logo
Father, son charged after alleged hate-motivated incidents east of Toronto

Father, son charged after alleged hate-motivated incidents east of Toronto

CBC10-06-2025
Police say a father and his 14-year-old son have been arrested and charged after an investigation into hate-motivated incidents east of Toronto.
Durham Regional Police say a male entered a Canadian Tire store in Bowmanville, Ont., on Jan. 30, and placed antisemitic pamphlets in various places.
Officers were also called on May 24 to a mosque in Orono, Ont., where several vehicles and the front door were vandalized.
Police say they executed two search warrants on Monday at a residence in Orono, where two males were arrested and several items were seized.
A 34-year-old man from Clarington has been charged with mischief to property and a 14-year-old boy from Clarington has been charged with mischief relating to religious property.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Former Mountie made unlawful arrest, N.S. judge rules
Former Mountie made unlawful arrest, N.S. judge rules

CBC

timean hour ago

  • CBC

Former Mountie made unlawful arrest, N.S. judge rules

A retired Nova Scotia RCMP constable has been found liable for an unlawful arrest seven years ago of a man who sued the officer and the force after he said the Mountie injured his shoulder. In a decision released last week, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Ann Smith found Const. Daniel MacDonald, who retired from the force in 2023, did not have lawful grounds to arrest Sean Naugle in June 2018. On June 3, 2018, MacDonald was responding to a 911 call about a fight at a home in Pictou County. He was the first police officer to arrive on the scene and placed one of the fighters under arrest. In the course of that arrest, MacDonald learned the man had concealed an axe in a nearby car. It was as he approached that car that MacDonald encountered Naugle. What happened between them was at the root of the legal dispute. MacDonald alleged that Naugle was obstructing his efforts to search the car for weapons and he placed him under arrest. Naugle said the arrest violated his Charter rights. Excessive force? In her decision, Smith said she had to determine whether MacDonald had lawful grounds to make the arrest and whether he used excessive force. In addition to the civil lawsuit, Naugle also filed a formal complaint with the RCMP, which, according to the court decision, investigated the incident but took no further action. The investigating officer was one of the witnesses in the civil hearing, which was held in late January of this year. Smith said she found the investigating officer, Cpl. Ronald Bryce, to be a credible witness, in part because he did not go out of his way to defend MacDonald's actions. One example cited by the judge was Bryce questioning MacDonald's search for weapons. Bryce said he found it strange that MacDonald started searching in the front of the vehicle when the axe was reported to be concealed under a blanket in the trunk. The search eventually turned up both the axe and a replica handgun. Bryce also admitted under cross-examination by Naugle's lawyer that MacDonald may not have been truthful when he told the corporal that Naugle had shoved him prior to the arrest. 'Fabricated' portion of evidence The judge was also skeptical of MacDonald's account of when and where he spotted weapons in the car. "When considering the totality of the evidence on this point, in my view, Cst. MacDonald's evidence that he viewed weapons in the rear of the vehicle prior to the search does not accord with the 'preponderance of probabilities,'" Smith wrote. "Considering the evidence before the court, I conclude that Cst. MacDonald fabricated this portion of his evidence to justify and bolster his grounds for arresting Mr. Naugle." The judge found MacDonald could not have spotted the weapons because they were concealed under a blanket. She also found Naugle was shouting about the legality of the search from about three metres away from the constable and so he did not obstruct him. The judge found MacDonald lacked "probable and reasonable grounds" for arresting Naugle, and "is liable for tortious battery and the Charter breaches claimed." "This case really highlights why the civil justice system is essential," said lawyer Mike Dull, who represented Naugle in his civil suit. "You know, in this case, our court carefully examined all the evidence, even when it comes to the evidence of a police officer, and after doing that came to the conclusion that the police officer's version of events was not credible." Dull said an agreement was made before the judge's decision that if Naugle was successful, he would be paid compensation. However, Dull said the amount of that compensation is confidential. In a statement, the RCMP said it is still studying the court decision and has 25 days to decide whether it might appeal.

Alberta oilfield company sanctioned $450K for illegal storage of industrial sewage
Alberta oilfield company sanctioned $450K for illegal storage of industrial sewage

CBC

time2 hours ago

  • CBC

Alberta oilfield company sanctioned $450K for illegal storage of industrial sewage

