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Killings spur review of prison release programs

Canadian authorities will take a closer look at the corrections and parole systems after a recent string of attacks and murders by convicts who were living at halfway houses or on day passes.

Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan told the Canadian Professional Police Association it's time to review prisoner release programs. Police have been angry over several high-profile crimes by parolees.

"Clearly, we need to take a serious look at some parts of our parole system, how our corrections system operates and whether or not the commitment to public safety is always there," McLellan said.

In one of the most disturbing cases, parolee Eric Fish, who walked away from a halfway house in Vernon, British Columbia, killed retiree Bill Abramenko in a home invasion.

It was the third homicide linked to the Vernon facility, Howard House, in eight years. The facility will be closed as a result of public uproar.

"The system has lost the confidence of the police and the public," said Glen Dennis of the Edmonton Police Association.

Bruce Miller of the Ontario Police Association said there are too many "club-fed" prisons in the country. At the Ferndale minimum-security prison near Vancouver, inmates are called "clients" and live in comfortable townhouse-style settings, he said.

Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell is in New York City this weekend to discuss the mad cow crisis with his U.S. counterpart.

Before leaving for the trip, Mitchell suggested the meeting with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman is his first step to try to have the U.S. border opened to Canadian beef.

It was closed after a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was discovered in May 2003. The U.S. started allowing some cuts of beef across last September, but continues to ban imports of live Canadian cattle, creating a backlog of beef and driving down prices.

Political insiders say Prime Minister Paul Martin wants all 135 Liberal members of Parliament in Ottawa, the nation's capital, if he's to avoid losing crucial votes that could embarrass or topple his government. They say he made the comment at a national caucus meeting to discuss strategy for the minority government that could fall in the event of a nonconfidence vote.

Bernard Landry, who wants someday to be the Parti Quebecois premier who takes Quebec out of Canada, isn't talking about retirement. Landry, 67, says there won't be a leadership race to replace him, even though he faces criticism from fellow sovereigntists after his PQ government was dumped by voters last year.

Rosalie Abella and Louise Charron have been named judges of the Supreme Court of Canada by Martin. The appointment of the two Ontario judges was approved by a parliamentary panel set up to review such appointments.

The Canadian dollar has drifted lower, closing Friday at 76.10 U.S. cents, while the U.S. dollar returned $1.3140 Canadian, before bank exchange fees.

The Bank of Canada's key interest rate is steady at 2 percent, while the prime lending rate is 3.75 percent.

Stock markets were higher, with the Toronto exchange index at 8,334 points and the Canadian Venture Exchange at 1,521 points.

Lotto 6-49: (Wednesday) 9, 16, 22, 23, 33 and 45; bonus 46. (Aug. 21) 28, 30, 31, 37, 39 and 46; bonus 34.

Canada's Federal Court of Appeal will allow Quebec City radio station CHOI-FM to stay on the air while owner Patrice Demers fights an order to close. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ordered CHOI off the air because of inappropriate broadcasts. Thousands of people have protested against the ruling.

The threat of a back-to-school strike in Alberta appears to be diminishing. Edmonton, Calgary and Sturgeon County school divisions have reached tentative contract agreements. Class sizes, wages and benefits are the major issues.

Attempts to get a wayward humpback whale to leave Nova Scotia's Annapolis River for open water were postponed Friday. Federal Fisheries Department scientists hope with a full moon and higher tides over the weekend, the whale would swim out on its own. A power-generating station in the Bay of Fundy stopped operating so it wouldn't harm the animal.