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Alliston hospital’s ex-communications manager enters guilty plea for child luring

A former corporate communications manager for Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston has entered a guilty plea for child luring, according to media reports.

Alliston resident Jared Nolan made the plea today (July 13) at the Ontario Court of Justice in Bradford.

In November 2016, Nolan, then 34, was arrested and charged with a number of criminal offences following a six-week OPP investigation into Internet luring and child pornography.

Police started the investigation in September 2016 after receiving a complaint about a man communicating with a young female in a sexual manner over the Internet.

Nolan, who started working at the hospital in April 2015, allegedly used his position at the hospital to gain the victim’s contact information.

He was charged with three counts of Internet luring, one count of transmitting sexually explicit material to a person under 18 years old, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

He was released on $150,000 bail in November 2016.

Further details will be posted once available.

SHLF

Sep, Wed, 2021

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Steve Trotter — Barrie Ward 6

Like many of you, I moved to Barrie and bought a new home in Ward 6. I have been a 20-year resident of Ward 6. My education is in economics with a master’s degree in finance, as well as continuing education in municipal administration. My professional experience has been in both the private and public sectors, and currently I am the director of credit for an international computer distribution company.

I would like to say it has been an honour to return to Barrie city council and represent the residents of Ward 6. As your member of council, I bring extensive municipal experience to the position of councillor, having represented Ward 6 for a total of 10 years. During my time on council I focused on being a community builder for our area. I championed the preservation of our natural environment, with over 500 acres throughout Ward 6, including the Ardagh Bluffs now in public ownership and accessible for us to enjoy. And I chaired the building committee for the Holly Recreation Centre. These are examples of my community building.

The future brings new challenges and new priorities. My No. 1 priority is to ensure we maintain safe, livable and affordable communities. I want to see a new “community-driven” official plan that better reflects changing community attitudes so we can better manage the impact of intensification on existing communities. I want to expand traffic-calming measures to ensure our neighbourhoods are safe. We need to address the increasing traffic issues in the area, I want to keep the Harvie Road-Big Bay Point overpass on schedule. I am going to manage the city’s finances in a responsible manner and ensure we are getting value for our hard-earned money. Good fiscal management starts with a positive environment for economic growth to ensure quality jobs, so more who live here can work here and relieve pressure on the residential taxpayer.

We live in an area with tremendous potential and a wonderful city. Together we can build a better Barrie. I ask for your support. My campaign phone number is .

SHLF

Sep, Wed, 2021

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What Barrie firefighters are learning about you during their ongoing safety blitz

They’re still into the early days of their inaugural door-to-door safety campaign, but Barrie firefighters are already learning a good deal about the residents they serve.

Barrie Fire and Emergency Service staff have visited more than 3,000 homes since launching the blitz in May. Much of the data they’ve collected through at-the-door surveys has helped support the department’s hypothesis that many residents simply do not know their smoke alarms expire.

“We knew the rate of compliance was low,” Deputy Chief Jeff Weber said. “Now that we’re actually seeing that, we can start to direct our programs (accordingly).”

Barrie Fire estimates 70 per cent of residential properties in the city do not meet current fire safety rules.

The campaign will run until Fire Prevention Week in October; crews will visit about 11,500 homes by that time. Barrie Fire plans to make this an annual blitz and expects crews will visit every home in the city within the next few years.

This year, firefighters will target neighbourhoods with homes primarily built between eight and 18 years ago. Those properties should have smoke alarms on every floor.

“Over a number of years of doing this, we will get to see a really dynamic view of what our city looks like, from a fire safety perspective,” Weber said. “People are aware they have smoke alarms. They are aware they are interconnected. But they are not aware they expire.”

Smoke alarms expire within 10 years of the date they were manufactured. If purchased and installed in 2006 or later, an expiry date will be visible on the alarm.

About 15 per cent of survey respondents are tenants. Most respondents also say they test their alarms regularly.

Surprisingly, firefighters are running into a language barrier at several homes, Weber said.

“That makes it difficult to communicate our public safety message,” he said. “We need to start looking at other avenues for providing that public safety message.”

The department may need to consider translating its literature into languages other than French and English, and getting specialized community groups to assist in the dissemination of fire safety information, he said.

