Latest news with #Summerside
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Islander loses $6,500 in another grandparent scam incident, Summerside police say
Another Prince Edward Island grandparent has fallen victim to a scam that targets people by scaring them about their young relatives. Summerside Police Services said the latest incident was reported Monday. A news release issued Wednesday said police "received a call from a victim of the scam reporting that they provided $6,500 to the scammers after receiving communication that their grandchild had been in a collision and needed the funds for a lawyer and bail." There had been no such incident and the grandchild was not in any trouble. "Police urge anyone who receives similar calls to check the authenticity of the information before sending any money and to report these types of incidents to their nearest police agency," the police force said. Chilean man sentenced for his role as money collector in scams across P.E.I. and New Brunswick 4 months ago Duration 1:40 Luis Luciano David Cortez has been sentenced on two counts of fraud for his role in a so-called 'grandparent scam.' He will spend another few weeks in jail, where he's been since August, before being deported. CBC's Nicola MacLeod explains. There were no more details released about the Summerside case, but this kind of scam is becoming increasingly sophisticated with the arrival of artificial intelligence that can mimic the voice patterns of someone's relative based on videos posted to social media. Earlier this year, two people from Chile who were associated with what police called a "criminal enterprise" were sentenced for their parts in scams carried out across Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. One of them, Luis Luciano David Cortez, acted as a "bail bondsman" who went to victims' houses to pick up the cash. His girlfriend, Genesis Carvajal Tapia, was later found at a nearby motel holding passports for her and Cortez, along with several thousand dollars in cash. Both were to be deported as soon as their jail sentences were finished.
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
Summerside police save family from burning home, including baby rescued from crib
Police officers were able to rescue a family of three that included a one-year-old child from a burning home in Summerside, P.E.I., early Tuesday morning. In a news release, Summerside Police Services said its officers responded to a fire at a residence in the Linkletter Estates mobile home park just before 3 a.m. The front of the home was engulfed in flames when police arrived, and officers couldn't get to the front door, the release said. So they went to the side door, where they could hear people inside yelling that they couldn't get the door open. The officers were able to force the door open and help those people out. After being told a one-year-old was still inside, an officer entered the home and found the child in a crib in one of the bedrooms. The officer was able to bring the child out of the home safely, and Summerside firefighters arrived soon after to put out the blaze. 'Could've been a lot worse' Ron Enman, Summerside's fire chief, said his department responded with six trucks and about 60 firefighters who were able to extinguish the flames in about 10 minutes. "We had a large volume of water on it right off the get-go and… the way it was opened up on the trusses, we got a lot of water right in at the seat of the fire, so it went quick," Enman said. "It could've been a lot worse. The back half of the property, it's really a lot of smoke damage and stuff, but the fire just went in the front of the [home], the living room and kitchen." The police officer who went into the home and a member of the Summerside Fire Department were taken to Prince County Hospital for treatment of minor injuries and smoke inhalation. Both were later released. Island EMS paramedics at the scene examined the family for injuries. Enman said the three occupants of the home are now staying with family members. P.E.I.'s Fire Marshals Office is still investigating the cause of the fire.
