Mounties are still searching for a suspect and a motive in a shooting on a Highway 2, south of Edmonton, earlier this month that left a man dead.

Alberta RCMP said the shooting happened south of Leduc, near Township Road 490, on the afternoon of Saturday, March 14.

Three friends were headed to the mountains via the QEII that Saturday afternoon when a pickup truck pulled up beside their Honda Civic.

Witnesses saw the truck pull up beside a car and then speed off.

According to the two survivors of the shooting, a person in the truck made a hand gesture toward them, something resembling a peace sign.

They said their friend and the car’s driver, 22-year-old Birinder Singh, waved back.

Moments later, someone in the truck opened fire and a bullet struck Singh in the neck. The friends took control of the steering wheel and pulled the car over to the side of the highway. Singh died in the vehicle from blood loss.

According to the friends, Singh moved from India to Brampton, Ont., three years ago as an international student and studied business administration before relocating to Edmonton in October.

Since then, Singh had been working in construction, installing siding.

He was on his way to see the Canadian Rockies for the first time when he was killed.

RCMP spokesman Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said investigators located the truck, a Grey 2022 Ford F-150, last week but the suspect remains at large as police continue to determine what led to the shooting.

— With files from The Canadian Press

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Auditor General Karen Hogan says there are critical weaknesses in the integrity controls for the International Student Program.

An audit of the program being published today says about 150,000 cases in 2023 and 2024 were flagged because the student visa holders may not have complied with the terms of their study permits.

The report says only about 4,000 investigations were launched, and of those 1,600 were marked as inconclusive after the student in question did not respond to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

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Department officials told the auditor they only have the budget to conduct 2,000 of these investigations annually.

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The department also did not follow up on 800 cases of applicants for approved study permit applications using bogus documents or misrepresented information on their applications between 2018 and 2023, the auditor found.

The audit says almost all of these visa holders applied for some other kind of immigration status to stay in Canada and 456 received approvals.

An affidavit filed by Rosita Fatemi said her meeting with Arezou Soltani and Mehdi Ahmadzadeh Razavi took place in a parking lot in the Park Royal mall in West Vancouver, the heart of British Columbia’s Iranian community.

The document said she and her two fellow founding directors of a B.C. non-profit society opposed to the Iranian regime were there to discuss a lawsuit filed by another activist, Masood Masjoody, who had accused Soltani and Razavi of being aligned with the dictatorship.

Razavi had accused her at the meeting of communicating with Masjoody, and took her phone without her consent when she tried to refute the accusation, her affidavit says.
During the same meeting, Fatemi alleges that Soltani wanted to know how to “silence” someone, in a way that would “look natural.”

“She also asked me for a drug substance to ‘get rid of him.’ Based on the context of the discussion, I understood her to be referring to the plaintiff (Masjoody) and causing him to be murdered,” she said.

The affidavit was filed in Masjoody’s lawsuit against Soltani, Razavi, the foundation and others on Jan. 28.

Five days later, Masjoody was reported missing by his neighbours in Burnaby, B.C., and on March 6, his remains were discovered in Mission, B.C.

Razavi and Soltani have now been charged with first-degree murder in his death, although police have not said how he died.

Homicide investigators said when contacted days after the announcement of murder charges that police were initially unaware of the allegations contained in Fatemi’s affidavit.

The circumstances preceding the mathematician’s death play out in a sprawling legal record that is a result of Masjoody’s many lawsuits, that kept the courts so occupied that he was branded a “vexatious litigant” by a judge, castigated for wasting precious court resources.

Masjoody was an outspoken critic of both Iran’s Islamic regime and the royalist faction of the diaspora community, which supports the exiled former crown prince Reza Pahlavi, who is now jockeying to lead the country should the Iranian administration topple as a result of U.S. and Israeli bombing campaigns.

