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Big changes coming to the North Peace Cultural Centre

AL East champion Blue Jays send out the reserves in rainy 6-4 loss to Orioles

BALTIMORE — The Toronto Blue Jays extended the celebration of their first AL East title in 22 years, resting their starters Thursday in a rain-marred 6-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Manny Machado homered twice for the Orioles, who took a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Drew Hutchison (13-5) before the game was delayed for 3 hours, 25 minutes.

Although the Blue Jays are still dueling with Kansas City for the best record in the AL — a distinction that provides home-field advantage through the post-season — Toronto manager John Gibbons has placed a priority on keeping his players fresh.

Blue Jays ace David Price was scratched from his scheduled start. Slugging stars Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion also sat out.

After Toronto clinched the division crown in the opener of a doubleheader Wednesday, Gibbons fielded a starting unit consisting entirely of reserves in the nightcap. He posted a similar lineup Thursday, in part because the Blue Jays had celebrated their division crown with champagne, beer and cigars late into the night.

The Blue Jays started the day with 92 wins, one more than Kansas City. Toronto finishes with three games at Tampa Bay, beginning Friday.

Thursday's game was originally slated to start at 7:05 p.m. but was moved up to 12:05 because of the threat of rain at night. As it turned out, the rain started early in the day and didn't let up until around 4 o'clock.

Attendance was announced at 18,257, but that was tickets sold. At the outset, there was only a smattering of fans, mostly because of the dismal weather, the switch of the starting time and the Orioles' late-season fade.

After the lengthy delay, only a few hundred remained.

It became apparent early that the Blue Jays were going to experience a figurative hangover from their big day. Hutchison gave up a one-out single in the first inning and Machado followed with a home run to centre.

Chris Davis and Steve Pearce then sandwiched doubles around a hit batter for a 3-0 lead.

Not long after that, the game was halted. Neither starting pitcher returned.

Todd McFarland (1-2) took over for Tyler Wright and pitched four innings to earn his first win since July 27, 2014.

Zach Britton worked the ninth for his 35th save.

It was 5-1 before Machado hit a solo shot in the sixth off Chad Jenkins. Machado also stole two bases, giving him 33 homers and 20 steals and making him the seventh 20/20 player in Orioles history.

Ezequiel Carrera drove in two runs and Dalton Pompey had three hits for the Blue Jays, who won the season series 11-8.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: SS Troy Tulowitzki (shoulder, back) could return this weekend.

Orioles: 2B Jonathan Schoop bruised his right hand after being struck by a pitch from Hutchison.

ON DECK

Blue Jays: Toronto needs to win two of three in Tampa Bay to finish with a winning record on the road.

Orioles: The Orioles finish the season with a three-game series at home against the Yankees beginning Friday night, although Hurricane Joaquin could shuffle that schedule.

David Ginsburg, The Associated Press

France beats Canada 41-18 to close in on a Rugby World Cup quarterfinals spot

MILTON KEYNES, England — France closed in on a Rugby World Cup quarterfinals spot after scoring five tries in a 41-18 win against Canada in their Pool D match on Thursday.

Veteran lock Pascal Pape scored the fourth try to earn a bonus point which is likely to be enough for France, the losing finalist in 2011, to reach the last eight.

France now faces Ireland in a game that is expected to determine top spot in Pool D, with the winner likely to avoid a showdown with the All Blacks in the quarterfinals. The French lead the group with 14 points from three games, four points clear of Ireland and 10 ahead of Italy.

"It will be a different game, a different story," against Ireland, France coach Philippe Saint-Andre said. "The guys are looking forward and they will be ready."

Captain Thierry Dusautoir is already relishing facing the Irish.

"We're here to test ourselves against the best," he said. "Their scrum is very strong, they tackle well and their backs find space."

Despite the fulltime score against Canada, it was a somewhat patchy performance from France and the only safe bet was the accurate kicking of Frederic Michalak.

The 32-year-old flyhalf converted the first four tries and added two penalties on his way to becoming his country's all-time World Cup scorer with 136 points. He made his World Cup debut in 2003.

