The Canadian Press

MTV extreme sports star killed after hitting tree during skydiving performance in California

SAN FRANCISCO — An extreme sports and MTV star skydiving for the opening ceremony of a golf event in Northern California died when he struck a tree Monday, authorities said.

Placer County Sheriff's Capt. Dennis Walsh said Erik Roner of Tahoe City, California died during a skydiving accident at a golf course in Squaw Valley, California, about 5 miles from Lake Tahoe's northwest shore.

Witnesses told deputies Roner, 39, was part of a group conducting a skydiving performance for a golf event, when he hit a tree while trying to land and became entangled high above ground, Walsh said.

Authorities were not able to remove him from the tree and Roner was pronounced dead at the scene.

All the other skydivers landed safely, he said.

Walsh said the investigation is continuing and the Federal Aviation Administration has been notified.

Roner, a professional skier and avid BASE jumper, was known for being part of the Nitro Circus, an MTV show centred around freestyle motocross rider Travis Pastrana and his crew of extreme sports athlete friends. He also hosted TV show "Locals" on sports network Outside Television.

"Erik was an amazing person who made everyone and everything around him better," Pastrana said.

Roy Tuscany, a friend of Roner, who witnessed the accident said it occurred right before a celebrity golf tournament was about to begin Monday morning.

Tuscany said that he watched as two other parachutists landed safely on the golf course's fairway for the 9th hole but then looked on in horror when Roner slammed hard into a tree about 25-30 feet above the ground.

He said Roner's parachute got caught in the tree and Roner dangled there while many on the ground scrambled to find ladders and other means to get to him. At one point, several people attempted to stand on one another's shoulder to reach him.

"There's no protocol for this kind of rescue," Tuscany said. "There's no manual. It was just horrible."

Tuscany described his friend Roner as "always positive" and a "big supporter" of the local community.

He said Roner was "hilarious and was a "stand-up guy" who could always be counted on to help out with benefit events like the golf tournament sponsored by the Squaw Valley Institute, a non-profit organization that describes itself as being "dedicated to presenting enriching and inspirational programs to the Lake Tahoe region."

"We are still trying to process this tragedy," said Rob Faris, senior VP, programming and production at Outside Television. "Our hearts go out to his family."

Outside Television will air "Locals" from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

Roner's death comes four months after world-famous wingsuit flyer Dean Potter and fellow adventurer Graham Hunt fatally crashed after the pair leaped from Taft Point, 3,500-feet above Yosemite Valley, attempting to clear a V-shaped notch in a ridgeline.

Roner is survived by his wife and two children, according to the Squaw Valley Institute.

___

Associated Press writer Paul Elias contributed to this report.

Olga R. Rodriguez, The Associated Press

Federal party leaders square off in feisty foreign policy debate

OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau invoked his father's ghost Monday night in an election leaders' debate that was far more emotional and animated than the dry foreign affairs subject matter might have suggested.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper also amped up his ardour, pounding home the point that convicted terrorists have no home in Canada and can expect to be stripped of their citizenship, while painting his rivals as soft on security.

And the NDP's Tom Mulcair asserted that New Democrats are prepared to send Canada's military into combat, provided the mission has NATO or United Nations approval.

The debate, the fourth of five during the extraordinarily long, 78-day election campaign, was also remarkable for the capacity crowd of more than 3,000 paying — and occasionally partisan — patrons at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall.

The large live audience helped animate the well-paced debate with applause and laughter that punctuated the three leaders' most cogent points.

A battle over federal stewardship of the economy was supposed to be this election's defining issue, but emotive "values" questions have increasingly dominated the discourse.

Those values have been attached to the country's place in the world: Canada's handling of an international Syrian refugee crisis; the place of minority religious face coverings at citizenship ceremonies; and rescinding Canadian citizenship from convicted terrorists who hold dual citizenship.

Trudeau, the Liberal leader considered to have the most to lose in a two-hour debate on foreign policy, came out swinging.

On Syrian refugees, Trudeau drew applause when he invoked nearby Ireland Park in Toronto, where he said 38,000 Irish arrived in 1847 fleeing the potato famine. They arrived to a city of 20,000 citizens.

But it was under attack for supporting the contentious Conservative security bill, C-51, that Trudeau reminded viewers of his famous prime minister father.

"When we talk about the legacy that my father leaves behind, first and foremost is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which has defined Canada as a country that stands up for individual rights, even against governments that want to take those away," said the younger Trudeau.

"Multiculturalism that has made Canada strong not in spite of its diversity, but because of its diversity...."

Trudeau added that the evening was emotional because it marked the 15th anniversary of Pierre Trudeau's death.

"And I know he wouldn't want us to be fighting the battles of the past; he'd want us squarely focused on the future and how we're going to respond to Canadians' needs, and that's what we're doing tonight."

Harper stoutly defended his government's policies to date on accepting Syrian refugees.

"We haven't opened the floodgates," said the prime minister. "Some European countries just started letting everybody in and now they're trying to reverse those policies."

Harper noted that the process has been sped up, "while maintaining our security and not literally spending tens of millions of additional dollars. And these are the numbers we've arrived at. We're not chasing headlines."

Harper's repeated invocation of headline-hunting opposition parties earned a stern rebuke from Mulcair. Helping the world's most vulnerable is not headline chasing, scolded the New Democrat.

The refugee issue has come up repeatedly during the election campaign, and with it the related arguments around how to approach the civil war in Syria, how to shape immigration policy, and what constitutes an optimal level of development aid.

On climate change, Harper said his government has been consistent in stating any international protocol required all countries to sign on and that he's "very optimistic" the world will reach an historic accord later this year.

The next round of international negotiations on global climate change targets is scheduled for December in Paris. Harper has been accused of doing little to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, and of mishandling pipeline negotiations by not demonstrating enough commitment to the environment.

Outside, partisans and protesters vied to get their messages out amid throngs of watchful police.

"Change the politics, not the climate," said one protest sign.

Others asserted that only Harper is tough on terrorism, a direct rebuke to their counterparts urging "Hands off Syria."

One man carried a huge sign reading "no no no" to all three leaders.

