Saskatchewan wildfires are fierce and firefighters need all the help they can get. But the president Saskatchewan’s volunteer fire fighter association says they are having a hard time recruiting.

“I’ve lost a handful of very experienced people that served anywhere from 25 to 55 years on their local department. And trying to bring up the younger generation now into this service is becoming more difficult,” Aaron Buckingham says.

Buckinghgam says people are hestitant to join for a few reasons, but the greatest obstacle is balancing the demands of volunteering with work and family life, especially with higher costs of living.

“They can’t be leaving work to be able to come and volunteer, they can’t afford it. They’re worried about putting food on their family’s plates at home,” he says.

Dalas King, chief of the Outlook-Rudy Volunteer Fire Department, reports similar challenges, saying he’s happy to see one new volunteer a year. “We are volunteers, so we can’t expect everybody to drop at any time to go to stuff. They have families and families come first. It’s just, it it’s not a gig that all the young kids are looking for anymore.”

The tax credit for volunteer firefighters in Saskatchewan doubled this year to $6,000. Buckingham, however, says that savings is more of a bonus to current firefighters than an incentive to encourage others to sign up.

Most people who do join are younger and have previous connections to their local fire department. But Buckingham says being out in the community also seems to attract people who want to help.

“We’re out and about in the community more than we have been in the past and people are paying attention to that. It’s actually helped me bring people in, for sure. And we’re not doing it to try to recruit people.”

King says those who do volunteer want to help their communities. “They know what’s coming towards them, so those are the ones that we usually see,” he says.

But it’s the relationships within the department that keep volunteers around. “You have to be able to trust the person on the hose with you with your life. So it becomes a real family,” Buckingham says.

Luke Lockhart, the deputy fire chief at the Outlook-Rudy department, calls those connections a “brotherhood” that forms among volunteers. “(That wasn’t) the big reason why I started but it’s the biggest reason why I’ve stayed around. It’s like a family everybody cares for each other.”

Azelyn Beckett-Swanepeol, a volunteer firefighter in Outlook-Rudy, echoes Lockhart’s statement. “I don’t know what I’m gonna see, but it’s just the matter of, we all have each other’s back. Like, there’s the support.”

Watch the video above for more on recruitment and retention.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

People accessing help from an organization in downtown Winnipeg are being driven away with anti-loitering tactics installed by their landlord.

Eric Friesen, executive director at Oshki-Giizhig, said MRH Properties Ltd. started using high-pitched noise emitters this week and deployed security guards to patrol outside the building.

Oshki-Giizhig is a resource supporting the vulnerable community and those with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The organization is walking distance from nearby unhoused shelters, but there’s less foot traffic in the business because of the new measures.

The noise emitters are outside the building, but the noise can be heard inside the building.

“It’s dehumanizing,” said Friesen. “We have some folks who deal with sensory issues, and these sound emitters have had brutal effects on some of the folks that we support.”

He said they’ve seen some of the people they help spot security, turn around, and leave.

“They’re somewhat confused because they wonder, well, is this Oshki-Giizhig who doesn’t want me here? And that’s not the case at all,” said Friesen, noting many of the people they support have had negative experiences with those in authority.

Oshki-Giizhig has been leasing in the building for seven years, and during that time they say they’ve seen more gates and fences addressing safety.

“Our contribution to this neighbourhood has probably created more safety than any of these walls, or security officers might provide,” said Friesen.

Friesen says MRH Properties threatened to evict them if their people sit in front of the steps of the entrance.

In a letter reviewed by Global News, the landlord’s lawyers wrote that the noise-emitting device was installed because of ongoing loitering and congregating outside the building by people attending the premises, as well as litter-related complaints from tenants and occupants of the building.

The organization hopes the property owner will show more dignity and respect for the people in need.

“They’re people just like you, they don’t deserve to be treated the way they’re being treated in their safe spot. They’re already going through enough as it is. You’re just making that even harder for them now,” said Kelly McPherson, case manager at Oshki-Giizhig.

MRH Properties Ltd. refused to comment.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

An Ontario Liberal leadership candidate who has been generating support in Conservative circles for his policy positions is pushing back against critics who are suggesting he’s attracting the wrong kind of attention to the party.

