On December 10, 2019 shortly before 9 p.m. officers from Frontenac Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to break and enter in the area of Henderson Road and Graham road in Central Frontenac Township.

Upon police arrival, one person surrendered to officers and a second person, who was hiding in the bush, was located by OPP Canine Officer and Emergency Response Team members.

On December 12, 2019 the OPP Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU), in partnership w ith the Canadian Border Security Agency, executed a search warrant on a property located on Veley Road in the Arden area. 

Over 25 long guns were seized that included modified firearms, silencers and homemade guns. Combined, hundreds of rounds of shotgun, rifle and pistol ammunition were located. Prohibited weapons such as brass knuckles, switch blades, throwing stars and homemade nun chucks were also seized.

As a result of the search warrant, Freddy SHORTS, age 41 and Chantell DESCHAMPS, age 38 of Arden have both been charged with additional offences of:

Unauthorized importing of a prohibited weapon

Unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon

Possession of methamphetamine and cocaine under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act

Both accused were remanded in custody.

Other items seized that are believed to be stolen are hands tools, generators, chainsaws, All Terrain Vehicle winch, post hole drill and numerous other items.

Frontenac OPP is asking that anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a theft of similar type items are to contact the Frontenac Detachment at 613-372-1932 during regular business hours. You will have to provide your name, telephone number and what items were stolen. Supporting documentation of purchase receipts, pictures and / or serial numbers will assist in the process.

Any person with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

The investigation is still on-going.

Ryan Vowles lives on Morgan Drive, in a newer subdivision in Sydenham, not far from Sydenham High School, with his wife Maegan Leavitt and their young children. The family moved into their new home 5 years ago and say they love living in Sydenham.

But they don’t love what happened a couple of weeks ago.

Sometime between Saturday, November 16th and Thursday, November 30, someone shot at their house.

“I went into my basement on Thursday and noticed a small hole in the wall. When I went to look at it, I saw that there was something on the floor next to the hole. I thought it was a bug but when I picked it up, I realised that it was a bullet. I went outside and saw that the bullet hit the house and made it through the siding and all the other house material all the way to the basement,” said Ryan Vowles.

Vowles said that he had been in the basement on Saturday afternoon, and if the hole had been there at that time he would have seen it.

Vowles added that the yard behind the house ends at some swampy and wooded land, which is likely where the bullet came from.

“It is pretty alarming to realise that someone fired a rifle towards our house,” he said. “My wife is home a lot now, as she is on maternity leave, and she spends a lot of time playing with the kids in the yard near where the shot must have come from. The kids’ bedrooms are upstairs from the bullet hole as well, so that makes us even more concerned.”

He said that he has contacted both the Frontenac detachment of the OPP and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry about what happened. Investigators from both have come out to his house and they have launched investigations.

The Lanark County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has now laid additional charges in connection with an ongoing sexual assault investigation. In October 2019, an individual reported an historical sexual assault. Officers from the Lanark OPP Crime Unit began an investigation into the matter and on November 7, 2019, Jeffrey PETERS, age 43 of Perth, Ontario was charged with two counts of Sexual Assault and four counts of Sexual Exploitation in relation to two victims between 2013-2015.

As a result of the continuing investigation, officers have identified another victim in relation to alleged incidents in 2019. On November 26, 2019 the accused was further charged with one more count each of Sexual Assault and Sexual Exploitation. The accused was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Perth on December 16, 2019.

Victims of sexual assault are not alone. If you need support or know someone that does, there are local resources available to help. You can visit the Victim Services of Lanark County website at www.victimserviceslanark.ca for assistance. If you are in an immediate crisis, dial 9-1-1.

Anyone who may have further information helpful to this investigation is asked to contact the Lanark County O PP at 1-888-310-1122 or if you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Contact: Provincial Constable Lori LOBINOWICH 613-264-7233 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On Friday November 29, 2019 short after 11:30 p.m. a Frontenac Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer was conducting speed enforcement on Road 38 near Verona. The officer stopped a vehicle travelling at 79 kilometers over the speed limit.

