A 24-year-old woman received a nine-month conditional sentence followed by probation for two years for her role in a grandparent scam “She was an essential cog in the machinery of the scam without which it would not have been possible,” judge says A Brampton woman who participated in a grandparent scam which caused a Niagara senior to lose more than $28,000 has been placed under house arrest Dominique Alexander-Connell was found guilty of possession of property obtained by crime following a jury trial held in a Superior Court of Justice in St Judge Robert Reid imposed a nine-month conditional sentence followed by probation for two years The first six months of the sentence are to be served under house arrest The judge said the 24-year-old woman may not have been the mastermind behind the scheme but she played an important role in the execution of the crime without which it would not have been possible,” Reid said “She ignored the obvious warning signs that her job involved illegal activity.” Niagara Regional Police launched an investigation in November 2022 after a Lincoln man in his 90s was targeted by a scammer The caller said they needed cash to be released from custody and that a courier would attend his home to pick up the money Several individuals picked up a total of $28,500 over the course of two days Court heard the defendant was hired by a company “of which she knew nothing,” which operated from an “unknown address.” She would be picked up by a driver and taken to various locations where she would collect packages There was no evidence she benefited from the proceeds beyond the extent of her wages Alexander-Connell was wilfully blind to the fact that the envelopes contained money and the money was obtained by crime,” the judge noted According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre there were more than 49,000 official reports of fraud across the country in 2024 Victims of fraud lost more than $638 million last year alone many victims also report serious emotional and psychological harm and impacts on their social life Alison Langley is a Niagara Falls Review reporter Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Catharines man with three counts of voyeurism Police said detectives are continuing to examine the suspect's seized devices and believe there may be additional victims Police said detectives are continuing to examine the suspect’s seized devices and believe there may be additional victims Catharines man working as a personal trainer and manual osteopath has been arrested after a police investigation uncovered hidden camera recordings of female clients at a local wellness centre Niagara Regional Police said officers were contacted in November by employees at a physical wellness and rehabilitation business in the Martindale area of St The preliminary investigation revealed staff received information adult women were being “surreptitiously video recorded inside the business while in various stages of undress,” said police Police said detectives executed multiple search warrants to collect evidence from social media platforms and internet service providers Detectives identified a male suspect who had been working there as an independent contractor as both a personal trainer and manual osteopath Catharines man was arrested and charged with voyeurism and distribution of an intimate image police said detectives identified two additional women following a forensic analysis of the suspect’s electronic devices the 29-year-old was arrested again and charged with two additional counts of voyeurism He was held in custody for a video bail hearing at the Robert S.K police acknowledged the potential impact of the investigation on both the victims and the community and expressed its commitment to “supporting all affected individuals with compassion sensitivity and respect as the investigation continues.” Police said the wellness and rehabilitation centre has been “fully co-operative” throughout the ongoing investigation Police said detectives are still examining the seized devices and believe there may be additional victims police said they will be contacted directly by detectives Investigators also suspect the 29-year-old may have been operating independently outside his contracted role at the Martindale-area facility Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 905-688-4111 Members of the public who want to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477 NiagaraNewsMan working as personal trainer and manual osteopath at St. Catharines clinic charged with voyeurismBy Laura SebbenOpens in new windowPublished: May 03, 2025 at 6:39PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved St. Catharines man wanted by police following assault of a child Rick Zamperin joins CHCH Morning Live as new co-anchor Niagara Health launches new program to connect youth with family doctors Sentencing expected for teen girl who pleaded guilty in deadly attack on homeless man Hamilton mayor Andrea Horwath recovering at home after surgery Man fatally shot outside Burlington restaurant was a longtime Hells Angels member Catharines man of no fixed address following an assault of a child at a local library officers responded to a report of a belated assault at a library on Church Street in St The initial investigation revealed that on April 19 a 10-year-old girl was approached by an adult man He eventually released the girl and quickly fled the library Catharines is wanted in connection to the assault Officers are asking anyone who may know his location not to confront him Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-688-4111 READ MORE: Man fatally shot outside Burlington restaurant was a longtime Hells Angels member Kids are doing pretty cool things to help save the planet business coach and host of the Rise Together: Empowering This Mother’s Day pamper mom with some extra TLC Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the women who have shaped Mainly cloudy with showers/thunderstorms today and a cooler high of 10°C CHCH-TV started broadcasting in 1954 and is proud to be the news leader for Hamilton and the surrounding Halton and Niagara regions Copyright © 2025 CHCH. All Rights Reserved. ZWD Niagara Regional Police are searching for a man after an incident with a 10-year-old girl. Detectives say it happened at the St. Catharines Public Library back on April 19th. Just after 4 p.m. a man approached the young girl, started a conversation, and then grabbed her arm. He then let go and left the building on Church Street. Police have identified the suspect as 40-year old Frederick Joseph Pelchat of St. Catharines. Despite efforts, detectives have been unable to locate and arrest Pelchat.  Members of the public who may know Pelchat's location are asked not to confront him and to call police immediately. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the investigating officers by calling 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1008430. Fenwick baseball diamond is selected as one of Jays Care Foundation’s 2025 Field of Dreams grant recipients and will receive $88,355. The $88,355 Jays Care grant will be used to renovate Diamond 1’s infield, remove and replace its current backstop, install lighting and build covered dugouts.  Pelham is one of 15 Canadian communities to receive funding from the Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays.  Centennial Park in Fenwick is getting a big league boost as the Jays Care Foundation swings into action with plans to revamp the facility. The Fenwick baseball diamond was selected as one of Jays Care’s 2025 Field of Dreams grant recipients. It will receive $88,355 to help renovate its infield, remove and replace its current backstop, install lighting and build covered dugouts. On Sunday, the Jays Care Foundation — the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays — announced it is committing more than $1.5 million in infrastructure investments aimed at building and refurbishing baseball diamonds across Canada. Pelham was one of 15 organizations across six provinces, including eight in Ontario, selected for funding. The investment will help ensure Centennial Park “continues to be a safe and welcoming space for young athletes to grow and thrive,” said Shari Ralph-Topolie, director of finance and operations for the foundation. After about six months of collaboration with the Town of Pelham, which included asking council for funding to revamp several baseball diamonds, Matt Peters, Pelham Minor Baseball Association president, said hearing the announcement “felt pretty amazing. “I didn’t think we would get it, honestly so it was a really great feeling,” said Peters. “It was cool that Jays Care Foundation came forth and recognized our proposal in our small town. It was very exciting.” Each budget year, the association appears before town council to share updates on its baseball activities and highlights areas in need of attention. This past year, player safety topped the list and the association pushed to replace gravel infields with a sand-and-clay mix. “A safer environment for kids helps breed confidence and when they are safe and have confidence, they enjoy the ball game more (and) stay involved in baseball longer,” said Peters. Another key priority was installing lighting, not only to improve athlete safety but to also increase the association’s capacity to host games. Centennial Park is home to six house league teams and serves as a practice hub for three competitive teams. The funding will support upgrades to Diamond 1, which hosts an average of 996 young athletes each season. Peters said the park is also set to host the under-11 provincial championships for the first time in 20 years, along with additional tournaments. “This just adds to our ability to host high-end, high-quality, safe tournaments,” he said. “We’ve had good feedback on some of the work we’ve done on the other diamonds, so this is just adding to our ability to have great experiences for kids and that’s what it’s all about.” During the 2025 funding cycle, Jays Care Foundation received more than 100 Field of Dreams applicants. Its grants committee and board of directors determines the projects that move forward and the allocated funding, said Ralph-Topolie. The proposal for upgrades to Centennial Park put forward by the Town of Pelham “stood out” in large part because of its partnership with Jays Care through the Girls At Bat program, an introductory level baseball program designed to reduce barriers girls face in participating or accessing sport. Another factor was the Pelham association’s Rally Cap program for its 7U division. “Their application outlined the vibrant activity already taking place at Centennial Park,” said Ralph-Topolie.  “With our support, this project will increase daily access to safe, quality playing time for even more youth between the ages of five and 18.” She said field upgrades are expected to be completed within a year to 18 months and are expected to include removing and replacing the current backstop, installing a new backstop, building covered dugouts and expanding the field. In a statement, Pelham Mayor Marvin Junkin said the town’s strategic plan made it a priority to invest in parks and support items that enhance the community and “this grant from the Jays Care Foundation fits perfectly. “We’re excited to see this kind of support bringing real benefits to Pelham’s residents and young athletes,” he said. The Field of Dreams program launched in 2000 but really began to grow in 2010 when it expanded its capacity to support more projects, said Ralph-Topolie. Since then, the program has invested more than $20 million in 232 Field of Dreams projects across the country. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. Catharines Falcons in Sutherland Cup Game 2 lossWhen the Chatham Maroons tried to hit the gas When the Chatham Maroons tried to hit the gas Sunday Article contentThey couldn’t muster a third-period comeback and fell 5-2 to the St leaving the teams tied at one win apiece in the Sutherland Cup final we came out with tons of energy and the boys were really going,” Maroons forward Sean Truby said Shifts got a little too long and the energy wasn’t there.” The Falcons led 2-1 before scoring three empty-net goals in front of 1,702 at Chatham Memorial Arena but I think we really brought it in the third and it’s going to bring us momentum into next game,” Truby said Game 4 is Thursday at the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre in St After taking a 4-0 lead in the first period of their 7-3 win in Game 1 “Chatham’s a real skilled and fast team,” Falcons coach Tyler Bielby said so you can’t have any mental lapses and you can’t lose your man in your own zone “I thought we spent some time in our zone tonight but everything was tight and we weren’t letting a lot of pucks through We played really well on that side of the puck.” Bielby has fond memories of Chatham Memorial Arena after winning the Sutherland Cup there in 2022 ‘You’re not going to get many experiences to play in crowds like this Embrace that noise and get going.’ And they did tonight.” The Falcons had no trouble adjusting to the smaller confines of Chatham’s rink “This arena reminds us of our old Jack Gatecliff (Arena) where you’ve got some big end zones but there’s not much of a neutral zone,” Bielby said Falcons netminder Hayden Jeffrey made a career-high 49 saves He bounced back after allowing six goals in Game 1 and being pulled Maroons goaltender Gannon Hunter matched him in Game 2 by giving up only two goals before going to the bench for an extra skater the second-highest total of his playoff career Matt Fries and Truby traded goals 1:10 apart early in the first period The score stayed 1-1 until Falcons call-up Alex Forrest scored his first career junior goal 38 seconds into the third period really good first period and then … that four on four goal maybe kind of brought the momentum down a little bit,” Truby said “but we’ve just got to find out how to get to that next level and get our energy levels up.” Trent Gates and Nathan Duplessis scored empty-net goals before Liam Campbell tallied for the Maroons with 42 seconds left The Maroons’ slim comeback hopes disappeared when Duplessis added another empty-netter “We know that’s not our best performance,” Maroons forward Eamon Edgar said Just bringing our 100 per cent every night (is important) and I don’t think we did that tonight “We had a good first period and I think we kind of got away from it but we’re looking forward to having a good practice tomorrow and having a good performance on Tuesday.” The Falcons found a silver lining in Game 1 with a solid third period Truby wants the Maroons to do the same with their Game 2 finish “We’ve got something to prove next game and we’re going to come out flying,” he said NOTES: The Maroons were 0 for 2 with a man advantage … The Maroons have four of the top five rookie scorers in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League playoffs mmalone@postmedia.com transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Better decorum in the Canadian House of Commons would allow for more co-operation across the aisle We must hold newly elected representatives accountable to work together Based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts Re: Every party lost something in this election — but there was one true and clear winner They both provide a farewell to yesterday and the birth of new hope Canadians have spoken and have elected the government we deserve we must hold these newly elected representatives to account to work together intelligent and unifying solutions to the problems facing our great country and its citizens Now that the Great Sloganeer is no longer present perhaps decorum in our House of Commons will allow for more co-operation across the aisle Together we are better and the well-being of our country is in their hands it may be time for you to fall on your sword please remember to close the door quietly and don’t let it hit you on the way out Re: Poilievre vows ‘to be there to fight’ after becoming third straight Conservative leader to fail to topple Liberals While it was a relief to be spared the outcome of having Pierre Poilievre elected prime minister our antiquated first-past-the-post system also ensured the NDP Greens and others will have almost no voice in Parliament Mark Carney indicated it was time for electoral reform but so did Justin Trudeau in a previous campaign Liberal promises dissipate into the ether after they are elected Re: Building houses Opinions frequently highlight the burden Niagara residents face due to duplication of government services The recurring claim is we have too many politicians and amalgamation is the only solution Some are frustrated by Premier Doug Ford’s inaction on municipal restructuring I urge: take a closer look at Hamilton’s failed amalgamation an ill-conceived initiative imposed by the Mike Harris Conservative government It not only embarrassingly failed to deliver promised efficiencies but also cost taxpayers millions in additional expenses A recent letter to the editor suggested cutting administrative layers would accelerate homebuilding who wants to live in a house built on improperly zoned land where worker safety regulations and building codes are overlooked If residents are truly concerned about rising cost of local governance and salaries of elected officials I encourage them to voice their concerns at local council meetings and advocate for meaningful change Simply calling for amalgamation — an approach already shown to be ineffective — is an exercise in futility We welcome letters from our readers. Send them to letters@niagaradailies.com address and phone number for verification purposes Opinion articles are based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details Niagara’s Conservative MPs, Fred Davies, Tony Baldinelli and Dean Allison, head to Ottawa for the first caucus meeting after the election. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, accompanied by his wife Anaida, arrives to address supporters at his campaign headquarters on election night. Baldinelli and Allison say the leader has the party headed in the right direction despite losing his seat. Fresh off election-night victories, two of Niagara’s Conservative MPs — Tony Baldinelli from Niagara Falls-Niagara-on-the-Lake and Dean Allison from Niagara West — will head back to Ottawa for Tuesday’s caucus meeting united in agreement that Pierre Poilievre should stay on as leader. Baldinelli and Allison said they had complete confidence in Poilievre, who lost his seat in Ottawa’s Carleton riding to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy by more than 5,000 votes. “The policies that we enunciated in this campaign were the right ones — I firmly believe that,” Baldinelli said. “We addressed the issues; the Liberal party adopted some of them. “I want him (Poilievre) to continue to lead our party. He’s a tremendous individual. He’s been a tremendous leader. He had confidence in me to give me a shadow cabinet position, so I support my leader wholeheartedly.” Niagara South Conservative MP Fred Davies, elected for the first time, referred to himself as the “new kid on the block.” “I’m not even an MP yet,” Davies said, taking a conservative approach to leadership questions. “This is all a brand-new dynamic for me. “There are more seasoned people than I who will weigh in on this. I need to get my feet wet first.” On one hand, Poilievre failed to defeat the governing Liberals after holding a 20-point lead in polls earlier this year, which Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s former campaign manager Kory Teneycke likened to “campaign malpractice.” On the other hand, under Poilievre’s leadership, the Conservatives received 8,086,051 votes and 41.3 per cent of the ballots cast across the country, which represents the highest conservative total since Brian Mulroney won a landslide majority with 43 per cent of the vote in 1988. “We have not seen these numbers for almost 40 years,” Allison said, reiterating his support for Poilievre. “We have some of the new coalitions we’ve been able to build with young people. “I think the story of this election has been the absolute crazy collapse of the NDP, and we certainly benefited from some of that. “Can we say that the NDP vote went to just the Liberals? In some cases, it did. But in other cases, we were the benefactors of that, potentially in the 905 (area code).” The issue of finding Poilievre a seat was taken off the table Friday when Damien Kurek, who has represented Alberta’s Battle River—Crowfoot riding since 2019, announced he would resign to make way for Poilievre. Before Kurek’s announcement, Allison predicted someone would volunteer to give up their seat for the leader and the good of the party. Allison said the first caucus meeting agenda would include selecting a chair to run the meetings and deal with administrative details as well as a “a bit of an election debrief.” Sooner rather than later, Conservative MPs will also need to name one of their own to lead the party in the House of Commons when Parliament resumes, likely in late May and too soon for a byelection. Bill Sawchuk is a reporter with the St. Catharines Standard. Two people are facing charges after a drug bust in St. Catharines. Niagara Regional Police say it started when they found a man wanted on multiple warrants dating back to 2016. When they found the man they saw what they believed activity consistent with a drug deal. The suspect was in a vehicle with a woman and he was arrested. A search of the two found fentanyl and oxycodone. 51-year-old Garfield Swaby from St. Catharines is now facing drug charges along with six counts of failing to comply with a release order. 45-year-old Nicole Jean Ley from St. Catharines is also facing drug charges. Anyone with information related to this matter is encouraged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service at 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1009405. An independent contractor working as a personal trainer and manual osteopath faces voyeurism charges after women were allegedly secretly recorded on video while in “various stages of undress” at a St Catharines physical wellness and rehabilitation facility Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience Don't have an account? Create Account We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentNiagara Regional Police said they were contacted in November 2024 by employees of a Martindale-area St. Catharines commercial facility regarding a voyeurism complaint. A preliminary investigation revealed that the physical wellness and rehabilitation facility had allegedly received information that women were being recorded inside the business. Detectives executed multiple search warrants to gather evidence from social media platforms and internet service providers. A suspect was identified and on March 17, 2025, Nicholas Edward Jackson, 29, of St. Catharines, was arrested and charged with voyeurism and distributing an intimate image. The investigation continued, including forensic analysis of seized electronic devices. During this process, detectives said they identified two additional victims. On May 3, the accused was arrested again and charged with two counts of voyeurism. “Detectives continue to examine the contents of seized devices and believe that there may be more victims,” Niagara Regional Police said in a news release. “Detectives believe that Jackson was/is also working independently in the same capacity, outside of his contracted position at the physical wellness and rehabilitation facility.” This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Eleanor Rye continues to clean the area around her tent since she arrived in the Queenston neighbourhood area more than a month ago Debris litters the side of Richmond Avenue in the Queenston neighbourhood of St She arrived in the Queenston neighbourhood area more than a month ago and continues to clean up cleared used needles and helped improve the Queenston neighbourhood area of Richmond and Berryman avenues Eleanor Rye received a 90-day shelter ban and in April settled under a street light near Richmond and Berryman avenues in St The 50-year-old quickly saw an opportunity she made a name for herself among residents in the city’s Queenston neighbourhood I was across the street and decided to start cleaning because I’ve always worked and I was going crazy sitting in the tent all-day long,” she said It took two days before the neighbours came to bring me bags and five days to clean up a mess they’d been fighting (to solve) for over a year.” old food containers and used needles left from a previous encampment “The people out here have got to worry about their kids wanting to go up there and build a fort in the summer but they’re going to get a (needle) in the foot,” she said Rye has experienced homelessness for about a year High rents have prevented her from finding affordable housing “I never asked for homelessness,” she said An Ontario Disability Support Program recipient Rye’s only option was to live in a tent and move between encampments “I’m tired of moving my tent all over the place I just want to get into some kind of housing,” she said “I can’t afford it without the subsidy and all of those take time said Rye has done an “amazing job” of cleaning up something neighbours had fought to get cleaned “Ellie camped (there) and took it upon herself to clean so the city can come and picked it all up,” she said picked up over a thousand needles … and got all the sharps bins and called people (from Positive Living) to pick it up.” Macleod said Rye cleaned in hopes of building a rapport with neighbours to prevent them from removing her it’s not a homeless shelter,” she said “They do camp along Yale and Berryman avenues Macleod said the goal is not to marginalize the unhoused community but rather to work with them to get housed or services required for housing “We understand homeless people need somewhere to live,” she said “If they cleaned up their debris and didn’t leave garbage while camping and then leave in the winter I don’t think there would be as much of a struggle for people to camp.” Macleod hopes to assist Rye in