RCMP have identified human remains found near North Battleford last week as 20-year-old Nitanas Scarlett, reported missing on Aug. 7.

The remains were discovered near a forested area southeast of North Battleford on Sep. 11.

Major crimes investigators identified the remains with the help of the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service, RCMP said in a news release. They believe her death was suspicious in nature.

Police say Scarlett’s family has been notified and connected with victim services for support.

According to RCMP, Nitanas was last seen on the 900 block of 102nd Street in North Battleford on the afternoon of July 4.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about her death, or her whereabouts in and around July, to call police or Crime Stoppers. 

Former Humboldt Broncos player Ty Smith and his girlfriend Kat Kastner were crowned the winners of The Amazing Race Canada on Tuesday.

Smith was part of the 2017-18 team involved in a collision with a semi that killed 16 people and injured 13 others including himself.

The now 25-year-old was one of three players to return to the ice for the Broncos the following season and played in 10 games before stepping away to focus more on his recovery and mental health.

The show is taped well before it is aired on television meaning the pair had to keep their win a secret until the entirety of the season had been shown.

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“As you can imagine a lot of my friends were giving me some extra cocktails trying to get me to share some news,” Smith joked.

“It’s nice to let it off our shoulders,” he added.

“We learned so much about ourselves and our relationship. You don’t really have a choice we had to learn pretty quickly,” Kastner said.

For coming in first place and winning the show the pair takes home $250,000, two 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 vehicles and a trip around the world.

“It was such a special journey and I think the people that made up this journey whether it’s the production team or anybody we raced with is why I think this was such a special experience,” Smith said.

A full interview with Smith and Kastner can been seen in the video player above.

A former University of Regina coach has been suspended from a national athletics organization following allegations of inappropriate conduct involving young athletes.

The complaints against Wade Huber were filed with the office of the Athletics Canada commissioner, who released an executive summary of the decision last week.

In the commissioners decision, Huber was found to have “violated his responsibilities under the 2015 Athletics Canada Code of Conduct and Ethics, and constituted grooming, psychological maltreatment and sexual maltreatment under the 2021 Athletics Canada Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.”

In a statement to CTV News, a university spokesperson said Wade Hubers employment was terminated in September of last year after an internal investigation following allegations of misconduct.

Following Huber’s dismissal from the University of Regina, the Athletics Canada commissioners summary indicates a whistleblower filed a code of conduct complaint on Oct. 17, 2022. The complaint made allegations against Huber relating to his actions with athletes he had coached from March 13 to July 2022.

“In the complaint, the Whistleblower wrote that they had observed [Huber] massaging female athletes at practice when experienced trainers were available to perform that task,” commissioner Hugh Frasers report said, as well as observing him in “an intoxicated state at practice and in a hotel where the team was staying for a competition.”

Following the whistleblowers complaint, the commissioner’s office retained an investigator who conducted interviews with 14 other witnesses from Nov. 28, 2022 to April 14, 2023.

In total, there were six allegations made against Huber. Fraser dismissed three of the allegations, one of which involved a consensual kiss between Huber and a former teammate. Huber was not in a position of authority at the time, Fraser said.

An allegation that Huber demonstrated preferential treatment towards a group of female athletes on the team, was found to have violated the 2015 Athletics Canada Code of Conduct and Ethics.

“The evidence of text message exchanges, late night lengthy phone calls, asking them to babysit his children, becoming close with their families and visiting their homes for meals clearly blurs the lines between what is acceptable in a coach/athlete relationship and what is not,” Fraser wrote, describing the athletes as teens and young adults.

“These types of behaviours are discouraged in the current policy because they have the potential to cross into sexual behaviour, Fraser said.

While there was no evidence submitted that suggested Hubers behaviour involved sexual misconduct, Fraser cited Athletics Canadas code of conduct which states grooming is often a slow, gradual and escalating process of building trust and comfort with a young person.

Another allegation was that Huber would often make comments about female athletes body parts, as well as their clothing.

“I agree with the Investigator’s findings that the conduct described in this allegation would be considered boundary violations as defined in this policy and included under the definition of grooming, Fraser said in the report.

“Mr. Huber admitted to complimenting one athlete on the fit of her sports bra. [He] should have been aware that under no context would such a comment be appropriate for a male coach to make to one of his female athletes.

According to Frasers report, several athletes gave evidence that Huber made comments about other athletes that were inappropriate or made them feel uncomfortable, which meets the definition of psychological maltreatment under Athletics Canadas code of conduct.

Another allegation was that Huber took an inappropriate photo of one of the female athletes he was coaching.

“The witness who discovered this photo did not harbour any resentment towards [Huber], but was nevertheless upset about what she had inadvertently stumbled upon on his phone,” the report read.

The two other allegations dismissed by the commissioner involved suspicion that Mr. Huber appeared at the track facility in a state of intoxication which Fraser found was unsubstantiated.

