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‘Murdaugh Murders’: The harrowing true story of dead family and missing millions – National | Globalnews.ca

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In what can only be described as truly impeccable timing, Netflix dropped their latest true-crime offering just hours before the main character in the case was called to the stand at his own double-murder trial.


Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal was released to the streaming platform Wednesday, one day ahead of disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh being called to give testimony in his own defence.

And while the title of the three-part documentary ostensibly references the 2021 killings of Alex Murdaugh’s son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, the episodes focus on series of tragic accidents, mysterious deaths, brutal murders and financial crimes that all converged to take down a family that seemed to believe they were above the law.

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The case at hand

Alex Murdaugh is currently on trial for the murders of 52-year-old Maggie and 22-year-old Paul. He is accused of shooting Paul twice with a shotgun and Maggie five times with a rifle at the family’s hunting lodge on June 7, 2021.

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On Thursday, he tearfully told the South Carolina courtroom that he maintains his innocence, but admitted that he lied about when he last saw his family members.

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Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh took the stand in his own defence at his double murder trial Thursday to present his version of events. He denied killing his wife and son.


The Associated Press

“I would never intentionally do anything to hurt either one of them,” Murdaugh said, tears running down his cheeks, mucous dripping out of his nose.

Taking the stand five weeks into his trial, Murdaugh admitted he lied to police about being at the hunting property’s dog kennels with his wife and son shortly before the killings, but he blamed his addiction to opioids for clouding his thinking and creating a distrust of state law enforcement agents.

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Prosecutors contend that Murdaugh killed his wife and son because he wanted sympathy to buy time to cover up his financial crimes that were about to be discovered. He faces roughly 100 other charges — from stealing from clients to arranging his own shooting on the side of a highway.

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And while Murdaugh’s trial will likely last at least another week, and it could be some time before the jury shares a verdict, the downfall of the Murdaugh dynasty began many years ago.

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Where the story begins

For 86 years, the Murdaugh family were the unofficial rulers of South Carolina, with three generations controlling the local prosecutor’s office from 1920-2006 for the Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Allendale and Colleton counties.

Alex Murdaugh’s great-grandfather, grandfather and father all served as the region’s solicitor (known as a district attorney in other states), while the rest of the family ran a successful litigation firm in Hampton, making the Murdaugh family powerful on both sides of the law.

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And while Alex Murdaugh was not appointed solicitor, the docuseries examines how the civil litigation lawyer used his power to influence and manipulate those around him.

The death of Mallory Beach

The documentary’s first episode takes a look at the events surrounding the death of Mallory Beach, the event which served as catalyst for the downfall of the Murdaugh family.

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On Feb. 24, 2019, Paul Murdaugh, along with five friends, was travelling home by boat after a night of heavy drinking when he crashed into a bridge footing, throwing them overboard. One of the teens, 19-year-old Beach, went missing and her body was found washed up on shore five days later.

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Murdaugh Murders interviews the other teens that were on the boat that night, including Paul’s girlfriend Morgan Doughty, Beach’s friends Miley Altman and Connor Cook, and Beach’s boyfriend Anthony Cook. They all say that Paul had been drinking excessively that night and detail how, after the accident, they witnessed Alex Murdaugh attempting to use his influence and power to protect his son.

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The case gained so much attention that this was one situation the Murdaugh family could not control, and a month later Paul was indicted on charges of boating under the influence.

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Paul pleaded not guilty to multiple felonies, and according to several documentary sources, tried to pin one of his friends as the boat’s driver that night. The documentary also explores how Paul was not given a field sobriety test, taken to jail for booking, or even handcuffed.

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The Beach family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Murdaugh family and a hearing in the case was supposed to go ahead the first week of June 2021. If found guilty, Paul was facing 25 years in prison. However, he didn’t live long enough to face court.

The gravesite of Mallory Beach.

The gravesite of Mallory Beach.


Netflix

On June 7, Alex Murdaugh called police to report that he found his wife, Maggie, and Paul shot dead at the family’s hunting property in Islandton, S.C. Murdaugh told investigators that he returned to the sprawling estate late at night after visiting his elderly mother and found the bodies of his wife and son.

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A past case is reopened

Police began investigating Paul and Maggie’s deaths and, two weeks later, on June 22, announced that they were reopening an investigation into a 2015 death of a local teen, citing new information gathered while investigating the deaths of the slain Murdaughs.

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Paul, Maggie and Alex Murdaugh pose together in an undated photo.


Courtesy / Netflix

On July 8, 2015, the body of 19-year-old Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. Investigators ruled the death of the openly gay teen as a hit-and-run, but his family doubted the ruling from the beginning.

