Archives 2021

Cathy Keane — Oro-Medonte Ward 3

Our family moved to Oro-Medonte four years ago. We have an eight-year-old son attending W.R. Best Memorial Public School. My husband and I came to look at houses, and upon arriving in Oro-Medonte, we said, “This may not be the house, but this is definitely the area where we want to raise our son and retire.”

Before my husband’s work relocated us, I worked for the public as a veterinary technologist, veterinary laboratory technologist, and as co-ordinator of disease surveillance (Animal Health Division; Department of Natural Resources) with the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador for over 15 years. At the same time, I was a trainer for Transportation of Dangerous Goods.  My 15+ years experience working with various provincial/federal governments and agencies, law enforcement, universities, non-profit organizations and the private sector throughout Canada and around the world has given me knowledge and skills that I will bring and use to council. Serving the public was something I had great pride in doing and made every effort to assist anyone who contacted me since I felt I was working for the taxpayers, and not the government itself. I will carry this work ethic as councillor of Ward 3.  

While living in the city of Mount Pearl for 16 years, I (as a volunteer) and city councillor, led a drive resulting in the city creating its first dog park, changing methods of invoicing taxpayers for services, and adding more economical enhancements to the city.

Several concerns have been repeatedly raised and I will advocate those and others if elected:

-Need for affordable and reliable high-speed internet

-Roads: With the increasing growth of Oro-Medonte comes more traffic; aging roads need to be repaired, and replaced, and, signage and road safety in areas needs to be examined

— Tax increase is unwanted

-Need for more openness, communication and accountability with council. I will bring transparency and do my best to be available and always respectfully listen to all concerns that are brought forward. Being councillor of Ward 3 will be my full-time job.

Dinner in White pops up at Innisfil’s waterfront

Guests dressed in white unpacked their dinner in front of Lake Simcoe for this year’s annual Dinner in White.

The pop-up picnic event is put on by the Innisfil Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee and this year’s waterfront dinner at the Lefroy Harbour Resorts had an international theme.

Tables were decorated in white and guests pre-picked countries to represent, with guests including touches such as an Irish prayer, Grecian togas and French baguettes.

Proceeds from the annual event go to promoting art and culture in the community.

The next Innisfil Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee event is the 26th annual .

Paul Mitchell — Blue Mountains Deputy Mayor

I was born in Owen Sound, My great grandparents settled in Grey County in 1853. I have lived in Thornbury 23 years. I retired with over 40 years of business experience in the Automotive After Market and later my wife and I operated Lights Plus on Bruce Street.

My wife Carole and I have been married for close to 53 years. with two sons and five grandchildren.

I have attended most council meetings over the past 20 years so I am well aware of how municipal government works.

I know what is required of a Town and County Councillor.

TEAM PLAYER

WITH COUNCIL KNOWLEDGE

Challenges for the next Council

• Better Value from the County

• Affordable Housing

• Transportation

• Tax Fairness

• Openness and Accountability

• Community Values in Planning

• Fewer Closed Meetings

• Environmentally Responsible

I have the time to devote to Town and County Business

www.paulmitchellfordeputy.com

519-599-7793

[email protected]

RECALLS: Lean ground beef, barbecue lighters, more make this week’s list

Here is our weekly roundup of current product recalls. For more details on each, please click on the links. Don’t forget to check back next week for new items.

Food

Butcher’s Blend is recalling certain recalled due to E. coli.

Certain Nanfang brand, Want Want brand and Chencun brand food products are recalled due to undeclared allergens. Healthy Canadians website/photo

Certain Nanfang brand, Want Want brand and Chencun brand that include black sesame paste, shake jelly and instant noodles are being recalled due to undeclared allergens.

Goodleaf brand Daikon Radish microgreens recalled due to Listeria. Healthy Canadians website/photo

Goodleaf Community Farms Ltd. is recalling Goodleaf brand due to Listeria monocytogenes. contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product.

Miscellaneous

Canadian Tire Corporation Limited recalls Master Chef BBQ Igniter lighters. Healthy Canadians website/photo

Canadian Tire Corporation Limited recalls Master Chef . The refillable lighters feature an adjustable flame height and are 285 mm long with a grey handle and black barrel. Health Canada’s sampling and evaluation program has determined that these lighters do not meet the Lighters Regulations in Canada and may pose a fire or burn hazard.

