5 stories to keep following in 2017
Dennis Oland, cross-border beer ruling and Baylee Wylie murder case all figure to be back in the news
Not all news stories reflect one moment in time. Many evolve over months or years and New Brunswick has its share of those. Here, in no particular order, are some stories that will keep evolving in 2017.
1. Dennis Oland faces new trial
The Saint John murder case that dominated much of 2015 was also very much in the news in 2016 and figures to be in 2017 as well. Dennis Oland was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his multimillionaire father Richard Oland in December 2015 and was sentenced in February 2016 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years. Oland, now 48, appealed his conviction and sought release on bail pending the appeal. He was denied bail by a New Brunswick Court of Appeal justice, and the decision was upheld by the full court. However, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear Oland's appeal of that decision and heard arguments in October. Meanwhile, Oland's appeal of his conviction was heard in October by the New Brunswick Court of Appeal, which quashed the jury's guilty verdict because of an error by the judge, ordered a new trial and freed Oland on bail. A new trial date has not been set as both the Crown and defence are waiting for the appeal court's written ruling, so they can determine whether they want to seek leave to appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court. The defence could decide to ask for an appeal of the court's decision not to acquit Oland, and the Crown could seek to have the quashing of the verdict overturned.
2. Cross-border booze goes to Supreme Court
Gerard Comeau of Tracadie-Sheila was all smiles in April after a provincial court judge ruled New Brunswick's restrictions on the amount of alcohol a person can bring into the province for personal use violated the free-trade provisions of the Constitution. "After three years, I'm thirsty," said Comeau, who brought 14 cases of beer and three bottles of liquor into New Brunswick from Quebec. The case didn't end there, however. The New Brunswick government asked the New Brunswick Court of Appeal to hear an appeal of the provincial court ruling. That request was denied. Now the province is seeking leave to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.
3. Baylee Wylie murder case
The brutal killing of Baylee Wylie in December 2015 led to a 10-week manhunt for suspect Marissa Shephard, first-degree murder charges against Shephard, Devin Morningstar and Tyler Noel, and a guilty verdict in Morningstar's trial in 2016. The year ahead is scheduled to see a trial for Noel in October and a preliminary hearing for Shephard in May.
- Marissa Shephard found fit to stand trial on murder, arson charges
- Marissa Shephard link to murder victim Baylee Wylie revealed
- Tyler Noel will stand trial in Baylee Wylie's death in fall 2017
- Devin Morningstar, 19, guilty of 1st-degree murder of Moncton teen Baylee Wylie
4. French immersion changes. Again.
There will be another change in New Brunswick's French immersion program in the anglophone school system in 2017. In September, the early entry point for students returns to Grade 1, nine years after it was moved from Grade 1 to Grade 3 because the Liberal government of the day said it was creating a two-tiered system. Despite there being no testing of the first group of Grade 3 immersion entries from 2008, the current Liberal government announced in September that the Grade 1 entry point will be restored in 2017. "If you want to learn a second language, and languages in general, the best time to do so is when you're young," said Premier Brian Gallant.
5. Pipeline politics
The National Energy Board plans to re-start hearings into the Energy East pipeline in 2017 with three new panellists. Environmental and indigenous activists say they'll continue their campaign to stop the project, which would carry crude oil 4,500 kilometres from Alberta to Saint John. But the pipeline may face an even steeper challenge from the oil market itself. Ottawa approved two other pipelines for Alberta oil in December, and if Donald Trump gives the green light to Keystone XL in the U.S., some energy analysts think the industry will have enough capacity and an additional line won't be needed.