News

Fivestar’s “Pride of the Peace” to take place Friday night

Former Canadiens defenceman Mike Weaver retires after 11 NHL seasons

TORONTO — Defenceman Mike Weaver has announced his retirement after 11 NHL seasons, most recently with the Montreal Canadiens.

Weaver played in 633 regular-season and 28 playoff games for the Atlanta Thrashers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers and Canadiens.

Undrafted out of Michigan State University, the five-foot-ten Weaver helped Montreal reach the Eastern Conference final in 2014.

Weaver said in a statement released by the NHL Players' Association that he "never could have imagined" a career like this.

The 37-year-old native of Brampton, Ont., will continue working with his defensive hockey school, Defense First, in retirement.

The Canadian Press

North Peace Hockey Leagues releases season schedule

Harper hails Trans-Pacific Partnership, promises $4.3B to protect dairy farmers

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the federal cabinet has already approved a plan to spend $4.3 billion over the next 15 years to protect Canadian farmers from the impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Twelve nations, including Canada, have reached a tentative deal on the massive Pacific Rim trading bloc, which Harper bills as the largest-ever deal of its kind.

Harper says the historic agreement would set a new gold standard for future global trade deals, protecting Canadian jobs today and create more for generations to come as it secures access to crucial markets overseas.

He says the concessions Canada has made in the dairy sector are modest — an additional 3.25 per cent of foreign imports would be allowed — and cites the fund as more than enough to ensure dairy producers are protected.

The announcement marks a watershed moment in the Conservative leader's election campaign, if not his time in power, and could alter the landscape of the Oct. 19 election.

But it still needs to be ratified in national parliaments and the NDP has already said it does not feel bound by any agreement reached by the Conservative government.

The Liberals have said they would need to see the details of the agreement before throwing their support behind it, but have stressed they're a pro-trade party.

According to the federal government, Canada's dairy industry remains mostly intact, with a modest increase in permitted imports for supply-managed sectors, and farmers would be compensated for losses through a multibillion-dollar series of programs.

Foreign-made cars would be allowed into Canada without tariffs, as long as they have 45-per-cent content from the TPP region — lower than the 62.5 per cent regional-content provision under NAFTA.

Canada's auto industry has been alarmed about the prospect of loosening domestic requirements for car components.

The Canadian Press

Suncor bids to take over Canadian Oil Sands with all-stock offer

CALGARY — Suncor Energy is looking to add another big chunk to its vast oilsands holdings — and take advantage of a prolonged rout in crude prices — with an unsolicited takeover bid for Canadian Oil Sands Ltd., the largest partner in the Syncrude mine north of Fort McMurray, Alta.

Suncor (TSX:SU) said Monday it's offering $4.3 billion in its own shares and would take on about $2.3 billion of debt owed by Canadian Oil Sands, making the total transaction worth $6.6 billion.

Suncor says the offer would give shareholders of Canadian Oil Sands a stake in Canada's largest integrated energy company, which includes the Petro-Canada chain of fuel stations as well as its own oil and gas production and refining operations.

The offer value is also 43 per cent above the market value for Canadian Oil Sands (TSX:COS), based on closing prices at the Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday.

Canadian Oil Sands stock shot up nearly 50 per cent amid speculation that a rival offer may emerge while Suncor shares dipped slightly in early trading. 

Suncor said its offer will be open until Dec. 4, although it could be withdrawn or the deadline could be extended.

"We believe this is a financially compelling opportunity for COS shareholders," Steve Williams, Suncor's president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

"We're offering a significant premium to COS' current market price and also providing exposure to a meaningful dividend increase. We're confident in the value this Offer provides to COS shareholders."

The offer hasn't been accepted by the Canadian Oil Sands board.

On a conference call, Williams said Suncor made a few overtures to its target in the spring, but was rebuffed.

Crude oil prices have declined by 17 per cent since then, now sitting well below US$50 a barrel. The share price value of Canadian Oil Sands has been dragged down with it, Williams noted.

"There is now a broad consensus among analysts and industry experts that we are in a structurally 'lower for longer' oil price world," said Williams.

"We remain convinced there are significant benefits to a transaction for all interested parties. However, given the deterioration of market conditions and the more pessimistic prevailing view on an oil price recovery, we believe the value of COS has declined since the previous offer was made."

