News
Copy by Patrick Lewis
A crumbling gateway in Prince Edward County has again reached the podium in the annual CAA Worst Roads campaign.CAA released its list of worst roads in Ontario as voted on by Ontarians this morning and unsurprisingly, County Road 49 is number 3.The deteriorating 18.6 km of concrete roadway which serves as a vital entry point has appeared on the top 10 list seven times.There is still hope the road will be fixed. County Road 49 is expected to receive significant upgrades and are in the planning stages.After decades of lobbying upper levels of government for assistance, the province announced in January it is committing nearly $20 million toward fixing the road.Mayor Steve Ferguson has said he also plans to “urgently press” newly elected MP Chris Malette to encourage the feds to pitch in on the $52.3 million tab. Ontario’s Top 10 Worst Roads for 2025 includes Aberdeen Avenue in Hamilton at number 1Barton Street East also in Hamilton at number 2 and in third place our own County Road 49.
A Belleville man was charged with public mischief and criminal harassment after making a false report about a shooting yesterday morning.Belleville Police and Hastings-Quinte Paramedics responded to a call claiming a woman had been shot and her husband was dead in an apartment.When police arrived, they found a 57-year-old woman safe and unaware of any incident.An investigation revealed that a man had been harassing the woman for some time and that he had fabricated the 911 call reporting the shooting to continue his harassment.A 58 year old Belleville man was charged and released on an undertaking, with a court date set for July.
A 33 year old Quinte West man has been arrested and hit with a laundry list of charges after a break and enter incident involving a firearm. On Friday, officers responded to a call in the city’s west end, where a man had entered a residence while in possession of a handgun. Police believed he dropped the weapon while fleeing, and called in a K9 unit to search for it. A 9mm pistol was found in a backyard, inside a bush. The accused was held for a bail hearing.
According to Amnesty International Canada the federal government’s proposed Bill C-2 is “an attack” on refugees’ right to seek asylum.The human rights organization said in a press release today that the bill, if passed, would make it “virtually impossible” for the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) to review refugee claims from most people entering Canada via the United States.Moreover, Amnesty International Canada says the bill would prevent people who have been in Canada for more than a year from seeking refugee status. People facing harm, including persecution and torture, in their countries could be “unfairly denied” refugee protection by Canada, it added.
Ford Motor Co. has issued a recall on more than 23,000 Explorer SUVs over risks of some parts detaching on the road.According to a Transport Canada notice last updated Tuesday, the recall includes 2016 and 2017 models of both the Explorer and the Police Interceptor Utility.Parts detaching from one vehicle may cause a hazard for others on the road and “increase the risk of a crash,” it warns. Owners of impacted vehicles will be notified by mail, though Ford says the “corrective actions” for the problem are still under development.
Sports
Montreal is hoping to redeem itself during the upcoming Grand Prix weekend after last year’s event became a source of embarrassment. The city says it’s taking steps to improve access to the Formula 1 site on a man-made island and to reduce congestion during the event, which begins June 13. Fire inspectors caused an uproar last year when they abruptly ordered some restaurants to close their patios on one of the busiest evenings of the year. The 2024 Grand Prix weekend was also marred by flooding at the race site, traffic headaches and miscommunication. City officials are concerned this year about the possible impact of a transit strike that will affect bus and metro service before and after the event.
South African former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius was spotted competing in a triathlon last weekend in the coastal city of Durban, 12 years after murdering his girlfriend and a year after his release on parole. Afrikaans-language news website Netwerk24 yesterday reported Pistorius’ participation in the Ironman 70.3 competition. Netwerk24 cited an unnamed source as saying that Pistorius had permission from his parole officer to compete and Pistorius’ own lawyer confirmed his participation
