Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot and who's not. This week's list includes...
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…
AG report on company behind ArriveCan out today
The latest probe into the company behind the controversial ArriveCan app is among four reports being released today by Canada’s auditor general.
Karen Hogan looked into all contracts awarded and payments made to GC Strategies for its work on the app to determine whether they were in line with government policy and whether the government got value for taxpayers’ money.
In September, the House of Commons unanimously agreed to ask Hogan to look into the contracts and her report is set to be tabled in the House around 10 a.m. ET.
As of March 2024, GC Strategies — a two-man team which last week was banned from entering into contracts or real property agreements with the federal government for seven years — had received $100 million in federal government contracts since 2011.
Hogan’s previous report on the app’s development found it did not deliver the best value to taxpayers and concluded that three federal departments disregarded federal policies, controls and transparency in the contracting process.
Here’s what else we’re watching…
Panthers rout Oilers 6-1, lead Cup final 2-1
Taking advantage of the Edmonton Oilers’ worst performance in several weeks, the defending Florida Panthers pounced on mistakes to win 6-1 in a rout Monday and take a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup final.
Brad Marchand became the oldest player to score in each of the first three games of a final, while Sam Bennett added his NHL playoff-leading 14th goal after making a big hit on Edmonton’s Vasily Podkolzin that contributed to the turnover to spring him on a breakaway.
Marchand and Bennett have combined to score eight goals for Florida, which was dominant in just about every way.
And it was not just Bennett and Marchand. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart each got his first goal of the series, Aaron Ekblad scored to chase Skinner, and Evan Rodrigues added the exclamation point in the waning minutes.
At the other end of the ice, Sergei Bobrovsky earned the “Bobby! Bobby!” chants from a fired up Florida crowd. The two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender known as “Bob” was on his game for the very few quality chances the discombobulated Oilers mustered, making 32 saves.
Australia sends help to battle Canadian wildfires
As wildfires continue to burn from northwest Ontario to British Columbia, Canada is getting help from near and far, and very far.
Southern Highlands – New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia says a 96-personnel-strong Australian contingent of firefighters and specialists have deployed to Canada for five weeks.
The service says the deployment is in response to a request from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says in a tweet that, “When our mates need help, Australia is there.”
A post on social media platform X from the official account for the Australian High Commissioner to Canada, Kate Logan, says the crews “are on their way to support their Canadian colleagues battle wildfires in Alberta.”
Submissions continue at hockey players’ trial
Defence lawyers for five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team are set to continue their final submissions to the judge presiding over the players’ sexual assault trial today.
Court heard submissions Monday for lawyers representing Michael McLeod and Carter Hart, and counsel for the remaining three accused will get a turn before prosecutors present their submissions.
McLeod’s lawyer, David Humphrey, argued the complainant has presented an “entirely unbelievable and unreliable” version of the events at the heart of the trial.
McLeod, Hart and their former teammates Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
The charges relate to an encounter with a woman in a London, Ont., hotel room in June 2018, at a time when many of the team’s members were in town for events celebrating their championship win.
Cleanup rules hurting Alberta renewables: report
A report says new cleanup rules for renewable energy sites are hurting the competitiveness of Alberta’s industry.
Business Renewables Centre-Canada analyzed the reclamation security requirements for renewables in 27 jurisdictions and found Alberta’s are now the most costly.
Under a code of practice for solar and wind projects published last week, the Alberta government says operators must provide an estimate for the cost of dismantling turbines and panels, removing underground concrete infrastructure, hauling waste away, replanting vegetation and other items.
A 30-per-cent security is required upfront, rising to 60 per cent after 15 years to ensure there is enough money for proper cleanup at the sites’ end of life.
BRC-Canada says Alberta’s upfront security requirement is unusually high and the rules don’t take into account the salvage value of the concrete and metals that could be sold to recoup cleanup expenses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.
The Canadian Press