"A lot of people were surprised why I picked him," Saint-Andre said. "Against Italy and today he showed that he's a class player."

Michalak was replaced near the end by Morgan Parra, who helped to set up winger Remy Grosso for a try on his test debut as Canada played the last 10 minutes with 14 players after Nanyak Dala was sin-binned.

Despite it being a fifth straight win for France, Saint-Andre will be seeking answers as to why his team switched off in the first half.

The French appeared to be in complete control at 17-0 after tries from centre Wesley Fofana and hooker Guilhem Guirado, but Canada rallied with two quick tries.

"The first 30 minutes were high quality. Then we played with less intensity, missed tackles and put ourselves in danger," Saint-Andre said. "They were playing with a lot of speed and we failed to react properly."

Left winger DTH Van Der Merwe crossed out wide and hooker Aaron Carpenter bulldozed over the creaking French line on the right.

"I'm really proud of the performance," Canada coach Kieran Crowley said. "We competed for long periods of the game."

At least Canada's tries stirred France back into action.

The French won a penalty at the end of the half, but Michalak chose an attacking lineout instead of a shot at goal. The move paid off, the French rolling maul proved too good and prop Rabah Slimani ducked in to pad out the lead to 24-12.

France beat Italy 32-10 and Romania 38-11, with Saint-Andre using all 31 squad players, extending it to 32 as Grosso came in to replace the injured Yoann Huget.

Although well executed, France's first try against Canada was made easier by some poor defence.

Michalak burst through the midfield, offloading a one-handed reverse pass to Fofana, who easily beat the defence for his 13th test try.

Michalak converted, moving level with Thierry Lacroix on 124 World Cup points, and then passed him after slotting over his first penalty goal.

Another direct move between Michalak and Fofana resulted in a try for Guirado before the Canadians responded with two tries.

The French steadied themselves and, after Michalak chose an attacking lineout rather than going for a kick, Slimani pushed his way through a gap to score.

The fourth try was proving elusive until the French again opted against a shot at goal in favour of an attacking lineout. Mathieu Bastareaud was held up near the posts before Pape stretched out from the subsequent rolling maul to get the fourth try, awarded after a television replay.

The Canadians competed gamely but those efforts took a toll, with Crawley concerned about "four or five injuries" ahead of his team's last match against Romania.

Saint-Andre said he has "no injuries" to worry about ahead of the showdown with Ireland in 10 days' time.

Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press

As harassment probe begins, fresh allegations surface against COC’s Aubut

MONTREAL — As the head of the Canadian Olympic Committee awaits the results of an investigation into a sexual harassment complaint, a second woman has come forward with her own allegations against Marcel Aubut.

Montreal lawyer Amelia Salehabadi-Fouques granted several interviews with local media on Thursday about her interactions with Aubut, who temporarily stepped aside as president of the committee and chairman of the Canadian Olympic Foundation late Wednesday after a sexual harassment allegation came to light.

The COC said in a statement that a former chief justice of the Quebec Superior Court, Francois Rolland, has been retained to investigate the initial complaint. None of the allegations have been proven. 

In his own statement on the initial complaint, Aubut described the allegations as a "remark he allegedly made to a colleague" and that he'd offered his "unconditional support" to those investigating the matter.

He called it a "normal process" that should be completed by mid-October.

The name of the complainant in the initial matter has not been made public.

Salehabadi-Fouques, who specializes in sports law and has been a member of the board of the Canadian Soccer Association since 2013,  says she was the victim of harassment by Aubut on three occasions, beginning when she met him four years ago.

Her unproven claims include an allegation of a forced kiss during their first meeting and allegations of sexually charged comments on their next two encounters.

Attempts to reach both Salehabadi-Fouques and Aubut by The Canadian Press were unsuccessful on Thursday and when asked about the fresh allegations, a COC spokesman simply referred to the committee's previous statement on the matter.

In interviews with several French-language media, including Montreal radio station 98.5 FM, Salehabadi-Fouques said she contacted Aubut about four years ago, while teaching at Universite de Montreal, because she hoped to get involved in the Canadian Olympic Committee.

