Five stories in the news today, Dec. 21

Five stories in the news for Wednesday, Dec. 21

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PRIME MINISTER TO TALK PIPELINES IN CALGARY 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Calgary today for the first time since approving two major pipeline projects and rejecting another. He will address the city’s business community over breakfast, and is expected to talk about the need for the projects, but also the need for environmental action. The visit to Alberta follows a stop in Vancouver on Tuesday.

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time served

Nanaimo man caught with over 30g of illicit drugs avoids additional jail time

11h ago

big return

Senior women's box lacrosse returns to Nanaimo after 10+ year absence

11h ago

environmental impacts

Accidental pump activation causes minor oil slick in Nanaimo marina

13h ago

FEDS TO BAN OFFSHORE OIL, GAS LICENSES IN ARCTIC

The federal government plans to ban offshore oil and gas licensing in the Arctic, citing the need to protect the environment, but the move was largely met with shrugs by industry observers. The measure was part of a joint announcement with the U.S. Experts note there are no drilling plans in the region now, suggesting that the ban is of little consequence.

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SECURITY AGENCIES MUST OBEY LETTER OF LAW, PM SAYS 

Justin Trudeau says his government will ensure security and spy agencies follow the “letter and spirit” of the law, amid mounting concerns they have trampled the privacy of journalists and other Canadians. It emerged last month that the Montreal and Quebec provincial police forces had been tracking the communications of several journalists. 

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LIBYAN CONFLICT HITS HOME FOR CANADIAN

A Canadian man whose family is trapped in a militant-controlled area in the Libyan city of Benghazi is calling on Ottawa to help broker a ceasefire so innocent civilians can flee the fighting.  Ali Hamza, of Mississauga, Ont., says his 75-year-old mother, five siblings, sister-in-law and six young nieces are among about 130 families still living in a neighbourhood besieged by Libyan army troops that answer to a powerful military commander.

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STUDY: LIGHT EXERCISE AFTER CONCUSSION MAY HELP

Getting physical exercise within a week of suffering a concussion may reduce a young person’s risk of experiencing ongoing symptoms, say researchers, whose finding runs counter to conventional guidelines calling for strict mental and physical rest following the common brain injury. “Exercise is probably a good medicine,” said Dr. Roger Zemek of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, who led the study of Canadian children and teens conducted at nine pediatric hospitals across the country.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— The CRTC will issue its decision following the process on Basic Telecommunication Services in Canada.

— Statistics Canada will release data on payroll employment, earnings and hours for October.

— Sentencing expected for Bruce Lofroth, an RCMP veteran who assaulted a youth during an arrest in Terrace, B.C., in May 2014.

The Canadian Press