Kevin Yarr

P.E.I. brother and sister 'were living in a nightmare,' but immigration fraud case now stayed

There has been a stay in the proceedings of a P.E.I. immigration fraud case, leading to both joy and anger from the Charlottetown brother and sister who were accused.

Ping Zhong and her husband leaving Charlottetown courtroom Dec. 14, 2018.

Ping Zhong and her husband leaving Charlottetown court

Ping Zhong and her husband after leaving the Charlottetown courthouse Friday.

The start of a trial for two Prince Edward Islanders accused of aiding and abetting misrepresentation under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act has been postponed.

The accused are 58-year-old Yi Zhong and 60-year-old Ping Zhong, a brother and sister who are co-owners of the Sherwood Motel in the north of Charlottetown. They have both pleaded not guilty.

Motel owners intend to plead not guilty to immigration fraud charges

Supporters of two Charlottetown hotel owners accused of immigration violations said they're looking forward to seeing justice done, after a brief court hearing Thursday in Georgetown Provincial Court.

Ping Zhong, faces three charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Her brother Yi Zhong faces five charges.

Georgetown court

PNP statements weren't true and minister should have known, says opposition

The Official Opposition took P.E.I.'s minister of economic development to task during question period Wednesday for comments from May which the opposition said the minister knew "not to be true" regarding a federal investigation into P.E.I.'s provincial nominee program.

P.E.I.'s Minister of Economic Development Chris Palmer told the legislative assembly the province is trying to help connect workers with new jobs, or find someone to purchase Diversified Metal Engineering after the company went into receivership.

Chris Palmer PEI

The Official Opposition accuses P.E.I.'s Economic Development Minister Chris Palmer of making statements in the legislature about the province's provincial nominee program which, according to the opposition, he knew to be untrue.

The trial was supposed to start Friday morning, but Thursday's storm has pushed back the start of the trial to Tuesday.

In court documents, Canadian Border Services Agency investigators allege 566 immigrants used the Sherwood Motel as their home address between 2008 and 2015. Nearly all were granted permanent residency.

Island family captures epic video while chasing storm

While many took shelter during Thursday's powerful storm, one Island family decided to brave the elements and were rewarded with spectacular footage of a P.E.I. beach and wharf being beaten by powerful waves.

Powerful waves overtake Basin Head wharf during Thursday's powerful storm.

Basin Head Beach

Drivers will now lose licence if they illegally pass a school bus

The P.E.I. government has announced several new measures to prevent drivers from illegally passing school buses, in a province that already has the highest fines in the country for ignoring the law.

school bus stop sign P.E.I.

As of Dec. 8, Island drivers will lose their licence if they illegally pass a school bus.

CBSA alleges hundreds of immigrants listed the Sherwood Motel as their place of residence when they did not live there.

P.E.I. immigration misrepresentation trial postponed

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