WILLIAMSTOWN – South Glengarry’s biggest road project in 2019 will be rebuilding part of William Street in Williamstown.

The section along the south shore of the Raisin River is less than a kilometer long (from County Road 19 to the Peanut Line) but will cost about $1.3 million because new storm sewers have to be installed.

To put it in perspective, the work will be about $1,911 for every meter of road and 56 per cent of all capital road projects in the township for 2019.

Council awarded the design work in November to EVB Engineering for nearly $25,000.

At that time, then Coun. Lyle Warden wanted to put “a little extra aside” in case of problems during construction, especially with road grading. “I have a feeling that…when you get near Tom Hughes, because it drops right off. You never want to be up there during freezing rain in a fuel truck.”

Infrastructure General Manager Ewen MacDonald is hoping the project will be tendered in March and the work completed by September.

The road construction still needs to approved in the 2019 capital budget.

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CORNWALL – Almost a month after he went missing, a Cornwall man has been found safe, the Cornwall Police Service said Monday.

David Tucci, 53, hadn’t been seen since Dec. 10.

His disappearance triggered a search including the use of an O.P.P. helicopter.

“The CPS would like to thank our partnering law enforcement agencies, media outlets, community partners, as well as the public who assisted us during this investigation,” the police department said in a statement.

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LANCASTER – South Glengarry’s chief administrative officer says he’s almost at his “wit’s end” with the driving antics of some truckers on municipal streets in South Lancaster.

Bryan Brown was highlighting problems with truck traffic along Andrea Avenue and Cannon Street, off County Road 34, south of Highway 401. There’s a Tim Hortons location on Cannon Street.

The municipality put a concrete median in the street to discourage trucks from coming into the neighbourhood. While Brown says that’s made a “dramatic change” in the number of trucks, there are still some drivers that are “quite stubborn.”

“I personally have witnessed 18-wheeler drivers going south on County Road 34 and turning on to Andrea (Avenue) and going on the south side of the boulevard. They drive on the wrong side of the road.”

“It’s just a bad situation. The drivers should not be doing any of this,” the CAO said, adding that signs have also been clipped and damaged.

In one case, Brown said a driver parked his rig in the middle of Cannon Street and went in to get a coffee. “(He) just parked his 18-wheeler in the middle of the road. Just stopped and got out and walked it. Traffic can’t get by on either side.”

Brown says he tried to take matters into his own hands. “I made the mistake of trying to approach some of the drivers. Not very nice people. Not very nice at all.”

South Glengarry Planner Joanne Haley says the township may have to consider putting in no truck traffic signs on County Road 34, south of Highway 401. “Maybe we need to do signage like that in advance so they don’t even get there,” Haley suggested.

Infrastructure General Manager Ewan MacDonald says the number of trucks has “reduced drastically” in recent months, according to residents he’s spoken to.

Township council hasn’t taken any action as of last month.

“The new signs that (just) went up. No trucks. Let’s see (what happens),” Coun. Stephanie Jaworski said.

“We’ll have to watch it over a period of time and over the next few months we’ll see what kind of changes. If there’s no changes, we’ll have to decide something,” Mayor Frank Prevost said.

Trucking problems are nothing new to South Glengarry council. The municipality is trying to discourage employees of a Lancaster trucking company from parking their personal vehicles on Military Road all day, taking up spaces from potential shoppers.

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SD&G – The region’s unemployment rate was up two-tenths of a percent in December.

Statistics Canada says December’s jobless rate for Eastern Ontario was 4.4 per cent, compared to 4.2 per cent in November.

The rate covers an area from Brockville to Ottawa and east to the Quebec border.

While unemployment was up, in Cornwall, more people were working last month compared to December 2017.

The employment rate was 55 per cent compared to 51 per cent during the same month the year before.

The unemployment rate for December 2018 was 5.5 per cent but was suppressed in December 2017 because the labour force sample size did not meet the confidentiality threshold.

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UPDATE 5:45 p.m. Tuesday: Suspect still at large after gun report paralyzes Cornwall’s downtown

CORNWALL – City police are telling people in a large area of Cornwall to stay indoors as they search for a suspect, possibly carrying a rifle.

