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Former Edmonton Eskimos running back Jim Thomas dies at 76

EDMONTON — Former CFL All Star and Edmonton Eskimos running back Jim Thomas has died. He was 76.

The Eskimos announced Thomas' death — which occurred on Oct. 4 — on Thursday.

Thomas, from Columbus, Miss, spent nine years with Edmonton from 1963 to 1971. Nicknamed "Long Gone," he ran for 6,161 career yards — third most on the Eskimos all-time list — on 1,111 carries with 37 touchdowns. He also recorded 221 receptions for 2,642 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Thomas holds the record for the three longest rushing touchdowns in Eskimos history — a 104-yard TD run on Oct. 9, 1965 against the B.C. Lions, a 100-yard run on Aug. 2, 1966 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and a 97-yard run on Sept. 4, 1964 against the Ottawa Rough Riders.

Thomas was a West Division all in each of his nine seasons with Edmonton and was named a CFL all-star twice (1966, 1967).

 

The Canadian Press

Underdog Texas Rangers spoil Blue Jays’ long-awaited return to the post-season

TORONTO — Advantage Texas Rangers.

The underdog AL West champions, no strangers to being written off, spoiled the Blue Jays' long-awaited return to the post-season Thursday, beating Toronto ace David Price en route to a 5-3 win.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister sends Cole Hamels, his marquee man, to the mound Friday afternoon to face Marcus Stroman in Game 2.

There's a ways to go in the best-of-five series, but Texas is smiling while Canada has its fingers crossed.

"I care a ton," said a disappointed Price. "I want to go out there and pitch well for my teammates and pitch well for this country and I didn't do that today."

A sellout crowd of 49,834, waving rally towels, lived and died with every pitch under the roof at the Rogers Centre, which last saw playoff action in 1993 when the Jays won a second straight World Series.

Russell Martin, the Jays' Canadian catcher, called the atmosphere "awesome."

"The fans were great. Good energy, from start to finish," he said. "The only thing that wasn't good was the result."

Countless other Canadians took in the game from further afield as baseball took centre stage at the start of hockey season.

Rougned Odor and Robinson Chirinos homered and combined to score four of the Rangers' runs as the bottom of the Texas order took its toll on Price, who was pitching on 11 days rest.

Price, who left after seven innings, gave up five earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks. He threw 90 pitches, 59 for strikes in taking the loss.

"That's baseball. If you don't like it, pitch better," he said, quoting a slogan that hangs in his locker. "That's something I always say. I definitely don't like the result of what happened today but there's a lot of things that were in my control today and I didn't control those things."

Price, who did not hit a batter as a Jay during the regular season, hit Odor twice in five innings  — a Toronto playoff record. Both times the Texas second baseman came home to score.

Odor, a 21-year-old from Venezuela, is the second-youngest player to score three runs in a post-season game, according to ESPN Stats. Only Andruw Jones in the 1996 World Series was younger.

For all his regular-season exploits, Price has lost six straight in the playoffs since a win over Boston in 2008.

"It's been about seven years so I want that monkey off my back," Price said. "I expect to have better results out there on the field. I didn't throw the ball the way that I'm capable of today and I'll be ready to go whenever it's my turn again."

The Rangers never trailed, scoring twice in the third and fifth before adding a single run in the seventh. Toronto, limited to single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth, outhit Texas 6-5 but was only 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Jays manager John Gibbons called it one of those games.

"He (Price) didn't give up many hits. The key ones were the two home runs, the two-runner by Chirinos and then Odor getting him later, that was really the difference in the game," said Gibbons, his voice hoarse from a chest cold. 

Texas only won two of six games against Toronto this season and Yovani Gallardo was on the mound for both. He started strongly Thursday, retiring the first nine Jays he faced before exiting after five innings with a 4-2 lead.

Rangers manager Jeff Bannister, whose Rangers seemed to come into the series with a chip on their shoulder given the attention on the Jays, pointed to his team's resolve in the wake of the win

"We've got a very confident group of guys," he said. "We've got a group of guys that they absolutely love playing together and they've been up against it all year long since spring training.

"So it's not anything that we haven't faced already about what is said on the outside about our ball club. We know that we're a ball club that's not a perfect ball club, but we've got a group of guys that play extremely well together. It's a good team. They play very well together."

Both teams lost key players during the game, with Jays' MVP candidate Josh Donaldson and right-fielder Jose Bautista and Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre leaving early with injuries.

Toronto said Donaldson, dinged in the head by Odor's knee in breaking up a double play, had cleared the concussion protocol and would be evaluated Friday.

"I think he got a little light-headed, (felt) something wasn't right," said Gibbons. "But he did pass the test so that's a good sign."

In sacrificing his body, Donaldson kept the fourth inning alive and set the stage for Toronto's first run. He did it at some personal cost, losing his batting helmet and grimacing as he got up.

Bautista was diagnosed with a hamstring cramp and is not expected to miss any more action.

An MRI showed a lower back strain for Beltre, with no immediate word on his availability.