Pahlavi too was a target of legal action by Masjoody, who accused him of defamation. In an affidavit, Pahlavi denied even knowing Masjoody, and denied involvement in any harassment, defamation or “conspiracy” against him.

Masjoody had launched several lawsuits in recent years, alleging he was the victim of harassment and defamation, and his eccentric legal antics saw him clash with former colleagues at Simon Fraser University, judges, lawyers, media and others in the anti-Iranian regime activist community, including Razavi and Soltani.

The non-profit society, the Canadian Iranian Wakuppers Foundation, is registered to Soltani’s home address in North Vancouver, a short drive from Park Royal just over the boundary with West Vancouver.

A white Mercedes sedan sat parked outside the home during a recent visit, where no one answered the door.

Uncollected mail protruded from the mailbox and a small, festive gift bag had been left outside the front door.

Fatemi, a naturopathic doctor, also lives in North Vancouver high in the hills of the upper Lonsdale area, where a pre-revolution lion and sun flag drooped in the rain on a flagpole affixed to her home’s garage.

A man who answered the door said she wasn’t home and that she did not want to speak about her affidavit.

The foundation’s constitution says it was incorporated for the purposes of “identifying and exposing the individuals, organizations and activities affiliated with the Islamic regime of Iran; who not only undermine democracy and violate human rights in Iran but also invade Canadian borders.”

“Supporting people affected by the Islamic regime of Iran in Canada. Raising awareness about the influence and activities of individuals and organizations affiliated with the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which promotes radical Islamic theocracy and endangers democracy and human rights in Canada.”

The foundation’s documents, obtained by The Canadian Press, show it was formed in June 2023, but Fatemi’s affidavit says she hasn’t been involved in its day-to-day operations since late 2023.

Masjoody had filed several lawsuits in B.C. prior to his death, and the foundation, Soltani and Razavi were among numerous defendants named in his multiple legal actions in recent years.

Sgt. Freda Fong, spokeswoman for B.C.’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said police were aware of Masjoody’s disputes with the suspects.

“It’s on the public record that there are ongoing civil disputes as well as exchanges on social media platform involving the victim as well as the accused,” Fong said on March 14 at a Surrey, B.C., news conference. “Whether or not that forms a motive of the homicide, it is still under investigation.”

Fong said in an emailed statement that homicide investigators only became involved after he went missing, and before that “had no knowledge of Mr. Masjoody or any alleged plot against him.”

“Once we took over the case, over the course of our investigation, we came across an abundance of disputes including those over social media as well as the material in the civil claims,” Fong said.

Masjoody alleged in court documents that he had called police and opened multiple files with Burnaby and North Vancouver RCMP in connection with his lawsuits.

Burnaby RCMP and North Vancouver RCMP did not respond to a request for comment.

Soltani and Razavi made a brief court appearance by video in Vancouver on March 16, and they’re due back in court on March 25.

A Vancouver company has been sanctioned by the United States government for its alleged ties to a $100-million network accused of financing Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics was added to the U.S. sanctions list in a move that targeted 16 individuals and entities in the Middle East and Canada.

The sanctions allege the co-founder and chief executive officer of the B.C. company is Raoof Fadel, who is based in Qatar and involved with the “Hezbollah finance team.”

Corporate records obtained by Global News show the sanctioned Canadian company was registered in B.C. in 2022 and remains active as 1380892 B.C. LTD.

Its directors are listed as Fadel, as well as Mohamad Wehbe and Ahmed Wehbe, all of whom are described in the records as residents of Qatar.

In addition to sanctioning their B.C. company, the U.S. Treasury also imposed sanctions on Fadel and Mohamad Wehbe, who are both Lebanese citizens.

They could not be reached for comment.

The company’s corporate registration was completed by a Winnipeg consulting firm, while its registered address is a Vancouver law firm, the records shows.

Neither responded to requests for comment by deadline.

The company is not sanctioned in Canada. Neither the B.C. nor the federal government have yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.