CCPS tweeted that people from Second to Ninth Streets and from Nick Kaneb Drive to Cumberland Street should stay inside.

There have been no reports of anyone shot or any injuries.

Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School (CCVS) was on lockdown after reports of a suspicious person in the area of Amelia Street and Seventh Street this morning (Tuesday).

As well, other schools are in a “hold and secure” as a precautionary measure, Cornwall police said. Around 11:15 a.m., CCVS then moved to “hold and secure,” like the other schools.

A lockdown has students in their classrooms with the doors locked, in addition to the exterior doors, while a “hold and secure” is just the outside doors of the school locked.

At Central Public School on Amelia Street, two police officers were inside the front doors while several parents and caregivers pulled up to the front doors to collect their children around noon.

At the Cornwall Community Hospital, a sign on the ER door reads: “The Cornwall Hospital is on temporary lockdown. We do not know when we will reopen. If you are experiencing chest pain, symptoms of stroke or shortness of breath, please enter and speak with a nurse.” A security guard was at the sliding doors, which were being opened and closed by hand.

Officers are searching for a suspicious man in the area after they received a report around 8:50 a.m.

The Cornwall Community Hospital also announced over its public address system that the McConnell Avenue site was also on lockdown.

The hospital is only accepting ambulances and critical care walkups.

More to come.

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CORNWALL – A massive police search that lasted most of Tuesday and paralyzed area schools and the Cornwall Community Hospital turned out to be a man with a pellet gun.

But the suspect is still out there.

The Cornwall Police Service updated reporters on their investigation during a 4:30 p.m. news conference at city hall.

Police initially got a call around 8:50 a.m. about a suspicious man around Seventh Street and Amelia Street. The suspect was then seen around 10:45 a.m. around Marlborough Street and Fifth Street.

“After several conflicting calls throughout the day, our investigators have confirmed that what we believe was a pellet gun was discharged at that time (10:45 a.m. at Marlborough Street and Fifth Street) by the suspect. Our forensic identification team has recovered evidence from the scene at Fifth and Marlborough that indicates that someone was firing a pellet gun at a building,” Police Chief Danny Aikman told reporters.

A .177 calibre pellet was found at the scene, Staff Sgt. Chad Maxwell explained.

“We’re talking about a projectile that is approximately the size of maybe the tenth of a dime. Hats off to the forensic identification unit for locating that very minute, small piece of evidence that assisted us to bring this to a safe conclusion,” Maxwell said.

Over 40 officers were searching the city in the downtown core. Coincidentally, a platoon of officers was training today allowing the police service to “flood” the area from Second to Ninth Streets and Nick Kaneb Drive to Marlborough.

Maxwell told Cornwall Newswatch they don’t believe the shot that was fired had an intended target. “We have no information about an intended target. The initial information that there was the male was walking with it (the pellet gun) on his back.”

One of those conflicting calls was a hoax call the service received this afternoon. The chief says that was “maliciously interfering” with their investigation, pulling resources away from the initial search. Police will be investigating with the intent of lay charges.

As for the pellet gun suspect, police have not been able to locate him.

Staff Sgt. Maxwell says they have not been able to give out an accurate description because they have received many conflicting reports. “I’d love to give a description, however, based on the investigation, we have received multiple descriptions that are highly conflicting. We have been advised that is it a male…a middle-aged male, but there is conflicting information with regards to his clothing, descriptors and his physical stature and his age.”

School buses were cancelled this afternoon and parents had to pick up their kids, including ones who walk home from school. Maxwell said that was a decision “in collaboration with the four school boards.”

“All lockdowns have since been lifted and there’s no longer a concern for public safety. The safety and well being of our community is our number one priority,” Chief Aikman said.

There were no injuries.

“I make no apology that we erred on the side of caution when dealing with all the students at our local schools. It’s paramount to ensure this community is safe, ensure that our children are safe,” Maxwell said.

Listen to Cornwall Police Chief Danny Aikman’s news conference:

Listen to Staff Sgt. Chad Maxwell answer questions from reporters:

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CORNWALL – A section of Pitt Street was closed for about an hour Tuesday night after a crash between a car and a pickup truck.

The collision between a Toyota Corolla and a Ford F-150 pickup happened shortly after 6 p.m. at the intersection of Fifth Street West and Pitt Street.