Bautista homered deep to left-centre off reliever Keone Kela to open the bottom of the sixth, cutting the Texas lead to 4-3 and lifting hopes. The Jays slugger paused to admire his first-ever post-season blast then trotted around the bases.

One hitter later, Edwin Encarnacion almost repeated the feat but his blast went just foul.

Odor's line-drive homer to right in the seventh made it 5-3, shushing the crowd after Bautista's homer.

Hard-throwing Sam Dyson got the save for Texas, hitting 98 m.p.h. in the ninth. Encarnacion opened with a single but the Jays came up short.

"The thing we've got going for us is I think we have been resilient all year ... One thing I know about us is we always seem to respond," said Gibbons.

"I still like our team," said Martin. "We fought hard all year. I don't know how many series that we lost the first game and still came out and won the series. It's good to have that in the back of your mind."

Added Bautista: "It's one game. This could have been the fourth game of the series. It doesn't make a difference. We've still got to go out there (Friday) and keep winning games and we have to go to Texas anyway and win there. So it doesn't change anything about our approach.

The contest featured a matchup of the two highest-scoring teams in baseball since the all-star break (405 runs for Toronto, 381 for Texas). Toronto went 40-18 and Texas 38-22 since the start of August.

While Toronto (93-69) was making its return to the post-season after more than two decades, Texas (88-74) has made it four of the last six years. Still the Rangers' ride this season is noteworthy, given they were last in the American League last year at 67-95 and they opened this season at 7-14.

"They counted us out in April but today we start the post-season," the Rangers tweeted prior to Thursday's game with their signature NeverEverQuit hashtag. 

There was plenty of pre-game hoopla, with the "2015 AL East Champs" banner unfurled high in the rafters.

Cito Gaston, who managed the Jays to back-to-back World Series the last time Toronto was in the playoffs, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. And there was another tie to the glory days with the Canadian anthem — a recording of the late Michael Burgess from the 1992 World Series played as members of the military manned a giant Canadian flag in the outfield.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

Jays sluggers Donaldson, Bautista leave playoff game with Rangers

TORONTO — Losing the American League Division Series opener was bad enough for the Toronto Blue Jays. The thought of losing a couple of star sluggers made things even worse Thursday.

The good news for the Blue Jays is that the right hamstring issue that forced Jose Bautista from the game in the ninth inning was only a cramp. Far more uncertain is the severity of the injury to Josh Donaldson, who took a knee to the head in a collision at second base in the fourth inning.

Bautista received treatment after the 5-3 loss to the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre and said he does not expect to miss any time. Donaldson, meanwhile, cleared his concussion tests and will be re-evaluated before Game 2 on Friday afternoon.

Donaldson came out to play third base in the top of the fifth inning before being replaced in the bottom of the frame.

"I think he got a little lightheaded, felt that something wasn't right," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "But he did pass all the tests so that's a good sign."

Donaldson, who did not speak to reporters after the game, collided with infielder Rougned Odor while trying to break up a double play.

The Toronto slugger had reached on a walk and sprinted for second base after Bautista hit a grounder to third baseman Hanser Alberto, who fired the ball to Odor for the forceout. Odor jumped in the air as the hard-charging Donaldson came barrelling in underneath him.

Donaldson's helmet flew off as his head hit the inside of Odor's left leg.

"That's playoff baseball," said Toronto second baseman Ryan Goins. "Guys are going in hard. (Odor) did a good job to get out of the way and just having Josh hit his knee or whatever it was. So that's how it goes. We'll come in tomorrow and get after it." 

Donaldson stayed down on the ground for a few seconds before walking off under his own power. His exit from the game was a precautionary move, a team spokesman said.

"That kind of thing happens from time to time," Bautista said. "He was going in hard to break up the double play. Odor was trying to jump over him to make a throw. It happens. It's a little scary."

Bautista, meanwhile, said he felt the cramp in his leg during an at-bat in the eighth inning. He started to leave the dugout to come out for the top of the ninth but grimaced and went back to the locker-room for treatment.

Ezequiel Carrera replaced Donaldson in the No. 2 spot in the order but grounded out in his lone at-bat. Utility infielder Cliff Pennington later replaced Carrera at third base.

Canadian Dalton Pompey filled in for Bautista in the No. 3 spot and in right field.

Donaldson, a top contender for the American League's most valuable player award, batted .297 this past season with 41 homers and 123 RBIs.

“If he’s not playing in the game, he's banged up," said Toronto catcher Russell Martin. "So obviously he probably wasn't feeling too well. Hopefully he can bounce back and be back in the lineup tomorrow. I know if it’s in his capabilities to, he will be in the lineup tomorrow.

“But, you know, he's an MVP. So obviously you want that guy playing.”

Bautista, who hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, also had a strong regular season with 40 homers and 114 RBIs.

The Rangers also lost one of their star players earlier in the game. Adrian Beltre left in the third inning due to lower back stiffness.

Game 3 will be played Sunday evening at Arlington. The Rangers will also host Game 4, if necessary, on Monday.

If a deciding game is required, it will be played Wednesday at Rogers Centre.

