A self-identified car enthusiast who tried to sidestep an accident report and then compounded the error by fleeing police will have to spend a couple of months’ worth of weekends in lockup and a year and a half without his own wheels.

Azaad Merwar, 27, pleaded guilty in Kingston’s Ontario Court of Justice to charges from mid-December of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police, plus a violation of probation imposed by a Brampton Court just 19 days earlier that forbid him having contact with a particular woman.

He was given enhanced credit on 38 days of pretrial custody, sentenced to a further 35 days of intermittent jail on weekends, and is prohibited from driving for 18 months.

Merwar initially drew the interest of Kingston Police, according to Crown attorney Ross Drummond, when a complaint was received from the owner of a Ford Escape shortly before 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 17. The man reported that his car had been struck by a Mazda that simply drove off, but the aggrieved Ford owner had taken down the offending vehicle’s licence number, Justice Larry O’Brien was told.

Drummond said patrol constables were on the lookout for Merwar and his Mazda when one of them spotted the vehicle, eastbound on Union Street at Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard.

Drummond said the officer attempted to pull over Merwar, but instead of stopping he increased speed and ran the red light, continuing on through the centre of Queen’s University’s campus to Barrie Street.

There, the judge was told, Merwar turned south on Barrie Street to King Street, with the cruiser tailing behind, and continued on at high speed through the stop lights at Johnson, Brock, Princess and Queen streets. Drummond told Justice O’Brien that Merwar then crossed the LaSalle Causeway, turned north on Highway 15 and drove to Sandhill Road, where he turned east on County Road 32, at which point Kingston Police broke off pursuit and alerted Ontario Provincial Police.

The OPP eventually located him on County Road 32, north of Gananoque, at approximately 4 a.m. and arrested him.

Merwar’s lawyer, Kevin Dunbar, told the judge his client’s guilty plea was an indication of his remorse, and he urged a sentence of time served or, if jail was inevitable, an intermittent sentence Merwar could serve on weekends He told the judge that his client has received an offer of employment at a family-run business in Brampton.

Dunbar was less successful, however, in convincing Justice O’Brien not to increase the length of his client’s driving prohibition.

Drummond urged a two-year loss of licence, arguing that Merwar drove through the one part of Kingston, Queen’s campus, where it was a virtual surety there would be pedestrians on the street at that hour.

Dunbar recommended his client’s wheels be taken away for no more than one year. Merwar told the judge he’s been a car enthusiast since he was 12.

Splitting the difference on the driving ban, Justice O’Brien chastized Merwar for putting peoples’ lives in jeopardy driving the way he did through the core of the city.

“When the lights went on from police,” he told the 27-year-old, “the light should have gone on in your head.”

And when the impulse to flee from police arises, the judge suggested, “The message needs to be you don’t do that.”

syanagisawa@postmedia.com

The Kingston teenager arrested in Kingston on terrorism charges on Jan. 24 remains in custody at a youth detention centre more than a week after his arrest. But the boy’s lawyer, Doug Caldwell, and Crown prosecutor Pierre Lapointe of the public prosecution service of Canada indicated during his video appearance in bail court on Monday that they might be in a position next week to set a date for his bail hearing.

The 16-year-old, who can’t be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with facilitating a terrorist activity between Dec. 20 last year and Jan. 22 this year and with counselling someone during that same period to deliver, place, discharge or detonate an explosive or other lethal device with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm — that act not having been carried out.

It’s anticipated that the youth’s bail hearing will require more than one day to complete and will consequently have to be scheduled as a special extended proceeding. A publication ban is already in place, however, on all evidence and submissions that will eventually be made at his bail hearing, as well as on any reasons given for its outcome. That prohibition will remain in effect until such time as the boy’s charges have been disposed of at trial or by discharge.

syanagisawa@postmedia.com

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. Located at 690 Sir John A. Macdonald Blvd. For more information, go online to www.crossroadsunited.ca.

LADIES AUXILIARY GENERAL MEETING: 7:30 p.m. at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 560.

KINGSTON NEWCOMERS/ALUMNI CLUB: New to Kingston? Kingston Newcomers/Alumni Club meets monthly (January to May, September to November). Meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Kingston Citadel, 816 Centennial Dr. For more information, email contactus@kingstonnewcomers.org, or visit our website: kingstonnewcomers.org.

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.

THE KINGSTON HEIRLOOM QUILTERS: Welcomes new members. We meet from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. John’s Anglican Church Hall, 41 Church St. in Portsmouth Village. Guests are welcome. Bring a lunch and enjoy the company of fellow quilters throughout the day. Learn to quilt or improve your skills in a friendly, relaxed group. For further information, visit our web site at www.quiltskingston.org.

YOUNG AT HEART SENIORS BRIDGE CLUB: Drop-in social bridge group is seeking new members. Basic knowledge of bridge is necessary to participate. Weekly meetings on Tuesdays at 12:45 p.m. at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 560, 734 Montreal St. For more information, call Ann at 613-634-8144 or Merilyn at 613-634-7711.

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.