Suncor went shopping during the last major crude downturn in 2009, absorbing Petro-Canada in a blockbuster deal.

Canadian Oil Sands is a widely held company, with no shareholder owning more than six per cent of the common shares according to public data compiled by Thomson Reuters. Its largest shareholders are institutional investors.

Canadian Oil Sands has a 37 per cent stake in the Syncrude oil sands operation and Suncor owns 12 per cent. Othar Syncrude partners are: Imperial Oil (TSX: IMO) with 25 per cent, Sinopec (nine per cent), Nexen (seven per cent), Murphy Oil and Mocal Energy (five per cent each.) 

According to Thomson Reuters data, TD Asset Management is the largest shareholder in Canadian Oil Sands, with about five per cent of COS common stock. Other investors include funds managed by Franklin, Deutsch Asset & Wealth, CIBC, Blackrock and Vanguard.

Suncor is offering one-quarter of a Suncor share per COS share. In the first minutes of trading Monday, Suncor shares were down 87 cents at $34.50, making its offer worth nearly $8.63 at the time. COS shares were trading at $9.10.

Follow @LaurenKrugel on Twitter

 

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press

Bouchard retires from opening match at China Open with dizziness

BEIJING — A teary-eyed Eugenie Bouchard retired from her opening match against Andrea Petkovic at the China Open due to dizziness on Monday, her first match since falling at the U.S. Open last month and suffering a concussion.

Bouchard slipped in the locker room after her third-round win against Dominika Cibulkova at the U.S. Open, falling backward and landing on the back of her head. She was forced to withdraw from the tournament, as well as subsequent tournaments in Tokyo and Wuhan.

The Canadian was trailing 6-2, 1-1 against Petkovic on Monday when she decided to call it quits.

Petkovic said after the match that Bouchard told her she felt very dizzy and that the effects of the concussion tend to "come back when she gets physically very active."

The Associated Press

Some highlights of the new 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal

ATLANTA — Here are some highlights of the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement as described by the Canadian government Monday as it shared details of a deal to create the largest-ever regional trading bloc.

The full text is not yet released, and the agreement would need to be ratified by the parliaments and governments of all 12 countries to come into effect.

If implemented, the agreement could mean:

— Elimination or reduction of tariffs on a broad series of products including pork, fruits, wines and spirits, canola, barley, machinery, minerals and forestry products. As one example, the beef industry expects to see exports triple to Japan, with a multi-year phase-out in tariffs there from 39 per cent to nine per cent.

— More foreign car parts likely entering Canada, likely benefiting producers and consumers but hurting some auto workers. Cars will be allowed without tariffs as long as they have 45-per-cent content from the TPP region. That's significantly down from the 62.5 per cent regional-content provision under NAFTA, which mostly kept out pieces from places like China and Thailand. But the formula is more complex than that: the government says it will "encourage" producers to use Canadian ingredients, parts and materials when making goods exported to other TPP countries.

— Canada's protected dairy sector remains mostly intact. Currently, 10 per cent is set aside for foreign products. Now another 3.25 per cent share of imports would be allowed. An even smaller rate of imports will be allowed for supply-managed sectors including eggs, chicken and turkey.

— Farmers will be compensated for losses under the TPP and the recent Canada-EU deal, through a multibillion-dollar series of programs. The most important will see farmers paid up-front annually over 10 years to maintain 100 per cent income protection, and the program would taper off the five following years. The program is worth $2.4 billion. Smaller programs apply to quota-protection, modernizing equipment, and marketing assistance.

— Buy American provisions won't disappear. The deal does not eliminate buy-local provisions for state- and municipal-level infrastructure projects. But it does simplify bidding for contracts with six regional U.S. power authorities, and also addresses sub-national procurement with some smaller countries.

— Better labour mobility for some high-skilled and business workers.

— Next-generation pharmaceuticals, including cell-based biologics, will have patent-style protections for eight years. That's in line with Canadian policy, but will disappoint some countries who declared anything beyond five years would be unacceptably expensive for patients and taxpayers.

— Rules protecting the digital economy, and practices likes cloud computing. It would prevent national governments from cutting off data flows, by limiting laws that require local storage of data.

— State-owned enterprises will face more regulation. Companies backed by governments will have new transparency requirements and rules when competing with private companies. The government says cultural exemptions would protect the CBC and Telefilm Canada.

