Latest news with #RadissonHeights
CBC
11-06-2025
- CBC
Crown concedes defence appeal in 1994 double murder days after charges against co-accused stayed
The Crown has consented to a retrial for one of the men accused in a 30-year-old double murder, just days after abandoning the prosecution of a second man facing the same charges. In 2023 Leonard Cochrane, 55, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the 1994 fatal shootings of Barry Buchart and Trevor Deakins. Cochrane appealed his convictions, but the case hadn't yet make it to a hearing. Instead the Crown conceded the defence appeal, citing a "disclosure issue," according to Cochrane's lawyer Balfour Der. The news comes after charges against Cochrane's co-accused, Stuart MacGregor, were dropped on Friday due to what the prosecution called "a significant issue with the evidence." Charges were laid in the once-cold case with the help of genetic genealogical investigative techniques. Investigators tracked down family members of the suspect, which ultimately led to Cochrane's arrest after his DNA was matched to blood found at the crime scene. "We're pleased with that decision [to concede the appeal], but we felt we had some good grounds of appeal to pursue on very novel points that no doubt would have found their way to the Supreme Court of Canada," said Der. Buchart, 26, and Deakins, 25, were killed in 1994 in their home in the southeast community of Radisson Heights. Both victims were shot at point-blank range. At the time, Buchart sold marijuana. In Cochrane's trial, the judge found that he was one of two masked men who broke into the victims' home on July 11, 1994, to steal drugs or money. Cochrane was arrested in 2020, MacGregor was charged three years later.
CBC
16-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Below-market housing to replace LRT parking lot in southeast Calgary
The City of Calgary is moving forward with plans to build a housing complex in place of a park-and-ride lot beside the Franklin LRT Station in the southeast. Onward Homes has been selected to lead the Franklin Station Area Improvements Project, which will see about 350 housing units go up beside the transit stop. The non-profit developer specializes in housing for low-income Calgarians, and said at least half of the units will be provided at below-market rates. "These homes are just steps away from transit, from schools, from services and from a lot of employment centres," said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek at a media availability on Wednesday. "It will not only bring new homes, but it will also bring upgrades to public spaces, to pedestrian pathways and transit connections to create a safe, vibrant and walkable neighbourhood." Onward Homes plans to build a mix of bachelor and one-to-three-bedroom units at the site, just south of Memorial Drive in Radisson Heights. The developer's board chair, Bryan Romanesky, said detailed design plans likely won't be finished until next year, but according to the city, they could include a pedestrian-focused plaza, public art and street furniture. "This is the kind of place where a single mom can bring their kids to school and possibly go to work without needing a car," said Romanesky. "Our clients generally don't have a car. So we always try to select sites that will give them the opportunity to walk to grocery stores, appointments and so on." The developer owns and operates more than 30 buildings around Calgary. Some of its tenants who are in need of affordable referred by groups like the Canadian Mental Health Association. Onward Homes operates some units designed to accommodate tenants living with brain injuries or people who need other accessibility supports. City council approved a land-use change for the site last November following a public hearing. The city has also gathered feedback on the project through an online survey and in-person events, but Onward Homes said it will launch its own engagement process in the coming months. "What we're creating here is going to be there for another 50 years, if not more," said Romanesky. "We want to make sure that we can bring to Calgarians something they'll be proud of." The project is part of Calgary's Transit-Oriented Development program, which aims to make it easier for residents to use public transportation. The redevelopment project is supported by $9.5 million from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.