___

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Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press

McDavid makes long-awaited NHL debut amid nerves, hype and curiosity

ST. LOUIS — Welcome to the NHL, Connor McDavid.

McDavid made his debut for the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night at the St. Louis Blues, the final step of a lifelong journey.

"I'm living out my dream," McDavid said. "There's nothing better than that."

For all his dreams, McDavid got a good night's sleep on the eve of his big-league debut, and it wasn't until he woke up in a St. Louis hotel Thursday morning that he let his mind wander. That's when the nerves kicked in.

"That's kind of when it hit me that I'll be playing in my first NHL game," the No. 1 pick said after his first regular-season morning skate. "That's when I first realized. Last night I had no problem sleeping, like nothing at all. Just woke up this morning and that was kind of it."

McDavid enters the league with the nerves of any 18-year-old, but unlike other rookies he also carries the weight of being compared to Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky. There's also a curiosity factor in play that might be the highest of its kind in the history of the sport.

"I did spend some time talking to Sid about his experience and even since then the world has really changed as far as media and social media and that type of stuff," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. "This is a new adventure for everybody involved. I know that Connor has the tools to handle the pressure, and we'll do everything we can to help him."

The Newmarket, Ont., native began his new adventure with 2010 top pick Taylor Hall and fellow rookie Anton Slepyshev as his linemates. Hall has been impressed by McDavid's defensive play so far but cautioned not to make too much of how he comes out of the gate.

"It's important to remember he's 18," Hall said. "I'm 23 and I still have bad games, Sidney Crosby's the best player in the world, he still has bad games. There's going to be some trials and some errors, but I think that he's in a position to succeed, and it's going to be fun to watch him grow."

McDavid is almost timidly bashful about the significance of his NHL debut. He might be the only one.

"He's humble like Gretz," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He's sincere, very complimentary to existing veteran players in the league and has a healthy respect for the history of the game."

There's already respect for McDavid from players who haven't yet been on the ice against him and just watched his highlights. Blues defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk said he wanted to "make sure that you're not the first guy getting danced by the young guy."

Shattenkirk isn't the only elite defenceman thinking about that.

"When you see highlights, you kind of wonder, 'What's this guy going to be like to play against?'" Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks said. "He's pretty shifty for a young guy, and you just don't want to get embarrassed by him."

New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider expects McDavid to be "the real deal" and says he "seems to be that Sidney Crosby-type player." Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty wants to see for himself.

"I'm excited to play against him," Doughty said. "I think it's pretty obvious that no one can take him lightly, so he's going to come into the league with a big target on his back right off the bat."

That target is already there. St. Louis captain David Backes talked up his team's in-your-face, hard-nosed style and assured that whenever McDavid is an opponent, "he's going to experience that and let's see how he responds to it."

Hundreds of Oilers fans made the trip to St. Louis to witness McDavid's debut, including many of whom sported No. 97 sweaters and T-shirts. A handful of Erie Otters fans with McDavid sweaters were also in attendance at Scottrade Center.

"There was no way I was missing this," said Alberta native Wes Holliday, who now lives in Wisconsin. "Bringing everybody else in from the top on down, I think that's what really helps the excitement level out, and getting a talent like McDavid in there."

Kyle Levicki of Edmonton, wearing a home Oilers jersey with McDavid's name and number on it, said "There's excitement back in the team now."

McLellan conceded he's as curious as everyone else to see how McDavid does on a new-look Oilers team that features plenty of fresh faces. McDavid's baby face is the one everyone will be watching closely not only early on but potentially for the next 15 years.

"He's one of the most talented guys I've ever seen," centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "In here, we're not going to put too much pressure on him. He's 18. He's going to go out and be a great player, but we're not expecting him to score a hat trick every night or anything like that.

"We just want him to go play, have fun, and no matter what he does, he's going to help the team."

___

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Stephen Whyno, The Canadian Press

Blatter replaced as FIFA president while suspended; Platini tries to remain in charge of UEFA

ZURICH — Sepp Blatter is out of a job at FIFA. Michel Platini might never even get there.

Two of the most powerful men in soccer were handed 90-day suspensions by the FIFA ethics committee on Thursday, essentially ending Blatter's 17-year reign as president and likely stunting Platini's chances of replacing him.

Both Blatter and Platini, former allies who turned into rivals in the buildup to the most recent FIFA presidential election, have become embroiled in a Swiss criminal investigation. Blatter has been labeled a suspect and questioned by authorities, while Platini was said to be somewhere between a witness and a suspect.

Both maintain their innocence.

"President Blatter looks forward to the opportunity to present evidence that will demonstrate that he did not engage in any misconduct, criminal or otherwise," Blatter's lawyer, Richard Cullen, said in a statement.

Platini also pledged to fight the decision, calling the allegations against him "astonishingly vague" in a statement sent from UEFA hours after the Frenchman was banned from working as the body's president.

"I want everyone to know my state of mind: more than a sense of injustice or a desire for revenge, I am driven by a profound feeling of staunch defiance," Platini said. "I am more determined than ever to defend myself before the relevant judicial bodies."

