Arrest made and child rescued in cross-border investigation

Todayville Edmonton

Published

2 years ago

2 minute read

February 19, 2021
Child rescued in cross-border investigation

Calgary… A 37-year-old Fort St. John man has been arrested by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation unit for allegedly offending upon his daughter.

Following up on a tip, that was initially submitted to the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) team based in Calgary, investigators were able to identify a B.C. suspect allegedly uploading child sexual abuse materials online. Further investigation revealed the photos were of the suspect’s young daughter.

ICE alleges that the suspect had been distributing the photos to another user online. The suspect was arrested on February 8, 2021.

“Our primary concern was the health and well-being of that child. Once we received that tip, our investigators sprang into action and made an arrest as quickly as possible,” said Sgt. Randy Poon, ALERT ICE.

“These types of crimes don’t respect borders or boundaries. The cooperation and enforcement between partners needs to be seamless and this file is an example of the efforts underway to detect, deter and investigate child exploitation files,” said Cpl. Madonna Saunderson, RCMP B.C. North District.

Law enforcement from across Canada, including ICE, the Calgary Police Service, Fort St. John RCMP, RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre, and United States’ National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, collaborated on the investigation.

The suspect’s name is not being released in order to protect the identity of the victim. The victim and family members are receiving help from a variety of specialized support services, and children’s services is involved.

A number of computer and electronic devices were seized for forensic analysis. ICE’s investigation is ongoing.

The 37-year-old man has been charged with:

Making child pornography;
Distributing child pornography;
Possessing child pornography;
Accessing child pornography; and
Several firearms offences.

Anyone with information about this case or any child exploitation situation is asked to contact their local police or to report their concern anonymously at www.cybertip.ca.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

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Alberta

TC Energy shuts down Keystone pipeline system after leak in Nebraska

Published on December 8, 2022

The Canadian Press

CALGARY — TC Energy Corp. says it has shut down its Keystone pipeline after a leak in Nebraska.

The company says it has mobilized people and equipment in response to a confirmed release of oil into a creek, about 32 kilometres south of Steele City, Neb.

TC Energy says an emergency shutdown and response was initiated Wednesday night after a pressure drop in the system was detected.

It says the affected segment of the pipeline has been isolated and booms have been deployed to prevent the leaked oil from moving downstream.

The Keystone pipeline system stretches 4,324 kilometres and helps move Canadian and U.S. crude oil to markets around North America.

TC Energy says the system remains shutdown as its crews respond and work to contain and recover the oil.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2022.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP)

The Canadian Press

Alberta

Two deputy chief medical officers resign from their positions with Alberta Health

Published on December 7, 2022

The Canadian Press

Edmonton – Alberta’s two deputy chief medical officers of health are leaving their roles — less than a month after Dr. Deena Hinshaw was removed as the province’s top doctor.

Health Minister Jason Copping confirmed during question period Wednesday that both of the doctors have submitted letters of resignation.

“They are still continuing to work at this point in time,” he said in the legislature. “We are in the process of actually looking to fill those roles.”

A statement from Alberta Health said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra and Dr. Jing Hu, who are listed as public health physicians on the department’s website, have given notice.

When reached by her department email, Salvaterra responded: “Unfortunately, we are not able to comment.”

She later added that she respects and admires both Dr. Hinshaw and Dr. Hu.

“They are brilliant, hard-working, and compassionate public health physicians and I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to work alongside them for these past 14 months.”

Salvaterra, who has extensive public health experience including as the medical officer of health for Peterborough, Ont., joined the office in October 2021.

Her career in public health includes work in “the COVID-19 response, mental health, the opioid response, women’s health, poverty reduction, health equity, community food security and building stronger relationships with First Nations.”

Hu’s out-of-office message said her “last day at work with Alberta Health was Nov. 18, 2022,” and noted she wouldn’t have access to the department email after that date.

She got extensive training in China and at the University of Calgary before joining the health department in January 2020.

Their resignations came within a month of Hinshaw, who became the face of Alberta’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, being removed from her position.

Hinshaw was replaced by Dr. Mark Joffe, a senior executive member of Alberta Health Services, on an interim basis.

“Dr. Joffe will be supported by medical officers of health within AHS, by other staff in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, and by the Public Health Division,” said the statement from Alberta Health late Wednesday.

“We expect these changes to have no impact on the department’s and Dr. Joffe’s ability to meet the requirements of the Public Health Act.”

Hinshaw’s dismissal didn’t come as a surprise.

Premier Danielle Smith announced on her first day in office in October that she would be replaced.

Smith has made it clear that she blames both Hinshaw and Alberta Health Services for failing to deliver the best advice and care for Albertans as the hospital system came close to buckling in successive waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A lot of the bad decisions were made by Alberta Health Services on the basis of bad advice from the chief medical officer of health,” Smith told reporters on Oct. 22.

Smith has not placed the blame on front-line doctors and nurses but broadly on AHS senior management. Joffe, while serving as chief medical officer of health, retains his role in AHS senior management as a vice-president responsible for areas in cancer and clinical care.

Hinshaw, an Alberta-trained public health specialist, became a celebrity of sorts in the first wave of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, as she delivered regular, sometimes daily, updates to Albertans on the virus, its spread and methods to contain it.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2022.

— By Colette Derworiz in Calgary.