— New workers' rights, including rules on child labour, forced labour and discrimination.

The Canadian Press

12 countries including Canada reach tentative Trans-Pacific trade deal

ATLANTA — Twelve countries, including Canada, have agreed to create the world's largest regional trade zone.

After five days of marathon, around-the-clock negotiations, a deal has been reached to create the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would cover 40 per cent of the world's economy.

The proposed agreement reduces or eliminates barriers in a wide range of sectors and could lead to more Canadian exports of pork, beef, canola, high-tech machinery and a variety of other products.

It also entrenches new international trade standards in Asia, setting a template should any other countries in that fast-growing region — like China — want to join someday.

Other parts will be controversial in Canada.  Cars will be allowed without tariffs, as long as they have 45-per-cent content from the TPP region — lower than the 62.5 per cent regional-content provision under NAFTA.

Canada's protected dairy sector remains mostly intact, with a modest increase in permitted imports for supply-managed sectors. Farmers will be compensated for losses through a multibillion-dollar series of programs. 

The deal needs to be ratified in national parliaments — and the NDP's recent opposition to the TPP process is an early example of the political challenges in could face, in several countries.

But voters can't yet see the fine print. The actual text of the deal is undergoing a legal review, and it's not clear when it will be available.

The Canadian Press

Tulowitzki returns with 2 hits, AL East champion Blue Jays rally past Rays 8-4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Troy Tulowitzki doubled and singled in his return to the Toronto lineup after missing three weeks with injuries, and the AL East champion Blue Jays rallied past the Tampa Bay Rays 8-4 Friday night.

Tulowitzki went 2 for 5. The star shortstop also scored a run.

Edwin Encarnacion and Russell Martin homered for the Blue Jays, who started the day tied with Kansas City in the race for the AL's best record and home-field advantage throughout the post-season.

Mark Buehrle (15-7) gave up four runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings. He is two innings away from reaching 200 for the 15th consecutive season.

Tampa Bay starter Erasmo Ramirez allowed four runs and 10 hits over 5 1-3 innings. Enny Romero (0-2) took the loss.

Mark Didtler, The Associated Press

Mulcair tries to shore up NDP’s social democratic position in final debate

OTTAWA — NDP Leader Tom Mulcair was out to shore up his credentials as a social democrat Friday in a French-language debate that's likely the last time voters will see political leaders square off before the Oct. 19 election.

The debate, perhaps the most important of the campaign for the New Democrats, comes amid recent polls that suggest the party's support in its home base of Quebec has been steadily eroding.

Still the presumed front-runner in the province, Mulcair set about reassuring the large francophone audience in hopes of plugging what are believed to be growing leaks in the made-in-Quebec hull of the NDP ship.

Mulcair used the early portion of the debate to instigate a chippy exchange with Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, accusing the prime minister of giving tax-relief "gifts" to large companies and committing to raising the age of retirement age to 67 from 65.

"You gave $50 billion worth of gifts to these big companies, and the result? 300,000 more people out of work than when the crisis hit in 2008," Mulcair said.

Harper responded by accusing Mulcair's party of planning to raise taxes.

"It's the same song again for the NDP: They will increase taxes to balance the budget and it will destroy jobs in Ontario and in British Columbia. We'll lose a quarter of a million jobs."

The tension of the first half of the debate was punctuated by some strange moments.

Duceppe twice mistakenly referred to Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, as the actor Art Carney — Ed Norton on "The Honeymooners" — before he was gently corrected by Trudeau.

Trudeau went on to make a red-faced stumble of his own, calling the separatist leader "mon amour" before correcting the phrase to "mon ami."

Outside of that, the debate was devoid of levity. Early on, Mulcair battled at length with Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau for voting in support of Conservative budgets.

"Mr. Trudeau, in my family, we've always said that actions speak louder than words," Mulcair said. "I'm going to tell you that you're talking about Harper budgets you supported by voting in favour of numerous Harper budgets."

Despite the "failure" of Harper's economic policy, the NDP would balance the Conservative budget, said Trudeau — "which means you can't invest in families, you can't lower taxes for those who need it, you don't have the capacity to give, immediately, help to municipalities and regions that need it."

