In early January, a bold telephone wire heist left about 135 people without phone services for about two weeks in Clarendon, a rural area of southern New Brunswick, between Fredericton and St. John.

Clarendon does not have reliable cell service and with no telephones, residents couldn’t call 911, said Sgt. Ben Comely with the local RCMP.

Police later found the wire split up in buckets at a nearby home, its black rubber coating melted away to reveal what the thieves were after: copper.

The officers seized 90 kilograms of copper wire and charged three people with theft of property over $5,000.

The case is just one example in a surge of telephone wire thefts across the country that have left people without phone or internet. Many are pointing fingers at scrap yard owners, including those who say they refuse to buy copper from thieves.

“The (social media) comments, they blame all the scrap yards,” said Daniel Rinzler, owner of D.R. Scrap Metals in Moncton, N.B. “We have to ask for ID … and that’s deterring a lot of people from stealing it and selling it to me. But there’s still other black markets they could sell copper to.”

As copper prices hit record highs, Bell logged 1,275 incidents related to thefts of the metal from its network in 2025, said Éliane Légaré, a spokesperson for the company. That’s an increase of roughly 40 per cent over the year before.

Bell also recently touted a decision by a Quebec Court judge who awarded the company $24,000 in damages after it sued a man convicted of stealing copper in Chicoutimi, Que., in a crime that caused 94 customers to lose internet service for more than a day.

Rogers said the total number of outage hours related to vandalism in its networks, which includes attempted copper thefts, has increased by 400 per cent since 2022.

The rise in thefts prompted Connie Cody, the Conservative member for Cambridge, Ont., to push for a crackdown on scrap yards that buy stolen copper wire.

Last month, she introduced a private member’s bill in the House of Commons that would make it a crime for scrap metal dealers to trade, traffic or have for sale any scrap metal that was known to be stolen, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and a jail sentence of up to two years.

Rinzler said salvage dealers know people are angry. But they are doing their best not to encourage crime while operating amid a patchwork of provincial laws, which may encourage thieves to steal in one province and sell in another, he said in an interview.

Although New Brunswick requires dealers to ask anyone trying to sell copper for identification, no such rules exist in neighbouring Nova Scotia or Quebec.

“They can drive 25 minutes, go across the border and they can sell copper there,” Rinzler said. “There’s guys coming through here that go to Quebec.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

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.

Spring is the perfect time to refresh your home with small, intentional updates that make your space feel lighter, brighter, and more inviting after winter. You don’t need a full redesign—simple swaps like floral glassware, neutral textures, and a few seasonal accents can completely shift the mood of a room. For easy inspiration and accessible pieces, brands like Simons, Pottery Barn, and Quince offer a range of spring-ready décor. From textured cushions and airy bedding to simple tabletop accents and natural materials, grab these seasonal selects while you can.

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

The Calgary Police Service (CPS) is preparing for a “significant” request for resources from city council in the upcoming four-year budget, according to the city’s police chief.

Chief Katie McLellan made the remarks when answering questions Wednesday after presenting the service’s year-end report to the city’s Community Development Committee.

McLellan said the service and Calgary Police Commission continue to work on what exactly the budget request will include.

“We haven’t got that number finalized quite yet,” McLellan said. “We’re close with what that number is.  I don’t want to share it pre-maturely without putting additional context into it, but it’s going to be significant.”

It comes as McLellan said CPS is facing significant staffing gaps with funding available for 830 positions, however, just 653 are currently filled.

In her comments to committee, McLellan said that figure includes a shortage of six detectives in the homicide unit, another six detectives in the sexual assault investigation unit and ten officers on the domestic violence team.

“There are numbers we need in each area because we’ve looked at the call load, we’ve looked at what’s required, so it’s not a number that was just dreamt up,” she told reporters.

According to the police chief, the vacancies are due to attrition, turnover, and nearly 20 per cent of officers that remain on leave or in administrative duties; 13 per cent of officers are in accommodated roles and six per cent are on leave.

McLellan said hopes to hire an additional 660 officers over the next four years.

According to Doug King, a justice studies professor at Mount-Royal University, growth in the city’s population and footprint have also contributed to a strain on the police service.

“The Calgary Police Service was required to take fewer officers for the last five years while the city of Calgary has exploded,” King said. “It’s going to put some stress on recruiting.  One of the challenges with hiring more officers is can you get enough applicants? But one problem at a time.”