Eric Lombardi, a former housing advocate who launched his leadership bid last week, has been receiving support from a range of political voices, including many who say they’ve never voted Liberal in past elections but are willing to back Lombardi as the next Liberal leader.

Their backing, it appears, is entirely connected to what Lombardi describes as “extraordinarily unique” policy positions that he believes will propel the Ontario Liberal Party back into the governing benches at Queen’s Park.

“We will not win the next election if we can’t appeal to Ontarians across the political spectrum,” Lombardi told Global News in a recent interview.

“My focus is going to be offering ideas that appeal not just to Conservatives, but to also New Democrats, Liberals, and everyone in between.”

To prove his policy chops, Lombardi said he plans to release a fully-costed platform before the leadership race officially kicks off on July 9 – a document that will lay out his vision for economic growth, investing in public services and infrastructure while reducing “cost disease” and offering housing and employment opportunities for younger Ontarians.

“I personally think that I’ll be bringing more substance than anyone else in this race. Why? Because I’ve taken the time to understand issues and I’ve built my reputation on pragmatic but effective advocacy,” Lombardi said.

While Lombardi insists his policy proposals will traverse the political spectrum, some of his ideas and language appear to be designed to grow the Liberal tent by appealing to right-of-center voters.

Take, for example, his approach to health care.

Lombardi said the province currently has “major access problems,” that diagnostic services are “gate-kept” by the system, and that he would like to make Ontario’s health care system “competitive.”

“There’s a lot of solutions that we need to be exploring, and even models that we’re seeing in other provinces that create flexibility on the provider side, while ensuring that everyone who needs access won’t have to pay for that access,” Lombardi said.

When asked whether competition in the public healthcare system means introducing more private delivery, Lombardi quickly pushed back.

“Why should a public system be uncompetitive? I don’t think that we need to accept that this is an all or nothing or one versus the other approach,” he said.

“I think that we can make our healthcare system, our public healthcare system, work for everyone. And the way that we actually incentivize the system itself can itself become more competitive and more open to innovation than the way we’re currently doing.”

Pressed further on whether, as premier, he would pursue more publicly-funded, privately delivered health care, Lombardi said he would “look at all options” for improving access and creating capacity.

“The vast majority of our doctors are already private entities. The vast majority of our ultrasound and x-ray clinics are run privately and they’re paid for by the public. And I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with that model and in many ways it’s working.”

On the economic side, Lombardi said he would also introduce income splitting for families with children under the age of six – a policy similar to one introduced by former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and eventually cancelled by Liberal successor Justin Trudeau.

Even Lombardi’s views of the party’s values bear the hallmarks of right-of-center politics.

“I wanna bring it back to liberal values, the belief in individuals, the belief in merit and a competitive economy that creates wealth,” Lombardi told Global News.

Lombardi’s positions and growing support among some Conservatives has raised eyebrows.

“It’s really not a good look that many conservatives, and even far right influencers, on this platform are fawning over one particular candidate in the Ontario Liberal race,” party strategist Andrew Perez said on social media.

“New members to our party must endorse basic liberal/Liberal values. Unfortunately, many of these supposed new members don’t meet this basic test — and I find this deeply concerning.”

Lombardi fired back saying the party has “wandered too far away” from core values but acknowledged the growing discomfort within the party he’s seeking to lead.

“There are some long-time Liberals upset that I’m running for leader, in part, because I am trying to pull my party back towards liberalism,” Lombardi said on social media.

“Please have the maturity to understand that I don’t control which people say what online,” Lombardi added in another post that also called on supporters to “hold themselves to a high standard in public.”

During his interview with Global News, Lombardi stressed he would also implement policies more familiar to the Liberal fray.

Post-secondary students would receive free tuition “with a catch,” while families would receive provincial assistance to purchase their first home.

Ultimately, Lombardi said, his campaign is looking to throw own the Liberal tent to any looking for common sense ideas, that could realistically be implemented.

“I’m going to be offering to the people of Ontario is not ideological solutions, but practical solutions,” Lombardi said.

“I think people will see that as part of my campaign.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Federal prosecutors have appealed the high profile acquittal of a former RCMP officer accused of helping China conduct foreign interference in Canada.

A notice of appeal filed late last week asked the B.C. Court of Appeal to overturn the May 13 not guilty verdict and order a new trial for William Majcher.