Cornwall firefighters and police were on scene and quickly shut down Pitt Street from Fourth to Sixth Streets.

A paramedic in a rapid response unit from Cornwall-SDG Paramedic Services checked over people in both vehicles but no one was transported from the scene.

A witness said the pickup truck had run a red light and the car wasn’t able to avoid a collision with the truck. “Both spun but the truck did a bit more spinning,” the witness said. The truck ended up facing the wrong way on Fifth Street West – a one-way street.

The car has extensive damage while truck appeared to have moderate damage to a rear quarter panel.

A police investigation is ongoing.

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CORNWALL – City council will hold a special meeting Thursday afternoon to tackle the question of whether to allow retail cannabis stores within the city limits.

The city’s three neighbouring municipalities – South Glengarry, South Stormont and South Dundas – have already opted in. The city has until Jan. 22 to make a decision.

If it makes no decision, it will be opted in by default.

A staff report for Thursday’s meeting directs the council to receive the report and make a decision by Jan. 22 but it will be up to councillors to decide by making a motion during the meeting.

As part of Ontario’s retail cannabis plan, Cornwall is getting $56,315 to defray the cost of legalization, such as increased costs for policing. It’s from a pot of $15 million the province is dividing up to municipalities based on the number of households.

A second payment of at least $5,000 from another $15 million envelope will come after Jan. 22 if the city opts in. It would get a flat rate of $5,000 if the municipality says no.

The province is doing a lottery-based system for licences. There are five for Eastern Ontario in the first round, covering an area from Muskoka to Ottawa and Peterborough to SD&G. But the chances of Cornwall getting a licence in the first round are nil because the licences for the first 25 are exclusive to municipalities with a population of at least 50,000.

Thursday’s council meeting starts at 5 p.m. at city hall (360 Pitt Street).

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CORNWALL, Ont. – It will cost shippers more to transport their goods along the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario this year.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation announced today (Jan. 9) a one per cent increase in tolls for various types of cargo, storage and docking.

But if you like to go through the locks in your own boat, there’s no change, it’s still $30 per lock.

When the seaway opens this spring, it will cost carriers $1.14 cents per metric ton for bulk cargo, 70 cents for grain and coal and $2.76 for general cargo.

General cargo is anything that isn’t in containers and isn’t shovelled, pumped, blown or scooped into a ship.

The corporation handles about 160 million metric tons of cargo every year.

The St. Lawrence Seaway closed on Dec. 31 and won’t open until sometime in late March or early April, depending on the weather.

The seaway closed out 2018 with a roughly six per cent increase in the number of ships travelling its waters, as of the end of November, compared to 2017. It was buoyed by 17-18 per cent increases in tonnage for grain, coal and liquid goods.

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CORNWALL – Eight people have been arrested by Cornwall police – all but one of them accused of planning to murder a man in Cornwall.

The charges were laid Monday (Jan. 7) with the arrests.

Police say the victim at a Guy Street home was held against his will, bound with duct tape and beaten with a “variety of weapons.”

Officers were able to intervene and the victim was taken to hospital. He’s expected to recover.

Seven people are facing charges including conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault, forcible confinement and assault with a weapon.

They are:

• Jordan Thompson, 24, Akwesasne
• Kaitlyn Gougoula, 19, Cornwall
• Bobbie Sylvester, 37, Embrun
• Ryan Royer, 25, Cornwall
• Toshina Hill, 30, Cornwall
• Daniel Roach, 39, Cornwall
• Jessica Lemieux, 29, Cornwall

An eighth person – Michael Pare, 49, of Cornwall – is facing charges of aggravated assault, forcible confinement, assault with a weapon and two counts of breach of probation.

Police have not explained the motive but say it’s an “isolated incident” and the public is not in danger.

It appears the case is drug-related because one of the accused is also facing two drug possession charges. Another (Bobbie Sylvester) was wanted on multiple drug-related warrants, police said. Five of the accused face multiple counts for breach of court orders.

All eight were held for bail hearings.

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CORNWALL – City council has voted unanimously to allow retail marijuana shops within city boundaries.

The recorded vote came after a one hour discussion which included a presentation by city staff and remarks from Cornwall Police Chief Danny Aikman and Deputy Chief Shawna Spowart.