Both the Globe and Mail and Munk organizers said they invited leaders of parties with official status in the House of Commons, which requires at least 12 seats. The Green party, Bloc Quebecois and Forces et Democratie each had two seats when Parliament was dissolved.

The Greens have complained to the Canada Revenue Agency that the Munk format may run afoul of tax rules governing the political activities of charities.

The last leaders' debate takes place Friday in Montreal, sponsored by the French-language network TVA. 

Bruce Cheadle and Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the climate change conference in Paris takes place in November.

Canadiens coach Therrien welcomes renewed rivalry with Quebec City

QUEBEC — Listening to coach Michel Therrien before the Montreal Canadiens' game at the new Videotron centre on Monday night, it was like the Quebec Nordiques were already back in the NHL.

And he would welcome reviving an old rivalry with them.

"Hockey has changed," Therrien said before the Canadiens faced the Pittsburgh Penguins in pre-season action. "I'd be surprised if disgraceful incidents like the Good Friday (brawl) game in the old days would happen now.

"I hope not. It will be a healthy rivalry like we have with the Boston Bruins or the Toronto Maple Leafs and, the way it's been growing in recent years, with the Ottawa Senators. It'll be fun."

Therrien grew up a Canadiens fan in Montreal, but he admitted to having a soft spot for the Nordiques in their early years in 1980-81, when he played junior hockey with the Quebec Remparts and used to bump into stars like Michel Goulet, Marc Tardif and Real Cloutier.

It was the first NHL game at the new 18,259-seat rink built next door to the old Colisee where the Nordiques skated in the NHL from 1979 until the team left for Colorado to become the Avalanche in 1995.

Quebec City and Las Vegas have applied for expansion franchises, but the NHL has yet to decide if it will add a new team or two. 

Therrien said having a team back in Quebec City is inevitable, and he was impressed with the new rink.

"It's a first class facility," he said.

He also said it would help bring more for French-speaking coaches and managers into the NHL, as it did when the Nordiques played. It could also bring more French-Canadian players into the league.

Canadiens centre David Desharnais, a native of the Quebec City area, is aware he will be less welcome in his home town if it had its own NHL club, but he's not bothered by that.

"The fans in Quebec want their Nordiques back," said Desharnais. "I think it will happen."

Robert Laflamme, The Canadian Press

Nats suspend Papelbon for 4 games for dugout fight with Harper; closer to miss rest of season

WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper is not quite sure what he could have done differently to avoid the dugout fight with teammate Jonathan Papelbon that resulted in the Washington Nationals suspending the closer for four games without pay.

"If you're in a bar or if you're in the dugout or if you're anywhere," Harper said Monday, a day after his scrap with Papelbon, "if someone grabs your neck, your first reaction is to do what I did, I guess."

Harper, a leading NL MVP contender, also indicated he would be OK with Papelbon returning to the Nationals in 2016. The reliever has an $11 million guaranteed contract for next season.

"If 'Paps' can help us win a World Series next year, that's what I need. That's what this whole clubhouse needs," Harper said. "We can't be fighting or anything like that."

Papelbon will miss the rest of this season. On Monday, he dropped his appeal of a three-game ban from Major League Baseball for throwing at an opponent's head last week, and then missed Washington's 5-1 victory over Cincinnati. After that punishment ends, Papelbon serves the Nationals' suspension announced Monday.

Harper was held out of the home finale against the Reds for "his part in the altercation" with Papelbon, manager Matt Williams said.

Harper, though, said after Sunday's game that he was scheduled to be off Monday, anyway.

Asked whether he was disappointed at the way the Washington portion of his season ended, Harper said: "I've got three more years at Nats Park."

General manager Mike Rizzo said Papelbon's more severe discipline made clear who the club felt "was more at fault."

On Sunday, after Harper flied out in the eighth inning against Philadelphia, he headed to the dugout, where he and Papelbon exchanged words. The argument escalated, and Papelbon reached out with his left hand and grabbed Harper by the throat.

Papelbon then shoved the outfielder toward the bench with both hands, before teammates and members of Williams' coaching staff pulled the pair apart.

"It's been a very difficult 24 hours for the organization," Williams said.

Williams was at the other end of the dugout and, he said Monday, was not aware of exactly what happened until later in the day, when he saw video that made the rounds on Twitter immediately after the scuffle. Williams said he hadn't seen that video before his postgame news conference Sunday and hadn't sought information from his coaches or other players during the game. He added that because he was unaware of the extent of the confrontation, he sent Papelbon back out to pitch in the ninth inning.

"I thought it was odd," Rizzo said of the reliever returning to the mound after the fight. "But there's a lot of things going on in the dugout at the time. Matt missed it. He owned up to it."

When he eventually did see video of Papelbon clutching at Harper's neck, Williams said, "I was upset. I was appalled."

But he also made it sound as if a truly bothersome aspect was that everyone saw what happened.

"Generally, this happens between players in the confines of a private clubhouse. It doesn't happen in the open, generally," Williams said. "So that being said, that's how we would prefer to do it."

Both Williams and Rizzo said they had no problem with the way Harper jogged to first base on the fly ball that preceded the skirmish.

"I've got no problem with his effort level (or) the way he hustles," Rizzo said. "It is the job of the veteran players to point out what they think when you're not playing the game right. 'Pap' must have felt that he wasn't and he called him on it. It takes a guy with some guts to call a player out nowadays."

Harper, Rizzo added, "did not deserve it, in my personal opinion."

On Wednesday, the reliever plunked Baltimore star Manny Machado and was ejected; Harper called the hit-by-pitch "tired" and worried aloud about whether the Orioles would retaliate by beaning him.

Rizzo acquired Papelbon from the Phillies in a trade in late July in hopes of a possible post-season push.

"Will he be with us in 2016? He's under contract," Rizzo said about Papelbon. "We're going to evaluate every moving part that we have after the season and we'll make all those decisions once the final out is made in 2015."

That applies to Williams' status, too, Rizzo said.

The Nationals began the season as World Series favourites, but their playoff hopes officially ended Saturday, when the Mets clinched the NL East title.

