A former Durham Regional police recruit, arrested while he was attending the Ontario Police College (OPC), has pleaded guilty in a sexual assault and child porn case involving two teenaged girls.

William Knight, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and one count of making child pornography in a downtown courtroom Friday.

Th court heard that during his interactions with the two girls, Knight had implied and hinted that he was a “cop.”

Knight, who wore a navy suit and red tie, his hair now long down to his shoulders, appeared much different from the mug shot released by police at the time of his arrest.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Knight admitted that in March 2024, while attending the OPC in Aylmer, Ont., he met a 14-year-old girl and her 15-year-old friend on the 18+ social media platform OMEtv.

OMEtv is a free social networking that allows parties to have video conversations with random people online. The facts state Knight exchanged his phone numbers with the two girls.

On Mar. 30, 2024 and later that night, Knight admits he spoke to both girls who decided to go clubbing downtown. They wore “makeup and high heels” in an effort to gain entry into bars but did not have fake identification, the facts state.

The girls took the subway downtown to St. George station but due to a delay, they couldn’t travel any further. The 14-year-old texted Knight who agreed to pick them up from the station and he arrived in his black Nissan Kicks.

The facts state Knight’s recollection is that the 14-year-old told him that she was 18 and the 15-year-old claimed to be 17.

When Knight and the two girls arrived downtown, the girl were denied entry into some bars because they didn’t have identification. However, a nearby restaurant and bar called Scarlett allowed them to come in, the facts state.

Once at the bar, Knight asked the girls if he could buy alcoholic drinks for them. It was during this conversation that the facts state he implied and hinted that he was a “cop.”

While the girls were consuming alcohol, Knight admits he leaned over and engaged in mutual kissing on the mouth with both girls.

When Knight and the girls left the bar, the girls decided they wanted to call an Uber to head home. Knight said he would drive them home to Scarborough. During the drive, the 15-year-old vomited due to her level of intoxication. Knight dropped the girls off at the 15-year-old’s home where both girls spent the night.

The following morning, the 14-year-old tried to contact Knight without success. Knight returned the phone call and all three agreed to hang out. When Knight arrived to pick up the girls, the 15-year-old said her brother was sick and could not come. Knight picked up the 14-year-old in his Nissan and the two drove around until they found a Canadian Tire parking lot.

The facts state Knight and the 14-year-old agreed to have unprotected sex. Knight filmed parts of the sexual encounter on one of his electronic devices. Six videos were later found on one of his electronic devices.

While in the car with Knight, the 14-year-old received a call from her mother who asked about her to prove that she was still at her 15-year-old friend’s home. The 14-year-old asked Knight to drive her back to the 15-year-old’s home, which he did.

After some time, the 14-year-old again contacted Knight and asked him to pick her up. Knight picked the girl up from her friend’s home and drove her to the parking lot of a nearby commercial business where they again had sex.

The facts state he dropped the 14-year-old back off at her friend’s home. A short time later, she requested that Knight send her copies of the videos from their sexual encounters, which he did.

“It is acknowledged that although the girls made out to Mr. Knight that they were older than their actual ages, that he did not take all reasonable steps to confirm their ages before engaging in sexual relations,” the facts state.

A few days later, the 14-year-old reported her encounter to her principal who subsequently called police.

The names of the two teenage girls are protected under a publication ban.

Knight was arrested at the OPC on April 5, 2024 and was held for a bail hearing.

Knight was detained at the Central East Correctional Centre, where court heard he was denied access to shaving, a phone and the yard and the lights were left on for 24 hours for 55 days.

Since being released, he has been subject to GPS ankle monitoring and house arrest.

A text message conversation was found with a third teenage girl on Knight’s phone which was seized. That girl was born in 2008.

The facts state it is acknowledged that that teenager spoke to a male online but the Crown cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this individual is Knight. Court heard that this teenager is suffering from mental health issues and has declined to take part in the court proceedings.

Eight other counts that Knight was charged with are expected to be withdrawn.

The Crown and defence have jointly asked for a pre-sentence report to be completed before sentencing to give the judge some insight into Knight’s background.

