Toronto McDonald's shooting deaths of two men by security guard: Security firms want more info  A private security guard will not face charges after fatally shooting two men at a Danforth Avenue McDonald's in February. But Ontario security companies say the incident could teach them how to prevent similar tragedies - if they knew more about what happened.

Toronto Police Services rebuffed calls this week to release further details about the Feb. 28 shooting or the legal reasons for the decision not to lay charges, which they announced on Wednesday. Crown attorneys concluded there was no reasonable prospect of conviction in the case, police said.

The shooting was very unusual, but within the world of private armed guards doing tasks like cash transfers, it is a reminder of daily conundrums. In the booming field of private security, armed guards are still a tiny minority, and their training and protocols are unlike those of police or unarmed private security guards.

Shortly after the shooting, police said that Donny Ouimette, 25, and Ryan Hind, 39, died after getting into a "significant physical altercation" with the armed guard, who was apparently in the restaurant to buy food and had the gun he was licensed to carry for work. Det.-Sgt. Terry Browne said 15 to 20 people were inside when "multiple shots" were fired before 3 a.m.

The guard was an employee of Intercon Security, which is owned by GardaWorld. Police have not said what task he was doing that night or for whom.

On Thursday, Police Chief Mark Saunders said a coroner's inquest might be the right "forum" to air evidence in the case. Ontario's Chief Coroner's office said on Friday it is considering holding an inquest.

The lessons from that night could affect companies' policies on employee breaks or training on use of force. What most people do not understand, security experts said, is that private armed guards see self-defence differently than an average, unarmed person, and differently than police, who are not tasked with protecting valuables.

Private armed guards receive 40 hours of firearm training. They are told not to interact with the public, and to shoot when they perceive a real threat, Mr. Kleiman said. That can include someone touching their guns intentionally, because losing a gun is a "threat of the highest level" that would put them at the mercy of assailants, he said, adding that this may have happened in the McDonald's.

As I understood, what happened is those guys stood behind the guard in line and touched his gun, maybe as a joke," he said. "Whether or not there was a threat or whether the guard only thought there was a threat is a very fine line there."

ValGuard employees are encouraged to pack meals and remain in their armored trucks, he said. If they need to step outside, disarming and re-arming is considered more dangerous than keeping the gun because of the risk of accidental discharge, he said.

Canadian courts see private guards as regular citizens when it comes to self-defence, although they are armed, said George Rigakos, a policing expert at Carleton University. Very little research has been done on guards' use of force, but it is much more common for them to be victims, Dr. Rigakos said. He said the companies and their insurers study lethal incidents carefully.  theglobeandmail.com

Bebe CEO apologizes to Calgary woman after store refused to hand over dress
Belinda Morrison went into Bebe Sunday to buy a dress for her birthday party, but left empty handed and without $168 after the debit system crashed, and employees told her she hadn't paid- even after she returned with a bank statement. When contacted Tuesday, Morrison said she was in much better spirits. "They're sending me the dress, refunding my money and giving me a gift certificate," said Morrison, who will now have the dress for her birthday. Morrison said she was also pleased to have been called directly by Wiggett, who offered her a personal apology.  "I gave her my personal number and told her if she ever had a bad experience again to call me directly, but I guaranteed we're doing everything to make sure it doesn't," said Wiggett. The Bebe boss told Metro he had the opportunity to speak to both the regional and district managers of the Chinook Centre store, and said they had a "long discussion" about the incident and "what my expectations are going forward." "I take our customer relationships very much to heart," he said. "If it's something important enough for the CEO to get involved, then I will." metronews.ca

Government announces $142M to beef up Canadian cybersecurity
The federal government is injecting an additional $142 million into its cybersecurity budget, in an effort to prevent future cyberattacks against government and private sector targets in Canada. The money will go toward battling all manner of online threats against government and private websites, including database breaches, website hacks and online fraud. Some of the additional money will help fund a group of RCMP cybersecurity experts who will be dedicated to investigating online threats.  ctvnews.ca

Canadian retailers Danier Leather and Le Château having a rough year at the mall  Canada's mid-size retailers are struggling. Now analysts are concerned the two stores that have been fixtures in the Canadian marketplace for decades. Danier Leather, with 86 stores across Canada, has hired Consensus Advisory Services, a boutique investment banking and financial advisory firm, to help it explore strategic alternatives after posting yet another steep decline in sales in the last quarter. Le Château, meanwhile, has repeatedly gone to founder, director and majority shareholder Herschel Segal's firm for loans, most recently in June, when it secured $15-million. The retailer ended the year with 219 locations in Canada and one in the U.S.  thestar.com

Loblaw to close 52 unprofitable stores over next 12 months reducing sales about $300 million annually


Retail Fast Facts: June 2015
 
Highlights:
 
● Total monthly retail sales changed by 1.7 per cent over the comparable month last year. 
● Total sales excluding food, automotive and gasoline changed by 5.0 per cent over the comparable month last year. Read more retailcouncil.org

 

Pair charged in Halifax mall plot to go to trial as preliminary hearing wraps
Two young people accused of plotting to shoot shoppers at a Halifax mall have been committed to stand trial on several charges, including conspiracy to commit murder. A preliminary hearing, which lasted a total of three days, wrapped up Thursday for 23-year-old Lindsay Kantha Souvannarath of Geneva, Ill., and 21-year-old Randall Steven Shepherd of Halifax. A routine publication ban prohibits reporting what was heard during the hearing to ensure the accused receive a fair trial. They have also been charged with conspiracy to commit arson, illegal possession of dangerous weapons and making a threat through social media. The Crown alleges the two accused, along with a 19-year-old man found dead in his Halifax home, had planned to attack the Halifax Shopping Centre on Valentine's Day. None of the allegations have been proven in court. ctvnews.ca

Langley RCMP investigate suspicious explosion, 2 businesses damaged
Langley RCMP are investigating after an explosion damaged two businesses in the 5700-block of 203a Street on Friday night. The explosion happened at about 11:30 p.m. The front of a business called All Day Vapes sustained the bulk of the damage, but several windows were also shattered at a vehicle leasing business on floor above the vape, or e-cigarette shop. cbc.ca

Woman sought after Family Drug Mart robbed in Dartmouth, NS