Home Hardware Stores Ltd. recalls Home Flexible Multi-Purpose Lighter. Healthy Canadians website/photo

Home Hardware Stores Ltd. recalls with a 5” flexible wand. Health Canada’s sampling and evaluation program has determined that these lighters do not meet the Lighters Regulations in Canada and may pose a fire or burn hazard.

ITW Canada recalls Red Head Trubolt+ wedge anchors that are used for concrete anchoring. Healthy Canadians website/photo

ITW Canada recalls that are used for concrete anchoring. The affected product does not meet the requirements for use in cracked concrete and seismic applications, which may lead to incidents or injuries to consumers.

Huish Outdoors recalls Oceanic and Hollis Scuba Diving Regulators. Healthy Canadians website/photo

Huish Outdoors recalls Oceanic and Hollis . The scuba diving regulators can restrict airflow at low tank pressures (below 500 psi), posing a drowning hazard to divers.

UPDATE: Two arrested after stolen U-Haul van crashes into Barrie house

Police arrested a man and woman after a stolen U-Haul van crashed into a house on Hurst Drive July 20.

Barrie police say the 29-year-old man and 31-year-old woman fled on foot after the 7:30 a.m. crash but were found in the neighbourhood a few minutes later and arrested.

The man has been charged with impaired driving by drug, dangerous driving, possession of stolen property, failing to remain at the scene of a collision and driving without a licence. The woman is charged with possession of stolen property.

Michael Burlock, who lives three doors down from where the crash occurred, said he briefly spoke to the couple when they got out of the wrecked van.

“I asked if they were OK. They said they were, then they just took off,” he said. “I didn’t expect them to take off. They looked pretty shook up and the dude had no shoes.”

The U-Haul truck, which was travelling north on Hurst Drive just south of Golden Meadow Road when it left the road, ran over two trees and crossed two driveways before it crashed into the house. The homeowner was not home at the time.

Burlock said he was drinking his morning cup of coffee when he heard a “huge bang” so he went to investigate.

That’s when he saw the man and woman just outside the truck.

Burlock said he called 911 to tell police as soon as the couple left the scene of the crash.

“I walked down the street a bit to see if I could find them, but they weren’t around,” he said.

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said it’s a miracle no one was killed or seriously injured.

“There’s always someone jogging or walking down that sidewalk,” the woman said.

Barrie police continue to investigate and have yet to release charges.

Guilty plea in Wasaga Beach stabbing death

A North York teen pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the stabbing death of another teen in Wasaga Beach on a long weekend two years ago.

Austin Zambrano-Peterson, now 20, of North York, was 18 when he was charged along with two of his teen friends with the second-degree murder of Francesco Molinaro, 18, of Bolton. In court Friday, July 20, he stood in the prisoner’s box and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

He was sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter as well as robbery.

Court heard that Zambrano-Peterson was not the one who brandished the knife but played a role in the death.

The two men bumped into each other on the night of May 21, 2016, outside of the Pizza Pizza in Wasaga Beach and began punching each other.

Two of Zambrano-Peterson’s friends, 18 and 19, allegedly joined in the fight and started punching Molinaro. One of Zambrano-Peterson’s friends pulled out a knife and stabbed Molinaro seven times in the back and side, court heard. As he lay mortally wounded, the three men ran off.

An ambulance arrived almost immediately, but Molinaro died on the way to the hospital.

Police had all three teens under surveillance before they were arrested. Unaware that police were watching him, two weeks after Molinaro died Zambrano-Peterson wore a disguise and robbed a man in Oshawa.

In court, members of Molinaro’s family wept and read victim impact statements expressing their grief. He was described as a man with a wonderful smile and a big heart.

His mother told the judge she has received a life sentence and nothing will bring her son back.

Standing in the prisoner’s box in handcuffs, wearing a blue dress shirt, his neck covered with tattoos, Zambrano-Peterson was asked by the judge if he had anything to say but quietly declined to comment.

Justice Cary Boswell said there is no sentence that can take away the pain and grief that the Molinaro family is suffering.

“They are permanently scarred,” said the judge. “A young man lost his life. It doesn’t get worse than that.”