Mulcair, the leader with the most to lose in the debate, was under pressure Friday to shield the NDP, which won 59 of Quebec's 75 seats four years ago, from bleeding support to the Tories in the Quebec City area, the Liberals in Montreal and the Bloc Quebecois in some of the province's rural regions.

He aimed to sell viewers on the social democratic positions of the NDP as a way to reverse the party's fortunes in Quebec, where they appear to lost ground to the contentious dispute over whether citizenship applicants should be banned from wearing the niqab while taking the oath.

Quebec has seen explosive debates in recent years over the accommodation of religious minorities.

Mulcair has said while he understands its an emotional issue for many people, he supports the existing rule that states anyone seeking citizenship must uncover their face to identify themselves before swearing the oath.

The NDP position differs from the stances held by Harper and Duceppe, who have both called for niqab-wearing women to show their faces during the actual ceremonies.

Like Mulcair, Trudeau says women should be able to choose how they dress. But unlike the NDP, the Liberals aren't counting on much support from the voters who have expressed the most concern over the so-called niqab debate: Quebec nationalists.

Follow @AndyBlatchford on Twitter

Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press

Toronto-born Joseph poised to grab opportunity with his hometown team

VANCOUVER — Days after Cory Joseph signed with the Toronto Raptors, Drake celebrated the news by wearing Joseph's jersey on the stage at his OVO Fest.

The Toronto rapper even mentioned him in a song.

But four days into Raptors training camp, the talk about Joseph being Canadian on Canada's lone NBA squad has all but fizzled out. That's because when Toronto signed the point guard to a four-year, $30 million deal, it was a basketball decision, with almost nothing to do with what passport he carries. The fact he was born in Toronto was a bonus.

Now the 24-year-old, who averaged 18 minutes a game with San Antonio last season as Tony Parker's backup, is poised to grab a massive opportunity the Raptors are presenting.

"(His minutes should increase) just because of our needs and trying to keep the load off of Kyle a little bit, that will be huge," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. "And also the opportunity to play those two together."

Lowry shone for the first half of the season, earning a spot in the NBA all-star game. But he all but disappeared down the stretch.

"A lot of it was the wear-out factor, we rode him hard after DeMar (DeRozan) went down (with a serious groin injury), and his minutes ramped up, and with that came a lot of nicks and bumps and bangs throughout the year," Casey said.

Joseph has improved in virtually every statistical column in each of his four years in the league since he was drafted by San Antonio — 29th overall — in 2011. It's a point he takes great pride in.

"I feel I put a lot of time into working on my craft, work on my game, I think it goes hand in hand with opportunity, just working hard, staying ready," said Joseph, who averaged 6.8 points and 2.4 assists a night last season while shooting a career-best 50.4 per cent from the field.

Playing for Canada's national team over the summer, he said, helped him get ready for camp. The six-foot-three guard didn't play at the Pan Am Games in Toronto, but sat courtside at the men's final. He joined the team for the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament, and his buzzer-beater against Mexico assured Canada the bronze medal.

Joseph was thrilled when he signed in July with the team he grew up watching. 

He announced the news on his Twitter account, writing "#WeTheNorth here I come!!!!!" He posted a picture himself on Instagram, pen and contract in hand, over the words "There's no place like home #WeTheNorth."

He promptly changed his jersey number to six, in recognition of Toronto's area code, a reference made popular by Drake.

The Toronto rapper mentions Joseph in his song "Charged Up" — "I get a ring and I bring it home like I'm Cory Joe."

Jamaal Magloire was the first Canadian to sign with the Raptors, playing one season before retiring. He remains a member of the Raptors' staff.

But Joseph is the first Canadian player the Raptors have signed in their prime. The Raptors also acquired Toronto native Anthony Bennett last week.

Joseph, who took the Larry O'Brien Trophy — the NBA's championship trophy — up Toronto's CN Tower after the Spurs won it in 2014, admits it is cool to represent Canada on the squad.

"For sure, we're the only team in Canada," he said. "I've heard about the atmosphere. I've never experienced it but I hear the atmosphere in crazy."

He added about teaming up with Bennett: "Two guys from Toronto, from Canada, we're going to represent the city. We don't only play for the Raptors and represent them in the NBA but for the national team, too, they see familiar faces."

Joseph admits it still feels surreal being in camp with Toronto, although "it's starting to settle down a little bit.

"I think it will feel more emotional when I put on that jersey and go out to play."

