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CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Man charged in Ottawa woman's murder had a history of intimate partner violence cases
Social Sharing The man charged with the first-degree murder of a missing Ottawa woman has a history of intimate partner violence cases, court records show. Joshua Blair, 35, is accused of murdering 54-year-old Rachelle Desrochers on or about March 16, as well as committing an indignity to her body by throwing it in a dumpster. Blair was initially charged with second-degree murder. Earlier this week, an upgraded charge of first-degree murder was filed in court. Desrochers was last seen alive on Elgin Street on March 14, two days before her alleged murder, according to a missing person announcement issued by Ottawa police in April. On Sunday, police announced her alleged murder and the search for her remains at a local landfill. Search efforts took place last weekend and earlier this week. Her remains have not been found. According to court records, Blair was charged in June 2023 with mischief under $5,000 for damaging a patio table, chairs and a television belonging to another woman with whom he was in a relationship. CBC is not naming the woman because she is a victim of intimate partner violence, and CBC has been unable to reach her. The court ordered Blair not to communicate with or go near the woman, nor three other people who shared her last name. When Blair failed to show up at the Ottawa Courthouse to be fingerprinted and photographed that same month, he was charged with failing to comply with an undertaking. On July 12, 2023, Blair returned to the woman's house where he kicked open her front door and entered. He was subsequently arrested and charged with failing to comply with an undertaking not to communicate with the woman or her relatives, being within 250 metres of her home, and breaking and entering. On Oct. 23, 2023, Blair pleaded guilty to the original mischief charge, as well as being unlawfully in a dwelling. The other charges were withdrawn at the request of the Crown. Blair 'embarrassed,' lawyer told court At his sentencing, Blair's then lawyer Carey MacLellan said his client was remorseful for his actions toward his former partner. "Joshua has, from moment one, encouraged me to resolve these matters so he could take responsibility for himself. He seems to be embarrassed. His emotions got the best of him," MacLellan said at the time. On the recommendation of both the defence and Crown, Ontario Court Justice Robert Wadden handed down a 90-day conditional sentence (house arrest) and one year of probation. Blair was again ordered to stay away from and not communicate with the woman and three other individuals sharing her last name. He was also ordered to attend and actively participate in a partner assault response program. In July 2024, Blair was charged with violating his probation by failing to report to his probation officer. He pleaded guilty in February 2025 and received a suspended sentence and another year of probation. The next month, on or about March 16, police allege he murdered Desrochers and disposed of her body in a dumpster. The allegations have not been proven. In April, Blair was charged with breaching his 2023 probation order for failing to attend domestic violence counselling between mid-October 2024 and mid-January 2025. That case remains before the court. Arrested twice in 11 days On May 13, Blair was arrested and accused of unlawfully entering the house he agreed to stay away from, punching and kicking holes in the drywall, and violating his probation by failing to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. He was released later that same day after posting a $1,000 bond under conditions to stay away from the home he had unlawfully entered, and not to possess tools for breaking into buildings or vehicles. Eleven days later he was again arrested and charged with breaching probation by failing to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. That charge was withdrawn at the request of the Crown that same day. Also that day, Blair was charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a dead body. He remains in custody and is next set to appear in court on Friday. Police have labelled Desrochers's killing a femicide. CBC has not been able to confirm how Blair and Desrochers knew each other.
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
This is how Ottawa police's newest K9 helps victims of intimate partner violence
K9 Nelson with handler Roxana Manoiu with the Victim Services Unit in front of the Elgin Street Ottawa police headquarters. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa) The Ottawa Police Service now has a new member to help ease victims of intimate partner violence. K9 Nelson, a two-year old black Labrador, is specially trained to support victims and provide emotional support, according to Roxana Manoiu, his handler and a risk navigator with the Victim Services Unit. The dog can help when victims meet with the risk navigator team, when they have interviews with the Ottawa police's intimate partner violence unit or they want to make a report, Maoiu said. 'We let them pet him, introduce him. Just that initial interaction can offer that sense of relief,' she said. To be good at his job, Nelson needs to have a certain temperament. 'I think just his calmness, as you can see, he's just very, very calm. He knows when he's working. He's a very hard worker and he loves to impress,' she said. K9 Nelson Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs shakes K9 Nelson's paw during a badge ceremony. (Ottawa Police Service/Provided) K9 Nelson's training started as a puppy before going to 'Puppy University' as a one-year-old at National Service Dogs. Nelson also works with a secondary handler, who takes him into the community. 'Ideally, we would be using Nelson to attend community meetings or to some of our partners such as our violence against women shelters,' said Melanie Winwood, senior advisor for Violence against Women with the Ottawa Police Service. K9 Nelson The Ottawa Police Service has a new member and it's a two-year-old black labrador named K9 Nelson. (Ottawa police Service) 'For their staff and their residents to be aware of these services that we do offer for victims, when they do want to come in and report, or if they're involved with the police service, to know that there is support available to them.' Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs officially awarded K9 Nelson with a badge at a ceremony on May 23 along with new police recruits. 'He walked the stage like all the other recruits, although he didn't go up the stairs,' said Manoui.
