“Oh my God. What am I doing?”

Ruby Penney questioned herself at times as she sat in the RCMP detachment in St. Anthony on Dec. 1, 2016, and gave a voluntary statement to a police officer.

Her daughter-in-law, Jennifer Hillier-Penney, had been reported missing a day earlier. Ruby was the first person to show up at the house after her granddaughter, Deana, realized her mother was nowhere to be found.

She told the officer there was one thing she couldn’t get out of her head — a phone call Jennifer had with her cousin seven months earlier, that Ruby and Deana had overheard.

“This is a long shot,” she said before launching into the story.

Jennifer, Ruby and Deana were coming home from a trip to Florida, when Jennifer got a call from Derick Hillier.

Derick had been hospitalized at the Waterford psychiatric facility in St. John’s, but said he was getting out soon.

“He told her he was Jesus Christ,” Ruby said.

She went on to explain how Derick told Jennifer he was going to come to her house with all of her dead relatives, and take her to a party in heaven.

“I can’t get it out of my mind now,” Ruby told the officer. “It’s possible that he did something.”

Ruby expressed guilt at times for bringing his name up at all.

“He’s my friend,” she said. “How can I do this to him?”

Ruby Penney is now dead. So is Derick Hillier. Ruby’s son, Dean, is on trial for first-degree murder at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in Corner Brook.

He has pleaded not guilty.

The court has yet to hear from any RCMP officer who spoke to Derick Hillier directly, but one officer who interviewed his parents did testify.

Staff-Sgt. Daniel Murrin said Hillier was in St. Anthony around the time, but said Derick’s parents told him he’d left to drive across the island before Jennifer Hillier-Penney was last seen on Nov. 30, 2016.

Deana Penney was also asked about the phone call when she testified on Monday, and rejected any claim that Hillier could have been responsible for her mother’s disappearance.

“That was a misunderstanding because the man was genuinely sick,” she said.

The trial was delayed on Wednesday due to a technical problem with the audio recording system in the courtroom. Proceedings got underway at 2 p.m.

The court will break on Thursday before returning for a half-day on Friday. The trial is slated to run until the end of April.

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The B.C. government has finally overridden a months-long council stalemate in West Vancouver and approved a neighbourhood plan that will allow more housing to be built in the centre of the city.

The province announced Tuesday that it had changed the district’s Official Community Plan bylaw to include the Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan.

West Van Mayor Mark Sager said the municipality expected the order to come.

“Honestly, there is no surprise,” he said. “I was happy that the minister took the time to call me personally and explain the rationale.”

The Ambleside plan, which prioritizes increased heights of up to four storeys through most of the Marine Drive corridor and allows taller buildings up to 16 storeys in specific areas, was developed by city staff but has proven politically contentious. 

Council has been deadlocked in a 3-3 vote split for months, as the mayor owns property in the area and recused himself from voting.

The province said the change will “allow more homes to be built, while creating more opportunities for nearby shops, community spaces and improved sidewalks, with public infrastructure already included in the Ambleside Plan.”

The province said the city has failed in meeting a set target of 220 net new housing units, delivering only 58, and missed a Dec. 31, 2025, deadline to complete three provincial housing directives.

One of those directives was approving the Ambleside Plan.

The other two are to increase density in the Park Royal-Taylor Way area and to provide for increased density in the single- and two-family areas next to Ambleside and Dundarave.

The province said it issued the order for Ambleside, and not the other two directives, because the neighbourhood plan was already complete, public engagement had taken place, and technical studies were also finished.

“The plan was ready to move forward despite previously being withdrawn by council from its October 2025 meeting agenda, with no further direction to implement it,” said the province’s news release on Tuesday.

The province repeatedly said it would override the city if it did not pass the directives by the deadline.

Now West Van is also required to do enhanced reporting for the other two directives, which are still in the drafting stage.

