Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has intervened in a dispute between the city and a man who has built several tiny mobile homes for unhoused people, saying none of his structures will be removed from a city park "in the near future."

Family Day is Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Many establishments will be closed on Monday, but some will be open. Here is a list of what's open and closed on the holiday.

A Portuguese music festival is kicking off in Toronto on Friday, with performers bringing with them the sounds of tradition and experimentation. 

Brian Hamilton, a city councillor running as the Liberal candidate for Thunder Bay—Superior North in the Ontario election, has apologized for his decade-old tweets supporting Jian Ghomeshi.

Just as Ottawa digs itself out from this week's heavy snowstorm, forecasters warn more winter weather is on the way this weekend.

Environment Canada has issued a weather advisory for Saturday and a winter storm watch for Sunday as Hamilton, Niagara, Brant and surrounding areas are all expecting to get up to 35 centimetres of snow.

A Toronto man has been identified as a suspect in the shooting death of another Toronto man in Moss Park more than a week ago.

County Road 8 will be closed between County Road 9 and County Road 3 for bridge rehabilitation work, beginning February 18 for approximately four months.

Please use caution and follow the posted detour. (Map ID#1)

The post Essex County Construction and Road Closures Update — Feb. 14, 2025 appeared first on Kingsville Times.

A Toronto police officer has been charged with aggravated assault following a police watchdog investigation into an incident last summer, where a bystander was seriously injured while police were making an arrest. 

Mohawk College has announced that 91 full-time and over 100 part-time jobs have been lost.

Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) have caught up with  two males and laid multiple charges in response to an armed home invasion in Milton.

On January 12, shortly after midnight, three suspects broke into a home in the area of Walnut Landing and Proud Drive. Two of the suspects armed with handguns, a third was brandishing a hammer. Two of them confronted an adult male resident of the home while a female hid within the residence. Designer clothing items, jewelry, bank cards and the keys to a Dodge Durango were stolen and the three suspects fled in a waiting Honda Civic hatchback driven by a fourth suspect. The victims did not sustain any physical injuries.

On January 18, 2025, at 5:40 am two suspects were back at the residence and this time stole the Dodge Durango from the residence driveway.

Members of the HRPS 1 District Robbery Unit took carriage of the investigation and on January 29, 2025, Criminal Code search warrants were executed at residences in Toronto and Milton where a quantity of the victim’s property was located and recovered. The car was recovered later on.

As a result of the investigation, on January 29, 2025, Alex Ghakhar (27) of Toronto was arrested and charged with a string of offences including armed robbery and a probation violation as well as driving while prohibited.

 Ali Zaman (27) of Milton was also arrested and charged with armed robbery and auto theft.

Ghakhar and Zaman were held in custody pending a bail hearing in Milton. Police are still looking for the other two suspects.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the 1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777 ext. 2416.

You may want to keep that shovel close by. The City of Toronto says it's bracing for another snowstorm headed for the area that could bring another 15 to 20 centimetres of snow this weekend. 

Detectives with the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) now say that two separate reports of sexual assaults that they investigated this year in fact did not occur. The first report involved a woman who reported she had been assaulted while walking along a street in downtown Welland on January 10. She told police she had been walking on East Main Street near Cross Street when she was suddenly struck from behind and knocked unconscious. The victim awoke to find that she had been dragged into a nearby alley and sexually assault by two unknown men. The victim was left in the alleyway by the suspects. She made her way to a local hospital on her own for treatment of minor physical injuries.

The second incident was reported on Friday, January 31 where a women said  an unknown male suspect broke into a Niagara Falls residence then committed a sexual assault on an adult female. 

In both cases police have issued a release stating, “following a thorough and extensive investigation, detectives have found that the initial details provided regarding the incident were inaccurate.” A Niagara Police spokesperson told the Bay Observer that the investigation is ongoing, and so far no charges have been laid.

An NDP candidate in Toronto has stepped down from the Provincial race in the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence in order to allow the Liberal candidate a better chance of defeating the Ford Conservative candidate. Natasha Doyle-Merrick issued a statement stating in part, “I have decided it was best to no longer be in this election, as it is clear it is a two-party contest between the Ontario Liberals and the Ontario Conservatives.”

Doyle-Merrick added, “This election is crucial because the past seven years Doug Ford and the Ontario Conservatives have been absent and ineffective, showing zero interest in delivering the support … I got into politics for the people and it would be a disservice for me to keep my name on the ballot knowing that the race in Eglinton—Lawrence is pivotal.”

