The spate of jewelry store robberies continued Wednesday with an overnight break-in at Roberts Jewellery on Queen Street in  Niagara Falls.

When police arrived at the scene they found that an unknown number of suspects had forced their way into the jewellery store and fled before police arrival, with an undisclosed amount of jewellery.

The investigation has been assigned to the 2 District Street Crime Unit (SCU). Detectives are appealing to members of the community with any information to contact them at 905-688-4111, dial option 3, ext. 1009901.

Members of the community who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. The incident is another in a growing list of jewelry store robberies in the Niagara area since New Years with previous incidents in Grimsby and St Catharines.

The Canadian Coast Guard’s seasonal search and rescue stations across the Great Lakes will open on the following dates:

• March 21: Amherstburg, Kingston, Port Dover, Port Weller
• March 28: Cobourg
• April 4: Goderich, Meaford, Tobermory
• April 11: Thunder Bay

Waterways remain very cold at this time of year and take much longer to warm up when compared to the air, so boaters should ensure they take necessary precautions when near or on waterways. Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide is an excellent source of information in preparation for the recreational boating season.

Emergencies on the water can be reported 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, toll-free (within Canada) at 1-800-267-7270. If toll-free service is unavailable, please dial 613-965-3870.

The post Ontario Search And Rescue Stations Open For 2025 Boating Season appeared first on Kingsville Times.

Six teenagers have been charged after attempting to rob a jewelry store in North York, police say. The incident happened on Friday, while York police officers were investigating a stolen Acura TLX sedan that was found in Vaughan.

The Invasive Species Centre is excited to announce the launch of a new, three-year initiative in partnership with the National Tree Seed Centre, Forest Gene Conservation Association, and the Ontario Forestry Research Institute with funding and support from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

This initiative will raise public awareness about the threats posed by the invasive insect emerald ash borer (EAB) and the importance of preserving genetic and seed diversity in ash species, with a special focus on black ash, a species at risk.

“Every year, Ontario invests in innovative community-based projects that support the protection and recovery of plants and animals at risk,” said Todd McCarthy, Acting Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

“Our government is proud to partner with organizations across the province, like the Invasive Species Centre, to uphold Ontario’s track record of strong environmental stewardship and preserve the rich biodiversity for future generations.”

A potential bumper crop – a significantly larger than usual harvest – of ash seeds, including black ash, is forecast by the summer of 2026 or 2027. The Invasive Species Centre will seize this harvesting opportunity to establish a volunteer Black Ash Community Action Network.

This network will map existing black ash trees and collect seeds, which are essential for preserving ash species threatened by EAB. In preparation for the upcoming bumper seed crop, a strong base of volunteers and professionals across Ontario will learn to collect ash seeds through a combination of training, outreach, and workshops – such as the recent session at Science North in Sudbury.

“We are thrilled to engage with the people of Ontario to help protect native ash species,” said Vincent La Tassa, Program Development Coordinator with the ISC.

“This project is about collecting seeds to help preserve the genetic diversity of forests and ensure the long-term preservation of species like black ash.”

Recognizing the cultural significance of black ash, the Invasive Species Centre is collaborating with Indigenous communities and organizations across Ontario to listen, learn and provide opportunities to support and complement existing conservation efforts.

Attending events such as the Northern Ontario First Nations Environment Conference (NOFNEC) and the Anishinabek Nation Lands & Resources Forum has provided the ISC with opportunities to build relationships, gain insights from Indigenous knowledge holders, and explore ways to work together in preserving ash trees.

Additionally, the project will incorporate a ‘Two-Eyed Seeing’ approach to ash tree conservation, considering Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, for the benefit all participants and the work protecting ash trees.

The Invasive Species Centre invites all those eager to stay informed and deepen their understanding of this initiative to follow us on social media for the latest updates, including future workshop schedules and details about our upcoming webinar in April.

Helpful links for community members who want to get involved:

• Join the ‘Ontario Black Ash Inventory’ project and submit black ash observations
• Learn more about emerald ash border by reviewing the species profile

For more details, and to join in safeguarding Ontario’s ash species for future generations, please reach out to the project lead, Vincent La Tassa at [email protected].

The post ISC Launches Project to Protect Ash Species in Ontario appeared first on Kingsville Times.

The Town of Essex is participating in an emergency preparedness training exercise from March 14 to 21, 2025, in collaboration with Windsor Regional Hospital, the City of Windsor, the County of Essex, the Town of Amherstburg, Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, and provincial and international partners. This initiative  simulates a coordinated response to a fictional nuclear event.

This training is crucial in ensuring that these municipalities and organizations remain prepared for emergencies. Those involved in this exercise will be able to test response protocols, strengthen cross-border collaboration, and enhance emergency management skills in a safe training environment.