 

 

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

Manitoba conservation working on new zebra mussel laws after big infestation

WINNIPEG — Manitoba's conservation minister says the province is working of new zebra mussel laws that will be the toughest in the country.

Gord Mackintosh says a huge infestation has occurred in Lake Winnipeg, along with the Red River.

Dean Thorkelsson, manager of Lake Agassi Marine, says zebra mussels have grown in numbers in the province like they've never seen before.

Every boat taken off the lake is now driven to an offsite gravel pad to be washed thoroughly with hot water to make sure the invasive species doesn't make it back into any other body of water.

The freshwater mussels, which are not native to western Canada, have been spreading around the world.

They clog pipes at water treatment plants and can also increase algae blooms in lakes, which can kill fish and wildlife.

They're being found on boats along beaches and on infrastructure such as swimming buoys, docks and ladders.

They've also been found at the St. Andrews lock and dam.

In June 2014, Manitoba declared victory over zebra mussels after a unique experiment which doused four infested harbours with liquid potash. The harbours were initially declared mussel free, but they soon came back.

Boaters found possessing zebra mussels may be fined or prosecuted under the federal Fisheries Act.

Experts have suggested zebra mussels would devastate Manitoba's $500-million commercial and recreational fishery if they take hold, and could have a $75 million impact in Alberta and $28 million in B.C.

A conference in Richmond, B.C., heard earlier this year suggestions that the mussels may be coming in with Canadian snowbirds towing pleasure boats back to Western provinces from winter getaways in the United States.

Mackintosh reminds boat owners of the province's slogan and campaign: "Don't move a mussel."

(CTV Winnipeg)

The Canadian Press

Northern Gateway talks excluded issue of First Nations’ governance

VANCOUVER — First Nations waging a court battle to overturn approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline project say federal officials refused to discuss their claim of decision-making power over ancestral lands.

Lawyer Cheryl Sharvit told the Federal Court of Appeal in Vancouver that the Nadleh Whut'en and Nak'azdli are not declaring the right to veto resource projects on traditional territories in British Columbia's Central Interior.

But she said the bands' asserted authority to govern their lands should have at least been considered by the Crown during consultations on the $7-billion pipeline proposal by Calgary-based Enbridge (TSX:ENB).

"The scale of the potential harm from Northern Gateway in their territory is unprecedented. They have never faced a risk this great, from their perspective, from a single project," Sharvit said.

Sharvit said the Crown's refusal to discuss governance rights with the First Nations "does serious damage to the goal of reconciliation and protection of aboriginal rights."

The Crown excluded the issue from the talks because it decided the question of First Nations' title and governance would be better dealt with in the treaty process, she said.

Eight aboriginal bands are in the court to argue Canada violated its legal duty to consult with and accommodate First Nations before approving Northern Gateway. More than 200 conditions were attached to the approval.

The 1,200-kilometre twin pipeline would carry diluted bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to the coastal district of Kitimat, B.C., for overseas shipping.

The court is considering a total of 18 legal challenges during the hearing, which is set to conclude Oct. 8. Its outcome could have far-reaching implications for aboriginal authority over oil and gas projects.

Many First Nations in B.C. have not signed treaties and have unresolved land claims. But they argue a landmark Supreme Court of Canada ruling in June 2014 giving the Tsilhqot'in Nation title to its territory means Ottawa must seek consent from First Nations to approve developments on their lands.

Michael Lee Ross, a lawyer for the Gitga'at on B.C.'s north coast, said the Crown must make a "good faith" effort to win First Nations approval even if their title has not been recognized by a court.

He argued Canada's failure to seek agreement with the Gitga'at represents a failure to "uphold the honour of the Crown" and promote reconciliation.

Speaking for another coastal nation, the Gitxaala, lawyer Robert Janes said the Crown offered absolutely no consultation on aboriginal title.

"It just mouthed the words that it was giving it 'deep consultation.' It gave it no consultation."

Janes's submissions drew applause from a packed overflow courtroom of First Nations people, some of whom have travelled from across B.C. to watch the hearing.

Amnesty International, an intervener in the challenges, is asking the three-judge panel to consider international human rights law in their interpretation of Canadian law.

Lawyer Justin Safayeni said the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples sets important standards for First Nations' consent, regardless of the fact that Canada only endorsed it on a qualified basis and called it an "aspirational document."