The riding had been held for two terms by PC Robin Martin who decided to not run again. Michelle Cooper, executive director of the Ontario Progressive Conservative fund, is the Eglinton—Lawrence PC candidate in what is expected to be a close race with Liberal candidate Vince Gasparro, former principal secretary to former Toronto mayor John Tory.

Doyle-Merrick withdrew her nomination just before the 2 PM Thursday cutoff for nominations or withdrawals, meaning the NDP will not be able to run a new candidate in the riding. While the move by Doyle-Merrick is heartening for the Liberals, the news was not so good elsewhere. The party failed to find a candidate to run in Windsor West, a one-time Liberal stronghold for the first time in memory. In the modern era, the riding and its predecessors had been home to three Liberal Cabinet ministers, Sandra Pupatello and Bill Wrye, and was held by Hepburn-era minister David Croll from 1934- to 1943.

Please note the following municipal service level adjustments on Family Day, Monday, February 17, 2025:

Leamington Municipal Building

The Leamington Municipal Building will be closed on Family Day. Residents can continue to report non-urgent municipal issues online at leamington.ca/ReportAnIssue.

Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre

The Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre will be open on Family Day. Visit leamington.ca/Recreation for more information.

Garbage and Recycling Collection

Please note the following changes to the recycling collection:

• Rural area recycling collection for Monday, February 17, moves to Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
• Urban area recycling collection for Tuesday, February 18, moves to Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

Please refer to the collection calendar for details at leamington.ca/Garbage.

Transit

LT-Go Transit and LTW Transit (Leamington to Windsor transit services) will not operate on Family Day.

After Hours Contacts

For information about how to report an after-hour disruption to municipal services, please visit leamington.ca/AfterHours.

For further information about municipal programs and services, please visit our website at leamington.ca.

The post Leamington Announces Municipal Services Available On Family Day 2025 appeared first on Kingsville Times.

One person has been charged with impaired driving following a traffic complaint in Kingsville.

On February 13, 2025, at approximately 7:55 p.m., a member of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigated a traffic complaint on County Road 18 in Kingsville.

A 53-year-old male resident of Kingsville, was arrested and charged under the Criminal Code with the following offences:

• Operation while impaired – alcohol and drugs
• Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)

A 90-day Administrative Driver’s License Suspension (ADLS) and a seven-day vehicle impoundment was initiated as per statute.

The accused has been released from police custody and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice – Windsor on February 27, 2025, to speak to the charges.

The safety of our community is paramount, and we will continue to enforce impaired driving laws to keep our roads safe. “Traffic Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility”.

If you have an urgent traffic complaint or if you suspect someone is driving while their ability to operate a motor vehicle is impaired by drugs of alcohol, please call 911 immediately.

If you have a non-emergency traffic complaint, you may also call 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

The post Traffic Complaint Leads To Charges For Kingsville Resident appeared first on Kingsville Times.

Natasha Doyle-Merrick says she is now throwing her support behind the Liberals in her riding to prevent a Progressive Conservative win.

A 16-year-old driver has been charged after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle in Brampton in August, Ontario Provincial Police said. The crash happened just before 1 a.m. on Mayfield Road near McLaughlin Road on Aug. 27, 2024.

A 31-year-old man has died after a single-vehicle crash in Oakville on Thursday, police say. 

CUPE Local 79 represents about 30,000 City of Toronto workers. If granted by the Ministry of Labour, a no board report would signal negotiations with the city are at an impasse, and the union would be able to enter a strike or lockout position shortly after.

There will be a meeting of Essex County Council on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, which is scheduled to commence at 6:00 PM.

As permitted pursuant to By-law 2024-26, being a by-law to provide rules governing the order and proceedings of the Council of the Corporation of the County of Essex, adopted on June 5, 2024, the meeting will take place with members of County Council in person at the County of Essex Administration Building.

Essex County Council meetings are open to the public.  Seating is limited in Council Chambers at the County of Essex Administration Building.  As such, members of the public who wish to attend the meeting in person are encouraged to pre-register. Pre-registration allows for a more expedient check in procedure.

Registration in person is permitted on the day of the meetings as well. Attendees can proceed to the registration kiosk at the West Entrance of the County of Essex Administration Building beginning at 5:00 PM.

Overflow seating is not available. Once the capacity limit of 97 people is reached, no further people will be admitted to the Administration Building, and will instead be invited to view the meeting from home or may wait until a seat is vacated.