The statement from UEFA, which stressed "its full confidence" in Platini, has exposed the body's officials to potential action under FIFA ethics rules. According to UEFA statutes, Platini should have been replaced by Angel Maria Villar, the highest-ranking vice-president.

"(Platini) is currently suspended and will therefore not perform his official duties for the time being," UEFA said in a statement, still referring to Platini as president. "UEFA is fully aware of its responsibilities under the relevant provisions of the statutes."

UEFA's 54 member nations are due to meet in Nyon, Switzerland, next Thursday to discuss the worst crisis in its history and the bid by Platini to succeed Blatter.

The 90-day suspensions for Blatter and Platini were imposed after the Swiss authorities started investigating a payment from FIFA to the former France midfield great in 2011 for work carried out at least nine years earlier.

Another presidential hopeful, Chung Mong-joon, was suspended for six years in a separate case and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was banned for 90 days.

The suspensions can be extended by up to 45 days.

The International Olympic Committee called on FIFA to consider a "credible external presidential candidate of high integrity" as Blatter's replacement.

"Enough is enough," IOC President Thomas Bach said. "We hope that now, finally, everyone at FIFA has at last understood that they cannot continue to remain passive."

Issa Hayatou, the longtime head of the African soccer confederation who was reprimanded in 2011 by the IOC in a FIFA kickbacks scandal, took over from Blatter as acting FIFA president.

The 69-year-old Cameroonian, who has a serious kidney illness that requires regular dialysis sessions, is currently in Yaounde, the Cameroon capital, and is expected to travel to Zurich soon.

Hayatou said he would not stand for president in the February election prompted by Blatter's earlier decision to resign at the start of his fifth presidential term.

Blatter's suspension stops a career that began at FIFA in 1975 and includes the last 17 years as president.

Blatter had survived waves of scandals affecting close allies, but the corruption scandal engulfing FIFA severely escalated in May when seven officials were arrested in Zurich as part of an American bribery investigation.

At the same time, the Swiss authorities revealed their own probe into soccer corruption and a criminal case was opened against Blatter last month.

Swiss investigators turned up at Blatter's office at FIFA headquarters and interrogated him. The criminal case centres on Blatter allegedly misusing FIFA money by making a $2 million "disloyal payment" to Platini.

Blatter was also questioned by Swiss investigators about broadcasting contracts sold to former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner in 2005 that were supposedly undervalued.

Cullen, Blatter's lawyer, said the ethics committee failed to follow procedure and based its decision on a "misunderstanding."

"The attorney general in Switzerland ... opened an investigation but brought no charge against the president," Cullen said. "In fact, the prosecutors will be obliged by law to dismiss the case if their investigation, barely two weeks old, does not establish sufficient evidence."

Blatter quickly submitted an appeal to FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert through lawyers and asked to see the reasons for the decision to suspend him, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the appeal process publicly.

The suspension of Platini could have the most far-reaching implications. The former European player of the year submitted his formal candidacy to stand in the Feb. 26 election to replace Blatter on Thursday morning. That means it will have to be considered by the election committee after the Oct. 26 deadline for candidacies.

Chung, a former FIFA vice-president, was found guilty of breaches relating to the investigation into bidding for the 2022 World Cup, of which South Korea was a contender. Valcke, Blatter's top administrator, had already been put on leave last month after being the subject of allegations over a deal for black market sales of tickets to 2014 World Cup matches.

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Harris reported from London.

Rob Harris And Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press

Government review of Syrian refugees didn’t include those from church groups

OTTAWA — Privately sponsored refugees were exempted from the Conservative government's security audit of the Syrian refugee resettlement program, raising questions about whether it's because most probably aren't Muslim.

The Conservative government ordered a review of some Syrian refugee cases this summer as a result of intelligence reports suggesting refugees could pose a threat.

"Our government has adopted a generous approach to the admission of refugees while ensuring the selection of the most vulnerable people and keeping our country safe and secure," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said during a campaign stop in Vancouver Thursday after news of the review surfaced. 

"The audit we asked for earlier this year was to ensure that these policy objectives are being met."

Of the 11,300 Syrian refugees the government has committed to resettling since the start of the Syrian war, the vast majority are being resettled by private groups, mostly churches. 

But the June audit was carried out only on government-assisted refugee cases, including those already in Canada and those still in the queue, forcing a halt to processing those files for several weeks.

"The processing of privately sponsored refugees continued throughout this period," said Chris Day, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Chris Alexander.

Only UN-referred refugee files were audited as the government knows less about those cases when they arrive for processing than they do about refugees being brought to Canada by private groups, said a government source speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the system.

U.S. security officials have raised concerns in recent weeks about the potential for Islamic militants to be among the millions of people pouring out of Iraq and Syria and seeking asylum around the world. Existing intelligence on the ground in Syria in particular makes identifying those people a challenge.

All refugees undergo security and medical checks before being approved for a visa to enter Canada; the difference between a government-assisted refugee and a privately sponsored one is how they are selected.

The government program admits only people chosen by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees. The UNHCR would not comment on the security review of their cases.

