A number of people are facing charges after various stolen property arrests by RCMP over the past week. The first took place shortly after midnight on Friday, March 3rd, where Red Deer RCMP say two community mail boxes in the Inglewood neighbourhood were broken into and had it’s mail stolen.
Mounties say the report indicated there was a man and a woman breaking into the community mailbox near the intersection of Irish street and Ivany Close and stealing the mail in it. Police responded immediately but the suspects were gone when RCMP arrived. Further investigation determined that a second community mailbox at the corner of Irish street and Irving Crescent had also been broken into and emptied of mail. The male and female suspects were seen driving away in a mini-van.
RCMP urge affected citizens in the Inglewood area to take steps to protect themselves from identity theft:
If you think your mail may have contained replacement credit or bank cards, or credit or bank statements that could be used to attempt fraud on your accounts, contact your bank or credit card company immediately.
Are you expecting personal identification such as a renewed driver’s license or other government-issued identification? Contact the issuing agency immediately.
Is this the time when you would expect to receive utility bills? Contact the appropriate companies to ensure that you don’t accidentally miss payment. Stolen bills can also be used by fraudsters in attempts to steal your identity, open new accounts or get cash loans.
RCMP urge people to check their mail every day to lessen the risk of losing important pieces of mail.
Elsewhere early Friday morning around 1 am, Blackfalds Mounties assisted Alberta Sheriffs with a vehicle stop. A large amount of stolen personal mail was found, as well as a stolen 22 calibre rifle. Police say the suspect provided a false name to the officers initially, however investigations revealed his identity and the numerous outstanding warrants for his arrest.
Justyn Bourne has been charged with numerous offences and was held in custody to appear in Red Deer Provincial Court on March 6th. RCMP request that the public refrain from inquiring about the mail, as the owners have been or will be contacted in the near future.
Later that day on Friday, March 3rd, RCMP say a woman was seen walking through a Stettler parking lot checking for unlocked vehicles and rummaging through ones she found unsecured. Mounties responded and found the woman and arrested her.
34 year old Roseanna Connor was charged with a number of offences including Theft, Resist Arrest and Possession of Controlled Substances. Her next court date is scheduled for later this month. Property found in Ms Connor’s possession was returned to the rightful owners.
Finally, in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 4th, Blackfalds Mounties responded to a possible break and enter in progress at a known property near Joffre. Upon arrival, RCMP found an occupied stolen Ford F350 truck. During initial investigations, false names were provided to RCMP and subsequently, a male suspect fled on foot. However, he was later captured with the help of a police dog. Police say a search of the property revealed a stolen 2010 Infinity SUV, as well as a stolen handgun and illegal drugs.
4 people have been charged with multiple counts ranging from possession of stolen property to failing to comply with release conditions. Charged are Jeffery Heard, Steven Lukens, Quinn Petersen and Melissa Bowie. RCMP say all but Lukens were released on their own recognizance. First court appearances are slated for March 6th.
Pushing back the date would preserve the pensions of some of the MPs who could be voted out of office in October 2025.
Aides to the cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that MPs from the Liberal and New Democratic Party (NDP) did indeed hold closed-door “briefings” to rewrite Canada’s elections laws so that they could push back the date of the next election.
The closed-door talks between the NDP and Liberals confirmed the aides included a revision that would guarantee some of its 28 MPs, including three of Trudeau’s cabinet members, would get a pension.
Allen Sutherland, who serves as the assistant cabinet secretary, testified before the House of Commons affairs committee that the changes to the Elections Act were discussed in the meetings.
“We attended a meeting where the substance of that proposal was discussed,” he said, adding that his “understanding is the briefing was primarily oral.”
According to Sutherland, as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, it was only NDP and Liberal MPs who attended the secret meetings regarding changes to Canada’s Elections Act via Bill C-65, An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act before the bill was introduced in March.
As reported by LifeSiteNews before, the Liberals were hoping to delay the 2025 federal election by a few days in what many see as a stunt to secure pensions for MPs who are projected to lose their seats. Approximately 80 MPs would qualify for pensions should they sit as MPs until at least October 27, 2025, which is the newly proposed election date. The election date is currently set for October 20, 2025.
Sutherland noted when asked by Conservative MP Luc Berthold that he recalled little from the meetings, but he did confirm he attended “two meetings of that kind.”
“Didn’t you find it unusual that a discussion about amending the Elections Act included only two political parties and excluded the others?” Berthold asked.
Sutherland responded, “It’s important to understand what my role was in those meetings which was simply to provide background information.”
Berthold then asked, “You nevertheless suggested amendments to the legislation including a change of dates?”
“My role was to provide information,” replied Sutherland, who added he could not provide the exact dates of the meetings.
MPs must serve at least six years to qualify for a pension that pays $77,900 a year. Should an election be called today, many MPs would fall short of reaching the six years, hence Bill C-65 was introduced by the Liberals and NDP.
The Liberals have claimed that pushing back the next election date is not over pensions but due to “trying to observe religious holidays,” as noted by Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen.
“Conservatives voted against this bill,” Berthold said, as they are “confident of winning re-election. We don’t need this change.”
Trudeau’s popularity is at a all-time low, but he has refused to step down as PM, call an early election, or even step aside as Liberal Party leader.
As for the amendments to elections laws, they come after months of polling in favour of the Conservative Party under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre.
A recent poll found that 70 percent of Canadians believe the country is “broken” as Trudeau focuses on less critical issues. Similarly, in January, most Canadians reported that they are worse off financially since Trudeau took office.
Additionally, a January poll showed that 46 percent of Canadians expressed a desire for the federal election to take place sooner rather than the latest mandated date in the fall of 2025.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, Trump leads Harris by 184,935 in a 53%-46% split.
Former President Donald Trump was declared the winner Saturday night in Arizona, marking the final swing state for the Republican to collect in his landslide victory.
Arizona was the seventh and final swing state to be decided, securing Trump 312 Electoral College votes.
All but Coconino, Apache, Santa Cruz, and Pima counties favored Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris. Maricopa County, the source of dozens of electoral challenges including a partisan ballot review of the 2020 election, is currently favoring Trump by more than 78,000 votes. Trump lost the state to President Joe Biden in 2020 by little more than 10,000 votes.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, Trump leads Harris by 184,935 in a 53%-46% split.
Complete election results aren’t expected for at least another week, which is no different from previous cycles. Two-page ballots with dozens of judicial retention races and ballot propositions led to slower results in the days after polls closed. A new election integrity law enacted this year requiring polling stations to count envelopes before they can send off ballots added to the lag in results.
Both the Trump and Harris campaigns made Arizona a priority throughout the election cycle, either hosting rallies themselves or sending big-name surrogates.
Campaign volunteers descended on Maricopa County to join local activists who knocked on thousands of doors in the days before the election. Many residents complained about the barrage of phone calls, texts, emails, and flyers from numerous organizations.