"This has been a very disappointing season," Williams said. "Everybody understands that."

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press

3 female ex-University of Minnesota Duluth coaches file discrimination lawsuit against school

MINNEAPOLIS — Three former University of Minnesota Duluth coaches, including women's hockey coach Shannon Miller, filed a discrimination lawsuit against the university Monday, saying they lost their jobs because they're female and gay.

Miller led the Bulldogs to five NCAA national championships, but UMD officials cited a budget deficit when they told her last December that they would not renew her contract. The others plaintiffs include former women's softball coach Jen Banford, who was also director of operations for UMD women's hockey under Miller, and former women's basketball coach Annette Wiles.

Miller and Banford allege in the lawsuit filed in federal court that the university did not renew their contracts because they're female, gay and Canadian. Wiles alleges she was forced out in June because of her gender and sexual orientation. Miller and Wiles also allege age discrimination.

The lawsuit also accuses the university of unlawfully retaliating against the women for reporting that other school employees harassed them because they were lesbians, and of creating a hostile work environment that made it difficult to do their jobs. It also says the women were paid less and had smaller budgets than their male counterparts on the men's hockey, baseball and basketball teams.

Miller said at a Monday news conference that the lawsuit is not just about three former coaches, the Star Tribune reported.

"Sexism and homophobia are alive and well at the University of Minnesota," she said.

UMD Chancellor Lendley Black issued a statement last week, before the lawsuit was filed, disputing the plaintiffs' broad claims of discrimination. In a new statement Monday, Black said the school is prepared to handle the lawsuit through the legal process.

"Throughout the process, the issues brought to our attention were handled professionally and appropriately. We continue to refute the allegations and claims of discrimination and will aggressively defend ourselves in the lawsuit," Black said.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified back pay and compensatory damages, as well as attorneys' fees.

Miller was UMD's first head women's hockey coach. During her 16 years with the program, she also helped lead it to 11 Frozen Four tournaments. According to the complaint, she has the fourth most wins among active Division I women's hockey coaches. But she was told at a meeting with athletic director John Berlo and Black on Dec. 9 that her contract and those of her staff would not be renewed.

They told her the decision was "strictly financial" and that the university simply couldn't afford her salary, the lawsuit says. Miller had accepted pay cuts previously to help the school and was willing to take another but was never given that opportunity before the meeting, it says.

The Associated Press

Blue Jays SS Troy Tulowitzki takes batting practice, says he will be ready for post-season

BALTIMORE — Toronto shortstop Troy Tulowitzki tested his injured shoulder by taking batting practice Monday and expects to return in time for the post-season.

Tulowitzki hasn't played since Sept. 12, when he cracked his scapula and bruised muscles in his upper back after colliding with teammate Kevin Pillar in a game against the Yankees.

After taking between 30 and 40 swings, Tulowitzki said, "Hitting is the last thing. This is pretty much the first time I have hit live."

Tulowitzki took a few cuts outside before a rain shower forced him to conclude the session indoors.

The Blue Jays obtained Tulowitzki from Colorado on July 28 in a multi-player deal. He's batting just .232 with the Blue Jays, but they're 30-8 with him in the starting lineup.

Manager John Gibbons says Tulowitzki could return sometime this week. The Blue Jays entered Monday's game against the Orioles with a magic number of four to clinch the AL East title.

Asked if he expected to be ready for the post-season, Tulowitzki replied, "Definitely."

The Associated Press

IndyCar’s James Hinchcliffe returns to the track 4 months after life-threatening accident

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — James Hinchcliffe's smile and sense of humour were on full throttle Monday, four-plus months after life-threatening injuries put his IndyCar career on hold.

The Canadian returned to the cockpit with his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team for a test session at the 14-turn, 4.048-mile Road America course that is expected to host a June 2016 IndyCar race.

Hinchcliffe, a native of Oakville, Ont., was severely injured May 18 during an Indianapolis 500 practice crash. A broken part of suspension from Hinchcliffe's car pierced his upper left thigh, and safety crew members successfully kept the 28-year-old from bleeding to death as he was quickly taken to a hospital.

Besides two surgeries, Hinchcliffe said Monday that he also suffered a serious neck injury in the accident, and recently was cleared to "start training his neck."

Hinchcliffe's recovery was a long one, he didn't want to rush the process, and said doctors left decision-making up to their patient. He said all went smoothly, in and out of the car, during his morning test session.

"I wasn't going to lie just go get back in the car sooner," Hinchcliffe said. "I wanted to make sure when I was back, I was back for good. The first couple of runs, absolutely no ill effects whatsoever. Nothing's leaking. So I think we're all good to go."

Hinchcliffe admitted he had no nerves or hesitation with climbing back into the race car. The desire to get back to work was a motivating factor for many months. The racer was running his first full-time season with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in 2015, after spending three seasons at Andretti Autosport.

Hinchcliffe is a five-year veteran in the open-wheel series, with four victories, including a win five weeks before his accident, in April, at an inaugural road course event in New Orleans.

"We're wired wrong," he said. "We're not right in the head, racing drivers in general. I probably should have felt more anxiety than I did. But it's what we do. It's our lives, it's our passion and nothing was going to keep me out of that car today. Absolutely nothing."

Ryan Hunter-Reay, who is Hinchcliffe's good friend and an Andretti Autosport driver, said his former teammate has been upbeat and positive throughout his recuperation. Hunter-Reay was pleased to see that Hinchcliffe didn't miss a beat with his on-track pace.

"If you have a big wreck and you get right back in the race car, it's easy to put behind you," Hunter-Reay said. "But the months off and the rehabilitation and all of that, that's when it becomes hard to get back in the car, and that's when it's hard to get back up to speed and get every last ounce of speed out of the car. He did an excellent job with it today, and I can't say enough about what he's done with it. He's got a lot of heart."

Hinchcliffe said he's pumped to prepare to run at one of his favourite tracks. Next year's race at Road America will be the first for the IndyCar series since 2007. Practice and qualifying is scheduled June 24-25, and the race is set for June 26.