T.L.T.I. GROUP FITNESS CLASSES: Tuesdays Body Blast and Thursdays Cardio Boxfit. Join anytime as classes are continuous. $7 drop-in rate; one time per week, $50; two times per week, $80. For beginners or advanced participants. Open to men and women and held at the Lansdowne Community Building from 6-7 p.m. Find us on Facebook under Group Fitness Classes-Lansdowne Community Building. For more information, contact the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands recreation department at 613-659-2415 or go online to www.leeds1000islands.ca.

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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Ontario Provincial Police have accused a Kingston man of failing to remain at three collisions he was involved in last Thursday evening.

The OPP said in a news release that at about 6:45 p.m., officers from the Frontenac detachment responded to several complaints of an erratic driver on Highway 401 near Highway 15. Officers found the vehicle and determined that the driver had been involved in several collisions that he did not stop for.

Sean Ivall, a 38-year-old from Kingston, has been charged with three counts of failing to remain at the scene of a collision and one count of dangerous driving.

Ivall was released on a promise to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Kingston on Feb. 28.

Belleville woman charged criminally after collision

A Belleville woman is facing a criminal charge after Ontario Provincial Police were called to a single-vehicle collision early Saturday morning.

Napanee OPP responded to the collision on Kennelly Road in Tyendinaga Township at about 2 a.m. The driver, a Belleville woman, was the only person in the vehicle and she was not injured.

As a result of their investigation, the OPP have charged 38-year-old Danielle Kim Lucas with failure or refusal to comply with a breath demand. She is scheduled for court in Napanee on Feb. 19.

Kingston Police have arrested and charged a 30-year-old Brockville man who they accuse of driving the getaway vehicle connected to a shooting in Kingston last week.

At about 3:20 a.m. on Jan. 29, three masked men entered an apartment building on Fraser Street in Kingston carrying two firearms. They approached one of the apartments and banged on the door demanding cash.

When the occupants didn’t answer, the men left the building but then fired several shots at the apartment’s windows. Inside slept two adults and two children.

On Friday evening, Kingston Police and Brockville Police executed a search warrant at an apartment at 44 Central St. in Brockville. There they located two of the men involved and evidence pertaining to the case.

Arrested at the scene were 53-year-old Everett Timothy Telgen of Brockville and 31-year-old Jeffrey Burtch of Perth. Police have charged them with two counts of attempt murder, four counts of reckless discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, having their face disguised to commit an offence, breaking and entering, and breaching their probation. Telgen was also charged with three counts of possession of a firearm while prohibited.

On Monday, investigators identified the driver of the three men’s getaway vehicle. He was found at about 2:25 p.m. leaving his vehicle on Delhi Street in Brockville. He was arrested and, during a search, officers found crack cocaine and crystal meth.

Police have identified the man as 30-year-old Joseph Ferguson of Brockville. They’ve charged him with attempted robbery, attempted break and enter, two counts of attempted murder, four counts of reckless discharge of a firearm, and using a firearm to commit an offence, in relation to the incident of Jan. 29. He has also been charged by police with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Investigators are still searching for the third man who entered the Fraser Street apartment building carrying a camouflaged shotgun. He can be seen in surveillance photos released by police. He is the heavyset man wearing blue jeans and a grey hoodie.

Anyone with information about the incident or the whereabouts of the third man is asked to contact either Det. Scott Huffman by calling 613-549-4660, ext. 6322, or email shuffman@kingstonpolice.ca, or Det. Jim Veltman at 613-549-4660, ext. 6300, or email jveltman@kingstonpolice.ca.

Tips can be provided anonymously by calling 613-549-4660 and asking to remain so or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

A Kingston Transit driver had to take matters into his own hands Monday evening after Kingston Police say a passenger assaulted him.

Police said that at about 7 p.m. a man started to cause a disturbance on a city bus travelling east on Princess Street. The driver saw the man standing at the back of the bus being loud and menacing towards other passengers while pretending to throw punches at an older man.

Fearing for the safety of his passengers the driver pulled the bus over onto the shoulder east of Midland Avenue. The driver shouted back to the man that he would have to exit the bus if he continued his behaviour.

The man then stormed to the front of the bus and began swearing at the driver. As the driver tried to lure him off the bus, the man became violent and struck the driver in the back of the head. Police were called as the driver managed to get the man off the bus. Once outside the driver wrestled the man to the ground.

The driver and another passenger then held the man there as police arrived.

A 29-year-old local man was charged by police with causing disturbance by being intoxicated, and assault. He was later released with a future date in court.

The City of Kingston said the driver was uninjured during the incident and completed the rest of his shift.  The man has been banned from Kingston Transit indefinitely.

Spencer Evans is begging whoever took his clarinet from his John Street front porch in Kingston on Sunday to return it. He’s offering a cash reward. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

A Kingston musician is mourning the theft of his lifelong musical instrument — and he’s hoping that it will be returned to him.

Spencer Evans had his clarinet stolen from his house porch on John Street in Kingston on Sunday evening. The instrument was in an old green canvas backpack that he set down and forgot about for approximately 30 minutes, Evans said.

Spencer Evans, centre, is seen playing his now-missing clarinet at Breakwater Park on July 28. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

The clarinet was one that he purchased during his music studies at Queen’s University.