Assistant Crown attorney Mihael Cole told Superior Court Justice Apple Newton-Smith that the two parties are roughly six months apart on what an appropriate sentence would be, though court did not hear what either is seeking.

Knight resigned from the Durham Regional Police Service after he was charged and before he was a sworn officer.

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

A big change to Alberta’s high school graduation requirements will soon see students be allowed to obtain their diploma with fewer math, science and humanities courses under their belts.

On Friday, Alberta Education said starting with students entering high school in 2028, only 47 credits in core classes will be required — down from the current 56.

The government’s changes mean students will only need to complete one senior/30-level course in either English or social studies, while senior-level math and science classes will still not be mandatory.

Grade 10 students will continue to complete required learning in English, social studies, math and science, the province said, and they will also take renewed mandatory career and life management (CALM) and physical education and wellness courses.

In grades 11 and 12, individual mandatory course requirements will be replaced with “broader areas of required learning.”

Students will need to complete:
• Ten credits in humanities, through English language arts, social studies or a combination of both
• Five credits in math or science
• Required credits in physical education, wellness and financial literacy

The updated graduation requirements will be phased in over three school years, beginning in 2028-29.

It’ll start with Grade 10 students in fall 2028, carry on to Grade 11 students in fall 2029 and all senior high school grades beginning in fall 2030.

“The changes will also put a stronger focus on the practical skills students need for life after high school, including financial literacy, wellness and career planning,” the province said in a news release Friday.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the new system will allow students to spend more time developing interests or learning hands-on skills for jobs after graduation by taking more optional classes.

While the government is reducing the need for core subjects, it is making physical education classes mandatory throughout high school instead of just Grade 10.

Nicolaides says the government also plans to mandate a new wellness and financial literacy course for all three years of high school.

“These changes will give students more choice to find their passions, prepare for further schooling or rewarding job opportunities,” Nicolaides told reporters in Calgary on Friday.

“More flexibility does not mean lower expectations. Students will continue to build strong basics in core classes and will have to write at least one diploma (exam) to graduate.”

That diploma exam must be in either English language arts, social studies, mathematics or a sciences course.

The province said this fall, it will engage “education partners” on new one-credit physical education 20 and 30, wellness 20 and 30, and financial literacy 20 and 30 courses, as well as new mathematics 10 and social studies 10, 20 and 30 curriculums.

More to come.

— With files from The Canadian Press

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

The Canadian government announced on Friday morning that it is investing $200 million in B.C.’s Woodfibre LNG.

“Just a week after the federal government introduced Budget 2026, which we have titled Masters of Our Destiny when it comes to ongoing work to become a global energy superpower, Budget 2026 is clear about what the goals actually mean in practice, making Canada the premier global destination for investment in energy and natural resources,” said Energy Minister Tim Hodgson Friday morning.

“And by doing so, launching a new investment super cycle here in Canada.”

The Woodfibre LNG facility, located southwest of Squamish, will receive natural gas, cool it into liquefied natural gas, where it will be loaded onto specialized LNG carriers and exported overseas.

It is designed to produce approximately 2.1 million tonnes of LNG each year

It was the first LNG export facility in Canada approved to use electric compressors instead of conventional gas-powered turbines. Combined with nature-based carbon offsets for hard-to-abate emissions, the company said it has committed to operate as the world’s first net-zero LNG export facility.

“Woodfibre is demonstrating what is possible when governments, First Nations and industry work together,” Premier-Designate Lorne Doerkson said in a statement.

“The Squamish Nation led its own environmental assessment, establishing 25 legally binding conditions and continues to play an important oversight role as the project moves forward. That partnership has created certainty, strengthened the project and established a foundation everyone can build on.”

Doerkson said that Woodfibre’s first cargo is expected to sail from Howe Sound next year.

“For decades, our natural gas exports float almost exclusively to a single market,” Hodgson said.

“But working together, governments, industry, Indigenous people are rewriting that story for the benefit of all Canadians. Our Pacific coastline gives Canada direct access to some of the world’s most dynamic economies. We will seize that advantage.

“We will turn geographic advantage into conditions to attract investment to this country, to build major projects, and to create jobs for British Columbians and Indigenous peoples.”

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

Stelco is recalling 175 temporarily laid off workers as it plans to restart its Hamilton, Ont., finishing operations on Dec. 1.

