Four dead following school shooting in small Saskatchewan town
In the small northern community of La Loche Saskatchewan, a shooting which took place at two locations, a local high school and a nearby city block, has left four people dead and several others wounded.
The shooting took place on Friday, Jan.. 22. Shots were fired inside and outside the school, and at the 300 block of Dene Crescent in La Loche.
RCMP officers took a 17-year-old male suspect into custody shortly after the shooting began, and a firearm was taken from him. The suspect has been charged with four counts of first degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder. He is due to appear in court sometime this week.
—Andrea Zehr
U.S. snowstorm causes state of emergency
A massive snowstorm hit the east coast of the United States on Jan. 23, putting seven states into states of emergency and causing an estimated 18 deaths. This storm could be ranked among the top ten to ever hit the area, according the the U.S. National Weather Service.
This blizzard caused massive traffic pileups on Kentucky highways, led to a travel ban in New York City, and caused an estimated 1,000 traffic accidents in Virginia alone, even after citizens were warned not to travel.
High wind warnings were announced for coastal regions, and flood warnings were in effect for Virginia and Massachusetts.
Forecasters say that the storm could move up into the Maritime provinces, but that Canada will not be hit nearly as hard.
—Andrea Zehr
Canada to sign Trans-Pacific Partnership
The Canadian government has announced that it will sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement between 12 pacific rim countries.
Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Chrystia Freeland, wrote in an open letter that Canada would sign the partnership in New Zealand next week.
Freeland acknowledged that many Canadians had issues with the agreement, while others were in favour. The concerns range from environmental impacts, to the scope of the agreement. It goes so far as to dictate areas beyond trade, like patent law.
“It is clear that many feel the TPP presents significant opportunities, while others have concerns,” she wrote.
Freeland said that while Canada will sign the treaty, this does not mean it will be ratified and come into effect.
“Signing does not equal ratifying,” she wrote. “Only a majority vote in our Parliament can allow the Agreement to take force.”
—Eric Davidson