The net budget for the Calgary Police Service is grew from $541 million to $613 million in 2026, and included funding to increase staffing to 3,209 uniformed members and 3,242 civilian members.

Calgary mayor Jeromy Farkas placed blame on the provincial government, after a significant clawback on photo radar enforcement last year.

“This is an issue the province could erase in a single instant,” Farkas said. “The fine revenue that they defunded our Calgary Police by, $28 million, that fine revenue would accommodate for at least 200 of the positions the chief is asking for without raising a single cent or a single dollar of taxes on Calgarians.”

Alberta’s Transportation Minister has long said the province has “no plans to expand photo radar beyond the current framework,” while continuing to support police led enforcement and “data driven safety solutions.”

According to the Calgary Police Commission, the province did approve the use of speed cameras in 11 locations across the city outside the mandated construction and school zones.

“We’ve put cameras back up,” said commission vice chair Kelly Ogle. “It’s a proactive approach and hopefully they’ll see our light.”

Aside from personnel, McLellan added there would also be a request for capital funding to modernize the service and catch up on maintenance deferrals and vehicle repairs.

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal, who chairs the Community Development Committee, said public safety was a big concern that councillors heard during the election campaign in October.

“Public safety, pedestrian safety, personal safety, and we will have an opportunity in November to put our money and send a strong message that the City of Calgary is a safe city and we as policy makers are serious about making sure that our residents feel safe,” he told reporters.

The next four-year budget will be released to the public in the fall.

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

Ryan Brown recorded a hat trick as the London Knights defeated the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4-1 to force a fifth game in the Western Conference quarterfinal series.

After back-to-back overtime victories by the Greyhounds gave them a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, London fought their way through the second game in as many days down two veteran players, as Braiden Clark and Linus Funck both missed Game 4 with upper-body injuries.

Quinn McKenzie of Sault Ste. Marie scored the first goal of the game at 6:55 of the opening period as he wrapped the puck around the London net and got it by Aleksei Medvedev.

Medvedev was making his first playoff start after making 36 appearances for the Knights in the regular season.

A big second period from London put them in front 2-1 as they killed off four Greyhound power plays and got goals from Jacob Vandeven and Ryan Brown.

Vandeven came out of the penalty box, took a pass from Will Nicholl and went in on a two-on-one with Nicholl, where Vandeven snapped in his first Ontario Hockey League goal at 6:51.

Brown scored on a Knights power play at the 13:41 mark as London got the puck to the Sault Ste. Marie net, then batted and whacked away until it popped to Brown at the right post. Brown put the puck in for his first goal of the post-season and a London lead going into the final 20 minutes.

Brown scored on a breakaway at 14:58 of the third period to make it 3-1 thanks to a high flip pass from Caleb Mitchell, then finished the scoring into an empty net with 3:03 to go in the game.

Medvedev made 25 saves for his first playoff win. Will Nicholl had two assists on the night.

Each team finished the game with 26 shots on goal.

The Knights were 1-for-4 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the penalty kill.

London Jr. Knights advance at 2026 OHL Cup

The London Jr. Knights ran into a hot goaltender in their first game at this year’s OHL Cup but quickly rebounded in their round robin and racked up the necessary wins to advance to the quarterfinals on April 2.

Don Mills squeaked out a 2-1 win over London on March 30 but then beat Thunder Bay 10-1, knocked off TPH Academy 6-4 and blasted Barrie 8-1.

The Jr. Knights are coached by former London Knights captain Danny Syvrey and feature top prospects for the 2026 OHL Priority Selection in Drew Bate and Ryan Beaulieu.

Beaulieu’s father, Josh, was also a part of the Team of the Century with Syvrey in 2004-05.

Next up

Game 5 will take place in London at Canada Life Place on Good Friday, April 3, at 7 p.m.

Coverage will start at 6:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca and on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.

 

© 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.

Forget the viral pick of the moment–finding your perfect foundation starts with understanding what your skin *actually* needs. The right base is meant to enhance your complexion courtesy of formulas that deliver more than coverage. Whether you’re experiencing dryness, acne-prone concerns or the subtleties of mature skin, there’s a formula designed for every skin type, tone and desired finish–it’s just a matter of searching. Ahead, standout foundations from Hourglass, Merit, Charlotte Tilbury and more ready to be claimed as your flawless match.