“We can certainly work with the minister on these issues,” Sager said. “You know, is anyone happy that the minister had to use an order-in-council on the local area plan? Probably not.”

He added he’s pleased that the housing ministry will work with the district on the other two directives, as he said the community will never accept upzoning the area by Dundarave.

He agreed that councillors were generally not opposed to additional density in the Ambleside area, but they disagreed about specifics.

He said the province will have to stand by its decisions if there are residents unhappy with the order to override the municipality.

“I think that’s an issue that the provincial government in the next provincial election will have to deal with, whether that’s an appropriate use of their power or not.”

Україні однозначно потрібен певний етап для того, щоб трохи видихнути та підготувати людей. Таку думку, говорячи про перспективи перемирʼя, висловив головний сержант роти снайперів спеціального призначення бригади “Рубіж” Микола “Раптор”, підрозділ якого перебуває на Покровському напрямку.

“Треба нормально навчити людей, дати їм розуміння, щоб вони побачили, що армія – це не тільки про “Гей, пливе кача”. Армія – це ще про перемогу над ворогом. Ми йдемо воювати не для того, щоб помирати; ми йдемо воювати для того, щоб вбивати й перемагати”, – пояснив він в етері подкасту “Воїн волі” для 24 Каналу. 

Водночас військовий зауважив, що якщо перемирʼя буде досягнуто на умовах російського диктатора Володимира Путіна, він “буде дуже сильно ображений”. 

“Напевно, я висловлю спільну думку всіх військових, принаймні тих, з якими спілкуюся: треба розуміти, якою ціною ми вибиваємо це перемир’я. Якщо всі ті жертви, які наша країна віддала в обличчях своїх чоловіків, синів, батьків, моїх друзів, будуть оцінені так недбало, – це буде просто жахіття”, – акцентував “Раптор”.

Він наголосив, що в памʼять про полеглих військових не можна навіть в питанні перемирʼя обирати щось, що буде не на руку Україні. За словами Миколи, він не хотів би віддавати ворогу Донецьку, Луганську області, частину Запорізької, Херсонської та Сумської областей.

Він згадав, що кілька місяців тому лунали пропозиції про те, щоб залишити ці території непідконтрольними ні Росії, ні Україні.

“Виставити на кордонах наші війська для захисту і щоб у буферній зоні перебували миротворчі підрозділи інших держав, тих самих країн НАТО. Напевно, на це б я погодився, бо між нами з Росією буде якийсь буфер у вигляді солдат НАТО, на яких ворог не полізе, бо розуміє, що отримає відповідь Тоді ми зможемо трохи видихнути, розуміючи, що там є люди, які виступають нам живим щитом, як ми зараз виступаємо живим щитом для всієї Європи”, – додав він.

Така пауза також дозволить заново набрати людей та якісно їх підготувати. 

“Я хочу, щоб люди бачили, що до кожного кандидата, якого відбираємо, ми ставимося з максимальною повагою. Якщо людина потрапляє в підрозділ, ми зробимо все, аби вона стала єдиним цілим з колективом. Неважливо, як люди до нас потрапили, якщо вони вже з нами, ми працюємо по максимуму. Якщо щось не подобається – скажи чесно, але тільки не тікай в СЗЧ. Це трошки бісить”, – резюмував “Раптор”. 

Війна в Україні – ви могли це пропустити

Віцепрезидент США Джей Ді Венс заявив, що у переговорах між Росією й Україною щодо припинення війни є “значний прогрес”. При цьому він стверджує, що позиції сторін нібито зблизилися.

Тим часом на фронті росіяни були вимушені перейти до оборони на одному з напрямків. Як розповів офіцер відділення комунікацій 148 окремої артилерійської бригади Десантно-штурмових військ Сергій Колесниченко, оцінки аналітиків, що український наступ на Олександрівському напрямку зірвав плани росіян на літню кампанію, загалом відповідають реаліям.