They assign files to Canada based on a specific set of criteria that does not include the Conservative government's stated preference for religious minorities from the region.

An estimated 90 per cent of refugees in the region identify as Muslim so it's likely the majority of the people referred to Canada by the UN are Muslim as well, though hard numbers aren't available.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of the private groups approved by the government to resettle refugees are churches. They have more flexibility to select who they want — and in turn, the government has more flexibility to approve or reject those applications.

That's the reason the government isn't worried about those files, suggested Faisal Alazem, a spokesman for the Syrian Canadian Council.

"They know that through the churches, it'll be Christians or minorities to come," he said.

There are no statistics available on the actual religious make-up of Canada's refugee population, nor whether churches do typically tend to select Christians or other particular minorities.

While the majority of Muslims in the region are Sunni, there are Muslim minority groups as well.

"Refugee sponsorship should be on humanitarian grounds and not be affected by politics," said Alexandra Kotyk, the project manager for Lifeline Syria, a Toronto-based initiative to resettle 1,000 Syrians in that city over the next two years.

Harper rejected a report that his political staff were involved in the refugee selection process.

"Political staff are never involved in approving refugee applications," he said. "Such decisions are made by officials in the department of Citizenship and Immigration."

The review included cases being handled by two non-governmental organizations who assist the government in refugee resettlement: the Danish Refugee Council and the Aga Khan Foundation. No issues were uncovered.

But the review itself may be the reason that only 287 government assisted refugee files were closed between January and August of this year, compared to 1,513 privately sponsored refugees.

— with files from Lina Dib

Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press

Bond denied to Puerto Rico woman accused of hiring hit man to kill Canadian husband

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A federal judge on Thursday denied bond to a Puerto Rican woman accused of offering a hit man $3 million to kill her wealthy Canadian husband.

Aurea Vazquez Rijos pleaded not guilty and was ordered to remain in jail until her trial, which is scheduled to start Oct. 27.

Vazquez arrived in Puerto Rico in late September after a court in Spain ordered her extradition. Attending Thursday's hearing was Vazquez's mother, who was given custody of her daughter's baby, who was born in Spain.

A U.S. grand jury charged Vazquez in June 2008 following the death of real estate developer Adam Anhang, who had an estimated net worth of $24 million. He was beaten and stabbed to death in September 2005 in the historic district of Puerto Rico's capital after he and Vazquez met to discuss their pending divorce.

Vazquez refused to co-operate with police and filed a civil lawsuit against Anhang's family after his death seeking $1 million in damages and millions more from his estate. A judge dismissed the suit.

Vazquez later vanished and reappeared in Spain, where she was arrested in June 2013.

The Associated Press

New ticket packages announced for U-17 Hockey Challenge

Judges reserve decision on whether to quash Northern Gateway pipeline approval

VANCOUVER — The fate of the Northern Gateway pipeline project is now in the hands of a trio of Federal Appeal Court judges who reserved their decision on whether to uphold or quash the government's approval of the controversial project.

Over six days of legal arguments in Vancouver, the court heard the government didn't get aboriginal consent or consider the impact on the environment when it approved the project, while proponents claimed a decision to overturn the pipeline approval would kill the project.

The government approved the $7-billion Enbridge (TSX:ENB) Northern Gateway project in June 2014 with 209 conditions, following the recommendations made by a review panel considering the environmental impacts of the interprovincial pipeline.

A collection of First Nations, environmental groups and a labour union launched the appeal, asserting that the panel tasked with reviewing the pipeline proposal didn't adequately consult with aboriginal groups nor sufficiently consider the environmental impact.

"At its heart, the duty to fair consultation is a conversation to reach mutual understanding and the Crown simply failed to do that," said lawyer Robert Janes, speaking on behalf of the First Nations.

"What could have been used here was a bit more diplomacy rather than what I would say is the somewhat dishonourable approach that the Government of Canada took to dealing with the core issues of title and governance rights."

Janes also dismissed the suggestion that First Nations' concerns could be addressed further along in the regulatory review process.

"The submissions made by Canada and Northern Gateway that, like Orphan Annie looking forward to tomorrow, the real consultation is yet to come simply cannot be sustained," he said.

The project's proponents have argued throughout the appeal that the review process was thorough, fair and reasonable.

Lewis Manning, lawyer for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, which is an intervener in the proceedings, told the court the Joint Review Panel made "every conceivable effort" to accommodate participation and did its best to mitigate concerns.

"That some parties chose not to participate is truly a shame," he said. "Those who didn't participate in the process lost the opportunity to make their views known."

Federal government lawyer Jan Brongers acknowledged there might have been flaws in the process, but he raised the question of how much imperfection should be allowed.

"It would be hard to imagine a truly perfect consultation," he said. "In our submission the process was reasonable.

"Detailed information was provided to the First Nations about the impacts the project would have. They had an opportunity to be heard. Their concerns were taken seriously," he said. "They were not dismissed out of hand, and accommodation measures were implemented where possible. And when not, an explanation was given."