The driver, a 17 year old from Verona Ontario, was charged with stunt driving which resulted in the licence and vehicle being seized for seven days and the driver was given a summons to appear in Provincial Offences Court in Kingston at a future date to answer to the charge.

“I’ve never had an information report defeated before, I guess it’s non-information,” Mayor Frances Smith said at Central Frontenac Council’s regular meeting Tuesday night at Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake.

The report in question came from Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Services Greg Robinson.

Staff department heads in all townships regularly give monthly reports and they’re almost exclusively rubber-stamped by councils.

But not this time.

Councilor Brent Cameron asked for a recorded vote on the resolution to accept the report. He, along with Councilors Nicki Gowdy, Cindy Kelsey, Sherry Whan and Elwin Burke voted against accepting the report.

Before the vote, Gowdy asked Robinson about training sessions.

“Do you see a buy-in from firefighters and attendance at these sessions?” she asked.

“It’s definitely a work in progress but comments I’ve had are that training is improved,” Robinson said.

Cameron took issue with what he called “a lack of statistics” in Robinson’s report.

“I understand the broader issues with technology (the department’s ‘Firehouse’ reporting software has been an ongoing issue),” Cameron said. “But I’d like to see even the stuff you would input to Firehouse.

“For example, recruitment numbers.”

“We have found a major tech issue,” Robinson said. “I have good 2018 stats now (and) I fully believe we will have stats for the next Council meeting.”

“So the next fire report will have numbers in it?” said Cameron.

“It will,” said Robinson.

The rejection of the report comes in the context of continuing controversy over an incident that took place on July 27 and 28, when the township owned pickup truck that is used by Fire Chief Robinson’s was reported stolen in Prince Edward County. (Under the terms of his contract, Robinson uses the truck for personal as well as township business)

The truck was subsequently located in Sharbot Lake after having been damaged in a hatchet attack by a man from Perth. It had been returned to the township office parking lot by the as yet unidentified truck thief. The hatchet incident led to an extensive police operation in Sharbot Lake on Sunday afternoon on July 28, involving the OPP canine and Emergency Response Units with helicopter support. A man from Perth, who has still not been identified by police, has been charged with vandalism and assault in the case. The OPP have not released any information regarding the theft itself.

An unofficial petition on Change.org asking for Robinson’s resignation on the grounds that he has lost the confidence of the public has garnered 105 signatures.

The council meeting was attended by 15 or 20 people who were interested in seeing if council would address the controversy. Aside from the unprecedented rejection of the chief’s monthly report to council, there was nothing related to the chief or the fire department on the agenda for the open council meeting.

A closed meeting regarding “personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees pursuant to S. 239(2) (b) of the Municipal Act of Ontario” followed the open council meeting. In addition to members of council, Clerk/Administrator Cathy MacMunn and Fire Chief Robinson remained for the in camera meeting, Council rose from the in camera meeting without taking any action.

Other items from Central Frontenac Council

The boat dock at Oso Beach in Sharbot Lake is to be dismantled and moved to Eagle Lake.

In his report to Council, manager of developmental services Andy Dillon said: “Waterlines from the lake supplying the bathrooms have been severed four times this year from motor boats. There are also neighbours’ waterlines near the dock that have also been severed.

“The swim program at Eagle Lake could make better use of the sections to tie their buoys to and divert boats away from the swimming area.”

He said existing staff can complete the work.

Store coming to Arden

Council held a public meeting on a proposal that would make it possible for a convenience store, gas bar and take-out restaurant to open up north of Arden,

There is no decision made at public meetings but for the project to go through a rezoning to General Commercial from Rural has been the subject of an application that came before council.

Proponent Derek Matson said the proposed location is on Arden Road, just across from Price Road.

“At the Kennebec Lake Association meeting, there were people applauding the proposal so I think there’s interest,” said Mayor Frances Smith.

