In the news today, Nov. 30

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REENA VIRK’S KILLER SEEKS DAY PAROLE

A British Columbia woman who killed 14-year-old Reena Virk near a Victoria-area bridge two decades ago will seek day parole when she appears before a parole board today. Kelly Ellard, who was 15 at the time of the death and is now 35, is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder. If successful, she would move to a halfway house, where she would be monitored and be subject to certain conditions.

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SENTENCING HEARING TO START IN MONCTON MOUNTIE CASE

A sentencing hearing begins today for the RCMP, which was convicted under the Labour Code of failing to properly equip and train its members in a shooting rampage in Moncton, N.B., in which three officers were gunned down. A New Brunswick court ruled that the officers were caught outgunned and ill-prepared to confront gunman Justin Bourque.

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UNIFORMED POLICE BARRED FROM VANCOUVER PRIDE PARADE

There won’t be any police in uniform, police vehicles or weapons in Vancouver’s Pride parade next August. Andrea Arnot of the Vancouver Pride Society says the group made the decision in September after more than a year of consultations. She says members of the LGBTQ community said they were uncomfortable seeing uniformed officers or police vehicles at the event because of historic police oppression.

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BANKS LOOK AT OPEN BANKING IN THE FACE OF DATA BREACHES

Banks are increasing looking at so-called “open banking” in which third-parties like financial technology startups would have access to bank data to develop innovative apps. But even as Canadian financial institutions toy with the idea, they’re concerned about the looming risk to consumers’ personal information amid the threat of cyberattacks.

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UNIVERSITY SEEKS OUTSIDE HELP IN HARASSMENT PROBE

Newfoundland’s Memorial University is calling in an outside investigator to look into allegations of sexual harassment at its medical school. The university near St. John’s won’t elaborate on the nature of the allegations, but said the university’s president had agreed to bring in an outside investigator. The dean of the medical school sent a letter last week outlining concerns that had come to her attention.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Both the TD Bank Group and CIBC will release their fourth-quarter and year-end results.

— StatCanada will release payroll data for September and Canada’s balance of international payments for the third quarter.

— Families of the victims of killed in gun-related violence will call on the government to introduce tougher gun control laws.

— The Canadian Transportation Agency will issue its determination from an inquiry into Air Transat tarmac delays.

— The Ontario Human Rights Commission will announce a major inquiry into policing.

— Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer speaks to the Canadian Club of Toronto.

— Court appearance in Alberta for a man and two women charged with kidnapping after police found them naked in a car that had crashed.

— Leadership candidates for the Saskatchewan Party take part in a debate in Weyburn.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, Nov. 30

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