Gym teacher arrested and charged with sexual offences in Nunavik
CBC
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
Nunavik police are asking potential witnesses and victims to come forward after they arrested a school gym teacher in northern Quebec on charges of sexual-related offences.
In January, Nicolas Cyr, 36, was arrested and charged with sexual assault and sexual interference — touching a person under the age of 16 for a sexual purpose.
Cyr has been a physical education teacher at Jaanimmarik Secondary School and a resident in Kuujjuaq for approximately 14 years, says the Nunavik Police Service.
Patrice Abel, responsible for the investigation unit, says the alleged offences took place at the school and involved a young girl.
He says the investigation began in December after a student came forward with an account of inappropriate behaviour.
"Probably ... [it's] very hard to talk about what happened," said Abel.
The largest of 14 communities in Nunavik, Kuujjuaq has over 2,600 residents and there are 378 students at Jaanimmarik school, ranging from Grade 4 to Grade 11.
On Thursday, police asked any other potential victims or witnesses to contact the Nunavik Police Service's Integrated Investigative Unit at 819-964-2400.
"We are thinking that for the last 14 years that he was working at this school, there's maybe other inappropriate things he did," said Abel.
"That's the reason why we are doing this."
Cyr has since been released with conditions, says Abel, adding the man is not originally from the community.
Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the local school board, confirmed that Cyr was suspended as soon as it was made aware of the allegations in November 2024.
He is currently suspended without pay until the outcome of the trial.
Toronto's 2026 FIFA World Cup committee wants to spend nearly $11 million on ticket packages for the upcoming games and resell them at marked up prices, with some councillors saying the move would amount to "scalping" with taxpayers' money.
Ontario universities host both the men's and women's U Sports hockey championship tournaments this week, but teams from New Brunswick and Alberta enter as the top seeds with games set to begin on Thursday.
The amount and duration of shore ice around Prince Edward Island has been changing in recent years, and researchers say shorter seasons are a concern because the ice provides a protective shield against winter storms and erosion.
Canada's national defence minister says plans for a naval facility project in Nunavut failed to consider the local context, and that his department has learned lessons from that.
Canada's new prime minister is facing growing criticism from advocacy groups upset that ministers solely dedicated to their issues are no longer around the cabinet table.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl across the border must be stopped.
Premier Doug Ford's new cabinet will be sworn in Wednesday, and some conservative strategists expect familiar ministers to be sitting around that table as the re-elected Progressive Conservatives try to project stability in the face of U.S. tariffs.
London's two major school boards are ending in-person summer school, a move that has caught teachers' unions off-guard and some say will hurt students.
N.S. Opposition wants dismissal provisions for civil servants halted until PCs can explain rationale
The minister in charge of Nova Scotia's civil service said Tuesday a bill that would allow the province to get rid of non-union government employees without cause will proceed unchanged.
The Holt Liberal government is projecting large budget deficits as far as the eye can see.
Montreal has put in place new rules that will limit most short-term rentals to the summer months in an attempt to ease the city's shortage of affordable housing.
NDP candidate Shannon Corbett will be the next MLA to represent Transcona in the Manitoba Legislature.
SaskPower is buying 10,000 tons of steel amid U.S. tariffs, but Saskatchewan's minister of Crown corporations says the long-term answer is to build more pipelines.