The event will mark Hinchcliffe's first at Road America in an IndyCar. He does have experience at the track, with a Pro Mazda race win at the circuit in 2005, competing in Atlantic races in 2006 to 2008, and running a Tudor car in 2014.

Hinchcliffe kept his emotions in check at Road America, considering the significance of his recovery, and said he might have a little cry Monday night away from the track.

But he had an ultimate goal with his four-plus months of his road to recovery: claiming the top podium spot.

"Winning again," Hinchcliffe said. "That's it. That's all of our motivations for getting up in the morning, for going to the guy, for going to engineering meetings, for coming testing. For everything."

Tamira Madsen, The Associated Press

Leafs change policy, media and broadcasters will not be on charter flights

TORONTO — The Maple Leafs' radio broadcast crew may call all 82 games from Toronto this season after the NHL club changed a travel policy over the summer. 

Longtime play-by-play announcer Joe Bowen and analyst Jim Ralph call the games for all-sports radio stations Sportsnet 590 The Fan and TSN Radio 1050, who split the coverage in the market. Bowen and Ralph will staff all 41 home games at Air Canada Centre but will not be taking the team charter to the 41 road games.

"We can confirm that we had a change in policy this season in that team charters will be for the team and that there will be no members of the media or our broadcast crew accompanying us on flights," Maple Leafs media relations director Steve Keogh said in an email.

A Toronto sports media blogger tweeted Sunday that the team was not willing to pay for travel costs, and a story link said the radio crew would call road games from a Toronto studio while watching on television. Bowen replied to the post on his Twitter feed.

"Unfortunately this is true. We will try to recreate the excitement and do the best we can," he said.

According to Forbes, the Maple Leafs were worth US$1.3 billion in 2014, topping the list of most valuable NHL franchises for a ninth straight year. 

The team has made several big changes since Brendan Shanahan was named president in April 2014. In addition to a number of roster moves, Mike Babcock was hired as head coach last spring and Lou Lamoriello was named general manager over the summer.   

TSN is a division of Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc. Sportsnet, meanwhile, is owned by Rogers Media, a division of Rogers Communications Inc. Bell and Rogers are competitors but they each hold a 37.5-per cent stake in Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NHL team. 

It wasn't immediately clear whether the radio stations would pay for the travel costs this season. A TSN spokesperson declined comment and a phone message left with a Rogers spokesperson wasn't immediately returned.

The Maple Leafs will begin the regular season on Oct. 7 at Air Canada Centre against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Canadian Press

With Petty backing, Ben Carson tells NASCAR fans Confederate flag OK on private property

RANDLEMAN, N.C. — Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson on Monday said NASCAR fans should continue flying the Confederate Flag, so long as it's on private property, as he received the informal endorsement of racing legend Richard Petty.

Petty's support marks a significant step for Carson, the only African-American in the crowded 2016 Republican field, as he navigates delicate political issues in a region that could play prominently in the selection of the next Republican presidential nominee.

The retired NASCAR driver appeared with the retired neurosurgeon Monday at a camp for disabled children established by Petty's foundation. While he shied away from a formal endorsement, Petty left little doubt about the significance of the appearance.

"We're hoping he's endorsing the camp, we're not necessarily endorsing him, but we are — you know what I mean?" Petty, in his trademark cowboy hat and sunglasses, said in a brief interview with the Associated Press. He later posed for pictures aboard Carson's campaign bus.

"He's very humane," Petty said when asked what he liked about Carson. "That's one of his strong points as far as we're concerned."

Formal or not, Petty's support lends Carson some credibility in North Carolina and among a broader swath of Southern states set to play a key role in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Virginia are expected to host Republican primary contests in the first week of March.

Carson has toured the country extensively in recent years, but in some ways, the Detroit native is still learning about the South.

He was cautious when asked to weigh in on Petty's recent comments on the Confederate Flag, a symbol of slavery for many African-Americans and southern pride for whites. The flag is often flown prominently by NASCAR fans before and after races around the country. Petty this summer called the flag debate "a passing fancy."

Carson told the AP that NASCAR fans should continue flying the flag "if it's private property and that's what they want to do."

He also acknowledged the flag remains "a symbol of hate" for many black people and compared it to the Nazi swastika.

"Swastikas are a symbol of hate for some people, too. And yet they still exist in museums and places like that," Carson said, describing the decision about flying the flag "a local issue." ''If it's a majority of people in that area who want it to fly, I certainly wouldn't take it down."

Carson, who has never held elected office, has surged in the polls by tapping into an aggressive anti-establishment sentiment roughly four months before the Iowa caucuses. He said he expects to raise $20 million for the fundraising quarter that ends this month, tangible evidence of his extraordinary appeal.

Yet he remains somewhat unknown compared to his Republican rivals, particularly billionaire businessman Donald Trump.

Julie Lopp, whose family owns Lexington Barbecue, where Carson and his team stopped for lunch Monday, said Trump is "a little bit too extreme."

She said she was still learning about Carson, but would likely support him or former technology executive Carly Fiorina in the Republican primary. "I just think he's honest," she said of Carson.

She also suggested there were white southerners who probably wouldn't support Carson because of his race.

"As much as people try to sound like they don't care, some people think a black president will look out for the black lifestyle," said Lopp, who worked in Lexington Barbecue for the last 36 years, adding that women like Fiorina would likely face discrimination from some voters as well.

Carson dismissed such comments with a shrug: "Racism exists everywhere," he said.

Meanwhile, his lack of experience in the South was apparent over lunch.

"What are these?" he asked his wife, pointing to a small fried morsel as they began to eat. "Hush puppies," she responded.

A spokesman later confirmed that Monday was Carson's first time eating hush puppies, a popular southern side dish.

Steve Peoples, The Associated Press

Look out! Here comes SpiderMable; pint-sized cancer patient lives out dream

EDMONTON — Six-year-old cancer patient Mable Tooke first learned about Spiderman in hospital and he quickly became her favourite superhero because, of course, they both have radioactive blood.

So when Mable got to choose anything from The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, she dissed Disneyland and was set on spending a day swinging around Edmonton and fighting crime with the webbed wonder.

