In the news today, Dec. 3

Three stories in the news for Monday, Dec. 3

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ALBERTA SLASHING OIL PRODUCTION TO HELP DEAL WITH LOW PRICES

Premier Rachel Notley is ordering a cut to oil production to deal with a price crisis that she says threatens to gut Alberta’s bedrock industry. She says the province will impose across-the-board cuts amounting to 8.7 per cent of output, beginning in January.Notley says the cuts are needed to reduce a growing glut of oil that’s forcing Alberta to — as she put it — essentially give its oil away for free. While the rest of the world sells its oil for about $50 per barrel, Notley says Alberta oil is currently fetching just $10.

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TRIAL TO BEGIN IN FOOTBALL PLAYER’S FATAL SHOOTING

The trial of a man accused of fatally shooting a CFL player is to start today in Calgary. Nelson Tony Lugela has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Mylan Hicks, a 23-year-old defensive back who was on the practice roster for the Calgary Stampeders. The Detroit-born Hicks was found in critical condition after being shot outside a Calgary club on Sept. 25, 2016. He died in hospital a short time later. Police have said a fight inside the club spilled into a parking lot where Hicks was gunned down.

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HUGE NEW CAVE DISCOVERED IN B.C. PROVINCIAL PARK

A newly discovered cave in a remote valley in B.C.’s Wells Gray Provincial Park might just be Canada’s largest. It was first spotted in March by a helicopter crew conducting a caribou census. Geologist Catherine Hickson says the discovery promises to open a dramatic new chapter in the story of Canadian cave exploration. The entrance pit to the cave is about 100 metres long and 60 metres wide, and while its depth is hard to measure because of the mist from a waterfall, initial examinations show it’s at least 135 metres deep.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Canadian Space Agency holds event for the launch of David Saint-Jacques to the International Space Station on a six-month mission.

— Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh visits Oshawa, Ont., to meet with autoworkers affected by the pending closure of the city’s GM plant.

— Anita Hill speaks at the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s “The Exchange” event in Toronto.

— Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer will outline final policy pillar in his plan for “A Safer Canada,” dealing with police resources.

— Garry Handlen stands trial in Vancouver on first-degree murder in death of 12-year-old Monica Jack in 1978.

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