For more information on the campaign, visit .

SHLF

Sep, Tue, 2021

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Cookstown library displays watercolour work of local artist

Artist Diana Di Giacopo-Robinson has her family to thank for getting back into painting.

“I’ve been an artist since I was a kid,” she said. “My earliest childhood memories are of a desire to paint and draw.”

Now, her water-themed paintings captured on a family trip to Innisfil Beach Park are featured at the Cookstown branch of the Innisfil ideaLAB and Library.

“I’m interested in (the) reflection colours of water,” she said. “I was in love with blue and am still attracted to that colour.”

Displaying her work is an unexpected perk for the Alliston resident, who just picked up her brush a few years ago.

Di Giacopo-Robinson graduated from the fine arts program at York University and worked on canvas and sculpture pieces for a few years, before life got in the way and she put down her brush.

But her husband recently changed careers and encouraged her to return to her first passion.

“He freed up time to watch the kids and I started working vigorously, making one larger-sized canvas a month.”

She is now a member of the South Simcoe Arts Council, adding at least 30 new paintings to her collection — some reflecting time spent with her family.

To learn more about Di Giacopo-Robinson, visit .

SHLF

Sep, Tue, 2021

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Food bank feeding Thornton and beyond

It’s been over five years since the Thornton Community Food Bank set up shop inside the basement of the New Life Church on Robert Street, yet many still don’t know it’s there to help those who need it.

“It took a while to get the word out, but gradually it spread and the number of families that we have registered has grown to 200 since that time, and it continues to grow each month,” said Sarah Hines, who heads up the food bank with Wendy Kerr.

The food bank opened in January 2013 and is run by a team of about 20 volunteers from the surrounding area. It is a joint venture between New Life Community Church in Thornton, and Living Faith Community Presbyterian Church in Baxter.

Clients come from Thornton and neighbouring communities like Baxter, Angus, Innisfil and even the south end of Barrie.

A monthly point system is used to distribute food, and the number of points is based on how many members are in the family.

When new clients come to the food bank, they are asked to present I.D. and fill out an application form with basic information.

“We do our very best to treat our clients with dignity and respect, but we must collect this information in order to ensure that all the donations from the community are being distributed to those genuinely in need,” she said.

In the last three months Hines said there have been 127 visits to the food bank, which amounts to about 7,684 points, or an estimated $8,000 in food.

Most of the food products at the bank are non-perishable, but they do have a limited selection of produce like onions, potatoes and apples, and they also try to carry meat.

The selection always depends on the time of year and what’s been donated.

“We also carry baked goods that are generously donated by the Zehrs in Alliston, which we’ve picked up every Tuesday since the food bank initially opened,” she said.

The bank also accepts lightly used clothes for children and adults, along with winter gloves, hats and boots.

“Even when we are closed there is work going on behind the scenes several days during the week,” she said. “Aside from picking up the bread we also shop to ensure that our shelves are full for our families. We scour the sale flyers every week to take advantage of all sale priced items so that we are sure our donated funds are stretched as far as possible.”

While they don’t belong to the Association of Food Banks, they have a good working relationship with the Angus and Alliston food banks and have received food items from them on a number of occasions.

The food bank is located at ., just east of the Thornton Fire Hall and library, and is open to the public every Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 7.30 p.m.

Extra donations are needed to ensure the shelves remain stocked over the summer.

For more information or to arrange a donation call or email .

SHLF

Sep, Tue, 2021

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Cannabis users will drive into murky territory when they get behind the wheel

For the millions of Canadians who use cannabis, there are just 64 days left until they can light up a joint, inhale and breathe easy knowing that they are staying comfortably within the confines of the law.

But even after Oct. 17, when cannabis becomes legal, marijuana users who get behind the wheel will find themselves veering back into murky legal territory. While there may be new drugged driving laws on the books — and saliva testing devices heading soon to a police cruiser near you — critics say the legal landscape is still hazy for marijuana users who drive, with the potential to criminalize people who are not actually impaired.

Canadian regulators have now legal limits for blood concentrations of THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana — even though researchers say there is no direct relationship between impairment and specific levels of THC in the bloodstream. Critics have also pointed to potential issues with roadside saliva testing devices, which were not designed with Canadian winters in mind and require internal temperatures of at least 4 C to work.