After she woke up Monday morning, she watched a spoof TV newscast in which Edmonton police called on SpiderMable to help save the city and rescue kidnapped Edmonton Oilers Captain Andrew Ference.

Her mother, Lisa Tooke, said Mable had to watch the news story twice because she wasn't sure if it was about her.

"At first that disbelief in her eyes and then a slow smile appears and then a big grin and then a 'Let's go!'"

Elizabeth LoPresti with the wish foundation said the elaborate event was the biggest the organization has ever pulled together. Ference, several police officers and Mayor Don Iveson all took part in the ruse, along with Spiderman himself, who acted as Mable's sidekick for the day and chatted with her about his life in New York City.

LoPresti said Mable's idea may have stemmed from a similar event held for Batkid, a five-year-old leukemia patient named Miles Scott, whose mission to save San Francisco in 2013 touched hearts around the world.

Dressed in her own caped-costume and mask, SpiderMable was whisked around the city by limo and joined Spiderman in various adventures, which included zip-lining through the waterpark at West Edmonton Mall to rescue the feline superhero Black Cat.

"We have a clue about where we're going to go next," the pint-sized superhero next told reporters after stopping for a pizza lunch.

"We're going to get some superhero training and then we're going to track down Mysterio and catch him."

She added that the experience was "pretty cool" but taking lots of energy.

Mable has been undergoing regular chemotherapy since she was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013. While her prognosis is good, Mable's mother said the special day gave her a much-needed boost.

"She's getting close to the end of her treatment. It's become such an incredible drag."

Mable not only skipped her Grade 1 class on Monday but also her daily chemo pill, her mother said, since there was so much crime-fighting to do.

Her father, Neil Tooke, was astounded by the scale of the event and said he wasn't sure if Mable knew it was all a game.

"I don't know if she believes it or not but she's going along with it."

He hopes the day helped her "forget about the hospital, forget about procedures, just be a kid again."

Chris Purdy, The Canadian Press

Campaign to ‘de-normalize’ suicide: some recommendations from Nunavut inquest

IQALUIT, Nunavut — Suicide is a long-running tragedy in Nunavut, where people kill themselves at 13 1/2 times the rate of the Canadian average. Here are some of the recommendations to come out of an inquest into the suicides of two people from Nunavut.

— The territorial government should immediately declare suicide to be a public health emergency in Nunavut

— The government should create a minister responsible for suicide prevention

— A secretariat on suicide prevention should be created and given adequate resources. It should report to the minister

— A public awareness campaign should be created to "de-normalize" suicide

— Suicide prevention curriculum materials should be introduced in schools

— Community grief support networks should be created

— A followup protocol should be established for people who unsuccessfully attempt suicide

— All three regions of Nunavut should have substance abuse treatment centres

— All levels of government should provide adequate, multi-year funding for suicide prevention

— The territorial government should recommit to the goals of Nunavut's 2010 suicide prevention strategy 

The Canadian Press

Notley hints at straying from federal NDP on cap-and-trade proposal

MONTREAL — A federal cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may not be suitable for Alberta, the province's NDP premier said Monday, one day after her federal counterpart proposed such a plan on the campaign trail.

Rachel Notley, on the first leg of a business trip to Montreal, New York City and Toronto, told executives and politicians that a national cap-and-trade system "may not be our best road forward."

She added that Alberta — whose economy is heavily dependent on the greenhouse gas-intensive oilsands — must get its act together to reduce emissions or risk having a "solution imposed on us" by the federal government and international resource markets.

On Sunday, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair proposed a national carbon trading system to combat man-made greenhouse gas emissions, which are considered by an overwhelming number of international scientists as the leading cause of climate change.

He said provinces would be allowed to opt out of a national scheme if their efforts are as good as or better, but didn't provide details.

"We're not going to replace something that's working," Mulcair said.

Notley said her province "may address climate change using different tools than Ontario and Quebec will use," referring to a deal between those provinces to work together to cut emissions with a cap-and-trade system.

While Notley didn't provide specific targets or details about her strategy, she said Alberta will move away from coal-fired plants — which she said account for 55 per cent of the province's electricity supply — and look into renewable energy, energy efficiency and some form of carbon pricing.

"We will be looking for a strategy to phase out the use of coal as quickly as we reasonably can," she said, adding she will "phase in change prudently, as our economy recovers," in recognition of the fact Alberta is likely to run at least a $5-billion deficit this year because of a drastic drop in oil prices.

But Notley said she recognizes her province needs to change the way it is perceived nationally and internationally regarding the fight against climate change — and soon.

"If we don't get it right on this issue, a solution is going to be imposed on us — sooner or later — by others. By the federal government, and by our markets, who will increasingly insist that energy products then buy be mined and processed responsibly."

Alberta's opposition party, Wildrose, decried the fact Notley didn't specifically mention major resource projects involving the oilsands, such as TransCanada's Energy East pipeline, which the company wants to build to move crude from Alberta through Ontario and Quebec to be shipped overseas.

"Working to promote Alberta is critical, and today would have been a great time to talk about the importance of Energy East to our economy here at home, and across Canada," Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said in a statement.

Energy East is a politically sensitive issue across Canada, particularly in Quebec, where opposition to the project is strong.

Notley took no questions after her speech.

Giuseppe Valiante, The Canadian Press

All the buzz about leaner Lowry as Toronto Raptors prepare to open camp

TORONTO — Eyes turned and followed Kyle Lowry when he strode into the Air Canada Centre practice gym on Monday. Who's the skinny guy in Lowry's jersey, someone joked.

The Toronto Raptors' traditional season-opening media day had an air of newness. But nothing was as remarkable as the new and improved Lowry, who had teammates and media alike marvelling at his off-season metamorphosis.

"I see him in the locker-room the other day. And I'm like 'Man, I've never seen this before. You've always been this short, chunky, bulldog-fat kid that I've known since my first year in the NBA,'" Patrick Patterson recounted, prompting laughter from reporters. "I'm like 'Seeing you like this, it's like the evil twin brother or something. I don't know.'

"It's just weird but I'm happy for him. He looks great. Talking to him, he said he feels great so I'm proud of him."