Northern Gateway and the federal government will make legal arguments next week.

Billions of dollars in gross domestic product, tax and royalty revenues are at stake. The company estimates the pipeline will boost Canada's GDP by $300 billion over 30 years.

Spokesman Ivan Giesbrecht has said Northern Gateway accepts First Nations' traditional land use rights and remains committed to working with aboriginal communities.

— Follow @ellekane on Twitter.

Laura Kane, The Canadian Press

Humber College varsity rugby programs suspended pending investigation

TORONTO — An Ontario college has suspended its men's and women's varsity rugby programs after alleged violations of the school's code of expectations.

Humber College says an internal investigation is underway into alleged misconduct, and players and coaches were told of the suspension on Friday afternoon.

The school's code of expectations includes guidance on dress codes, hazing, alcohol and drug use, among other areas.

Humber wouldn't provide details of the alleged misconduct, only saying that it was not in keeping with its institutional values related to athletics and student life.

Humber says all its varsity team players are told that "conduct detrimental to the team is not permitted and that any team not following the rules may be suspended."

It says the teams are suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

"This was not an easy decision to come by," said director of communications Andrew Leopold. "We take matters of our athletics, of our students, we take all this very seriously."

Leopold noted that the investigation was looking at the actions of both the men's and women's teams.

He added that the college would try to be as "efficient and effective" as possible in conducting its investigation.

The school also says it has informed the Ontario College Athletics Association and representatives from the other teams in their division of the suspension.

Humber has campuses in Toronto and Orangeville, Ont.

 

The Canadian Press

After a return to the playoffs, Canucks want to show last season was no fluke

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks want to prove last year wasn't a fluke.

Not expected to be a playoff team by many observers after one disastrous campaign under John Tortorella, Vancouver finished a surprising second in the Pacific Division in 2014-15 with 101 points before losing out in the first round to the Calgary Flames in a tight six-game series.

That step forward aside, there's a similar negative feeling surrounding the Canucks heading into this season — a sentiment that, not surprisingly, isn't shared inside the locker-room.

"No one gives us credit and no one thinks we're going to make the playoffs," veteran winger Chris Higgins said recently. "Staying together as a team and just worrying about ourselves and not what's being talked about our team is going to be key."

Despite last season's success, the Canucks are a franchise of two minds — wanting to compete for a playoff spot while also bringing younger players into the fold to compliment a veteran core led by Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

General manager Jim Benning added forwards Brandon Sutter and Brandon Prust in the off-season with an eye towards physicality and speed while saying goodbye to forwards Zack Kassian and Nick Bonino, defenceman Kevin Bieksa and goalie Eddie Lack.

"Last year when I watched our team, I felt like we were a little bit in between," said Benning. "We weren't fast enough to get in on the forecheck and we didn't spend enough time in the other team's end."

Head coach Willie Desjardins said he's especially excited to have Sutter, who signed a five-year extension with the Canucks after coming over in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, in the fold as his likely No. 2 centre.

"He's a player that wins. He finds ways to win," said Desjardins. "He's not super flashy. He's not a guy that you rave about offensively, but he's a guy you can win games with."

Bo Horvat should have an increased role in his second year, likely centring the third line and getting time on the power play. Vancouver could also to keep one or both of its 2014 first-round picks, Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann, for at least nine-game auditions before having to decide whether or not to send them back to junior.

Brendan Gaunce, a 2012 first rounder, has also made a strong case at training camp to be a part of Desjardins' plans when the season starts Oct. 7 in Calgary, while Sven Baertschi looks to be locked into a spot up front. 

"When you hear people talking about us getting younger and looking at that as a negative, I think it's a positive for us," said Henrik Sedin. "(There's) a lot of excitement. A lot of players have upside."

Ryan Miller is back as the Canucks' No. 1 goalie after missing most of the second half of last season with a knee injury. Jacob Markstrom will serve as the backup following a strong campaign in the AHL that convinced the Canucks they could afford to part with Lack.

Meanwhile on defence, Matt Bartkowski was signed in free agency to add some speed to a unit that still includes Dan Hamhuis, Alexander Edler, Christopher Tanev, Luca Sbisa and Yannick Weber.

And while Benning said he believes he's improved his roster, the same can be said for many of Vancouver's closest rivals.

