The federal government’s GST/HST holiday kicked off Saturday, and while some in the food industry hope it will lead to a boost in sales, shoppers are unsure whether it will encourage them to spend more. 

 Niagara police have arrested a man who they say conducted two armed robberies over an 18-day span.

The first one occurred November 21 at a CIBC located at 4100 Victoria Avenue, Lincoln. 

Police say that at approximately 10:55am, the suspect entered the bank while brandishing a firearm.  The suspect approached the bank teller and demanded money.  The male suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Then on December 9, a male suspect entered the TD Canada Trust located at 364 Scott Street, St. Catharines.  Once again, the suspect was armed with a firearm and demanded cash from the bank teller.

Several units of the Niagara Police Service plus the Hamilton BEAR Unit all worked jointly to conduct an extensive investigation and identify the suspect, who, tuned out to be responsible for both hold-ups.

Thursday, Isaiah SHARPE (29 Years Old) of St. Catharine’s was arrested and charged with armed robbery, disguised with intent and possession of a firearm, contrary to Prohibition Order

Sharpe was held in custody pending a bail hearing in St. Catharines.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009528.

Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. 

London police are looking for a suspect who fired a gun outside of southwestern Ontario's largest emergency room early Saturday morning, shattering windows and the confidence of medical staff working inside. 

An Indigenous woman caretaking for her four grandchildren while staying in different hotels in London, Ont., since February fears she'll have to move back to a trailer with no heating or hydro by next month if funding runs out. 

Two London-born professional footballers are using a long-running NFL initiative to show support for a national youth charity aimed at helping kids in distress.

A rally demanding justice for Erixon Kabera, who was shot and killed by police, is taking place at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Saturday.

With the Bank of Canada announcing its fifth consecutive interest rate cut since June, homebuyers and industry experts say lower rates are likely to encourage more buyers to enter the market.

The rapid-fire spread of bird flu, an evolving toxic drug supply and the political response to it, plus the rise and expanding use of medications like Ozempic. These are some of the top medical stories we plan to cover in 2025.

Southgates Carpets pleaded guilty to workplace safety violations leading to the death of Ron Hill in September 2023, but owner Mike Charaf did not show up Thursday to hear victim impact statements.

Lavender, Major Patricia Ann
April 20, 1936 – December 3, 2024

Born April 20, 1936 to Bert and Ella Traynor in Kingsville Ontario. Graduated from Grace Hospital School of Nursing in Windsor 1957. Encouraged by her parents to “See the world” Pat joined the R.C.A.F in 1962 and was posted to Churchill Manitoba. Not the “World” she was expecting. Other postings included Marville France, NDMC Ottawa, CFB Gander Newfoundland, CFB Petawawa, Regional Headquarters Winnipeg where she was Matron in Chief for Western Canada and finally CFB Esquimalt in BC.

The post Major Patricia Ann Lavender (April 20, 1936 – December 3, 2024) appeared first on Kingsville Times.

Police have charged two individuals following the execution of a warrant in Leamington.

On December 10, 2024, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Essex County Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU), West Region OPP Tactical Rescue Unit (TRU), Emergency Response Team (ERT) Unit, OPP K9 Unit and Leamington OPP uniform members, executed a search warrant at an address on Seacliff Drive West in the Municipality of Leamington.

During the search, officers seized a quantity of illicit drugs suspected to be Fentanyl and Psilocybin, stolen property, a firearm and ammunition. Total value of items seized is $19,300.

As a result of the investigation, a 30-year-of-age male resident of Leamington was arrested and charged. The accused is also facing charges related to a stolen motor vehicle in Leamington reported on November 17, 2024.

The charges are:

• Careless storage of Firearm, Weapon, Prohibited device or ammunition (Two Counts)
• Knowledge of Unauthorized Possession of Firearm
• Possession of Firearm or Ammunition contrary to Prohibition Order (Two Counts)
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
• Unauthorized Possession of Weapon
• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking-Opioid (other than heroin)
• Possession of a credit card
• Possession Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000 – in Canada (Four Counts)
• Failure to comply with release order – other than to attend court (Three Counts)
• Failure to comply with undertaking (Three Counts)
• Operation while prohibited.

The accused has been held pending a bail hearing before the Ontario Court of Justice in Windsor.

And also, a 26 year-of-age female resident of Leamington was arrested and charged with:

• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking-Opioid (other than heroin)
• Possession Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000 – in Canada (Three Counts)
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
• Careless storage of Firearm, Weapon, Prohibited device or ammunition (Two Counts)
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
• Unauthorized Possession of Weapon
• Possession of a credit card

The accused is scheduled to appear the Ontario Court of Justice in Windsor on January 14, 2025.

The investigation is continuing.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) where you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2000.

The post OPP Execute Search Warrant In Leamington, Two Arrested appeared first on Kingsville Times.

Saturday marks the beginning of the Liberal government's two-month GST/HST holiday, aimed at giving Canadians a break on the cost of some essential goods like groceries. But some small businesses say the temporary tax break has been frustrating for them to transition to. CBC’s Michelle Song has more.

The Salvation Army in London is appealing to the generosity of locals with increased urgency this year, as almost halfway into December, its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign is on track to fall short of its fundraising goal.

Ottawa police officers are in for a significant raise and improved parental benefits after the city's police services board reached a new labour agreement with their union on Friday.

An Ontario court has given The Body Shop Canada the approval it needs to sell the majority of its business to a private equity firm. During a virtual hearing on Friday, a judge allowed the cosmetics retailer to proceed with a sale to an affiliate of Markham, Ont.-based Serruya Private Equity Inc.

Dozens of Canada Post workers gathered outside a delivery centre in east Toronto reacted with a mixture of frustration, disappointment and hope on Friday morning as Ottawa announced it was moving to end their nearly month-long work stoppage.