The Tilbury Times

Year: 2021

  • Quarantine Screening Officer Charged with Sexual Assault and Extortion

    By: Laura Steiner
    Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has charged a security guard with multiple charges related to a quarantine compliance check in Oakville.
    The accused is identified as 27-year old Hermant of Hamilton.  He is alleged to have entered a residence on February 18, 2021 to conduct a compliance check.  They informed the victim that they were in violation of the quarantine order and demanded that a fine be paid in cash.  The victim declined to pay, and was sexually assaulted by the accused.
    Officers from HRPS’ Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit arrested, and charged the accused.  Police confirm he has been suspended, but will not be releasing the name of the security firm who employed him.  He faces the following charges:

    • Sexual Assault
    • Extortion

    HRPS is concerned there could be additional victims.  They encourage anyone who may have experienced something similar to contact local police where the offence took place.  Tips and information can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by phone at: 1-800-222-8477 or through their website.
    Screening officers cannot issue an offence notice or conduct an arrest.  Immediate demand for payment of any kind should never be made in the course of a quarantine compliance check.

  • China lashes out at Canada over Uighur genocide vote

    By: Levon Sevunts
    The Chinese government lashed out at Canada today, accusing Ottawa of deliberately smearing China and seriously violating international law, after the House of Commons voted to declare that Beijing is committing genocide against Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in the western Xinjiang region.
    The lower house of Canada’s Parliament voted on Monday to pass an opposition motion declaring that China’s treatment of Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang meets the definition of genocide set out in the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
    The motion also calls on the government to lobby the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Olympic Games out of Beijing.
    Speaking to reporters in Beijing today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Webin accused Canada of “total disregard of facts and common sense” and gross interference in China’s internal affairs.
    “Facts have proved that there has never been any genocide in Xinjiang. This is the biggest lie of the century deliberately concocted by extreme anti-China forces, and a ridiculous farce to smear and defame China,” Wang said.
    He also accused some Canadian politicians “blatantly” politicizing sports and “totally violating the spirit of the Olympic Charter and harming the interests of the international Olympic Movement and athletes from all countries.”
    Wang said the Chinese government has “lodged stern representations” with the Canadian side.

    ‘We remain deeply disturbed’

    The non-binding motion in the House of Commons passed nearly unanimously with 266 in favour and zero opposed. Two MPs, including Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau, formally abstained. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and almost all of his Liberal cabinet members were absent during the vote.
    “We remain deeply disturbed by horrific reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang, including the use of arbitrary detention, political re-education, forced labour, torture and forced sterilization,” Garneau said in a statement released after the vote.
    “The Government of Canada takes any allegations of genocide extremely seriously. We have the responsibility to work with others in the international community in ensuring that any such allegations are investigated by an independent international body of legal experts.”
    China’s foreign ministry has denied reports by Uighur activists, UN experts and human rights groups accusing Chinese officials of imprisoning Uighurs in concentration and “deradicalization” camps and targeting them for forced labour, sexual violence, population control methods and sweeping surveillance.
    Wang said all efforts to deradicalize Muslim extremists in Xinjiang are “fully consistent with the principles and spirit of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.”
    “Thanks to the efforts of the local people of all ethnic groups, there has been no violent terrorist case for more than four years in a row in Xinjiang,” Wang said. “The region now enjoys social stability and a sound development momentum, and the local people are living a safe and happy life.”
    He also dismissed reports of forced sterilization of Uighur women and other forms of population control.
    The Uighur population in Xinjiang has continued to grow at a pace higher than other ethnic groups, including the Han majority, Wang said. From 2010 to 2018, the population of the Uighurs in Xinjiang rose from 10.17 million to almost 12.72 million, an increase of 25.04 per cent, he added.
    At a press conference on Monday morning, Conservative Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Chong said the evidence of China’s crimes is overwhelming. He cited survivor testimony, satellite images, video, documents and media reports from major U.S. and international news outlets.
    “Today is a time for moral clarity,” said Chong. “We can no longer ignore this. We must call it for what it is — a genocide.”
    With files from Ryan Patrick Jones of CBC News

