A local man who was back on the internet searching for “hard core” child pornography less than four months after his release from prison, where he’d just served four years for child pornography offences, has been ordered back to the penitentiary for the better part of another four years.

Robert J. Hanna, 28, pleaded guilty in Kingston’s Ontario Court of Justice to charges from February 2018 of possessing child pornography, making child pornography available and violating the terms of a judge’s order intended to block his access to both child pornography and children.

Hanna’s lawyer, Phil Casey, and assistant Crown attorney Jennifer Ferguson advanced a recommendation of five years, less Hanna’s pretrial custody, as a joint sentencing submission.

“I don’t like the sentence,” Justice Allan Letourneau told the two lawyers, but he conceded that he didn’t know all of the factors that led them to arrive at that number. “If I knew what they know,” he mused, “I might easily believe that five years is a proper sentence.”

He noted, however, that the Supreme Court obliges the judges of all courts below them to accede to joint sentencing submissions unless they can be shown to be unfit.

“I still believe the sentence should be higher,” Justice Letourneau said, but “having said that, I can not say, on the basis of a five-year sentence, on a joint submission, that the sentence is one I can tamper with.”

Consequently, he gave Hanna enhanced credit on the 319 days he’d already spent in custody since his arrest on Feb. 28, 2018, counting it as equivalent to 479 days of his sentence already served, and imposed a further 1,346 days in prison — approximately three years and eight months. Additionally, Hanna has been ordered included for life on the Sex Offender Information Registry and Justice Letourneau issued an order barring him for life from attending public parks, swimming areas, daycares, school and playgrounds where children under 16 are or could reasonably be expected to be present. He can never work or volunteer in any capacity that would place him in a position of trust or authority over children under 16, and the judge’s order prohibits him from using the internet or any other digital network. Hanna can only possess a cellphone if it’s equipped with internet-blocking software, and he’s required to produce proof for police upon demand.

In reviewing the facts of the case, Justice Letourneau said Kingston Police patrolling the internet in mid-February last year spotted a suspicious download on one of the peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. They subsequently confirmed it was child pornography, obtained the IP address for the computer and traced it back to Hanna, who had only been out of prison since Nov. 5, 2017.

Police seized Hanna’s computer, and upon searching it, found 403 unique child pornography videos and 216 unique still images of child pornography.

The agreed statement of facts submitted to the judge described the victimized children as ranging in age from six months to 12 or 13 years old. The scenarios included bondage, some bestiality, some anal penetration of toddlers and the judge noted that police reported “in many of the videos the children are crying.”

He also observed that when Kingston Police Det. Joel Fisher interviewed Hanna seven days after his arrest, Hanna admitted downloading several “torrents” from sites after specifically searching for preteen hard core and “he stated that four-year-old females were his preference.”

The agreed statement also rated Hanna’s collection as being “in terms of depravity, at the top,” and Justice Letourneau asked Crown prosecutor Ferguson if by that she and her defence counterpart were characterizing it as being at the pinnacle of depravity. She told him, “it’s hard to come up with something worse than most depraved.” She described one set of images in Hanna’s collection, for example, depicting the object rape of a young child by an adult male wearing a clown mask: “That’s scary,” she said.

Still, she told him she wasn’t suggesting Hanna’s collection represented the worst of the worst that’s out there, “only that it’s in the top tier.” And Hanna’s lawyer, Phil Casey, added “once you’re into hard core it is depraved.”

Casey told the judge his client “realizes he has a very disturbing and harmful fixation,” and knows that the consumption of child pornography creates a market that harms children. “He feels remorse,” Casey assured Justice Letourneau, “but feels a pathological obsession to consume it.”

Casey said “it’s beyond a fetish.”

He told Justice Letourneau that Hanna was psychologically and physically abused as a child and disclosed that he was also diagnosed in 2011 with a bipolar disorder, for which he receives Ontario Disability Support Program benefits.

He also has a long-term girlfriend, who was in court to support him, and, Casey said, “he feels disgusted. He feels shamed because he realizes who he is as a sex offender,” and he’s full of “self-loathing.”

Hanna echoed some of that, telling Justice Letourneau, “I do feel remorse for what I’ve done. I do realize it victimizes the children and their families.”

Justice Letourneau asked him about the high-intensity program for sex offenders that he completed during his previous penitentiary sentence and Hanna told him it was “the best they had,” but “I didn’t get much out of it.”

He told the judge he applied for a followup maintenance program but kept getting deferred until just before his release.

When the judge pointed out that it only took him three and a half months to reoffend, Hanna responded, “I didn’t think I’d get caught. I now know, no matter what I do, I’m going to get caught.”

Justice Letourneau asked him if he’d ever considered chemical intervention, and Hanna said he didn’t consider it before “because I’m a young person and thought there was a chance of overcoming it.”

He told Justice Letourneau that he’s now looking into “maybe taking Lupron,” a drug that suppresses the production of male hormones.

syanagisawa@postmedia.com

Kingston Police are investigating a violent incident that took place Thursday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to Rideau Street just east of Montreal Street at about 3:30 p.m. One male was taken to hospital with stab wounds. The incident is said to have started in the C.E. Macpherson parking lot in the 400 block of Rideau Street, but the victim was collected in the 500 block of Rideau Street. Initially the suspect involved ran, but was taken into custody.

While traffic officers closed the road, canine and emergency response unit officers searched the area for evidence. The officers were searching behind the houses in the area and near the K&P Trail.

With Rideau Street closed for the investigation during rush hour, traffic backed up significantly on Montreal Street.

scrosier@postmedia.com

A local 65-year-old woman is facing 16 charges from Kingston Police after they were called to investigate ongoing harassment.

On Wednesday, a woman went to police headquarters to report that she was being harassed by her neighbour over a period of time. An investigation revealed that over the past two years, the neighbour has been harassing woman and was making fake complaints about her and other issues that have since been found to be fake. In November of last year, the neighbour threatened to kill the  woman, police said.

As a result of their investigation, Kingston Police have charged a local woman with 14 counts of public mischief and one count each of uttering threats and criminal harassment. She was arrested and transported to police headquarters, where she was later released on conditions with a future court date.

Woman assaults police, harasses ex

A young woman spent the night in Kingston Police custody after police said she had harassed her ex-boyfriend and spit in an officer’s face.

