The Thursday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories

Highlights from the news file for Thursday, June 15

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HEARING TOLD LA LOCHE SHOOTER HAS PTSD: A psychiatrist says a teenager who killed four people in the northern Saskatchewan community of La Loche has symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Mansfield Mela told the teen’s sentencing hearing on Thursday that he has an intellectual disability, major depressive disorder and displays some symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome. The hearing will determine if the teen is sentenced as an adult or a youth. The teen pleaded guilty last fall to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder.

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ASYLUM CLAIM BACKLOG COULD HIT 11 YEARS: An internal government analysis has concluded an increase in asylum claims in Canada could eventually mean a staggering 11-year wait for a hearing and $2.97 billion in social supports for claimants in the meantime. The Immigration and Refugee Board is already trying to whittle down its current backlog, but received no new money in the latest federal budget. With 2017 application numbers expected to far exceed earlier projections, the board simply can’t keep up, says the memo, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.

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OTTAWA TO UNVEIL DETAILS OF $2B CARBON FUND: Manitoba and Saskatchewan have been given until the end of December to sign on to the federal government’s national climate change agreement to avoid losing out on millions of dollars to help cut emissions. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna unveiled details Thursday of the Trudeau government’s promised $2-billion Low Carbon Economy Fund, to be spent in two streams over the next five years. The first is a $600-million Low Carbon Economy Challenge for industry and public sector projects, to be launched this fall and doled out on a merit-based, project-by-project basis.

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GORD DOWNIE TO RECEIVE ORDER OF CANADA: Gord Downie and indigenous activist Sylvia Maracle will be appointed to the Order of Canada on Monday, while the other members of the Tragically Hip will also receive one of the country’s highest civilian honours at a later date. Maracle will be named an officer of the Order of Canada and Downie a member, both for their leadership in supporting indigenous issues. They are among 30 recipients to be honoured for leadership in supporting indigenous issues, including NHL player Jordin Tootoo, who will receive a meritorious service medal in the civil division.

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TRUDEAU REJECTS CALL FOR BROADBAND TAX: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is swiftly shooting down a parliamentary committee’s recommendation that Ottawa impose a five per cent tax on broadband Internet services as a way to “level the playing field” in Canada’s rapidly changing news industry. Liberal members of the Commons heritage committee have released a long-awaited report with 20 recommendations aimed at helping the slumping media industry adapt to significant business challenges brought on by technological changes and evolving consumer habits. The majority report calls on Ottawa to apply the tax, levied on broadband Internet providers, to high-speed Internet services that allow for the streaming of music, movies and TV shows.

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CRTC TO BAN UNLOCKING FEES: Cellphone companies will soon no longer be allowed to charge customers to unlock their devices under sweeping changes to Canada’s wireless code of conduct. The new code from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission also says all newly purchased devices must be unlocked, beginning Dec. 1. The telecom regulator is making several other changes to the code that it says will give Canadians more control over their wireless services.

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DETAILS OF COHEN EXHIBIT ANNOUNCED: Montreal’s contemporary art museum will be hosting an exhibit later this year devoted to the life and work of Leonard Cohen. Organizers announced details Thursday of the show entitled “Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything.” What is planned is a five-month exhibition inspired by Cohen’s music, poetry and artwork that will include installations combining visual art, music, writing and virtual reality by artists from 10 countries. It is slated to open to the public Nov. 9 and run until early April 2018. Cohen died last Nov. 7 but his death was only announced a few days later.

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SUPREME COURT DISMISSES DRUG CASE APPEAL: The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed an appeal in a case involving an Alberta worker who was fired by a mining company after testing positive for drug use. In an 8-1 ruling, the court said the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal was right to conclude that the man was fired for breaching the company’s drug policy, not because of his addiction. Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin says while the employee may have been in denial about his addiction, he knew he should not take drugs before work and had the capacity to disclose his drug use to his employer.

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CANADIANS SOUGHT IN U.S. PROTEST ATTACK: Two Canadians are among more than a dozen people sought in connection with a violent attack on protesters during an official visit by Turkey’s president to the U.S. capital last month. Police in Washington, D.C., say they have issued arrest warrants for Mahmut Sami Ellialti on charges of felony aggravated assault and felony assault with significant bodily injury, as well as for Ahmet Dereci on charges of felony assault with significant bodily injury and misdemeanor assault or threatened assault in a menacing manner. A police spokeswoman said the two are residents of Canada but it is not yet known whether they have Canadian citizenship.

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CANADIAN HOME SALES DOWN IN MAY: The Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales across the country dropped sharply last month, driven by a plunge in transactions in the Greater Toronto Area. The number of residential properties sold last month fell by 6.2 per cent in May compared to April, the largest month-to-month decline in nearly five years. The industry group, which represents real estate agents, brokers and salespeople in Canada, noted sales were down a whopping 25.3 per cent month-over-month in the GTA.

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The Canadian Press