Calgary added forward Michael Frolik and defenceman Dougie Hamilton, the Los Angeles Kings acquired forward Milan Lucic and will be rested and restless after missing the playoffs last season, while the Edmonton Oilers grabbed generational talent Connor McDavid with the first pick in the draft.

"I think our team is better now than it was last year," said Benning. "But we're dealing with all the other teams in our division getting better, too."

---

Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

Louisville investigating allegations by escort that former staffer arranged sex for recruits

Louisville said Friday it has launched an investigation into allegations that former Cardinals staffer Andre McGee paid an escort service to provide sex for recruits.

The allegations by Katina Powell are in an upcoming book, "Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen" from a publishing arm of the Indianapolis Business Journal. Some details of the book were published on the Journal's website, and said that McGee hired Powell to provide strippers and prostitutes for recruits and some of their fathers during a four-year period.

Louisville issued a statement saying it learned of the allegations in August and immediately notified the NCAA. McGee left Louisville in 2014 to become an assistant at Missouri-Kansas City. The school did not immediately comment Friday evening.

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said the situation caused sleeplessness when he first found out and said that he tried to conduct his own investigation before being rebuffed by the school's compliance office.

He said McGee denied the allegations in a brief conversation.

Louisville retained Chuck Smrt of the Compliance Group, which assists schools in NCAA cases, to review the claims.

"We're an open book. We want to get to the bottom of it," said Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich.

The Journal's summary of the book said that Powell brought women to 22 parties from 2010 to 2014 at Billy Minardi Hall, which houses Cardinals basketball players.

The woman said that she and three of her daughters, along with other women, danced and stripped for Louisville recruits and players and performed sex acts with them, according to the book.

McGee played for Louisville from 2005-09 and started 57 games during his career. He played professionally in Europe before becoming a program assistant in 2010 and was promoted to director of basketball operations in 2012.

Both Jurich and Pitino said they believe that money was the woman's motivation for writing the book. Powell was paid for the book, but said in an interview with the Journal that she felt it was important to tell the story. The publishing company said it paid investigators and Pultizer-Prize winning reporter Dick Cady to vet Powell's story, and based much of it on journal entries, photos and text messages.

The allegations come on the eve of Louisville's first Red-White scrimmage. The Cardinals reached the NCAA West Region final last season.

____

Indianapolis Business Journal: http://bit.ly/1MP1Jju

Gary B. Graves, The Associated Press

Hope Solo may again face assault case after appeals court decision

U.S. national team goalkeeper Hope Solo could again face assault charges stemming from an altercation last year with family members after a Washington state appeals court on Friday reversed a lower court's dismissal of the case.

The case stems from a dispute between Solo and her half-sister and 17-year-old nephew during a party in June 2014. Solo was charged with two misdemeanour counts of fourth-degree domestic violence assault. She pleaded not guilty.

A municipal judge dismissed the case in January, but prosecutors — in a rare move — appealed that decision. The appeals court sent it back to the lower court on Friday.

"We are shocked and disappointed by the judge's ruling this morning. However, we maintain our position that the charges in this case should have never been filed, that the original trial court's dismissal of the case was correct, and we plan to file an appeal of today's decision with the Court of Appeals," Solo's attorney, Todd Maybrown, said in a statement.

Solo was on the U.S. team that won the Women's World Cup in Canada this summer. The 34-year-old Washington native was named the Golden Glove winner as the tournament's best goalkeeper, allowing just three goals overall with five shutouts and going for a record 540-minute span without conceding a goal.

She is a 15-year veteran of the senior national team, holding U.S. records for most wins (138) and shutouts (89) over 180 appearances.

Following her arrest in 2014, there was an outcry over U.S. Soccer's decision to allow her to remain on the team while the assault case played itself out.

Solo has always claimed that she was defending herself against her 17-year-old nephew, who is 6-foot-9 and weighs 280 pounds, according to court documents. Solo's relatives have maintained that she instigated the assault.

Solo was later suspended from the U.S. team for 30 days in January after her husband, former Seattle Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens, was arrested in Southern California for driving under the influence in a U.S. Soccer team van. Solo was his lone passenger.

Solo, who plays at the club level for the National Women's Soccer League's Seattle Reign, was in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday night for the league's championship match between the Reign and FC Kansas City.