On Wednesday at approximately 7:15 p.m., a woman went to a west-end residence where she believed her ex-boyfriend was visiting and began sending him threatening texts from out front. The resident of the house came outside and saw the woman yelling and holding a hammer in the air. The woman was demanding that her ex-boyfriend come out. The resident retreated back into the home and police were called.

While officers were on their way, the woman began striking the outside of the home repeatedly with the hammer. When police arrived she threw the hammer into the bushes. Then the woman continued to yell at the victims while police were present.

The woman was arrested and while in their custody, she spat in one officer’s face.

A 20-year-old local woman was charged with assaulting police, possessing a dangerous weapon, and two counts of criminal harassment. She was transported to police headquarters, where she was held overnight to attend bail court the next day.

Woman assaulted by ex-boyfriend

A man has been charged by Kingston Police after they said a woman was confronted and assaulted by her ex-boyfriend on Tuesday evening.

Police said a woman was leaving an establishment in the west end when she was confronted in the parking lot by her ex-boyfriend.

He began to yell at her, then pushed her, causing her to almost fall down. The man then flicked his cigarette at the woman, hitting her in the face. A Good Samaritan stepped in to help the woman and the man left the scene. Police weren’t called at the time, but the incident was reported later on.

On Wednesday at about 1:30 p.m., the man was located in a coffee shop in the west end and arrested.

A 38-year-old local man was charged with assault. He was held in police custody overnight to attend bail court the next day.

KINGSTON – City staff are working with the owners of a cafe in the Tett Centre after their allegations of being unfairly treated became public earlier this week.

Amber Thom and Jamie Hodges have owned the Juniper Cafe on the lower floor of the city-owned arts centre since 2016.

The dispute, which is largely playing out across social media, became public earlier this week when an email from Thom that was posted on social media detailed the couple’s complaints about how they were being treated by Tett Centre management.

The couple accused the management and board of trying to raise their rent by 400 per cent, bill them $5,000 for garbage removal and just generally trying to push them out by the end of this month.

“The cafe has been more successful than we ever imagined and the foot traffic has generated great interest in the Tett Centre. We are gutted to know that it will close shortly,” Thom wrote in the email. “Our customers, our community will also be devastated. We haven’t made a public statement yet letting the community know that we are being forced out, I am still hopeful for a miracle.”

The owners of the Juniper Cafe at the Tett Centre say they have been treated unfairly by the facility’s management. (Elliot Ferguson/The Whig-Standard)

According to Thom’s email, the cafe opened with a 10-year lease, but she wrote that it was “cut short” last year. In its place, a probationary lease was signed.

“The city definitely acknowledges that there have been a lot of concerns raised by the public and the cafe. We are working together with all parties to find a solution,” Peter Huigenbos, director of real estate and environment initiatives, said.

Huigenbos declined to go into any detail about the situation but said a solution may be worked out by the end of the week.

“Let’s stay patient,” he said.

When asked, Thom and Hodges declined to comment about the situation, referring to a statement made Thursday evening on social media in which they said Thom’s original email was not supposed to be public.

“A letter circulated on social media today that, while true, was never meant to be public,” the statement reads. “We wrote the letter out of desperation after months of negotiating with our legal counsel and the Tett to continue to operate the Juniper Cafe in the Tett Centre into the future.”

The couple’s statement went on to thank their supporters and the city for being “very responsive” to their concerns.

“They have always been open to hearing what is happening in the building and any of our concerns, but it is ultimately not their decision on the fate of the Juniper Cafe in the Tett,” Thom wrote. “We are working together with city officials now to try to come to a resolution.”

Thom accused Tett management of having already lined up a company to open a cafe in their place.

Public reaction to the cafe’s troubles has been generally sympathetic.

An online petition to save the cafe had gathered more than 3,800 signatures by Thursday afternoon.

The owners of the Juniper Cafe at the Tett Centre say they have been treated unfairly by the facility’s management. (Elliot Ferguson/The Whig-Standard)

The federal government is providing $100,000 to fund the creation of two new fast-charging stations in the city.

The money from Natural Resources Canada, announced at Thursday’s Kingston Climate Change Symposium, is to pay a portion of the $280,000 total costs for two of the city’s planned Level 3 charging stations in the city’s downtown.

“The move to electric vehicles is an integral part of our move toward a clean energy future,” Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen said while announcing the federal funding. “Our government is proud to invest in EV fast-charging stations in Kingston that will provide cleaner transportation options for its residents and visitors.”

In 2017, the city approved almost $800,000 to build a network of vehicle charging stations across the city.

The network is to include two 450-volt Level 3 stations, 25 220-volt Level 2 stations and two 120-volt Level 1 charging stations to be installed at parking lots, arenas and other city-owned sites.

The plan also committed $82,000 to provide electric vehicle drivers free access to the Level 1 and 2 charging stations for two years.

The federal funding is part of almost $183 million in federal funding to develop a coast-to-coast network of electric vehicle charging stations and natural gas stations along key freight corridors, and hydrogen stations in metropolitan centres.

Paul McLatchy, the city’s environment director, said the federal funding would reduce the cost of the charging network to the city.

In a statement, Mayor Bryan Paterson welcomed the federal support.

“We’ve made significant investments in electric vehicle charging stations in an effort to reduce our community’s carbon footprint,” Paterson said. “That’s why I’m pleased that the federal government is investing in two fast chargers in downtown Kingston. This will help us reach our ambitious clean energy goals even faster.”

The electric vehicle charging network is part of the city’s Kingston Climate Action Plan’s goal of cutting emissions from city-owned buildings and vehicles by 15 per cent by 2020 and 30 per cent by 2030.

Frigid temperatures expected on the weekend prompted Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Public Health to issue a cold weather warning Friday afternoon.

Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning for the weekend, with nearly 20 centimetres of snow and winds gusting to 50 km/h expected.

Temperatures are expected to drop to close to -20 C, with windchill of close to -30 C.

“It is forecast to be very cold throughout the KFL&A area tonight and through the weekend,” Adrienne Hansen-Taugher, manager of infectious disease prevention and emergency preparedness for KFL&A Public Health, said.  “The low temperatures are of greatest concern during this cold spell, and we want all residents, especially vulnerable populations, to seek shelter, to cover exposed skin, including head, hands and face, and to watch for signs of hypothermia.”