While the instrument wouldn’t be considered extremely valuable monetarily, it holds a lifetime of memories for Evans.

He described painstakingly “working in” the clarinet when he first bought it in university, playing for five minutes per day for a week and working up to an hour to ensure the clarinet would serve him for many years to come.

It did. It’s toured the world with Evans, it appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno with Evans, and it’s been in some interesting situations.

“I remember taking it to New Orleans to Jazz Fest and dancing to Santana, Little Richard, holding my clarinet to my chest, and up to my knees in mud. I couldn’t put it down, I had to clutch it to my body the whole time … [the case] came back to my apartment caked with mud, but the clarinet inside was fine.”

The instrument is not only an embodiment of Evans’ musical experiences and memories, it is a conduit for his musical expression.

“It means more to me than any other instrument, any other thing I’ve ever owned,” he said. “Nothing else that I’ve ever had in 33 years has meant more to me than this clarinet. … I’ve always had it. I can’t even imagine the thousands of hours that I’ve played that clarinet.”

The word “sentimental” doesn’t cover the breadth of the instrument’s meaning for Evans.

“That’s such a trite word, like a knick-knack you’ve been carrying around. … This is just a very organic connection, when you’ve had this instrument as a baby, as a brand new thing. It has taken you through all of your studies at Queen’s, explorations in jazz to big-time gigs and travels. It’s a part of my history. It’s a part of me, an extension of me.”

It hasn’t been coddled, but it’s served him well.

“I’ve left it behind places, in bars, cars, everything,” he said. “I’ve played it in terrible weather conditions that it shouldn’t have been played in.”

Years ago he took it to a local instrument repairman for his opinion on its condition.

“I was worried about it. I was playing it in bars and I was eating and drinking, and there were different humidity levels, playing on boats, getting bashed on tour, being in the back of cold cars. He said, ‘Don’t worry, that bloody clarinet will outlive you by 100 years.’”

Evans is playing gigs now with a borrowed clarinet.

“It sounded like me playing clarinet. No one would know that it wasn’t my clarinet. I would be the only person,” he said. “It just doesn’t feel the same. I don’t feel the same.”

Evans is advertising a $100 reward — with a $50 top-up from a donor to make the cash reward $150 — but says it’s “negotiable.” He hopes that someone will knock on his door or call his phone and give it back, but he is worried that the thief may have opened the bag, seen the instrument as nothing useful, and discarded it.

“I really, really hope that the universe is with me on this,” he said, admitting desperation. “I’ll hand over whatever money they want. Maybe they won’t even care about the money. They’ll definitely get a free clarinet concert on me.”

Anyone with information can contact Spencer Evans at 613-547-9645.

mbalogh@postmedia.com

Don Tubb moves a flock of Topsy Farms sheep on their way to a new autumn pasture on Amherst Island in 2012. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

Ontario farmers are optimistic about new changes to the provincial program that compensates them for livestock lost to wildlife.

The Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program provides money to farmers whose livestock, poultry or bee colonies have been killed or injured as a result of wildlife predation or damage.

The program is part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

While details are yet to be fully outlined, a news release from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) says that updates to the program will now allow farmers more ways to provide sufficient evidence to prove wildlife predation, a more transparent and independent appeal process, better training for municipal investigators, and compensation that better reflects market prices.

“With these changes, our government is addressing farmers’ concerns and helping them deal with losses beyond their control,” Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ernie Hardeman said in a written statement. “Reducing unnecessary red tape and providing farmers with the tools they need to stay in business is one of the ways we are supporting those who feed our province.”

Marc Carere is the chair for the Ontario Sheep Farmers (OSF) board of directors. He said that in 2017, changes to the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program left many livestock producers in the province feeling unable to properly access compensation for animals killed by wildlife predators.

Part of the issue was the transfer of some power away from municipally located evaluators — who are now called inspectors — so that they had less input after investigating a local farmer’s loss.

“Even though they were the ones that went on-site and were supposed to be the experts, their opinion wasn’t really taken into account with the previous program changes [in 2017],” Carere said in a phone interview on Monday. “With these new changes, the inspectors, their opinions will be taken into consideration.”

Carere also said that many legitimate claims were denied because they didn’t meet unrealistic requirements.

“The standard of proof became so high it was almost insurmountable,” Carere said. “Beyond that, everything went to a central desk to someone in an office somewhere and information was put in front of them to evaluate. If they felt there was not sufficient evidence, if you disputed it, it was very difficult to get through that process, really difficult to protest.”

Carere said the updated dispute resolution methods will hopefully improve that process.

He is pleased with the updates and said that they have come on the heels of a lot of consultation with those working in the industry and with organizations that represent Ontario farmers.

“They have listened,” he said. “They recognize that the changes made in 2017 made the program really ineffective. It got to the point where producers weren’t even bothering to claim, because they felt so frustrated with it. This was identified to [OSF] shortly after the summer of 2017, and we’ve been working closely with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Beef Farmers of Ontario since.”

In a written statement, Beef Farmers of Ontario president Joe Hill said his organization is happy with the improvements.