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The documentary reveals how, in early August 2015, shortly after Smith’s death, authorities received several tips that Smith and Buster Murdaugh, Alex’s eldest son, may have been involved in a secret romantic relationship. While there have been no recent updates from police in the reopened case, sources in the documentary allege that many in the area believe that the Murdaugh family may have had something to do with Smith’s death, and believe the Murdaughs wanted to cover up a homosexual relationship tied to the family.


Buster Murdaugh, the son of Alex Murdaugh, listens as his father testifies in his own trial for murder at the Colleton County Courthouse on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 in Walterboro, S.C.


The Associated Press

An attempted hit job?

After Paul and Maggie’s deaths, things quickly began to fall apart for Alex Murdaugh.

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On Sept. 3, 2021, partners at Murdaugh’s law firm, PMPED, accused him of misappropriating millions of dollars of clients’ funds and funnelling them into his own coffers. WJCL reports that the firm began investigating after they found a suspicious cheque on his desk.

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The very next day, after being confronted by a longtime friend and fellow lawyer over the alleged theft, Murdaugh called 911 from the side of a road near his home, telling the dispatcher he had been shot in the head. A shooter, he claimed, had pulled up beside him while he was inspecting a flat tire. The bullet had grazed his head, causing only a superficial wound, and he was treated in hospital.

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Two days after allegedly being shot at, Murdaugh issued a statement saying that he would be resigning from the law firm and entering rehab, citing an opioid addiction.

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“The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. I’m resigning from my law firm and entering rehab after a long battle that has been exacerbated by these murders. I am immensely sorry to everyone I’ve hurt including my family, friends and colleagues. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships,” read Murdaugh’s entire statement.

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A major confession

One week into his rehab treatment, Murdaugh confessed to police that he was the mastermind of his own shooting. He told police that he had orchestrated his shooting as part of a botched assisted suicide plot.

On Sept. 13, 2021, Murdaugh told police that he had hired a former client, distant cousin and drug dealer, 62-year-old Curtis “Cousin Eddie” Smith, to shoot and kill him. The reason, he said, was so that Buster, his surviving son, could claim a $10 million life insurance payout. Police arrested and charged Murdaugh and Smith, but Murdaugh was released on bond and sent back to rehab to finish his program.

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Buster Murdaugh, the only surviving son of Alex Murdaugh, wipes away tears as witnesses are called in Alex Murdaugh’s trial for murder at the Colleton County Courthouse on Jan. 26, 2023.


Joshua Boucher / The State/Pool/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Smith, to this day, denies shooting Murdaugh. His lawyer, Aimee Zmroczek, told media last month: “I believe that when he (Alex Murdaugh) lured Eddie out to the side of the road, he was gonna kill him and blame (the deaths of Paul and Maggie) on him … I firmly believe that was what was gonna happen.”

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Another mysterious death

Two days after sending Murdaugh back to rehab, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) announced they were opening a criminal investigation into the mysterious death of the Murdaugh family housekeeper.

Two-and-a-half years after Stephen Smith’s death on Feb. 26, 2018, longtime housekeeper for the Murdaugh family, Gloria Satterfield, died.

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According to the Satterfield estate lawyer, Eric Bland, her death was described as a “trip and fall accident” at the Murdaugh home, where she had served for more than 20 years as an employee.

According to a pair of affidavits released on Oct. 16, 2021, Murdaugh allegedly went to Satterfield’s sons following her death, under the guise of altruism, and convinced them to sue his insurance companies with the promise he would admit fault so they would get a large settlement. The sons said they didn’t see a dime of the money and claimed Murdaugh conspired with two fellow lawyers to have the insurance payout diverted to his own account.

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Murdaugh Avenue, a dirt road as seen on Sept. 16, 2021, connects Moselle Road to S.C. Hwy. 63, also known as Sniders Highway. The intersection is about 3 miles from Alex Murdaugh’s Islandton home, where on June 7, he found his wife Maggie and son Paul murdered.


Drew Martin / The Island Packet/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

A month later, on Nov. 19, 2021, Murdaugh was charged with almost 30 counts over the Satterfield wrongful death settlement. His bond was set at $7 million and he remained in jail.

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At a hearing the following month, Murdaugh’s lawyer said his client agreed to pay $4.3 million to the Satterfield family.

The documentary speaks with Satterfield’s family, who believe her death was not investigated properly and have suspicions of foul play by the Murdaugh family.

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Last year, authorities announced plans to exhume Satterfield’s body. (As of this writing, it’s not publicly known if this was ever completed.)