 

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

Ontario’s attorney general will neither condemn nor support Premier Doug Ford’s suggestion that a provincial judge should apologize for her instructions to the jury in the trial of Umar Zameer.

The high-profile case saw Zameer acquitted of first-degree murder in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, a plainclothes officer who was fatally run over in downtown Toronto in the summer of 2021.

During the case, the judge called into question the testimony of three central witnesses — all Toronto police detectives — in the Crown’s argument, suggesting they lied and colluded.

Then, last month, an Ontario Provincial Police investigation into the allegation cleared the Toronto officers. It was a conclusion Zameer’s lawyer vehemently contested.

After the investigation was published, both the Toronto police union president and Premier Ford said the judge should apologize for suggesting the officers had lied.

Ford, specifically, said the veteran judge “should apologize for accusing (the officers) of everything under the sun.”

The comments came before MPPs returned to the legislature. Now, roughly two weeks later, Attorney General Doug Downey, who serves in Ford’s cabinet and oversees the judicial system, refused to be drawn on the issue.

Asked if the premier should have weighed into the issue, Downey said he was “not commenting on that.”

The province’s top lawyer also declined to say if the judge should apologize or if he had received complaints from legal groups.

“It sounds like a line of questioning that I’m not commenting on,” Downey responded when asked if the premier’s comments had made his job harder.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the premier was putting his attorney general in a difficult position by weighing in on judicial decisions and process.

“It means the attorney general is stuck, once again, picking up the pieces for a premier who’s out of control,” she said. “And that’s what this government is always doing, right? Protect the king at all costs.”

The calls for the judge to apologize elicited a rare rebuke from Ontario’s chief justice, who said an independent judiciary is a “cornerstone of our constitutional democracy” in a statement.

“It would be inappropriate and unethical for judges to succumb to outside pressure to modify or qualify their decisions or reasons,” the chief justice wrote in a March 19 statement.

The Federation of Ontario Law Associations was among the legal organizations to issue a similar statement, pointing directly to Ford and the police union president’s calls for an apology.

“These statements are appalling and an inappropriate attack on judicial independence. These statements are an unconcealed attempt to subvert the justice system,” the group said.

Ontario Liberal interim leader John Fraser said the premier’s demand was wrong, and that the attorney general didn’t defend it because he may also be uncomfortable with the intervention.

“He’s the top lawmaker in Ontario; he knows it’s wrong. He knows it’s wrong,” he said. “His boss shouldn’t have said that… It was wrong. The attorney general knows that.”

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

TORONTO – The disappointment in RJ Barrett’s face was evident.

The Mississauga, Ont., native blankly stared at the statsheet, taking his time before getting his thoughts out. When he walked out of the press conference, he mumbled while shaking his head in disgust.

Barrett led the Toronto Raptors with 20 points in a 123-115 loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. The Kings entered the game tied for the NBA’s worst road record at 6-32, while also having the league’s fourth-worst record.

“We’ve been doing well. We have a solid record, but it’s nights like these where this is a game we’re supposed to win no matter what,” he said when asked about the process of a team that hasn’t been on a playoff run together. “Process or no process, we can’t lose this game. Just straight up what it is.”

Toronto, which entered the contest in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, fell to seventh — a play-in spot — due to a tiebreaker with Philadelphia.

The Raptors were coming off a road loss to the East-leading Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night and admittedly came out without the necessary energy. And it showed as Toronto was outrebounded 48-32, giving up 19 offensive rebounds.

“Definitely a tough loss for us,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “I think the game was really (about) rebounding. It came down to that they had dominated the glass … we just did not have enough discipline, enough effort to close on those possessions.

“Did a really good job on (DeMar) DeRozan in the first half. But … he can at any point catch fire. He was at two points in the first half, finished the game with 28 … but when you don’t approach the game from the start, with the level of intensity and attention to detail that you need to have, this is the outcome.”

DeRozan and Precious Achiuwa, both former Raptors, were the primary culprits on Sacramento’s end.

DeRozan scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the fourth quarter, including the dagger three-pointer with 1:05 left amid a 5-0 personal run that pushed the game out of reach.

Achiuwa had 28 points and 19 rebounds, which included an 11-point, 10-rebound showing in the second quarter alone. He entered play with averages of 9.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

“Can’t let him (do) things like that,” Barrett said of Achiuwa’s stat line. “They had a lot of offensive rebounds tonight. Our fight just wasn’t where it needed to be from the beginning of the game.