Hezbollah is part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance,” a collection of armed extremist groups that serve Tehran’s interests throughout the Middle East.

A listed terrorist group in Canada, which calls it a “radical Shia group,” Hezbollah is part of the current conflict launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.

Canada’s national security agencies have long reported that the international Hezbollah fundraising network was active in the country.

A 2022 Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada terrorist financing alert warned about Hezbollah’s activities.

It warned that, after the Islamic State, Hezbollah was the international terrorist group most frequently detected moving money across borders.

The bulk of the money went to Lebanon, often laundered through auto sales, FINTRAC wrote in its operational alert to financial institutions.

In January, Global News reported that a Lebanese auto trader living in Ontario on a work permit, Fahed Sowane, was allegedly laundering money “to benefit Hezbollah.”

While Sowane, who denies the allegations, faces deportation over the allegations, enforcement action related to Hezbollah is rare in Canada.
“Governments must do more to ensure that Canada is not used as a safe haven for Iran’s Islamic regime and its proxies that threaten global security and target civilians,” said Nico Slobinsky of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

“We are calling for strengthened enforcement measures, enhanced scrutiny and removal of regime‑linked actors operating in Canada, and firm action to disrupt any financial or logistical support for designated terrorist organizations.”

This includes implementing B.C. Premier David Eby’s recent commitment that the province will not be a refuge for war criminals and will ensure their prosecution and seizure of their funds.”

Amid the war on Iran, the U.S. announced on Friday that it was sanctioning the B.C. company for its alleged role in a network led by Alaa Hamieh, whom it called a “Hezbollah financier.”

Hamieh, who holds Lebanese and Canadian passports, “owns, directly or indirectly, multiple Hezbollah-associated companies,” the U.S. Treasury said.

“Alaa Hamieh oversees a network of companies, controlled through family members and close associates, that launder and raise funds for Hezbollah’s finance team.”

Located in Lebanon, Syria, Poland, Slovenia, Qatar, and Canada, the network has been involved in projects “estimated to have enabled the diversion of over $100 million since 2020,” it said.

“This network represents a critical source of funding for Hezbollah, which continues to embrace violence despite calls to disarm.”

The director of the B.C. company, Fadel, is “involved in numerous projects with Alaa Hamieh and the Hezbollah finance team,” according to the allegations.

They include “Hezbollah-associated Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics, which is the Canadian branch of Alaa Hamieh’s similarly named Lebanese companies.”

The listing provides Hamieh’s Canadian passport number. Another Canadian passport holder, Usama Ali, allegedly runs the Hamas financing office.

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca

A third overpass in Saskatoon has been damaged by a vehicle this month, creating traffic snarls once again for drivers in the city.

According to Saskatoon police, officers responded to the scene of a collision on Sunday between a large vehicle and the train bridge overpass on Circle Drive between 108th Street and Attridge Drive.

By about 4:10 p.m. Sunday, police said trains had resumed operation on the overpass, but vehicle traffic on Circle Drive between 108th Street and Attridge Street would remain restricted to a single northbound lane.

Police said they continue to investigate the collision.

The crash came days after two separate crashes. The first occurred on March 11 when an over-height load clipped the 108th Street overpass. The city later said the overpass was safe for use.

That incident came six days after Saskatoon police said a semi with a trailer carrying a piece of equipment caused significant damage to the Highway 16 overpass on March 5.

According to police, the semi was travelling in the northbound lane of Highway 11 from Regina entering the city limits and was too high for the structure, also known as the Circle Drive overpass.

Hours later, Saskatoon engineers assessed the damage and opened one eastbound lane of Circle Drive and one northbound lane of Highway 11 for traffic to proceed.

Under the city’s traffic bylaw, it can fine for infrastructure damages at a maximum of $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for corporations.

Following its investigation into the March 5 incident, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol charged the operator of the semi-truck with offences including driving with undue care and attention, operating with a major defect and exceeding maximum height restrictions.