During the exercise, the following training locations will be experiencing temporary service interruptions:

• • The WFCU Centre, 8787 McHugh Street, Windsor, will be partially closed to the public on March 17 and 18, 2025. Service users have been notified of these closures.
  • The Amherstburg Libro Centre (recreation complex), 3295 Meloche Road, Amherstburg, will be closed to the public on March 17, 18, and 19, 2025, but this will not affect business at Team Rehab.

What Can Residents Do to Be Prepared for an Emergency Like This?

As a part of being prepared for the unlikely event of a nuclear incident, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit encourages those with Potassium Iodide pills (KI pills) to check the expiry dates. If your pills are close to expiring or you don’t have KI pills, please visit one of the distribution locations to replace them. For information about why KI Pills are important and where to acquire them, please visit wechu.org/KI.

Residents are also encouraged to sign up for important messaging during local emergencies if you live or work in the following municipalities:

Sign up for Windsor Alerts at www.WindsorAlerts.ca
Sign up for Amherstburg Alerts at Amherstburg.ca/alert
Sign up for Town of Essex Alerts at www.essex.ca/Alerts

The post Emergency Preparedness Training Exercise March 14-21, 2025 appeared first on Kingsville Times.

Canada's Rachel Homan split her round-robin games Wednesday at the world women's curling championship. She dropped an 11-7 decision to South Korea's Eunji Gim at Uijeongbu Arena before rebounding with an 8-6 win over Norway's Marianne Roervik.

Kingsville Fire and Rescue is working with the Loomex Group on a Fire Master Plan.

Our goal is to identify strategies for managing heightened demands on the fire department as the community grows, and align services to meet community need.

Please take our survey to provide input on our current emergency service level and help inform future planning.

The post Have Your Say on Emergency Services appeared first on Kingsville Times.

ADULT PROGRAM

Travel by Cook Book!
Saturday, March 22nd
1- 2:30 p.m.

Learn about a different country or region and its cuisine.

This month we focus on Eastern Europe.

Come and learn about the cuisine from a different part of the world!

Cook something wonderful and bring it in to share.

Register online at www.essexcountylibrary.ca or call the library at 226-946-1529 ext. 445.

Image by Kris from Pixabay.

CHILDREN PROGRAMS
.

LEGO® Club at Kingsville
Wednesday March 26th
6 – 7 p.m.
For Ages 5 – 12 yrs 

Use your imagination to create masterpieces with LEGO®!

Share your own ideas and get inspired for your next building experience. (4th Wednesday of the month)

Register online at www.essexcountylibrary.ca or call the library at 226-946-1529 ext. 445.

Image by Astrid Schaffner from Pixabay

***

Chess Club
Thursday March 27th
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
For Ages 7+

Play chess with others! Practice your strategies and skills!

All skill levels welcome!

Chess boards will be set up for casual play. Instruction to be given to those new to the game.

Register online at www.essexcountylibrary.ca or call the library at 226-946-1529 ext. 445.

Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

The post Adult and Children Programs at Kingsville Library appeared first on Kingsville Times.

Some tenants had been living in the Emerald Street South building in Hamilton for decades when their landlord tried to evict them for cosmetic upgrades to the kitchens, bathrooms and floors.

Krishan Jogia turned to an immigration consultancy before landing in Toronto in 2023, only to later realize — after spending thousands of dollars to get his wife to Canada — that he had been dealing with a "ghost" consultancy. Experts say newcomers prefer consultants to lawyers for their immigration paperwork as they're more affordable. But there are calls for more enforcement and scrutiny to penalize those operating without a licence.

A Waterloo, Ont., professor says he’s once again figured out the best time to play the online portion of the Tim Hortons Roll Up To Win game for the highest chances of prizes. But he adds the coffee shop chain’s decision to bring back the physical cups this year has made strategizing "drastically more complicated."

Toronto's 2026 FIFA World Cup committee wants to spend nearly $11 million on ticket packages for the upcoming games and resell them at marked up prices, with some councillors saying the move would amount to "scalping" with taxpayers' money.

Wendy Washik sprayed her Simcoe, Ont., neighbour Sheehan Rochester with a water gun last September. Rochester says he called police after experiencing years of racially fuelled harassment.

Premier Doug Ford's new cabinet will be sworn in Wednesday, and some conservative strategists expect familiar ministers to be sitting around that table as the re-elected Progressive Conservatives try to project stability in the face of U.S. tariffs. 

This year's NCAA women's basketball tournament includes a standout group of Canadian freshmen have not only made their way onto Division I rosters, but have made their names known across the league — further establishing the strength and promise of Canadian basketball programs.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will be facing a lot of questions Wednesday night. That's when the financially troubled education board will be holding the second of two special meetings to hear from concerned parents and teachers about the plan.

Hudson’s Bay’s financial troubles could lead it to close down its stores, including the ones in Ottawa. Kevin Houlahan says that would mean close to 800,000 square feet coming back on the Ottawa real estate market.

Though the recent year-over-year increases in farm prices are levelling off in southwestern Ontario, good land remains too pricey for many people with dreams of owning their own land.

