Loan or gift? 93-year-old man says now-former RCMP officer won't repay the $100K he gave him
CBC
An elderly man in Deer Lake, N.L., says he wants the $100,000 he loaned his RCMP officer neighbour back. But now-former Const. Jason Lush says it was no loan — it was a gift, and the money has been spent.
Charles Samms, 93, filed a statement of claim at Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court against his neighbour on Nov. 4, 2022 — two years to the day after writing Lush the cheque.
Lush, meanwhile, is asking the court to dismiss the case and says he is innocent of any wrongdoing.
But the conflict between the two neighbours sparked two separate investigations into Lush's conduct — one criminal, one internal.
The criminal investigation found there was insufficient evidence to support criminal charges, the RCMP said in an emailed statement to CBC News.
The force said its professional responsibility unit then did a full internal investigation into alleged contraventions of the RCMP's code of conduct.
The RCMP said Lush is no longer employed by the force, having resigned last month before that process concluded.
In an email to CBC News, Lush's lawyer said his client took a medical retirement unrelated to the matter involving Samms.
During an interview at his Deer Lake home on Monday, Samms said the incident has taken a toll.
"I'm so upset about it," he said. "I'm awake, night after night."
Samms said he and his wife Camille first met Lush and his family when the Sammses moved next door in 2018. The elderly couple wanted to spend their waning time together in Samms's hometown after years of living in Ontario, where he worked as a truck driver.
Samms said he was immediately impressed with his neighbour's kindness after a snowstorm struck the town on Newfoundland's west coast.
"[Lush] came over and [did] the driveway. I went out and met him. Thanked him. I said, 'How much do I owe you?' He said, 'You don't owe me anything. You're a neighbour, I just wanted to help you out,'" said Samms.
He said their friendship grew from there.
Premier Doug Ford says his government plans to give Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport special designation that would allow the province to bypass municipal and provincial laws as it pushes to expand the runway downtown.
Jenelle Hughes says she worries every time her two older children take their car to get to Fanshawe College in London, Ont., from their home in Dutton.
Oil prices fell Monday morning after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold off on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure amid productive talks between the two countries.
While spring technically started late last week, Newfoundland and Labrador isn't free from winter weather just yet.
The Sudbury School Bus Consortium is suspending all school buses in Greater Sudbury as the community continues to clean up following a major storm.
Two large corporate landlords owning a combined 9,008 rental units in Halifax are reporting smaller annual increases in their average rents for 2025 than the previous year.
The Holt government has reached a deal with Ottawa on compensation for tens of millions of dollars in lost sales tax revenue from the Christmas season in 2024.
The government of Saskatchewan has announced plans to reduce the length of non-resident game bird hunting licences to combat illegal guiding.
An 87-year-old Alberta man is fighting extradition to the United Kingdom to stand trial for historical allegations of physical and sexual assault involving minors.
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.
The multi-million-dollar deal at the heart of a high-profile fight between the Canadian government and one of the world’s biggest carmakers contains multiple clauses about the company’s footprint in Ontario, according to a copy obtained by CBC Windsor.
In recent months, Calgary police have carried out three day-long safety blitzes, parading out dozens of officers to flood an area with their increased presence — at least, temporarily.