The Raptors point guard is coming off a roller-coaster season that saw him earn NBA all-star honours then struggle down the stretch. The Raptors set a franchise record with 49 wins, and won the Atlantic Division title. But they were swept by the Washington Wizards in the opening round of the playoffs.

Lowry went into the off-season vowing to turn things around. His body was a big part of that. 

"Sometimes you get older, you've got to change your body a little bit. And I'm not a young pup no more, but it's just about the future for me, it's about being healthy," Lowry said.

The 29-year-old, who's listed at six foot one and 196 pounds, hired a nutritionist, and said he changed the way he ate. He wouldn't say how much weight he'd lost, but it was a couple of belt loops at least.

"None of my pants fit, I can tell you that much. Dead serious," he said.

The change was clear in his lean face, cut arms and narrow waist. 

"I feel faster, I feel a lot lighter, I feel quicker, I feel sharper. I still feel strong because when I go in the weight room, I still move the same weight I've always moved," he said — then added to a reporter: "I can still bench press you."

His wife is a fan.

"It's nice having abs, I can walk around with my shirt off, my wife's like 'wow.' She likes me," he said, laughing.

Lowry averaged 17.8 points a night last season, his best games coming before February's all-star game. His playoff numbers told the tale of his disappointing second half of the season: 12.3 points a game, down from 21.1 a year earlier.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey believes Lowry's fitness will help him sustain a high level of play throughout the season, and applauded his hard work.

"Believe me, Kyle put his nose to the grind and did that all himself. He's the one who had his own trainer. He had his own regimen that he went through this summer that most of our guys probably couldn't make it through," Casey said. "He ran the hills in Vegas, he did a lot of stuff that he did on his own.

"And my hat is off to him for doing that because he could've relaxed and took the summer off but he didn't. He knew what he had to do and he did it."

Like Patterson, DeMar DeRozan first learned of Lowry's transformation via a photo posted on Instagram.

"It was a shock, it was a shock to everybody, it was a shock to me so I made him come see me in L.A. to make sure it's real," DeRozan said. "That's big. That takes a lot of discipline, when you play at a certain size your whole career in the league, to be able to drop that much weight. When he came to see me in L.A. I didn't believe it when I seen him. But he did it.

"I think he's trying to be more athletic, trying to play above the rim or something. . . he's a lot quicker, a lot more aerodynamic," he added, with a devilish grin. 

The sting of last season's ugly ending lingered for a while for DeRozan and Lowry, but the two said the best thing to do was learn from it and move on.

"Nobody wanted to go out like that, especially with how we started off the season and expectations everybody had for us," DeRozan said.

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri certainly didn't want the team to go out like that, and thus made several off-season changes.

Among the new faces in camp, which opens Tuesday in Vancouver: forwards DeMarre Carroll and Luis Scola, and Canadians Cory Joseph and Anthony Bennett.

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Follow Lori Ewing on Twitter @Ewingsports 

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

Parents call death of three kids in car crash ‘worst nightmare’

VAUGHAN, Ont. — The parents of three young children who died in a crash involving an alleged drunk driver north of Toronto said Monday they are in shock and called it their "worst nightmare."

The children's mother, Jennifer Neville-Lake, who also lost her father in the crash, told Toronto television station CP24 the news hasn't fully sunk in yet.

"It's like the worst nightmare, as a daughter, as a parent, to have to go through and just know it was caused by someone's stupidity... It just kills me," she said.

Daniel Neville-Lake, 9, his brother Harrison, 5, and sister Milly, 2, died after the crash that took place Sunday afternoon in Vaughan, Ont.

Jennifer Neville-Lake said her father often took care of the children because she and her husband both work full time.

Daniel was devoted to dance, having taken ballet for several years, and went to Cubs meetings every week, his mother said. He loved to play strategy games, she said.

Harrison — nicknamed Harry — was a bilateral hand amputee and was often sick, Jennifer Neville-Lake said. He also had a developmental delay, she said.

"Harry was just so happy. He loved beauty, loved to dance, loved long flowing hair and dresses and pink and My Little Pony," she said.

Milly, she said, was "feisty" and loved to play outside.

The two youngest siblings died together in hospital, holding hands, as their grandmother — who was driving the van and suffered serious injuries — sang to them over the phone, Neville-Lake said.

"She didn't know that my dad had died," she said. "She was driving and was pinned in the car and was screaming the kids' names and she couldn't...there was no answer.

"At first she thought it was her hearing but it wasn't until I called her from Sick Kids and I said, 'Mommy the babies are dying, I need you to sing to them please,' so she did, she sang to each of them, and then she found out about my dad." 

Police said all were travelling in the same vehicle when their car was struck by another car. Fire officials said they were T-boned by the other car. A third vehicle was also involved in the crash but its two occupants were not injured.

A 29-year-old man was charged with a dozen impaired-driving offences and appeared briefly in court Monday. Marco Muzzo of King Township, Ont., also faces six charges related to the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

He is due in court for a bail hearing Friday. Crown attorney Brian McCallion said he will be contesting Muzzo's release.

Muzzo's lawyer Rudi Covre would only say that his client is struggling.

"I'm sure you can appreciate that this is a very tough time for him," he said outside the courthouse after the hearing.

"It's a difficult period in his life right now. We're going to have to get through it."

The two boys were students at St. Joachim Elementary School in Brampton, Ont. — Daniel was in Grade 4 and Harrison in senior kindergarten, according to the school board.

Grief counsellors are at the Catholic school and Tuesday's mass will be dedicated to the siblings, spokesman Bruce Campbell said. A memory table has also been set up in the foyer for students to share their feelings and recollections, he said.

"It's obviously a shock," he said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people moved by the tragedy sought to help the family by donating to an online fundraiser in their name. By mid-afternoon Monday, more than $60,000 had been raised through the GoFundMe campaign.

Many expressed their condolences on the site.

"Such a sad story. I taught one of the boys a few years back in daycare and can't imagine this happening to such a wonderful, loving family," one woman wrote.

"I pray that this family can deal with this most horrific event. The loss of your father and all three of your children is absolutely heart-wrenching. My condolences xo," said another.

