Man caught on camera trying to set fire in B.C. forest out of jail after being sentenced
A British Columbia man who was seen by witnesses and caught on camera trying to light a fire in a forest during a particularly bad wildfire season has been released from jail following sentencing.
Stephen Leader pleaded guilty last week to one count of intending to cause an explosion resulting in harm, reported Castanet.net.
The charge stemmed from an incident on July 10, 2021, in which he was seen lighting a fire in a forest bordering a residential area of West Kelowna.
At that time, the province and particularly B.C.'s Interior was weeks into what was one of the most destructive wildfire seasons. The fire he'd tried to set was days after a record-breaking heat wave that led to hundreds of deaths and left conditions tinder dry in many areas.
He'd been charged with four other offences, but the Crown agreed to stay those charges in exchange for his plea, Castanet reported.
The 37-year-old, who's been in jail since last August, was released after learning his sentence last week. A judge ordered him to serve a 223-day conditional sentence, followed by three years' probation. For about half of his conditional sentence, he'll be living in a recovery house in Abbotsford under 24-hour house arrest. When he is allowed to leave, he'll be under a curfew.
He's also subject to conditions including that he must complete treatment and can't have alcohol or go into bars and liquor stores.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.