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Gas prices in the GTA could drop by 11 to 12 cents by Friday amid the apparent ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

The two-week ceasefire was subject to Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz where a fifth of the world’s oil is transported during peacetime.

Iran originally reopened the strait, but closed the waterway on Wednesday in response to Israeli attacks against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon

The country’s stranglehold on the strait, the waterway leading out of the Persian Gulf, has driven up global oil prices, as have Tehran’s attacks on regional energy infrastructure.

The price of gas in the GTA is currently sitting at 188.9 cents/litre but is expected to drop two cents on Thursday to 186.9 cents/litre.

Roger McKnight, chief petroleum analyst with En-Pro, says the ceasefire crashed crude prices by $18 a barrel, which would drive gas pump prices down.

“How low and how long the lower prices will go will depend on the strength of the ceasefire agreement. If the agreement becomes just another disagreement then prices will bounce back up again and rapidly,” said McKnight.

He added that he has little to no confidence this war will pause for any appreciable period of time so the low prices likely won’t last long.

The price of gas has jumped by over 50 cents in the GTA since the United States and Israel launched missile attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.

Click here to see the latest gas prices.

With files from the Associated Press

The following is the text of a joint statement by the United States of America and the Republic of North Macedonia on the occasion of the second U.S.-North Macedonia Strategic Dialogue.

Begin text:

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski led the second U.S.-North Macedonia Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C. on April 7.  The Strategic Dialogue deepened the partnership between the United States and North Macedonia and advanced our shared goals of promoting peace, security, and prosperity. 

Energy and Economic Cooperation

The United States welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Enhancing Security of Natural Gas Supply to North Macedonia, a bilateral arrangement to enhance the resiliency of the natural gas market through the purchase of U.S. liquified natural gas and strengthen energy security.  North Macedonia’s decision to develop a One-Stop Shop system for U.S. exports and investment can deepen bilateral commercial ties, and its pursuit of investment screening legislation may also improve the business climate for U.S. investment. 

The two countries welcomed the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s decision to award $5 million in assistance to restart antimony mining in North Macedonia.  The agreement demonstrates joint commitment to develop alternative supplies of the critical minerals essential to maintaining competitive advantage in the global economy.  They also recognized the importance of open and transparent investment climates and policies, with strong legal frameworks, investment facilitation, and fair procedures to resolve disputes.  They recognized that such policies promote lasting economic development and growth, job creation, increased productivity, technological innovation, and competitiveness.  The United States welcomed the interest of North Macedonia to join the Three Seas Initiative, acknowledging its unique strategic position.

Security and Defense Cooperation 

The United States and North Macedonia reaffirmed their enduring alliance and shared commitment to NATO’s collective security, recognizing that all Allies must increase defense spending, improve interoperability, and meet NATO capability targets.  The United States acknowledged North Macedonia’s roadmap to meet its NATO commitment of spending 5 percent of GDP on defense by 2035.  North Macedonia highlighted its donation to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) as well as pursuit of Foreign Military Sales in line with North Macedonia modernization goals and NATO requirements. 

Cyber and Digital Cooperation

The United States announced its intention to provide technical assistance to strengthen digital infrastructure across North Macedonia’s government ministries through the Department of State’s Foreign Assistance Leveraged for Cybersecurity Operational Needs (FALCON) program.  FALCON will conduct comprehensive cyber security assessments of critical infrastructure and other important networks to identify vulnerabilities, recommend remediation measures, and inform the Government of North Macedonia’s procurement decisions, including the purchase of cybersecurity products and services from the U.S. and other trusted vendors.  The United States also announced the placement of embedded cybersecurity advisors to support both North Macedonia’s Ministry of Defense as well as the Ministry of Digital Transformation in bolstering the country’s cybersecurity capabilities, defense, and resilience.  The United States additionally intends to deliver $5 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) initiatives to provide a deployable cyber capability for expeditionary forces and enhance the protection of national defense infrastructure through equipment and training.