The medical officer of health recommends that you take the following actions to prevent cold injuries, such as hypothermia and frostbite:

• Wear several layers of clothing and make sure that the outer layer protects you from wind and wetness.
• Cover exposed skin (with hats, mittens, face mask) to protect against frostbite.
• Drink warm fluids that do not contain caffeine or alcohol, to prevent dehydration.
• Maintain a heated indoor environment above 20 C; hypothermia can even occur indoors when temperatures are 16 C (61 F) or lower.
• Avoid outdoor strenuous exercise during cold spells.
• Check frequently on elderly and vulnerable people; ensure they are in a safe and warm environment.
• Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia — know what to do!

Frostbite is an injury to the skin that is caused by freezing. The risk of frostbite increases when the wind chill rises. Early signs include pink or reddish areas that may feel numb. As frostbite progresses, the affected area will become white and waxy in appearance.

If frostbite is suspected, move to a warm area out of the wind and gently rewarm the affected area using your own body heat; the affected area should not be rubbed, as rubbing can cause more damage. Medical help should be sought if the area does not return to normal colour or sensation quickly.

Hypothermia occurs when the body is exposed to cold temperatures, and it begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. The result is an abnormally low body temperature that can affect brain and muscle function. Hypothermia can be dangerous as a person may not be aware that it is happening and may not understand that corrective action is necessary. An adult who stumbles, mumbles and fumbles objects may be suffering from hypothermia.

If hypothermia is suspected, the affected person should be moved to a warm location, and any wet clothing removed. The individual should be covered with several layers of blankets and offered a warm, non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated drink if he or she is able to swallow. A person with severe hypothermia may be unconscious and if a pulse can’t be found in the neck, 911 should be called and CPR began immediately. Knowing what to do is an important part of protecting your health and the health of others.

This warning is in effect as long as the extreme weather conditions exist.

The city is well on its way to completing the construction of an electric vehicle charging network.

So far, 42 of 46 planned Level 2 charging stations have been installed at 19 locations. 

In 2017, the city approved almost $800,000 to build a network of vehicle charging stations across the city that is to include two 450-volt Level 3 stations, 46 220-volt Level 2 stations and two 120-volt Level 1 charging stations to be installed at parking lots, arenas and other city-owned sites.

On Thursday, Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen announced the city will receive $100,000 to help pay a portion of the $280,000 cost of the two Level 3 chargers.

The Natural Resources Canada funding required the relocation of the Level 3 charging station from the Invista Centre on Gardiners Road to the Frontenac Lot downtown, across The Tragically Hip Way from the Leon’s Centre, because that area is considered underserviced.

The Level 3 station at the Frontenac Lot is to be in place in the middle of 2019 and a Level 2 station is to be installed at the Norman Rogers Airport early this year. 

The most popular charging locations have been at the PumpHouse Steam Museum parking lot, Clarence Street and Artillery Park.

The biggest complaint about the use of the charging network is non-electric vehicles using the parking spaces.

The city currently has no bylaw prohibiting non-electric vehicles from using the spots, but other municipalities, including London, Burlington and Ottaw,a have brought in such rules.

Along with the the charging network, the city purchased nine light-duty electric vehicles. Those vehicles have saved the city between $300 and $400 in fuel savings and each one removed almost a tonne of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

The purchase of additional electric vehicles is in question after the cancellation of provincial subsidies for them.

As well, the possibility of adding buses and other heavy-duty vehicles to the city’s fleet is on hold as subsidies have been cancelled by the provincial government.

The city is on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets more than a decade ahead of schedule.

Data for 2017 emissions reductions and energy use, to be presented to council on Tuesday, shows a 32 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 2011 and 2017.

The city had set reduction targets of 15 per cent below 2011 levels by 2020 and 30 per cent below 2011 levels by 2030.

“While the estimated reduction of GHG emissions is a positive indication of progress, cautious optimism should continue to be exercised and mitigation measures continued until additional years of data can establish a reliable downward trend,” stated the report from Lanie Hurdle, commissioner of community services, and Peter Huigenbos, director of real estate and environmental initiatives. 

“If sustainable, the estimated 32 per cent reduction indicates an early achievement of the city’s 2030 GHG reduction target.”

The 32 per cent reduction puts Kingston ahead of the targets set for Canada in the Paris Agreement and in Ontario’s new environment plan. Both of those strategies have set 30 per cent reductions in GHG emissions from 2005 levels.

The statistics also showed a 25 per cent reduction in energy use in Kingston between 2011 and 2017.

The drop in emissions and energy use was attributed in part to a large decrease in natural gas use by industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) consumers.

There were also fewer heating and cooling days in 2017, which would contribute to less energy consumption and emissions.

In 2017, all sectors of the city – including residential, transportation, ICI and agriculture – consumed $420 million worth of energy and put more than 1.1 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

The city’s emissions reduction success was the result of initiatives across municipal properties and services.

Utilities Kingston was credited for programs designed to increase efficiency of natural gas and water use, the sale of rain barrels and energy-saving initiatives.

Municipal buildings have received energy-efficiency retrofits and new buildings have incorporated energy-efficient systems. 

The city has a dozen buildings that have or are planned to have Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

There are also 13 buildings that have or are to have solar panels installed. When all of those solar panels are in place, they are expected to generate 884 kilowatts of electricity.

The expansion of Kingston Transit, which carried more than six million passengers last year, is one of the reasons the city has met its greenhouse gas emissions goals well ahead of schedule. (Elliot Ferguson/The Whig-Standard)

On the roads, the much-celebrated expansion of Kingston Transit, including new express routes, continued research into the potential of electric buses and other heavy-duty vehicles, the building of an electric vehicle charging station network, and the creation of an active transportation master plan are aimed at addressing one of the most energy-intensive sectors.

The city has also adopted policies aimed at increasing intensification in the city core.

Outside of the city sphere, the 31 participants of Sustainable Kingston’s Green Economy Program are credited with putting in place programs that have reduced emissions of greenhouse gas by more than 21,500 tonnes.

The city has also drafted suggestions for the provincial government to consider when implementing its new environment plan, which is to replace the previous government’s climate action plan.

The city’s suggestions include acknowledgement of the role municipalities can play in mitigating climate change and the obstacles they face in meeting those challenges.

A 14-year-old boy has been charged by police after another youth was stabbed multiple times Thursday afternoon.

Police said that at about 3:30 p.m,. there was a physical altercation between a group of youths that were known to each other. The fight took place outside an address on Rideau Street. During the incident, one boy pulled out a knife and stabbed another multiple times.

Police had been called to the disturbance, and as they arrived, the first boy fled the scene.