The company said Friday the move is due to increased customer demand.

“I would like to thank our valued customers for the faith they have placed in us, and our workers for the patience and resilience they have continued to demonstrate during this challenging period,” Stelco president Paul Simon said in a statement.

Stelco parent company Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. raised the ire of Ottawa when it announced the layoffs in September, as Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said it went against conditions the government set when approving the steelmaker’s sale.

Cleveland-Cliffs cited US tariffs, weak demand for Canadian steel and competition from imported steel products as reasons for the cuts.

However, it said it has now reached agreement with a sufficient volume of its customers to restart the operations and recall all of the laid off workers.

The company noted that it will take several weeks to restart operations, but that all affected employees will be made whole retroactively for the standard wages they would have received during the period in which they were temporarily laid off.

The layoff announcement came roughly two years after Cleveland-Cliffs acquired Stelco in 2024 in a transaction that required government approval under the Investment Canada Act.

Joly had put Cleveland-Cliffs on notice last month to address alleged violations of its commitments under that process, including employment guarantees, or face potential legal action.

The federal government was also consulting its lawyers about remarks by Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves suggesting he bought Stelco to protect his company’s US operations from Canadian competition.

The minister had warned that Cleveland-Cliffs could be forced to sell Stelco if it failed to meet its binding commitments.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Live Younger: A Wellness and Longevity Clinic. On Talk to the Experts at 12 p.m. on QR Calgary.

What if aging didn’t have to mean slowing down? Live Younger is a private wellness clinic in Calgary specializing in personalized, preventive, and precision-based health solutions. Their approach focuses on identifying the root causes of aging-related concerns and addressing them with tailored care plans designed specifically for you. At the core of their philosophy is hormone balance—for both men and women. Optimizing hormone levels can play a critical role in improving energy, mental clarity, metabolism, and overall vitality. Whether you’re looking to restore your energy, improve long-term health, or take a proactive approach to aging, Live Younger combines advanced diagnostics with individualized treatment strategies to help you perform and feel your best.
It’s not just about living longer. It’s about living better. Take the first step toward a healthier, more vibrant you. Visit Live Younger to learn more. Live Younger: Longevity, Hormone Balancing & Wellness

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

More electric vehicles will now be exempt from Canada’s luxury tax, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said.

In a press release on Friday, the minister said all electric vehicles that cost less than $150,000 would be exempt from the 10 per cent tax.

The price threshold for luxury vehicles subject to the tax was originally set at $100,000 and included electric vehicles over that threshold.

Canada’s luxury tax was originally proposed in the 2021 budget and covers luxury cars, planes and boats bought for personal use and leisure. The tax was rolled out in September 2022 and would amount to either 10 per cent of the taxable amount of the item, or 20 per cent of the amount over the price threshold – whichever is less.

Champagne said by increasing the price threshold for electric vehicles to $150,000, the government “recognizes the higher upfront cost of zero-emission vehicles and supports the global shift to electric vehicles (EVs).”

All other vehicles remain subject to the $100,000 price threshold.

According to the Canadian Automobile Association, the average price of a new electric vehicle in Canada sits around $50,000, but some models from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Cadillac and Tesla cost well over $100,000.

According to Statistics Canada data released in September, zero-emission vehicles made up 3.5 per cent of Canada’s 25.3 million registered light-duty vehicles in 2025. That same year, there were more than 58,000 new registrations of zero-emission vehicles across the country.

The Department of Finance said EVs are projected to account for nearly 40 per cent of global car sales within five years.

Budget 2026 committed $587 million over five years to install more than 55,000 EV chargers which will more than double the availability of federally supported chargers.

“With Budget 2026, we are expanding our electricity system, cutting emissions, and unlocking new investment in clean technologies,” Champagne said in a news release. “By updating this measure to reflect today’s vehicle market, we are supporting the transition to a cleaner, more competitive economy.”

This is not the first time the luxury tax has been amended.

In Nov. 2025, the federal government scaled back the tax on aircraft and boats after budget numbers showed tax revenues for those items did not yield initial government projections.

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

Two people are dead and another is missing after a boating incident in the Squamish Valley on Thursday.