They arranged to meet at a swanky restaurant in downtown Montreal, but she said she was surprised the meeting took place at the bar instead of at a table.

"It became clear the only thing he was interested in was not my professional experience, but my physique, etcetera," Salehabadi-Fouques told 98.5 FM. "There were very personal remarks, questions of a private nature about me."

She said he kissed her with his tongue later in the evening.

She said at the end of the evening she took a taxi by herself.

In the various interviews, she spoke about another alleged incident, in Quebec City last year, when she said she was asked to attend a business meeting that others were to attend, but where only Aubut showed up.

She alleged the only hotel room that had been reserved had been done so in Aubut's name.

"He said to me, 'When am I coming to your bedroom? I've asked for keys for your room,'" she said, adding she didn't sleep that night.

She said there was a final incident where Aubut allegedly harassed her at a match at the women's under-20 soccer World Cup last year at Montreal's Olympic Stadium.

"It was in front of my 15-year-old son," Salehabadi-Fouques said. "We were walking in the tunnel toward the VIP room and he came next to me and said 'When are we sleeping together?'."

She ignored Aubut's comment, but her son, who'd been within earshot, asked his mother if he'd heard correctly.

"He (my son) repeated it to me and that, to me, was the final straw," she said.

Salehabadi-Fouques told the radio station she hasn't decided whether she'll file any sort of formal complaint.

But when reading that a COC employee had come forward with a complaint, the mother of three said she decided she couldn't stay silent any longer.

A day earlier on Twitter, Salehabadi-Fouques, responding to a congratulatory comment about coming forward, wrote that "as a mother I will always stand (up) for younger women being harassed."

Aubut, 67, has been a member of the COC since 2000 and formally took over the presidency in April 2010.

He previously served as chief executive officer of the NHL's Quebec Nordiques until the team moved to Colorado in 1995.

He notably helped retired NHL hockey players Anton, Marian and Peter Stastny defect from communist Czechoslovakia to Canada in 1980 to play for the Nordiques.  

He was inducted into the Order of Canada as a member in 1986 and was promoted to officer in 1993. In 2006, he was made an officer of the National Order of Quebec.

Aubut was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

He continues to practise law and is a partner, lawyer and vice-chairman of the board of directors at BCF, a Montreal-based law firm.

The firm put out a statement Wednesday saying it would not comment on the investigation, adding Aubut's position at the firm was not at risk since the allegations did not directly involve his professional activities.

The Canadian Press

Omar Khadr in Toronto on court-approved visit with grandparents

TORONTO — Former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr has landed in Toronto on Thursday for a court-approved visit to his grandparents.

Khadr's lawyer Dennis Edney says Khadr arrived in Toronto from Edmonton, dispelling earlier doubts that he might have been on Canada's no-fly list, which could have prevented him from travelling.

Khadr's visit comes after an Edmonton judge eased his bail conditions last month, allowing him to travel to Toronto with one of his lawyers for a period of up to two weeks.

The Toronto-born Khadr, now 29, was 15 when he was captured following a firefight in Afghanistan in 2002, and became the youngest prisoner and lone Westerner at the time to be held in Guantanamo.

He pleaded guilty in 2010 to several war crimes, including the murder of an American soldier. A United States military commission sentenced him to another eight years behind bars. He was transferred to Canada in 2012 on a U.S. military plane.

Khadr later said he only pleaded guilty to get out of Guantanamo.

He was granted bail in May, pending his appeal of the convictions in the U.S.

Justice June Ross later said that Khadr's grandmother was ill and there was no reason why he shouldn't be able to visit his grandparents in Toronto.

Ross ruled that Khadr can also take off his electronic monitoring bracelet, which he argued was embarrassing and interfered with activities such as biking, swimming and playing soccer.

The federal government is appealing Khadr's release on bail.

The Canadian Press

Senior girls volleyball team optimistic about good results as season progresses

AL East clinched, Blue Jays can now earn home-field advantage through playoffs

BALTIMORE — When the cigar smoke settled from a wild celebration after clinching the American League East, the Toronto Blue Jays were left with more work to do.