MADD Canada said there are somewhere between 1,250 and 1,500 deaths related to impaired driving in Canada each year. Andrew Murie, the organization's CEO, said both the federal and provincial governments need to increase penalties for impaired drivers.

The Canadian Press

New Raptors like the city but not the traffic gridlock that comes with it

Toronto's restaurants are already getting a thumbs-up from new Toronto Raptor DeMarre Carroll. But the city's traffic is definitely a downer.

"There's a lot of good food," the six-foot-eight 215-pound Carroll said Monday at the Raptors' media day. "I'm an Italian (food) guy myself, so I've been in a lot of restaurants.

"The people here are nice. Wherever I go, people say 'Hey, DeMarre.' So it's kind of cool, man, to have this many fans, have this many people who recognize you and understand what you did, and how much they love you."

Carroll joins the Raptors from Atlanta after stints with Memphis, Houston, Denver and Utah.

Argentine veteran Luis Scola, who had previous NBA stops in Houston, Phoenix and Indiana, also spoke highly of his new home.

"I think the city is amazing," he said. "I thought the city was amazing before I got here and I'm actually even more impressed with the city. I think it's probably the best city in the NBA to play (on).

"It has some challenges — the winter obviously, the traffic obviously — but those are challenges you have in all the cities of the north. And those are challenges you have in any big city. And I'm from Buenos Aires so I've dealt with traffic since I was born. So it doesn't really bother me that much.

"So I'm happy to be here. I believe it's going to be a great outside basketball experience for me and my family, especially for my family. They have a chance to live in another country and get to know another culture and get to know another city."

Rookie Delon Wright has also noticed the city gridlock.

"I like it so far, besides the traffic," said the 23-year-old guard from the University of Utah. "It's be better if I walk but I have a car now. But I like the city, I love it."

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Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

Senators sign local defenceman Fraser to a one-year, two-way contract

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have signed defenceman Mark Fraser to a one-year, two-way contract.

The deal will carry an annual value of $800,000 in the National Hockey League and $125,000 in the American Hockey League.

Fraser, 28, spent time with both the New Jersey Devils and the AHL's Albany Devils last season, recording four assists and 55 penalty minutes over 34 games with New Jersey. The Ottawa native registered three points (one goal) and 45 penalty minutes in 18 games with Albany.

Fraser will add depth to the blue line after the Senators suspended young defenceman Mikael Wikstrand for leaving training camp and returning to Sweden.

Originally drafted by New Jersey with their third-round pick (84th overall) in the 2005 NHL Draft, Fraser has played in 219 career NHL games with the Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers.

Fraser appeared in two pre-season games with Toronto on a professional tryout before being cut.

The Canadian Press

Shannon Miller, 2 other former UMD coaches to talk about discrimination allegations

DULUTH, Minn. — Former Canadian women's hockey team coach Shannon Miller and two other former University of Minnesota Duluth female coaches are planning a news conference to talk about possible legal action relating to discrimination.

Miller has alleged discrimination based on her gender and sexual orientation. After leading the Bulldogs to five NCAA national championships, the university cited a budget deficit when it informed her in December that her contract would not be renewed.

Jen Banford was also released as the team's director of hockey operations. She was offered a one-year contract to remain women's softball coach, but declined. Head women's basketball coach Annette Wiles resigned in June after seven seasons, citing an unhealthy work environment.

The university released a statement from Chancellor Lendley Black which says it has done an internal review of complaints raised and it disputes broad claims of discrimination.

Miller coached Canada to a gold medal at the 1997 IIHF World Women's Championship and silver at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

The Associated Press

NHL PREVIEW: Price makes Canadiens best hope to end Canada’s Stanley Cup drought

TORONTO — With individual accolades all around him at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, Carey Price's mind was still on the Stanley Cup that had eluded him and his teammates.

"I'd trade all four of these in for that one," the star Montreal Canadiens goaltender said. "We have a lot of very good parts in Montreal and a very good hockey team. We're gaining experience and I'm very, very happy and very excited about our future."

Price is the biggest reason to be excited about the Canadiens' present and future. The reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy-winner is only one player, but his presence makes Montreal the most likely team to end Canada's Cup drought that currently sits at 21 seasons.

Oddsmakers give eight NHL teams better odds than the Habs (18-1), but they have the most realistic shot of any Canadian-based team. The Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets are 28-1, the Edmonton Oilers 33-1, Ottawa Senators 40-1, Vancouver Canucks 66-1 and Toronto Maple Leafs 100-1, according to the online sportsbook Bodog.ca.

If the Habs are going to lift the Cup for the first time since 1993, they'll need to do more to support a goaltender who is playing at the level of two-time Conn Smythe Trophy-winner Patrick Roy. Price led the league with 44 wins, a 1.96 goals-against average and .933 save percentage, but skaters have to score more and be better, too.

"We're fortunate to have him, and obviously as players we want to help him out a little bit more than we did last year," centre Tomas Plekanec said. "A big part was Pricey, which is one thing that obviously we want to get better at and play better in front of him."

The Habs will have defenceman Jeff Petry for an entire season and should be better by having him on the second pairing behind one of hockey's most dynamic players in P.K. Subban. They also have a captain for the first time since Brian Gionta left in the summer of 2014, giving left-winger Max Pacioretty the honour. Talented forward Alex Galchenyuk moves to centre in the hopes of sparking his career.

For all the minor changes in Montreal, Price is the constant. And what a constant to have.

"My expectations for him are no different from what they've been since I started playing on this team and that's to remain and be one of the best goaltenders in the world," Subban said. "He proved that he could be that last year. He'll have to continue to prove that for our team to win a Stanley Cup."

Immediate Stanley Cup aspirations are hard to find elsewhere across Canada, though the Flames have real expectations on them this season after a surprise run to the playoffs ahead of schedule. With the addition of defenceman Dougie Hamilton, the return of captain Mark Giordano and the maturation of Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Bennett, there's reason to believe the Flames are a legitimate playoff contender.

"On paper today, if you look at our roster, we do look like a deeper, better team than last year, but we have to, as players, bring that now and prove it on the ice," Giordano said.

