Man accused of killing Saskatoon youth advocate will plead guilty to manslaughter
A photo of Justin Troy Ballantyne provided by Saskatoon Police Service.
A man accused of killing a Saskatoon youth advocate and volunteer has arranged a plea deal, according to his defence lawyer.
Justin Ballantyne, 30, was set to go to a jury trial in March for second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Brandon Applegate. Instead, Ballantyne will plead guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, his lawyer Brian Pfefferle says.
Pfefferle and the crown prosecutor negotiated a joint submission of 18 years for the manslaughter plea.
Applegate died on Oct. 4, 2020. Police were called to the intersection of Eighth Street East and Clarence Avenue for reports of an injured man.
Police said Applegate was found suffering from a gunshot wound and died in the hospital.
Brandon Applegate. (Facebook)
Friends and family remember Applegate as an outgoing, happy father of four.
Applegate worked on several Students Commission of Canada projects and was an advocate for youth voices.
Ballantyne and Applegate knew each other, according to police.
Ballantyne will be in court for his sentencing hearing on March 6.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Budget 2023 prioritizes pocketbook help and clean economy, deficit projected at $40.1B
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
Freeland's green economy spending aimed at competing with U.S. Inflation Reduction Act
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says clean energy and green technology spending may not have been the big-ticket items of the 2023 federal budget if it weren’t for the need to compete with infrastructure spending in the United States.
Federal government capping excise tax on alcohol after outcry
The increase in excise duties on all alcoholic products is being temporarily capped at two per cent starting next month instead of a planned 6.3 per cent increase.
opinion
opinion | The gun control debate in America has been silenced
In the wake of another deadly mass shooting in America, that saw children as young as nine years old shot and killed, the gun control debate is going nowhere, writes CTV News political analyst Eric Ham.
Kids would rather learn from smart robots than less-smart humans: new study
A new study published by Canadian researchers suggests that kindergarten-age children would rather be taught by a competent robot than an incompetent human.
Was Stonehenge a giant calendar? New research suggests maybe not
Stonehenge's purpose has long been a mystery, with some researchers proposing that it may have been an ancient solar calendar. But now, new analysis suggests the calendar theory is unsubstantiated.
Hamilton family raising awareness about Strep A after sudden death of toddler
A Hamilton, Ont., family is hoping to raise awareness about Strep A after the tragic death of their two-year-old.
Budget 2023 proposes across-the-board 3 per cent spending cut for government departments
The federal budget proposes an across-the-board three per cent spending cut for all departments and agencies, a belt-tightening move after years of massive growth in the federal public service.
Young children, the head of their school and its custodian. These are the victims of the Nashville school shooting
Another American community is reeling after a shooter killed three 9-year-olds and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville. These are the three children and three adults whose lives were taken by the shooter.
Regina
-
Sask. MLA Derek Meyers dies following battle with cancer
Derek Meyers, the MLA for Regina Walsh Acres has died following a battle with cancer, according to the province.
-
'The last time I saw my grandson alive': Grandfather testifies in 2nd-degree murder trial for Chelsea Whitby
Emerson Whitby was a busy, inquisitive toddler who was always moving around. That’s how his grandfather Travis Jolly described the 18-month-old boy as he detailed the last time he saw his grandson alive during trial at the Court of King’s Bench on Tuesday.
-
'Strong value': Regina police to officially launch Aerial Support Unit
The Regina Police Service (RPS) will be officially launching their Aerial Support Unit on Thursday morning.
Winnipeg
-
Winnipeg has not recorded a positive temperature since Valentine's Day. Here is how long the cold could last
Manitobans waiting for the temperature to warm up this spring will have to wait a little longer.
-
Budget 2023 prioritizes pocketbook help and clean economy, deficit projected at $40.1B
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
-
'It was my responsibility': Manitoba girl saves siblings from destructive house fire
A 12-year-old Manitoba girl is being hailed a hero after saving her two younger brothers from a house fire.
Calgary
-
Police investigate suspicious death in downtown Calgary high rise
Police are investigating the circumstances of the death of a woman in a residential tower in downtown Calgary.
-
Gas prices won't be record breaking, but they will be high this summer
The price of gas is heading upward and it's expected to remain high through the summer, thanks to a number of market forces.
-
15-year-old girl shot to death in northeast Calgary
A 15-year-old girl was shot and killed in the northeast Calgary community of Martindale on Tuesday.
Edmonton
-
Edmonton man comes home to find snake native to U.S. in apartment
An Edmonton man says he hasn't slept well since finding a metre-long snake that's native to the eastern and southern American states behind his couch.
-
'Long road ahead of him': Employee shot at Edmonton Pizza Hut enters physiotherapy
The Pizza Hut employee who was shot at his workplace earlier this month is on the long road to recovery, his sister has confirmed Tuesday to CTV News Edmonton.
-
Edmonton approves permit for 'health hub' that some in Ritchie, Strathcona are fighting
Boyle Street Community Services is one step closer to operating a community health hub, including an overdose prevention site near Whyte Avenue in Edmonton.
Toronto
-
Man accused of killing 'adventurous' teen in Toronto subway station wanted in Newfoundland
The man who allegedly killed a 16-year-old boy remembered as an avid adventurer has been wanted on an arrest warrant issued in a Newfoundland courtroom for nearly two years.