“In particular, we would like to thank Minister Hardeman for taking swift action to find solutions to many of the concerns raised by BFO, the Ontario Sheep Farmers, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture,” Hill said. “We are confident that the province’s commitment to continuous improvement will enable the implementation of solutions for our outstanding issues with the program, and with all programs important to Ontario beef farmers.”

Predation on livestock farms in Ontario is a growing problem for many farmers across the region. Carere said that despite their best efforts to protect flocks, the extent of loss that some sheep farmers in Ontario are facing has caused them to leave the industry entirely.

“This is a significant enough issue that some people will leave the industry over it,” he said. “It can be devastating.”

The compensation program isn’t insurance against loss, but it is a bit of assurance that the narrow profit margins farmers work within might not be completely ravaged by predation.

Jacob Murray is co-owner of Topsy Farms on Amherst Island, which keeps a flock of approximately 650 sheep out on pasture year-round. The flock is protected by wildlife fencing and six guard dogs, but still suffers losses each year.

He said the compensation program is important.

“The profit margins on agricultural businesses are so small to begin with that even a single animal loss to a predator really cuts into a farm’s ability to stay in business,” Murray said. “As long as it’s a government priority to have non-factory farms, family farms, then maintaining a good and fair compensation network is crucial.”

Murray said that while coyotes are always a predator of concern, in recent years they are losing lambs to ravens, which attack the eyes, brains and soft tissues to kill and maim young lambs.

While they have continued to have successful claims for coyote predation during the last year and a half of program changes, losses to ravens have not been covered by the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program.

“They don’t accept raven kills,” Murray said. “They have a really hard time processing those claims, and that’s our biggest complaint about the program. It’s something we hope will be improved in the future.”

Murray said that in the end, they stopped trying to get compensation for lambs lost to ravens, and that’s a problem, Carere said.

“[The government] would say, ‘We’re not getting claims.’ Well, claim numbers were down because the program stopped working. And if you don’t report, then it doesn’t reflect the level of predation that is happening,” Carere said.

Carere said ravens are a problem for more than just Topsy Farms.

“We’re hearing that they are becoming a bigger and bigger issue, as well as something called the black vulture, which kill to eat. These should get [covered], because it is predation. And we need to hear about these cases so we can arm ourselves with evidence.”

mbalogh@postmedia.com

City council voted to not support a portion of new provincial legislation that even the new government has promised to scrap before it becomes law.

Bill 66, the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, is a sweeping piece of legislation that would eliminate or amend existing laws across a dozen government ministries, including the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s Planning Act. 

The proposed bill would radically alter the zoning bylaw powers municipalities can wield the Planning Act.

On Jan. 23, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark wrote on social media that the section of Bill 66 containing changes to the Planning Act would be removed.

But until MPPs return to the legislature on Feb. 19 and the changes to Bill 66 are introduced, city staff still urged council to oppose them.

Clark announced the planned changes to the bill after strong opposition to the potential of development being allowed in the Greenbelt.

Portsmouth District Coun. Bridget Doherty had put forward a motion that would have required council to use the Bill 66 for “developments that pose no risk to the environment and have full support from the public.”

Doherty withdrew that motion but put forward an amendment that committed council to not support legislation that contravenes Clean Water Act, the Great Lakes Protection Act and the Cataraqui Source Protection Plan and opposes the Schedule 5 that reals the Toxics Reduction Act.

“It is our responsibility to protect source water,” she said. “It is our responsibility to protect our drinking water.”

Anastasia Lintner, a Kingston resident and environmental lawyer, spoke to council about her concerns with how the bill will affect the city’s effort to become more sustainable.

“It runs counter to our community’s goals,” Lintner said .

She said Bill 66 would allow the fast-tracking of developments that send the message that “we gain jobs at the expense of protecting the environment and drinking water.”

“I thought we were past that battle.”

Although the government has promised to remove Schedule 10, Lintner said another part of the bill contains elements that will reduce environmental regulations.

Portsmouth District Coun. Bridget Doherty speaks on Tuesday about city council’s need to protect the environment. (Elliot Ferguson/The Whig-Standard)

Environmentalist Sarah Harmer said Bill 66 is part of a network of planned government changes that, together, would significantly degrade the province’s environmental protections.

Harmer cited Bill 66, along with the planned elimination of the Environment Commissioner’s Office and a review of the endangered species act.

“We need to understand the threats in Bill 66 that concerned so many of us are the same that we have with the endangered species act review,” she said.

The promised alterations to the bill did not prevent city staff from expressing their opinion of the proposed changes to the Planning Act.

“While the city supports economic development, staff believes that the changes proposed by the province do not appear to balance with the land use, citizen engagement and environmental protection objectives,” a report from acting chief administrative officer Lanie Hurdle and Paige Agnew, director of planning, building and licensing services, stated.

Under the new rules, municipalities, with the province’s permission, would be able to pass “open-for-business” planning bylaws in an effort to “remove planning barriers to expedite major business investments and speed up approvals.” 

The changes to the Planning Act proposed in the original draft of the bill include allowing public consultation at the discretion of the municipality, providing public notice only after the bylaw, removing the option of appealing planning decisions to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) but allowing the minister of municipal affairs and housing to intervene, and making planning decisions exempt from certain environmental protections.