Officers found the victim on the sidewalk after he had collapsed due to his injuries. He was taken to Kingston General Hospital by ambulance with serious injuries.

Police located the first boy a short time later at a residence in the north end of Kingston.

The 14-year-old was charged with aggravated assault and with having a dangerous weapon. He spent the night in police custody to attend bail court the next day.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Jim Veltman at 613-549-4660, ext. 6300, or via email at jveltman@kingstonpolice.ca. Tips can be provided anonymously by calling 613-549-4660, ext. 0, and asking to be anonymous or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Police lay child pornography charges

A local man has been charged by Kingston Police as they continue their ongoing monitoring of online file-sharing websites.

On Dec. 26, 2018, a computer with suspected child pornography digital files was found while  connected to a file-sharing network, police said. The computer’s IP address originated from a Kingston residence.

On Thursday, police executed a search warrant at a residence in the west end of Kingston. Multiple digital devices and data storage media were seized from the home. An initial forensic examination of the devices revealed evidence of digital files believed to meet the Criminal Code definition of child pornography.

The man was home at the time of search and he was subsequently arrested.

A 51-year-old local man was charged by police with unlawfully possessing child pornography, unlawfully accessing child pornography, and with making child pornography available.

Girl, 13, lured by man, police report

A local man is facing numerous charges from Kingston Police as an investigation revealed a 13-year-old girl was being lured for sexual purposes.

Police began their investigation on Jan. 11. It revealed that starting last December, a man had been sending numerous messages via social media to the girl in an attempt to illicit a sexual relationship.

On Wednesday, police executed a search warrant at a home in the west end. There they found multiple digital devices and data storage media. The devices and media were seized for further examination.

Police arrested and have charged a 36-year-old local man with sexual assault, telecommunication with a person under 16 years old for criminal offences, telecommunication with a person under 18 years old for criminal offences, and attempting to make child pornography.

Man charged after asking victim to call police

A Kingston man spent the night in police custody after he asked a downtown Kingston resident to call them.

At about 9 p.m. on Thursday, a man entered the residence brandishing a rifle-style pellet gun. The man, incoherent and agitated, was unknown to the person who lived in the residence. The man then requested that the resident call police and then proceeded to place a flick-knife down near the front door before exiting.

When police arrived, they found the man outside of the residence, but as they went to arrest him, he fled on foot. The officers chased him and were able to catch him. As he was apprehended, he violently resisted arrest, but officers were eventually able to take him into custody.

A 52-year-old local man was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, obstructing police, resisting arrest and two counts of possession of a weapon when prohibited.

Napanee man charged with 13 counts of assault against woman

A Napanee man is facing multiple charges of assault after a woman came forward to report her abusive long-term relationship.

On Wednesday, the woman went to Kingston Police Headquarters and reported multiple incidents of domestic abuse, police said. The woman and her ex-boyfriend were in a long-term relationship when incidents of  assaults started October 2013 and continued for the next five years. Assaults included the woman being punched, elbowed, kicked and hit with several objects.

On Thursday, police arrested the man at a Napanee address.

Police have charged a 26-year-old Napanee man with 13 counts of assault.

A Kingston man and 20 other people have been charged following a massive drug-trafficking investigation led by the Durham Regional Police Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Initially the Durham police and the RCMP began Project Vickery in the fall of 2018 with a focus on drug traffickers in the Greater Toronto Area. Over the course of the investigation, and as more information was gained, search warrants were executed at 15 residences in the Durham Region, Toronto, Peel Region and Kingston. All arrests occurred without incident and there were no injuries reported, police said.

Project Vickery included 26 search warrants executions, 21 arrests and 150 charges. Police seized $1.65 million in drugs, about $706,000 in cash, four handguns, 52 rounds of ammunition and eight vehicles.

The drugs seized included cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, ecstasy, morphine and marijuana. Officers also seized a hydraulic pill press and a prohibited electric baton. The total value of property seized as proceeds of crime exceeds $300,000.

With the assistance of Kingston Police, Ashish Roy, a 38-year-old man from Kingston, has been charged with possession of cocaine and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, trafficking cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl, trafficking cocaine and crack cocaine, and four counts of possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Drugs and drug paraphernalia seized by police during Project Vichery. (Supplied Photos)

Two Amherstview brothers are facing a number of charges from Ontario Provincial Police after investigators found more than they were originally looking for during a warrant execution.

On Thursday at about 4:25 p.m., the OPP executed a controlled drugs and substances search warrant at a residence on Amherst Drive in Loyalist Township.

While they were searching, investigators seized electronic devices and other items pertinent to the investigation. OPP said that while the officers were searching through the devices, they found images of child sexual abuse.

The OPP have charged 53-year-old Darren Patrick Jones of Amherstview with possessing child pornography and accessing child pornography. Shaun Michael Jones, a 51-year-old man also from Amherstview, has been charged with trafficking crystal methamphetamine. Both of the brothers have been charged with trafficking fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine and Percocet.

Both men attended bail court on Friday in Napanee.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Napanee OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Belleville man causes police pursuit, facing 15 charges

A Belleville man is facing a number of charges from Ontario Provincial Police after they spotted an erratic driver on Tuesday.

Officers saw a Saturn sedan being driven in an erratic way on Highway 401 in Loyalist Township and attempted to pulled it over. Instead, the driver tried to flee from police. He was later located and arrested. OPP said an investigation resulted in a number of criminal and Highway Traffic Act charges.

Nathan William Dobratz, a 35-year-old from Belleville, has been charged with seven counts of possession of a credit card, possession of property obtained by crime, driving while prohibited, racing a motor vehicle, failing to comply with his probation, driving without insurance, failing to stop for police and causing a pursuit, failing to apply for a vehicle permit, and for using unauthorized vehicle plates.

Queen’s University students were spotted digging vehicles out of snowplow snow drifts at various locations on campus on Sunday. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

The first substantial snowfall of the winter buried Kingston in a generous layer of snow on Saturday night, leaving city crews and private contractors with lots of work on their hands clearing driveways, streets and sidewalks all day Sunday.

According to Environment Canada, 11 centimetres of snow had accumulated in Kingston by Sunday.

Harsh winds and bitter cold temperatures also led to extreme wind chill temperatures of -33 C and -34 C on Saturday and Sunday, leading Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Public Health to issue a cold weather health warning for the area. The warning has been extended into Monday and Tuesday due to prolonged cold temperatures.

Utilities Kingston reported it was working on a power outage in central Kingston on Sunday, caused by the weather.