In a statement released Thursday, Northern Gateway president John Carruthers said the company still has more work to do to secure aboriginal support.

"Northern Gateway is open to change," said Carruthers. "We will continue to adapt and address First Nation and Métis concerns as they arise and seek opportunities for meaningful, respectful dialogue with all groups."

Northern Gateway would see a 1,177-kilometre double pipeline installed that would carry diluted bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to B.C.'s coastline for export overseas.

The company estimates it would boost Canada's gross domestic product by $300 billion over 30 years, as well as provide employment opportunities and sizable tax and royalty revenues.

— Follow @gwomand on Twitter

Geordon Omand, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled Robert Janes's name.

Political showdown over Syrian refugees re-emerges on campaign trail

OTTAWA — The political debate over the plight of Syrian refugees has re-emerged in the election campaign, with media reports that suggest the Prime Minister's Office temporarily halted their entry into Canada, citing potential security threats.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's opponents quickly accused him Thursday of once again trying to whip up public safety fears ahead of the Oct. 19 vote. Harper, however, insisted later in the day that political staffers were never part of the refugee approval process.

The PMO ordered a security review in June of government-assisted refugee cases from Syria after U.S. intelligence reports suggested the foreigners could pose a risk to that country.

Following a few weeks of delay, the process was eventually restarted after no threats were found. The audit did not affect the processing of privately sponsored files.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair pulled no punches Thursday, calling the decision to halt the process "a shame on Canada." He also demanded that Harper apologize.

"We learned today that Stephen Harper intervened personally to stop the arrival of Syrian refugees," Mulcair said at a campaign stop in Toronto, where he also reminded his audience about the stunning September images of lifeless, three-year-old refugee Alan Kurdi.

"(Harper) had already done that before he appeared before us to emote, talking about his own family after seeing the body of that little child on that beach in Turkey.

"That is abject behaviour on the part of a Canadian prime minister."

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau called the PMO's refugee move another example of how Harper has reverted to the politics of "fear and division" in order to distract from Conservative failures on files like the economy.

Trudeau said PMO officials had no business interfering in what he called "important processes where lives are at stake."

"Mr. Harper over the past 10 years has ... conflated the interests of the Conservative party of Canada with the actions and role of the government of Canada, which is supposed to serve all Canadians," Trudeau said in Vaughan, Ont., where he outlined his party's plan to commit $2 billion to improve local transit.

Later Thursday, Harper defended the PMO's audit of the Syrian refugee applications.

"Political staff are never involved in approving refugee applications — such decisions are made by officials in the Department of Citizenship and Immigration," Harper said during a stop in Vancouver.

He also reiterated his government's position that keeping Canada secure is a priority.

Earlier in the election campaign, the Syrian emergency materialized as a potentially important ballot-box issue in Canada. After the photos of Kurdi appeared, public pressure mounted and political leaders were peppered with questions on how they would respond to the crisis.

Mulcair has vowed to bring 10,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of 2015, while Trudeau pledged to resettle 25,000 over the same period.

Harper has promised to bring in an additional 10,000 Syrians, if re-elected. 

After facing criticism, the Conservative government has also said it would accelerate the processing of refugee applications in an effort to issue "thousands more" visas before the end of this year.

Some 2,500 refugees have arrived in Canada since the government began opening spaces for Syrians in 2013.

Another political issue that reaches beyond Canada's borders also surfaced on the trail Thursday: the recently signed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

Mulcair continued his attacks against Harper and Trudeau over their support for the contentious deal, a day after prominent U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton voiced her concerns about the pact.

Clinton said she couldn't support the 12-country initiative because it appears to fall short as a way to create American jobs, boost wages and bolster national security.

As a serious contender for the White House, her stance casts much doubt on the future of a deal that still faces months of intense debate in the U.S. before it can be ratified.

Asked about Clinton's statement, Mulcair replied with: "Be fair now, I said it before she did."

Mulcair has insisted the NDP would not be bound by the "secretive" TPP agreement, which he has repeatedly warned would kill jobs on Canadian soil.

On Thursday, he said the Harper government negotiated the deal in an "incredibly feeble position" because TPP partners were well aware of the upcoming election.

"Everyone around that table knew it and they played him like a chump," said a feistier Mulcair, who also put Trudeau in his cross hairs.

He accused the Liberal leader of following Harper's lead on TPP.

"I try, always, to have respect for adversaries," said Mulcair, who will release the NDP's full platform Friday in Montreal. 

"That respect, frankly, is under a great deal of strain these days as I watch two leaders who are willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of Canadian families' livelihoods on a trade deal that they refuse to give the full details of to the Canadian voting public."

Trudeau has remained cautious when asked about the deal, saying he wants to see the full text before stating whether it earns his approval.

When questioned about Clinton's statement Thursday, Trudeau played it safe once again and would not say whether he supported the pact.

"The Liberal party's position is very clear — we are a party that supports trade," he said, before adding how important trade is for jobs and economic growth. 

Specifics of the TPP deal have yet to be released to the public in any of the countries that signed the agreement.