“Us being in some early foul trouble kind of made us be less aggressive, but we’ve got to understand that we can’t lose the aggressiveness at that point. We’ve got to stay there, just do it without fouling.”

With six games remaining in the regular season, the Raptors sit just two games ahead of eighth-place Charlotte and 1 1/2 games back of fifth-place Atlanta in a tight race for seeding in the East.

“This loss didn’t create urgency, there’s been urgency,” Barrett said. “And I think that’s part of why tonight is frustrating. It’s because we know what it is, we know how close this race is.

“Especially now after tonight, if we don’t come out and fight with everything that we’ve got for these next couple of games, we’ve got to play like our life depends on it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A Toronto man facing deportation for violating sanctions against Iran has filed a court case against the Canadian government for rejecting his attempt to sponsor his mother to immigrate.

Amin Yousefijam, an Iranian citizen who also goes by Ameen Cohen, filed his case in Federal Court after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada turned down his sponsorship application.

The case asks the court to set aside the decision, arguing it was unfair, but the filing fails to mention that the Canada Border Services Agency has been trying to deport Yousefijam as a security threat.

The Immigration and Refugee Board said a decision on his deportation was expected in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Yousefijam is now living in Richmond Hill, Ont., according to his court filings.

He did not respond to requests for comment. The CBSA referred questions about his case to IRCC, which declined to comment since the matter was before the Federal Court.

“While we cannot comment on a specific case, a permanent resident is generally not eligible to sponsor a parent if they themselves are inadmissible to Canada. Individuals may be found ineligible on criminality or security grounds,” a spokesperson said.

Born in Iran as Amin Riki, the former Tehran policeman changed his name to Amin Yousefijam before arriving in Canada in 2016, according to the border enforcement agency.

He was arrested in Toronto in January 2021 on U.S. charges that alleged he had taken part in a conspiracy to ship sensitive technology to Iran in violation of economic sanctions.

He was detained for 10 months before being extradited to Michigan, where he pleaded guilty. Deported back to Ontario, he legally changed his name to Cohen, a moniker he said he chose because it “resonated with me.”

His brother Arash was also convicted and similarly changed his name to Cohen and became a dentist under his adopted name. Ontario revoked his dental licence in 2024 after Global News revealed his past.

In February 2025, the CBSA sent Yousefijam to the Immigration and Refugee Board for a deportation hearing, arguing his involvement in Iranian sanctions evasion made him a national security threat.

His actions compromised the Canadian government’s policy on Iran’s authoritarian regime, which leads an “axis of resistance” made up of terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraqi militias and Yemeni Houthis, the CBSA argued.

At his hearing, Yousefijam argued he had only pleaded guilty to the dodging of U.S. sanctions because it was the fastest way to resolve the matter. “It was not an admission of guilt,” he insisted.

According to court documents filed this month and released to Global News, Yousefijam applied to sponsor his mother as an immigrant on Aug. 18, 2025, six months after his deportation hearing.

His application was denied because he did not pay the required fees. In his appeal, he claimed the transaction was not approved, which he called a “good-faith” mistake. He is representing himself in the case.

Ontario small claims court records obtained by Global News show that in December 2019, the Yousefijam brothers agreed to pay $14,000 to an Iranian woman who had sued them and their mother.

But they denied the Iranian refugee claimant’s allegations they had threatened to have her deported after she asked them to repay money.

“People sue each other left and right in small claims court, what’s new?” Arash Yousefijam responded in an email when asked about the case.

Yousefijam’s deportation case is one of several dozen launched against Iranians as the federal government is under pressure to prevent members and supporters of the regime from using Canada as a safe haven.

The CBSA has rejected claims that it had received tips concerning 700 high-level regime officials living in Canada. Rather, it said 280 tips had come in and that 174 investigations had been launched.

Most of the investigations were closed because the individuals in question were either not in Canada or were “determined not to be a senior official in the Iranian regime,” the CBSA said.

Border officials have identified 32 suspected senior members of the Iranian government living in Canada, according to the CBSA. Twenty-three of them have been, or will be, sent to the IRB for deportation hearings.

A hearing for one of them, Abbas Omidi, continued on Monday. The CBSA has alleged that before coming to Canada, he served as a deputy director general in Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade.