  • Information session offers insight into Forest Bathing

    By: Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
     TimminsToday.com
    The Timmins Public Library is offering a virtual information session about the Japanese practice of forest bathing.
    Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, allows participants to connect with nature, reduce stress and alleviate the feeling of loneliness, said a certified forest therapy guide Aimée Lavoie.
    Led by Lavoie, the upcoming event will discuss the history of forest bathing, its benefits and how it can be practised.
    It will be held via Zoom on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m.
    “It’s a wellness practice that exploded in popularity in Europe and North America over the past five, 10 years,” Lavoie said.
    Mark Joron, who’s a woodland supervisor at EACOM Timber Corporation, will also be on hand, talking about the trails in Timmins that people can access if they want to get out to a forested area.
    Regular in-person forest bathing sessions can take up to four hours, while virtual sessions usually last for an hour, according to Lavoie.
    Some of the health benefits of forest therapy include reduced levels of stress and blood pressure, a boosted immune system and reduced impacts of anxiety and depression, Lavoie said. It can also be practised from one’s backyard or indoors, just standing by a window.
    “By connecting with nature, we learn how to give back and how to find our place in nature again,” she said. “People, who pay attention to the natural environment, come to love it and are proven to be more likely to be engaged in activities that protect the land or work for its wellbeing.”
    The Timmins library’s reference assistant Kayleigh Rideout said the library was initially planning to do in-person guided walks at Hersey Lake.
    Because of the pandemic, the event had to be shifted online, she said, but the library is hoping to have an in-person session in the future. Another possible event the library is considering is having a virtual walk, so people can join from their own spots whether it be on a trail or at home.
    “Not only does (Lavoie) know about forest bathing, she knows a lot about the Timmins forest in specific, which is really cool because you might be able to find some things about forest bathing online but it might not apply to our environment or our northern forest,” Rideout said.
    Timmins library also has several books about forest bathing that can be accessed online.
    Lavoie, who’s been training and practising forest therapy for almost a year, currently offers virtual forest therapy experiences through her business called Bunchberry Nature Walks. When pandemic restrictions are eased, she hopes to offer in-person guided experiences as well.
    “Forest therapy is about repairing our relationships with ourselves and each other, and with the land and nature,” she said.
    To register for the event, email libraryprograms@timmins.ca or call the library at 705-360-2623, ext. 8531.

  • Milton Man Charged after Driving around Crossing Guard

    By: Laura Steiner
    A 62 year old Milton man faces a fine after driving around a crossing guard early Wednesday morning in Guelph Ontario.
    A Guelph police officer was watching the intersection of Speedvale Avenue East and Stevenson St. North.  While they watched, a vehicle drove around a crossing guard standing in the crosswalk with a stop sign raised.  The intersection had several recent complaints of drivers passing school buses with their lights flashing.
    The man is charged under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) with disobeying a crossing guard.  The offense carries with it a $365 fine and four demerit points

  • The COVID-19 vaccine and arthritis

    With vaccines against COVID-19 beginning to roll out to more people across the country, there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.
    If you’re among the six million Canadians with arthritis, you may have questions about the vaccines being approved for use in Canada.
    “The Arthritis Society is continually speaking with experts and updating our communications to ensure we can give people the most current information and answers they need,” says Trish Barbato, president and CEO of the Arthritis Society.
    The timeline for vaccinations, and how people will be prioritized to receive the vaccine, is being set by health officials in each province, so it could differ across the country.
    The recommendations for individuals who are immunosuppressed or who have an autoimmune disease have been changing. If you have an inflammatory form of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, you should speak with your doctor about the risks and benefits of receiving the vaccine.
    Visit your provincial or territorial COVID-19 website for the latest information, as these vaccination programs are new and recommendations could change.
    While you wait for the vaccine, it’s important to continue following public health guidelines, including maintaining physical distance, wearing a mask when you cannot do so and practicing good hygiene. And, as always, consult your doctor about any change in your health or any questions about your medications.
    Find more information at arthritis.ca/covid19.