Civil liberties advocates now worry the government has adopted a “zero tolerance” approach based on inconclusive science. They fear that sober people will end up receiving criminal records — and those at greatest risk will be medical cannabis users and racialized communities that are already over-policed, said Rob De Luca with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

“It’s going to criminalize a host of individuals who are basically going about their day, thinking they’re doing completely legal behaviour,” said De Luca, director of the CCLA’s public safety program. “The impact of bringing the full weight of the state and the criminal justice system against someone who may not have been impaired behind the wheel — that’s a remarkable thing.”

Critics like De Luca do not question the dangers of drug-impaired driving or the importance of taking public safety into account. Studies have shown that cannabis can and organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving have come out strongly in support of Canada’s new impaired driving laws.

Studies have also shown a after cannabis use, with some papers suggesting . A recent Statistics Canada survey also found that with a driver’s licence admitted to getting behind the wheel within two hours of consuming the drug.

But regulating cannabis is a much trickier proposition than regulating alcohol, which has now been thoroughly studied for decades. Alcohol is a simple molecule that eliminates from the body at a constant rate; cannabinoids like THC have complicated metabolic pathways and get stored in fat, releasing at different rates.

Frequent, chronic users — such as medical cannabis users — can also develop tolerance. And they can test THC positive for much longer periods than occasional smokers; , which looked at 30 men who were daily cannabis smokers, found that two people were still THC-positive 30 days after their last toke, albeit at low blood concentrations.

There is plenty of evidence that a person with a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.08, Canada’s legal limit, is clearly impaired. But cut-off points are harder to generalize for cannabis users because THC affects everyone so differently, depending on a variety of factors — everything from a person’s history of cannabis use to the amount of fat tissue they have in their bodies.

“It makes it very complex to evaluate what a blood concentration means in terms of someone’s performance or behaviour,” said Dayong Lee, a toxicology manager with the Houston Forensic Science Center who has studied cannabis and impairment.

But Canadian regulators have decided to impose blood concentration limits for THC, even while acknowledging that “science is unable to provide general guidance to drivers about how much cannabis should be consumed before it is unsafe to drive or before the proposed levels would be exceeded.”

It is now illegal for Canadian drivers to have blood THC concentrations of five nanograms (ng) per millilitre or more — a crime that carries mandatory penalties of $1,000 and jail time for repeat offenders. Drivers with at least 2.5 ng/ml of THC in their blood, combined with low levels of alcohol, will also be charged.

Regulators have also made it a summary offence to have concentrations of between two and five nanograms per millilitre of blood. Offenders receive a maximum fine of $1,000 and a criminal record, which they can apply to suspend only after five years.

“The government should take every public safety approach that’s appropriate, but they shouldn’t take it when the scientific foundation is not clear,” said Kyla Lee, a Vancouver lawyer who defends impaired driving cases. “Meanwhile, people (will be) getting criminal records for drugs, which will render them inadmissible to the United States and have all sorts of consequences for employment, families, life insurance, etc.”

According to Dayong Lee, the cut-off points of two and five nanograms per millilitre are based on a handful of studies in which the majority of people showed some cognitive impairment at these concentrations. But these studies are based on relatively small populations and “it’s hard to generalize” their results, she said.

“I can think of less than 10 studies that support the five nanograms being impaired,” Lee said. “It’s really critical that drug blood concentration itself is not being used solely to demonstrate that this person is impaired.”

Forensic toxicologist Marilyn Huestis agrees. During her two decades with the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, she conducted numerous studies looking at cannabis impairment and was “amazed” to find that in , she could still detect signs of impairment even three weeks after their last usage.

But she has yet to see a significant correlation between specific blood drug concentrations and impairment. “My philosophy for identifying impaired driving … the first thing is that you show the person is really impaired. Because some people might have five (nanograms) or two (nanograms) and maybe they’re not impaired,” she said. “Then you do the biological sample to point (out) which drugs are causing the impairment.”

Yet, Canadian laws do not explicitly require drivers get tested for impairment before they can be charged with drug-impaired driving.

