In the news today, Sept. 26

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HOMELESS CANCER PATIENT SAYS HE WAS DENIED TREATMENT

The plight of a homeless B.C. man who says he was told he couldn’t get cancer treatment while living in temporary housing highlights the difficulties homeless people face while recovering from illness, health and housing advocates say. Terry Willis says his doctor told him he can’t fight non-Hodgkin lymphoma while living in the Johnson Street Community building for homeless people because it’s not a suitable recovery environment. But Island Health and the B.C. Cancer Agency both took the position that the building is suitable for chemo patients. It’s unclear whether this means Willis will be able to receive chemo, but advocates said that regardless, Willis’s health situation reveals gaps in services available to vulnerable people who require places to live that will allow them to recover from serious health issues.

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BRUCE McARTHUR CASE RETURNS TO COURT

The case of accused serial killer Bruce McArthur is back in court today. The 66-year-old self-employed landscaper has been charged with eight counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of men with ties to Toronto’s gay village. Their dismembered remains were found in planters and a ravine in and around a local home where he worked. McArthur is expected to appear in the courtroom by video.

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AIR CANADA PILOT ERROR REASON FOR NEAR DISASTER: U.S. OFFICIALS

United States federal safety officials say pilot error was the reason an Air Canada jetliner came within three to six metres of crashing into a plane on the ground last year in San Francisco. The Air Canada pilots were apparently confused because one of two parallel runways was closed and dark before the late-night incident. The crew was seconds from landing their Airbus A320 jet on a taxiway where other planes loaded with passengers were waiting to take off. The board said the Air Canada crew mistook the taxiway for a runway because they didn’t adequately review a warning to all pilots about one of the runways being closed for construction. The board cited other mistakes and crew fatigue as contributing factors.

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MAN CHARGED WITH THREATENING TRUDEAU ON PROBATION

An Edmonton man charged with threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian government has agreed to a peace bond and placed on probation. Robert Dale Kerr, 41, was arrested on Feb. 15 and charged with uttering threats. The charge was dropped Tuesday in Edmonton provincial court. RCMP had said the threats were made on social media and the posts were traced to an Edmonton address.

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The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, Sept. 26

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