News

UPDATE: Transportation Safety Board Investigating Plane Crash That Killed Jim Prentice

Published

3 years ago

By Sheldon Spackman

An intensive investigation is underway into the fatal small plane crash that claimed the life of former Alberta Premier and Federal Cabinet Minister Jim Prentice. The Transportation Safety Board began the “Field Phase” of their investigation on Saturday, after first being deployed to the crash site about 18 kilometres north of Kelowna, B.C. on Friday the 14th, a day after the Cessna Citation plane went down.

TSB officials say what they know so far is that the plane left Kelowna’s airport at 9:32 Pacific Time Thursday night, October 13th, bound for the Calgary-Springbank airport. The aircraft then struck ground 8 minutes after take-off, about 11 kilometres north of the Kelowna airport. It’s believed there was one pilot and three passengers on board, including Jim Prentice.

Officials say the aircraft was not equipped with, nor was it required to carry, a Cockpit Voice Recorder or a Flight Data Recorder; however, the team will be reviewing any electronic components on the plane from which they can retrieve data to help understand the flight profile. They add the air?craft was destroyed from high deceleration forces after a vertical descent and there were no emergency or distress calls made. No locator transmitter signal was received either.

Currently, there are 5 TSB investigators on site with the RCMP providing a drone for an aerial site survey, with the data collected to be given to the TSB and B.C. Coroners Service which is controlling the site.

In the coming days, investigators will now examine, document and photograph the aircraft wreckage, make arrangements to transfer relevant aircraft components to the TSB Laboratory in Ottawa for further analysis and examine the occurrence site and surrounding terrain features. They will also gather additional information about weather conditions, information on Air Traffic communications and radar information as well as obtain aircraft maintenance records and pilot records. In addition to that, the team will interview witnesses and next-of-kin, review operational policies and examine regulatory requirements.

City of Red Deer

City of Red Deer urging businesses to join CAPTURE program and share video with RCMP

Published

3 hours ago

November 21, 2019

Duane Rolheiser

A story by The City of Red Deer

Business Upgrading Security with CAPTURE

Red Deer RCMP Staff Sgt. C.J. (Jay) Peden is growing the detachment’s CAPTURE (Community Assisted Policing Through Use of Recorded Evidence) program, a mapping tool and database that allows citizens and business owners to supply their camera locations and contact information to the Red Deer RCMP.

CAPTURE lets RCMP members know where cameras are located, and who to approach to request access to footage that may come in handy during an investigation, such as vehicle identifiers, or physical characteristics of suspects.

One of the first businesses to sign up for CAPTURE was KMS Tools and Equipment and they are requesting that fellow business owners register for the program. KMS opened the doors of its Red Deer location eleven years ago, and today serves roughly 2500 customers per month. Last year, however, the business had an after-hours break-in and had the business been registered with CAPTURE it would have provided RCMP with more information about the suspects.

The break-in incident resulted in KMS increasing its security on site. In addition to signing up for CAPTURE, they have rearranged their security cameras, and added more cameras to the external structure of their building so they now have the entire perimeter and gating on camera.

“One of the ways I know to prevent crime, is to be proactive”, explains Vernon. “I want to be a part of the solution, and CAPTURE is a great start. We already have the camera system set up for use, if the RCMP can use the footage to help in a case; it’s a win-win. I hope every business in Red Deer takes part.”

“CAPTURE was developed to build a mapping program of security cameras in the community,” explains Staff Sgt. Peden. “Security cameras are an excellent crime prevention tool, and with CAPTURE, we will be able to use cameras to help protect our neighbourhoods and businesses.”

When you join CAPTURE, police will ask for your contact information so they can quickly contact you to view your recordings to help in investigations. By registering your camera, you are taking an active role in deterring crime and assisting the Red Deer RCMP with their overall crime prevention goals in your community. RCMP will not ask for your login information and will never be able to look at your footage without your permission.

“The more people, and especially businesses, who register their cameras with CAPTURE, the more likely we will be to find footage that could lead to us identifying a criminal, finding evidence for an investigation, and making an overall impact in your neighbourhood,” explains Peden.

You can register your security cameras for CAPTURE, and learn more about the program, at https://www.reddeercapture.ca/user/create/registrant.

Alberta

Premier Kenney urges Prime Minister Trudeau’s new cabinet to take Alberta’s concerns seriously

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2019

Duane Rolheiser

New federal cabinet: Statement from Premier Kenney

November 20, 2019 Media inquiries

Premier Jason Kenney issued the following statement in response to the unveiling of the new federal cabinet:

“Congratulations to all new and returning cabinet ministers in the Trudeau government.

“With no ministers from Alberta, I hope that ministers with portfolios of especially urgent interest to our province will listen to Albertans, take our concerns seriously, and work constructively with the Alberta government to address them.

“Despite our own economic hardship, Alberta continues to pay a hugely disproportionate share of the country’s bills. Even during these tough economic times, over the past five years we have contributed on average $23 billion more through our federal taxes to Ottawa than we’ve received back in services and transfers. We’ve made a net contribution of $200 billion over the past decade, and of $600 billion since 1960.

“While there has been no cap on transfers out of Alberta, even during the current economic downturn, Ottawa has maintained an arbitrary low cap on payments owed to Alberta under the Fiscal Stabilization Program (FSP), the federal program that is supposed to help provinces when they face a severe year-over-year economic decline. That is why we are asking Ottawa for an ‘equalization rebate’ of the $1.73 billion we should have received under the FSP, which we will use to get Albertans back to work.

“Adding to Albertans’ frustration is federal policy aimed at the heart of our economy and intruding into our provincial jurisdiction. The federal bills C-69 and C-48 hurt energy production and drive away investment by making it next to impossible to transport and sell our oil for a fair price, despite Alberta increasingly producing the most responsible barrel of oil in the world to the highest environmental, human rights and labour standards. Bill C-69 also violates the constitutional division of powers agreed between the provinces and the federal government in 1982, as the Senate recognized when it proposed unprecedented amendments to the legislation – which the Trudeau government promptly ignored.

“We have much to discuss with the Prime Minister and his new cabinet on these and other items we have already set out in letters and public communications since the federal election. Our government will be a strong voice for Alberta in Ottawa and with other provinces and territories, explaining the importance of Alberta’s economy to the national economy and making the case for a Fair Deal for Alberta within Canada. That work began the day we took office and it takes on new urgency now. I look forward to meeting with the Prime Minister in person next month in Ottawa to highlight Alberta’s expectations for a Fair Deal.”