Three men facing charges in gun trafficking ring in Ottawa
A file photo of an RCMP cruiser.
Three men are facing charges for allegedly importing illegal handguns from the United States and selling them on the streets of Ottawa.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, with help from Ottawa Police, launched an investigation in September 2021 into a gun trafficking network that was allegedly distributing illegal handguns in the Ottawa area.
"The firearms included handguns and firearms with no serial numbers. These types of firearms are in high demand on the streets," the RCMP said in a statement.
Two Ottawa men and a Toronto resident are facing more than 30 charges. All three men—James Kongshaw, 39, and David Lafontaine, 44, both of Ottawa, and Justin McPolin, 46, of Toronto—are jointly charged with conspiring to traffic firearms and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
Kongshaw is facing an additional 15 gun charges. The other two men are facing five additional charges each.
"The proliferation of illegal handguns into the hands of organized criminals poses a threat to public safety," RCMP Insp. Islam Issa said in a statement.
"This joint investigation is an excellent example of how law enforcement collaboration and information sharing can disrupt the flow of illegal handguns onto our streets, leading to safer communities."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Loblaw ends No Name price freeze, vows 'flat' pricing 'wherever possible'
Loblaw will not be extending its price freeze on No Name brand products, but vows to keep the yellow label product-pricing flat 'wherever possible.'
Discovery in Canadian lab could help laptop, phone and car batteries last longer
A chance discovery in a Canadian laboratory could help extend the life of laptop, phone and electric car batteries.
Woman detained in Syria says Ottawa is forcing her to make agonizing choice in order to get her kids to Canada
A woman held in a detention camp in Syria, along with her three Canadian children, says the federal government is forcing her to make an agonizing choice: relinquish custody of her kids so they can be repatriated to Canada, or keep them in the camp where the conditions are dire. Her children are eligible for repatriation but she is not a Canadian citizen.
15 students in Mexico treated after taking part in online 'challenge' involving tranquilizers
Fifteen grade school students in Mexico have been treated after apparently taking part in an internet 'challenge' in which groups of students take tranquilizers to see who can stay awake the longest.
Cheaters beware: ChatGPT maker releases AI detection tool
The maker of ChatGPT is trying to curb its reputation as a freewheeling cheating machine with a new tool that can help teachers detect if a student or artificial intelligence wrote that homework.
Still no answers on yearslong bread price-fixing scandal: law professor
More than five years since Canada’s Competition Bureau began an investigation into an alleged bread-price fixing scheme, no conclusions have been drawn nor charges laid. As the watchdog is now probing whether grocery stores are profiting from inflation, one expert says the effectiveness of its tools are in question.
Jeopardy! dedicates entire category to Ontario but one question stumps every contestant
Jeopardy! turned the spotlight on Ontario on Monday night with a category entirely dedicated to the province. One question stumped every contestant.
U.S. launches second USMCA dispute panel as dairy battle with Canada goes to Round 2
The United States is filing another formal dispute over what it considers Canada's failure to live up to its trade obligations to American dairy farmers and producers.
Boeing bids farewell to an icon, delivers last 747 jumbo jet
Boeing bids farewell to an icon on Tuesday: It's delivering its final 747 jumbo jet.
Atlantic
-
Wind chill explained and what to expect late week in the Maritimes
A blast of Arctic air will combine with northwest gusts to make it feel like -35 degrees or colder for parts of all three Maritime provinces Friday night into Saturday.
-
911 issues caused by change to 10-digit dialing in New Brunswick: Bell Aliant
911 emergency calling in all three Maritime provinces has been fixed following service issues Tuesday morning.
-
Mi'kmaw Nova Scotia MP says updated electoral map kicks him out of his own riding
A Mi'kmaw member of Parliament says proposed changes to the boundaries of federal ridings in Nova Scotia would remove him and two Indigenous communities from his riding.
Toronto
-
Family slams 'unconscionable' actions of TD Bank after 95-year-old woman withdraws $10K in scam
The family of a 95-year-old Ontario woman tricked into withdrawing $10,000 in the middle of a major snowstorm said it's 'absolutely unconscionable' that bank employees allowed her to take out the money without contacting her power of attorney.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING | Baby located at Markham hotel with critical injuries; man in custody
York Regional Police say they are investigating after a baby was seriously injured in Markham on Tuesday afternoon.
-
Toronto woman faces eviction after 36 years in same home because mother dies
A Toronto woman is calling on her landlord to show human compassion and not evict her out of the place she’s lived for the past 36 years because her mother died.
Montreal
-
Man accused of beating Montreal girl, 10, declared high-risk offender
A man who brutally attacked a 10-year-old girl in Montreal's Pointe-aux-Trembles neighbourhood last spring was declared a high-risk offender by a judge Tuesday.
-
WEATHER
WEATHER | Polar vortex to bring coldest air in years to parts of Quebec
So far, the winter season across Southwestern Quebec has been marked by above-average snowfall and above-average temperatures, but that is about to change. Cold, arctic air has been gradually pushing into the province.
-
Family of man killed in Montreal jail wants surveillance video released
The family of a Montreal man who died after he was seriously injured by jail guards while he was illegally detained is calling for surveillance video of the incident to be released publicly. Nicous D'Andre Spring's family and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association are jointly calling for 'all video footage' from the jail to be released immediately.
Northern Ontario
-
BREAKING
BREAKING | Sudbury school board makes decision on drag event
After putting the brakes on a planned event involving high-profile drag queens at a Sudbury high school two weeks ago, the Rainbow District School Board has made a final decision about it.