Planning decisions for proposals that would create a certain number of jobs, in Kingston’s case 100, would get special consideration.

“The proposed open-for-business planning bylaw … has the potential to be contrary to the policy direction adopted by council in the city’s official plan,” the report stated, adding that it “weakens the democratic planning approvals process.”

City council approved the sale of two acres of municipally owned land on Wright Crescent to be used, in part, for affordable housing.

CJM Property Management Ltd. is to buy 1.3 acres of land for $925,000.

The remaining 0.7 acres — assessed to be worth about $500,000 — is to be transferred to the Kingston and Frontenac Housing Corporation for the construction of affordable housing.

CJM Property Management is expected to build a 120-unit building, up to six storeys tall, of market-price apartments.

Kingston and Frontenac Housing Corporation is expected to build a four-storey building with 40 affordable housing units.

The city bought the land in 2012 for $1 million as part of a policy to buy land specifically for affordable housing.

Last year, the property was reassessed at $1.6 million.

The CJM building is to including a mix of two-bedroom, one-bedroom, studio and ground-level townhouse units.

In 2014, Town Homes Kingston JM put forward a proposal to build two nine-storey buildings that would have included 35 affordable units.

In 2016, Town Homes Kingston received a commitment of $1.2 million to build 38 affordable housing units.

The demise of that Town Homes Kingston last year ended any chance of that agency building on the property, but CJM remained interested in building on the land.

Among the planned affordable units are 10 units that are to be relocated from Rideau Heights as part of the city’s efforts to move 100 affordable housing units to other areas of the city.

Two men have been charged after Kingston Police were called to assist CN Rail early Tuesday afternoon.

Police said in a news release that a CN service employee was called to the rail lines east of Findlay Station Road near Woodburn to investigate a disruption in train service. The disruption was called by issues with the signals. The CN worker discovered that several sections of wire had been cut and removed. The worker then discovered an empty vehicle parked next to a signal control building and called police.

At approximately 12:30 p.m., a Kingston Police canine unit arrived to investigate. The unit conducted a track that went for several hundred metres along the railway, then over a fence, through a wooded area, and across a large open field. The team then found two men hiding in a bush line.

Both men were arrested and taken to police headquarters.

A 56-year-old man and a 57-year-old man, both of Kingston, were jointly charged by police with mischief over $5,000, and theft.

Ontario Provincial Police won’t be laying any charges after two elderly women were involved in a physical altercation over a chair on Tuesday afternoon.

OPP officers from the Rideau Lakes detachment were called to investigate an assault at a long-term care facility about 1:15 p.m. When they arrived, the officers learned that there had been a physical dispute between a 79-year-old and an 86-year-old over a certain seat they both wanted to sit in during bingo.

The dispute led to a loud argument that prompted some of other residents in the room to become involved in the brawl. OPP said there were no reported serious injuries.

Former senator and longtime local MPP Bob Runciman has been appointed chairman of the St. Lawrence Parks Commission.

Ontario Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Michael Tibollo on Tuesday announced the appointment of Runciman, who begins his four-year term immediately.

The former senator said Wednesday he had expressed an interest in the position, which had been vacant for some time, and Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MPP Steve Clark suggested he apply.

“This is something I thought about years ago, actually, because I grew up around here,” added Runciman.

He has dealt with the parks commission many times over his career as an MPP, he added.

Runciman had yet to be briefed on the latest issues by the commission’s board and staff.

He plans to talk to MPPs along the St. Lawrence corridor, as well as economic development officials, and hopes he can find ways to enhance attendance at parks facilities.

While noting his new position is advisory rather than operational, Runciman would also like to see the parks commission hold more meetings that are open to the public.

“I think consultation and listening to people is going to be my first responsibility,” he added.

Runciman was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 1981.

He served as MPP for Leeds-Grenville for 29 years, during which time he held a number of cabinet positions including solicitor general, minister of correctional services, minister of consumer and commercial relations, minister of economic development and trade and minister of public safety and security.

He was appointed to the Senate in January 2010, where he served as Senator for Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes until August 2017.

“Senator Runciman is a recognized and respected leader with a long and distinguished career in public service. His leadership, knowledge and experience will be a great asset in promoting the St. Lawrence Parks Commission,” Tibollo said in a media release.

In a prepared statement, Clark, who is also minister of municipal affairs, welcomed the appointment, calling Runciman “the perfect choice” to lead the parks commission.

“No one understands our region better or the importance of (the) parks commission’s attractions in supporting our local tourism economy and quality of life,” said Clark.

The parks commission manages several recreational, cultural and heritage and tourism sites along 200 kilometres of the St. Lawrence River, including Upper Canada Village, Skywood Eco Adventure and Fort Henry.

Runciman becomes the latest parks commission chairman to have also had a political career.

Gord Brown served as the parks commission chairman before his entry into federal politics, while Jimmy Auld, who served as Leeds MPP, took on the role after his retirement from politics in 1981.

Don Irvine, who served as MPP for Carleton-Grenville and Grenville-Dundas in the 1970s, also chaired the commission.

