OPP lay more than 250 charges so far this weekend at illegal car rally in Wasaga Beach
CBC
Ontario Provincial Police have laid more than 250 charges this long weekend as it continues its enforcement blitz at an illegal car rally in Wasaga Beach, Ont.
On Friday, officers handed out roughly 97 tickets as they began cracking down on the planned car rally over the Labour Day long weekend, OPP said. On Saturday, an additional 160 charges were laid as of 2:00 p.m., the force said in a news release.
Of those issued Friday, police say they include charges for Highway Traffic Act violations, suspended licence, unnecessary noise, improper muffler and drivers with no licences. One motorist was charged with drug-impaired operation of a vehicle, police said.
Saturday, charges included speeding, licence plate violations, vehicle tire violations and driver's licence offences, OPP said. Police say multiple vehicles have been impounded.
Last week, Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted the Town of Wasaga Beach, located at the southern end of Georgian Bay, its request for injunctions against the illegal car rally. This follows years of summer rallies that led to charges and disturbances.
"The OPP would like to also remind anyone that chooses to drive dangerously or commit criminal acts, that we will continue to investigate after this weekend. They may still face charges following this weekend," police warned.
In a news release Sunday, the Town of Wasaga Beach said that an unsanctioned car rally was "successfully dispersed" Saturday night.
Roughly 500 drivers were part of the illegal car rally, according to the release.
"The coordinated efforts of the municipality and OPP prevented a large number of car rally participants from entering our community," said Fire Chief and Municipal Emergency Operations Centre Director Craig Williams.
Klondike Road was closed temporarily to prevent a larger group of vehicles from entering town but has since reopened.
OPP say residents and visitors should both continue to expect an increase in police presence in Wasaga Beach and neighbouring townships for the remainder of the long weekend.
"A highly coordinated, Strict but Fair approach is what we used last night," said Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith in a statement Sunday.
"It is what we will continue to use this weekend, and it's the approach we will continue to improve upon when dealing with these types of situations going forward."
The court ruling made Tuesday outlines that attending or promoting the car rally is not only a bylaw violation but a breach of a court order. It states that the Ontario Provincial Police have the authority to "arrest and remove any person with knowledge of the order and who is contravening or has contravened any part of the order."
Gregor Chisholm was a nine-year-old in Saint John when the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992, and it had a profound impact on his choice of career.
Leaping out of a plane more than 4,200 metres in the air, Simon-Pierre Bouchard can’t control his excitement as he opens his parachute and wonders if everyone has gotten into place.
The Hudson's Bay Company vanished in June, when the last of its stores ceased operations, but its presence in Winnipeg might never be fully erased.
At a Prince Albert public library branch, the usual quiet is replaced with the sound of children laughing and lining up for autographs as Prince Albert Raiders players settle in for an evening of reading.
When a fire broke out at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market in the early hours of Christmas Day, John Bell was among the first on scene.
For the first time in 20 years, Edmonton’s police chief is a local hire.
One of the most popular hot springs in northeastern B.C. appears to be cooling off — or at the very least feeling that way — according to First Nations researchers who have been taking the temperature of the popular spot off the Alaska Highway.
No longer do the waves of Lake Timmicaca lap against car bumpers.
Municipal councils across Essex County and in Chatham-Kent and Sarnia have spent this year’s budget season trying to keep tax increases manageable while battling inflation and soaring policing costs and weighing the immediate cost of repairing aging infrastructure against the long-term cost of holding off.
Construction on Marda Loop’s main streets project may have quieted down, but redevelopment work continues at several locations along 34th Avenue. This time, the focus is on preserving the street’s history.
As both the provincial and federal governments hone in on mining opportunities in northern Ontario, supporting local industries and building safer highways are top of mind for regional leaders this year.
Tucked inside Toronto’s leafy, quiet and private residential neighbourhoods are facades that tell the story of another time in the city’s urban planning history.
Ontario’s two main opposition parties will try to turn the page on what was a difficult year, with one rebuilding after an underwhelming leadership vote result and another searching for a new person to take the party helm.