Border Security and Countering Transnational Threats

The United States and North Macedonia share a strong interest in stemming the flow of illegal migration and countering transnational crime and narcotics trafficking.  The United States welcomes the efforts of North Macedonia, a transit country in the heart of the Balkans, to combat these destabilizing activities.  To deepen our cooperation, the United States intends to provide $3,523,000 in security assistance to enhance North Macedonia’s law enforcement and border management capabilities, making both of our countries safer, more secure, and more prosperous.  The United States will launch an initiative to strengthen intelligence-led border enforcement against transnational criminal organizations, illicit drug trafficking, and irregular migration threats. 

Other Initiatives

The United States and North Macedonia also signed a bilateral Cultural Property Agreement to prevent the illicit trafficking of archeological and ethnological artifacts of North Macedonia.  This agreement is designed to help disrupt illegal trafficking networks, protect American collectors and museums, and cut off financial flows to terrorists and transnational criminals.    The United States also welcomed North Macedonia’s signing of a Letter of Intent to pursue the Trusted Traveler Program.  Global Entry would allow expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers from North Macedonia upon arrival in the United States. 

End Text.

It might be a busy market for mergers and acquisitions in Canada’s oilpatch later this year, provided the geopolitical mayhem eases enough for buyers and sellers to find common ground on price, says a partner at consulting firm Deloitte.

In a report published Wednesday, Deloitte said deal activity seemed to be on the upswing heading into this year after a decade-long lull. But with the U.S.-Israel war on Iran shaking global oil markets, the outlook now is much more hazy.

“It’s really hard for a deal to get done” with the US$115-a-barrel price West Texas Intermediate was hovering around earlier this week, said Andrew Botterill, partner for energy, resources and industrials at Deloitte Canada. “Buyers and sellers are just too far apart.”

WTI plummeted 17 per cent to trade at about US$96 per barrel in late-morning trading Wednesday after the U.S., Iran and Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire, heading off U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian civilization.

2:39
Business Matters: Global leaders look for new ways to stabilize oil prices

The current crude price is still about 40 per cent higher than where it was trading before the conflict began in late February, spilling over to several countries in the region and choking off 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

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But if the volatility blows over — as futures market trading seems to suggest might happen later this year — Canada’s energy sector would be ripe for an acceleration in merger and acquisition activity.

“People are starting to really come to the recognition that Canada is very investable right now and it’s a place to deploy capital and we should expect to see more deals,” said Botterill.

The oilsands are already dominated by a handful of big players, so there are few opportunities in that space, he said.

But the Montney and Duvernay areas of northeastern B.C. and northwestern Alberta are some of “the world’s highest-quality assets out there” and are likely to see more consolidation. Those rocks are rich in natural gas liquids, whose prices tend to track those of crude oil.

“The repeatability economics are so strong, the technology is so consistent and Canadian producers have just done such a great job at managing costs alongside that and continuing to make large swaths of resource highly profitable,” said Botterill.

2:46
Canada ‘reliable’ and ‘low-risk’ oil exporter, will up production amid energy crisis: Carney

In its latest forecast, Deloitte predicted an average 2026 WTI price of US$85 per barrel, but the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been driving prices significantly higher than that, but oil traders seem to be betting on a more mellow market in the latter half of this year.

Contracts for delivery in August and beyond have been sinking below US$80 per barrel. For 2027, Deloitte is forecasting a drop in WTI to US$76.50. For 2028, it sees a return to the prewar level of US$67.65.

Meanwhile, the benchmark for Alberta natural gas is forecast to average $2.15 per mmBTU in 2026, climbing to $3.20 in 2028.

A balmy winter in much of Canada coupled with a slower-than-expected ramp-up of the LNG Canada export terminal on the B.C. coast put pressure on the price of the home-heating fuel, Botterill said.

He’s never felt so positively about the prospects for Canada’s liquefied natural gas export ambitions.

