Five stories in the news Thursday, Nov. 17

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Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

GORDON STUCKLESS IN COURT FACING NEW CHARGES

The man at the heart of the Maple Leaf Gardens sex abuse scandal is set to appear in a Toronto court this morning, where he faces a slew of new charges. Toronto police say 67-year-old Gordon Stuckless is accused of sexually assaulting three boys more than 30 years ago. Stuckless has also been charged with four counts of buggery, four counts of indecent assault, six counts of gross indecency, and two counts of threatening death. Toronto police allege the incidents occurred between 1978 and 1984. Two years ago, Stuckless pleaded guilty to more than 100 charges for the crimes he committed against 18 young boys between 1965 and 1985.

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TRIAL RESUMES FOR TORONTO PASTOR CHARGED WITH INDECENT ASSAULT

The trial of a prominent Toronto pastor charged with the indecent assault of a teenage male 40 years ago continues in a Nova Scotia courtroom today. The cross examination of the complainant in the case is expected to resume this morning in Kentville, N.S. The complainant tearfully testified Tuesday that Brent Hawkes encouraged teenage males to strip at a drunken party in the 1970s, and then took him to a bedroom for sex. Hawkes has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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ARCHITECT OF LIBERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BANK DISMISSES CRITICS

A Liberal MP who helped draft his party’s policy on urban infrastructure says opposition to a proposed infrastructure bank is short-sighted, stupid and irresponsible. Adam Vaughan says the bank will make it possible for municipalities to leverage private sector cash to fund crucial projects that would otherwise be unaffordable. The opposition parties say that private investors demand for a high rate of return on their investments will lead to things like road tolls. But Vaughan says the cost of not fixing aging infrastructure can be catastrophic and it must be factored into the cost analysis.

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ACCOMMODATING RELIGIOUS MINORITY TO BE VOTED ON IN MONTREAL: The latest flashpoint in Quebec’s ongoing debate on accommodating religious minorities will play out on Sunday in Montreal. Citizens will vote in a referendum on whether to overturn a bylaw banning places of worship on Bernard Avenue, a busy and colourful street in the borough of Outremont. A spokesman for Outremont’s Hasidic Jews says it’s an attempt to squeeze them out. A council member who is spearheading the campaign to ban new temples on the avenue said the comments are just an attempt to get media attention.

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The Canadian Press