Physicians in the radiation oncology clinic say their toolkit is finally complete, thanks to a new $3 million linear accelerator.

“Now that we have the matching machines and we have the whole tool set, we can really, really do everything that those tools can provide us,” Dr. John Schreiner, chief of medical physics at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario, said on Monday.

The accelerator is one of five at the centre located in Kingston General Hospital and was paid for by the province’s Cancer Care Ontario. It has been operating in the clinic since last November.

Schreiner said that acquiring the fifth machine has been in the works for many years. It means they’ve built up their “toolkit.” He explained that they’ve known about new features and potential treatment options for about five years but couldn’t use them until they had a matching TrueBeam machine in case something went wrong with the initial one.

“In the next few years I suspect that there will be a couple new treatment modalities, a couple new treatment sites, a couple of new ways that we’re treating sites that we’ve treated for many, many years,” Schreiner said. “We’ll just have the added ability to provide another alternative for the physician to pick what would be the best thing for the patient.”

One such enhanced treatment option was discovered when the clinic received its first TrueBeam in 2014. Schreiner explained that when treating cancer metastases in the brain, prior to utilizing a TrueBeam they were forced to treat the whole brain, often causing collateral damage because the cancer sites were so small.

When they received the first TrueBeam, they were able to start treating the tiny cancer sites individually with a fairly high dose of radiation, Schreiner said.

“It was quite a bit of physics work to make sure that we could do this on this device, and that we were doing it as well as it had to be done, and then working with the therapist to make sure that when the patients start coming on, that they’re treated exactly,” Schreiner said. “Now those treatments are nearly bread and butter.”

Approximately 120 patients from as far as Brighton, Bancroft and Prescott are treated in the radiation oncology clinic each day, but the new machine means fewer will be sent to Toronto or Ottawa. While patients may not notice the difference, Kit Tam, manager of radiation therapy at the centre, said it means better efficiency for staff.

“Instead of treating at 20 miles an hour, we’re now going to be treating at 120 miles an hour,” Schreiner said. “It’s a little nerve-racking for us because suddenly we’re going so fast, but at the same time it decreases the amount of time that the patient is on the table with radiation on.”

scrosier@postmedia.com

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The city’s biggest business group and a citizens organization supporting growth are among the groups supporting a planned highrise project in the city’s downtown.

As the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal hears arguments for and against Homestead Land Holdings’ plan to build two towers in the North Block, the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce and SPEAKingston have voiced support for the project.

“Kingston has experienced one of the lowest vacancy rates in Ontario in recent years as demand for residential housing has outstripped supply,” a news release from Karen Cross, executive director of the chamber of commerce, stated. “In order to position Kingston as the top destination in Ontario to live, work and do business, the chamber has and will continue to advocate in support of infrastructure projects that increase densification.”

The chamber supports development projects that are esthetically pleasing, respectful of the character of the area, likely to add to the vibrancy of the area, increase the availability of residential units, and likely to create a net positive economic impact. 

“The North Block building projects would add to the vibrancy of the entire downtown through a mixed-use approach, including increased commercial space in addition to much-needed residential space,” the chamber release stated.

The design that was accepted by the city late last summer included reduced heights and floor plates for both buildings and the addition of an art gallery as part of the podium of one of the buildings.

SPEAKingston, a collection of about 235 citizens and groups formed to promote “smart growth” in the city, also supports the project as a way to address Kingston’s record low rental vacancy rate of 0.6 per cent.

SPEAKingston has signed on as a participant at the LPAT tribunal.

Affordability and availability of housing are issues that the two towers could help alleviate, SPEAKingston added.

“With 400 new units to be built, hundreds of jobs created and approximately $1M of increased annual tax revenue, SPEAKingston believes that the short- and long-term investment value of this development is substantial,” the organization stated in a news release.

If approved, the project would greatly improve walkability in the area and turn vacant lands into properties that contribute to the city’s housing stock and its tax base, the SPEAKIngston release stated.

The roughly 380 residential units would increase the number of people living in the city centre, within walking distance of major employers, the organization’s release added.

“This development will see the reclaiming of two brownfield sites in an area that SPEAKingston believes meets the spirit and intent of the City of Kingston’s extensive North Block study and official plan,” it stated.

The LPAT hearing about the development is scheduled for this week and next week.

The Kingston Health Sciences Centre has received $6.8 million in funding from the province to make repairs and upgrades to infrastructure at the Kingston General Hospital and Hotel Dieu Hospital sites.

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care also has provided $450,000 in funding for the centre with an Exceptional Circumstance Project Grant.

The money for the Kingston hospitals is part of the $175 million the province is investing for upgrades and repairs at 128 hospitals across the province.

Lennox and Addington County General Hospital in Napanee will receive $703,566 to ensure its facilities continue to meet health codes and maintain a safe environment.

Christine Elliott, minister of Health and Long-Term Care, made the announcement recently at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa.

