Early-morning Collingwood fire destroys industrial business
Collingwood firefighters were called to a structure fire 3 a.m. Monday.
Collingwood Fire Chief San Thurman said the initial fire was at an industrial business in the Sandford Fleming Drive area.
'The fire started in a storage shed and spread to the main building of an industrial business,' Thurman said.
There were no people in the building at the time of the blaze.
Thurman said approximately 20 firefighters attended the scene, and they extinguished the fire by 6 a.m.
The estimated cost of the damage is yet to be determined, he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cision Canada
an hour ago
- Cision Canada
Équité Association Releases First Half 2025 Auto Theft Trend Report: National Decline Signals Progress, Continued Vigilance Crucial as Criminal Tactics Evolve Français
TORONTO, July 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Équité Association, the national authority on insurance crime and fraud prevention, today released its First Half of 2025 Auto Theft Trend Report, revealing a 19.1% national decrease in the theft of private passenger vehicles, compared to the same period in 2024. "Canada is a safer place today than it was at the height of the auto theft crisis," says Terri O'Brien, President and Chief Executive Officer of Équité Association. "Auto theft returning to pre-crisis levels demonstrates the effectiveness of Équité's unified voice on behalf of our members. Led by Public Safety Canada, with solution-focused recommendations from Équité, the National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft has been instrumental in implementing comprehensive strategies to protect Canadians from the organized crime behind the auto theft crisis. Minimizing the impact of auto theft on honest, hardworking Canadians was a key goal of the insurance industry, and the report data shows we are making meaningful progress towards that goal." The report notes significant decreases in Ontario (-25.9%) and Quebec (-22.2%), provinces that previously experienced the highest auto theft rates from 2021-2023. * Compared to the same period of 2024 "Canadians have endured the significant impacts of vehicle crime, and while these first half of 2025 numbers are encouraging, the fight is far from over," says Bryan Gast, National Vice President, Investigative Services. "Équité recently participated on the UL Standards & Engagement Advisory Committee to collaboratively shape and publish the first harmonized Canada-US Standard for Vehicle Theft Deterrent Equipment and Systems. The next step is to put this new standard into action to prevent vehicles from being stolen in the first place and reduce auto theft on both sides of the border." The report also highlights concerns about evolving criminal strategies. Équité investigators have observed a shift towards criminals stealing vehicles destined for chop shops and re-VINs, hindering recovery efforts. Équité remains committed to enhancing its investigative expertise and technology to make a meaningful impact on combatting insurance crime and protecting honest, hardworking Canadians. About Équité Association As the national authority on insurance crime and fraud prevention, Équité Association is a not-for-profit organization supporting Canadian property and casualty (P&C) insurers. Équité combats the insurance crime problem that takes advantage of vulnerable Canadians by deploying advanced analytics, intelligence best practices, and coordinated investigations. Delivering improved service and fraud analytics for vehicle, property, and cargo recovery to its members, Équité collaborates with law enforcement, partners and industry organizations to protect Canadians against exploitation.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
'Free for all': Advocates call for e-scooter regulations as injury numbers climb
Hospitalizations related to electric scooters have increased and some advocates point to a lack of regulations around the use of the two-wheelers in Manitoba. Latest data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) said that nearly 1,000 people were hospitalized nationally for scooter-related injuries during the 12-month period starting April 1, 2023. That's up from 810 during the same period of 2022-23. Half of the injuries — 498 — were related to motorized e-scooters, an increase of 32 per cent over the 375 hospitalizations recorded in 2022-23. In the same time period Manitoba saw the rise in the total number of injuries jump by 50 per cent. "I get scared for them because, between a car and a scooter, who's going to win?" said cyclist Marian Siemens, who almost got into an accident earlier this summer because a e-scooter rider ignored a red light. "He was not paying any attention to the traffic. He could have got smacked … then what would have happened?" She believes regulations would help curb dangerous driving. "If they don't follow the rules of the road, they should be fined," she said. Pamela Fuselli, the CEO of Parachute, a national organization focused on injury-prevention across many fields — at home, on the road, and through activities — said e-scooters are a great low-cost transportation options but they are not toys. "The injuries can go from cuts and bruises from falling off the e-scooter to broken bones and serious head injuries," she said. "Kids under 16 really shouldn't operate these scooters." Currently in Manitoba, e-scooters are unregulated which means anyone, at any age, can drive the motorized scooter on streets, sidewalks, and bike paths going any speed. "I'm just aware of my surroundings and I pick where I drive. I just want to make sure I'm protected if something happens," said Edward Fortier, who uses a scooter to get around the city and commute to work. "I do know a few people who have had pretty bad accidents on e-scooters, so that's in the back of my mind." He avoids streets with heavy traffic and plans his route around residential areas or roads that have bike paths he can use. He says some e-scooter users drive recklessly on the road, making things unsafe for pedestrians, cyclists, and cars. "If I'm on a sidewalk and there's people … I'm not going to go full speed if there's people walking." 