The Public Prosecution Service of Canada argued the judge erred when she dismissed the charge that Majcher was effectively a Chinese government agent.

The Crown’s application, obtained by Global News, argues the judge failed to consider all the evidence, assessed it incorrectly and excluded expert evidence.

Ian Donaldson, Majcher’s criminal defence lawyer, confirmed the appeal was filed on Thursday. The prosecution service did not respond to questions sent by email.

Majcher said in a statement to Global News on Sunday the decision to appeal the case “appears disconnected from both the evidence and the findings of the trial court.”

“The verdict confirmed what I have maintained from the beginning: I committed no offence – full stop! The prosecution’s theory against me was rejected by the Supreme Court of British Columbia after a full examination of the facts,” he said.

The civil lawyer representing Majcher said the public was entitled to ask why the case was continuing given judge found evidence was lacking.

“From our perspective, the appeal appears to lack substantive merit and risks becoming an exercise in institutional self-preservation rather than the pursuit of justice,” Joel Etienne said.

“The damage inflicted on Mr. Majcher, his family, and his businesses cannot simply be ignored while the process continues.”

In an exclusive interview with Global News to be published on Tuesday, Majcher responds in detail for the first time to the Canadian investigation that targeted him.

Majcher is one of the few Canada has prosecuted on Chinese interference allegations, despite Beijing’s suspected meddling in everything from elections to the arts.

But the case became the latest to end without a conviction, following the acquittals of a Canadian Space Agency employee and a federal contractor who faced similar charges.

After leaving the RCMP in 2007, Majcher moved to Hong Kong to work in banking and private security. He was arrested upon landing at Vancouver airport in 2023.

The RCMP said in a news release at the time that its Integrated National Security Enforcement Team had launched an investigation into Majcher in 2021.

The statement accused him of using his knowledge and contacts in Canada “to obtain intelligence or services to benefit the People’s Republic of China.”

He also “contributed to the Chinese government’s efforts to identify and intimidate an individual outside the scope of Canadian law,” the RCMP claimed.

The arrest came amid a series of Global News and Globe and Mail reports about government inaction on Beijing’s meddling in Canada’s political and domestic affairs.

But when Majcher’s trial got underway in April, the case had been narrowed to a single count under the Security of Information Act, based on one email exchange.

The Crown alleged the messages were about Kevin Sun, a Vancouver resident China had accused of fleeing the country with tens of millions of dollars.

Although prosecutors accused Majcher of a 2017 plot to pressure Sun to return to China to resolve the matter, the judge said the Crown had not proven its case.

Majcher’s business, which focused on economic crime and asset recovery services, appeared to be pursuing “entirely lawful objectives,” the judge said.

The ruling found the Crown’s evidence was “entirely circumstantial” and it was “simply too far a leap” to conclude that Majcher committed any crimes.

The Canadian Security intelligence Service wrote in its May 1 annual report that China remains one of the “main perpetrators of foreign interference and espionage against Canada.”

But Prime Minister Mark Carney has deepened Canada’s ties with Beijing since taking office, as he seeks new trade partners to offset an erratic and hostile U.S. White House.

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Curator independently decides what topics and products we feature. When you purchase an item through our links, we may earn a commission. Promotions and products are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Shopping for an outdoorsy dad is a special kind of impossible. Ask him what he wants and he’ll say “Nothing, I’m good!” which is a lie, because the man has been using the same fraying camp chair since 2009. The trick isn’t buying him more stuff. It’s upgrading the things he already loves doing outside, courtesy of brands like Birdfy, LG and even Dyson. Here’s my Father’s Day list for the dad who’d rather be in the yard, on the water, or at the BBQ than just about anywhere else.