No charges have been announced in connection with the March 11 incident. The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Repairs from the two previous crashes are still ongoing and traffic restrictions remain on both Highway 11 and Highway 16.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Three byelections are being held on April 13 and the results could have an impact on both the makeup of Parliament and how long it lasts.

Here’s a primer on how things could change.

The votes are in two Liberal stronghold seats in the Toronto area and one contested riding in Quebec, north of Montreal.

Voters in Scarborough Southwest and University—Rosedale will choose new members of Parliament after two former Liberal cabinet ministers stepped down.

Bill Blair left his seat to become Canada’s high commissioner to the U.K., while Chrystia Freeland has a number of new roles, including as economic adviser to the Ukrainian president and CEO of the Rhodes Trust.

Observers expect the Liberals to hold both ridings. The third byelection is the one with the most intrigue.

The race in Terrebonne last April was the closest in the country — the Liberals won by a single vote on election night. A court challenge was filed after it was found that Elections Canada put an incorrect return address on some mail-in ballots, which were never counted.

The Supreme Court of Canada invalidated the result in February and the vote is being redone.

Polling aggregator 338 Canada says Terrebonne, which has voted Bloc Québécois in recent elections, is a toss-up between the Liberals and Bloc.

If the Liberals hold the two Toronto seats, they’ll have 172 MPs and a majority in the House of Commons.

But the House Speaker is Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia and the Speaker only votes in the event of a tie. A government with 172 seats needs at least one opposition member to vote with them or abstain from voting to pass legislation.

If the Liberals win in Terrebonne, they’ll have that critical extra vote.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s team has been trying to do something that hasn’t been done in living memory — turn a minority government into a majority by recruiting members from opposition parties.

It started with Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont, who crossed the floor in November after the government introduced its budget. Ontario MP Michael Ma made the same trek from the Conservative side of the House just before Christmas.

It took several months to seal the deal with Alberta Conservative Matt Jeneroux, who joined Carney’s team in February, and Nunavut MP Lori Idlout, who left the dwindling NDP bench earlier this month.

The Conservatives have slammed these moves and have accused Carney of cutting “shady backroom deals” and creating an “undemocratic” majority. They’ve stopped short of calling for rule changes to prevent floor-crossings in the future

The biggest change is about confidence votes.

Canadians have elected minority Liberal governments in three elections since 2019. In order to stay in power, minority governments have to survive tests of Parliament’s confidence in the form of votes on throne speeches, budgets and non-confidence measures.

A majority government can breathe a little easier on those key votes.

But Éric-Antoine Menard, vice-president and head of Quebec operations at North Star Public Affairs, said 172 is “not a magical number.”

Majority governments typically also hold majorities on committees — places where the opposition can really slow down legislation.

MPs unanimously agreed in June to set up committees for the rest of this Parliament made up of five Liberals, four Conservatives and one member from the Bloc Québécois.

The Liberals don’t automatically get another seat on committees if they get a majority, and committees can’t be reset by proroguing Parliament and starting a new session with a throne speech.

If the government wants more control over committees, it will need to either get the opposition parties to agree to make a change that limits their power, or amend the Standing Orders.

Menard said he thinks that’s a fight the Liberals don’t want.

“There’s no particular rush that I see on the government’s part to just take control of the House of Commons and disrupt the mood there,” he said.

“The mood is generally positive. The government is riding high in the polls, it’s moving its agenda by working with some of the other parties, which I think currently Canadians kind of appreciate.”

Susan Smith, principal and co-founder of BlueSky Strategy Group, disagrees.

“I think making sure that the House of Commons functions more smoothly and that there’s less shenanigans from the opposition in committee will be really important,” she said.

As Menard pointed out, there could be more byelections to come — so even if the Liberals eke out a majority, they may not be able to keep it long.