'Not a policy priority' Rob Kristjansson wants to see motorized e-scooters regulated in Manitoba, much like an electric bike. "I call it a legal grey area," said Kristjansson, who has been advocating for regulations for years and is a moderator of the e-scooter Winnipeg Facebook group. According to the City of Winnipeg, motorized vehicles fall under the Highway Traffic Act, which means regulations fall under provincial legislation. But Kristjansson says amendments made to the act in 2022 give municipalities the power to create bylaws that would set speed limits on shared roads. The city looked into regulations when there was strong interest in creating scooter-sharing programs, but once that interest died down so did the city's. Kristjansson has advocated for regulations around speed, age, and where e-scooters can be driven but says he continues to hear the same message from his city councillor: "It is not a policy priority for me in this term." "I appreciate that the city has many priorities,I just want my thing on the list," he said. Until motorized scooters are formally recognized in the province, people will continue getting hurt, Kristjansson saod, adding it's a small step with positive impacts down the line. "To empower regulatory authorities to say 'hey, what you're doing is unsafe, you need to behave like a cyclist' instead of this free for all." A provincial spokesperson told CBC, "as the use of e-scooters continues to grow, the Manitoba government is actively exploring options to establish a regulatory framework to guide their safe and responsible use across the province." Amid rising injury rates, advocates call for e-scooter regulations in Manitoba 2 hours ago It's becoming a popular way to get around, but with the increase of electric scooters on the road, hospitalizations because of them are increasing and some are blaming the lack of rules around their use.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Cases of auto theft down across Canada in first half of 2025, report shows
Social Sharing A new report has found auto theft trends are down 19 per cent across Canada in the first half of this year, compared to the same time period in 2024. But the authors of the report say that vigilance is still needed to keep numbers coming down. It's an "optimistic trend" seen in provinces across the country, says the report by Équité Association, an organization that works to stop crime on behalf of the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry, The largest drops were seen in Ontario at 25.9 per cent and Quebec at 22 per cent, said the report. These provinces experienced the highest rate of theft from 2021 to 2023, when Équité said Canada was facing a "national crisis" in car theft. "This encouraging trend in decreasing auto theft in the most affected provinces demonstrates the success of collective investments, policies and awareness campaigns," the report says. While the drop in auto theft is encouraging, Bryan Gast, vice president of investigative services at Équité Association, said it's still important for vehicle owners to stay alert and for different levels of government to continue collaborations against auto theft. "This is not a victimless crime. It's not just a property crime. The proceeds of these stolen vehicles are funding organized crime and it is affecting the communities in which we live," he said. The report also found that the national rate of recovery for stolen vehicles increased to 56 per cent in the first half of this year, up from 53 per cent for the same time period in 2024. Gast says auto theft in Canada began to spike during the COVID-19 pandemic when a supply chain issue with cars gave organized crime an opportunity to make money. The majority of the cars that are stolen are personal passenger vehicles, such as pickup trucks, sedans and SUVs, he says. He credits the drop in theft and the increase in recoveries to collaboration across different levels of government and with agencies in other provinces. That work included the creation of Ontario's auto theft team to identify crime hotspots, provincial Ministries of Transportation working to close gaps in vehicle registration processes and over $200 million in federal funding, said the report. "I've never seen this collaboration, even in my 30 years of policing, work together. This is very large scale [with] multiple police services," Gast said. "Phenomenal results and I think it's really showing." He also said there's been an increased emphasis to crack down on international organized crime related to auto theft in Canada. Information on any car that is stolen in Canada is sent to the Canadian Police Information Centre, which then shares that information with Interpol, Gast said. "What used to go under the radar once it goes international, now it shows it's stolen. And it affects the criminal's supply and demand," he said. WATCH | A 2024 report looks at what cars are targetted by auto theft criminals: Fighting auto theft in Canada will take more work, report finds 8 months ago Data shows drops in auto theft across the GTA Stephanie Sayer with Toronto Police Services says the city has seen a 34 per cent drop in auto theft cases so far this year, compared to the same period in 2024. "That's the result of sustained, focused efforts both within our Service and in collaboration with our policing partners across the GTA," she said. A news release from the York Regional Police said that as of June 25, they've also seen a 37 per cent decline in auto thefts so far this year compared to the same period last year. Gast says it's important for officials and car owners to be aware of the new technologies criminals could use to steal a car. He recommends people with cars always report suspicious activity, park in a garage space if possible and to always keep windows and doors locked. Drivers can also use a steering wheel lock, a pedal lock, a tracking device or an aftermarket immobilizer to protect from reprogramming attacks, Gast said. "You don't have to do them all. You don't have to build your vehicle into Fort Knox. But if you could do a few layers, just to make it add more time for the criminal to steal your vehicle," he said.