Kansas City won the match 1-0.

___

Associated Press Writer Donna Blankenship in Seattle contributed to this report.

Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press

Investigation forces Senate ethics officer to put Meredith review on hold

OTTAWA — An ethics investigation into Sen. Don Meredith, a former member of the Conservative caucus, is on hold while other authorities investigate allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a teenager. 

Senate ethics officer Lyse Ricard says she has suspended her review of Meredith because she believes it is in the public interest that she not interfere with an ongoing investigation.

Ricard doesn't say what other "authority" is looking into Meredith, but the clause in the Senate ethics code cited by Ricard only kicks in when police ask the ethics officer to put a review on hold.

Meredith quit the Conservative caucus in June after the Toronto Star reported that Meredith had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old.

The woman told the Toronto Star that Meredith initially believed her to be 18, but she told him her true age within six weeks of the pair's first meeting at a Black History Month event at a church in Ottawa.

The Star report said the woman, who is now 18, had sexually explicit online chats with Meredith and that the relationship progressed to kissing and touching before she turned 18.

She said the pair had intercourse twice after she turned 18 before the 50-year-old Meredith, a married Pentecostal minister who is a father of two, broke off the relationship earlier this year.

The allegations against Meredith remain unproven, and no formal complaint against Meredith has been filed with the Senate.

The Canadian Press

Blue Bombers receiver Cone to make first CFL start against Eskimos

WINNIPEG — Receiver Kevin Cone hadn't seen a three-down football game until he watched Winnipeg's loss to Calgary last week.

Now the native of Stone Mountain, Ga., who signed with the Blue Bombers on Sept. 22, will make his first CFL start Saturday against Edmonton and its stingy, top-ranked defence.

"I'm a quick learner," Cone said after the team's walkthrough Friday. "I feel like I'm really comfortable with the offence now. I think my size and my speed can definitely help on the outside. I plan to use it."

The six-foot-two receiver brings some NFL experience to his new job. He played 29 games — mostly in special-team roles — over three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. 

The Bombers are starting four import receivers this week after shuffling Canadian Kris Bastien to a backup role. Winnipeg (4-9) remains in the playoff hunt after recent losses by B.C. (4-8) and Montreal (5-8).

"We've got to stop talking about other people helping us and help ourselves," Bombers head coach Mike O' Shea said.

Guard Selvish Capers is making his debut for Winnipeg against the team that traded him last month, while Derrell Johnson will replace injured defensive lineman Greg Peach (lower body).

The 9-4 Eskimos are on a three-game winning streak and have history on their side against the Bombers.

They've won the last five head-to-head matchups and held Winnipeg to nine points or less over the last three meetings. Edmonton crushed Winnipeg 32-3 back on July 25.

If the Bombers are seeking an edge, it may come from quarterback Matt Nichols. Edmonton traded him to Winnipeg on Sept. 2 after five seasons.

So how does he lead the Winnipeg offence against Edmonton's stellar defence, which has given up the league's fewest points (238 for an average of 18.3 per game)?

"They have a lot of moving parts," Nichols said. "They try to pressure you different ways and disguise coverages. I think it's just not panicking and just going through your reads."

He has heard from a few of his former teammates this week and received a text from receiver Nate Coehoorn that said, "We're coming for you."

There's a dinner planned, but that friendliness won't extend to the field.

"Once the game starts, it's going to be nameless faces to me," Nichols said. "I don't care who they are. We're going to go out and run our stuff and try to be successful and take care of the football."

While Nichols knows Edmonton's defence, the Eskimos know the quarterback's style as well. 

"Everyone's going to try to use that to their advantage," said Edmonton linebacker J.C. Sherritt, who trains with Nichols in the off-season. "But at the end of the day, like every week, if we line up and we execute what we've been taught and play our fundamentals we'll be fine."

In its past two wins, Edmonton has had to engineer comebacks.

"So far, I think the biggest factor in stopping us has been ourselves," Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly said. "Thankfully we haven't stopped ourselves enough to lose the football game, but if we get out of our own way we'll be just fine."

Edmonton is making some roster changes as well. Defensive lineman Eddie Steele is back after missing two games with an injury.

Receiver Shamawd Chambers is making his season debut now that he's recovered from a torn knee ligament and Sederrik Cunningham will replace injured kick returner Kendial Lawrence.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press