finding permanent independent housing and to advocate for her until then “I’d like to advocate for her and see if I can do anything to help her get a hotel even,” she said The neighbourhood has been open and receptive to her presence The end goal for Rye is to find a permanent place to live Like other people experiencing homelessness “Tenters will pick up their garbage and put it out to the road if provided with garbage pickup we’re worried all the time,” she said “It starts with a home where you lay your head … you’ve got to be able to sleep at night to be able to function during the day I sit with a (baseball) bat all-night long one piece of cloth between me and the guy who might want to beat me or worse.” Looking north in the area of Ontario and St Catharines was very much a work in progress in 1873 What appear to be telephone poles were actually used for telegraphs The pyramidal top of the former Masonic temple can still be seen today looking up Ontario Street from the corner of St The mid- to late-19th century was a time of change and growth near Ontario and St Dennis Gannon is a member of the Historical Society of St He is a freelance contributing columnist for the Standard Our old photo this week shows the lower part of Ontario Street in St The dating is suggested by the condition in which we find the two tallest buildings on the left — the Odd Fellows building In 1872 the Odd Fellows decided to add a fourth floor and a tower to the original façade of their building which had been built on Ontario Street in 1862 local Masons undertook to construct their own temple a short distance north of there on Ontario Contemporary newspaper reports in 1873 made it clear that was still ongoing on each of those buildings The fourth floor has been added to the Odd Fellows building In the distance the “Masonic Temple” banner and the flags flying over Ontario Street right in front of that building suggest its formal opening was not too far in the future The old photo was taken by local photographer G.F On the right side it shows the Haynes Block a major commercial building in the heart of our downtown Just below its third-floor windows overlooking St Paul we see a sign saying “Maitland’s Portrait Rooms” — that’s where Maitland had his studio and darkroom On the first floor of the building was a grocery store (featuring wine either new product just arrived for the shop or “empties” about to be disposed of bordered by sidewalks made of wooden planks and lined with horse-drawn carts and wagons Along Ontario Street were what look to us like telephone poles but the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell was still a few years in the future leading to and from the main telegraph office which was in the distance up Ontario Street A century and a half later our “today” photo shows quite a different scene The Odd Fellows building has vanished — it was torn down in late 1915 to open a space through which St Paul Street was extended to reach a new Burgoyne Bridge The Masons long ago moved to a new building on Centre Street Their former building may be best known to many of us as the longtime home of Peninsula Press In the distance on Ontario may be seen the distinctive spires and turrets of St four or five years after the “yesterday” photo was taken Paul complex occupies that same corner today Geneva Street Dairy Queen owner Summy Sandhu addresses St Kevin Townsend and Mark Stevens during a St George’s ward town hall session at St Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre on Wednesday A housing project is underway at 320 Geneva St. where the city’s parks and recreation administration building used to be located and Kevin Townsend hold a town hall session for the ward at St Residents in the area say they've been dealing with the impacts of encampments mental health and addictions and don't want it to get worse Residents in the area say they’ve been dealing with the impacts of encampments mental health and addictions and don’t want it to get worse Catharines neighbourhood where a bridge and supportive housing project for the unhoused is being built expressed frustrations to the mayor and ward councillors Wednesday night about a lack of consultation More than 100 residents have signed a petition opposing the Niagara Regional Housing project at 320 Geneva St. which was presented to Mayor Mat Siscoe during a town hall meeting for St Resident David Foster, who helped gather the signatures, said the only way some of the residents in the area found out about the project adjacent to their properties was from a media photo-op last summer “No one from the city came by to gauge residents’ feelings or even just a heads-up about what may go in,” he said “We took it upon ourselves and found the vast majority of residents didn’t know or did not realize what bridge housing really is.” Siscoe said while the city once owned the Geneva Street property and transferred it to Niagara Region the development is a Niagara Region project and it’s the region that would relay the information about it who is chair of the Niagara Regional Housing board tried to alleviate concerns by explaining bridge housing is not the same as a homeless shelter Bridge housing provides short-term accommodations with intense wraparound supports to help people get back on their feet and move from the shelter system into permanent housing Siscoe said residents in Niagara Falls are happy with the bridge housing building there “The people that are going into bridge housing are the motivated individuals who want to get out of homelessness — they want to get away from that they are trying to get help and so the bridge housing provides the support that they need,” Siscoe said Siscoe said he would have been opposed to a homeless shelter in the Geneva Street area and has already said no to three sites as the region looks for a permanent shelter site to replace its temporary shelter at 29 Riordon St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre was hosted by Siscoe with St Unlike previous meetings in Grantham and St when residents asked questions about many topics the town hall Wednesday was dominated entirely by one issue — the homeless Many residents who spoke said they were worried the bridge housing project would exacerbate a multitude of problems neighbours are dealing with in the area Issues raised included needles in green spaces They are issues residents felt they are being left to handle on their own telling the mayor stories of contacting police the city and even the Ontario premier’s office for help and not getting any Resident Alyssa McConnery said a homeless person walked into her neighbour’s house a couple of weeks ago and she’s worried about her young children going to the nearby park every day “I have to be concerned not just about who’s in the park Dairy Queen owner Summy Sandhu said he’s been dealing with an encampment behind his building on public property for the past few months and is also worried about the kid-friendly area He said people have been shooting up at the back of the building nonstop his property defecated on and prostitution has been apparent I do know this … It’s just no one’s fixing the problem,” he said adding he’s called police six times in two or three months and he couldn’t even get an incident number Siscoe said the city’s new public space use bylaw adopted by council on Tuesday should help deal directly with those issues The bylaw is dealing with court rulings that allow encampments by adding restrictions on where they can’t be to protect residents in “sensitive” areas It will enable the city to clean up encampments in those areas The mayor encouraged residents to not give up and keep making police reports and ask for incident numbers so the city has data when they ask for more police resources for areas come regional budget time Police are looking into a case of voyeurism in which they say several women were filmed while using a changeroom at a St Police were called in November by employees of the Martindale area centre and as a result identified 29-year old Nicholas Edward Jackson of St They say he had been working as an independent contractor as a personal trainer and manual osteopath Police also gathered evidence from social media platforms and internet service providers In March he was charged with voyeurism and releasing an intimate picture he was arrested again after police found two more victims.  Police laid 2 additional voyeurism charges Police also believe there may be more victims A sneaky phishing email is spoofing a Google Security alert Click this inverted triangle icon beside the “to me” field to see the sender’s details Comparison of sender details between a real Google Security Alert email (left) and a subpoena phishing email (right) showing privateemail[.]com The sophisticated scheme can con even tech savvy Gmail users with subpoena alerts coming from a seemingly valid no-reply@google[.]com email and phishing websites that look like the real deal An eerily convincing phishing message has been making the rounds in recent weeks bypassing Google’s security protections and is putting up to 1.8 billion Gmail users at risk First highlighted on X by Nick Johnson, founder and chief developer of Ethereum Name Services (ENS), the phishing attack starts off with a message sent from a no-reply@google[.]com address with the email heading “Security Alert.” Recently I was targeted by an extremely sophisticated phishing attack, and I want to highlight it here. It exploits a vulnerability in Google's infrastructure, and given their refusal to fix it, we're likely to see it a lot more. Here's the email I got: pic.twitter.com/tScmxj3um6 It bypasses Google’s DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) a security feature that normally detects email spoofing Gmail also “displays it without any warnings,” Johnson said in the post “It even puts (the fake subpoena warning) in the same conversation as other The message itself claims that a subpoena has been served which orders Google to produce a copy of the target’s Google account content “This notice is to alert you that a subpoena was issued to Google LLC by a law enforcement that seeks retrieval of information contained in your Google Account,” the message reads It includes a supposed reference number and a link to the person’s “Google Support Case.” “The Sites link takes you to a very convincing ‘support portal’ page,” Johnson said adding that scammers have “cleverly used sites.google.com because they know people see the domain is google.com and assume it’s legit,” he explained The Sites link takes you to a very convincing "support portal" page. They've cleverly used https://t.co/tl3ktQkM5X because they know people will see the domain is https://t.co/OBurWWdnuQ and assume it's legit. pic.twitter.com/pLH7CnvSyK Clicking “Upload additional documents” or “View case” takes the user to a sign-in page that looks like an exact duplicate of the real Google page. “The only hint it’s a phish is that it’s hosted on sites.google.com instead of accounts.google.com,” Johnson explained the target’s login credentials are harvested and used to compromise their account Making the email appear as if its from a legitimate no-reply@google[.]com address is more complicated though Attackers typically start by creating a Google account for ‘me@domain’ and triggering Google to send them a security alert that they then forward to their victims.  In a statement sent to Newsweek a representative from Google said the company is currently in the process of rolling out security updates to address the issue and advises users to avoid giving out credentials without first confirming that the site is legitimate Users can check the details of the email sender by clicking the small triangle icon beside the “to me” section on top of the email as shown below Pay attention to the “mailed-by” section in the sender’s details. “Although it was signed by accounts.google.com it was emailed by privateemail[.]com,” Johnson said in the post.  