Calgarians charged in $2M fraud for bogus RV camping sites, dock spaces at B.C. lake
CBC
Police have arrested two Calgary men after several people were duped into paying for RV camping lots and dock spaces at a southeastern British Columbia resort that turned out to be bogus.
It's alleged the scam netted more than $2 million from multiple victims between 2014 and 2017. The victims thought they were purchasing spaces at a development on the shores of Lake Koocanusa in B.C.
The project was variously called Sweetwater Resort, Sweetwater RV Park or Sweetwater at Lake Koocanusa.
The economic crimes unit at the Calgary Police Service started investigating when customers reported they had become worried about the legitimacy of the transactions after communication between them and the project's owner became infrequent, police said in a release.
Investigators determined the sales transactions were not valid and the RV park was ordered to close by the Regional District of East Kootenay.
Project owner Craig Douglas McMorran, 61, of Calgary was arrested last week and charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, one count of money laundering and one count of theft over $5,000.
It's alleged McMorran sold docking spaces for boats in the marina, but that the transactions were invalid, police say, because the slips were on Crown Land and could not be sold legally. In B.C., marina spaces can only be leased or rented, not sold.
Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney says he'd run a deficit to 'invest and grow' Canada's economy
Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney confirmed Sunday that a federal government led by him would run a deficit "to invest and grow" Canada's economy, but it would also balance its operational spending over the next three years.
The St. Anthony, N.L., Boys and Girls club is "starting to dream about what's possible to make the community even stronger" after its building was destroyed by a fire, said national CEO Owen Charters.
Groundhog Day: The Musical, based on the 1993 Bill Murray film, is having its Canadian premiere in Sudbury., following stints in London and New York.
A vacant north-end Halifax building that was previously described as an "immediate safety risk" by a fire inspector caught fire early Sunday.
This is part of a series called Ann's Eye, featuring the work of Ann Paul, a Wolastoqey content creator. You can see more Ann's Eye pieces by clicking here.
Olivier Soumis's green canvas tent sits in the middle of the frozen St. Lawrence River, providing a stark pop of colour against the muted tones of the snow and the open water in the distance.
A debate over how to adjudicate Treaty 4 rights was at the core of a federal court hearing in Manitoba this week.
Kael Flynn is the scion of a Saskatoon fashion dynasty, but the 22-year-old is more concerned with perfecting his curveball than selling suits.
The Regina Humane Society celebrated its first year in its new building on Saturday.
Beekeepers in Alberta's Peace region are watching nervously as the threat of a trade war looms.
In a world of shrinking margins and shuttered breweries, the last thing the craft beer industry in British Columbia needs is a tariff pushing up the price of the humble beer can.
Hamilton and the surrounding area is under a winter storm warning as up to 25 centimetres of snow is expected to accumulate Sunday, says Environment Canada.
With snow hammering Toronto overnight Saturday, Environment Canada is warning that the heaviest snowfall is still to come and travel conditions could "rapidly deteriorate" Sunday morning.