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“The decedent’s death was not reported to the Coroner at the time, nor was an autopsy performed. On the death certificate the manner of death was ruled ‘Natural,’ which is inconsistent with injuries sustained in a trip and fall accident,” the coroner’s request to the law enforcement division said.

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Murdaugh’s eventual murder charges

Through December of 2021 and into January of 2022, dozens more criminal charges piled up against Murdaugh, all relating to allegations of defrauding clients of millions of dollars. By the end of January 2022, Murdaugh faced 71 charges stemming from accusations that he defrauded victims of nearly $8.5 million in various schemes.

Between January and June of 2022, things were quiet. Murdaugh was indicted on four more crimes related to a scheme to defraud multiple insurance companies in March. While all of this was happening, Murdaugh remained in prison.

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During this time, investigators told media that Murdaugh was a person of interest in the murders of Paul and Maggie, and no additional suspects had been named.

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On July 12, the South Carolina Supreme Court announced that Murdaugh had been disbarred and two days later, on July 14, Murdaugh was indicted on two counts of murder and two weapons counts in connection with the killings of his wife and son.

What’s happening now?

Between last summer’s charges and now, Murdaugh has been charged with further financial crimes related to tax evasion, money laundering and computer crime.

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On Jan. 23, Murdaugh’s trial for the murders of his wife and son began in Walterboro, S.C.


Alex Murdaugh listens to testimony during his double-murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Feb. 10, 2023.


Joshua Boucher / The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

This week, Buster Murdaugh took the witness stand for the defence and testified that his father was “destroyed” by the deaths of Paul and Maggie.

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Meanwhile, the docuseries’ filmmakers, Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason, say they have uncovered additional crimes since they began putting the series together in the fall of 2021 — and they’re hoping Netflix greenlights a second season of the show.

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“There is so much more to tell in this story,” Furst told Vanity Fair. “There are additional crimes that have occurred that we have the scoop on — corruption that goes far wider than Hampton, South Carolina. That goes to the state and to the federal level.”

With files from The Associated Press

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Justin Roiland slams ‘horrible lies’ after domestic violence charges dropped – National | Globalnews.ca

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California prosecutors have dismissed felony domestic violence charges against Justin Roiland, co-creator of the animated comedy Rick and Mortyalmost two months after he was dropped from the show.


“We dismissed the charges today because there was insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt,” said Orange County district attorney’s spokeswoman Kimberly Edds on Wednesday.

Roiland, 43, was facing one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud or deceit in connection with an alleged January 2020 incident involving a former girlfriend. After the charges came to light, Roiland was dropped by Adult Swim and Hulu Originals, affecting a variety of television shows he was involved in.

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Roiland celebrated the dismissal, tweeting “justice” along with a statement.

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“I have always known that these claims were false — and I never had any doubt that this day would come,” he wrote. “I’m thankful that this case has been dismissed but, at the same time, I’m still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process.”

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Roiland added that he was “disappointed that so many people were so quick to judge without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of a bitter ex trying to bypass due process and have me ‘canceled.’”

Roiland was charged back in May 2020 and pleaded not guilty. The charges went unnoticed by media outlets until Roiland’s case went to a pre-trial hearing this January.

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When the domestic violence charges became public, Adult Swim, which airs Rick and Morty, announced it had cut ties with Roiland. Along with being a co-creator with Dan Harmon, Roiland also provided the voice acting for the show’s two titular characters. The network said they would recast his roles and Rick and Morty would continue without him.

Hulu Originals, which produced two other animated series that Roiland worked on, Solar Opposites and Koala Man, announced at the time that it had also dropped Roiland and would recast his roles.

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Adult Swim and Hulu Originals have both declined to comment on Roiland’s charges being dropped.

Roiland’s lawyer, T. Edward Welbourn, wrote that he’s “thankful justice has prevailed.”

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“I commend the Orange County district attorney’s office for conducting a thorough review of the facts and deciding to dismiss the case against Justin,” he added in a statement to Variety.

Roiland noted on Twitter that he is “determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name.”

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— With files from The Associated Press

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Global News and Adult Swim (Canada) are both properties of Corus Entertainment. 

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‘Bachelor in Paradise Canada’: Meet the hopefuls looking for love – National | Globalnews.ca

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It’s been a minute since Bachelor in Paradise Canada‘s inaugural season, but a new cast of singles is already heading back to the beach for the show’s second season.


The show, an offshoot of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, features singles from the franchise in a more “relaxed” environment as they continue to search for love. Much like its American counterpart, Bachelor in Paradise, there’s plenty of drama, drinking and dates, but also feels quintessentially Canadian in a way, with a more laid-back vibe.

