Latest news with #BrantCounty
CTV News
13 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Pieces of the past unearthed in Paris, Ont.
A major infrastructure project in Paris, Ont. is unearthing pieces of the past. CTV's Karis Mapp take a look. A major infrastructure project in Paris, Ont. has uncovered something more than aging sewer lines. Brant County is in the midst of what they call 'The Downtown Dig.' The work includes underground construction and sidewalk rejuvenation, but when crews dug down into the downtown core, they found something unexpected. Parts of an old archway emerged from the ground. Ongoing work The Downtown Dig Paris, Ont. A construction crew works in downtown Paris, Ont. as part of the Downtown Dig in this undated image. (Facebook: The Downtown Dig) 'The archway we see right now was actually a reconstruction of the tailrace archway [from] around in the 1890s,' Steven Pinkett, with Paris Archives Team, explained. Researchers already knew about the presence of a millrace, a channel that carries swift currents of water to power a mill wheel. Tailraces are another part of the system that carries water away from a water wheel after the power has been generated. 'The millrace was ahead of it and was probably constructed about 1822,' Pinkett said. 'The mill itself was the power for the gypsum plant – the first gypsum plant.' William Holme opened that gypsum mine in the 1800s. According to a document by the County of Brant Heritage Driving Tour, the town was named Paris because of the large gypsum deposits that were mined to make the building material called Plaster of Paris. Tailrace reconstruction Paris circa 1890s An image of reconstruction of the tailrace in Paris, Ont. circa 1890s. (Courtesy: Paris Museum and Historical Society) Once the arch was uncovered, photos made their way to social media. 'We had an idea it was there, but to actually see it uncovered and see the interest that's been shown has been really good,' said Adam Crozier, director of corporate strategy for the County of Brant. 'One of the encouraging things about a construction project like this is, 'What is the heritage? What's buried under the road?'' For some residents, the dig has been a point of fascination. 'Tuesday, I came downtown and I noticed an archway that had been unearthed on the site and I thought, 'Well, what is that?'' Paris resident Ginny Moore told CTV News. Ongoing work The Downtown Dig Paris, Ont. A construction crew works in downtown Paris, Ont. as part of the Downtown Dig in this undated image. (Facebook: The Downtown Dig) Now Moore has her own piece of Paris history – a brick from the archway. 'I'll probably put it in my garden somewhere,' she said smiling. 'It's a deep piece of history and I'm just happy to have a piece of it.'
CTV News
21 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
Thousands of abandoned oil wells could pose danger to Ontario landowners, including Brant County
A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. CTV's Alexandra Holyk reports. A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. The province and Brant County confirmed there are around 27,000 wells left behind, with a potential for more being undocumented. A majority of these wells are on private land and in homeowners backyards. These wells were abandoned without following modern safety protocols. Rebecca Comley, the acting medical officer of health for Grand Erie Public Health told CTV News this can cause concern for health and safety. 'Legacy wells can be a source of potentially dangerous gases such as hydrogen sulfide,' said Comley. 'Leaking hydrogen sulfide into the atmosphere, into the air, especially in contained spaces can cause a very dangerous health risk.' Comley said these gases can smell like rotten eggs. 'Our noses can detect it at a very low level; less than one part per million,' said Comley. 'It's important to remember though the smell doesn't correlate with the concentration in the air… we can often lose the sense of smell at higher concentrations.' The wells also pose a threat to contaminating groundwater, possibly affecting the health of plants, animals and people. The province said it's spending nearly $20 million to tackle challenges related to these wells. They said so far they have spent around $33 million to plug 440 wells across Ontario. What should landowners look out for? Brant County officials have asked residents to take a deeper look at their properties. 'Ignoring [oil and gas wells] and having something tragic happen is not the way to go. It's putting themselves, their neighbours or their families at risk,' said Kent Pottruff, the community of emergency management coordinator for Brant County. 'So, the [Ministry of Natural Resources] stated they want to work with [landowners], there's resources available to assist them.' At Wednesday's meeting, the ministry said oil and gas wells on private property that meet criteria may be eligible to be partially or fully covered financially. Deputy Chief Brant Cain with the Brant County Fire Department said identifying an oil and gas well is simple. 'If it smells funny, it probably is funny. If it looks funny, it probably is funny,' said Cain. 'If you're seeing liquids or funny smells coming from something you've struck while excavating on your property, that's a good sign to call 911.' Officials said the best way for a landowner to see if their property is impacted by a documented legacy oil and gas well is to use a well map.