 

For the dad whose knees file a complaint every spring

Gardening is wonderful right up until the moment you have to stand back up. This garden kneeler and seat is a two-in-one: kneel on the padded side to save your knees, then flip it over and it’s a sturdy stool for when you’d rather sit. It comes with a clip-on umbrella for shade, little tool pouches on the sides, and handles that help you push yourself back up off the ground. It holds up to 330 lbs and folds flat for the shed. If the dad in your life gardens but groans every time he gets down to the soil, this is the gift for him. [/product_listing]

 

For the dad (or grandad) who’s quietly obsessed with birds

Somewhere along the way, many dads develop strong opinions about birds. This bird feeder with a built-in camera leans all the way in: it snaps close-up photos and video of every winged visitor, uses an app to identify the species, and pings his phone when someone lands. It’s birdwatching with a side of tech, and it’s definitely the thing the grandkids will fight over. A lovely gift for the dad who already keeps the feeder stocked and narrates the action through the kitchen window. [/product_listing]

 

For the dad who refuses to let the game end at sunset

A regular flying disc is just a promo item you’d get from your dentist, but a flying disc that lights up is the gift that keeps on giving. This 175-gram disc is regulation weight, so it actually flies straight and it’s built with 108 bright LEDs that flick on the second you throw it and shut off to save battery. A 30-minute charge gets you about a thousand throws(!!!). It’s waterproof, it floats, and the glow-in-the-dark rim makes it easy to spot after dark. Dads will love playing this with their friends and kids in the backyard, on the beach, and at the campsite.[/product_listing]

 

For the dad who still thinks he’s 25

Spikeball is the round-net game you’ve probably seen at the beach or a friend’s yard. It’s become a craze because it’s genuinely fun, mildly competitive, and gets everyone off their phones. It packs up into a small bag for the lakehouse, beach or the campsite, but it does come with a small warning: he might take it too seriously. [/product_listing]

 

For the dad who really loves his home theater and wants one outside

Screens plus cool technology plus the outdoors? Big win for the dads out there. The LG CineBeam Q is a palm-sized 4K laser projector that throws a picture up to 120 inches onto the side of the garage, a hung sheet, or the fence. It focuses and squares itself up automatically the second you set it down and the rotating handle doubles as a stand, so he can aim it anywhere, even straight up at the ceiling. The best part for outdoors: it runs off a USB-C power bank, so there’s no cord wrangling across the lawn. [/product_listing]

 

For the dad who wants movies and entertainment to come to him

This one’s a splurge, but hear me out. The LG StanbyME 2 is a 27-inch wireless touchscreen TV that rolls around on a stand, rotates horizontally or vertically and the screen lifts right off to carry like a tablet. With up to four hours of battery, that means the game follows him out to the patio, a movie plays on the deck, and the recipe sits close to the kitchen counter or outdoor prep area, all without a single cord. It can even turn into a digital gameboard. Like a lot of tech these days, t’s portable, not weatherproof, so think deck-and-patio, not leave-it-in-the-rain. But for the dad who likes his entertainment wherever he happens to be, this is a favourite.. [/product_listing]

 

You may also like:

Garden Tool Set – $26.90

Titleist 2025 Pro V1x Golf Balls – $74.99

3-in-1 Charging Station – $39.99

Fellow Carter Move Travel Mug – $43

SAXX Underwear Co. Men’s Underwear – $46.95

 

For the dad who’s always the most prepared guy in the group

Everyone knows that one dad who shows up to the campsite with a headlamp and the latest and greatest in gear that makes everyone else reconsider their choices. Well, this inflatable solar lantern is right up his alley: it charges in the sun (or by USB), collapses flat to pack, and inflates into a soft, waterproof lantern that emits a surprising amount of light. It’s perfect for camping, the cottage, power outages, or just giving a softer glow on the patio for a nice night in. [/product_listing]

 

For the dad who keeps his phone too close to the water

If he fishes, paddles, boats, or just hovers near the lake or ocean, this gift will quell that low-lying anxiety of losing the his phone in the water. A waterproof phone pouch will solve that issue. The touchscreen works right through, so he can still take the photo without risking the phone. I have the floating case and have taken it paddleboarding in Mexico, it worked like a charm; zero phone-loss angst and great photos to remember. It now comes on all trips with me. It’s insurance for an expensive device, and the kind of gift he’d never buy himself.[/product_listing]

 

Keep Dad’s essentials safe and dry with this IP68-rated waterproof dry bag. Designed for everything from kayaking and boating to camping and beach days, it features a secure roll-top closure that protects against water, sand, dust and dirt. A built-in waterproof phone compartment with touchscreen access lets you stay connected without exposing your device to the elements.[/product_listing]

 