The Canadian government is also introducing new roadside devices that act as a kind of breathalyzer exam for drugs, including THC. But instead of blowing, drivers provide saliva samples that are tested on the spot using the same immunological technology as pregnancy sticks.

These devices can reveal whether specific drugs might be present, but further tests are needed to confirm blood concentration levels. The first device being considered for Canadian approval is the Draeger DrugTest 5000, which has received early criticism for requiring an internal temperature of at least 4 C. “Lots of Canada, lots of the time, is below four degrees Celsius,” Kyla Lee said.

In an email, Draeger Canada said its technology is “well suited to Canada, with internal temperature control functionality that helps ensure optimal performance in a broad range of conditions” but was unable to respond to followup questions by press time.

Huestis said she’s tested the Draeger DrugTest 5000 and it “works very well.” The device is already in use in countries like Australia and Spain, and in Norway, police apprehensions of DUI drivers more than doubled after the device was introduced, .

But other jurisdictions have reported lacklustre experiences with the device. According to tender documents, the Irish government anticipated that 50,000 tests would be performed with the device every year. Last year, however, police only used it on 612 drivers, with 90 testing positive for drug use.

A senior police officer that the length of time required to use the device — at least 10 minutes — was a deterrent for officers, who opted to focus on alcohol detection instead. He said some officers also struggled to get usable saliva samples from nervous drivers, whose mouths would dry up.

According to a federal Department of Justice spokesperson, the Draeger DrugTest 5000 was recommended for approval by the Canadian Society of Forensic Science, which is also evaluating a number of other drug screeners. The device is now undergoing a 30-day “public comment period” that closes on Aug. 18, after which the attorney general will decide whether or not to approve it for use in Canada.

SHLF

Sep, Tue, 2021

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Farmer thanked for dousing Innisfil fire

Larry Kell is being called an unsung hero after helping a fellow farmer during a Gilford fire.

At 4:30 p.m. on July 20, a hay bailer caught on fire on Bruce Drybrough’s farm, on Shore Acres Drive.

“Phones began ringing within minutes in the shirt pockets of many neighbours, and while the fire department began its response, so did the community,” neighbour John Trotter said. “Within minutes I was aware of the fire’s location and I drove to (Drybrough’s) driveway to see what help was required.”

One fire truck had already arrived and was beginning to slow the spread of the fire, but the wind was pushing the fire across the 10-acre field of fresh-cut straw, toward Trotter’s fields of dry standing wheat, as well as Drybrough’s hardwood bush.

As he was going to get his backhoe, Trotter saw a familiar white pickup truck speed to the rescue.

“Anyone who lives in south Innisfil recognizes the white pick up trucks as a sure sign that a member of the Kell family is near.”

Larry Kell was at the wheel, gunning his truck toward the fire.

He had already ordered his farm staff to deliver his largest tractor, equipped with their biggest tilling discs.

“In two minutes I watched as the massive tractor approached across my wheat field,” Trotter said.

By then, loose and baled hay was on fire and many people worked together to till the land to douse the flames.

“(Kell) climbed into the driver’s seat, put the hydraulic discs down into the locked position and headed for the danger of the burning fields,” Trotter said. “Within seconds (Kell) began to lessen the fire’s ability to do damage as he turned the burnt straw field into freshly tilled powdery soil.”

In just over an hour, the main fire had been extinguished and Trotter noted it had come within three feet of a 60-year-old split rail fence near his property.

“Larry Kell deserves special recognition for being the neighbour who knew what to do and for doing it. He had the equipment and took action,” Trotter said.

SHLF

Sep, Mon, 2021

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Why a heritage forest near Beeton represents ‘first chapter in town’s history’

Residents who have watched over Beeton’s heritage forest for decades will continue to play an important role to ensure the property remains protected for generations to come.

Neal Arbic belongs to the group of 40 volunteers who have maintained the walking trails throughout the forest and lobbied council to protect its natural features and archeological sites.

“We call it a heritage forest because it’s the first chapter in our town’s history,” he said. “It’s the first known place where people lived, the First Nations, and when the Loyalists came to found our town, there were no roads leading there, they took single file trails established by the First Nations. They were very much like the single file trails you still find in the heritage forest today, so we consider it like preserving Beeton’s Main Street. It’s not just a forest, it’s part of our heritage.”