Interim Public Works Manager plans to pulverizes roads

Interim Public Works Manager Steve Keeley, a retired public works manager in Tay Valley and Huntsville who was recently signed to a three-month contract, said he plans to pulverize Henderson Road (Baker Valley to Bordenwood) and Price Road in conjunction with the pulverizing of Crow Lake Road.

“Price Road is really bad and I think we should pulverize it all,” he said. “The same could be said for Henderson.

This would mean the roads would become essentially gravel roads until such time as they can be re-surfaced but, he said the pulverizing would provide a good base once those projects can be undertaken and would provide a more drivable surface in the meantime.

He said the Arden Road project from the hamlet to Pit Road is on hold.

“I’m not sure it’s in good enough shape for micro-surfacing,” he said.

He said they plan to do some paving repair on Road 509 and have a paving company coming in to make recommendations.

OPP Sargeant Cynthia Savard told the Whig Standard that a group of children whop appeared to be about 11 years old, tied telephone cable to a tree on one side of the K&P trail and extended the cable across the trail and tied the other end of the cable to a tree on the opposite, creating a potentially severe safety hazard for trail users. the cable was about 5 feet in the air.

The incident took place at about the 59 kilometre mark on the trail, where it passes next to Duncan Lake, just south of Fish Creek. Although the trail is motorised from Craig Road north, it is not motorised in the short section that passes next to Duncan Lake. Motorised traffic (ATV’s and snowmobiles use a detour over Oclean Lane for that 500 metre stretch.

A resident who lives nearby saw the kids installing the cable and called a tail volunteer. The OPP were called and they cable was removed. No one was injured.

A video of the cable across the trail is posted on the K&P trail twitter feed.

On July 16, 2019 at approximately 10:50 p.m. Frontenac Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a vehicle fire that was parked in a driveway at a residence on Verona Sand Road in the Village of Verona, South Frontenac Township.

Upon police arrival, the South Frontenac Fire Department had extinguished a fully engulfed red pick-up truck parked in a driveway of a residence. No persons were inside the vehicle at the time of the fire and there was minor damage to the residence .

The OPP are continuing with this investigation and are seeking the assistance of the public. Any person with information regarding this incident should immediately contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Members of the Lanark County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are investigating the apparent drowning of a two year old girl.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 12, 2019 officers responded to a residence with a swimming pool in Tay Valley Township after being contacted by Lanar k County Ambulance Dispatch.

OPP provided an escort for the ambulance to hospital, but tragically, the child was pronounced dead at hospital.

The OPP is assisting the Office of The Chief Coroner of Ontario.

The Investigation is current and ongoing.

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Contact: Provincial Constable David BIRD

                Media Relations Officer

                Lanark County Detachment 

                Phone:    (613) 264-2167

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opp.ca

Lennox and Addington Ontario Provincial Police received a report of an erratic driver on Highway 7 near Kaladar on July 13, 2019 near 4 PM. A driver was located at a local business. As a result of an investigation, A Peterborough area driver has been charged.

Michael John OCONNER aged 52 years has been charged with:

Operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)

The accused had his driver's licence suspended for seven days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days. The accused will appear In Ontario Court of Justice in Napanee, at a later date.

On July 5, 2019 at 8:41 p.m., a member of the Central Hastings Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment was conducting radar patrol on Highway 7, west of Highway 37 when they observed an eastbound motor vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed. The officer initiated a traffic stop but the vehicle refused to stop and continued eastbound to Flinton Road where it proceeded to do a u turn.  The officer eventually got the vehicle stopped by conducting a rolling block west of Highway 37. As a result of the investigation charged is, Daniel COX 44 years old of Addington Highlands Township, Ontario with the following: Dangerous Driving - Criminal Code of Canada, Flight From Peace Officer - Criminal Code of Canada, Fail to Comply with Recognizance - Criminal Code of Canada, Stunt Driving - Excessive Speed - Highway Traffic Act of Ontario.

The accused had his driver's licence suspended for 7 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days. The accused will appear In Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville, on July 25.