A number of collisions occurred within the city and on Highway 401 in the Kingston region during the weekend’s inclement weather.

Three friends brave the bitter cold on Sunday on the shores of Lake Ontario at Breakwater Park in Kingston, after the first major snowfall of the year left Kingston blanketed in snow on Saturday night. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

Dozens of cars were snowed in on streets around the Queen’s University campus following the first big snowstorm of the year on Saturday. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

Gloria Manuel and her dog, Cashew, strolled Rideau Street on Sunday after the first big storm of the year left a generous covering of snow on the city of Kingston the night before. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

A couple was charged by police after an early morning cab ride ended with a physical fight, Kingston Police said.

On Sunday at about 7:30 a.m., police said they responded to a disturbance at a downtown Johnson Street residence. When officers arrived, they learned that an argument over cab fare and their relationship had led to a man and women physically fighting. Both were arrested.

A 24-year-old local man and a 22-year-old woman were both charged by police with assault. They were later released from police custody with various conditions and a future date in court.

Man charged with impaired driving following collision

A hit-and-run early Saturday morning led Kingston Police to lay impaired driving charge against a local man.

Police said that just after midnight, they received reports of a hit-and-run near Portsmouth Avenue and Bath Road. Witnesses told police that a pickup truck had struck a utility pole then fled the scene. When police arrived, they found the front bumper of the pickup still lying on the roadway with its licence plate attached.

Police found the pickup a short distance away and its driver walking nearby. The officer made observations that the man was impaired by alcohol. He was arrested and transported to police headquarters, where he refused to provide breath samples.

A 49-year-old local man was charged with impaired driving and refusing to provide a breath sample.

He was later released with a future court date. His driver’s licence was automatically suspended for 90 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven.

Extremely low temperatures forecast for overnight Monday prompted the Tri-Board Student Transportation Services to cancel all school buses in the area for a second day in a row, but the schools remained open.

With more cold weather and a chance of another significant snowstorm expected later in the week, a message on the Tri-Board’s website advised people to be aware of possible further bus cancellations.

“Not out of the woods yet folks!” the website said on Monday. “Stand by for status on busing over the next two days.”

Similar cold temperatures are forecast for Tuesday, but with lighter winds, although not light enough to take away wind chill warnings.

As well, the area could get hit with an additional five to 10 centimetres of snow on Tuesday night, which could also affect Wednesday’s school commute.

Gord Taylor, chief executive officer of Tri-Board, said in an interview on Monday that a variety of factors go into cancelling buses due to cold weather, but the No. 1 reason is student safety.

“It was well below that threshold where we felt it was safe to operate buses and have young students standing on the side of the road waiting for the buses,” he said.

On Monday afternoon, Tri-Board officials cancelled the buses again for Tuesday due to the cold weather.

“Obviously our priority is to make sure that students aren’t put at risk when they benefit from our transportation system,” Taylor said.

The cold weather, he said, can affect even a well-maintained school bus.

“We have high-quality school bus operators who do everything they can with diesel buses to make sure they’re plugged in.”

Taylor said diesel fuel has a tendency to gel when it gets cold, which will stop the buses.

“The risk of diesel engines is they could quit mid-route, and across the region like the Tri-Board, many of these routes are rural and remote and it’s a long drive to do a rescue run,” he said. “If a bus does break down mid-route, we have half a load of students standing on the side of the road for an excessive period of time in extreme temperatures for a bus that may or may not come.”

Those are some of the decisions that go into bus cancellations, he said.

“We just don’t want to put people out in those risky situations,” Taylor said.

According to Environment Canada, 11 centimetres of snow had accumulated in Kingston by Sunday and harsh winds and bitter cold temperatures led to extreme wind chill temperatures of -33 C and -34 C on Saturday and Sunday.

With the cold gripping the area, and most of Eastern Canada for that matter, Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Public Health issued a cold weather health warning.

The warnings are issued when the temperature is forecast to be -25 C or colder, when there is a wind chill of -28 C or colder, or when extreme weather conditions — blizzard or severe snowstorm — are forecast for the KFL&A area by Environment Canada.

Public health advises that when the temperature drops below those numbers, children and seniors should take precautions to avoid the effects of the cold, or remain indoors to avoid cold injuries, a news release said.

Public health also works with community service providers, municipalities, schools, long-term care homes, and emergency service providers to make sure vulnerable people are taken into consideration.

Kingston Police Const. Ash Gutheinz recommended residents stop in on elderly neighbours during long deep freezes. This can ensure they’re safe, warm and have everything they need, he said.

People who spend long hours in the cold, such as outside workers or the homeless, are more susceptible to hypothermia. Overexposure to cold temperatures can result in severe injury, public health warns.

People at greatest risk from cold injuries also includes infants, the elderly, recreation enthusiasts and people who consume excessive alcohol.

If people must be outside, public health recommends wearing several layers of clothing and making sure that the outer layer protects against wind and wetness.

Cover exposed skin (with hats, mitts, face mask) to protect against frostbite.

Drink warm fluids that do not contain caffeine or alcohol, to prevent dehydration. Avoid strenuous outdoor exercise during cold periods and try to maintain an indoor heated temperature of above 20 C, they recommend, hypothermia can occur indoors when temperatures are 16 C (61 F) or lower.

Utilities Kingston is cautioning residents to keep their gas meters and their gas-powered furnace and water heater exhaust vents clear of ice and snow.

With bone-chilling cold and the first severe winter storm of the year, the public utility, along with the city and the fire department are reminding residents about some of the steps they should take to help themselves, and their neighbours make it through.

The city is reminding homeowners and businesses that they should keep driveways and sidewalks in front of their properties clear of snow and ice. And they should thank neighbours who help out by nominating them as Snow Angels at the city’s website.

Businesses, in particular, are reminded that they must remove ice and snow — including rooftop snow, ice or icicles hazardous to pedestrians — “as soon as is practicable, bu,t in any event, not later than 12 hours after the end of the precipitation that caused the snow and ice.” Failing to do so could result in a fine of up to $5,000 and a bill for the cleanup costs.

The city is also reminding drivers and pedestrians that snowplow drivers have limited visibility even in clear weather.

Drivers are urged to keep three car lengths behind plows and assume the drivers don’t see them. Pedestrians, too, are urged to keep their distance from snowplows and not to play on or tunnel into roadside snowbanks.

