Four Toronto-area teenagers accused of practicing terrorist training at a camp in cottage country are to appear in a Brampton, Ont. court Monday to begin their preliminary hearing.
The teens were among a group of 18 adults and youths arrested during sweeping raids in an alleged homegrown terror plot. The roundup made headlines around the world.
Police claim the group of predominantly young, Canadian-born Muslims planned to bomb Toronto and other southern Ontario targets.
The youths are accused of training at a site near Washago, about an hour north of Toronto, which locals have now jokingly dubbed "al Qaeda hill," the Toronto Star reports.
One of the teens is in custody as the other three have been granted bail with strict conditions.
They do not face charges of recruitment or acquiring firearms and explosives as the adults do.
"The youths are not accused of playing central roles in the alleged conspiracies," Michael Block, one youth's lawyer, told the Star.
"I think you'll find at the end of the day that there's a variety of alleged behaviour."
The preliminary hearing, which is expected to last more than a month, will allow a judge to hear the evidence and determine if there is sufficient cause to proceed to trial.
A publication ban will prevent reporting details.
The teens cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Lawyers of the adult accused charge Ottawa of overreacting to the musings of young men to try to show Canada is tough on terrorism.
The lawyers are also amazed a hearing could begin when disclosure -- more than 2 million pages of evidence -- was only provided recently, the Star reports.