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This season’s cast of 27 eligible singles features a mix of 13 Canadian and U.S. Bachelor alumni and 14 Canadian fans from #BachelorNation.

Bachelor alum Kevin Wendt returns as bartender and Ottawa’s Sharleen Joynt, an alum from Juan Pablo’s season of The Bachelor, signs on as host for the upcoming season.

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Fans will also be treated to guest appearances by Bachelor alumni Demi Burnett, Abigail Heringer and Noah Erb, and Astrid Loch, Canadian singer-songwriters Lindsay Ell and Tyler Shaw, and Canadian drag superstar The Queen Priyanka.

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Scroll to check out the cast below.

Tessa

Age: 27
Job: HR Strategist
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Fun Fact: At the top of Tessa’s bucket list are playing at the Grand Ole Opry, going to space and meeting Stevie Nicks.

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Shaz

Age: 24
Job: Yoga instructor/model
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Shaz once had Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield record a personalized video for a boyfriend.

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Sam

Age: 33
Job: Entrepreneur
Hometown: St. John’s, N.L.
Fun Fact: Sam’s top fears are spiders, tornadoes and commitment.

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Rianna

Age: 27
Job: Registered nurse
Hometown: Mount Pleasant, Texas
Fun Fact: Rianna is obsessed with Greek mythology.

Quartney

Age: 28
Job: Supplement brand owner
Hometown: Dallas
Fun Fact: Quartney knows how to play the baritone.

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Paige

Age: 31
Job: Director of talent acquisition
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: These Boots Were Made for Walking by Nancy Sinatra would be Paige’s walk-up song.

Nithisha

Age: 26
Job: Insurance company manager
Hometown: Stouffville, Ont.
Fun Fact: Nithisha describes herself as a huge germophobe.

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Meagan

Age: 28
Job: Interior designer/actor
Hometown: Vancouver
Fun Fact: Meagan’s most romantic gesture was buying a star for her ex-fiancé.

Matia

Age: 28
Job: Fitness coach
Hometown: Toronto and Miami
Fun Fact: When he was younger, Matia used to build computers as a hobby.

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Marilyn

Age: 26
Job: Executive assistant
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Marilyn has appeared on the cover of two romance novels.

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Maria

Age: 30
Job: Apparel and textile designer
Hometown: Toronto and Cartagena, Colombia
Fun Fact: Maria’s first kiss took place on a bridge in Venice during a high school class trip to Italy.

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Lisa

Age: 29
Job: Cosplay artist
Hometown: St. Catharines, Ont.
Fun Fact: Lisa can summon squirrels on demand.

Linda

Age: 23
Job: Construction worker/model
Hometown: Yellowknife, N.W.T.
Fun Fact: Linda’s celebrity crush is 50 Cent.

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Krissy

Age: 27
Job: Model
Hometown: Vancouver
Fun Fact: Krissy’s first kiss was during a game of “spin the bottle” and she was so nervous that she banged heads with the recipient of the kiss.

Juan Pablo

Age: 32
Job: Fitness coach
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Juan Pablo can beatbox with his hands.

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Josh

Age: 29
Job: Filmmaker
Hometown: Vancouver
Fun Fact: Josh’s biggest deal-breaker is an inconsistent personality.

Joey

Age: 32
Job: Actor/model
Hometown: Redcliff, Alta.
Fun Fact: Joey says the most romantic thing he’s ever done is give someone the last bite of his meal.

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Jake

Age: 22
Job: Holistic nutritionist
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Jake’s celebrity crush is Megan Fox.

Godfrey

Age: 29
Job: Boxing trainer
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Becoming a billionaire and finding true love are at the top of Godfrey’s bucket list.

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Garrett

Age: 34
Job: Tech CEO
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Fun Fact: Garrett lists ballroom dancing and spearfishing as two of his hidden talents.

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Edward

Age: 28
Job: Fitness coach
Hometown: Los Angeles
Fun Fact: Cheesecake, ice cream and avocados are the three foods you can always find in Edward’s fridge.

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Connor

Age: 30
Job: Musician
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Fun Fact: You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon would be Connor’s walk-up song.

Cole

Age: 28
Job: Adventure guide
Hometown: Los Angeles
Fun Fact: Cole is afraid of the deep open ocean.

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Chelsea

Age: 29
Job: Model/content creator
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Fun Fact: Chelsea says Zendaya would play her in a movie about her life.

Céline

Age: 25
Job: Flight attendant
Hometown: Winnipeg
Fun Fact: Mama’s boys are a deal-breaker for Céline.

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Austin

Age: 26
Job: Real estate agent/personal trainer
Hometown: Orange County, Calif.
Fun Fact: Austin’s first kiss happened at a school dance while slow dancing to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’.

