By Canadian Press

In the news today, July 10

Jul 12, 2019 | 2:17 AM

Five stories in the news for Wednesday, July 10

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MILITARY’S SECOND-IN-COMMAND TO RESIGN

The military’s second-in-command, Lt.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk, is resigning. The move, which is effective on Aug. 9, comes only weeks after the federal government agreed to a settlement with Wynnyk’s predecessor, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. It was believed at that time that Wynnyk would remain as the Canadian Forces’ vice-chief of the defence staff for the foreseeable future. But in a letter obtained by Global News, Wynnyk reportedly links his resignation to an attempt by the military’s top officer, Gen. Jonathan Vance, to reinstate Norman.

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BOMBARDIER TO CUT 550 JOBS IN ONTARIO

Bombardier Inc. is laying off half of the 1,100 workers at its Thunder Bay, Ont., railway car plant, according to a federal government source. Two major contracts in Ontario — for the Toronto Transit Commission streetcars and Metrolinx GO Transit rail cars — are slated to halt by the end of the year. Local union president Dominic Pasqualino said he fears more job losses are on the horizon beyond the initial 550 as the contracts wind down. Pasqualino laid part of the blame for a lack of new contracts on the province, however, saying that “our customer is the government, it’s not individuals.” He also pointed the finger at the Trump administration, which has backed Buy America-like clauses requiring a minimum threshold of local content.

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GOING PUBLIC ON ELECTION THREAT A ‘LAST RESORT’

The threshold will be high for any decision to alert Canadians to an attempt to interfere in the coming general election, the federal government says. The extraordinary step of a public announcement would be “a last resort,” a senior official told reporters at a briefing Tuesday. Employees of various agencies, speaking on condition of anonymity, discussed the steps that would be followed under the government’s “critical election incident public protocol” amid concerns that rogue players might try to manipulate candidates or voters this fall. Scenarios that could trigger an announcement include blackmail against political candidates, hacking of databases or the spread of false information through video manipulation — known as “deep fakes” — or other deceptive means.

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CANADA’S PREMIERS MEETING IN SASKATOON

Canada’s 13 premiers are expected to discuss trade and climate policy among other pressing issues when they sit down for their annual conference in Saskatoon. The closed-door meeting is taking place today and tomorrow at a downtown hotel. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is hosting the Conference of the Federation, and says one priority is breaking down trade barriers between the jurisdictions. The gathering, just ahead of October’s federal election, comes as some conservative leaders are decrying federal energy policies and four provinces are taking Ottawa to court over its carbon tax.

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WETTLAUFER PLAY PROVES DIVISIVE AMONG VICTIMS’ FAMILIES

A play set against the backdrop of the case of an Ontario nurse who killed eight elderly patients has drawn polarized reactions from some of the victims’ family members. A theatre in Blyth, Ont., north of London, is staging a show next month that dramatizes the fallout of the murders committed by Elizabeth Wettlaufer. Wettlaufer is serving a life sentence after confessing to killing eight patients with insulin overdoses and attempting to kill four others at long-term care facilities and private homes in Ontario for about a decade. Blyth Festival Theatre artistic director Gil Garratt, who co-wrote the play with Kelly McIntosh, said “In the Wake of Wettlaufer” will not portray the serial killer or her crimes. Rather, Garratt said the production seeks to explore the impact of a case that “irrevocably changed” communities within southwestern Ontario, and raised questions about gaps in long-term care of seniors more broadly.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosts a roundtable discussion with community stakeholders, with a photo opportunity at the start of the meeting in Montreal.

— Astronaut David Saint-Jacques talks about his mission and answers questions from young people.

— Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay makes announcements about research that supports the well-being of Canadian military personnel, veterans and their families.

— Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Omar Alghabra, parliamentary secretary to the minister of international trade diversification, will be at the Calgary Stampede to announce funding for the Canadian beef industry.

— A 15-year-old girl to appear in court charged with manslaughter, arson and disregard for human life after a residential trailer fire in which a woman from the Swan River First Nation died.

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The Canadian Press