One dead, one injured in Burnaby, B.C., house fire; police investigating cause

BURNABY - One person is dead after a house fire in the Metro Vancouver city of Burnaby on Friday.

RCMP say they were called to the fire in a home on Douglas Road near Norfolk Street in the South Burnaby neighbourhood at around 4:30 a.m.

Police say that despite life-saving efforts at the scene, one person did not survive.

Another person involved was hospitalized, although no details of their injuries have been released.

Alberta judge rejects NDP court challenge on voter list changes

EDMONTON - 
An Alberta judge has thrown out a court challenge filed by the Opposition NDP on restricted voter list rules made by the government last month.

Court of King's Bench Justice John Gill says in his decision that the government was within its rights to restrict what private information is provided to political parties.

He also says he agrees with the government that the restrictions won't meaningfully undermine the integrity of the upcoming separation referendum.

The government's changes mean Elections Alberta can only provide political parties with the number of registered voters in each voting area and municipality, rather than lists with full names, addresses and phone numbers.

Defense guru Shaun Edwards joins the Pumas for a Rugby World Cup push in Australia

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Defense guru Shaun Edwards will help Argentina over the next year to the end of the Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Edwards will begin his new job with the Pumas before the Nations Championship resumes in November. Former Pumas coach Mario Ledesma also joined the staff on Friday. They will be the defense and forwards coaches respectively.

“They know what it means to compete at the highest level and can contribute a lot to the team,” Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi said. “With the World Cup just a year away they will help us continue to grow as a team and prepare in the best possible way for what's to come.”

Edwards has been working in a short-term consultancy role with the world champion England women who are touring North America this month in the WXV.

Ontario’s top court paves way to reopen challenge of Hamilton’s anti-encampment law

A challenge to Hamilton’s anti-encampment bylaw was revived on Friday by Ontario’s top court, after a panel of appeal judges found the lower court relied on stereotypes to discount the testimony of some homeless residents. 

The Ontario Court of Appeal left the constitutionality of the bylaw and the city’s enforcement practices for a new trial judge to decide. 

The challenge was brought by 14 encampment residents who argued their evictions and the city's bylaw that blocks sleeping in parks were unconstitutional. It's among a number of court cases in Canada to grapple with whether a city can clear an encampment when there's no viable alternative place to shelter and city-run sites are filled up. 

The Appeal Court's unanimous ruling found the trial judge's rejection leaned heavily on his finding that none of those evictions had taken place overnight, contrary to the testimony of several residents. 

Parti Québécois leader asks caucus to stay ready for next election after minority win

DRUMMONDVILLE - Quebec premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon asked his team on Friday to stay mobilized as the party is set to form a minority government.

St-Pierre Plamondon and his fellow elected members of the Parti Québécois will be sworn in on Oct. 15, and his cabinet will be announced on Oct. 21. 

St-Pierre Plamondon invited all of his party's 127 candidates to a postelection meeting at a hotel in Drummondville, Que. 

The goal of the meeting was to take stock of the latest campaign and to hear from both the winning and defeated candidates.

Toronto police had no choice but to shoot suspect in raid that left officer dead: SIU

TORONTO - Toronto police had "no alternative" but to fire at a man accused of fatally shooting Const. Marc Pinizzotto during a raid in June, Ontario's police watchdog said in a report Friday that offers new details about the case. 

The Special Investigations Unit concluded that the suspect fired multiple times at police, and that Pinizzotto and another officer who fired back were defending themselves and other officers involved in the June 11 raid.  

"There can be no doubt that the officers believed their lives to be in danger and that they acted to protect themselves from grievous bodily harm and death," SIU Director Joseph Martino wrote in the report. 

Toronto police have said the raid was part of an investigation into multiple shootings, including one at the U.S. consulate in March.

Border services changes hours because B.C. isn’t changing its clocks

VANCOUVER - British Columbia's decision to end time changes has prompted the Canada Border Services Agency to alter its opening hours at nine land crossings to align with neighbouring U.S. ports of entry. 

British Columbia is adopting year-round daylight time, so won't move clocks back on Nov. 1, while U.S. border crossings will move back to standard time. 

Several crossings in B.C. are in operation 24 hours a day, while opening and closing hours for smaller crossings will move an hour ahead. 

Hours vary at most of the crossings, which include Aldergrove, Carson, Cascade, Chopaka, Fraser, Midway, Nelway Pleasant Camp and Waneta. 

Nine-vehicle collision on B.C.’s Alex Fraser Bridge sends two to hospital

DELTA - Police in Delta, B.C., say they are investigating a nine-vehicle crash on the Alex Fraser Bridge that sent two people to hospital with serious injuries. 

The department says officers  were called shortly after midnight Friday to the crash in the southbound lanes of the bridge that spans the Fraser River between Delta and New Westminster. 

Police say witnesses told them there was an initial collision between two vehicles, setting off a chain reaction crash with the other seven vehicles. 

Two people were taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. 

Ruck earns second silver, Knox third bronze for Canada at swimming World Cup

TASHKENT - Canadian swimmers Taylor Ruck and Finlay Knox added to their medal hauls Friday at the second stop of the three-meet World Aquatics Swimming World Cup series.

Ruck, a four-time Olympic medallist from Kelowna, B.C., captured silver in the women's 100-metre backstroke in 56.38 seconds, behind Dutch winner Marrit Steenbergen, who finished in 55.32.

Ruck also had a runner-up finish Thursday in the 50 freestyle.

Knox, of Okotoks, Alta., took bronze in the men's 200 individual medley in one minute 52.33 seconds, behind Americans Shaine Casas and Carson Foster.

Calgary mayor says Alberta interfering in Edmonton housing sets disturbing precedent

CALGARY - Calgary's mayor says the province’s decision to overturn some Edmonton housing rules is threatening the process for local democracy.

While the order from Premier Danielle Smith's government will largely leave Calgary unaffected, Mayor Jeromy Farkas says it sets a dangerous precedent for the province working to influence city councillors in the future. 

"Just because the premier agrees with how I voted yesterday, does not mean that she gets to decide how I vote tomorrow," Farkas told reporters outside of Calgary city council chambers on Friday.

Farkas says city council has an obligation to listen to citizens on important issues in public hearings as evidence for their decisions, but being forced to follow directions from a higher government undermines that process.

Michael Douglas comes to terms with fears, fame, father

NEW YORK — Michael Douglas, the award-winning actor and producer, recently turned 82. He is a cancer survivor, a recovered addict, a married man, the father and son of actors.

He is also an author, who begins his memoir with a message of thanks to his family — past and present and future — for the “sense of immortality.”

“Many times my father was asked, ‘Kirk, are you jealous of your son?’” he said during a recent interview at a Manhattan hotel, referring to his late father, fellow actor and sometime combatant Kirk Douglas.

“And he said, ‘Jealous?’ This is a sense of immortality, a continuity of generations.’”

Horoscope

Moon alert: Avoid shopping (except food and gas) and important decisions until 1 p.m. After that, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Gemini.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

A busy, chatty day. Your communication skills are excellent. Wait until the moon alert is over to commit to any important decisions or ideas. Tap into your creative talents. It’s also a lovely day to schmooze and enjoy sports and kids’ activities.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

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