On paper, the Jets aren't quite as formidable as they were in making their first playoff appearance since returning to Winnipeg. Gone are forwards Michael Frolik and Jim Slater and deadline pickups Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty, and there will be an infusion of youth into the Jets' lineup.

The Jets were banged up beyond recognition when they were swept in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks. A healthy under coach Paul Maurice could provide better results this season, much like how the Tampa Bay Lightning rebounded following their 2014 first-round sweep.

"I guess I do feel more encouraged by it that you realize we're not that far off," said defenceman Jacob Trouba, who played with a broken bone in his left hand.

Adding phenom Connor McDavid, coach Todd McLellan, goaltender Cam Talbot and defenceman Andrej Sekera should make the Oilers substantially better. Centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said the Oilers are still young but trending away from that label, and new general manager Peter Chiarelli has certain expectations for improvement, even if he's not willing to share.

"What I can tell you is I believe the margins are very, very thin on making the playoffs," Chiarelli said. "There's a lot of new faces. I've got to see it."

There may not be much to see in Vancouver and Toronto come April, even after the Canucks made the playoffs in their first season under coach Willie Desjardins. Vancouver is a team in "transition," according to GM Jim Benning, while the Leafs hope they're on the way back up — eventually — with Mike Babcock behind the bench.

In Ottawa, the expectation is still the playoffs. But the Senators know they can't wait until mid-season to make a miraculous run like they did a year ago, thanks in large part to goaltender Andrew Hammond.

"What we did is one in a million," captain Erik Karlsson said. "I don't know if we could do it again."

With files from Lauren La Rose in Toronto and Donna Spencer in Calgary.

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Follow @SWhyno on Twitter

Stephen Whyno, The Canadian Press

Baseball-softball, karate, surfing, skateboarding and climbing proposed for Tokyo Olympics

TOKYO — Baseball and softball were joined by youth-oriented sports such as surfing and skateboarding as Japanese organizers on Monday recommended five additional sports with 18 events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Karate and sports climbing were also on the list proposed by the Tokyo organizing committee. Bowling, squash and wushu failed to make the cut from among eight finalists.

The recommendation will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee, which will make a final decision in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.

Under the "Olympic Agenda 2020" program adopted by the IOC last December, host cities are allowed to propose one or more additional sports for their games. That's on top of the 28 sports already on the program.

Tokyo had been generally expected to nominate one or two. By choosing five sports, organizers made sure to include those important to Japan — baseball and karate — as well as meet the IOC's call that additional sports have a strong youth appeal.

"It was quite a difficult task," said Toshiyuki Akiyama, vice governor of Tokyo and a member of the additional event program panel. "Baseball, softball and karate were proposed and supported by the Tokyo metropolitan assembly. As for skateboarding, sports climbing, surfing, the key word is youth."

The proposed events would add 474 athletes to the games, a total that fits within the cap of 500 additional athletes set by the IOC.

To stay within the limits, the Tokyo committee cut baseball to six teams from eight, and limited sports such as surfing to two events, shortboard for men and women.

"We know younger people tend to stay indoors nowadays, and we believe we included events that will drive people outside," said Tomiaki Fukuda, the president of the Japan Wrestling Federation. "It will create a new image for the Olympic Games."

Fujio Mitarai, the honorary president of the organizing committee, noted that skateboarding is an urban sport, fitting for a metropolis like Tokyo.

The recommendations were welcomed by the IOC, which has not said how many sports it would add, if any.

"This is another concrete step forward in the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, showing a new, fresh and very exciting approach to the Olympic program," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. "The proposal ... reflects ... a particular appeal to youth."

Twenty-six sports had originally applied for consideration. The eight sports made a short list that was announced in June.

Baseball and softball have been out of the Olympics since the 2008 Beijing Games, and their proposed inclusion as a joint bid had been considered a virtual certainty because of the high popularity of those sports in Japan.

"We've reached second base," World Baseball Softball Confederation president Riccardo Fraccari told The Associated Press in Italy. "Now we've got to wait until Rio to get home."

Under Tokyo's recommendations, the men's baseball tournament would consist of six teams and 144 total players, while the women's softball competition would have six teams and 90 players.

Fraccari had proposed an eight-team baseball tournament with two groups of four teams each playing over five days.

"With six teams we need to analyze what type of format we can arrange," Fraccari said. "We have to rearrange everything and see what we can propose."

There are still no assurances that U.S. major league players would take part.

"We're in discussions and we have a great relationship with MLB," Fraccari said. "We have plenty of time to discuss before 2020."

Karate would have eight men's and women's Kumite and Kata events and a total of 80 athletes; skateboarding proposes two street and two park events for 80 athletes; sports climbing has two events in bouldering, lead and speed combined for 40 athletes; and surfing would have two shortboard events for 40 competitors.

International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre called the announcement "an extraordinary moment for our sport."

"Surfing embodies a cool, playful lifestyle that would add a completely new element to the program," he said.

For squash, meanwhile, it marked the sport's latest in a series of rejections for Olympic inclusion over the past 12 years.

"I am utterly devastated ... that our dream of taking part in the Tokyo Games cannot now be realized," World Squash Federation president N. Ramachandran, adding that he would continue to push for inclusion in future Olympics.

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AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf in Rome contributed to this report.

Ken Moritsugu, The Associated Press

Sepp Blatter back at work at FIFA HQ amid Swiss probe, due to address staff at meeting

ZURICH — Sepp Blatter is back at work at FIFA headquarters, three days after being interrogated there by Swiss investigators, and is due to address staff at the scandal-battered governing body later on Monday.

The FIFA president is scheduled to speak at a staff meeting, which is being characterized as a regular gathering that takes place at least once a month rather than the stage for a sudden announcement.

Blatter is awaiting a possible announcement from the FIFA ethics committee on whether he will be suspended as a result of the Swiss investigation into possible criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA money.

Blatter adviser Klaus Stoehlker told The Associated Press about the staff meeting, which is planned for 4 p.m. local time. Blatter is due to hand over power after February's election.

Rob Harris, The Associated Press