Other red flags are the use of sites.google.com in the URL which indicates the page was made using Google’s free web page creation tool and weird formatting like the use of many white spaces right after the phishing message Kim Bender is the new medical director for REACH Niagara who will stay on as new medical director of substance use and addictions programming Karl Stobbe of REACH Niagara helps launch the organization’s new mobile health clinic in October 2021 Stobbe has stepped back from his role as medical director in hopes new leadership will generate new ideas Karl Stobbe voluntarily steps back and hopes change will generate new ideas to provide Niagara's vulnerable population with health care Karl Stobbe voluntarily steps back and hopes change will generate new ideas to provide Niagara’s vulnerable population with health care who will replace the leader who founded the organization in 2019 and led it through the growing region’s homelessness and opioid crises Kim Bender stepped into the position in January after Dr the organization’s founding medical director stepped back and cited a need for fresh eyes and change “We were talking about how we should organize leadership in the organization and in a lot of leadership roles people run out of ideas and it gets to be same old Term limits for positions such as medical director typically consist of about five years after which a new director is appointed Stobbe plans to continue his work with REACH Niagara as the medical director of the substance use and addictions program He started the organization in November 2019 as a response to the growing need for services for people experiencing homelessness and living with addictions REACH Niagara provides health-care services to people who do not have basic needs met, said the organization’s website This includes people who are experiencing homeless precariously housed and living below the low-income measure Bender joined the physician team in 2023 in a clinical setting after watching the success of the program Later Stobbe approached her about a more active role “He (Stobbe) had reached out saying they (REACH) were hoping to expand the leadership team as he was hoping to move into a different role and it really spoke to my heart,” she said “I see so much change happening in the community and a great need and I saw so much of what the team was doing — I didn’t think I could turn it down.” Bender has a background in family medicine She aims to improve the level of care by stabilizing people’s health giving access to traditional care and providing dignity Bender said taking over the role felt scary at first but support from the teams He’s (Stobbe) an amazing physician and person he’s built this up so beautifully and it’s hard to fill his shoes,” she said one person just can’t do it anymore.” he’s built this up so beautifully and it’s hard to fill his shoes.” — Dr The organization started with two clinics in 2019 and has grown to more than 20 clinics with 14 doctors and four nurse-practitioners since that time Bender plans to stabilize the organization through grants and community funding to support the rapid growth the organization has experienced while offering the same level of care so what I’m hoping to bring to the table is working with the ministry and along with our executive director Carolyn Dyer to bring a more sustainable model,” she said “Our goal is to try to provide these stable programs so people become more stable … in their own lives.” said it has been a “seamless” transition due to Bender’s familiarity within the organization “She had a good understanding of the population we serve individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and gender-based violence,” she said “We’ve been able to maintain the relationships and keep momentum going for new initiatives we’re hoping to implement.” Dyer said the organization is hoping to support women experiencing homelessness “because we do see that as an opportunity … as it’s a very different journey (she) has already come in and looked at our existing clinics within shelter and has been thinking And looking at what are the populations that we’re missing,” she said Stobbe said as Bender settles into her new role he is excited to see the changes she plans to implement Bender has some really good ideas for how to do that help them get to know each other outside of when they’re just working (at clinics),” he said Dancers from Barvinok Ukrainian Dance School John Ukrainian Church’s Ukrainian open house during the Niagara Folk Arts Festival Newcomer Tetiana Tytarenko displays her art at the 2025 Folks Arts Festival Ukrainian open house in St Ukraine’s Two Families band perform at the Ukrainian open house as part of the 2025 Folks Arts Festival Ukrainian newcomer Hanna Petrova takes donations and offers a sample of borscht soup at the 2025 Folks Arts Festival Dunai Dance Ensemble perform during the Ukrainian open house at St John Ukrainian Church during the Niagara Folk Arts Festival Dunai dancers perform during the Ukrainian open house at St “It’s just a little festival in the global scheme of things but why can’t we have the hope that something will change?” said festival producer Tetiana Tytarenko was already painting it — open skies and imagined landscapes of places far beyond the borders of her Ukrainian and Polish homes Tytarenko was forced to flee with her husband and two children She resettled in Niagara in 2022 and her art took on new meaning Her canvas paintings have become more than just a full-time job and creative outlet but a connection to the traditions Fields of sunflowers and wildflowers swaying in the wind her grandmother’s 100-year-old farm home in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region a series of acrylic paintings from series of embroidery from ancient times — all brought to life on canvas They’ve become part of the community through gatherings at the St which kicked off the first week of the 57th annual Niagara Folks Arts Festival — a celebration of cultural heritage through art and food surrounded by the smells of borscht soup and cabbage rolls music from Ukraine’s Two Families Band and traditional dancing from Niagara and Hamilton youth groups “I like Canada so much and I’m so happy to be here,” said Tytarenko open house organizer Laryssa Tymczyszyn-Doig said the event never has issues filling the building with people enjoying the food and entertainment meeting with newcomers and seeing how they’ve integrated into different cultural groups that we have here It’s really lovely to see the support,” she said John’s has become a hub for the region’s ongoing fundraising efforts It has organized monthly air shipments of supplies to Ukraine since the war began that mission remained present and booths reminded visitors the need is far from over “All the donations from (the borscht tastings) are going to humanitarian aid We’re just trying to keep it fun for people to stay interested and keep it in the forefront even though there’s so much going on in the world right now,” said Tymczyszyn-Doig The 57th festival got underway with a brand-new event The evening was designed to celebrate cultural diversity and invite broader community participation — a shift away from the more traditional Ambassador’s Ball to something more welcoming Why change the parts that are working and the parts that everybody remembers with fond memories?” said Pam Seabrook producer of the festival and fundraising and events manager for the newly renamed Bridges Niagara (formerly the Folk Arts Multicultural Centre) “We bridge those gaps that happen when you move from one place to another so it’s symbolic in so Seabrook said the festival is in a period of transition to balance tradition with necessary updates to stay relevant and accessible Many of its original volunteers have aged out of their longtime roles and organizers are adapting to the needs of the festival’s changing audience Future changes will include mobile ordering updated payment systems and better tools to help cultural groups stay visible and financially sustainable festival organizers are easing in with smaller changes like launching Harmony Nite and conducting short surveys at open houses to gather information on attendees we really need to bring ourselves forward,” she said When the Folks Arts Festival began 57 years ago it was about celebrating Niagara’s diverse communities through music the festival has grown broader as a platform to address racism ageism and barriers of language and background which can be “quite intense for those who experience it,” said Seabrook the festival encourages open dialogue and safe spaces where people can share and learn whether they’re connected to a culture or discovering it for the first time Food and art are the anchors to that understanding “The most important thing is breaking down barriers of isolation … if there’s negative assumptions for newcomers this festival should be a great vehicle for you to come and find out for yourself,” she said but why can’t we have the hope that something will change?” Folk Arts Festival open houses continue throughout May and features culture from Ethiopia Bridges Niagara will host an open house and cultural fashion show on May 8 the festival will host its first Sing it Canada event at the Niagara Falls Exchange supported by the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund a celebration of Canadian music reimagined through an ethnocultural lens Returning this year is the festival’s popular newcomer and community basketball game held at Brock University and is open to all people For more information about the festival and a full list of events, visit niagarafolkartsfestival.ca/festival/ Catharines Canadian Polish Society Open HouseMay 9 Ethiopian Community in Niagara Open HouseMay 10 Migrant Workers Celebration Open HouseMay 15 Chinese Cultural Foundation Open HouseMay 17 Filipino-Canadian Association of Niagara Open HouseMay 18 Armenian Community Centre Open HouseMay 18 Croatian National Centre Niagara Peninsula John of Rila Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church Fans at Scotiabank Arena applaud Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz in an October game Tickets are still available for tonight’s playoff game vs tickets available from the box office to tonight’s Game 1 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers Bad news: The cheapest tickets will cost a hefty penny you may not even have an actual seat and your view could be obstructed The Leafs have home ice advantage in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series just like in 2023 when the Panthers eliminated Toronto from the playoffs with the potential for as many as four games at Scotiabank Arena The playoffs experience certainly doesn’t come cheap the Ticketmaster map still showed seats available both in the lower and upper bowls — in addition to plenty of resale tickets More in Leafs-Pathers Game 1 live updates (5 of 7) The Abbotsford Tulip Festival — Canada’s largest tulip festival — features 11 hectares of land and more than 70 tulip varieties visitors to the Abbotsford Tulip Festival were treated to winter canola flowers set against the brooding mountains in the distance Eye-catching Fire Wings tulips have a lily form and brilliant red and yellow colouring Double peony-style tulips in vibrant shades of orange peach and yellow were a fan favourite at the Abbotsford Tulip Festival they would make a stunning bouquet of cut flowers for the table With more than 70 varieties spread out over 11 hectares the flowers of Abbotsford Tulip Festival in British Columbia create a dazzling display of colour Theresa Forte is an award-winning writer, photographer and speaker. She is a contributing columnist for the St. Catharines Standard. Reach her at fortegardens@gmail.com Being mindful of spending my travel budget in Canada I had the pleasure of visiting the Abbotsford Tulip Festival in late April with my daughter-in-law Sara and granddaughter Ruby but the sun warmed our adventure — smiles and bright spirits were the order of the day the festival welcomes thousands of visitors from the greater Vancouver area the flowers create a dazzling display of colour Highlights include kilometres of walking trails specialty varietals that have been imported from Holland and a legacy tulip named after Peter Warmerdam our plans were to host smaller crowds to enjoy the flower fields,” says Nick Warmerdam “After hearing how the crowds wished that Abbotsford still had a tulip festival we decided to bring it back and planted tulips Lakeland Flowers opened in spring 2021 with a smaller U-pick operation but could not move forward the following year due to devastating floods that occurred in November 2021 The Sumas Prairie is part of the Fraser Lowland and extends through British Columbia and Washington state It was created by the draining of Sumas Lake early in the 20th century the team has managed to overcome these challenges and planted more than 40 hectares  — 211 hectares of tulips and two- to four-hectare plots of various other flowers visitors are invited back to experience the other flower festivals “We love seeing families and friends create memories at the farm Visitors will be able to see the flowers from multiple angles,” says Warmerdam The Abbotsford Tulip Festival is open 6 a.m giant klompen (traditional Dutch shoes) and a schoenen winkel (Dutch shoe store) Returning favourites include pianos to play in the fields Visitors are also welcome to pack a picnic and enjoy live music nights and food truck meals While April and May bring tulips and assorted field flowers May and June feature more than 12 hectares of peonies Lakeland Flowers’ summer flower festival ends with more than 16 hectares of sunflowers Online tickets are available one week in advance with tiered pricing options for weekdays and weekends. For more information, go to lakelandflowers.ca Lakeland Flowers is on the unceded territory of the Semá:th First Nation Flower farming runs deeply within the Warmerdam family beginning with Peter Warmerdam in the 1950s his son Nick in the 1980s and Nick’s children from the 2000s and on Nick’s farming background began with field-grown cut daffodils peonies and tulips before diversifying into greenhouse-grown tulips Over