In a statement, the Green party bemoaned the fact that the traditional televised English-language leaders' debate hosted by a consortium of broadcasters, scheduled for Thursday, did not come to fruition.

"The debate would have been the perfect opportunity to hold Harper accountable, especially for his backroom TPP deal," said spokesman Julian Morelli. "Instead, we're meant to take Stephen Harper at his word that TPP is a good deal for industry and consumers."

During a Thursday appearance at the Vancouver Board of Trade, International Trade Minister Ed Fast promised to produce a "provisional" text in the next few days that will offer more details about the agreement.

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Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press

Coveted free agent Muamba gearing up for debut as Alouettes linebacker

MONTREAL — Linebacker Henoc Muamba is in a crash course to learn the Montreal defence ahead of his Alouettes debut Monday against the Toronto Argonauts.

The coveted free agent, who signed a lucrative (by CFL standards) two-year deal with Montreal on Sept. 30, is to take over the middle linebacker position that was left vacant by injuries to Bear Woods and Kyler Ellsworth this season.

"It's a long week," Muamba said Thursday of the 12-day break the Alouettes are enjoying since their crushing 39-17 loss in Ottawa on Oct. 1. "I had an opportunity to come in early and sit down with some of the coaches and get into the playbook, watch some film and see what they expect each play.

"It's been helpful. Now it's a matter of getting used to the guys around me."

Muamba had a few teams interested when he was released by the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 5. He finally accepted a deal with Montreal that included a fat signing bonus for the rest of this season and reportedly could pay up to $230,000 in 2016.

"It was the best decision for me," he said. "I'm happy.

"I'm excited about the next few weeks and the challenge that's ahead."

The challenge includes trying to help the 5-8 Alouettes get into the playoffs with only five games left in the regular season. Already three wins behind the other three East Division clubs, Montreal's best bet will be to try and get a crossover to the West Division semifinal.

Muamba not only brings proven skill to the position, but he is also Canadian, which means the Alouettes will be able to dress an extra international player at another position.

The Congo-born Muamba spent a few years in Montreal as a child before his family moved to Toronto, where he learned his football. Returning to Montreal means more opportunity to use his first language, French.

"Being in Winnipeg and the last year and a half in Indianapolis, it was tough to practice French," he said. "Even with my brothers it became English.

"But it's part of my culture. I'm getting comfortable doing interviews as well. I didn't play football when I was here, so a lot of the terminology I don't know. I never used football terms in French. I have to think about how to translate them. I'm learning."

His older brother Cauchy is a safety with the Edmonton Eskimos while his younger brother Kelvin, an undrafted receiver from Wilfrid Laurier University, was among seven players added to the Alouettes practice roster on Thursday.

Muamba was drafted first overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2011 from St. Francis Xavier University and had two strong seasons before trying his luck in the NFL. He played for the Colts in 2014 but was released after training camp this season.

The Alouettes hope he will bolster a defence that was their backbone this season until surrendering 30 or more points in a brutal span of two road games in five days last week.

"So far's he's done a good job," linebacker Kyries Hebert said of Muamba. "There hasn't been any lapses in communication and I think that's the most important thing at that position.

"We don't feel we're going to miss a beat."

Coach and general manager Jim Popp said cornerback Jonathan Hefney, on the wrong end of a collision in Ottawa, addressed his teammates before practice. Hefney will miss the rest of the season with shoulder and arm injuries.

"He's going through therapy but he has a positive attitude and that's good to see," said Popp.

Bill Beacon, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version had the incorrect draft year for Muamba

Canadian politics plays out on formal US stage: Mayor trashes Harper gov’t in DC

WASHINGTON — Federal campaign politics played out on a foreign stage Thursday, with a high-profile Washington audience hearing the progressive mayor of Vancouver express hope of change from Canada's "embarrassing" current government.

Gregor Robertson's comments came in the formal dining room of the U.S. State Department, the chandeliered, column-lined site used to host foreign dignitaries.

Guests in the audience included the top-ranking figures in American diplomacy, and the event was organized in conjunction with former New York mayor and current UN climate envoy Michael Bloomberg.

A moderator mentioned Canada's election during a panel discussion. The mayor expressed hope Canada might have a different approach in time for climate talks later this year in Paris, although he stopped just short of explicitly calling for the Conservatives' defeat.

"I'm certainly hopeful that the government of Canada two weeks from now, after the election, steps up on the world stage and takes bold positions and makes real commitments to reduce our impact," said Robertson, a former NDP provincial lawmaker. 

"Canada's been a laggard on that and, frankly, it's been embarrassing for us."

The comments came at the end of a formal luncheon with municipal officials from different countries and top U.S. State Department officials, in an onstage panel discussion featuring three mayors — Robertson and peers from Japan and Nigeria.

It was moderated by NBC host Chuck Todd. 

Todd brought up Canadian national politics twice. There was his reference to the election, and at the start of the discussion Todd asked: "What is it that you can do more effectively than Prime Minister Harper?"

The Vancouver mayor also met with Secretary of State John Kerry, who delivered opening remarks at the event although he left the room before the post-luncheon panel discussion started.

