it’s opened an investigation into allegations that some Loblaw customers have been unable to delete their PC Optimum accounts.

Spokesman Vito Pilieci said in an email that the office has received several such complaints.

He said the office can’t comment further due to the active investigation.

Loblaw spokeswoman Catherine Thomas said in an email that the company has processes to respond to account deletion requests in a timely manner, and that it will fully co-operate with the privacy commissioner’s office.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner oversees compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act as well as the Privacy Act.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2024.

The Canadian Press