Squamish RCMP said that at approximately 1:52 p.m. they were called about a boat incident in the area north of Vancouver, but due to elevated water levels and challenging weather conditions, search and rescue and any recovery efforts were extremely difficult and unsafe.

The search continues on Friday.

“The weather and river conditions have played a significant role in the response efforts,” Cpl. Ashley MacKay of the Squamish RCMP said in a release.

“This is a very dynamic and evolving incident, and the safety of responders and the public remains paramount. Weather patterns, water levels, and river conditions can change rapidly, and those factors are being continuously assessed as search and recovery efforts continue. We are asking the public to stay off the water at this time due to dangerous flow rates and debris throughout the river systems.”

The Sea-to-Sky region has been hit hard by the recent series of storms.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Village of Pemberton issued an evacuation order for properties on Airport Road, which includes the community’s airport, wastewater treatment facility, wildland fire management base and a public golf course due to flooding and “high-risk river levels.”

On Wednesday night, the Electoral Area C portion of the valley and the village was put under evacuation alert.

Residents were told to shelter in place in that area, but that was lifted on Friday morning.

Lilʼwat Nation has also expanded an evacuation order and alert for the area from Kwetsa7 along the Lillooet River corridor to Lillooet Lake.

The province’s River Forecast Centre put the Sea-to-Sky corridor and Pemberton Valley under a flood warning on Thursday, but that was downgraded on Friday morning.

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

Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne revealed that she has welcomed her first baby.

The 42-year-old singer took to Instagram to share the news of her baby girl’s arrival.

In a series of black-and-white photos, the Complicated singer and her partner are both holding her baby’s hand. In another shot, Lavigne is seen holding the baby close to her chest.

The third photo shows three pairs of checkered Vans shoes sitting on a skateboard.

“Our Mini F—ing Princess has arrived,” Lavigne wrote in her caption.

View this post on Instagram

Lavigne did not she her daughter’s name or reveal who she welcomed the child with.

The pop-punk singer has been married twice.

She was first married to Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley in 2006. The couple announced in September 2009 they had separated. The divorce was finalized in November 2010.

Lavigne went on to marry another Canadian rocker, Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger, on Canada Day in 2013.

The former couple’s whirlwind romance began in March 2012, when Kroeger was enlisted to help with the songwriting on Lavigne’s self-titled fifth record.

Kroeger co-wrote 10 tracks on Lavigne’s album, produced three and co-produced four.

They announced their separation in September 2015, with Lavigne saying she was delivering the news “with a heavy heart.”

“Through not only the marriage, but the music as well, we’ve created many unforgettable moments,” Lavigne wrote in an Instagram post. “We are still, and forever will be, the best of friends, and will always care deeply for each other.”

In April 2022, Lavigne was engaged to be married to singer-songwriter Mod Sun.

In a now-deleted post, Lavigne shared photos from their engagement, which took place on March 27, 2022 in Paris. With the Eiffel Tower in the background, Mod Sun got down on one knee and asked Lavigne to be his wife.

“Yes! I love you forever. Sunday 27. March. 2022,” Lavigne captioned the post showing off her heart-shaped diamond-cut ring in photos from the trip to Paris.

Lavigne and Mod Sun started out as coworkers in January 2021 when they co-wrote the single Flames and appeared in the song’s music video together.

The couple ended their engagement by February 2023.

During an appearance on Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde Podcast, Mod Sun reflected on his one-year romance with Lavigne.

“We met through a truly awesome label making music,” Mod Sun said in the podcast released in November 2025. “It was lovely. She was a true talent being around. I write and produce songs for other artists, so it was amazing coming up with an idea and seeing someone so f—ing talented sing it.”

“We’re two different people, but I think I had a great influence on her,” Mod Sun continued. “I think she couldn’t have had a more wonderful influence on me from the side of grow up. Like now, I’m very secure of who I am, because I’ve been lost in the last three years of wondering, ‘Where do I fit in?'”

In May 2024, the Sk8r Boi singer appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast and spoke about what she’s like when she’s in a relationship.

“I’m f—ing awesome. I would date me. I cook. I’m a really big cook, really big into, like, the house and decorating, and I have a lot of fun with that. I always have people over at my house, big parties, cook big, huge dinners,” Lavigne told host Alex Cooper.