With opting in passed, the city will now develop a policy statement – basically an overview of where and under what circumstances they would see retail pot shops in the city. The policy statement would give the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario an idea of where the city would like to see the establishments but the AGCO still has the final say on whether a licence is issued.

At least in the short term, budding Cornwall entrepreneurs have no chance of getting one of the first 25 licences from the AGCO because the city’s population is less than 50,000.

Coun. Syd Gardiner said the province should have considered the population as a region – Cornwall and the United Counties of SD&G is roughly 112,000 – which is also a hotbed for drug and tobacco smuggling. He believes that having a retail outlet would cut down on smuggling. “None of that was taken into consideration. I think we deserve that,” he said.

Coun. Dean Hollingsworth felt the city needed to opt in because people would just drive to neighbouring townships to get their pot. South Stormont is a “six minute drive” down the road, he said. “Who are we kidding,” he quipped. South Glengarry and South Dundas have also opted in.

Cornwall Police Chief Danny Aikman believes it won’t be as costly for the city down the road now that it has opted in.

“I think what we’ll see is, we’ll be less likely to have to deal in the future with illegal locations because the process will eventually identify a legal location,” Aikman told Cornwall Newswatch.

“I don’t anticipate that we would have to add additional resources but we may have to reassign some personnel within our current complement to address those retail locations and/or those illegal locations that may arise,” the chief told CNW.

The city has already received $56,315 from the Ontario government as compensation for projected increased costs for legalizing cannabis.

Chief Aikman told council that a good chunk of that money may go to policing.

The force has gone through training for field sobriety testing and also spent money on drug recognition expert training. There are two more officers that have had the drug recognition training, which costs over $5,000 per officer.

“We’ve spent a lot of time training and that’s been the single biggest impact on our organization is the training required,” Aikman said.

In an interview with Cornwall Newswatch, Mayor Bernadette Clement says she is not surprised by today’s decision.

“I had met with every councillor individually before Christmas to get a sense of what the upcoming files would be,” she said. “We did talk about this so I was not surprised by the vote.”

She called it an “interesting debate” because it “foreshadows” all of the issues with the legalization of cannabis.

“What is that $56,000 going to be able to do? What are we going to do with that? How are we going to take public comment on locations and things like that?” she added.

The mayor anticipates taking public feedback from the public on the policy statement, which would “set a tone” for cannabis retail locations in the community.

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SOUTH STORMONT – A Quebec teenager is accused of leading SD&G O.P.P. on a high speed chase along a stretch of Highway 401 which reached speeds over 200 kilometers an hour, Wednesday.

An officer tried to stop the vehicle for some sort of traffic violation when the driver took off before he was “successfully intercepted.”

“The vehicle was stopped for travelling 209 kilometers an hour in a 100 kilometer an hour zone,” police said.

A 16-year-old boy from Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. was arrested and charged with flight from police under the Criminal Code of Canada and stunt driving under the Highway Traffic Act.

He was released with a Feb. 21, 2019 court date in Cornwall.

His name wasn’t released because he’s a minor.

The teen’s driver’s licence was suspended for a week and his vehicle impounded for the same amount of time.

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CORNWALL – Seventy-two hours after much of downtown Cornwall was told to stay indoors or under lockdown, city police suggest they have made no significant headway in finding their pellet gun suspect.

Area schools and the Cornwall Community Hospital were sealed Tuesday after someone spotted a man with a rifle slung over his back, near Seventh and Amelia Streets, a few blocks north of Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School (CCVS).

Later that day, police found a .177 caliber pellet near Marlborough and Fifth Streets after receiving a report of someone firing a pellet gun at a building.

In an interview with Cornwall Newswatch Thursday night, Police Chief Danny Aikman said they are still looking for the culprit.

“I was briefed this morning (Thursday) and there are no significant developments to report,” Aikman said.

But tips are still flowing into the police department.

“Yes. It wasn’t quantified but we have received phone calls and some emails in regards to identifying possible suspects,” the chief said.

There is no description of the suspect, other than he is middle-aged man, because eyewitness reports were “highly conflicting,” according to Staff Sgt. Chad Maxwell.