For the dad who bikes everywhere

For the cycling dad, a waterproof bike frame bag is the small upgrade that makes every ride just a little easier. It straps onto the frame and holds his phone, keys, and a snack. It’s got a clear top window so he can follow his navigation without holding the phone or constantly reaching for a pocket. It’s waterproof, compact and super useful whether he’s commuting downtown or out on a weekend trail ride. [/product_listing]

 

For the dad who runs hot at every game

This is the brand-new gadget on the list and I had to make it an option for Father’s Day. Dyson’s first handheld fan has just landed in Canada. A definitely upgrade from the dollar store handheld fan he might use in desperate times, the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool is bladeless, about the size of a bottle of sunscreen, and runs up to six hours on a charge. Hold it, stand it on a table, or wear it around your neck hands-free. This is perfect for the dad who spends 5 hours on a golf course, cheers the kids on at a ball game, or gets overheated at the thought of being outside for 5 minutes. [/product_listing]

 

You may also like:

Super Dad Socks – $14

“My Favourite Child Gave Me This Mug” Mug – $14.99

Father’s Day Wrapping Paper – $18.96

Magnetic Wristband Tool Holder – $19.95

The Grillfather BBQ Apron – $19.99

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Watch the full broadcast of Global National with Dawna Friesen for Sunday, June 14, 2026.

View more Global National videos here

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

An Alberta separatist has doubled down in his battle against a southern town over a three-metres-tall and six-metres-wide billboard urging the province leave Canada.

Cory Morgan says the sign he paid for is still standing in Taber in defiance of a letter he says the town sent earlier this month to the private owner of the billboard demanding the message be removed by Saturday.

The electronic billboard, located on town land, shows the Alberta shield surrounded by the words: “Send Ottawa a Message! Choose Alberta.” Morgan says he paid roughly $1,100 for it to be up until the end of this month.

Morgan says he won’t let Taber push him around and he has paid for two more smaller signs in the town since receiving the letter, with the third one going up Sunday.

“I have got nothing against Taber itself,” Morgan said in a phone interview Sunday.

“There’s fantastic people (there). It’s a neat area... It’s just their town administration I got a bit of a beef with right now.”

He said his fight against the town of 10,000 people is about the principle that a third-party political advertiser shouldn’t have their voice shut down by government.

“That’s a troublesome precedent,” he said.

“(Taber) should stick to potholes, picking up garbage and catching dogs. It’s not their job to tell people what they’re allowed to see or not allowed see on a legal billboard.”

The Town of Taber, located 265 kilometres southeast of Calgary, did not immediately respond to a request for a comment Sunday but has previously said it has heard multiple concerns about the first billboard’s messaging.

It said in a June 3 social media post that its message doesn’t represent or speak for the town or broader community.

That same day, in a letter obtained by The Canadian Press, town chief administrative officer Derrin Thibault sent a letter to the billboard operator demanding the sign come down by this weekend.

“The Town has received multiple concerns regarding political content currently being displayed on the digital sign,” Thibault wrote.

“The continued display of the subject advertisement constitutes a nuisance and is inconsistent with the permitted use of the licensed area.”

Morgan said the signs are tied to the Oct. 19 referendum vote on whether Alberta should stay in Canada or start the process to hold a second, binding referendum on quitting the country.

He said he chose Taber simply because there was a billboard space available in the right price range.

Morgan said he didn’t expect the sign to garner so much negative and positive attention.

He said he has heard from many supporters of Alberta’s independence movement and has raised more money to erect more signs ahead of the referendum.

But he said he has also heard from federalists hurt by the movement and has had a difficult time finding places elsewhere in Alberta to erect the signs.

“I understand people are upset maybe on both sides,” he said.

But he hopes other towns don’t give him a hard time like Taber has.

“It’s only going to make things worse,” he said.

” So perhaps just stick to your municipal mandates, and we’ll carry on with this four months of campaigning.”

Alberta’s separation debate is expected to last through the summer. Smith has been criticized for holding the vote at all. But she says she was obligated to hold it because hundreds of thousands of Albertans have weighed in on the debate in petition campaigns and deserve to have their say.

Critics, including the opposition NDP, say Smith is playing a double game: enabling the referendum to appease separatist hardliners in her party while campaigning to stay in Canada in order to stay onside with centrist voters.