the 50-plus years Lakeland Flowers has operated it has grown and sold millions of fresh- cut flowers across Canada and the U.S the Warmerdams continue to grow and sell commercial tulips and peonies She is a contributing columnist for the St Catharines’ Will Moore (44) fires the puck past Chatham’s Jaxen Fortier-Smith (4) in Game 1 Sutherland Cup final Friday night at Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre in St Chatham’s Blain Bacik (2) tries to poke the puck away from St Catharines’ Will Moore (44) in Friday night Game 1 Sutherland Cup final action at Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre in St Catharines’ Nathan Duplessis (83) battles Chatham’s Logan Burham (98) for the puck in Game 1 Sutherland Cup final action Friday night at Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre in St Catharines Falcons came to play when they opened a best-of-seven Sutherland Cup final at home against the Chatham Maroons on Friday night an inability to keep that laser focus on shutting down the highest-scoring team in junior-B hockey for the entire game cost them dearly especially with the next two games on the road After finding the back of the net 4:55 into the opening period top-seeded Chatham added three more goals in less than six minutes later in the frame for a 4-0 lead who paced the 23-team Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League in goals during the regular season and also so far in the playoffs the more rested of the combatants in the first-ever final between the realigned league’s Eastern and Western conference champions The Falcons more than held their own against the visitors “First 10 minutes I don’t think they were in our zone Falcons president of hockey operations and head coach loss of focus in the defensive zone and relying too much on goaltender Hayden Jeffery was a recipe for disaster they’re going to put pucks back in the net,” Bielby said of the Maroons “They’re very opportunistic and they’re going to bury their chances and they did that when we took our foot off the gas who compiled a 2.74 goals-against average and .907 save percentage backstopping the Falcons to a 23-10-1-1 record was pulled after allowing six goals on 20 shots Jacob Ceranic stopped all nine he faced the rest of the way “They didn’t want to defend in front of him,” Bielby said so they were just leaving him out to dry a little bit Bielby ranked competing and the forecheck as job one and 1A in nullifying Chatham’s speed and skill in the fourth-round playoff “You can’t let them get wound up,” he said said the Falcons weren’t surprised by Chatham’s ability to take advantage of opportunities I thought we had a bad eight minutes as a team which didn’t help us and they had an early lead,” he said “But I thought the last 30 minutes of the game we took it to them and there’s no quit on this team “We just have to defend in our D zone and stop throwing the puck away and we’ll be fine.” While disappointing and not the start the Falcons wanted in their quest for their third Sutherland Cup and first since 2022 the loss won’t take on a life of its own if the coaching staff has anything to say about it I’m not going to worry about where we play,” Bielby said “We won two big games in a row in Fort Erie on the big ice “All the outsiders said we couldn’t do that and we did that We’ll go Chatham and we’ll prove more people wrong.” He also put the loss in perspective by saying it got what it deserved “a 30-second funeral” in the dressing room You make sure they know you believe in them and this is not the time of year to start doubting people,” Bielby said we weren’t ready for portions of the game — and it cost us.” Catharines’ first game since eliminating the Fort Erie Meteors for the conference championship on Saturday Marys Lincolns on the road Tuesday night in Game 7 of the West final Lowe didn’t think rust was a factor in his team’s play in the series opener we fell asleep for eight to 10 minutes in the first and that killed us tonight “It’s definitely a big game coming up in Chatham We have to start on time and don’t fall asleep for that eight or 10 minutes that we did tonight Catharines outshot Chatham 41-30 and went 0-for-2 on the power play while the Maroons finished 1-for-3 Treyson Dewar and Lowe each scored their seventh of the playoffs and Brendan Grenville his eighth of the post-season for the Falcons before an announced crowd of 843 at Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre a 15-year-old call-up from the midget ranks Carter Chadwick scored two and Ewan McChesney and Trevor Zanutto each added a goal Game 2 was Sunday night at Chatham Memorial Arena which also is the venue for Tuesday’s third game in the series Chatham earned the deciding game should the series go the distance based on points not on where the team placed in the regular-season standings The Maroons (35-10-4-1) finished league play three points ahead of the Falcons (35-13-1-1) … The Falcons are in the Sutherland Cup final for the ninth time while the Maroons are in their fourth Ontario junior-B championship Catharines captured the Cup in 2012 and 2022; Chatham in 1999 … The Falcons swept the Maroons two games to none to take the title three years ago … Former Niagara IceDogs defenceman Ryan Vannetten is playing out his junior eligibility with the Maroons Nathan Lukes gets the Gatorade treatment from  Vladimir Guerrero Jr after Friday night’s series opener against the Cleveland Guardians at the Rogers Centre The Jays got back to .500 for the first time in a week with Friday night's win over Cleveland at the Rogers Centre The Jays got back to .500 for the first time in a week with Friday night’s win over Cleveland at the Rogers Centre The Blue Jays had an unlikely hero on Friday night as backup outfielder Nathan Lukes came through with a game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth they got back to .500 for the first time in a week at 16-16 it was Springer’s turn to get in on the action His solo shot in the fifth inning temporarily put the Jays in front Springer was batting .212 with seven extra-base hits and a .617 on-base plus slugging percentage he’s hitting .314 with 11 extra-base hits and a .946 OPS The Jays scored their other two runs in the third on a single by Kirk Down goes Ramírez: The budget-conscious Guardians don’t have much star power and one of the only big names they have went down in a crumpled heap in the series opener hit a slow dribbler out in front of the plate in the top of the third Jays starter Chris Bassitt fielded the ball and made a throw to first which ricocheted off Ramírez’s back as he landed awkwardly on the bag and fell to the ground Ramirez remained on the dirt for several minutes and eventually left the game with a sprained ankle He will be questionable for the rest of this series a blow to a Guardians lineup that was averaging just 3.81 runs per game Whitestone ranch at 406 Whitestone Lake Rd Whitestone Ranch located at 406 Whitestone Lake Rd Whitestone Ranch resort opened in the Municipality of Whitestone The first luxury ranch-style resort in Eastern Canada has opened near Parry Sound Whitestone Ranch resort is now open in Whitestone two-and-a-half hours north of Toronto near Muskoka Here is what the owners said about the site in a news release This 33-acre waterfront resort — at 406 Whitestone Lake Rd. where the former Whitestone Resort was located — is described as the first of its kind in Eastern Canada in a news release about its opening offers 14 cabin-style rooms with king-sized beds A post shared by Whitestone Ranch (@whitestone__ranch) This waterfront property features a private beach The resort has a private chef who prepares meals using local products There is also the opportunity for canoe and kayak adventures gym and a tennis court opening in the summer of 2025 A post shared by Whitestone Ranch (@whitestone__ranch) Whitestone Ranch is collaborating with Clase Azul tequila this summer to provide an exclusive “Rodeo Experience.” “The ranch is on track to become a top Canadian summer destination by offering premium private club experiences and forming brand partnerships like this one,” reads a Whitestone Ranch release “Visitors can expect a courtside sip and swing on the tennis courts and a decked-out private beach with Western-style towels and chic umbrellas.” A post shared by Whitestone Ranch (@whitestone__ranch) The resort is exclusively booked as the whole property and can host large gatherings The cost for a full ranch booking starts at $3,495 per night Guests can buy all-inclusive packages which offer all meals and beverage pairings as well as transportation and spa services More information can be found at the Whitestone Ranch website Two people arrested following St. Catharines drug investigation Six-year-old boy dead after falling from 10th floor of Toronto apartment: police Niagara police have arrested two people following an investigation into a St Catharines man who was wanted on multiple outstanding arrest warrants officers located the man and caught him in the middle of a drug deal Police conducted searches on both individuals and found a collective 6.1 grams of fentanyl and nearly $300 in cash detectives executed a search warrant at a house in St Catharines believed to be connected to the pair The search resulted in the seizure of an additional 76.2 grams of fentanyl Catharines were arrested and are facing charges related to drug possession for the purpose of trafficking Swaby had several outstanding arrest warrants dating back to 2016 drug offences and breaches of release conditions Anyone with more information is asked to contact police at 905-688-4111 READ MORE: St. Catharines man wanted by police following assault of a child Signage urging consumers to buy Canadian products at Cadbury’s chocolate factory in Toronto A motion by Ontario’s NDP is calling for legislation to require big box grocery stores to identify products that are Ontario made an independent grocery store with two locations in York Region (Newmarket and Sharon) labelled certain products as Products of Canada to help customers buy Canadian products Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce warns the proposal discussed at Queen's Park this week could drive food prices up even higher Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce warns the proposal discussed at Queen’s Park this week could drive food prices up even higher Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens is backing a provincial New Democratic Party motion calling for “greater transparency at a time when Canadians have chosen to take a stand against Donald Trump’s tariffs.” But doing so won’t be easy and could drive up costs even more said Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce policy and government relations director Hugo Chesshire Stevens was speaking in support of the private member’s motion introduced by NDP leader Marit Stiles at Queen’s Park this week calling for legislation to require big box grocery chains such as Sobeys and Loblaw to identify made in Ontario products as well as products imported from the U.S. while also requiring large grocery stores to disclose any price increases of more than two per cent over a two-week period on staple food items such as milk “I’ve called out corporate grocery giants for using the pandemic as an excuse to gouge consumers Prices posted online by Zehrs indicate a dozen large Grade A eggs go for $3.93 Stevens said the skyrocketing prices at a time when grocery store chains are bringing in record profits is “greed — plain and simple She said there are still a few deals up for grabs at grocery stores such as a “huge display of beautiful raspberries for $1.50 and another display of green grapes for $1.40 a pound.” “These are prices we have not seen in years She said some shoppers are choosing to leave those items on the shelves and pay more for local produce They are doing their research and they are making conscious choices to support local They are choosing principal over price,” Stevens said “It’s time that our leaders match their energy.” Stevens said the motion is about “protecting our neighbours our friends and our local economy.” “We need policies to protect consumers not corporations we need legislation that enforces price transparency we need investigations into predatory pricing practices and we need to make sure the consequences of Donald Trump’s tariffs don’t solely fall on the shoulders of everyday families,” she said Grocery store chains contacted for this story did not immediately respond to interview requests Chesshire said implementing it would add to the regulatory burden for the businesses and the cost would be passed on to the consumer but nevertheless it’s not going to happen for free,” he said you might see a small rise in prices as a result of it.” He said it might also unfairly impact business from other countries that are not imposing tariffs on Canadian goods “Obviously we want to support Ontario businesses but we also have a lot of trade agreements with other jurisdictions and other countries We want Canada to be a reliable trading partner with those jurisdictions,” he said “It’s important to remember that our other trading partners haven’t done any wrong to Canada.” Even identifying products that were made solely in Ontario would pose a challenge “When it comes to something like a single piece of produce that’s pretty easy but if you’re making prepared prepackaged food if you’re drawing in ingredients from a bunch of different jurisdictions to make that what percentage has to be made in Ontario?” Chesshire asked “If a product is made of Ontario ingredients and then you add a drop of Mexican tabasco sauce unless matching federal legislation was enacted he said it would unfairly impact Ontario businesses eroding their competitive advantage compared to other provinces “I think there is probably room for some re-examination of country of origin packaging but it should probably happen at the federal level and it needs to happen after study and consultation.” He said disclosing price increases might be feasible that too would require staff time and resources More than 300 students at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School in Thorold cast their ballots in a student vote election 293,776 students cast ballots from 2,102 schools Unlike the projected results of the election student voters in Ontario elected more Conservative MPs by a narrow margin as well as three NDP candidates While it’s unclear whether the student vote reflects future trends experts say national political parties should follow the Conservative lead and pay closer attention to youth the country might be under different leadership In a nationwide mock election involving more than 7,000 schools elementary and secondary students gave a narrow win to the Conservative party — a result that diverged from the April 28 federal election which saw the Liberals return to power with a minority government Brock University child and youth studies professor Rebecca Raby said it provides a glimpse into how political preferences are forming the next generation of voters And she suggested political parties may want to start paying closer attention to the views of younger Canadians “Clearly economic issues are very large in young people’s minds right now and certainly a significant message from each (political) party,” she said “It was particularly powerfully presented by the Conservative Party which was should be worried about your economic future.’” student choices mirrored the region’s election results re-electing Liberal incumbent Chris Bittle (St Catharines); Conservative incumbents Tony Baldinelli (Niagara Falls-Niagara-on-the-Lake) and Dean Allison (Niagara West) students elected Conservative Fred Davies over Liberal incumbent Vance Badawey with young voters increasingly concerned about affordability job security and housing — all issues that took precedence compared to the 2021 election when the student vote leaned Liberal Concerns about the environment and climate change essentially disappeared during this election period which Raby said was “quite striking.” “Of all the parties to talk about the environment the Conservatives were the least likely (and) yet the students voted (for) Conservatives very fascinating shift in what’s considered to be a pressing issue right now,” she said Part of that change could be due to generational impacts In the way the Great Depression was formative for its generation lockdowns and subsequent impacts could be shaping young people’s lives and views on the world “Some things seem to have a long-term profound influence (more) than others and it may be the insecurity that people have experienced in their families,” said Raby that’s a pretty profound experience for a child Being homeless — those kinds of things are pretty huge.” Another element playing a role in shaping political ideas among young people is social media with no protections in place from social media organizations Some of the information circulating online often includes racist materials and misinformation about the Canadian electoral process Raby said there has been a rise in troubling gender narratives targeting young men and the rise of so-called masculinity influencers which is “really disturbing it’s very misogynistic and it’s hard not to feel worried.”  That’s where media literacy comes into play helping teach young people how to engage safely “not because of how they voted but just that we know we’re all being shaped by materials that are not accurate,” she added Catharines MP Bittle said it’s difficult to say whether younger people are becoming more Conservative and older people more Liberal “because you’re dealing with small sample sizes.” “it was clear” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was trying to reach out “strongly” to young people especially young men who feel “disenfranchised by the system.” “There’s a reason he goes on with Jordan Peterson(‘s podcast) and that type of crowd … is to reach that demographic so I guess we’ll see in the coming days if that worked for him Newly elected MP Davies said he believes the demographics have shifted and his party is starting to appeal to a “much broader base “The people I was speaking to at the doors were not our traditional supporters and I think our message resonated with them people were concerned about the cost of living,” he said re-elected MP Allison said he heard from a 22-year-old woman who voted Conservative because of concerns around housing Whereas a woman in her 70s who had historically voted Conservative voted Liberal because she was concerned about the trade war with the United States and thinks “(Liberal Prime Minister) Mark Carney is the guy to handle that.” boomers were in our camp but … the (typical Conservative) narrative for them didn’t work at this point in time Carney had this great CV and he’s been the Bank of Canada governor but when we find out what actually happened in the election Baldinelli said his party’s focus on affordability and housing appealed to younger people looking to purchase a home which is why he kept talking about the “promise of Canada” during the campaign “We’re doing everything right — we’re working as hard as we can we’re getting the education that we need and yet we don’t see an avenue where we’re able to get ahead,” he said “Our message was resonating with people like that Our message was resonating with those workers that used to vote NDP We have to continue to be aware of what their issues are and speak to them and provide the solutions they’re looking for.” cautioned the 2025 voting patterns might not last He said the youth vote seemed to be a “vestige of the anger” directed at the former Liberal government around the country’s economic downturn and ongoing housing crisis Whereas older Canadians focused on concerns around the United States and tariffs which brought out some of its traditional patriotism — and coming together to vote for a leader who seemed “least like (Donald) Trump and to stand for things that are the most opposed to his platform.” “These alignments may prove to be temporary as the Trump threat fades and if the Canadian economy and housing situation improve,” he said Nobody has a crystal ball as to what the future of the student vote or how young people will respond to the different political party platforms But Raby said politicians should start paying attention as the number of students who voted shows an investment in civic participation “Maybe the Conservatives targeting young people a bit more is something that other parties are going to learn from … that young people are also a really important group,” said Raby if the various political parties recognize that and capitalize on that we might see more attention to the younger voter.” Niagara police have arrested a personal trainer/manual osteopath on voyeurism charges Niagara police were contacted by a physical wellness facility in the Martindale area of St Catharines regarding a voyeurism complaint The suspect had been working as an independent contractor at the facility serving as both a personal trainer and manual osteopath police discovered multiple videos of various women undressing inside the facility Catharines was arrested and charged with voyeurism and distributing an intimate image Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact investigators at 905-688-4111 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation is inviting community members to join MacKids Walk.. Possibly in an effort to forestall a repetition of the disastrous rollout.. It’s taken a while to get the track work done The Bay Observer has learned that Maureen Cosyn Heath has announced her.. Fiddler's Pourhouse clinches title despite loss in final Fiddler’s Pourhouse clinches title despite loss in final The Fiddler’s Pourhouse Fighting Irish climbed into the driver’s seat on the first week of the third segment of the Niagara Five Pin Mixed Pro League season and never looked back They capped off the season by capturing first place to win the final segment despite dropping a 2-1 decision to the Phantoms in a match decided by three pins Kayla Ferguson paced the Phantoms with a solid 713 (289 255) while getting help from Allie Wendel who followed closely with 690 (228 Fiddler’s Pourhouse was led by Shawn Pellizari The Scorecard Harry’s Half Pints blanked the Accelerated Health & Wellness Aces 3-0 to leapfrog into second place Jordan Gravelle completed his incredible third set to the season by leading the winners with the best individual performance of the evening Josh Robins finished with a stellar 822 (264 Jessica Gingras rounded out the scoring with 629 (206 The Aces answered with Dave Pendlebury’s 743 (286 The DJB Bean Counters captured fourth place by whitewashing the Bugsy’s Seagulls 3-0 Ryan Kulikowski led the winners with a 771 771 (281 230) while getting support from Nathan Marr-Schoenfeldt who finished out his season rolling a super 800 (337 and Paul Asselin who chipped in with 663 (213 D Fisher’s Legacy jumped into sixth place with their 2-1 win over the Global Financial Wizards Rob Fisher led the way with a fantastic 808 (299 252) while Lindsay Richardson lent support with 658 (214 The Wizards replied with Brad Gaudreau who tossed 657 (299) BCAPMALL Productions took two of three from the Big Red’s Meatballs in a match decided by 74 pins Chris Gravelle had the hot hand for the winners firing a solid 751 (246 286) while getting help from Joe Thomas who was right behind with 733 (271 Headpin Headliners: Tyler Wendel captured his fifth men’s high average title 247.5; Shawn Pellizari took the high triple 402 … Vicky Robins won the women’s high average title for a third time 926; and Lindsay Richardson the high single Falcons tie series as AP call-up plays key role in 2nd straight game  AP call-up Alex Forrest scored the go-ahead goal 38 seconds into the third period as the St Catharines scored 4 goals in the final frame enroute to a 5-2 win over the Chatham Maroons in front of 1702 fans at Memorial Arena in Chatham Forrest’s goal marked the second time in as many games that a 15-year-old AP call-up was a key factor in the outcome of a Sutherland Cup game after Eamon Edgar‘s hat trick led the Maroons to their Game 1 victory For Forrest — a 2nd round pick (24th overall) of the Kitchener Rangers in the 2025 OHL Priority Draft — the goal was his first in 10 career GOJHL games (regular season and playoffs) Matt Fries (3) scored in the first for the Falcons (13-4), and they closed the game with 3 empty-net goals — two from Nathan Duplessis (9) and one from Trent Gates (4) Falcons forward Cameron Lowe extended his point streak to six games with 3 assists giving him 28 points to lead all GOJHL scorers in the playoffs Sean Truby (9) scored in the first period and Liam Campbell (8) replied late in the third for the Maroons (13-8) After being pulled in the Game 1 loss, Falcons netminder Hayden Jeffery (W, 13-4) responded with a 49 save effort — including 22 in the first period.   