The war has knocked out LNG production from Qatar, one of the world’s biggest players, sending Asian and European power prices soaring and highlighting Canada as a relatively stable global supplier.

“These are hard projects to get approved and it’s a lot of money, so I think there’s still a lot of work to get done to move particular projects forward,” Botterill said.

“But at the end of the day, Canada is seen as a real safe place for capital and it’s seen as even more investable now than it was a few years ago. We’re going to be talking about one or two or three more projects off the West Coast over the coming years.”

1:53
Canada’s role in historic emergency oil reserve release

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

The Calgary Zoo’s new polar bear made his debut Wednesday, but it will be a while before he gets up close and personal with the current polar bear in residence.

Yellé, a 500-kilogram, 20-year-old bear from Quebec, is out of quarantine and has made his way to the habitat at The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, wolfing down caches of food laid out for him.

He is to be gradually introduced to 420-kilogram Siku.

“They have had visual barriers in front of them just so they can get used to the space. They’re very much aware of each other. They can smell each other, and they can hear each other, and sometimes they go talk,” said Paul Woerner, the zoo’s animal care manager.

“Just yesterday, they saw each other for the very first time, so we’re doing slow introduction to the point where they can be out on habitat together.”

Yellé’s arrival comes almost two years after the zoo’s polar bear Baffin died.

The zoo determined Baffin died by drowning following a crushing injury to his trachea by Siku during a bout of rough play.

Woerner said the zoo hasn’t had to make any structural or procedural changes.

“There’s no human error. There’s nothing we could have done differently and so we haven’t changed anything,” he said.

My first impression is he seems like a great old guy.– Paul Woerner, Calgary Zoo

The bears are big for the Calgary Zoo. It has served as an Arctic Ambassador Center with Polar Bears International since 2023, supporting efforts to raise awareness about the challenges the animals face in a rapidly changing Arctic.

Yellé was born in the Netherlands. Polar bears in captivity generally live to be 25 to 30 years old.

Woerner said the two bears seem to be, well, polar opposites.

He said Siku is very fond of his enclosure with its deep plunge pool.

“He likes to use that sort of as his big house,” Woerner said. “He comes out for a few hours then he goes back in and sits in his castle.”

Yellé, on the other hand, spends most of his time outside.

“My first impression is he seems like a great old guy,” Woerner said.

“He’s the extrovert for sure.”

A 47-year-old man is facing charges for sexually exploiting women in the Edmonton region, allegedly forcing his victims into the city’s sex trade. 

In a news release Wednesday, the Edmonton Human Trafficking unit of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams announced charges against Jonathan Allard of Edmonton.  

Investigators allege that Allard was involved in controlling his victims and selling them for sex. Police allege that he forced them to perform sexual services, procured and communicated with their “clients” and collected money.

ALERT said the investigation dates back to June 2025 when one of Allard’s alleged victims contacted police for help. 

The woman told investigators she was recruited over social media to move to Edmonton and was then forced into the sex trade by Allard, police said. 

Investigators said they have identified five alleged victims, women in the Edmonton region, and believe there could be more. They’ve urged anyone with information on the case to come forward. 

‘Extreme circumstances’

“We know there are at least five other victims. We would like to speak to them and anyone else who has been exploited by Allard,” Staff Sgt. Chris Hayes in the statement. 

“These are extreme circumstances with life-altering impact and trauma. We would like to hold Allard accountable for all his victims.” 

Allard has been charged with 26 criminal code offences and two charges under the Animal Protection Act.

The charges include trafficking, forcible confinement and assault as well as animal neglect and bestiality.  

In addition to the women who were harmed, there was also evidence of a dog being sexually and physically abused by Allard, investigators said. 

The victims have been provided support resources through ALERT’s Safety Network Coordinators. Survivors of human trafficking can call 211 for help.

Allard remains in custody to await his next court appearance scheduled for April 16.