Two other accused are charged with second-degree murder and their case is still before the court.

Accused teen killer in court

A Barrie man made a brief appearance in court to face a charge of first-degree murder of a 14-year-old boy who was stabbed to death 12 years ago.

The man, now 28, was 16 when he allegedly killed the teen in a wooded area of Barrie March 9, 2006.

In 2010 he was found guilty of murder by a jury and sentenced to life in prison following a three-month trial, but the Ontario Court of Appeal struck the verdict and ordered a new trial.

The high court stated the youth was wrongfully arrested and not given his rights according the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The court ordered the case back for a new trial.

The victim’s mother sat in court and saw the man accused of killing her son, now a grown man, for the first time in several years.

There is a ban on publication on all identities as both the victim and accused were youths at the time.

No trial date has yet been set.

 

Bradford murder

A Bradford man charged with murdering his wife made a brief appearance in court Thursday, July 19.

Jose Fernandes, 57, stands charged with the first-degree murder of his 49-year-old wife, Maria Fernandes, in November 2015.

Police arrested him at his home on Colborne Street where they found his wife stabbed to death. He is expected back in court in August.

What’s Going On Here: 110 Fairview Rd. in Barrie

You can see the construction crane towering over Fairview Road from Highway 400.

But that site, located at 110 Fairview, will eventually be home to the Barrie-Simcoe Emergency Services Campus. Once complete, the facility will house the Barrie Police headquarters, County of Simcoe Paramedic Services and Barrie Fire and Emergency Service dispatch communications.

Here are the latest details on the project:

• Last month, a portion of the south slab was poured. Foundation walls and verticals are complete for the first level. And crews are working toward completion of underground mechanical and electrical services. Bulk excavation of the site was complete in April.

• Upcoming priorities for crews include the completion of backfilling and the preparation of second floor formwork for the south slab.

• Officially called Phase 1, the groundbreaking for the $103.3-million project was held in November. The campus is being designed with the flexibility to accommodate the community’s needs for the next 25 years. This first section will include a 179,200-square-foot administrative centre and a separate police vehicle repair garage.

• A second phase, which includes a 48,500-square-foot firearms range and police and fire training centre, was postponed indefinitely by city council as a cost-saving measure last year.

• The first phase of the project will be complete in 2020, with staged occupancy of the finished building occurring through the first few months of the year.

For more, visit .


Tom Guthrie — Penetanguishene councillor

Born and raised in Midland, I attended Midland Secondary School. Thirty-seven years ago I moved to Penetanguishene to get married and raise a family. I have three grown children and five grandchildren. I have worked in Manufacturing for 37 years and currently hold a lead hand position. Over the years I have been involved in contract negotiations and  currently sit on a pension and benefit committee.

The reason I am running in this upcoming election is that I would like to see a change with new direction and fresh ideas.  I believe we need to improve on the services we offer to the residents of Penetanguishene and prepare for the future. Some of the issues that I would like to work on if elected include:

Infrastructure: I would like to see additional funds put toward our road network. I would like to see a plan in place to see more funds allocated to resurface more roads that are not scheduled for major reconstruction in the next 15 to 20 years.

Affordable Housing:  I would like to see the town invest in housing for seniors and residents whose income doesn’t allow them to find alternative housing. Penetanguishene’s population is aging and people who live here may want to downsize from their current home to something more manageable but allow them to retain their independence.

Transit: I first off want to commend our current council for the implementation of the transit system. I would like to ensure that this program is a success and that we build on it for the future by reaching out to the ridership to find out where we can improve.

Parks and recreation: Address any safety concerns, adding new playground equipment to dated or under serviced parks.  Set aside funds for future ice rink.

These are some of the main reasons why I seek a position on council.

Tom Guthrie




RECALLS: Children’s jackets, slime kits, flashlights, plus more on this week’s list

Here is our weekly round up of current product recalls. For more details on each, please click on links. Don’t forget to check back next week for new items.

CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS

Calikids Inc. recalls — The jackets range from size 2T to 6Y, and are available in blue, pink, red and yellow. Drawstrings on children’s outerwear can become entangled or caught on playground slides, hand rails, school bus doors or other moving objects, posing a significant entanglement hazard to children. The recalled products were sold from March 2016 to July 2018 in Canada.