Following the findings, Huber was suspended for an indefinite period of time from participation in any program, practice, activity, event, or competition sanctioned by Athletics Canada or any of its members or affiliates.

Huber may apply to Athletics Canada for reinstatement of his membership after Sept. 13, 2030.

Four people were killed in a car crash early Tuesday morning on B.C.’s Highway 1, according to Mounties.

Authorities have identified the deceased as BC Wildfire Service sub-contractors who were travelling home after assisting with fire suppression efforts near Vanderhoof, in the Prince George Fire Centre.

“This year has been particularly challenging for the BC Wildfire Service, with several of its members facing injuries or losing their lives. Our thoughts are with the friends and family of those who help keep our province safe,” said Cpl. James Grandy in a news release issued Wednesday.

Police said the collision happened around 2 a.m. near Walhachin, which is about 70 kilometres west of Kamloops.

The crash was between a semi-tractor trailer and a Ford F-350 pickup truck. The semi caught on fire, but the driver was able to escape, according to police.

All four occupants of the pickup were pronounced dead at the scene.

“Initial investigation determined the pick-up truck failed to navigate a bend in the road to the right, crossing the centre line and colliding with the semi truck head on,” RCMP wrote.

Highway 1 was closed in both directions for the investigation but has since reopened.

In a joint statement Wednesday, Premier David Eby and Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston offered condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the fallen firefighters.

This is devastating news in what has been an immensely difficult wildfire season. We stand with wildfire fighters and all BC Wildfire Service personnel as they mourn the death of colleagues and co-workers yet again,” they wrote.

Firefighters are on the front lines in so many parts of B.C., creating hope from despair and working tirelessly to save lives and livelihoods. Words cannot express the depth of our gratitude.

This wildfire season has been a deadly one for first responders. Now six firefighters have lost their lives in B.C.

On July 28, 25-year-old Zak Muise was killed while battling the Donnie Creek wildfire—the biggest on record in the province—when the UTV he was a passenger in went down an embankment.

On July 13, 19-year-old Devyn Gale died in the line of duty near Revelstoke. She was found under a fallen tree.

BC Wildfire Service told CTV News it is unable to name the four killed Tuesday as the collision remains under investigation. 

The federal privacy watchdog says Canada Post is breaking the law by gleaning information from the outsides of envelopes and packages to help build marketing lists that it rents to businesses.

The office of privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne says information collected for the marketing program includes data about where individuals live and what type of online shopping they do, based on who sends them packages.

The commissioner found Canada Post had not obtained authorization from individuals to indirectly collect such personal information.

In a report on his offices investigation, Dufresne says this amounts to a violation of section 5 of the Privacy Act.

The commissioner recommended Canada Post stop using and disclosing personal information in this way until it can seek and obtain consent from Canadians.

Dufresnes report says the post office disagreed with his conclusion and declined to take the corrective action.

The investigation findings were tabled in Parliament this week in tandem with the commissioners annual report.

The case began when a man received marketing material from a Toronto restaurant with his name and full apartment address on the envelope, including the suite number.

Upon making inquiries, the man discovered he had received the material through the post offices Smartmail Marketing Program, which arranged a mail campaign for the restaurant.

Dufresnes office began investigating after receiving a complaint from the man.

Under the program, Canada Post engages mail service providers that prepare and send direct mailouts to customers. Although not all campaigns include recipients full addresses, Canada Post marketing information indicates people are more likely to open addressed mail than unaddressed mail, Dufresnes report says.

Mail service providers are prohibited from disclosing mailing lists to advertisers, and must safeguard the information and dispose of lists once a campaign is over.

Canada Post says it can prepare marketing lists based on 1,200 available targeting attributes such as marital and family status, ethnicity, interests and hobbies.

The post office stressed to the commissioners office it must continually innovate and find new ways to diversify its revenue streams as regular mail volumes decline. It also said research indicates that consumers enjoy receiving relevant marketing offers by mail.

The privacy commissioner disagreed, saying in his report that not all Canadians would see the monetization of their personal information in such positive terms.

Further, Canada Post argued that it has the permission of Canadian households to deliver mail to their addresses, and to request re-permission to deliver their mail would be absurd.

The post office also suggested that individuals could opt out of the program via the Canada Post website and, in not using the opt-out, people implicitly authorize the use of their personal information for the marketing program.

The commissioner rejected these arguments as well.

As a result, the watchdog recommended the post office cease using and disclosing personal information for mail marketing activities without seeking consent from individuals.

Canada Post rejected the commissioners call, instead moving to improve the clarity of information on its website about its use of personal information, increase the visibility of the opt-out mechanism and add a related brochure to its retail outlets.