"We think we have more ahead of us," manager John Gibbons said. "We really do."

Gibbons is talking about the playoffs, where oddsmakers have made the Blue Jays World Series favourites. But before that, there's the matter of trying to assure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

After losing 6-4 in their rain-delayed series finale against the Baltimore Orioles, the Blue Jays have a magic number of three to clinch the top seed in the American League. They started the day with a one-game lead on the Kansas City Royals but Toronto owns the tiebreaker, so if the teams finish with an even record, the Blue Jays take it.

Despite fielding a lineup without any regulars in the second half of a doubleheader Wednesday and then again Thursday to give the regular starters a rest, home-field advantage is still something the Blue Jays want.

"We'd love to get it, we're certainly going to fight for it, but you do balance it out with having to give guys rest," general manager Alex Anthopoulos said.

The Blue Jays opted for mostly rest Thursday but worked in some important players in what amounted to early October spring training. Most notably, reliever Aaron Sanchez pitched a perfect inning of relief in his first work since Sunday.

Toronto begins a three-game series, the final one of the regular season, on Friday at Tampa Bay. Securing home-field advantage means something because Rogers Centre is a place the Blue Jays feel can be intimidating for opponents.

"Home field for us with the environment we have at that stadium ... everybody across the league is talking about what an unbelievable environment it is, to have a dome, playing conditions, all that, I think it’s a big advantage for us," Anthopoulos said.

Rogers Centre was sold out for 20 of the final 21 home games of the regular season, and ace David Price remarked on the day he debuted for Toronto that he had never pitched in an atmosphere like that before. Tickets for the AL Division Series sold out in minutes, and fans who have waited 22 years for playoff baseball are expected to create quite the environment.

Price won't get a chance to pitch again until Game 1 of the ALDS on Thursday. The Blue Jays opted to hold him out of his scheduled start in Baltimore and ultimately decided to give him rest rather than having him pitch against the Rays.

Mark Buehrle is set to pitch Friday and Marco Estrada on Saturday. Toronto's starter for Sunday is to be determined, though if home-field advantage is assured by then, it could be any pitcher on the 40-man roster.

Clinching the AL's top seed would mean facing the winner of the wild-card game in the first round. The New York Yankees will likely host either the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels or Minnesota Twins in that one-game playoff Tuesday.

If the Royals finish with a better record, the Blue Jays would very likely face the Texas Rangers, who are close to wrapping up the AL West. Like the Blue Jays, Texas got an ace in late July in Cole Hamels and went on a roll, winning 36 of 56 games since the trade deadline.

Stephen Whyno, The Canadian Press

South Delta MLA speaks up about farmland near Dawson Creek

Murray River Coal Project earns environmental assessment certificate

Fewer Canadian bombs dropping on Iraq, Syria since election call: statistics

OTTAWA — Fewer Canadian bombs have been falling on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant since the federal election call on Aug. 2, new National Defence statistics show.

CF-18 fighters conducted 10 air raids last month and 12 in August, which is roughly half the average number of attacks carried out each month since the spring.

There were 30 raids by Canadian warplanes in July and 20 raids in each of May and June. The only time Canada conducted fewer missions this year was in February, when only nine strikes were recorded.

The statistics emerged as Russia opened its own air campaign in Syria this week, hitting targets on behalf of the Assad government and heralding what experts say is a dangerous new phase of the ongoing war in the Middle East.

National Defence was asked to explain the decline in the number of airstrikes and whether there had been political direction to keep the air war out of the headlines during the campaign. No one was immediately available to comment.

The Harper government hasn't said anything about the latest developments involving Russia — or reports that Iran is sending forces to fight alongside the Assad government. But Green party Leader Elizabeth May says Canada should be pressing for urgent talks engaging Russia, Iran, the U.S. and other allies.

She hearkened back to the Conservative government's expansion of the Canadian bombing campaign last spring, in which it cited the American legal justification for bombing in Syria.

"Putin is hoisting the West on our own petard," May said.