When Cooper asked Lavigne is she was currently dating anyone, the I’m with You singer declined to answer.

“The most important thing is finding someone that you’re compatible with,” she said. “Obviously, it all just sounds cliché. Someone that is trustworthy, because if you don’t have that, you’re just never going to feel grounded in the relationship, and you’re going to be spinning.”

—With files from Global News

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

Ontario Provincial Police say a 49-year-old driver has been charged with careless driving after a farm truck was caught going 92 km/h in a 40 km/h zone.

The OPP said the incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. on Nov. 11 in Mapleton Township, which is roughly 50 kilometres west of Orangeville, Ont.

Officers pulled over a truck hauling farm equipment after catching it on radar.

“The piece of farm equipment was also observed to be occupying almost both lanes of traffic, posing as a traffic hazard,” the OPP told Global News in an email.

The driver was charged, and the OPP said the tires on the truck had a safety rating only designed to be driving at 40 km/h.

The OPP said Friday in a post on X the speed is more than double the maximum allowed speed for certain types of farm equipment operating on Ontario roads.

https://x.com/OPP_WR/status/2121258465486045600?s=20

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

A South Carolina man accused of burying his 11-month-old son alive in a dog crate was denied bond Thursday.

Michael Comer, 25, has been charged with attempted murder, burglary and unlawfully placing a child at risk in connection with the disappearance of Koah Sharp.

Tyler Douglas, lead investigator for the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, told Magistrate Gary W. Reinhart on Thursday that Comer showed no remorse for allegedly attempting to kill his son and tried to flee the state, according to The Associated Press.

Reinhart approved a public defender for Comer and set a hearing for Dec. 10.

Comer has been in custody in Lexington County since Monday, when his son was first reported missing.

Sharp, who rescuers found after about 24 hours, was released from a hospital Tuesday night, Sheriff Jay Koon said.

Sharp is with family members and, according to information provided to investigators by his medical team, he is expected to make a full recovery, Koon added.

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said that Comer was found and arrested on a burglary charge and resisting arrest late Monday night but police said that Sharp was not with him.

During a news conference on Tuesday, Koon told reporters that Sharp was found alive in a dog crate that was wrapped in a towel.

“Just a few moments ago we found little Koah Sharp, 11-months-old, buried alive, clinging to life, crying… He was buried in a dog crate, wrapped in a towel that, by the grace of God, probably provided enough air for him to survive — our estimation is for the last 24 hours under that dirt,” Koon said.

Koon said the wire crate was about two feet by two feet and buried in a shallow hole.

Sharp, described as “a bright boy with reddish blond hair, blue eyes, approximately 20 pounds and often has a pacifier,” was in the care of Comer’s mother on Monday, police said.

“Michael came over. She had to run an errand. Another caregiver was coming. She left him in Michael’s care. By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone and Koah was gone with him,” Koon explained.

Deputies went to Comer’s father’s home Monday and found the doors open and baby belongings in the house but no sign of Comer or the child, Koon told reporters.

There was a search party of nearly 100 police officers, firefighters and other officials looking for Sharp, according to Koon.

Searchers found a site close to Comer’s father home on Tuesday in the woods with freshly disturbed earth, according to police.

“As they probed it and laid it out and started digging, you could hear little Koah crying. So, as you can imagine, the race was on,” Koon said. “Everybody was done there trying to get him out. Certainly he is out and under the care of EMS now at the hospital.”

“Hopefully at 11 months old, he will not remember much of this as he grows older, just to have a great inspiring story to tell,” Koon said.

John Comer said he’d opened his home to his son and grandson on Monday after Comer said they needed a place to stay.

“He was not emotional,” John Comer said outside the law enforcement complex Thursday. “He was not excited. He was just, he appeared a loving, a loving and caring father. He fed the baby. He changed the baby’s diaper. He held the baby. The baby played for a while. He was in his right mind.”

Authorities haven’t revealed anything about Comer’s motive.

He was sentenced in October to probation after pleading guilty to domestic violence involving the boy’s mother, according to The Associated Press.

—With files from The Associated Press

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