-
Toronto man with stage 4 cancer pleads for return of stolen rollerblades used to get to hospital
A Toronto man diagnosed with stage 4 cancer is desperate to get the rollerblades he uses to transit with to the hospital to receive radiation treatment back after they were taken from his car.
-
5 planets are aligned across the night sky tonight. How to see them in Ontario
Five planets formed a line across the evening sky on Tuesday. Here are some tips for viewing the alignment and where best to see them in Ontario:
Ottawa
-
Budget 2023 proposes across-the-board 3 per cent spending cut for government departments
The federal budget proposes an across-the-board three per cent spending cut for all departments and agencies, a belt-tightening move after years of massive growth in the federal public service.
-
Witness rescues woman from fatal house fire in Kanata
One person is dead after an early morning fire in Kanata, while another person is being treated for smoke inhalation after being rescued from the burning home by a bystander who spotted the fire while driving to the gym.
-
Budget 2023 prioritizes pocketbook help and clean economy, deficit projected at $40.1B
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
Vancouver
-
Sanctuary and torment: The complex history of Riverview Hospital
Overlooking the Coquitlam River, the psychiatric institution still widely known as Riverview was established to treat British Columbians with the most severe mental illnesses in a relaxing setting. In the end, it would prove to be both a sanctuary and a place of torment for its patients.
-
Moviegoers pepper-sprayed during foreign film showing in Surrey, B.C.
Police are investigating after moviegoers were pepper-sprayed during a screening of a Sri Lankan film at a multiplex in Surrey, B.C., over the weekend.
-
Protracted dispute over B.C. strata noise settled by tribunal
A B.C. tribunal has ruled on a protracted dispute in which a condo owner described the noise from her upstairs neighbours as "torture" and "violence."
Montreal
-
Quebec police officer stabbed and killed during arrest, second wounded
A Quebec provincial police officer was fatally stabbed Monday night while performing an arrest in Louiseville, west of Trois-Rivieres, Que. The Surete du Quebec (SQ) has confirmed the identity of the officer, Sgt. Maureen Breau, who had been on the force for over 20 years. She was assigned to the post of the MRC de Maskinonge. Another officer was injured during the incident, but their life is not in danger.
-
Police identify last two victims of Old Montreal fire, both 18 years old
Montreal police say they have identified two more victims found in the rubble of a fire in Old Montreal 12 days ago. Charlie Lacroix and Walid Belkahla, both 18, are the sixth and seventh victims of the fire.
-
Former Chambly mayor arrested by UPAC on two charges
Denis Lavoie, former mayor of the South Shore City of Chambly, was arrested Tuesday by Quebec's anti-corruption unit (UPAC) for obstruction of justice and breach of trust.
Vancouver Island
-
Victoria landlord to pay tenant $30K for noise, asbestos exposure after judge strikes down challenge
A Victoria landlord and property management company must pay more than $30,000 in damages and rental reduction to a tenant who complained of exposure to asbestos and excessive noise while their apartment building was renovated.
-
'Hard to keep in stock': Non-alcoholic beer and cocktails creating buzz on Vancouver Island
They’ve been pulling plenty of pints of non-alcoholic beer at Oak Bay’s Penny Farthing pub since they started carrying it this past December.
-
Elephant seal rescued from side of Saanich highway
A wayward elephant seal that was spotted off the side of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saanich was safely relocated by police and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) on Monday.
Atlantic
-
Senior Mounties involved in N.S. mass shooting response either retired or in new jobs
Almost three years after a man disguised as a Mountie started murdering people in Portapique, N.S., on the night of April 18, 2020, the senior RCMP officers and staff involved in the tragic case have all either retired or moved into new jobs.
-
Budget 2023 prioritizes pocketbook help and clean economy, deficit projected at $40.1B
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
-
N.B. residents suffering from mystery brain disease call for fresh investigations
New Brunswickers suffering from a mystery neurological disorder are calling for an investigation into potential environmental causes of the health problems they've been living with for more than two years.
Northern Ontario
-
Defence accuses Crown of compromising Sudbury murder trial as deliberations begin
As the jury began deliberating Tuesday on the fate of Robert Steven Wright, several restrictions on what can be reported about the case have been lifted. Here are a few of the items that were discussed during the trial when the jury was not present.
-
One dead, one injured in MR55 crash between pickup, tanker
The driver of a pickup truck, a 47-year-old woman, has died after a crash with a tanker on MR55 in the Greater Sudbury community of Lively on Tuesday morning, police say.
-
Federal government capping excise tax on alcohol after outcry
The increase in excise duties on all alcoholic products is being temporarily capped at two per cent starting next month instead of a planned 6.3 per cent increase.
London
-
WATCH
WATCH | London fire crews tackling large barn, grass fire in southeast London, Ont.
London fire crews are currently tackling a ‘large grass fire and working barn fire’ in the southeast section of the city Tuesday afternoon and are asking the public to avoid the area.
-
Child dead in Elgin County, OPP investigating
OPP are investigating after discovering a child who was vital signs absent in West Elgin on Monday. According to police, no foul play is suspected in the child’s death.
-
Cinderblock thrown through London, Ont. bedroom window, toddler injured
A London toddler is fortunate to have avoided serious injury after a giant cinderblock came through her bedroom window in the middle of the night. Around 4 a.m. on March 26, Riiver was sleeping with her head right under the front window of her home on Emerson Avenue.