Garbage and recycling should be placed where it can be seen and collected safely but not on top of snowbanks. If residents have to put their items on a snowbank, they are encouraged to build a shelf into the bank where garbage bins and recycling boxes can be place.

Kingston Fire and Rescue is also asking residents to keep any fire hydrants and fire department connections visible and free of ice and snow.

The fire department is also reminding people to keep fire escapes, exit doors and other emergency exit points clear.

Over this past weekend, Kingston Police responded to 29 collisions, 15 of which came in a 24-hour period. Gutheinz said that the cold doesn’t excuse anyone from leaving the scene of a collision. If the incident is within the city, emergency services should arrive within minutes and can provide a warm place it stay during the initial investigation.

In addition to a cellphone charger, Gutheinz recommended that everyone should have an emergency preparedness kit in their vehicles in case they’re in a collision in a remote area. The kit can be purchased or homemade. The kits should include a blanket, water, a light, a flare or candles, a non-perishable snack, and other items to keep a person warm and comfortable.

The Pita Pit restaurant chain, which was founded in Kingston almost 25 years ago and has its corporate headquarters here, is teaming up with a western Ontario licensed marijuana grower to open cannabis dispensary franchises across Canada.

But Chris Fountain, the chief executive officer of Pita Pit, wants to make it clear that cannabis or cannabis-related products will not be sold in any of their restaurants and no Pita Pit branding will be associated with the new venture.

“We’re providing retail services,” Fountain said during an exclusive interview with the Whig-Standard on Wednesday.

Pita Pit is a leader in franchising stores internationally, with 600 stores in 12 countries worldwide.

It has 230 stores in Canada with eight in Kingston, including one at Richardson Stadium open during university football games.

As part of the deal, Pita Pit is helping WeedMD with operations in Strathroy and Aylmer, Ont., get off the ground.

“They wanted to franchise under a new brand called Pioneer Cannabis and didn’t have the franchise expertise and they asked us,” Fountain said. “We’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s something that we’re stretching our legs a little bit.

“We’re doing it fully through a third-party, separate company, so it’s not Pita Pit doing it for them. We’re providing the expertise and setting them up to be able to franchise.”

“This is a very capital-efficient partnership whereby we leverage our individual expertise into the cannabis space,” WeedMD chief executive Keith Merker said on Monday.

Pioneer Cannabis will help clients open and operate marijuana retail stores through services such as identifying locations, applying for the necessary licences, and advising on security procedures, point-of-sale merchandising, payment systems, marketing and training.

“So we’re part of it, but not Pita Pit direct,” Fountain said. “We’re really keeping it separate from Pita Pit. Pita Pit is our baby and we have a lot of growth around the world and a lot of exciting things happening with it.”

Pita Pit recently opened two new stores in Ireland and has locations about to open in Sweden and may have some stores up and running in Qatar sometime before the 2022 World Cup of Soccer.

WeedMD will own a 9.9 per cent stake of Pioneer Cannabis stores in provinces such as Ontario — one of six provinces to allow private retailers — where licensed producers are restricted to owning less than 10 per cent of dispensaries.

“Pioneer brings an opportunity to those entrepreneurs interested in joining the cannabis industry but who may not have the financial backing or the operational experience to pursue opening their own retail cannabis store,” Pioneer Cannabis president Kristie Smith, a former senior executive with Pita Pit, said in a statement.

“Through this collaboration of established Canadian companies, we are paving the way for small businesses to participate in the emerging retail cannabis space that will promote local economic growth and opportunities.”

Fountain said Pioneer Cannabis wasn’t one of the 25 companies that were chosen on Monday to apply for one of the first cannabis retail licences in Ontario.

More retail licences for Ontario will be issued in December, though no other details have been provided.

“From our perspective,” Fountain said, “we fully support the company to be an ethical, responsible steward of the community and have a positive impact on the communities through education and outreach.”

– with Postmedia Network files

imacalpine@postmedia.com

twitter.com/IanMacAlpine

City seeks volunteer advisers for committees

The City of Kingston is looking to the community for volunteers as three city advisory committees are looking for new members to help provide informed advice on things around town.

The advisory committees are: Heritage Kingston, the Rural Advisory Committee, and the Planning Advisory Working Group– First Peoples representative.

“Those interested in serving must be 18 years or older, a resident/business owner in Kingston, and be either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, a person who has been given permanent resident status by immigrating to Canada but is not a Canadian Citizen, and has resided in Kingston for at least one year,” as stated in the release.

Apply by Feb. 8 at 4:30 p.m. online at www.CityofKingston.ca/Committees or in person to the city clerk’s office at City Hall, 216 Ontario St.

Help the City rename the municipal portion of Highway 15

A city open house is set for Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. at the fire station at 211 Gore Rd. to get public input on renaming the city-owned portion of Highway 15 between Highway 2 and Highway 401.

The community is being invited to “provide feedback on candidate road names, which have been preselected in consultation with internal city staff, including local emergency service providers.” Everyone will also get the chance to provide other road name suggestions that uphold the road naming conventions in the city’s civic addressing and road naming bylaw.

“Highway 15 is a major artery in the east end of the city — an area that has changed a great deal over the past decade,” Paige Agnew, director of planning, building and licensing, said. “We hope east-enders and other interested residents will come out to offer feedback on the proposed road renaming.”

For those unable to attend the open house, a list of possible names, as well as a place to suggest a name, will be available online at GetInvolved.CityofKingston.ca.

City seeks input on changes to allow second residential units

The community is being asked for online feedback about a “number of changes to the proposed official plan and zoning bylaw amendments that would allow second residential units — separate apartments in or detached from the principal home — to be created citywide.”

“These changes are, ultimately, about creating more affordable housing in an appropriate way,” Andrea Furniss, senior planner with the city, said. “Second residential units, such as basement apartments or in-law suites, are a great way to create affordable housing. They give homeowners who create them an income to help with their mortgages and also increase the rental supply in the market.”

Anyone interested in creating second residential units, or “in how they are incorporated into neighbourhoods, can weigh in on the proposed amendments at GetInvolved.CityofKingston.ca until Monday, Feb. 4.”

It would require amending the city’s official plan to allow authorizing secondary residential units across Kingston, as well as “all five of the principle zoning bylaws that regulate building in Kingston, along with bylaws 3077 and 8402.”

The proposed bylaw changes are available online at www.CityofKingston.ca/Projects.

A deal worked out between the Tett Centre and the owners of the Juniper Cafe would see the cafe’s lease extended for three months.

