Latest news with #OrilliaOPP
CTV News
17-05-2025
- CTV News
Allegedly armed thief arrested, facing slew of charges
An Orillia man is facing several charges after Orillia OPP received a call for an armed individual early Thursday morning. Police say that on May 15, just after 8:30 a.m., officers were called to the area of West Street South for a man possibly armed with a weapon. A number of police officers responded to the area and arrested a 44-year-old man after he allegedly broke into a garage and left with items that were not his. As a result of the investigation, the man faces numerous charges including possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose, break and enter, mischief under $5,000, resist peace officer, two charges of fail to comply with a release order, and being intoxicated in a public place. The man was held in custody on May 15, waiting for a bail hearing.
Hamilton Spectator
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Disrespectful and stupid': BSOM candidates condemn sign vandalism
On election day, an X is supposed to be used to endorse a candidate. This week, it was used to negate one. Sometime Sunday night or Monday morning, a number of signs belonging to Rose Zacharias, the Liberal candidate for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medont, were spray-painted with a large blue X across both sides. Oro-Medonte Coun. John Bard sent BarrieToday an email advising that multiple Liberal signs on Bass Lake Sideroad had been spray painted with blue Xs. 'Very discouraging,' he said. Allan Baker, an Oro-Medonte resident who lives near the hamlet of Jarratt, said someone drove to his property Sunday night after dark, around 9 p.m., and stopped at the end of his laneway. He thought it was someone dropping something off in his mailbox. When Baker went to check a half-hour later, he noticed the Zacharias sign on his property was damaged, a large blue X spray-painted on both sides. He called the actions 'disrespectful and stupid.' Baker said another Zacharias sign down the street was also vandalized. 'It's unfortunate that some sought to resort to such tactics in the final days of the campaign, but neither myself nor my team were intimidated,' Zacharias said in a text to BarrieToday on Thursday night. 'We stayed focused, respectful and positive to the very end.' Orillia OPP confirmed one call was made to report the vandalism and advised that if a suspect was found, they could be charged with mischief. Doug Shipley, the Conservative candidate who won another term in the Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte riding on Monday night, said he was disappointed but not surprised to hear about the vandalism. 'It takes a tremendous amount of money, time and effort to do campaign signs and I have never been involved in a campaign, municipal or federal, where my signs weren't damaged, stolen, moved or vandalized,' he said. A veteran of six elections going back 15 years, the former Barrie city councillor said the vandalism casts a shadow over the candidates as the public assumes it was one of the other campaigns that caused the damage. 'I would say 99.9 per cent of the time, it's not someone involved with another candidate's campaign — it's kids or vandals,' he said. 'People who are involved in campaigns know how much money they cost and, I think overall, they respect that.' Shipley said he talks to the other candidates about signs at the outset of a campaign. 'I called Rose at the start of this campaign and told her, 'stuff is going to happen to your campaign signs, stuff will happen with my campaign signs and you have my word, anything that happens to your campaign signs is not done by me or anybody associated with our campaign,'' he said. Despite being a ubiquitous part of any election campaign, Shipley said he could live without lawn signs. He said they're expensive, they cause a lot of litter, they're not great for the environment and he's not sure they make that much of an impact when it comes to swaying a potential voter. 'Honestly, if someone passed a bylaw and said no more campaign signs, I think most campaigns would be happy with it because they're just a lot of work, a lot of money and I don't know how much they really do,' he said. Shipley and 28 campaign volunteers spent Tuesday driving all over Barrie, Springwater and Oro-Medonte removing election signs. While Springwater Mayor Jennifer Coughlin wouldn't go as far as Shipley does in recommending a complete ban on election lawn signs, she would support getting election signs off public property. 'Private property only,' she said. 'If you want to put up a sign, go and get the property owner's permission.' In addition to ensuring every sign is authorized by property owners it would also save the township money and staff time. After the 2022 municipal election, Coughlin said, bylaw enforcement spent numerous hours driving the entirety of the township's 536 kilometres of roads, removing 290 election signs in the process. However, it might not solve the vandalism problem. The sign that was defaced on Baker's property was at the end of his laneway 'Sign wars are symptomatic of the most current and one of the most divisive components of society — politics,' he said. 'The bar for political ethics and behaviour in North America seems to have reached a new low. 'Sadly, very little respect for anyone,' he added. Springwater Deputy Mayor George Cabral agreed. He said there used to be a time when we looked after each other, respected each other, respected property that was not ours and obeyed the rule of law. 'There's been a huge negative swing this last decade in the handing out of moral compasses, integrity, civic responsibility and respecting the communities where we live,' he said in an email to BarrieToday. 'Then, of course, there is the root cause of vandalism, including that of election signs, and it is the progressive lack of respect for people and property, coupled with this sense in some individuals that they need not worry any longer about being held accountable for their actions,' Cabral added. 'And this attitude is unfortunately becoming ever more prevalent being driven in this new world of intense social media world where bad behaviour can and often does get applauded.'
CTV News
26-04-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Financial advisor from Severn Twp., Ont. arrested after allegedly committing $1.8 million in fraud
Canadian $100 dollars bills are seen in this file photo. Provincial police arrested a man from Severn Township, Ont. this week after a 16-month investigation found that he committed eleven counts of uttering forged documentation. According to Orillia OPP, the 40-year-old financial advisor defrauded some of his clients by asking them to provide investment funds through cheques made payable to himself instead of an investment company. Police add that, in certain cases, he falsified and forged investment and insurance paperwork to hide the misallocation of his clients' funds. The alleged fraudulent acts by the accused also extend to additional members of the public. The total sum of misallocated funds is suspected to exceed $1.8 million according to Orillia OPP. 'It is essential to confirm that your investment funds are being directed into the products you intended,' said Det.-Cst. Russ Rogan, investigating officer from the Orillia OPP Crime Unit, in a news release. 'This means regularly reviewing your investment statements, whether by mail or through your secure online investment portal, and by keeping track of all transactions.' The accused is scheduled for a June 10 court appearance in Orillia. Police remind the public that fraud can often go undetected, particularly with vulnerable individuals. 'The OPP advises that a trusted family member or person regularly reviews these online accounts, especially for those who may not be tech-savvy, and always ensure you receive detailed documentation, receipts, and clear records for every investment decision,' added Det.-Cst. Rogan.
