IN THE NEWS

After speaking on Wednesday to a Parliamentary Committee looking into the state of Canada's military preparedness in the north, MGen William F. Seymour, deputy commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command said it is alarmist to suggest that Canadian sovereignty is under threat. However, Seymour told the committee, “Sovereignty ignored is perhaps sovereignty lost."

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police report 1,747 people entered Canada illegally last month, up by 113 from previous month. Critics blame the arrivals on a January 28, 2017 tweet by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength."

What would happen if there was a major air disaster in Canada? That's what the CAF was figuring out on Tuesday in Yellowknife. CAF members were flown to town for a major air disaster exercise as part of Operation Nanook, held annually in the North.

The province of British Columbia is suing 40 companies involved in opioid production. Attorney General David Eby said allegations against drug producers include failure to track their output and to realize some was being diverted to illegal markets.

Leona Alleslev, Member of Parliament and former Royal Canadian Air Force officer, left the Liberal party and crossed the floor of the House of Commons to join the Conservatives. She is now the party's global security critic.

Experts reveal that bacteria such as anthrax (which occurs naturally in the soil and can infect cattle and wild animals) and foot and mouth disease could pose a much bigger threat than chemical weapons.

Federal prosecutors are acting to have content removed from the internet under the terrorism-propaganda provision of the Criminal Code. Under the law, internet service providers and social-media companies can be ordered to take down material and reveal the identity of the person who posted it. 

There are hard lessons to be learned from the disproportionate Saudi response to a tweet from our Foreign Affairs Minister calling for the release of imprisoned rights activists, and an opportunity to make our country better prepared and more resilient, says Louis Vachon.

Autumn weather has reduced the scale of forest fires in British Columbia, so Canadian Forces members supporting the civil authority are returning to their military duties. More than 400 members participated in the firefighting mission.

An arbitrator's report says Ontario Provincial Police bungled the return to work of a mentally ill officer so badly that colleagues and the public were possibly in jeopardy. After the breakup of her marriage, the unnamed officer was diagnosed with recurrent major depressive disorder and characteristics of borderline personality disorder.

The U.S. Navy is preparing several large ships to assist in disaster relief operations along the southeast coast later this week, after Hurricane Florence makes landfall in what promises to be one of the most destructive hurricanes in years.

The Trudeau government is proposing a $100 million settlement to end a four year legal battle with disabled veterans seeking the return of financial benefits they had lost. The case is one of several class action lawsuits filed by veterans against the government.

The public is invited to attend a ceremony marking the 78th anniversary of the Battle of Britain at the Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport (1717 rue Arthur-Fecteau). The two-hour event will commence at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 16th.

Every winter, the Canadian Army triggers avalanches with artillery rounds along the Trans-Canada Highway. When rounds fail to explode, Explosive Ordinance Disposal teams are called in.

When the 364-foot Russian research cruise ship Akademik Ioffe came to a violent stop after grounding on a shoal in the remote Arctic, it took nearly nine hours for a Hercules aircraft to fly in from the RCAF’s Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton, 12 hours for another RCAF plane to come in from Winnipeg and 20 hours for a Coast Guard helicopter to fly over.

The search for German pop star Daniel Küblböck off the coast of Newfoundland has been called off. The singer apparently jumped into the ocean from a cruise ship Sunday. Search and rescue officials said the ocean temperature made survival unlikely.

Canadian regulations prohibit arms sales when human rights are at risk, but this country is supplying billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which is fighting a brutal war in Yemen

With marijuana legalization just around the corner, DND wants to ensure the rules are clear to its more than 100,000 members. According to an internal draft of the military’s cannabis policy, members will be banned from consuming marijuana eight hours before duty, once it’s legalized.

An unlocked case containing two military-grade assault rifles and two handguns mysteriously arrived in the mail at Bombardier’s shipping department in Toronto last week, according to a CTV News report.

Held by the Taliban for five years, Canadian Joshua Boyle and American wife Caitlin Coleman are now battling for custody of the three children born during their captivity. Each has made allegations of abuse against the other.

Last week, American TV network CNBC, citing anonymous US intelligence sources, reported that Russia had apparently lost a nuclear-powered cruise missile during a flight test last November.

The trial of former Vice Chief Defence Staff VAdm Mark Norman is set to start Aug. 19, 2019, and may still be going on during the federal election campaign. VAdm Normal's lawyer, Marie Henein said the federal Liberals are withholding secret documents necessary to her client's defence.

Years after being cancelled for privacy reasons, the 'Border Security' television show about the Canada Border Services Agency is still a major source of information about its mission. In surveys, reruns of the show are cited by viewers asked about the agency's role.

Defence scientists from a number of countries will be in Montreal in mid-September to participate in an experiment to look at new technologies for fighting and conducting operations in cities.

Restaurants Canada has announced a new partnership with Cyberisk Chek Inc., an innovative cyber security solution provider, to give foodservice operators a new tool to defend against online threats to their customers and their operations.

After the shooting Wednesday near Onanole, Manitoba that left that left a Mountie in serious condition, RCMP have three suspects in custody and are searching for a fourth. There are no details about the shooting.

The first of five, and possibly six Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships is expected be delivered in October. The HMCS Harry DeWolf will undergo tests and formal acceptance will take place early next year.

An RCMP manhunt has nabbed three suspects in western Manitoba after police said an officer was shot and sustained serious injuries near Onanole on Wednesday night.

Christoper Garnier is serving a prison sentence for the murder of an off-duty police officer, and although he never served, Veterans Affairs is paying for his PTSD treatment because his father was a military member. The minister for Veterans Affairs, Seamus O'Regan says the case is under review.

The federal government plans to study a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is setting Minister Blair to the task of working with Minister Goodale on policy, regulations or legislation on gun control.

In March the government of Canada made a 'smart pledge' to station a Royal Canadian Air Force C-130 Hercules in Uganda to support United Nations operations. The operation is still in the planning stages.

Soldiers and vehicles from 1 PPCLI rolled into the little British Columbia town of Valemount last week, as part of the military commitment to assist the provincial government fight forest fires. Forces members receive basic firefighting training

Small domestic cybersecurity companies are waiting for positive results from a review of the Canadian government procurement process. The current system involves paperwork and timelines for military purchases that can make smaller companies uncompetitive.

A declassified Canadian intelligence document says the country’s top terrorist threat is attacks by extremists inspired over the internet. On Wednesday, an audio recording of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called for attacks against Canada and other countries.