The proposed agreement, worked out on Friday, would also have the Tett Centre’s search for a replacement operator of the cafe postponed to give the current owners a chance to find a buyer.

The current cafe owners’ lease was set to expire at the end of January, and last week they took to social media to gather public support.

The current owners, Amber Thom and Jamie Hodges, wrote in emails and social media posts that they were being treated unfairly by the Tett Centre management.

A report to be presented to city council Tuesday night outlines the steps that led up to last week’s drama.

The proposed agreement, if accepted by both sides, is similar to an offer made in the fall of last year that was turned down by the Juniper’s owners.

The Juniper Cafe’s initial lease was between Sept. 1, 2015, and July 31, 2017.

During that first lease, discrepancies about rent that had either not been invoiced or paid, complaints about the air conditioning and garbage collection had to be worked out before a lease extension was signed for Aug. 1, 2017, to Jan. 31, 2019.

But last August, the Juniper’s owners told the Tett Centre that they no longer wanted to operate the cafe and were looking for a buyer to take over the lease.

With six months left in the lease and the current owners wanting out, the board of the Tett Centre decided to issue a request for proposals for the contract to run the cafe.

The RFP was put on hold when the Juniper’s owners came forward with a potential buyer. The board of the Tett Centre offered a three-month extension to give them time to negotiate the sale of the cafe.

After initially agreeing to the offer, Thom and Hodges a few days later declined it and continue to look for a buyer.

In November, with time running out on the current lease, the Tett board started the RFP process again on the condition that if the Juniper’s owners could find a new buyer, the process could be put on hold.

At that time, the three-month extension offer was still on the table.

Shortly after, the cafe’s owners let the Tett board know they had found a new buyer, but no offer materialized so the RFP issued in early January.

This initial stage of the process, the expression of interest, found two potential buyers. 

They were joined by the potential buyer who had been in discussions with the cafe owners and the Tett Centre in October and November. That person withdrew from the process shortly after.

After the dispute went public last week, Thom and Hodges put forward a request that, in their report to council, Lanie Hurdle, commissioner of community services, and Peter Huigenbos, director real estate and environmental Initiatives, wrote “is quite similar to the process that the Tett Board tried to facilitate with the Juniper Cafe and a new owner in the fall of 2018.”

CANADIAN BLOOD SERVICES: Donors needed. Blood donor clinic at 850 Gardiners Rd., Unit B, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Book your appointment at blood.ca or call 1-888-2DONATE.

WALK ON: A free, drop-in volunteer-led indoor walking program offered at six sites in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington from November to March: Invista Centre and Memorial Centre, Perth Road Public School, Napanee District Secondary School, La Salle Secondary School, and Rideau Heights Community Centre. For the full schedule, go online to www.kflaph.ca/en/clinics-and-classes/Walk-On.aspx or call 613-549-1232, ext. 1180.

BRIDGE CLUB: Games seven days a week at 12:30 p.m. Short game $5 at The Bridge Centre, 645 Gardiners Rd. For more information, go online to bridgewebs.com/kdbc, or call 613-384-0888 for a partner.

MORNING FITNESS CLASSES AT CROSSROADS: Tuesdays Seniors Fitness 8:15 to 9 a.m.; Zumba 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Classes taught by certified instructors. Cost is a goodwill offering each class. No need to register. Classes are open to all ages and fitness levels. We are located at 690 Sir John A. Macdonald Blvd. For more information, go online to www.crossroadsunited.ca.

RIDEAU TRAIL CLUB OF KINGSTON: Full Moon Walk. Level 1, easy pace, about four kilometres. Depart Lake Ontario Park at the Pavillion at 7 p.m. Leader is Audrey 613-384-6244.

VISUAL PARADISE 2019: Presented by Creative Arts Focus program, A gallery exhibit of Fine Art and Design at 274 Princess St. The event runs to Jan. 27. Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 613-540-4134.

55-PLUS FITNESS: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 a.m., to March 28 at Chalmers United Church, 212 Barrie St. Healthy hearts, healthy weight program, strength, stretch. $5 per class. For more information, contact Can Fit Pro Trainer 613-888-8922, www.fitnesswithjill.ca or email Fitnesswithjill@hotmail.com.

FINANCIAL LITERACY: Presentations will take place at 7 p.m., at Kingston Frontenac Public Library’s Calvin Park Branch, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Isabel Turner Branch. Both presentations will be the same. There is no admission charge. These talks are open to all adults, but seating is limited. To avoid disappointment, register in advance. Register at events.kfpl.ca (or by phone at 613-549-8888).

SENIORS 50-PLUS YEARS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FITNESS: Walk, dance, sing and move with us to your favourite rock ‘n’ roll beats on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Stimulate brain, balance, agility, and strength through age-appropriate, stimulating exercises, created to prevent injury. Class starts at 9:30 a.m. Free demos at west-end fitness studio. For more information, call Dee 613-389-6540.

BEREAVED FAMILIES OF ONTARIO: Join Us for Mourning Coffee Support Group at 10 a.m.; After Suicide Grief Support Group at 6:30 p.m. Both at 993 Princess St., Unit 14.

EUCHRE: 1 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 560. All welcome.

FUNFIT AEROBICS: Classes every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Registration for New Year’s sessions which take place at the Edith Rankin Memorial United Church. Everyone welcome anytime. For more information, call Janice at 384-3181 or funfit4you@cogeco.ca.

INDOOR ARCHERY: Tuesday and Thursday evenings 7-9 p.m. to April. We offer target archery, fun shoots and the Canbow program for juniors. We welcome ages eight-plus, teens, adults, seniors, novices and pros in all styles of archery. Non-members are welcome to drop in and shoot for a $10 walk-in fee. Personal archery equipment is required for club evenings and walk-ins. For more information or to join, contact us at info@kingstonarcheryclub.org and check us out on the web at kingstonarcheryclub.org where online membership is available.

VON FOOT CARE: Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1469 Princess St., Kingston. For more information, call 613-634-0130, ext. 2303.

GOOD GRACES CAFE: Tuesdays from 9-11:30 a.m. at Grace Hall, Grace Social Activity, 4295 Stagecoach Rd., Sydenham. Come on in and meet, talk, play cards, read, or just linger with a hot coffee and a freshly baked muffin. Cold beverages and light snacks are available as well.

SOCIAL CLUB: Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to noon at Grace Social Activity, 4295 Stagecoach Rd., Sydenham. Love the game of euchre? Come join one of our tables. Lots of fun and laughter.

