NDP wants independent probe after 'reports of predation' on youths in N.L. government care
CBC
NDP Leader Jim Dinn is calling for an independent investigation into whether vulnerable youth under care in Newfoundland and Labrador are being given enough protection from predators.
"The public statements by informed parties, including a former Crown prosecutor, beg the question: Is enough being done to protect children who have already been through so much?" Dinn wrote in a letter to Premier Andrew Furey this week.
Last month, CBC Investigates revealed new details — untested in court — of a case of sexual exploitation, with complaints dating back decades. Some alleged victims were living in group homes, as wards of the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
Days later, Furey directed the province's child and youth advocate to look into the situation.
Dinn said in an interview that the appointment of the advocate doesn't go far enough.
"We're asking him to go one step further and to make this inquiry independent," Dinn said Thursday.
"It's a serious issue. It deals with vulnerable youth."
The premier's choice of the child and youth advocate to do the review sparked controversy, given the advocate's previous job.
Linda Clemens Spurrell was the assistant deputy minister for the child and youth services branch of the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development (CSSD) from 2019 to 2022.
"To me, she would essentially be investigating herself as part of this," Dinn said.
The NDP leader's comments echoed those of retired Crown prosecutor Mike Murray.
In a recent interview, Murray questioned the premier's decision to pick the advocate to lead the review, noting that she "comes right out of the system."
In an interview earlier this month, Furey defended the decision, saying the advocate herself could determine whether she is in a conflict, and there are options to address that.
"Life is full of conflicts. It's not about the conflict itself, it's about how you handle it," Furey said on Oct. 1.
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.