Arbic and other residents were instrumental in convincing council to protect the ravine forest.

They became quite concerned after some preliminary discussions took place about three years ago about designating the property as a dog park.

Now that council has signed off on the plan to donate the town-owned property to the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust (ORMLT) through a stewardship agreement, volunteers are looking forward to what comes next.

Arbic credited Ward 1 Coun. Marc Biss for championing their cause.

“I’m honoured that Neal and the ORMLT offered me the opportunity to play a role in the donation of this environmentally and culturally significant forest and wetland,” said Biss.

Moving forward, the volunteers will work with the land trust as members of the Heritage Forest Preservation Society, a nonprofit corporation.

“We’ll be signing a stewardship group agreement with the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust to look after the lands and follow their directives,” he said. “A big reason why the property interested them was that it already had a built-in stewardship group. They couldn’t afford to take the property without it.”

There’s much more than just trees and trails that make the site so special.

Hundreds of years ago, the property contained a First Nations village of between 300 to 400 people with 30 to 40 longhouses.

The village enjoyed prosperity for some time as a trading route that connected to the Albion Hills Trail.

“They were traders and they found stuff, like a flint, as far away as Pennsylvania, so there was a lot of trading back and forth there,” he said.

The village was abandoned after most of the people were killed during an attack.

“Bodies were left everywhere,” he said. “While there are proper burial sites on the property, there are also scattered remains, so that’s why we always felt this needs to be protected.”

It’s believed the survivors made their way north and joined another nation.

The history of the site isn’t widely known, but information is available at local libraries and there have also been archeological digs in the past.

The first one took place in 1966, and a second, much more elaborate, was done in 1976.

“They discovered a number of things and that’s also what led to the discovery of certain endangered plant species,” he said.

Arbic said the forest couldn’t be in better hands, noting how the land trust will do a baseline study of the property as a starting point.

“They are going to bring in soil specialists, botanists, every type of expert that will go through every acre, examining and taking samples,” he said. “By the end of that, we will know exactly where the archeological sites are, there might be more than one and some that are undiscovered.”

SHLF

Sep, Mon, 2021

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Innisfil development charges could be highest in Simcoe County

Costs will be going up to build a new home in Innisfil, thanks to a revamping of the development charges.

The only question is if the town will become the most expensive spot in the county.

The current development charge bylaw expires on Jan. 31, 2019 and a special public meeting Aug. 8 discussed the proposal.

Hemson Consulting Ltd. has recommended changing the fee boundaries to lump Alcona, Stroud and Big Bay Point into the same category; Gilford, Degrassi Point and Lefroy-Belle Ewart into another; and Innisfil Heights and Churchill together. Friday Harbour and Cookstown would each stand alone.

It is proposing to raise the town’s overall residential charges from $51,460 to $61,187, making it the highest in Simcoe County.

By comparison, Barrie’s development charges in the Salem and Hewitt’s Creek area are $47,389 and Bradford West Gwillimbury’s is at $50,501.

Lawyer Marvin Geist spoke representing the Alcona Downs Developments Inc., a member of the Alcona developers’ group.

“Our concern is the developers in Alcona wonder why we should be contributing to pipes and water in Stroud,” Geist said. “Growth pays for growth and we have paid our share in Alcona. We do not understand why we should be supporting development in Stroud.”

But Ward 1 Coun. Doug Lougheed suggested Stroud has paid for water and wastewater charges, even though most of the town is on a well and septic system.

“If there are no services available, you don’t pay,” town chief financial officer Lockie Davis said. “So if there was an infill lot in Stroud today, there is no sewer charge.”

Ward 2 Richard Simpson was concerned the increase might stall the town’s growth.

“I wasn’t disappointed with the cost, I was hoping it’s higher because new residents want more services,” Simpson said.

However, some taxpayers don’t need more services and would rather see property taxes stay low, he added.

“With increased growth, there’s a lot of burden that happens and we’re all aware of it. In my opinion, growth creates a dystopian society in the town of Innisfil.”

Council received the information from the public meeting and a staff report is expected at council Sept. 5.