Ana

Age: 27
Job: Talent agent
Hometown: Montreal
Fun Fact: Skydiving and visiting each continent are at the top of Ana’s bucket list.

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Bachelor in Paradise Canada premieres Monday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Citytv, Citytv+ and Citytv.com, and through the Citytv app.

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Interested in booking a campsite in Alberta’s mountains? Parks Canada has some tips | Globalnews.ca

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Parks Canada has begun opening up bookings for national parks in Alberta using its updated online reservation system.


“The updated platform that we’re running with functioned very well and as expected,” said Pamela Clark, who runs visitor experience for Jasper National Park. “The queuing, the site selection and the payment process operated very smoothly, even with the increased volumes that we experienced.”

Demand for campsites continues to increase and has been going up significantly for the last three or four years.

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“When we launched (the Parks Canada online reservation system) back in 2015, we had about 1,800 reservations on launch day,” Clark said of Jasper. “Now, fast-forward to 2023, we’re over 20,000 reservations on launch day.


Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park summer 2022.


Supplied: Parks Canada

“People know we have a reservation system. They understand it’s the best way of ensuring that they have a site that meets their needs,” she said.

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“What we’ve seen in the last four or five years, when it really started to pick up in 2019 and 2020 — even the use of our national parks — is people are gravitating towards the outdoor opportunities and just the natural escapes.”

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For Jasper National Park, reservations for front-country (serviced) sites launched March 16. Bookings for back-country sites launched March 20.

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“When users logged in at 8 a.m. last Thursday morning, there were about over 22,000 people in our waiting room but we were able to manage those volumes, and the average wait time was about 30 minutes,” Clark said.

The phased approach to site bookings reduces overall volume and helps the reservation site operate more smoothly. Clark said Parks Canada uncoupled backcountry reservations for Banff and Jasper because the combined volumes created issues in the booking system.

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“The older system really wasn’t able to keep up with the volumes that we’ve been experiencing, especially in the last three or four years, volumes have increased substantially,” Clark said. “Even from last year to this year, we experienced a volume increase for reservations of over 6,000.”


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Banff and Lake Louise encouraging visitors to take transit to the mountains this summer

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For Banff National Park, reservations for front-country sites launch on Thursday, March 23. Back-country bookings opened Wednesday morning.

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As other areas open up, Clark has some tips for people looking to book a spot.

“They should get onto our website — Parks Canada reservations — and look through all the tips on there. They should open up a profile if they don’t have one yet or update their profile if they’ve been on the system before. And they should get acquainted with the areas they want to be camping in.

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“Have a plan. Have a couple backup plans, that’s really important.”

Jasper National Park has more than 2,000 campsites, the second-largest inventory of campgrounds managed under one park in North America, Clark said. Together, the mountain national parks have about 5,000 campsites. Despite an “abundant” inventory, there’s just so much demand in July and August.


Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park summer 2022.


Supplied: Parks Canada

Serviced, front-country campsites in Jasper National Park for dates in those peak months get snapped up within hours.

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“After our launch day, there really is no availability in July and August, but there’s still lots of availability in May, June, September for campers who are looking and can be a little more flexible in their departure dates and aren’t looking for serviced sites.

“At this point, for service sites, you’re looking at October. There’s really no availability in serviced sites from May until September,” Clark said. “They’re really popular.”

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If you were unable to book a campsite in the area you want at the time you were hoping for, Parks Canada suggests looking at less-peak times or staying just outside the national parks.

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“There are also campgrounds on the outskirts of the (Jasper National) park — in Mt Robson Provincial Park, also in the Hinton area.”

Alberta Parks opens provincial campsite bookings 90 days before the scheduled stay. For instance, on March 22, reservations would be open for a late June camping trip.

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“And, if you really have these dates in mind, you can check back to see if there are cancellations because from time to time there are, and you might be the fortunate one who gets a cancellation.”

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For the more adventurous camper, backcountry sites are an option too.

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“There’s still availability along some of the lesser-known backcountry trails,” Clark said. “The ones that quickly get booked up are the iconic classics — so Skyline and Maligne — there is no availability left for the summer. But there is availability in almost all the other trail areas that we manage.”

Read more:

‘Loved to death’: Balancing recreation and conservation in Alberta’s mountain parks

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And one more great tip for anyone visiting a park in Alberta?

“When they’re coming to a national park, they take on the stewardship of these areas, they follow the special rules, they put the garbage where it belongs and they follow that wildlife-watching etiquette,” Clark said.

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“It’s really super important that we all share in taking care of these wild spaces.”

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&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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