The police department will accept information through its anonymous tip line at 613-933-5000 extension 2404.

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CORNWALL – Canadian border officials had to set up a temporary processing post at the bridge toll booth this morning (Friday) after a water pipe burst at the exit to the port of entry.

As the region faced bitter cold, the pipe broke around 4 a.m. under the road exiting the customs facility, forcing the Canada Border Services Agency to set up the makeshift booth.

Cornwall public works was on site by 7 a.m. to repair the main and the port is now open with three lanes in operation, CBSA spokesman Chris Kealey said.

As for commercial trucks trying to come into Cornwall, they are being sent to the crossing near Prescott (Johnstown). USA-bound trucks are unaffected.

The repair still needs to be done but it’s not known how much damage is underground and how long it will take public works to fix the broken pipe.

“Travellers should expect delays and plan their travel with this in mind. We will continue to provide updates until full service is restored,” Kealey said.

You can follow updates from the CBSA on Twitter.

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CORNWALL – The city is strongly considering mandatory recycling for all homes and businesses.

The idea is contained in a staff report for Cornwall City Council Monday night (Jan. 14) as the city discusses signing a seven year garbage and recycling deal. It’s current contract expires at the end of March. The new deal would carry through 2026.

How would it work? Your trash wouldn’t be picked up unless your blue box was out at the curb.

“Garbage that is placed out at the curb at homes without a recycling box or bag would not be collected if this initiative were implemented under this program,” Waste Manager Supervisor Danielle Watson writes.

It cost roughly $2.5 million last year for garbage and recycling operations.

Cornwall’s Solid Waste Management Master Plan had set a diversion target of 60 per cent by 2011 but that “has stagnated” at 30 per cent and hasn’t moved much since that time, according to Watson’s report. The city’s waste management department is considering these stronger tactics to get more people to recycle and keep more trash out of the dump.

Also in the changes is a six garbage bag or three container per week limit for homes (there would be two so-called amnesty days a year for unlimited bags), one 95 gallon garbage cart limit for every two multi-residential units, mandatory use of recycling carts for multi-residential, commercial and industrial properties and no more bulky waste pickup.

“That means items such as couches, tables, chairs, and other items not fitting in a bag or containers shall not be collected,” Watson writes.

The new contractor would use split-back trucks that can pick up both trash and recycling at the same time. That means fewer trucks on city streets.

The changes are based on staff doing drive-by and online surveying of what people put at the curb in 2018. The majority of residents are putting out three or fewer garbage bags every week and they regularly recycle.

Based on the proposals from contractors it’s already received, the city expects to save about $535,000 over seven years ($76,430 a year) by putting the changes in place.

If council goes for all the changes, they would be in place by April 1, except for mandatory recycling. That would start July 1.

Last year, the city recycled 12,581 metric tons of garbage and 3,090 metric tons of recycling.

At its current rate, Watson believes the city will run out of landfill space in 11 years (2030). It would cost $50 million to get a new dump location and about 10-12 years to get it approved by the provincial government.

Cornwall and South Glengarry are the last two Eastern Ontario municipalities with no garbage bag limits. Cornwall is “unique” as it’s the only medium-sized city in Ontario to still pick up large items and bulk waste at the curb, according to the report.

The tender with all the changes noted above, is also expected to be approved at Monday’s meeting.

Environmental 360 Solutions of Pickering, Ont. had the lowest bid at just over $24 million. There were two bidders for the contract.

Monday’s council meeting starts at 7 p.m.

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CORNWALL – A Cornwall man, caught in a province-wide child pornography bust in 2014, has been sentenced to just over a year in jail.

Mathieu Pahle, 36, was sentenced this week to 15 months in jail after he was found guilty of one count of possession of child pornography following a trial.

After his sentence, Pahle will be on probation for three years and will be on the Sex Offender Information Registry for 20 years.

The court has also seized and will eventually destroy a USB key with child pornography images.

Pahle was one of 60 people – and one of two Cornwall men – charged in September 2014 during a massive O.P.P. investigation across Ontario called the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet.

The other man, 50-year-old Steven Seyeau, was sentenced to six months in jail after he pleaded guilty in May 2015.

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CORNWALL – Mayor Bernadette Clement is looking at taking council on the road somewhere in Eastern Ontario for a “team building session.”