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith is exploring a run for the Ontario Liberal leadership and plans to vacate his seat in Beaches—East York to run in a provincial byelection. It’s been rumoured for months that North Vancouver—Capilano MP Jonathan Wilkinson may be looking for a diplomatic posting.

There have also been media reports that NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice is pondering a jump to Quebec provincial politics.

Floor-crossing rumours continue to circulate on Parliament Hill. In short, the numbers are still unstable.

Menard said a narrow majority government also presents a challenge for Carney, who would have to ensure his entire caucus — which now includes one former New Democrat and several former Tory MPs — is on the same page.

“You do not know how these people are going to react on an issue-to-issue basis,” he said.

A majority government could stay in power for another three years. It could also call an early election.

Most major polls suggest the Liberals have a wide lead and Carney is significantly more popular than Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Smith said that’s the kind of thing every government keeps its eye on as it weighs whether to send Canadians to the polls.

“Right now, no, there aren’t Canadians that are saying we need an election,” she said.

But if things are still uncertain geopolitically in the next few months, she said, “I think it’s something that isn’t off the table yet. It’s just not on tonight’s dinner table.”

A challenge of Quebec’s secularism law, known as Bill 21, will be heard at the Supreme Court of Canada beginning Monday, with the notwithstanding clause at the heart of arguments.

The case stems from a law passed in June 2019 by the Quebec government led by François Legault, which bans certain public-sector workers — including teachers, police officers and judges — from wearing religious symbols on the job in the name of state neutrality.

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The Coalition Avenir Québec government pre-emptively invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to shield the law from most court challenges over fundamental rights violations.

Legal experts say the arguments will centre on the criteria for suspending rights more than on state secularism.

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Quebec Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeal have mostly sided with the provincial government in its rulings, while also criticizing how the government has employed the notwithstanding clause.

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Groups including the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the World Sikh Organization will meet with reporters today ahead of the hearings, which are expected to run four days.

Members of Parliament are back in the House of Commons today, where the government is expected to face tough questions about new auditor general reports and the ongoing war in Iran.

Auditor General of Canada Karen Hogan is set to table three audit reports this morning on international student program reforms, recruiting for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the transformation of the federal public service pay system.

MPs are likely to be grilled about those reports and the ongoing conflict in Iran.

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Ottawa has said it is looking at helping Gulf nations and might contribute to efforts to unblock fuel shipments and has stressed that it has no intention of joining the U.S. military campaign.

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Floor-crossing rumours continue to circulate on Parliament Hill after Nunavut MP Lori Idlout left the NDP to join the Liberals earlier this month, becoming the fourth member of Parliament to do so in the last four months.

Three byelections are being held on April 13, which could potentially grant the Liberals a majority in the House of Commons.

Two Air Canada pilots are dead after their flight originating from Montreal collided with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport Sunday night.

The Jazz Aviation flight, Air Canada’s regional airline, was carrying 76 people when it touched down and slammed into a fire truck on a runway at around 11:30 p.m. March 22.

Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport, said the 72 passengers and four crew have been accounted for.

However, the two pilots – who were based out of Canada – died, she told reporters early Monday morning.

Garcia said 41 people were taken to two hospitals in Queens and 32 were eventually released. Nine remained in care, including some in serious condition, she said.

Two Port Authority employees travelling in the fire truck suffered non-life-threatening injuries, she added.

The flight originated from Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport; a fire truck was crossing Runway 4 in response to a separate incident involving a United Airlines flight when it was hit. Garcia said that issue was related to an odour on takeoff.

“The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation. This is a developing situation based on preliminary information,” LaGuardia said in a post on X Monday morning.

“The Port Authority Police Department is working closely with our airline partners as well as federal authorities and will provide additional updates as more details become available.”

It will remain closed until 2 p.m. while the National Transportation Safety Board investigates, it later added.

Air Canada said in a statement Monday that flight 8646 was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, though it was subject to confirmation.