"The U.S. and Canada made it possible to claim bombing raids in a civil war were acceptable, even though falling outside international law."

The air war has figured prominently in the federal election: the Liberals have promised to halt the raids and concentrate on training Iraqi ground forces. The New Democrats say they would pull out of the mission entirely.

The mission made headlines in August when it was disclosed that the U.S.-led coalition had investigated a single Canadian airstrike last winter amid allegations of civilian casualties, but found no evidence to support the claims.

The dropping of Russian bombs in Syria has sent shock waves through the international community, but experts say the intervention is hardly surprising. What's more, they argue, the world needs to start being honest with itself about the failures in the war against ISIL militants.

The public debate in the West has been bogged down over whether the end goal should be confronting ISIL — also known as ISIS — or ousting Syrian President Bashar Assad, said Anthony Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"The problem is not simply ISIS or Assad," Cordesman said, noting that it's time to stop pretending Syrian moderates are strong enough to stand up to Assad — or even rival extremists the way the U.S. had hoped.

"The first step in solving a problem is to honestly assess it. No negotiation can work that does not deal with grim realities and divisions created by years of fighting."

The White House said Thursday that Russia's intervention threatens to prolong not only Syria's civil war, but the cross-border fight with ISIL. The Pentagon claims that Moscow's first airstrikes took out U.S.-backed rebels, not extremists.

Canada does not have the final say in the overall strategic direction of the war, but it can persuade the U.S. that the current approach — training Syrian resistance and relying on Iraqi forces — is not working, said Retired Canadian colonel George Petrolekas of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute.

The Russian incursion, he added, may ultimately bring some focus to the desire to end the bloodshed.

"We need to just get over this petulant reaction and get serious now."

The Harper government has been in lockstep with the Obama administration in calling for Assad's ouster and has been among President Vladimir Putin's most strident critics in Ukraine.

At one point or another, the West will likely be faced with the prospect of putting boots on the ground, if only to motivate the Iraqis to retake their lost territory, Petrolekas said.

Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press

Investigators say plane that crashed in Manitoba last month had wrong fuel

THOMPSON, Man. — The Transportation Safety Board says a plane that crashed in northern Manitoba last month, sending eight people to hospital, had the wrong fuel.

The Navajo Chieftain aircraft operated by Keystone Air had a malfunction shortly after takeoff on Sept. 15 and tried to return to the airport in Thompson, the board said Thursday.

The plane with two pilots and six passengers aboard crashed into some trees 1.8 kilometres short of a runway.

Much of the aircraft was destroyed, but the cabin section remained largely intact. There was no fire, even though the aircraft's fuel cells were ruptured and spilled gas around the crash site.  

The transportation board said the twin-engine piston aircraft was mistakenly refilled with jet-engine turbine fuel in Thompson instead of the required aviation gas.

"If you put the wrong fuel in an aircraft engine — obviously in this case the engine won't run," board spokesman Chris Krepski said. "The incorrect fuel would obviously affect the ability of the engine to operate."

The day after the crash, Keystone Air president Cliff Arlt said the company had learned that the aircraft may have been filled with jet fuel, rather than Avgas, as would have been required for the Navajo.

In a release Thursday, Keystone said the TSB's preliminary conclusion about the incorrect fuelling is consistent with the company's findings from its own investigation.

Keyson said it appears the fuel problem caused the crash.

"We note that there is no suggestion that the aircraft was not airworthy at the time of the crash, or that the crash was the result of any inflight operational issues," the release said. 

Keystone said it relies on Maratech Aviation Fuels, an independent company, to fuel its aircraft in Thompson.

The safety board said its investigation continues and includes a review of aircraft fuelling procedures used by the airline and the airport.

Krepski said there are safeguards that are supposed to prevent refuelling staff from putting the wrong type of gas into a plane.

"That is part of what the investigation will look at — what the procedures are for fuelling aircraft, whether they are sufficient."

Krepski said it is too soon to say when the board will issue its final report.

This is the second crash involving a Keystone Air plane in recent years.