  • Sudbury Board of Health endorses Permanent paid sick leave for Ontario

    By: Len Gillis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Sudbury.com
    Sudbury’s board of public health has endorsed the idea that workers in Ontario should get permanent paid sick days. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. The motion will be forwarded to the Ontario government for consideration.
    The motion was included as part of the agenda for the regular monthly meeting of the board of the Public Health Sudbury and Districts, which was held as an online teleconference Thursday.
    The board was presented with several pages of information outlining the concern that some workers who have used up their sick days and cannot afford to take time off, would rather show up for work, even if they’re sick or infectious, thus spreading their sickness around the workplace.
    In Ontario, most workers have the right to take up to three days of unpaid job-protected leave each calendar year due to a personal illness, injury or medical emergency. This is described as sick leave. Special rules apply to some occupations.
    Employees are entitled to up to three sick leave days per year once they have worked for an employer for at least two consecutive weeks. An employee who missed part of a day to take the leave would be entitled to any wages they actually earned while working, according to Ontario labour law. The concern is that a genuinely sick person might need more time off work and could lose their job if they miss too much time.
    PHSD Medical Officer of Health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe recommended the motion as a way to prevent Ontario workers from having to choose between unpaid time off work or continuing to go to work when they are sick. She outlined her position in a briefing note to the board.
    “Paid sick leave provisions are essential to protect the health of individual workers, their workplaces, and the broader community, which has become even more evident with the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had widespread economic impacts, increasing the level and depth of poverty across the country,” Sutcliffe wrote.
    “Inequitable access to paid sick days in Canada has significant impacts on income and health. Income alone is the single strongest predictor of health and individuals and families require a stable source of income to meet their basic needs for health and well-being. Paid sick leave provisions are essential to protect the health of individual workers, their workplaces, and the broader community, which has become even more evident with the COVID-19 pandemic,” the note continued.
    The motion stated that staying at home is one of the most effective containment strategies for disease. It also noted that paid sick days actually create savings in the health-care system and eventual savings for the businesses by not causing more sickness in the workplace.
    “Despite clear evidence and public health directives to stay home when sick, workers without paid sick days are forced to choose between sacrificing their financial security to comply with public health measures or going to work while sick to support themselves and their families,” Sutcliffe added, quoting a report from the Decent Work and Health Network.
    The motion was approved unanimously by the board of health.

  • HRPS Responds to a Swatting Incident

    By: Laura Steiner
    Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) responded to a swatting incident in Milton earlier today.
    Police received the call just before 11am this morning from a male stating he had shot and killed someone at an address in the Maple Avenue and Thompson area.   The incident pushed Chris Hadfield Public School and St. Peter Catholic Elementary School in a Hold& Secure.
    Police resources including officers from the Tactical Rescue Unit, K9 Unit, and Criminal investigation unit attended the call.  An investigation determined the call to be unsubstantiated, and is believed to be a “swatting incident.”
    ‘Swatting’ is a term used to refer to a call to police where the caller makes a false report with the express purpose of having numerous police and emergency resources dispatched to an ongoing critical incident.  An investigation is ongoing to identify the person who initiated the call.  Anyone with information is asked to call Halton Regional Police Service at: 905-825-4777 or contact Crime Stoppers at: 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS). Information can also be submitted through their website.

  • Halton Region Ramping up COVID19 Vaccination Clinics

    By: Laura Steiner
    Halton Region is preparing for the next phase of COVID-19 vaccination.  Four initial clinics in each of Halton’s municipalities will be open for residents in prioritized populations once supply becomes available.
    “Like other regions, our ability to get these sites operational is dependent on supply from the Federal Government,” Halton Region said.  The federal government distributes vaccines to the province, who in turn will distribute to the 34 Public Health Units (PHU’s)
    Phase one of vaccine rollout include front-line workers in hospitals, and Long Term Care (LTC) homes as well as paramedics. The four locations are as follows:

    1. Gellert Community Centre, 10241 Eighth Line, Georgetown
    2. St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, 1280 Dundas Street West, Oakville
    3. Compass Point Bible Church, 1500 Kerns Road, Burlington
    4. Milton Centre for the Arts, 1010 Main Street East, Milton

    “I encourage everyone to get the vaccine when it is your turn, and in the meantime, prepare yourself and your family by reviewing credible information on vaccines on halton.ca.” Halton Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Dr. Hamidah Meghani.  The clinics will open first to adults 80 years of age and older.  For more information on the vaccines visit the Region of Halton’s official website.