“The health and safety of patients and families is a priority for our government,” Elliott said in a news release. “That’s why we must make the necessary investments in our hospitals now, to ensure our providers have the facilities they need to continue to provide excellent quality care to patients. This funding will help ensure hospitals across Ontario are able to make the needed upgrades, improvements and maintenance so patients and families have access to reliable, quality care they expect and deserve.”

In Kingston, the funding will be used to complete 25 projects before the end of March. The majority of the work will be done at the two hospital sites, with several more projects taking place in some smaller satellite buildings.

Some of the health sciences centre’s projects include upgrades to air handling units in the Armstrong Wing at KGH and in the operating rooms at Hotel Dieu.

“These types of upgrades not only ensure that our staff, patients and families can remain comfortable and safe in our facilities, but also that our buildings are more energy efficient,” Ted Splinter, the centre’s director of facilities, said in the news release. “Once these projects are complete, when combined with work we’ve done over the past several years, we expect to save more than $800,000 per year in energy costs. These savings can then be directed back into patient care.”

These types of infrastructure upgrades have also reduced the centre’s carbon footprint by 14 per cent in recent years, the release said.

Other projects to be completed with the funding include stone refinishing on the Watkins and Connell wings and installing a new bulk oxygen system at KGH. The funding will also go toward the continued work to upgrade the fire alarm system at Hotel Dieu.

Funding also will be used to replace and/or upgrade some exterior doors at KGH and to purchase a second bulk oxygen tank at KGH.

Splinter said the funding would help ensure that staff is working in an environment that better meets their needs.

imacalpine@postmedia.com

twitter.com/IanMacAlpine

Nine teams of post-secondary students will be pitching their ideas to Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, city staff and community leaders on Friday morning for the Mayor’s Innovation Challenge.

This year’s challenge asked teams of students to submit proposals to address one challenge in two different streams.

The Dunin-Deshpande Smart Cities Stream challenged students to use the city’s open data portal, Open Data Kingston, to develop innovations to enhance the delivery of municipal services, and the Public Sector Innovation Stream challenged students to take on one of three specific challenges: engaging residents in long-term care, revitalizing public spaces and reducing carbon emissions.

The student teams will pitch their solutions to set challenges in council chambers from 9:30 a.m. to noon, followed by a reception in Memorial Hall. The winners will be announced at the reception between 12:15 and 1:15 p.m.

The winning team of the Dunin-Deshpande Smart Cities Stream will receive a four-month paid internship with the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre. The team will also be granted $4,000 in seed capital for its idea, along with access to the Queen’s Innovation Centre Summer Initiative program to accelerate the innovation.

Winners from the Public Sector Innovation Stream will receive a four-month paid internship with a municipal department with the City of Kingston. The team will also be awarded an operating budget of $10,000 to implement its idea and gain access to city resources and mentorship from city staff.

The winning team will also be exposed to a variety of other projects underway at the city, and an opportunity to build skills and gain invaluable government experience, applicable in any career.

imacalpine@postmedia.com

twitter.com/IanMacAlpine

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.

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.

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.

THE CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE: 7:30 p.m. at the Seniors Centre. Member Derek Sykes will speak on “Ulysses S. Grant in 60 Minutes.” Come and see how this can be done. For more information, www.cwrtkingston.org; email webmaster or phone 613-544-6802, Paul Van Nest, secretary.

BASKETBALL FOR THE AGELESS — SHOOT HOOPS: Inviting all those interested 60-plus years old for recreational, coed basketball play, 12:30-2 p.m. Everyone from novice to weathered players get to play with no upper age limit. Just for fun and exercise. Join us for a mid-day workout on Thursdays. For more information, contact basketball@kingston.net

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.

BLUEGRASS JAM: Every Thursday at 7 p.m. at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 560, 734 Montreal St. No cover charge. Everyone welcome, whether you come to play or listen. For information, call Mary 613-484-7466.

WIDOW & WIDOWERS SOCIAL GROUP: The WW is a support and social group for Widows and Widowers. If you or your friends are widowed there is a welcome awaiting. The larger, more diverse our age range the more we are able to do for each other. We meet at 7 p.m. every other Thursday at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 560, located at 734 Montreal St. Ask the bartender where the Widowers are meeting and she will point you in the right direction. For information, call Raymond at 613-767-2367 or email Barb at rwilde4@cogeco.ca.

LUNCH: Every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Westbrook United Church, 3526 Princess St. Homemade soup, sandwich, dessert and beverage for $7.

T.L.T.I. GROUP FITNESS CLASSES: Tuesdays Body Blast and Thursdays Cardio Boxfit. Join any time as classes are continuous. $7 drop-in rate; one time per week, $50; two times per week, $80. For beginners or advanced participants. Open to men and women and held at the Lansdowne Community Building from 6-7 p.m. Find us on Facebook under Group Fitness Classes-Lansdowne Community Building. For more information, contact the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands recreation department at 613-659-2415 or go online to www.leeds1000islands.ca.

LYME DISEASE INFORMATION NIGHT: With Dr. Brenda Tapp, naturopathic doctor and specialist in Lyme disease and ticks. Hastings Stewardship Council hosts event No. 2 in the Winter Speaker Series. From 7-9 p.m. at the Community Hall, 11379 Highway 62, Ivanhoe, north of Belleville. Cost is $5. Children are free. For information, contact Ray at 613-848-7697 or info@hastingsstewardship.ca.

