In the news today, Dec. 28

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VIGIL PLANNED FOR B.C. SISTERS FOUND DEAD IN HOME

Two young sisters found dead in a Victoria-area home on Christmas Day are being remembered as beautiful and energetic children. A family member and a friend have identified the girls as Aubrey Berry, 4, and her sister Chloe Berry, 6. Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen says a candle light vigil will be held Saturday at nearby Willows Beach, B.C.

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FUND GROWS FOR MOSQUE SHOOTING SURVIVOR

A fundraiser to find a new home for a man who lost use of his legs in a shooting at a Quebec City mosque in January has reached almost half its goal. Aymen Derbali, a father of three, was one of the more than 50 people inside the mosque when a shooter opened fire last Jan. 29, killing six. He was shot seven times and left paralyzed from the waist down. The goal is to raise $400,000 before the first anniversary of the shooting.

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DEBT REDUCTION REMAINS HIGH PRIORITY: CIBC

Canadians are keen to lighten their debt loads in 2018, according to an annual survey conducted for CIBC. The bank says debt reduction or elimination was the top priority for 25 per cent of the poll respondents. Paying bills or just getting by were the top goals for about 15 per cent. By comparison, 13 per cent said their top priority was growing wealth or investments.

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TOP COURT PLANNING TO HEAR STEPHAN APPEAL IN MAY

The Supreme Court of Canada has set a tentative hearing date for the parents of an Alberta toddler convicted of failing to seek medical care for their son who died of bacterial meningitis. David Stephan and his wife, Collet, were found guilty last year of failing to provide the necessaries of life in their son Ezekiel’s 2012 death. The Alberta Court of Appeal upheld the conviction but because the ruling wasn’t unanimous, the couple had an automatic right to have the Supreme Court hear the case. The high court has set a tentative date of May 15, 2018, for both parents.

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B.C. COURT RULES AGAINST FISH FARM PROTESTERS

First Nations activists who lost a legal battle to continue protesting at a fish farm off British Columbia’s coast say the decision hasn’t dissuaded them from bringing an end to aquaculture on their territory. A B.C. Supreme Court judge has granted an injunction to Marine Harvest Canada’s Midsummer Island farm, which is in the Broughton Archipelago, about 50 kilometres east of Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. The court’s decision was released online Wednesday.

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CANADA 2-0 AT WORLD JUNIORS

Canada has a day off at the world junior hockey championship after blasting Slovalia 6-0 on Wednesday. The 2-0 Canadians will next play the U.S. on Friday in Buffalo. The game is scheduled to be played outdoors at New Era Field, but because of the cold and a forecast of heavy snow, the teams won’t know until this afternoon whether they’ll have to brave the elements or play indoors.

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The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, Dec. 28

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