The commissioner said it appreciates the commitment to improve transparency, as information about the post offices use of personal information in the program and the related opt-out mechanism are currently difficult to find and incomplete.

However, in our view these measures do not constitute obtaining authorization from individuals as required by section 5, and therefore do not correct the contravention of the Act.

The commissioner invited Canada Post to consider potential options to obtain authorization, such as by contacting individuals by mail, but the post office suggested this would not be effective.

Asked about the report, Canada Post said Wednesday it has told the commissioner we are looking at ways to better inform Canadians on how their mailing data is utilized, while outlining their options.

Thousands of people gathered in cities across Canada on Wednesday for competing protests, yelling and chanting at each other about the way schools instruct sexuality and gender identity and how teachers refer to transgender youth.

Protesters accused schools of exposing young students to gender ideology, and said parents have the right to know whether their children are questioning their gender identity. Counter-demonstrators, meanwhile, accused protesters of importing United States culture wars into the country and trying to deny students important lessons about inclusion and respect for gender-diverse people.

Trans people -- they exist in society, and they deserve inclusion, just like everyone else, said activist Celeste Trianon, who helped lead a counter-protest in downtown Montreal, where police inserted themselves between the two factions outside the offices of Premier Francois Legault.

We need to talk to people, teach them the right vocabulary, the proper words, at an age-appropriate time, in order to explain that inclusion is a good thing. We need to make sure that their trans and queer peers at school feel welcome.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted about the Canada-wide protests, saying Transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia have no place in this country. We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations, and we stand united in support of 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians across the country -- you are valid and you are valued.

Organizers of the marches said they were protesting the premature sexualization and potentially harmful indoctrination of children, but that they arent against LGBTQ+ people. The crowd that gathered in Ottawa suggested otherwise, with some signs held by protestors directly targeting members in that community as being groomers and pedophiles.

Others shouted that being LGBTQ+ is a sin, that children shouldnt be learning about those identities in schools, and that the evilness of the LGBTQ+ community will soon be eradicated.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh led a group of counter-protesters down Wellington Street. A heavy police presence separated protesters from counter-demonstrators, with competing chants about protecting trans youth and keeping gender ideologies out of schools.

We know that there are a lot of folks that dont feel safe because of the rise in hate and division thats targeting vulnerable people, Singh said. But then you see a lot of people coming together, and it shows the strength of solidarity, of us supporting each other, of having each others back.

Hours later, Ottawa police said they arrested two people for inciting hatred at the protest by displaying hateful material, and arrested another person for causing a disturbance. Hate or bias-motivated crimes will be fully investigated, police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Several observers at the trial of Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber in Ottawa confirmed they were at the protest earlier Wednesday. There were also protesters outside the courthouse.

Hundreds of people gathered for both a protest and a counter-protest in downtown Vancouver.

Counter-protester Tomi-Rose Clarke said the ideas being espoused by the other side are scary and dangerous to kids, and people with trans kids, and adult trans people.

Clarke, who identifies as queer and transgender, said seeing so many people show up and push back against hate, makes them feel empowered.

Its nice to see such a big turnout. It brings a little bit of hope to an otherwise very scary moment in history, said Clarke, who uses the pronouns they, them.

By Wednesday afternoon, the protests on the lawn of the legislature in Victoria had become so large that police said the area had become unsafe and citizens should leave.

In a statement, the Victoria Police Department said there were approximately 2,500 people in attendance and tensions had escalated.

Two arrests have been made and the organizers of the planned demonstration have left the area, the statement says.

Halifax police said demonstrations in that city led to the arrest of a 16-year-old who is scheduled to appear in youth court on charges of assault with a weapon, mischief and causing a disturbance.

It was New Brunswicks government that helped spark a debate across Canada about the way schools engage with transgender and nonbinary students. In June, the government changed the provinces LGBTQ+ policy, requiring students under 16 to get parental consent before their teachers can use their preferred first names. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has filed a lawsuit against the province over the policy.

Premier Blaine Higgs attended the protest Wednesday outside the legislature in Fredericton, telling reporters that he has a hard time understanding why his governments policy is controversial.

I think our parents should become knowledgeable about what their kids are being taught and what is important for them to learn in schools and whats important for parents to make decisions on with kids that are under 16 years old, he said.

New Brunswicks initiative was copied by the Saskatchewan government, which has also prohibited teachers from referring to students under 16 by their preferred first names and pronouns. An injunction application that aims to stop the policy is before the courts, arguing it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by causing teachers to potentially misgender students or out them to their parents.

In Regina, hundreds of people gathered outside Saskatchewans legislative building for the march. Some protesters held signs opposed to SOGI 123, an educational resource that teachers in some provinces can use to create more inclusive classrooms.

Jashandeep Dhillon said she doesnt want her children to be exposed to gender issues.

