Military reopening sexual assault cases

OTTAWA (CP) — Canada’s top soldier struck an optimistic note Friday about efforts to stamp out sexual misconduct in the ranks, even as the military promised to reopen dozens of sexual assault cases previously deemed “unfounded.”

Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance expressed anger and frustration late last year that some military personnel were continuing to behave inappropriately, despite his clear order for them to stop.

In his latest update on what the military calls Operation Honour, Vance offered a more upbeat assessment, saying progress is being made on a number of fronts. Those include better training for all service members, improved services and support for victims and a tougher line on those who continue to act inappropriately.

“I am confident that we’ve been moving in the right direction on Operation Honour,” Vance told reporters at National Defence Headquarters.

The military said that since January, it has moved to kick out 77 members who have been found guilty of sexual misconduct.

Liberals push deficit to $11.5B over 11 months

OTTAWA — The federal government ran a deficit of $11.5 billion over the first 11 months of its 2016-17 fiscal year, putting it well ahead of its spring budget forecast with one month to go.

The result compared with a surplus of $7.5 billion during the April-to-February period a year earlier. Not counting a $3-billion contingency cushion, Ottawa’s spring budget projected a deficit of $23 billion for 2016-17.

Robert Kavcic, senior economist at the Bank of Montreal, cautioned that the government generally runs a large deficit in March as Canadians file their tax returns and receive their refunds.

“It is going to take us closer, and the remainder is probably something that we’ve been seeing already for awhile in that a lot of the stimulus spending is taking a little bit longer to get out the door than maybe originally thought,” he said.

In a separate report Friday, the Parliamentary Budget Office forecast Ottawa will run a deficit of $20.7 billion for the 2016-17 fiscal year.

Daycare worker faces child-porn charges

WETASKIWIN, Alta. — A 40-year-old man who worked at a daycare has been charged with possessing and distributing child pornography.

The Internet Child Exploitation unit said they

Those cases are still being reviewed, and Vance said some may end up staying in the Forces, but the figure represents a dramatic increase from the 26 members who were released last year.

“At the end of last year, I ordered that every member of the Canadian Armed Forces who’s found guilty of sexual misconduct should receive a notice of intent to recommend their release,” Vance said.

“My orders and my expectations were clear, and the consequences are also clear.”

Vance also said military police are reopening 166 cases involving complaints of sexual assault reported between 2010 and 2016 but deemed “unfounded.”

During that period, nearly one in three cases was labelled as unfounded, a rate the military’s top police officer, Brig-Gen. Robert Delaney, confirmed was higher than that of most civilian police forces.

It’s also nearly double the number that military police labelled as unfounded last year, an improvement Delaney attributed to the fact all such cases are now handled by the military’s special investigative service. want to speak with families who may have used Tykes and Tots Day Home in Wetaskiwin.

The daycare, which has been operating since 2001, was searched by the unit and RCMP on Thursday.

Police say so far there is no information to suggest children at the daycare were involved in the child porn, but they are continuing to investigate.

Darren Reilly is accused of downloading and accessing child sexual exploitation materials. Police say he worked part time at the daycare and is also employed as a correctional peace officer.

Sask. doctors call for bicycle-helmet law

SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan Medical Association is calling on the provincial government to make wearing a helmet mandatory for all cyclists in the province.

Saskatoon physician Dr. Mahli Brindamour said helmets are essential in preventing brain injuries and it’s time for the province to do its part in improving cycling safety.

The SMA first approved a resolution last fall urging the province to enforce a helmet-use law.

“These laws have been shown not only to increase helmet wearing among cyclists, but also keeping cyclists on the road, which is really what we want,” she said. “It’s also been associated to a decrease in facial and brain injury associated to cyclist accidents.”

Saskatchewan and Quebec are the only provinces in Canada without a mandatory helmet law for cyclists.