“The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the pilot and the first officer were killed in this accident. We are deeply saddened by the loss of two Jazz employees, and our deepest condolences go out to the entire Jazz community and their families,” the airline said.

“Air Canada and Jazz Aviation are cooperating with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States in the investigation of the cause of this incident.”

Photos from the scene showed severe damage to the front of the aircraft, with cables and debris hanging from a mangled cockpit. Nearby, a damaged emergency vehicle was on its side.

Stairways used to evacuate passengers from aircraft were pushed up to the emergency exits on the jet, a Mitsubishi CRJ-900. The impact left the jet with its crumpled nose tilted upward.

The Associated Press reported in the moments before the crash, an air traffic controller could be heard on a radio transmission giving clearance to a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac, then trying to stop it. The controller was heard frantically diverting incoming aircraft from landing afterwards.

— with files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press

With another drenching of rain possible in parts of British Columbia, crews are working fast to clean up last week’s mudslides – to ensure the next drenching doesn’t impact the infrastructure that supplies water to homes and businesses in Metro Vancouver.

Earlier this week, a mudslide blocked Pipeline Road near Coquitlam, limiting access to the region’s water treatment plant.

“This road’s very important for access to our facility as well as residents that live in the area,” said Brant Arnold-Smith with Metro Vancouver emergency management.

Arnold-Smith said crews are working with those from the City of Coquitlam to provide technical expertise as debris from the mudslide is removed, as another rainstorm is expected on Tuesday.

He said with rocks, mud and wood debris still needing to be removed, they want to ensure water infrastructure, such as pipes from the plant, aren’t accidentally damaged.

“We have a number of water transmission pipes under Pipeline Road that provide drinking water to the region,” Arnold-Smith said. “Public safety is paramount and ensuring that our water infrastructure here is not damaged as debris removal continues is our top priority.”

He said the pipes provide about one-quarter of region’s drinking water.

The work comes the same day the River Forecast Centre announced it had ended its high streamflow advisories for several regions, including Metro Vancouver, the North Shore Mountains, the Fraser Valley and the Sunshine Coast.

That lifting followed about a week of heavy rain as an atmospheric river settled over the region.

Advisories have also been dropped for the Coldwater, Similkameen and Skagit rivers.

With the lifting of the advisories, so too comes the ending of evacuation alerts for some communities including near the Chilliwack River. The alert for dozens of properties ended on Saturday, though a local state of emergency remains.

“The weather is clear a little bit, but there’s still a bit of a risk,” said Patricia Ross, regional district chair of the Fraser Valley. “We are asking people to stay away from the waterways. There’s a lot of debris coming down the river.”

According to B.C.’s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, rivers continue to recede from elevated rainfall and snowmelt over the past week.

The ministry said in a notice that ended the advisory for the South Coast that flows in some larger and lake-fed river systems remain elevated, but are expected to ease through the start of the week.

It still urges caution though: “While current high flow hazards have subsided, some precipitation mid-week may cause minor, temporary increases in flows within smaller, responsive streams.”

Ross said crews in the Fraser Valley were out reinforcing vulnerable spots along the river in an effort to help prevent some damage.

“I hardly slept last night because I was worried about what would happen, but so far, the significant works that we’ve put in place along the Chilliwack River Valley, and the Electoral Area E, they count,” she said.

While the advisory has been lifted, the aftermath remains.

In Cultus Lake, a landslide south of the Sunnyside Campground cut off part of the main route, reducing it to a single lane on Saturday. Crews are working to make repairs, but said it is expected to take several days.

Roads near Hope, B.C., were also impacted, with multiple potholes forming along Highway 1 east of Chilliwack, between Bridal Falls and Hope.

Officials caution residents that despite the lifting of the advisory, water in some rivers, like the Chilliwack River, is still moving quickly.

—with files from Global News’ Taya Fast and Pat Bell

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