Kerry described the urgency of action at the Paris summit. He said a 29-year-old living in the U.S. has never experienced a month cooler than the average of all the months of the last century.

American officials did not comment on Canadian domestic policy.

They did facilitate interviews with the visiting mayors. They invited Robertson several weeks ago to the "Our Cities, Our Climate" summit, which included planned meetings and an event at the White House.

Asked whether there had been any concern about providing a platform to someone who might criticize a foreign government during an election campaign, Kerry's assistant secretary of state said no: "We live in a very free-press society here in the U.S., and nothing like that really rattles us," Evan Ryan said in an interview.

In an echo of comments Kerry made on stage, Ryan expressed hope municipal leaders attending the summit might take its message home to their decision-makers.

"We really do hope that these cities go back to their countries, and talk to their countries, about their experience here," Ryan said. "Our hope is that mayors will be able to share what they've learned when they return home."

In an interview later, Robertson said he keeps hearing questions about Canada's climate record — from people in Washington, and at the Vatican during a recent visit.

"I get lots of questions from other mayors, and senior government officials, about Canada's role on the world stage with respect to climate," he said.

"Many people in political circles around the world are watching closely the Canadian election — and curious if there will be a big change of heart from the federal government before the Paris summit...

"I think the rest of the world is watching closing what Canadian voters decide Oct. 19."

Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press

Northern Lights College receives $300,000 grant for Dawson Creek Campus

Zimmer responds to backlash from MMIW comment: “I’m deeply committed to the issue.”

Layoff surprise: Cenovus workers losing jobs barred from building too early

CALGARY — Employees at Calgary-based energy company Cenovus found themselves barred from the building unexpectedly this week when their access cards wouldn't work.

They were also blocked from using company (TSX:CVE) cellphones and computer systems.

What they didn't know was that they were being laid off.

Company officials say the IT department removed several workers from the database before they had been told they were losing their jobs.

The energy company began laying off 540 employees last week.

The layoffs are expected to continue to the end of the year.

Cenovus spokesman Brett Harris admits the layoffs did not go as planned.

“We made a mistake. It’s the last thing we wanted to happen.”

(CTV Calgary)

 

The Canadian Press

Jays slugger Donaldson leaves game as a precaution after taking knee to head

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Josh Donaldson left Thursday's playoff game against the Texas Rangers after taking a knee to the head while trying to break up a double play at second base.

Donaldson collided with Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor on the fourth-inning play in Game 1 of the American League Division Series at Rogers Centre. 

Donaldson stayed down on the ground for a few seconds before walking off under his own power. He returned to the dugout but was later removed from the game as a precaution.

Odor was unable to turn the double play after Donaldson's hard slide. Ben Revere moved to third base on the play and Jose Bautista reached at first base. Revere later scored on an infield single by Edwin Encarnacion to give Toronto its first run of the game.

Ezequiel Carrera replaced Donaldson in the No. 2 spot in the order but grounded out in his lone at-bat. Utility infielder Cliff Pennington later replaced Carrera at third base.

Donaldson, a top contender for the American League MVP award, hit 41 homers and drove in 123 runs this past season.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press

Northern Ireland beat Greece 3-1 to seal qualification for first European Championship

BELFAST, Ireland — Northern Ireland qualified for its first European Championship on Thursday following a 3-1 win over Greece.

Goals from captain Steven Davis and Josh Magennis guarantees Michael O'Neill's side a place in France in June.

"It's a dream come true. We really wanted to get it done tonight and there is no better place than to do it in front of your home fans," Davis said.

"It's a huge achievement for the squad and the entire nation," he added.

Davis opened the scoring from close range in the 35th minute following Stuart Dallas' cross with Magennis doubling the hosts' lead shortly after the interval.

Davis added a third in the 58th when he sent a header into the far corner following a corner to send Windsor Park into raptures. Hristos Aravidis netted a consolation for Greece with four minutes remaining.

The win moves Northern Ireland onto 20 points, three ahead of second-placed Romania following its 1-1 draw against Finland in Bucharest.

Romanian midfielder Ovidu Hoban scored in second-half stoppage time to secure a point after Joel Pohjanpalo had put the visitors ahead in the 66th minute.

Hungary came from behind to beat the Faroe Islands 2-1 in Budapest courtesy of two second-half goals from substitute Daniel Bode.

The home side got off to a poor start with Roaldur Jacobsen giving the minnows the lead in the 11th minute after escaping his marker and beating goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly inside the penalty area.

Bode came on in the second half and quickly made his mark, heading in a pass from Tamas Kadar on the left side in the 63rd minute.

Bode, a striker for Hungary's Ferencvaros, scored again eight minutes later, beating Faroe Islands' goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen after eluding several defenders.

That win secures at least a third-placed finish for the Hungarians, now on 16 points, one adrift of Romania.

"We've accomplished the minimum target we set for ourselves, which was to secure third place," Kiraly said after the match.

"We had an exemplary performance."

The Associated Press

Boys volleyball team take seventh in Whitecourt

Senior girls volleyball team struggle at Whitecourt tournament