Gannon Hunter (L 13-8) stopped 40 of 42 shots faced for the Maroons VIDEO:  Game 2 highlights and interviews VIDEO:  Post-game comments from Falcons goalie Hayden Jeffery VIDEO:  Post-game comments from Falcons head coach Tyler Bielby VIDEO:  Post-game comments from Maroons GM/head coach Richard Santos The Falcons improved their away record in the playoffs to 6-2 with their 3rd straight road win The Maroons lost for just the 3rd time in 11 home games and have lost 2 straight home playoff games for the first time since the 2019 conference quarter-final against the Komoka Kings — a span of 28 games Catharines was 0/2 with the man advantage while the Maroons did not have any power play opportunities Game 3 will take place Tuesday night at Memorial  Arena in Chatham 2025 Sutherland Cup Playoffs Bracket stats and more … download the GOJHL app today Canada celebrates their gold medal win at the world under-18 men’s hockey championship Saturday night in Frisco Ryan Roobroeck averages more than a point per game for Canada Two Niagara IceDogs players were among 10 from the Ontario Hockey League who helped Canada defend its world under-18 men’s championship on Saturday night in Frisco a centre and Niagara’s top-ranked prospect heading into the National Hockey League draft next month scored a goal in Canada’s 7-0 victory against Sweden in the gold medal game left-hand shot from Brampton finished the 10-team tournament with a goal and four assists in seven games IceDogs forward Ryan Roobroeck also contributed to Canada’s 7-0 record at the international competition played in the Dallas suburbs of Allen and Frisco Niagara’s leading scorer in the 2024-25 regular season had four goals and five assists in seven games at the worlds 46 assists for 87 points in 64 games in his second season with the IceDogs 25 makes him ineligible as a late-year birth for the NHL draft on June 27-28 in Los Angeles Czata is listed 49th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting final draft rankings who led Niagara defencemen in regular-season scoring with eight goals and 38 assists in 64 ranks is ranked 139th among North American skaters Except for a 3-2 victory in overtime against Czechia in the quarterfinal Canada dominated the competition at the under-18 worlds They outscored their opponents 29-4 in pool play: Slovakia 8-1 and blanked Slovakia 4-0 in the semifinal round The United States beat Slovakia 4-3 in overtime for the bronze medal This is Czata’s third gold medal playing for Canada He also won a championship at the under-17 worlds as well as at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup Czata had 21 goals and 34 assists for 55 points and saw action in all 68 of Niagara’s games in league play Pedestrian sent to hospital after vehicle collision in St. Catharines Ontario to include expanded manufacturing tax credit in upcoming budget Stolen vehicle recovered in Oakville leads to five arrests Doug Ford asks Mark Carney to prioritize ‘nation-building’ Highway 401 tunnel Faqiri family demands answers on implementing coroner inquest recommendations Last girl accused in swarming death of Kenneth Lee pleads guilty to manslaughter A man was sent to hospital for non-life threatening injuries after being hit by a vehicle Monday afternoon in St Niagara police told CHCH News they responded to reports of a collision involving a pedestrian and a vehicle around 12:30 p.m in the area of Carlton Street and Bunting Road Officers say a man was hit by a vehicle and sent to hospital for non-life threatening injuries Detectives say the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene after the hit Investigators have re-opened the roads and have not laid any charges at this time READ MORE: Two people arrested following St. Catharines drug investigation Emily Vukovic went birding at Urban Nature Store in Ancaster To celebrate Mother’s Day and raise funds for Halton Women’s Place A beautiful and powerful new piece of jewelry has joined Lofttan‘s collection The IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s is taking place at the ‘Women of Soul’ is a captivating production that is revitalizing timeless soul Catharines is encouraging residents to take simple proactive steps to ensure they are ready for emergencies that can happen at any time Catharines is focusing on three key actions this year: Making a plan Ways you can prepare yourself for an emergency includes making an emergency plan with your household Making a 72-hour emergency kit that includes food and water And knowing the hazards of the environment in your area can help save lives To learn more about how to prepare for emergencies in St. Catharines, visit: stcatharines.ca/EmergencyPreparedness Know Your Risks - aligns with the City’s focus on three key actions: knowing the hazards and high winds are real risks in our community,” said Deputy Fire Chief Andrea DeJong “Taking time now to prepare can save you time and have the tools they need to stay safe for at least 72 hours.” An emergency plan ensures everyone in your household knows what to do in various situations, such as where to meet if separated, how to contact each other, and who to check on. Find out how to make a plan in our Emergency Preparedness Guide: stcatharines.ca/EmergencyGuide A 72-hour emergency kit should include food and water, flashlights and batteries, medication, a portable phone charger, important documents and supplies for any pets. Kits should be stored in an easily accessible location and checked regularly. A full checklist is available at stcatharines.ca/72HourKit In St. Catharines, residents should be especially mindful of localized flooding, extreme weather and power outages. The City provides resources on how to reduce flood risks, including sump pump tips, backwater valve information and seasonal maintenance guidance. Learn more about hazards and find out how to respond to them at stcatharines.ca/Hazards Residents are encouraged to follow the City’s social media channels throughout Emergency Preparedness Week for daily tips and resources To learn more about how to prepare for emergencies in St. Catharines, visit: stcatharines.ca/EmergencyPreparedness It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser parts of the site may not function properly for you We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience NiagaraNews$50,000 worth of jewelry stolen during St. Catharines house party: policeBy Phil TsekourasOpens in new windowPublished: May 01, 2025 at 9:17AM EDT As planning begins for the 2026 municipal and school board election Catharines is inviting residents to share how they would prefer to vote An online survey is now available at engagestc.ca/ElectionSurvey where residents can learn more about the options under consideration - including in-person voting and vote-by-mail - and weigh in on what voting methods would make participation easiest and most accessible for them “Hearing directly from residents is a critical step in shaping an election that reflects the needs and preferences of our community,” said Acting City Clerk Donna Delvecchio “Whether you’ve voted in every election or you’re thinking of voting for the first time your feedback helps us ensure the process works for everyone.” The survey takes just a few minutes to complete and will remain open until May 20 the page provides details on voter eligibility and other important information ahead of the 2026 election Feedback collected through the survey will be compiled and presented to City Council as part of its decision-making process regarding voting methods for 2026 Residents can visit engagestc.ca/ElectionSurvey to complete the survey Catharines is inviting residents to a community information session to provide a construction update for the Sunset Beach Renovation Project beginning this year the City is preparing to move forward with construction The community information session will provide residents with an overview of the project timelines and construction phasing plan Construction is expected to have a significant impact throughout 2025 and 2026 and clear communication about timelines and construction activities will help minimize disruptions for the community Hosted by Mayor Mat Siscoe and Ward 5 Councillors Dawn Dodge and Bill Phillips the event will provide an overview of the renovation plans which are guided by the 2019 Sunset Beach Community Vision Study Key components of the Sunset Beach Renovation Project include enhancements to the parking lot the replacement of the playground structure and the implementation of shoreline protection measures The project is supported by a $4.4 million grant from the Province of Ontario through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) covering approximately 73 per cent of eligible costs bringing the total project budget to $6.9 million Construction is slated to begin in late spring 2025 Residents are encouraged to attend the Town Hall to stay informed and engaged with the developments at Sunset Beach For more information and updates on the project, please visit stcatharines.ca/SunsetReno There’s a lot of money up for grabs in the upcoming Lotto Max draw Upcoming Lotto Max draw is on Tuesday and the Lotto 6-49 draw is on Wednesday The two biggest national lottery games are offering combined prizing in excess of $150 million in the middle of this week May 6 has an estimated main jackpot of $75 million May 7 has a Gold Ball jackpot of $60 million (or $1 million if a white ball is drawn) plus the Classic jackpot Between the Lotto Max main jackpot and MaxMillions and the Lotto 6-49 Gold Ball and Classic jackpots that’s $152 million in combined top prizes available Lotto Max is drawn Tuesday and Friday evenings and Lotto 6-49 is drawn Wednesday and Saturday evenings More information is available at olg.ca Catharines was open Tuesday amidst some ongoing construction Paul Street  is a contrast of new and old buildings 'This is another additional burden at a time when burdens are building up,' says Hugo Chesshire of Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce “This is another additional burden at a time when burdens are building up,” says Hugo Chesshire of Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce Catharines property owners are encouraging the city to come up with new ways to preserve historic buildings rather than create a blanket heritage district they say will be detrimental to owners The city is asking for feedback on a draft Downtown St. Catharines Heritage Conservation District Study which found the area is worthy of the designation whose family has had properties downtown since 1949 said most owners do not want a heritage district for the entire area they would support a heritage designation for buildings on a volunteer and individual basis “We’re not here to be adversarial,” Cooperman said in an interview “We are here to protect the vibrancy of business property owners and tenants And that’s what we want to further.” At issue are concerns about insurance premiums going up for owners of buildings financing becoming more difficult to access for investors in the downtown and another layer of bureaucracy The group’s board passed a motion last September saying it doesn’t support a blanket downtown heritage district the designation would impose “undue financial stress.” “Our members have endured decades of construction and are dealing with greater social challenges daily than others elsewhere in the city,” the motion stated “Our members deserve the same level of opportunity of success that all other businesses and property owners enjoy in other parts of St who sits on the board but was speaking as an individual property owner said he applauds anyone who owns a building and wants to have it individually designated as heritage But he said it’s incumbent on the city through tax incentives rather than put a designation on the whole downtown area whose family furniture store has been downtown since the early 1930s said downtown businesses managed their way through the COVID-19 pandemic and are now looking ahead to great uncertainly with what’s happening south of the border with tariffs “To layer in something like heritage that we know will be just too onerous for so many — to me There has to be a better solution that is embraced by all stakeholders and that’s individual preservation on a voluntary basis that’s supported by programs and tax incentives.” who also sits on the board but was speaking individually said the issue impacts all investors downtown some of whom are existing on a month-to-month basis and will ultimately pay more if a building owner’s costs go up That’s a concern also being voiced by Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) director of policy and government relations for GNCC said he doesn’t believe there’s ever a good time to impose additional costs on businesses but with the economic uncertainty in the world due to tariffs and other costs affecting supply chains Chesshire said consumer confidence is down according to the latest Bank of Canada survey Employees are afraid of losing their jobs and people are cutting back on spending “That means for businesses in retail and accommodation and food service and hospitality and entertainment there are going to be some difficult times ahead,” Chesshire said which is going to be more cost of financing more cost for insurance on downtown businesses this is another additional burden at a time when burdens are building up.” Chesshire said the city’s higher priority should be building prosperity and economic growth downtown He said social issues such as homelessness mental health and addictions are discouraging people from coming downtown and are more urgent issues when it comes to creating a thriving and prosperous city core businesses have more cash flow and more leeway to think about voluntary heritage designations It also gives the city more revenue to offer incentives to businesses to enable heritage St. Catharines city council started entertaining the downtown heritage district idea after the province introduced legislation in 2022 that will remove some demolition protections from properties which don’t have heritage designations There are about 100 properties downtown believed to have historic value and are on a list of non-designated properties with some protections The province set a deadline of January 2025 to designate the properties or remove them from the list The