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘If you're seeing liquids or funny smells… call 911': Thousands of abandoned oil wells pose danger to landowners in Brant County and across Ontario
A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. CTV's Alexandra Holyk reports. A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. CTV's Alexandra Holyk reports. Thousands of abandoned oil wells pose danger to landowners in Brant County and across Ontario A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. The province and Brant County confirmed there are around 27,000 wells left behind, with a potential for more being undocumented. A majority of these wells are on private land and in homeowners backyards. These wells were abandoned without following modern safety protocols. Rebecca Comley, the acting medical officer of health for Grand Erie Public Health told CTV News this can cause concern for health and safety. 'Legacy wells can be a source of potentially dangerous gases such as hydrogen sulfide,' said Comley. 'Leaking hydrogen sulfide into the atmosphere, into the air, especially in contained spaces can cause a very dangerous health risk.' Comley said these gases can smell like rotten eggs. 'Our noses can detect it at a very low level; less than one part per million,' said Comley. 'It's important to remember though the smell doesn't correlate with the concentration in the air… we can often lose the sense of smell at higher concentrations.' The wells also pose a threat to contaminating groundwater, possibly affecting the health of plants, animals and people. The province said it's spending nearly $20 million to tackle challenges related to these wells. They said so far they have spent around $33 million to plug 440 wells across Ontario. What should landowners look out for? Brant County officials have asked residents to take a deeper look at their properties. 'Ignoring [oil and gas wells] and having something tragic happen is not the way to go. It's putting themselves, their neighbours or their families at risk,' said Kent Pottruff, the community of emergency management coordinator for Brant County. 'So, the [Ministry of Natural Resources] stated they want to work with [landowners], there's resources available to assist them.' At Wednesday's meeting, the ministry said oil and gas wells on private property that meet criteria may be eligible to be partially or fully covered financially. Deputy Chief Brant Cain with the Brant County Fire Department said identifying an oil and gas well is simple. 'If it smells funny, it probably is funny. If it looks funny, it probably is funny,' said Cain. 'If you're seeing liquids or funny smells coming from something you've struck while excavating on your property, that's a good sign to call 911.' Officials said the best way for a landowner to see if their property is impacted by a documented legacy oil and gas well is to use a well map.
CTV News
7 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Brant-Brantford Crime Stoppers offering up to $1,000 cash rewards as part of fentanyl initiative
A client draws up fentanyl in the consumption room at Moss Park Consumption and Treatment Service in Toronto, Dec. 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Brant-Brantford Crime Stoppers is offering hundreds of dollars through a new campaign aimed at stopping fentanyl trafficking. The initiative called 'Stop Fentanyl. Save Lives.' will be running from June 1 until Jul 31. Crime Stoppers will be offering cash rewards for anonymous tips that lead to the arrest of fentanyl traffickers and a significant seizure of fentanyl within Brantford, Brant County and Six Nations of the Grand River. The rewards range from $500 to $1,000. 'This drug is killing members of our community and tearing families apart,' Keneth Johnston, chair of Brant-Brantford Crime Stoppers said in a news release on Friday. 'We can't afford to stay silent. If you know something, report it to Brant-Brantford Crime Stoppers.' Tips can be submitted at If a tip meets the criteria for the reward, Crime Stoppers will make arrangements with the tipster to collect the cash while ensuring their identity is protected.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- CTV News
Three arrests made and three stolen vehicles recovered in Brant County
Three stolen vehicles were recovered in Brant County after a search warrant was completed on May 16, 2025. (Courtesy: Ontario Provincial Police) A search warrant in Brant County led to three arrests and the recovery of multiple stolen vehicles. Brant County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said they worked with officers from Oxford, the West Region Emergency Response Team and the canine unit to complete a search warrant at a rural property on Colborne Street East on May 16. The investigation began after police received information about a vehicle that had been stolen. A blue 2015 Dodge Ram 1500, red 2014 GMC Sierra and a gray 2017 Chevrolet Express van were recovered. The total combined value of the vehicles was pegged at approximately $55,000. A 28-year-old from Brant County was arrested and charged with three counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, two counts of failure to comply with a probation order and one count of fraudulent concealment. A 41-year-old from Cambridge was charged with three counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, theft of a motor vehicle, disguise with intent, three counts of failure to comply with a release order, failure to comply with probation order and one count of fraudulent concealment. A 37-year-old from Brant County was charged with three counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and one count of fraudulent concealment.