The County will be live streaming the meeting at the following link: https://video.isilive.ca/countyofessex/live.html.

The meeting will also be broadcast by YourTV Cogeco cable.

The agenda for this meeting is available for viewing or download on the County website.

Everyone attending Essex County buildings or County Council meetings agrees to abide by all County of Essex policies and procedures. To review the policies and procedures, please visit the County Council page on the County of Essex website.

The post February 19, 2025 Essex County Council Regular Meeting Notice appeared first on Kingsville Times.

Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, Medical Officer of Health at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), has rescinded the Boil Water Advisory issued on February 10, 2025, for consumers of the Amherstburg Water Distribution System. This applies to all areas from the original advisory:

• County Rd 8 in Tecumseh from Walker to 13073 County Rd 8
• County Rd 8 in Lasalle from 5791 County Rd 8 to Walker Rd
• 5791 County Rd 8 in Amherstburg east to 13073 County Rd 8 (Old Malden Rd) in Essex
• Walker Rd in Amherstburg and in Essex from County Rd 8 to County Rd 10
• 14th Concession in Essex from Walker to 14689 14th Concession
• 13th Concession in Essex from Walker to 13396 13th Concession
• 12th Concession in Essex from Walker to 12380 12th Concession
• 11th Concession in Essex from Walker to North Malden Rd
• North Malden in Essex from Walker Sideroad to 12th Concession
• Walker Sideroad from North Malden to County Rd 8
• Old Malden Rd from 12th Concession to 14th Concession
• County Rd 15 in Essex from 2065 County Rd 15 to County Rd 8

The WECHU is informing users that required water samples have been taken and meet drinking water quality standards. Our staff will continue to work closely with the Amherstburg Public Works Water Distribution System and will ensure consumers are notified of any water quality changes.

If you have any questions, please contact the Environmental Health Department at 519-258-2146 ext. 4475 between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information contact the Amherstburg Public Works Department at 519-736-3664. Consumers can also visit The Town of Amherstburg webpage at https://www.amherstburg.ca/en/Index.aspx for more information.

Image by Ken Boyd from Pixabay

The post Boil Water Advisory Rescinded for Amherstburg Water Distribution System appeared first on Kingsville Times.

The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce and Invest WindsorEssex are announcing the establishment of the Windsor-Essex Economic Trade Task Force (Windsor-Essex ETTF). This initiative brings together local businesses, leaders, and community stakeholders to serve as a unified voice for economic development and trade in the Windsor-Essex region.

In light of the potential trade disruption between Canada and the United States, the Windsor-Essex ETTF aims to work in a timely manner to collect, coordinate and disseminate information on strategies, programs and other remedies to alleviate the impact this will have on the well-being of workers, entrepreneurs and businesses in the Windsor-Essex regional economy.

Windsor-Essex has been predicted to be the third most impacted region in Canada by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce if the proposed tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States take effect. This comes as no surprise with the Windsor-Detroit crossing being the busiest commercial border crossing between Canada and the U.S., handling approximately one-third of all trade between the two countries.

“The Windsor-Essex Economic Trade Task Force is committed to supporting the economic interests of the region through a coordinated and responsive approach,” said Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Ryan Donally. “By fostering collaboration and providing timely updates, the task force aims to enhance economic resilience and growth within Windsor-Essex.”

Through local input and community engagement, the task force will:

• Provide valuable insights through diverse communication channels.
• Provide up-to-date resources, support programs and relevant information.
• Submit recommendations to government bodies.
• Highlight the impact of economic developments on local businesses and industries.
• Advocate for supportive measures to relevant government agencies. 

“Invest WindsorEssex is committed to fostering a strong and competitive business environment for our region. The Windsor-Essex Economic Trade Task Force will play a vital role in ensuring that businesses have the necessary resources and support to navigate the current trade challenges. By working collaboratively with our partners, we will advocate for policies and solutions that protect jobs, increase productivity and global competitiveness, and sustain economic growth in Windsor-Essex.”
– Keith Andrews, Strategic Advisor to the Board and Chief Operating Officer, Invest WindsorEssex

The Windsor-Essex ETTF is also launching an online resource to provide the region with current information, resources, supports and contacts to help local businesses navigate these challenges. As the task force develops this tool, businesses are encouraged to visit WEtarifftaskforce.com and submit their contact information to receive regular updates.

The post Chamber of Commerce and Invest WindsorEssex Launch Windsor-Essex ETTF appeared first on Kingsville Times.