Genius Premium Craft Boxes recalls — Health Canada has determined the Do-It-Yourself Slime Kits Flubber Slime, Chalkboard Paint Slime and Alien Slime do not meet the Canadian toy safety requirements related to boric acid content. Boric acid can be toxic to children if licked or swallowed. Children are more sensitive to boric acid toxicity than adults. High levels of boric acid ingestion may have long-term effects on a child’s development and their future reproductive health. The recalled slime kits were sold from March 2018 to August 2018.

OTHER

Koehler-Bright Star recalls — The flashlights are missing an encapsulation on the circuit board component which could allow the flashlight to ignite in an explosive environment, posing a burn hazard and risk of personal injury to the user or bystander. The recalled products were sold from January 2017 to May 2018.

The Uttermost Company recalls Various Types of — The hanging hardware can break, causing mirrors and wall décor to fall from walls, posing an injury hazard to bystanders. The recalled products were sold in Canada between June 2017 and March 2018.

Neo-Image Candlelight Ltd recalls — The recalled products do not have proper hazard labelling as required by the Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations, 2001 under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act. Improper labelling could result in unintentional exposure to these products and lead to serious illness, injury or death. The recalled products were sold from June 2014 to August 2018 at various retailers.

Jimmy Hack Golf, LLC recalls — The orange ball can detach from the trainer while in use, posing an injury hazard to the user and bystanders. The recalled products were sold from Nov. 2, 2017 to Feb. 1, 2018.

Empack Spraytech Inc. recalls — The products were designed and labelled for professional/trade (GHS) requirements and should have only been sold to industrial clients. The professional grade product, which lacks consumer labelling information, including appropriate warnings, may lead to serious injury or property damage. The affected products were sold from September 2015 to January 2018.

Seabreeze International Corp. recalls certain — In the event of a fault, the safety cut-offs may not operate and allow the heater to rapidly overheat, posing a fire hazard. The recalled products were sold between August 2015 and May 2017.

Ontario Cold Case: Who murdered Ray Venerus?

More than a decade later, the murder of Milton man Ray Venerus is still unsolved.

The cold case remains prominently featured on the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) website under and continues to ask anyone with information to contact the HRPS homicide unit at 905-825-4747, ext. 8760 or Crime Stoppers at 1-877-222-TIPS (8477), by text message to 274637 (CRIMES) or .

Police made a public appeal for information on the anniversary of the now 11-year-old homicide investigation in February 2017. However, Det. Alistair Watt, of the Halton police homicide unit, said nothing was generated as a result from it.

“The homicide unit recognizes that there are still families and communities seeking answers and resolution to those murders that remain unsolved,” police had said about their ongoing efforts to solve cold cases.

“Families of homicide victims will never forget the loss of their loved one, regardless of the passage of time and hope to one day receive news that a perpetrator has been identified and arrested.”

Venerus, a 55-year-old local businessperson, was found shot to death outside his Dublin Line home on Feb. 21, 2007. His body was on the ground, next to his idling vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee — discovered by a passerby.

An autopsy had revealed the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

“We don’t believe it was simply bad luck,” said Halton police Det. Sgt. Peter Hodgson, back in a 2007 interview with the Milton Canadian Champion.

Since then, police have followed up on a number of leads over the years, but none led investigators to any suspects or a killer.

When the case had already become a year old, efforts turned to publishing to try and garner any new clues and information from the public.

Another in 2016 and also published online and shared on social media in an effort by police to jog someone’s memory or get someone to have a change of heart and come forward with information.

“There have been leads, which have obviously been followed up. Some didn’t really have any legs to begin with,” Halton homicide Det. Alistair Watt told the Champion back in February 2017.

Venerus’ murder was one of several cold cases Halton police listed during , which it had stated generated a tip, but would not say to which case specifically, at the time.

In 2009, Halton police even for information for another year in hopes of netting some new tips.

Despite it being years of investigating the Milton man’s death, Halton police has said it isn’t giving up.

“We never give up,” Watt said in a previous story, adding he wants nothing more than to bring closure to Venerus’ family and those who knew him.

— with files from Catherine O’Hara and David Lea, Metroland Media