CBC
3 days ago
- Health
- CBC
P.E.I. woman, 1 of many arrested last weekend for impaired driving, tested 3.6 times over limit
Social Sharing Police in Prince Edward Island arrested several people for impaired driving over the weekend, with one in particular allegedly testing over three times the legal limit of alcohol. Saturday and Sunday, the P.E.I. RCMP made eight arrests, with just two being for non-impaired related offences. Cpl. Gavin Moore, the media relations officer for the P.E.I. RCMP, said it's uncommon to see so many alcohol-related driving offences in one cluster. "We have seen in recent years that a significant number of our impaired arrests are impaired by cannabis and other drugs," he said. "Over this weekend, these were all alcohol-related." Moore said the one drivers, a 45-year woman, allegedly recorded a blood-alcohol reading reading of 0.29 on Saturday. That's more than three-and-a-half times the legal limit of 0.08. "That's a very high reading, he said. "Beyond that is quite often lethal for people." Moore said the RCMP expects to see more cases of impaired driving as the summer tourism season begins. "There are only so many police to address impaired driving," he said. "We do our best to have a strong presence on Island roads, but it is even more vital that Islanders know that 911 is there for any time you see a potential impaired driver." Summerside collision leads to impaired charges Police in Summerside also responded to a rear-end collision that allegedly involved impaired driving on Saturday. Near the scene, officers found a black sport-utility vehicle, which had been the subject of an earlier erratic driving complaint, in the yard of a residence on Granville Street. The SUV had come to rest against a shed with all of its airbags deployed. Bystanders pointed officers to the driver, a 31-year-old man from Ontario, who police said showed signs of impairment by alcohol. The man was issued a seven-day driving suspension, his vehicle was impounded and he was released on a surety — money that will be forfeited if he fails to comply with the conditions of his release. The man will appear in court at a future date to answer to charges related to impaired driving. 'It is disappointing' Karen Clinton, president of the King and Queens chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in P.E.I., she said she hopes Islanders make more responsible decisions when deciding to drive. "It is disappointing. We hope with the information we're sharing with MADD and the messages that we're trying to get out that people will make smart choices and have a sober drive prepared," she said. "With the culture that we have, drinking is a part of that and people enjoy some drinks while partaking in... activities. We would like to see more people be more responsible." Clinton echoed sentiments from MADD Canada CEO Steve Sullivan, who is advocating for the P.E.I. government to implement immediate licence suspensions for those who fail a roadside screening test for alcohol or drugs. "We know that the provincial government is very supportive of this, it's going through legislation right now and we're working out details," she said. "It results in immediate consequences, which kind of makes people think more about whether or not they want to risk their vehicle getting taken away along with those other consequences that comes with that."
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Boundary adjustments allow for more schools in London and Strathroy
Future boundary adjustments in London and Strathroy will allow for the construction of more schools in growing areas. Future boundary adjustments in London and Strathroy will allow for the construction of more schools in growing areas. The Thames Valley District School Board announced future boundary adjustments in London and Strathroy, which allows for the construction of more schools in growing areas. A new elementary school is under construction in the Summerside neighbourhood and will open as early as September 2026. Some students attending two schools nearby are expected to move to the new facility once it opens. In Strathroy, a new school will be coming to the south end. This will take pressure off Mary Wright Public School, along with three others in the region. According to board members, Grade 8 students will have the option to remain at their current school when the new schools open.
CBC
7 days ago
- Health
- CBC
More patients using self-registration kiosks at P.E.I.'s 2 main hospitals, official says
Social Sharing Health P.E.I.'s self-registration kiosks are seeing an increase in use since they were put in last fall, a hospital manager says. The kiosks were installed in November 2024 at Prince County Hospital in Summerside and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. "The idea behind it is to allow patients to self-register for scheduled appointments that they have for certain clinics," said Anne Douglas-Oakley, the manager of health records, admitting and telecommunications at PCH. "It's helping reduce wait times for registrations for people that would like to use it." It's most often used by people who come in for daily appointments — for example, to get a dressing changed on a wound or surgical site. In the first few months of the kiosks being in place, only a handful of people used them per day, Douglas-Oakley said. Now, about 15 or 20 people are using them each day, she said. Patients swipe health cards The installation of the kiosks is part of Health P.E.I.'s five-year digital health strategy. Patients can swipe their health card at the kiosk, where their appointment information shows up on a screen. Once patients confirm their personal information, their paperwork is sent to the clinic they are visiting for their appointment, Douglas-Oakley said. It's just another way for a patient to register. — Anne Douglas-Oakley While the option to self-register is available to patients, the option to speak face-to-face with a registration clerk remains available. Douglas-Oakley said the choice is comparable to the self-checkout option at the grocery store. "Some people prefer to use the self-checkout versus the cashier. Both are available, and it's just whatever they choose," she said. "Having the kiosks come in is not eliminating any jobs… It's just another way for a patient to register." Where the kiosks are used The kiosks are available only at the QEH and PCH ambulatory clinics, which register more than 300 outpatients a day for various services, Douglas-Oakley said. Laboratory and diagnostic imaging clinics still require face-to-face registration with a clerk. There are no plans to expand self-registration kiosks to emergency departments, Douglas-Oakley said.