In an interview with Cornwall Newswatch, Clement says she would like the team building and governance training session, possibly by the beginning of next month before 2019 budget talks begin.

That would be followed by a strategic plan overhaul in the spring after the budget is complete.

The idea to councillors to take them on a trip outside the city – possibly to Gananoque – although no budget or itinerary has been set for the session.

“That’s still not been firmed (up) and we’re still discussing it and, of course, I’ve talked to all the councillors to get a sense of their comfort level around that. My preference would be for it be out of town, not far out of town, still in Eastern Ontario,” Clement said.

The mayor would like the session outside the city in order to have councillors “removed from our daily obligations” in order to concentrate on their city council jobs.

“My fear is that if we do it here, is that we are all very busy, we all have obligations, and it might be a little easy to slip away from a meeting earlier to come late to a meeting because we’re double booked with other obligations. When we’re away and focused only on city business, I think that’s helpful for the team bonding process,” she said.

Clement would also like to connect with “the mayor of that community” to have them visit Cornwall and spend money and time in the Seaway City and possibly have Cornwall end up being a future host for that community’s team bonding.

Asked if taking the session outside Cornwall – which was held in 2010 at Ramada Cornwall and 2014 at the OPG Visitors Center – was taking taxpayer money outside the city, Clement felt the investment would be more effective in building council while also encouraging the host community to come here.

If the session is anything like the last two, the project may become pricey for taxpayers with hotel rooms and meals. Both of the 2010 and 2014 sessions in Cornwall were held over two days and also involved senior city managers.

“My experience with team building…is that it’s generally much more successful when you are outside your comfort zone and outside of your general zone and outside your routine daily activities and responsibilities,” Clement said.

“I don’t plan on doing this often. My view is that I would rather encourage the mayor of that municipality we may be going to, to come here and enjoy Cornwall and spend money here.”

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CORNWALL – Classes start today (Monday) for Cornwall’s new Ontario Emerging Jobs Institute at Nav Center and the seats will be at least 75 per cent full.

Cornwall Innovation Center Executive Director Kelly Bergeron told Cornwall Newswatch, as of Thursday, 121 people had applied for the four boot-camp style programs. There are 40 spots in each class for a total of 160 spots in the four courses: Digital Skills, Business Skills, Agritech Skills and Blended Learning. Applications were still being taken up to and including today.

Mayor Bernadette Clement will be at the OEJI for the opening ceremony at 10 a.m.

The school had planned for a “locals first” intake for the 10-week training sessions in the four courses. Of the student body of 121, 87 applicants are from Cornwall, SD&G and Akwesasne, while the balance are from Alexandria, Lunenburg, Morrisburg, Ingleside, Ottawa and Toronto.

The OEJI had planned on 20 subsidized positions where students would have full expenses paid, including room and board. “We have 43 confirmed scholarship awardees. Scholarships vary based on financial needs,” Bergeron said in an email to Cornwall Newswatch.

The Cornwall Innovation Center got a $477,000 Ontario grant last year to launch the institute.

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CORNWALL – The head of the Cornwall Police Service’s traffic division is looking for witnesses after a pedestrian was hit by a car last week.

The pedestrian was hit by a small, red Hyundai on Ninth Street, between York Street and Augustus Street, just before 6 p.m. on Monday last week (Jan. 7).

Cornwall firefighters, police and Cornwall-SDG Paramedic Services were at the scene where the victim, a 59-year-old man, was rushed to hospital with critical injuries.

If you have any information, call Const. Matt Dupuis at 613-933-5000 extension 2755.

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CORNWALL – It didn’t take long for some people to voice their displeasure with changes to some Cornwall Transit routes in the city.

City council will receive a petition tonight (Monday) from resident Maureen Dunn.

She argues the changes force people to walk further to get to the bus stops and the changes weren’t tested to take safety and accessibility into account.

“You are making these changes at the expense of poor people,” the petition reads. “Who thought December was a good time to add misery and hardship to people’s lives? Where is the humanity?”

It’s not known how many people signed the petition because the city has redacted that portion for privacy reasons, but the signatures only take up two-thirds of a piece of paper.

In December, the city made changes to four routes, eliminating some stops.

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