I dont want them to be educated on whether they are a girl or a boy, she said. Let them be what they want to be. If he decides in his life, when hes an adult, if he wants to change, Im OK with that.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe urged protesters on both sides to remain peaceful and respectful.

The province recently enacted a policy requiring students under 16 to receive parental consent if they want to go by different names or pronouns at school. The childrens advocate has said it violates childrens rights and a Saskatchewan judge heard arguments over an injunction application to pause the policy.

The judge has reserved his decision.

Moe stood by the policy Monday and reiterated that his government will do everything in its power to protect parental rights.

The premier has said he would consider using the notwithstanding clause, a provision that allows governments to override certain Charter rights for up to five years.

In Toronto, a large group of counter-protesters walked toward the legislature at Queens Park, where anti-LGBTQ+ protesters had gathered.

Protesters held up signs supporting the Peoples Party of Canada and shouted slogans such as leave our kids alone. Some protesters held up signs promoting various conspiracy theories and criticizing Trudeau.

Adrienne Kulling, a counter-protester, said she had the day off work and came out to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

She said Canada has started mimicking the culture wars in the United States, including on gender identity.

I really think we were moving in a progressive direction, and then all of a sudden things started shifting, Kulling said.

We need to show support for the trans and nonbinary kids. They need help because theres suicide, depression -- all these things are coming up with queer youth.

The government of India is advising Indian nationals and students living in Canada to be cautious amid what it calls growing anti-India activities in the country.

The travel advisory is the latest development in rising tensions between the two countries following allegations from Ottawa that Indias government may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader. 

In its advisory, the Indian government warned its citizens(opens in a new tab) of what it described as growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence.

“Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant,” read the statement.

The relations between Canada and India have been on a decline since a Sikh separatist activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was killed on Canadian soil in June. Nijjar was gunned down by two masked men in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C., where he served as president.

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The case remains under investigation by B.C.s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged India to investigate allegations that New Delhi was involved in the assassination(opens in a new tab).

India fired back, through a statement, that the allegations were absurd and motivated.

Besides denying any connection to Nijjars death, allegations which Trudeau has described as credible, the South Asian country said Canada was trying to shift the focus from Sikh independence, or Khalistan, movement(opens in a new tab), which is banned in India but has support among the Sikh diaspora.

The travel advisory followed a day after barbs were traded, with India alleging hate crimes and that recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda.

All Indian citizens and students in Canada were advised by the Indian government to register in the diplomatic offices in Ottawa, Toronto or Vancouver “in the event of any emergency or untoward incident,” read the country’s press release.

On Monday, Global Affairs Canada updated its Travel Advice and Advisories (TAA) to India, but told CTVNews.ca the update was unrelated to the allegations and fallout surrounding Nijjars death.

A travel advisory, which has been in place for some time in Canada for those heading to India, states that visitors should “exercise a high degree of caution in India due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country.”

The advisory says to avoid non-essential travel to Assam and Manipur states due to “the risk of terrorism and insurgency, as well as to avoid all travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir due to the “unpredictable security situation.”

“No new risk information has been added to the India TAA page,” a spokesperson said Tuesday, adding that any changes were part of a pre-scheduled and routine maintenance in the section on travel health.

The family of a North Carolina man who died after driving his car off a collapsed bridge while following Google Maps directions is suing the technology giant for negligence, claiming it had been informed of the collapse but failed to update its navigation system.

Philip Paxson, a medical device salesman and father of two, drowned Sept. 30, 2022, after his Jeep Gladiator plunged into Snow Creek in Hickory, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court. Paxson was driving home from his daughters ninth birthday party through an unfamiliar neighbourhood when Google Maps allegedly directed him to cross a bridge that had collapsed nine years prior and was never repaired.

Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and Im at a loss for words they can understand because, as an adult, I still cant understand how those responsible for the GPS directions and the bridge could have acted with so little regard for human life, his wife, Alicia Paxson, said in a news release.

State troopers who found Paxtons body in his overturned and partially submerged truck had said there were no barriers or warning signs along the washed-out roadway. He had driven off an unguarded edge and crashed about 20 feet below, according to the lawsuit.

The North Carolina State Patrol had said the bridge was not maintained by local or state officials, and the original developers company had dissolved. The lawsuit names several private property management companies that it claims are responsible for the bridge and the adjoining land.

Multiple people had notified Google Maps about the collapse in the years leading up to Paxsons death and had urged the company to update its route information, according to the lawsuit.

The Tuesday court filing includes email records from another Hickory resident who had used the maps suggest and edit feature in September 2020 to alert the company that it was directing drivers over the collapsed bridge. A November 2020 email confirmation from Google confirms the company received her report and was reviewing the suggested change, but the lawsuit claims Google took no further actions.

A spokesperson for Google, which is headquartered in California but maintains a registered office in Raleigh, did not immediately provide comment on the lawsuit.