Ontario’s MPPs could receive a pay bump for the first time in more than 15 years. As CBC’s Lorenda Reddekopp reports, both federal MPs and Toronto city councillors currently earn more.

Ottawa's largest school board plans to cut staffing by 150 full-time positions by the next school year as it faces both a drop in kindergarten enrolment and a projected $20-million budget shortfall. 

Daniel Bresca hopes his brother can ‘find a reason to live’ after losing his family in a house fire in Oshawa last week.

Biosolids are sometimes used as natural fertilizers to provide nutrients for farmland. Quebec will introduce a new code to guarantee the safe recovery of these materials to reduce environmental and health risks.

As U.S. tariffs have many Canadians rethinking travel plans south of the border, Ontario's hospitality sector is calling on the province to reinstate a pandemic-era tax credit for Ontarians who plan getaways close to home. 

The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has concluded a drug trafficking investigation, titled Project Cortex. with four arrests and the seizure of a numerous drugs including over 40 pounds of cocaine and a large quantity of fentanyl. In addition police too two loaded Glock pistols. and a large quantity of ammo.

The four-month long investigation targeted a trafficking network operating in the region of Halton and throughout Hamilton. In February and March police executed four search warrants at residences in Burlington, Oakville and Grimsby.

 As a result of the warrants, the following items have been seized:

A loaded Glock 30s handgun with defaced serial number

A loaded Glock 25 9mm handgun

Two loaded magazines (hollow point rounds)

One extended magazine

2 boxes of ammunition

19.5 kilograms of Cocaine

1 kilogram of Fentanyl

100 ml of GHB

138 oxycodone pills

40 clonazepam pills

10 grams of crystal meth

$42,750 Canadian currency

Police have also made four arrests and laid more than 20 charges. Those charged are:

Ahmad Hassan (34) of Oakville

Suber Liban (25) of Grimsby

Sarah Andersen (43) of Burlington

Duvontaye Gray (29) of Grimsby

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the 3 District Street Crime Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 2316. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.

One suspect has been arrested, but two others remain at large after police say a driver went on a rampage in London's east end last week, smashing into multiple police cruisers and carjacking another driver.

A Toronto man has been charged in a head-on crash in Mississauga last year that claimed the life of a garbage truck driver.

The temperature rose briefly at Hamilton Planning Committee over a staff proposal to upgrade Rymal Road into a full, arterial road configuration. Staff had spent more than two years working on an Environmental Assessment for the $88 Million project, the cost of which which will be spread over several years. The project is tentatively scheduled to start in 2028 with completion in 2034. Parts of Rymal Road East of Trinity Church Road are already five lanes , The plan would see the rest of Rymal become five lanes with a multi-use path on the north side and a sidewalk on the south side. Staff had completed a 2,600-page Environmental Assessment and were seeking approval to put it out for a 30-day commenting period, which is the last step before proceeding with the work.

Councillor Maureen Wilson felt the public should have more opportunities to weigh in on a project of that magnitude, and supported by Councillor Kroetsch, moved to have any public comments reviewed by council before proceeding to next steps. The staff report indicated that two public information centres had already taken place over the last two years which were conducted both virtually and live. In addition several of the ward councillors along the route have communicated with constituents about the project. Councillor Beattie said the public had been given adequate opportunities to express their views which led to a heated exchange between Councillors Danko and Kroetsch.

In the end the staff recommendation was approved by the committee. In the debate, it was suggested  that the two public information session on the project (which is required under the EA rules) were not enough for meaningful public input because nobody except insiders pays attention to these meetings. But that admitted flaw in the system works both ways. In the case of the Hamilton LRT project, for instance, the support of a majority of council was locked in before most members of the public knew what was happening. The LRT public consultation consisted of two city-organized public information sessions In 2007-08 that, despite an advertising campaign and supportive editorial coverage by the Spectator, attracted only 150 participants. That was preceded by a session organized by LRT proponent Hamilton Light Rail that attracted mostly LRT enthusiasts. In addition, the city’s outreach consisted of an email list drawn from a number of organizations, many of whom were on the proposed A or B Line route or stood to benefit. The process took on the look of a closed feedback loop driven by stakeholders and LRT activists. A staff report describing the public consultation repeatedly referred to media coverage as a sign of public support for LRT but the media coverage was limited to a pro LRT guest editorial in the Spectator by a leading LRT proponent and a flattering profile of another member of an LRT lobby group, in addition to a few news stories advising of the public information sessions.

The presentation staff gave at the Public Information meetings including a slide presentation can be accessed here.

The City of Toronto's response to a series of coyote attacks in downtown neighbourhoods aligns with best practices found in other cities, and problem animals should only be destroyed as a last resort, according to a new report.

Peel Public Health is warning the public that they may have been exposed to measles at four locations in Mississauga, after confirming a new case of the virus.