city didn’t have time to designate each building individually — a process that can take months for one building — so it came up with a plan to create a heritage district to protect them all who owns multiple properties in the core and surrounding area representing 50 tenants said designating properties on an individual basis allows them to attract certain investment that specializes in heritage and is used to dealing with some of the challenges of financing insuring and finding proper trades to work on the buildings you put that pressure on the community as a whole and stiffen growth because the community itself is not used to dealing with how to manoeuvre through these extra steps.” said the city has identified the downtown as an area for growth but the district could slow that down said the municipality is aware the downtown BIA board is opposed to the heritage district and it has met with the board a number of times over the past year to discuss its concerns He said they are all valid concerns and the city appreciates where the board is coming from Neilson said survey data has also found there are other downtown property and business owners who think a heritage district could help the area and more than 80 per cent of respondents from across the city are concerned about the downtown losing its historic character “We’re taking in all of the feedback that we’ve received and our consultants will make sure it is included in the updated study that will go to council,” he said in an email adding city staff will also include the feedback in a report along with recommendations to council it’ll be up to council to determine whether to proceed with the next phase of work.” The city extended the deadline for feedback on the study to May 1. It can be found at www.engagestc.ca/downtownhcd The issue is expected to be before council on June 9 Jockey Junior Alvarado celebrates after riding Sovereignty to victory in the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday Oleksii Sereda of Ukraine competes in the Men’s 10m Platform event for the Diving World Cup Super Final held at the Water Cube People vote at a polling booth at Sydney’s Bondi Beach Palestinians throw stones at an Israeli security forces vehicle during clashes that erupted following an army raid in the West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday Presidential candidate Crin Antonescu walks surrounded by media shortly before polls closing during the first round of the country’s presidential election redo in Bucharest Presidential candidate George Simion addresses supporters via video link after polls closed for the first round of the country’s presidential election redo in Bucharest Congregants attend an Indigenous blessing ceremony for Communion wafers that will be taken to a priest to be consecrated before they can be given out Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives for a press conference at the Prague Castle Revelers take part in the Devils and Congos Festival in Portobelo A street musician plays a violin outside the Sant’Angelo castle as the sun sets in Rome This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors Kay Holly with a photo of her husband John She is concerned about the care he received at St He would ultimately die after suffering a massive hemorrhagic stroke Catharines woman says health care is in dire straits after her husband was left lying on a gurney in a busy emergency department for nearly a week before finally being moved to patient room Kay Holly said her 72-year-old husband John was left beside the nurses station in the St Catharines hospital emergency department for about a day before he was moved to a nearby procedure room — still in the emergency department and still on a gurney too small for him “His feet were hanging off the end of this gurney on the procedure room We had to stuff a pillow underneath his feet so they weren’t hanging down,” Holly said of her six-foot-one husband and paramedics sanitizing their hands or taking a break nearby would often glance inside at John and his worried family “I’m not holding that against them; that’s just instinct,” Holly said “But there was virtually no privacy happening whatsoever.” Niagara Health’s director of emergency services said the hospital system cannot comment on individual patient cases due to privacy laws But she did say “long waits in the emergency department are frustrating and distressing.” “Our staff also find it challenging and continue to work incredibly hard to provide the best care possible in a system that is stretched thin,” Coffin-Simpson said in an email emergency departments are facing significant pressure but the reality is that this is not just an ED issue — it’s a systemwide Hospitals are regularly operating over 100 per cent occupancy Niagara Health had an average of 143 patients designated as alternate level of care (ALC) meaning they no longer needed hospital care but couldn’t be discharged due to unavailable services in long-term care “Patients who need to be admitted from the ED can’t be moved because the beds are full This lack of flow means patients who need a bed can end up waiting in the ED for long periods,” Coffin-Simpson said with record-high volumes of patients and extended periods where we had to open over 100 temporary beds just to keep up with demand while we continue to face unprecedented staffing shortages stretch our teams and space to the limit and make an already strained system even more difficult to navigate — for patients and care teams alike.” During John’s days spent in the emergency department his wife said it quickly became clear many of the people overwhelming the waiting rooms were not there because of emergencies “There are too many people that go to ER (emergency room) that don’t need to be in the ER,” she said she said it was quiet in the emergency department Although there’s a lack of family doctors in Niagara she said there are plenty of walk-in clinics people can use rather than overcrowding emergency departments with non-emergency visits It’s something Niagara Health has been working to address often asking patients to understand the options they have for medical treatment A message posted on the hospital system website urges patients to look for community-based health-care programs that can offer “timely care while potentially avoiding unnecessary visits to the emergency department.” Coffin-Simpson said Niagara Health is seeing more people coming to hospital “without a serious medical need but with nowhere else to turn.” “The hospital has seen significant volumes of patients who met no clinical criteria for hospital admission but could not be safely discharged we saw a spike in the number of unhoused patients coming to the EDs for shelter and a place to sleep Patients are also continuing to come to the ED when they cannot access after-hours care from their family doctors These patients do not need hospital services but end up in a hospital bed that would otherwise be available for emergency care,” she said “We know this impacts both the timeliness and the experience of care in the ED And we’re taking active steps to improve both We’ve built a dedicated team in our ED to support a ‘home first’ philosophy — focusing on safe discharges and connecting patients to care in the community wherever possible.” She said the hospital system meets weekly with partners such as Ontario Health at Home local housing services and other community supports “to get people the care they need outside hospital walls.” we understand that wait times in our emergency departments are long and that creates real frustration for patients and families We’re working to ease that experience in every way we can added supports like ED personal support workers and ED ambassadors and efforts to make our waiting spaces more comfortable and responsive to patient needs,” she said “Everyone in our hospitals — from physicians and nurses to flow teams and community liaisons — is doing their absolute best in a very strained system.” Holly said there was no question John needed to be in the emergency department when he arrived there in an ambulance in early October She said her husband was moved to a room on a medical floor six days after arriving at the emergency department Holly said she remained concerned about the care her husband was receiving in the roughly three weeks that followed X-rays and daily blood tests — as they tried to diagnose his condition But she said none of the many doctors that visited his room spoke to her until Oct Holly said the doctor told him he had a problem with his platelets He told them platelet levels in John’s blood were dropping Holly received a call from the hospital telling her John was on life support She later learned John had suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke The father of two boys, one with a son of his own, died later that day at about 5:30 p.m. His final days in hospital left many questions and concerns about the care he received “I do not understand how so many doctors could have seen him only for him to develop a platelet issue that killed him in three days,” she said patients would expect a more co-ordinated approach with one doctor assigned to lead the care provided within the hospital “so you know who you’re supposed to talk to.” A vehicle heading westbound on Welland Avenue Monday afternoon entered the eastbound lane and collided with another vehicle Catharines man has been charged with careless driving Minor injuries resulted after a westbound vehicle entered into an eastbound lane and collided with another vehicle Catharines man has been charged following a two-vehicle collision Monday afternoon that involved a vehicle travelling in the opposing lane of traffic Niagara Regional Police said officers were called to the area of Welland and Plymouth avenues for a collision at about 1:20 p.m Police said a vehicle was travelling eastbound on Welland while another vehicle was heading westbound Police allege the westbound vehicle entered the eastbound lane and hit the other vehicle The driver of the eastbound vehicle was taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries Catharines man has been charged with careless driving in connection with this incident Catharines City council wants to clamp down on the location of homeless encampments Council approving a new public space by-law that states encampments cannot be located within 50-metres of a playground Encampments will also need to be 30-metres clear of a cemetery and 10-metres from a waterway Click HERE to listen to Mayor Mat Siscoe discuss the by-law on Niagara in the Morning Council also approved hiring more staff to help clean up encampment areas Competition Bureau sues Canada’s Wonderland for misleading online prices Woman, 68, dies after being hit by school bus in Oshawa, Ont.: police One person sent to hospital after fire at Brantford home Sportsline: NHL broadcaster Gord Stellick on Maple Leafs-Panthers playoff series Niagara regional police have arrested a man of no fixed address following a double stabbing in St Officers say they found two men at a home in St that were suffering from serious stab wounds while the other was airlifted to an out-of-region hospital Investigators say they found the man suspected of the double stabbing a few minutes later in the area of 45 Manchester Ave. Detectives say that the three men had gotten into a verbal argument in the home before a fight broke out 33-year-old Ricardo Tabora is facing two charges of aggravated assault Tabora was held in custody pending a video bail hearing at a St READ MORE: Human remains identified as St. Catharines man missing for over 3 years You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter St. Catharines 2025 federal election live results. Browse live results for all 343 ridings 224 of 224 polls are reporting as of 4:21 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election 224 of 224 polls are reporting as of 4:21 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election Bittle has 34,750 of 66,808 votes (52.01%) is in second place with 27,011 votes (40.43%) and Karen Orlandi Bittle has represented the riding since 2015 25,303 voters cast ballots at advance polls Looking for another riding? Here are the full results for the 2025 federal election. The Liberals have 169 races called in their favour They have 8,535,128 votes and 43.69 per cent of the popular vote The Conservatives have 144 races called in their favour They have 8,059,938 votes and 41.26 per cent of the popular vote The Bloc Québécois have 22 races called in their favour They have 1,232,095 votes and 6.31 per cent of the popular vote The New Democrats have seven races called in their favour They have 1,231,198 votes and 6.3 per cent of the popular vote The Greens have one race called in their favour They have 243,471 votes and 1.25 per cent of the popular vote There were three independents and four vacancies in the 338-seat Commons the Commons has grown by five ridings starting with this election This article was automatically generated using data provided by Canadian Press and will update as riding results become available