Four people, including the pilot, were killed and a fifth was seriously injured when a Keystone plane hit the icy surface of a lake at a remote reserve north of Dryden, Ont., in 2012.

The TSB later found that poor weather, ice on the wings and the pilot's inexperience landing in icy conditions contributed to the crash.

Keystone Air, which operates eight aircraft out of its headquarters in St. Andrews, Man., says it offers cargo, passenger and executive transportation throughout North America.

— By John Cotter in Edmonton

 

 

 

The Canadian Press

‘Fort St. John loves Families’ offering promotions all next week

French debate gives leaders last major stage from which to sway Quebecers

OTTAWA — In Ascot Corner, Que., population 2,000, 50 farmers and a few tractors showed up this week to protest outside an all-candidates meeting. 

Fifteen minutes away, in Sherbrooke, Calgary Conservative Jason Kenney came bearing his party's message on religious face-coverings as he campaigned with local candidates.

And in Quebec City, the National Assembly voted Thursday to condemn acts of hate and violence against Muslim citizens.

The federal campaign is hot in Quebec, with a few particularly provocative topics with the potential to shake up the vote. The final French-language debate Friday night, hosted by the TVA network, has become a high-stakes event for the leaders tussling over the province's 78 seats.

In recent weeks, the NDP's polling numbers in the province have softened, opening up the possibility of unexpected gains for their rivals.

For example, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is hoping to win back seats his party formerly held in Montreal. He was in the city's suburbs Thursday, promoting more transit infrastructure to alleviate the city's notorious gridlock

The emotional issue of religious accommodation and specifically the wearing of face coverings during citizenship ceremonies, has become one of the most contentious issues. There is wide support in the province for the Conservative and Bloc Quebecois position that women wearing the niqab be forced to remove it when swearing the oath.

But the niqab issue also appears to have spurred more that just anti-Islamic rhetoric in the province. A pair of teens tore the headscarf from a pregnant woman in Montreal earlier in the week, causing her to fall on the ground.

On Thursday, the National Assembly passed a unanimous motion saying that "Muslim Quebecers are full citizens and this legislature condemns without reservations hate speech and violence against all citizens of Quebec."

NDP leader Tom Mulcair has criticized Harper and Duceppe for using the divisive issue to score political points, while acknowledging that many people feel strongly about it.

"The person who has the most to lose is Mr. Mulcair, because it's his support base which is the most divided on the niqab issue," said Louis Massicotte, a political science professor at Laval University.

"He counts on the support of Quebec nationalists and they're quite sensitive in general to questions of integration."

Despite the attention to the niqab, pollster Christian Bourque said many Quebecers watching the debate will be trying to decide whether Tom Mulcair or Justin Trudeau has the best chance of beating Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.

"If they feel Justin has the wind in his sails, some will go in his direction because he's got that potential to beat Mr. Harper," said Bourque, executive vice-president of Leger.

"If they still believe that the NDP is the only force that can beat the Conservatives, a lot of people will remain with the NDP and they may get some of that (lost) support back when everybody gets over this niqab thing."

The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal is likely to be a major topic of discussion during the debate, with negotiations coming to a head potentially a few hours before the broadcast.

The Quebec dairy industry worries that deal will weaken the supply management system of tariffs and production quotas and Harper will try to allay those fears.

"It's really been an issue throughout, from the every beginnings of the campaign," said Gordon Lambie, a reporter with the Sherbrooke Record in Quebec's Eastern Townships region. "

Mulcair has been saying this week that Harper doesn't have the mandate to negotiate any sort of final deal during an election campaign.

"The NDP will never accept a deal that compromises the supply management system that has provided honest work for thousands of families across Canada," Mulcair told supporters in Montreal on Thursday.

Mulcair also focused on the party's stance on the environment, another issue with resonance in the province. The Energy East oil pipeline project has met significant opposition and Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe deliberately raised it during the first French-language debate.

Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press

Ontario and Alberta agree to fight climate change in their own ways

TORONTO — Ontario and Alberta have different approaches on climate change, but agree reducing greenhouse gases is a key issue linked directly to the economy, Premiers Kathleen Wynne and Rachel Notley said after meeting in Toronto Thursday.