CBC
21-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Ottawa police introduce new mounted unit
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) introduced its new mounted unit Tuesday, touting the horse force as a way to both improve community engagement and meet the practical demands of urban policing. Mounted officers on seven Clydesdales will be deployed across the city over the coming months, Chief Eric Stubbs said during a "soft launch" in front of OPS headquarters on Elgin Street. The unit will be fully operational by 2026. Stubbs said the horses are trained to remain calm in unpredictable environments including noise, large crowds and tight spaces, and said their presence can help de-escalate tense situations. "People react differently when there's an 1,800-pound [816-kilogram] horse in front of them," Stubbs said. "Tempers drop, body language shifts, and it gives our officers a chance to connect rather than confront." In a news release, the OPS said the mounted unit will "respond to a wide range of operational needs, including community patrols, crowd management, and crisis response." Mayor Mark Sutcliffe also attended Tuesday's launch, lauding the mounted unit as both a nod to tradition and a forward-thinking investment in public safety and community outreach. "One mounted officer can have the presence of a dozen on the ground," Sutcliffe said. "That's important during major events and demonstrations when visibility and crowd movement really matter." Sutcliffe said Ottawa's last mounted police unit folded in 1993. Horses needed training Stubbs credited the persistence of Const. Eric Mougeot for reviving the mounted unit. "Eric has had this vision for seven to eight years," Stubbs said. "Because of him, we're here today in terms of that drive and that passion." Idling atop seven-year-old Ripp, Mougeot said horses provide a unique opportunity to connect with the community. "It's the most efficient tool to connect with a citizen. There's no more powerful tool," he said. A police officer for 23 years and a lifelong farmer, Mougeot said he trained with a mounted unit in Toronto for 10 weeks following a longer stint with the RCMP. Staff Sgt. Stephanie Burns, another officer in charge of the mounted unit, said the horses come from all over Ontario and Quebec and had little to no training. "They were pulled out of farmers' field, they were pulled out of backyards," Burns said. "Some of them had never had a person on their back before, so the training process takes a while." Burns said the horses are taught basic manoeuvres before gradually being exposed to large crowds and loud noises including trucks and emergency vehicles. "The more busy the environment the better it is, and the quieter the horses become," Burns said. "We just gradually introduce more stressful environments and eventually the horses take it all in stride." Questions over cost, intent Lauren Shadley, a criminal defence lawyer from Montreal, noted protests are necessary for democracy but can sometimes escalate. "We need non-violent ways to de-escalate," she said. "I'm hoping that the horse unit ... can do that." OPS said the province will supply $1.4 million annually toward the mounted unit, including eight officers and eight horses, for the next three years. Justin Piché, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, said he'd like to see a clearer cost breakdown. "When you're spending that kind of money, you should be able to articulate where the money is going," he said. Piché also expressed concern about how the mounted unit will be deployed, especially if it's disproportionately used to control social justice demonstrations. "That's just been the history of policing and their use of protest policing in this city," he said. The seven Clydesdales currently in the OPS stable are Ace, Arran, Angus, Deputy, Rio, Ripp and Will Power, the largest horse at over 18 hands high. An eighth horse will be added. "The horses are stabled within the city and receive daily care from their handlers, including feeding, grooming, medical attention, and exercise," according to the OPS. And yes, they are approachable if you see them out in public.