MAD SCIENTISTS: 3:30 p.m. at the Deseronto Public Library, 358 Main St. Children from ages 8-14 can come a learn science and do the experiments together. Every week will be something different to discover. For more information, call 613-396-2744.

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A Brockville Police constable, who had consensual sex with a woman in his police vehicle while she was naked and handcuffed and he was on duty and in uniform, was found guilty of criminal breach of trust on Wednesday.

Jeffrey William Rean, 42, a nine-year veteran of the Brockville force, had multiple sexual encounters with the 20-year-old woman, whom he had arrested on a mischief charge, and covered up the encounters while investigating her in connection with other incidents, according to the ruling made public Wednesday.

Justice Allan Letourneau of the Ontario Court of Justice found that Rean’s conduct, including lying to fellow officers, concealing his relationship with the woman while investigating her, and hiding facts to protect her from charges, constituted the breach of trust.

Rean encountered the woman, then 19, in April of 2015 when she was on the rooftop of a downtown Brockville building, according to a review of the facts in Letourneau’s judgment.

Fearing she was suicidal, Rean took her to Brockville General Hospital for observation.

Two months later, the constable spotted the woman again on the roof of a building so he arrested her and charged her with mischief.

During that summer, Rean would see the woman while on patrol and the pair struck up a friendship which eventually led to a sexual relationship between the woman, then 20, and the married officer.

The court heard that the pair had consensual intercourse 18 separate times between September of 2015 and April of 2017. The sex took place in cars, parks and at his and her homes, the court heard.

The only time it happened while Rean was on duty was on Sept. 28, 2016. He agreed to meet the woman at 2:30 a.m. in Fulford Park. Rean, the police canine officer, was driving the canine vehicle at the time and his police dog, Chase, was in the back.

Rean resisted the woman’s advances until after 3 a.m. when the constable’s 90-minute break began. He then relented and the pair had sex.

At some point the woman was handcuffed in the front with the police-issued cuffs during sex – Rean and the woman disagree on who suggested the handcuffs.

“The sex started in the police vehicle and migrated to the ground beside the vehicle,” Letourneau said in his summation of facts. “Intercourse happened on the ground approximately one foot away from the police vehicle. (She) was completely naked. He was in his police uniform and his police belt had use-of-force on it including his gun and handcuffs. During the sex on the ground he took off his police belt and laid it on the ground beside him.”

The handcuffs then came into play. During the tryst, Rean thought he saw another police car near the park. The naked woman, still handcuffed, hid in a portable toilet until Rean gave her the all-clear about 30 minutes later.

During the trial, Rean indicated that he thought the sex-in-the-park encounter was “okay” because he was on break at the time and had his cellphone with him so he could respond to a call quickly.

The judge disagreed, calling the constable’s conduct “shameful, scandalous” and a violation of the police code of conduct and the Police Services Act.

Despite that, however, Letourneau said Rean’s sex-on-duty escapade did not constitute a criminal breach of trust.

What led to Rean’s legal downfall was the somewhat-curious case of the giant pair of scissors.

Sometime in October 2015, the woman and a male accomplice came into possession of an eight-foot-high pair of cardboard scissors stolen from a local hair salon.

They thought it would be a hoot to place the giant scissors in front of the sign at the Brockville Police station.

Rean got wind of the plan because of texts from the woman, but he didn’t report it to his fellow officers. Once the scissors appeared at the police station on late Oct. 6, 2015, Rean, who was on duty, reported them to the police dispatcher but claimed that he didn’t know how they got there. He drove around pretending to look for the scissors pranksters while advising the woman to stay off the streets and delete text messages about the scissors.

“I find that his communications with (her), in particular the exhortations to delete everything and to stay inside immediately following his reporting of the scissors to the dispatcher were motivated by his desire to avoid the possibility that she might disclose their sexual relationship to his police force,” Letourneau found.

The court heard of two other incidents in which Rean’s sexual relationship with the woman affected his conduct on the job.

At one point, the constable suspected the woman to be on a roof again, but didn’t charge her even though she was under a court order to stay off roofs. Another time, the constable questioned the woman in a rock-throwing incident that broke a police-station window without revealing his connections with her.

“Police officers are supposed to be scrupulous with the facts,” Letourneau said. “Lying and deception by a police officer is an extremely unsettling character trait. Such conduct sends tremors through our justice system and threatens the public’s confidence in our administration of justice.”

Throughout the trial, Rean maintained that the woman was the sexual aggressor except for the first couple of encounters. He said he valued her friendship and discussions because she was struggling with some of the same issues as he. He didn’t want to reject the sexual advances for fear that she would end their friendship, he told the court.

Defence lawyer Mark Wallace argued – and Letourneau agreed – that Rean was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. The PTSD came from him responding as a police officer to several disturbing incidents, including a man who committed suicide by shooting himself in the face with a shotgun, a vehicle collision in which a woman had been crushed to death and a murder-suicide involving a mother and her five-year-old child.

Rean will appear in court on Feb. 15 for sentencing.