  • Economic issues likely to top agenda at Biden-Trudeau meeting on Tuesday

    By: Terry Haig
    The list is long of U.S. presidents who made it a point to make Canada the destination of their first official foreign visit.
    (Donald Trump, not surprisingly, passed on the semi-tradition, opting to make stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican on his fist foreign foray as president.)
    Tomorrow, Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, will hold his first official meeting with a foreign head of government: a virtual one with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
    Both the White House and the prime minister’s office said the two leaders plan to discuss the close economic ties between their countries–ties that are being strained by strict Buy American provisions introduced by the president..
    The cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline project on Biden’s first day in office has also been a recent sticking point in Canada-U.S. relations, though it is not expected to draw great focus on Tuesday.
    The CBC’s Alexander Panetta reports that–according to a source who spoke confidentially to CBC News–the detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in China is also expected to be raised by Trudeau.
    Kovrig and Spavor were detained in China on Dec. 10, 2018–nine days after Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, was arrested by Canadian officials at the request of the United States while she was changing planes in Vancouver.
    Earlier this month, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, told CBC News that Biden’s approach to  foreign policy could result in new momentum to free the so-called “Two Michaels.”
    “There is serious engagement, there are serious conversations,” Hillman said.
    Last Tuesday, Canadian members of Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of creating a special committee to focus on the economic relationship between Canada and the U.S.
    The Conservative Party motion passed in the House of Commons by a vote of 326 to 3 as the governing Liberals, the Bloc Quebecois and NDP all voted in favour of it.
    Members of the Green Party voted against it.
    In bringing forth the motion, the Conservatives cited the need for a “serious plan for the economic recovery that recognizes the integration of the North American economy.”
    With files from CBC News (Alexander Panetta,Katie Simpson, Stephanie Hogan), The Canadian Press, RCI

  • Anti-lockdown Councillor ousted as Centre Wellington deputy Mayor

    By: Keegan Kozolanka, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: GuelphToday.com
    CENTRE WELLINGTON – After a tense meeting Monday, Centre Wellington councillor Steven Vanleeuwen has been replaced as deputy mayor by councillor Neil Dunsmore.
    VanLeeuwen had stirred controversy for helping form an anti-lockdown caucus with other politicians across Canada and posed for a mask-less picture with other founders.
    Mayor Kelly Linton had decided to put forward a motion to remove VanLeeuwen as deputy mayor — which is not an elected position in Centre Wellington — but this was deferred by the committee of the whole until an integrity commissioner investigation could determine if VanLeeuwen violated the code of conduct or municipal act.
    At Monday’s meeting, Dunsmore asked council to reconsider the deferral because he said the integrity commissioner has ruled in the past he will not rule on matters regarding political speech.
    “This motion to defer is poor judgment and this is the moment we draw a line in the snow,” Dunsmore said. “We can’t bury our heads in the snow and punt this off to the integrity commissioner.”
    Councillor Bob Foster got heated as he defended the motion he made at the committee of the whole.
    He criticized the mayor for not taking earlier action based on an email exchange with VanLeeuwen — who later said he was taken out of context — and stressed VanLeeuwen’s actions warrant an investigation.
    “There’s a reason we have a code of conduct, it is probable that councillor VanLeeuwen breached that code of conduct,” Foster said. “How can we sit idle and not have these matters investigated?”
    Foster then questioned why they would debate removing VanLeeuwen as deputy mayor but not have an integrity commissioner investigate the same actions.
    “Neil, this smacks of a cover-up,” Foster said.
    Dunsmore called a point of privilege saying he wouldn’t stand for being accused of being part of a cover-up.
    This led to a back-and-forth exchange where Foster clarified that wasn’t the intent of his comment.
    VanLeeuwen said he was amazed that a conversation about removing him as deputy mayor had descended into “absolute anarchy” which has never been his intention with his actions.
    For the most part, the rest of council had stood by their vote at the previous meeting.
    Councillors Stephen Kitras and Kirk McElwain wanted an investigation and Linton called it a waste of time and taxpayer money.
    Councillor Ian MacRae was the deciding factor as he no longer supported the investigation.
    The recommendation to defer was defeated as Dunsmore, Linton, and MacRae voted against with VanLeeuwen abstaining which counts as a no.
    Foster then put forward a new motion to both remove VanLeeuwen and have an integrity commissioner investigation.
    Council agreed this more or less accomplished what they wanted anyway, but MacRae was compelled to express his disappointment over them getting lost in politics.
    He said what should be a discussion focused on if VanLeeuwen was suited to remain as deputy mayor had turned into political attacks between councillors and the mayor.
    “Really, I just look at all of us and I say ‘shame on all of us,’” MacRae said. “This has just gone too far and has gone on for two years and I’m really sick and tired of the games and there’s a lot of members of the municipality who are as well.”
    MacRae later asked for a recorded vote so “the community knows who to blame when they get the cost for this.”
    This motion passed 5-2 with Kitras and VanLeeuwen abstaining but Linton, Dunsmore and MacRae said they wished the motion had been split in two parts.
    MacRae then nominated Dunsmore to be the new deputy mayor saying he puts community interests ahead of his own.
    This was approved by a 4-3 vote.