But Omidi downplayed his role in the government, arguing that he was simply a technocrat with no decision-making authority. “I was so many levels lower than minister,” he testified.

After arriving in Canada in March 2022, he worked as an Uber driver and continued to play a consulting role in Iran’s mining industry, although he was never paid, he testified, speaking through a Persian interpreter.

Omidi’s case resumes on April 10. So far, only a single regime member has been deported under a policy introduced in 2022 in response to Iran’s crackdown on women’s rights protesters.

The presence of former Iranian officials in Canada has become a more pressing issue since pro-regime forces killed thousands of demonstrators in January and the U.S. and Israel went to war against the Islamic Republic in February.

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca

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

A small town 200 km north of Edmonton is losing its only pharmacy. The drug store will be closing, leaving community members scrambling over what this could mean for their medication.

The Rexall Pharmacy is a staple in Swan Hills, Alta. The town has a population of around 1,400 people, and the pharmacy is the only place for community members to get their prescriptions and pick up some essential items. Now they’ll have to find somewhere new.

Employees of the drug store and residents have been told the pharmacy is closing on April 30. Rexall says prescriptions will be transferred to other locations around the region. Those drug stores are up to an hour away.

This is a tough pill to swallow for local families and community members.

“There are a lot of seniors living here with minimal transportation opportunities and a lot of young families that rely on the pharmacy for even just basic needs,” said Fraser Pollock.

The town and its residents say they’ve been left in the dark about why this is happening. Dean LaBerge is a town councillor and is worried about what this will do for attracting health-care workers in the region.

“Keeping them in our community can be a significant challenge, like it is for many smaller Alberta municipalities. If we were to lose our pharmacy, that would just compound what we’re already facing,” LaBerge said.

“I’m not even sure, to tell you the truth, at this point how we’d go about trying to attract a new pharmacist and a new pharmacy outlet, however that might look.”

Global News reached out to Rexall to ask why they are closing the pharmacy, but they did not provide a reason.

“For many years, it has been our privilege to be part of the Swan Hills community. We understand how concerning this news is, and we want to emphasize that this decision was not made lightly,” said Erica Hung, communications director at Rexall.

Watch the video above for more information. 

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

Oil rose more than 4% and Asian stocks fell after U.S. President Donald Trump said in his first national address since the Iran war began that the U.S. will continue to hit Iran very hard.

Trump also said in his Wednesday night speech that the United States will “finish the job” in Iran soon as “core strategic objectives are nearing completion” and military operations could wrap up soon.

“We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong,” Trump said in his address.

Trump did not mention a looming deadline he set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway for global oil and gas transport, after he threatened Iran earlier with U.S. attacks on its energy infrastructure if the strait was not reopened. He did not offer a clear path to end the supply disruptions that have sent energy prices soaring.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was down 1.9% to 52,731.94 in early Asia trading on Thursday. South Korea’s Kospi lost 3.6% to 5,281.22.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.9% to 25,056.42, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.5% to 3,928.30.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.6%, while Taiwan’s Taiex was trading 1.1% lower.

U.S. futures were down more than 0.9%.

Oil prices were sharply higher following Trump’s remarks. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 4.9% to $106.16 per barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 4% to $104.15 a barrel.

“The market has shown disappointment because the speech President Trump made was far less than what the market expected,” said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex in Tokyo. “There were no concrete details about the end of the hostilities with Iran.”

“What the market wants is a clear outline for the ceasefire,” he said.

Gold and silver prices fell. Gold’s price was down 2% to $4,718.70 per ounce, and silver lost 4.9% to $72.39 an ounce.

Renewed optimism on Wednesday for a possible end to the Iran war pushed world stocks higher, after Trump said late Tuesday the U.S. military could end its offensive in two to three weeks.

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 added 0.7% to 6,575.32. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% to 46,565.74, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to 21,840.95.

Shares of Eli Lilly jumped 3.8% after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its GLP-1 pill for weight loss. Nike plunged 15.5% despite better-than-estimated quarterly profit on expectations of weaker sales.

In other dealings early Thursday, the U.S. dollar rose to 159.37 Japanese yen from 158.82 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1545, down from $1.1589.

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Associated Press journalists Stan Choe, Matthew Daly and Mayuko Ono contributed to this report.

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