CBC
12-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
An All-Nighter at Elgin Street Diner
An All-Nighter at Elgin Street Diner Words by Robyn Bresnahan l Photos by Denny Alexander CBC News May 12, 2025 On Day One at Elgin Street Diner, owner Ron Shrybman purposely tossed the keys to the restaurant down the grate of the street sewer, just outside the front door. The 23-year-old was opening a place that never closed: somewhere people from all walks of life could sit down for a meal, at any time of the day or night. And in the nearly 32 years since opening, the doors have never been locked. 'There is no key. And no alarm. We are open — always,' Shrybman says. Ottawa used to have more old-school diners like this. But Shrybman says they gradually disappeared and were especially hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Elgin Street Diner has managed not only to survive but to inspire a loyal following. Chris Chown, a youthful-looking server, has worked at the diner for about 20 years. Five of his co-workers have been there even longer, from the moment the restaurant opened on Nov. 11, 1993. 'There's something about this place that just kind of fits,' Chown says. 'Something special about it.' Over a cup of coffee in one of the diner's turquoise booths, Shrybman shares a story about a young mother who came in with her three-day-old baby for a milkshake. That baby — now 32 years old — recently returned to the diner with her child in a bassinet, asking for the same order. 'It was now the family tradition that they would come on the way home and have a milkshake,' Shrybman says. To see what makes Elgin Street Diner such a magnet for a wide variety of Ottawans, I decided to pull an all-nighter myself. I set up at a table with a view of the whole diner to meet the servers and the regulars from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. It's an eclectic mix of people, which is just how Shrybman envisioned it all those years ago. 'I didn't care who you are, what you are, what religion, sexual orientation,' he says. 'As long as your credit card worked, I didn't care. 'And that's still the same today.' At the back of the diner, four friends have pushed two tables, and their heads, together. The second-year Carleton University engineering students have an exam tomorrow and this is their cram session. They've all got laptops and study notes filled with mathematical equations. There are half-eaten plates of poutine and metal cups filled with milkshakes topped with whipped cream. The diner is loud and will only get louder. Somehow, though, the students find the bustle…comforting. 'I grew up with a very loud family, so I'm kind of used to having background noise,' says Jillian Langille. 'It actually helps me focus.' One of her study partners, Alric Abdella, takes a slurp of his mint milkshake. He figures they'll be here until about one o'clock in the morning. 'Last time we studied here it worked pretty well,' he says. 'So we were like, hey, they have pretty good milkshakes." This isn't strictly a study session. It's also a double date. Devin Lothrop, one half of another pair within the group, laughs loudly when I put two and two together. His girlfriend, Michelle Mietla, says they have no idea what the future holds when they graduate. She wanted to be an astronaut when she was younger and hopes one day to land at the Canadian Space Agency. 'But who knows where I'll end up,' Mietla says. One hour to midnight, Chown starts his overnight shift. He'll be here until 7.a.m. The Elgin Street Diner veteran waiter is a calming presence: weaving seamlessly between tables, balancing plates of burgers and poutine, and stopping frequently to chat with customers. 'I'll go to sleep around 9 a.m.,' Chown says. The late shift can get…tricky. Fights have broken out. Another longtime server, Tony St-Martin, tells me about the time a guy came in, ripped a metal coat rack off the side of a banquette and swung it over his head. On that occasion, they called the cops. Other times, the customers jump up to help. 'Sometimes we have bouncers in here from the other bars at the end of the night, so they've helped us keep the peace,' St-Martin says. 'I didn't care who you are, what you are, what religion, sexual orientation. As long as your credit card worked, I didn't care.' Ron ShrybmanOwner, Elgin Street Diner Sean Van Liempt and his partner Chad Buffel have been coming to the diner for decades. Tonight they're having some late-night bites: Shepherd's pie for Van Liempt, an egg omelette with a banana milkshake on the side for Buffel. They're also here to catch up with a dear friend. Khaled Alhaj Hamoud came to Ottawa 10 years ago as a Syrian refugee. Van Liempt and Buffel were part of the group that sponsored Khaled and his partner. 'We are still very close friends,' Alhaj Hamoud says. 'They are family.' Alhaj Hamoud grew up in the Syrian countryside outside Damascus, where his parents still live. He went back three years ago to visit them and thinks about them a lot. But his roots are here now. 'I'm Canadian. I'm happy here. I belong here more,' says Alhaj Hamoud, who manages a Bridgehead Coffee House. He laughs, pointing to the remnants of poutine on his plate. 'This is like my passport.' The future engineers have left but other students and a big group of Toronto Maple Leafs fans, on the heels of the night's playoff victory against the Senators, have streamed in. The diner's decibel level is rising. At a table of university-aged customers, one tipsy-looking man downs coffee creamers like they're shots. Amid this late-night crowd is an older, white-haired gentleman sitting alone by the kitchen pass. His name is Paul Green, and he's drinking a pot of tea and reading a newspaper called Le Monde Diplomatique. 