-
Blind River man charged again in ongoing neighbour dispute
Charges are being laid for the third time in connection with an ongoing dispute between northern Ontario neighbours, police say.
-
Preston Pablo of Timmins receives three Juno Award nominations
Preston Pablo, 21, of Timmins is a singer, songwriter and musician who's been nominated for three Juno Awards.
London
-
"You're not supposed to appear in uniform at a public meeting like that": Planning, research consultant
London Police Service Chief Steve Williams says an investigation is being conducted after a member of the police service appeared at City Hall in uniform to express opposition to a proposed development.
-
'I'm going to continue to do it': Man attempts to destroy snow sculptures in east London
Jared Clark loves to brighten his east London neighborhood with life-sized snow sculptures in the winter — and despite surveillance footage that recently depicted a real-life Grinch attempting to destroy the sculptures, Clark remains undeterred.
-
Downtown London recovering better than other Canadian cities, according to study
Downtown London, Ont. is bouncing back from the pandemic better than all other medium and large sized cities in Canada. That’s according to a new study by the University of Toronto School of Cities.
Winnipeg
-
Arson causes $7M in damage at Manitoba business
RCMP in Headingley say a fire at a business in the RM of Rosser that caused millions in damage was a case of arson.
-
Jeopardy! dedicates entire category to Ontario but one question stumps every contestant
Jeopardy! turned the spotlight on Ontario on Monday night with a category entirely dedicated to the province. One question stumped every contestant.
-
Manitoba First Nation to sign child welfare agreement with Ottawa, province
Peguis First Nation is set to become the first Indigenous group in Manitoba to take control of child welfare under federal legislation that came into effect three years ago.
Kitchener
-
Queen Victoria statue consultation wraps up first stage with City of Kitchener
The City of Kitchener says they have wrapped up the first phase of consultation regarding a controversial statue in a public park.
-
OHL Bulldogs could be calling Brantford its new temporary home
The Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is considering temporarily relocating to Brantford Civic Centre while their home ice undergoes major renovations.
-
Kitchener crash causes heavy damage, road closure
A crash between a box truck and a convertible has caused heavy damage to one vehicle and a road closure in Kitchener.
Calgary
-
First affordability payments delivered, long-term solutions needed: recipients
The first instalment of the province’s affordability payments has been automatically deposited into the bank accounts of Albertans already receiving income supports.
-
Calgary MP says Liberal government wasted millions on quarantine hotel stays
A Calgary MP says she's learned the Liberal government gave more than $6.7 million in taxpayer money to a local hotel designated as a "quarantine hotel," but only 15 people stayed there in 2022.
-
'It's a backwards move': Canada Post closes office in small Alberta town
Residents in a hamlet east of Calgary will now need to drive out of town to pick up their mail after Canada Post decided to close the community's post office.
Saskatoon
-
'I feel we are forgotten': Saskatoon long term care residents speak out about staff shortages
Residents of a Saskatoon care home are speaking out about staff shortages and broken equipment in their facility.
-
Saskatoon landlord expects family of man killed in apartment to clean up his blood
Thirty-seven-year-old Adam Willet was found dead in his apartment on 7th Street East in December, and his family says they are now on the hook for cleaning the suite.
-
Saskatoon police ask for help locating missing teen
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 13-year-old girl.
Edmonton
-
'Sheer luck': Bullets in north Edmonton shooting narrowly missed sleeping children: police
Police are asking the public for help in identifying two males involved in a shooting in north Edmonton last month.
-
Ottawa, Alberta expanding $10/day daycare plan to include 22,500 new private spaces
Alberta's UCP government celebrated a victory in "parental choice in child care" Tuesday while announcing that a nationwide effort to make daycare more affordable will also include thousands of new privately-operated spaces in the province.
-
'Possibilities are endless': Louis Bull Tribe women graduate from accelerated esthetics program
A small but emotional graduation ceremony was held in west Edmonton Tuesday as 15 women from the Louis Bull Tribe received their diplomas in essential aesthetics.
Vancouver
-
Illicit drug death toll surpasses 2,000 in B.C. for a 2nd consecutive year
British Columbia recorded 2,272 illicit drugs deaths last year, new data released by the BC Coroners Service shows.
-
ICBC accused him of lying about how his Tesla got damaged. He took them to court.
ICBC has been ordered to pay over $2,500 for repairs to a man's Tesla after the province's Civil Resolution Tribunal dismissed the insurer's claim that the driver lied about what caused the damage.
-
Nanaimo singer Lauren Spencer-Smith earns pair of Juno Awards nods
Lauren Spencer-Smith of Nanaimo, B.C., is among the nominees for this year's Juno Awards, including for the artist of the year category. The 19-year-old singer who rose to fame after a stint on American Idol is up against established names like Michael Bublé, Avril Lavigne and The Weeknd in the most coveted category.
Regina
-
'A bit of a wild card': Team Muyres ready to make Tankard debut in Estevan
The SaskTel Tankard Provincial Men's Curling Championships kicks off in Estevan this week and newly formed Team Muyres is ready to make their mark.
-
Riders release defensive lineman A.C. Leonard
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have released defensive lineman A.C. Leonard.
-
Class action lawsuit launched against Home Depot following investigation
Regina lawyer Tony Merchant has launched a class action lawsuit on behalf of some Home Depot customers who agreed to receive receipts electronically.