Social Sharing An Alberta oilfield services company has been fined nearly $450,000 for unsafely storing and illegally profiting from industrial sewage it was not authorized to accept. In a decision issued last week, Red Deer-based Terroco Industries Ltd. was penalized by the Alberta Energy Regulator for a string of infractions dating back to the summer of 2023. The investigation found the company was unlawfully profiting from the storage of industrial sewage at its subsurface well disposal site in Stettler, Alta. The sewage from an agricultural-based industrial facility was incompatible with the company's licence and disposing of such highly-concentrated waste within a deep injection well is strictly prohibited. The company's founder and CEO, Terrance O'Connor, admitted to the contraventions but blamed either his own staff or third parties who had supplied the fluid for the infractions. In response to the investigation, O'Connor made conflict of interest allegations against an AER inspector and claimed the regulator had no jurisdiction over his company because he's Indigenous. The regulator rejected those allegations and ruled Terroco Industries was alone responsible for the waste it accepted. The company has not responded to requests for comment. Unapproved sewage The AER investigation identified five key contraventions centred on the company's Stettler disposal well, which the company has owned since the 1980s. Stettler is about 80 kilometres east of Red Deer. The most significant violation was accepting and disposing of unapproved industrial sewage. The investigation found the company unlawfully accepted 14,196 cubic metres of wastewater over 40 days in June and August 2023. The name of the facility that generated the waste, the trucking company that delivered it, and the names of some AER officials are redacted from the regulator's decision. The contravention was deemed a "major" infraction due to the risk to environmental and human health. By accepting unapproved substances, in this case unapproved waste, effective regulatory oversight by the AER cannot occur. One of the wastewater samples confirmed the presence of polyfluoroalkyl substances, often referred to as "forever chemicals." PFSAs are a complex group of long-lasting synthetic chemicals known to cause adverse environmental and health effects. Industrial sewage contains significant amounts of non-human waste and higher concentrations of pollutants than domestic sewage and under Alberta legislation, disposal of such waste through subsurface injection is strictly prohibited. "When unapproved waste is received by a disposal facility, there is a potential for an increased risk of an adverse effect to the environment and human health, the full effects may not be known for some time," the AER decision reads. "By accepting unapproved substances, in this case unapproved waste, effective regulatory oversight by the AER cannot occur." Storage tank trouble The investigation also found several deficiencies related to an above-ground storage tank where industrial sewage was held. These included operating the tank without a secondary containment system, leak detection or a spill control device. The tank's foundation was also found to be improperly designed, elevating the risk that it could topple over. The company was fined for illegally generating revenue from its storage of the unauthorized waste, resulting in $298,980 of an administrative penalty. The fine was also increased due to the degree of "willful negligence" demonstrated by the company. The total fine was $448,980. Terroco Industries had failed to abide by previous warnings about its operational requirements, the investigation found. AER also noted that it discovered shipping receipts, known as bill of lading tickets, that "appear to have been altered" to align with approved waste types for the facility. Company officials denied it had attempted to misidentify the shipments, but told the regulator it would investigate whether others had attempted to mislead the company about the classification of waste. In a written submission, the company's CEO requested a "fair and just review" with a reduction of the penalty to more accurately reflect Terroco's "shortcomings in judgment and due diligence that were exploited by others." O'Connor said the AER investigation was influenced by "personal ties." He also expressed concern the AER was only addressing letters to him, that the focus of the investigation was on him, and suggested that one of his staff felt threatened by an AER inspector — claims the regulator denied outright. From the source Company officials told investigators that it had agreed to accept the unapproved waste after discussions with an individual from a trucking company who was hauling waste for another facility. Officials told AER that they "wrongly interpreted" the willingness of the trucking company to deliver waste to Terroco Industries to mean that the fluid was suitable for disposal. O'Connor told investigators he believed the company "had something to do with cattle" but assumed that brine water was being disposed of. According to the investigation, the manager of the Stettler facility said he had been given no formal training and had to learn "as he went." "The onus for screening the incoming waste was largely put on the consignor and trucking companies rather than Terroco, itself," the AER report reads. "Terroco's site managers at the Stettler facility confirmed that there was a lack of formalized training, a lack of knowledge about the difference between the classes of disposal wells and an inexperience with the disposal requirements." Jurisdiction challenged At a July 2025 meeting between the company and the regulator, Terroco Industries challenged AER's jurisdiction. According to the AER report, O'Connor read aloud a document which he brought titled "oral proclamation" and provided printed copies to those in attendance. That document "goes on to state that as Terrance is a Sovereign Indigenous Person, the AER has 'no jurisdiction to adjudicate this case', and that he trusts the AER will 'drop all charges.'" According to the AER, company officials did not provide new evidence during the meeting but did say there was a relatively small volume of "wash water" inside the tank and not industrial sewage. Based on the company's claim about wash water, some of the infraction fines were adjusted. But the regulator rejected the rest of the claims, while affirming the AER's jurisdiction over the company. The regulator found that no conflict of interest exists and that the investigation was comprehensive, unbiased and fair. "Terroco, as the licensee, is ultimately responsible for understanding the type of waste received and how it is managed," the report said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store