'Partly to keep up my French,' he says. Green is retired. He's a night owl and comes to the diner to use the wifi because he doesn't have it at home. After his tea, he'll order his usual: garlic bread with cheese, sometimes with fries. 'I always feel guilty after eating them,' he says of the latter. Green used to work for the federal government, in the translation bureau, and later at Glebe Video International, one of the last places in the city where you can still rent DVDs. He keeps coming back to Elgin Street Diner because the staff are friendly and the portions generous. There's the people-watching too, Green adds. 'I know someone who brings his own Grey Poupon Dijon mustard. They don't have Dijon mustard here. But they let him bring in his own. He's very discreet about it.' Another burst of customers comes through the diner's front door. It's the post-bar crowd. Some make their way down the narrow hall to the bathrooms, not walking in a straight line. Rich Chris and Kenzi Drew take a seat at a table for two near the entrance. They've just come from band practice with a group called Casual Tragedies. Drew has her guitar case propped up next to her. Chris works the afternoon pick-up route for FedEx, waking up at 12:45 p.m. and starting his shift shortly after. While it might be the middle of the night, for Chris, this is his 'regular dinner time,' he says. 'I'm gonna be up 'til four in the morning at least, I think.' Rich and Kenzi were a couple for six and a half years until they split up. They still care about each other, Rich says, but it's now a plutonic kind of love. 'He's my bass player,' Drew says with a laugh. Finally, at around 4:30am, the diner quietens. There are only four customers left, including a couple seated by the front window. They've been here for five hours, talking, drinking coffee and listening to music on their phones. Chown and two other employees clear and wipe the remaining tables. 'Chaotic,' Chown says when asked to describe the night. 'But that's not rare or not uncommon for an overnight here. I'm sure tomorrow will be even more chaotic.' That's because tomorrow is Friday. Well actually, today is Friday, even if the sun has yet to rise. In another half hour, Chown says, the breakfast crowd will start to arrive: teachers from Lisgar Collegiate, police officers and other familiar faces. 'Regulars keep this place alive, for sure.' About the Author Footer Links My Account Profile CBC Gem Newsletters Connect with CBC Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Mobile RSS Podcasts Contact CBC Submit Feedback Help Centre Audience Relations, CBC P.O. 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Ottawa Citizen
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Deachman: Senators' triumph against the Leafs lights up Sens Mile
In the end, neither cloud nor cold nor rain, nor an enormous 0-and-3 hole, nor the team's flag flying at half-staff at city hall, nor even that double-minor penalty — in overtime, no less — could stay the Senators from the (not-so) swift completion of their appointed rounds. Article content Article content More specifically, Round 1, Game 4. Article content Elgin Street, a.k.a. Sens Mile, was finally able to flash a Sens smile late Saturday night, as fans, shouting 'Go, Sens, Go,' poured out of bars and restaurants following Ottawa's 4-3 overtime win against the love-them-or-loathe-them Leafs — in the process not simply avoiding a clean sweep but also adding some tinder to fans' embers of optimism. Article content Article content 'I still have hope for a reverse sweep,' said Mark Armstrong, who, along with three friends, watched the game from bar level at Manor Lounge. 'The Leafs are known for choking. We still have hope.' Article content Article content One of his friends, Ryan Verhoek, agreed. 'If there's any team that'll lose after winning the first three games, it's the Leafs. That's what I'm holding on to.' Article content Even Kiel Coyle, a 41-year-old Leafs fan (a fan since birth, he noted), who watched the game from a chilly and damp outdoor perch at Sir John A. Pub, admitted to some distress. And that was BEFORE the game had even started. Article content 'I won't be comfortable until we get out of the first round,' he said, quiet acknowledgement of the grim truth that the Leafs have only won one playoff series since 2004. 'I feel safer this year because we're a more complete team, but it's really hard to let go of trauma. Until that final bell goes, nothing is done.' Article content Article content Seats were at a premium throughout the Mile. By 6 p.m., an hour before puck-drop, the outdoor patio at Sir John A. Pub was about all that remained for diehards — great news for the nearby Dollarama, which did some brisk trade in $1.49 rain ponchos and $5 fleece blankets. Article content Sarah Wallis and Sarah Boyd, proud new owners of said blankets, were among those who braved the elements to be part of the Mile's atmosphere, splitting a bottle of red that Wallis said brought 'a level of class' to the otherwise sodden evening. Article content The pair have been fans throughout the Sens' seven-year playoff drought, with Wallis admitting — quite convincingly — that she was 'just happy to be here,' although adding that not being swept was also on her playoff bucket list.