"We talked about our shared commitment to addressing issues around environmental protection and climate change," said Notley.

Alberta has a climate change review panel doing consultations with all sectors of the economy, including the energy industry, and is looking at reducing the amount of coal it burns to generate electricity, she added.

"It's also looking at what we do with respect to energy efficiency and with respect to renewable energy," said Notley. "Those are two areas under the previous government that were not developed at all from the perspective of government policy."

Alberta will develop a policy that balances environmental stewardship with ensuring "sustainable and economically healthy growth" of the province's energy sector, added Notley.

"The sustainable development of the energy industry is very important for Alberta's economy and very important for Canada's economy," she said.

Ontario already closed all its coal-fired electrical generating stations and has decided to implement a cap-and-trade system to further reduce greenhouse gases, while Alberta already has carbon pricing.

"What's important from our perspective is that we're all taking action, and it's consistent with the Canadian energy strategy that we are putting our own sub-national strategies in place," said Wynne. "A real reduction of emissions is our goal."

Notley said she supports NDP Leader Tom Mulcair's proposed national carbon trading system to combat greenhouse gas emissions because it would let provinces opt out if their efforts are as good as or better than his plan.

"The key thing about his plan that is appealing to Albertans is the fact that it respects the ability of individual provinces to make their own plans that reflect the economic and industrial profiles of each province," said the NDP premier. "That's why I think we can work within it."

There are 1,100 Ontario companies that are dependent on Alberta's oilsands for their business, said Wynne, so the province has a vested interest in the sector.

Ontario and Quebec have raised concerns about the environmental impact of the Energy East pipeline project, and Notley admitted Alberta could do a better job of explaining the need for the pipeline to diversify its energy markets.

"I do feel there's better discussions to be had around this issue," she said. "I think we can change the framework and change the way the conversation goes forward and we can have a discussion ultimately on that pipeline on the basis of its economic merits and the environmental consequences of the pipeline itself."

TransCanada Corp. wants to build a $12-billion pipeline to carry Alberta crude to ports in eastern Canada, which involves converting an existing natural gas pipe for two-thirds of the way and building new pipe through Quebec and New Brunswick.

"A project like the pipeline shouldn't be about pitting one province against another," said Wynne. "It's about how do we have this conversation that recognizes the economic merits and the economic needs of all provinces."

The premiers also expressed support for a new free trade deal at the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks in Atlanta, but Wynne complained about a lack of information from the federal government and said she hoped Ontario's auto sector and agricultural supply management systems were protected in the negotiations.

Notley's visit to the Ontario legislature was part of a business trip which also took her to Montreal and New York City.

___

Follow @CPnewsboy on Twitter

Keith Leslie, The Canadian Press

France beats Canada 41-18 to reach RWC quarterfinals thanks to bonus point from 5 tries

MILTON KEYNES, England — France became the first team through to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals after scoring five tries in a 41-18 win against Canada in their Pool D match on Thursday.

Veteran lock Pascal Pape got the all-important fourth try and the bonus point that France —runner-up four years ago to New Zealand — needed to reach the last eight.

France will be aiming to beat Ireland in its last game to secure top spot in Pool D and avoid a likely showdown with the All Blacks in the quarterfinals.

Despite the fulltime score, it was a somewhat patchy performance from France and the only safe bet was the accurate kicking of veteran flyhalf Frederic Michalak.

The 32-year-old Michalak converted the first four tries and added two penalties on his way to becoming his country's all-time World Cup scorer with 136 points. He made his World Cup debut in 2003.

Michalak went off near the end and was replaced by Morgan Parra, a mainstay from the 2011 squad, who then helped to set up winger Remy Grosso for a try on his test debut as Canada played the last 10 minutes with 14 players after Nanyak Dala was sin-binned.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre will be pleased with a fifth straight win, but will be seeking answers as to why his team switched off in the first half.

The French appeared to be in complete control at 17-0 after tries from centre Wesley Fofana and hooker Guilhem Guirado, but Canada rallied with two quick tries.