Polls suggest a large majority of Albertans reject separation.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Vancouver’s first FIFA World Cup match is a rousing success. Italian Day on Commercial Drive goes ahead after Vancouver officials step up to cover a funding gap. And as outside workers at Metro Vancouver prepare for an all-out strike, we’re learning how much some executives took home in compensation last year.

Watch ‘Global News at 6 BC’ for the latest news in British Columbia.

Click here for more Global BC videos

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A peace deal has been reached between the United States and Iran, according to U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s prime minister.

Trump made the announcement Sunday afternoon on his social media platform Truth Social.

“I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,” Trump wrote. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif added that the accord would include Lebanon.

“Both sides have the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Sharif said.

The signing of the new accord would take place on Friday in Switzerland.

Sunday’s announcement follows a day that saw Israel, which has been sidelined from the negotiations, attacking Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Sharif said in his post that mediators would facilitate a series of meetings this week.

“These pre-implementation discussions will lay the foundation for the technical talks and the official signing ceremony,” Sharif wrote, adding there will be an official signing ceremony Friday in Switzerland.

Prior to the announcement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said once a ceasefire is established, work must be done to continue it.

“The moral choice is to do everything we can to establish a ceasefire and build that into a durable ceasefire and ultimately peace in the region, including Lebanon,” he said Sunday morning. “Canada will do whatever we can to support that.”

Carney added that includes supporting the reduction of threats from Iran and its proxies against its regional neighbours, and its nuclear threat.

Iran has wanted a ceasefire deal to include an end to the fighting in Lebanon, where Israel has pushed its invasion deeper than at any point in the past quarter-century as it targets Hezbollah. Tehran has also said it’s seeking the release of billions of dollars in frozen funds.

Tehran’s missile program and support for armed proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah, were among the stated targets by the U.S. and Israel when they launched the war on Feb. 28. The conflict began with strikes that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei’s son became Iran’s new supreme leader, though he has not been seen in public since the war began. His approval was needed for Iran to sign off on the peace deal.

Trump has already faced criticism of the deal before it was announced, with some members of his own Republican Party among them. Some politicians have said the proposed deal did not improve on the terms of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal signed under former president Barack Obama, that Trump withdrew from in his first term.

The Iranian government also warned in the hours leading up to the announcement of the deal that any division at home over the deal weakens its negotiating position.

Sunday morning, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged national unity and called it a “disgrace” when someone stands before parliament and calls anyone who negotiates a traitor.

–with files from The Associated Press

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Under grey, rainy skies, a police motorcade brought the body of Toronto Const. Marc Pinizzotto, who was shot dead in the line of duty last week, to a funeral home in Thornhill on Sunday afternoon.

Pinizzotto was shot at an apartment building on Martha Eaton Way on Thursday while investigating multiple shootings, including one at the U.S. Consulate in March.

Police say 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett, who was shot multiple times in the exchange of gunfire, is charged with first-degree murder.

Police say Zara Jabbi, a 19-year-old suspect wanted in the consulate shooting, is still on the loose and should be considered armed and dangerous.

“To Const. Marc Pinizzotto, your duty is complete,” OPP Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said in a livestream of the procession, his voice choked with emotion as windshield wipers waved back and forth.

“Your watch has ended, and today we escort you home. Rest in peace, Marc. We have it from here.”

Pinizzotto acted with unwavering courage and conviction, Sanchuk said.

“Each day he wore the uniform, he did so with a deep sense of responsibility, placing the needs of the citizens above his own and without hesitation.”

He added the OPP understands Toronto officers’ grief “all too well.”

Sanchuk said the Toronto force was among the first to show its support, sending condolences and lining the streets to salute, when two members of the OPP were recently killed in the line of duty, their bodies brought to the same coroner’s office.

OPP Sgt. Brandon Malcolm, who served on the precision motorcycle team, died in a single-vehicle crash on April 27. He was 33.

OPP Const. Tarun Bali, 29, was struck by the driver of a vehicle on Tuesday in the northern town of Hearst, about 520 kilometres east of Thunder Bay, as fellow investigators searched for a man who had escaped from a hospital.

Justin Veronneau, an 18-year-old man from Hearst, now faces charges including first-degree murder, assaulting police and dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Tributes from Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Mayor Olivia Chow and others have poured in for the 43-year-old fallen officer.

© 2026 The Canadian Press