EXERCISE CLASS: Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. at Maple Ridge Apartments, Sydenham. Open to the public.

SAVVY KNITTING: 5:30–6:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Deseronto Public Library, 358 Main St. Join us for a knitting group. You do not need to know how to knit to come. We’ll teach you. For more information, call 613-396-2744.

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Submit information for the Community Listings a minimum of 14 days before the date of publication to KingstonEvents@sunmedia.ca. Include a brief description of the event, location (with the address), time and the name and phone number of the person submitting the information, within the body of the email. Weekly or repeating listings need to be resubmitted each month.

The Kingston Police Services Board convened for the first time in 2019 with a new pair of chiefs at the table and a new member of city council on the other side of the roundtable.

Chief Antje McNeely was joined by Deputy Chief Chris Scott on Thursday at the meeting to take on a jam-packed agenda. One of the items on the agenda was the reappointment of Mayor Bryan Paterson and the appointment of Coun. Jeff McLaren to the board.

“Welcome, we’re really happy that you’re here,” said the also reappointed chair of the board, Andrea Risk. “There can be a steep learning curve, but it’s an important board to be on and you have lots of folks here that can help and answer questions.”

•

Kingston Police Force received a $656,406 grant from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services in mid-December. It is only the first instalment of the grant, which in the end will be $950,581. Police had hoped to receive the 2018-2019 Policing Effectiveness and Modernization Grant earlier last year, but it, and many other grants, were put on hold as the provincial government reviews ministry expenditures.

John Howes, director of finance for the Kingston Police, confirmed that the force also received $718,996 for two Court Security Prisoner Transport grants.

•

There were two reports presented to the board by the two chiefs, one of which states that the Collection of Identifying Information in Certain Circumstances (CIICC) regulation was used zero times by Kingston Police officers. CIICC came into effect Jan. 1, 2018, in an effort to stop carding.

The other report was from Scott, who presented the number of public complaints they’d received against their officers in 2018. There were 29 complaints against Kinston Police officers: 21 for discreditable conduct, five for unnecessary use of force, two for poor service provided, and one was submitted but the complaint wasn’t specified. Most of the complaints have been resolved, but three are still being investigated. The report to the board states they should be resolved by the end of February.

The report also states that there are two matters still waiting a Police Services Act hearing date. They relate to two separate officers’ conducts in 2016 and 2017.

•

There were seven motions for the board to vote on. All were passed unanimously.

One such motion that passed without question was renting two horses — Murney and Donovan — for the Kingston Police Mounted Unit from January 2019 to Dec. 31, 2021. The animals are leased from former Kingston Police officers Brad Wicklam and Deb Wicklam. This year the lease will cost the force $33,620 to cover day-to-day care, maintenance costs, feed, accommodation, hoof care and shoeing, veterinarian services and training.

The board also agreed to appoint five new individuals as officers. They are Stacey Alarie, Jay Waller, Kyle Melrose-Stenman, Luc Deschamps and Michelle Miller, whose father is also on the force. They started on the job on Jan. 2. The hires were offset by the retirement of Sgt. Paul Brule, Sgt. Rob Rice and Const. Greg Harbec, all of whom have been with the force for 30 years or more. Civilian member Karen Deano also retired. She’d been with the service for 29 years.

•

The force received a date to present it 2019 budget to city council. It will be presented to council on Jan. 29. The $38,276,846 budget was presented to the board in mid-November. It asks for a proposed increase of $952,267 or 2.55 per cent over 2018.

scrosier@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/StephattheWhig

While information about the airplane flying over the city is still largely unknown, one local aircraft enthusiast has parted the clouds and shed a little light on the mystery.

When Neil Aird, a member of the international flight-tracking organization Flightradar24, heard the plane but couldn’t see it, he needed to know more.

“I’m attuned to airplanes, and the first time I heard it was on the Friday night [Jan. 4],” Aird said. “It was cold, starry nigh,t but I put my head out the window and I could hear it but I couldn’t see it.”

Aird initially thought it could have been a drone, but when he looked on his personal radar, he said he saw “C-GMPB PC-12” the call sign of the RCMP’s Pilatus PC-12.

Aird said the Swiss-made, single-engine turbo prop passenger and cargo plane is popular for its ability to stay in the air for a long time … as Kingstonians know.

“They’re a good, reliable aircraft, but a bit noisy,” Aird said.

A Pilatus website states that the plane’s maximum range is 1,845 nautical miles and it is used around the world for surveillance, as an air ambulance, in search and rescue and as simple transport. Ornge Air Ambulance owns eight PC-12s — four in operation, four on standby — at three of its bases in northern Ontario.

Aird said the plane is usually “loitering” at about 6,000 to 7,000 feet.

“As an aircraft enthusiast, not being able to see the plane but constantly hear it really is annoying,” Aird laughed. “It took me a while to get [the photo]. When I took that picture, I was actually looking for another aircraft, a [Bombardier] Dash 8, but then it flew across my binoculars and I thought: ‘Aha! Gotcha.’”

The Pilatus PC-12 that has been “loitering” over Kingston for more than two weeks was captured on camera on Jan. 13 by local aircraft enthusiast Neil Aird. (Neil Aird/Supplied Photo)

While based on its altitude, Aird can’t believe the plane wouldn’t have taken off at the City of Kingston’s Norman Rogers Airport, Rick Reed, manager of the airport, told the Whig-Standard last week that it hadn’t. Communications at the city said they were instructed to direct any inquiries to the RCMP.

The RCMP would only provide the following statement:

“The RCMP’s primary concern is the safety and security of Canadians. We have multiple aircraft that support our mandate in Ontario and elsewhere in the country. To maintain the integrity of our investigations and operations, the location of our aircraft is not disclosed. We therefore have no additional information to share with you at this time.”

For the record, the Whig-Standard reached out to a number of official agencies even after hearing this from the RCMP. This was done because while the city has directed inquiries to the RCMP, technically that provided statement does not directly state that the national police force owns, operates or is even aware the plane in question.

The Ontario Provincial Police, Correctional Service Canada and Canadian Forces Base Trenton all confirmed that the plane was not theirs. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service wouldn’t say anything in its email correspondence other than to listen to the city and contact the RCMP.

A spokesperson from Transport Canada said they haven’t received any information about the “alleged aircraft,” but added that in order to receive more information, the Whig-Standard should reach out to the RCMP.

scrosier@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/StephattheWhig