Left winger DTH Van Der Merwe crossed out wide and hooker Aaron Carpenter bulldozed over the creaking French line on the right.

That stirred France back into action.

The French won a penalty at the end of the half, but Michalak chose an attacking lineout instead of a shot at goal. The move paid off, the French rolling maul proved too good and prop Rabah Slimani ducked in to pad out the lead to 24-12.

Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press

MLAs vote in favour of keeping Site C construction going

Chetwynd Primary Care Clinic to expand appointment availability and welcome new Nurse Practicioner

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Fraser Aird set to join Canadian senior camp

TORONTO — Fraser Aird is set to attend his first camp with the Canadian senior soccer team, the Canadian Soccer Association has confirmed.

The 20-year-old Glasgow Rangers midfielder is part of the senior roster to be announced Friday for a camp next week in Florida ahead of an Oct. 11 friendly with Ghana in Washington.

Aird will join newcomer David (Junior) Hoilett at the Canadian camp.

The Toronto-born Aird was part of a Canadian under-15 camp in 2010 and played in a U15 friendly against the U.S. He represented Scotland at the under-17 level.

Aird was slated to be part of the Canada team at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship earlier this year, but had to sit out due to club commitments.

The Canadian Press

Washouts, damage to homes reported in New Brunswick after major downpour

FREDRICTON, N.B. — Heavy rainfall that dumped more than 160 millimetres on parts of New Brunswick is being blamed for widespread property damage and the death of one man. 

The province's Emergency Measures Organization says the downpour Wednesday and early Thursday damaged bridges, highways and guardrails across the province.

"We're dealing with road closures ... washouts and I've got a few bridge washouts as well, so we are looking at significant damage to road infrastructure," said spokesman Paul Bradley.

The RCMP say a 51-year-old man in Berwick, N.B., died after a retaining wall collapsed on him as he was connecting a sump pump at his home. The man has not been identified, and RCMP say they are not investigating as the death is considered accidental.

Six duck hunters were also rescued from a small island on Grand Lake after their boat started to sink Wednesday night.

In Welsford, about 70 kilometres south of Fredericton, some roads were covered in water and on Highway 101 in Wirral large slabs of asphalt were torn from the roadbed and ended up among some trees more than 10 metres away.

Addison Sweet of nearby Hoyt said the damage in his community was overwhelming.

"It looks like a war zone. It looks like the military bombed it in places," he said.

"There are 50 foot sections of road completely gone, culverts gone, and brooks running wide open."

Some roads are impassable, he said. "You're not going to get through some for a few days."

Bradley said some people in Hoyt had voluntarily left their homes and 14 families in Grand Bay-Westfield were staying with family and friends. A reception centre was also opened in Oromocto for anyone who had been forced from their homes.

In Clarendon, Cheryl Perrin had two driveways but the end of one was washed away by the raging floodwaters and the other one was damaged.

"We knew it was bad but we didn't know it was that bad," she said. 

Perrin said the heavy rain lasted all day Wednesday and through the night.

"There was so much of it that it had no place to go."

Bradley said most roads were swamped and caution was being urged for drivers, particularly in central and southern regions. The downpour and subsequent washouts also forced the closure of some schools and cancelled buses.

Heavy rainfall warnings for New Brunswick and P.E.I. ended Thursday, though warnings remained in effect for much of Nova Scotia and western Newfoundland.

The weather office predicted between 40 and 80 millimetres of rain in Nova Scotia and similar amounts in western Newfoundland.

Environment Canada urged people to prepare for flash flooding.

Despite the nasty weather, four cruise ships carrying more than 5,200 passengers plus crew planned to make a day of it in Halifax harbour, including the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner. A fifth vessel decided to bypass Halifax due to the weather and was headed for Saint John, N.B.

Lane Farguson, a spokesman for the Halifax Port Authority, said the rain wasn't ideal but cruise passengers to the Maritimes are typically prepared for changeable weather.

"They know it's possibly a good idea to bring some rain gear," he said.

— By Melanie Patten in Halifax and Kevin Bissett in New Brunswick

The Canadian Press