At 4:05 a.m. on Dawson Crescent, the pattern repeated: headlights in the dark, a brief pause, and another family wakes to find their driveway emptied of a Ford Expedition. In Innisfil, vehicle theft has become more than a nuisance—it’s a call to action echoing through the quiet streets. The latest incident unfolded in the early […]
Thieves strike Innisfil as Ford Expedition vanishes overnight Read More »
Sirens echoed against the wintry hush south of Innisfil Beach Road as a pickup truck careened into a Muskoka ambulance on Highway 400, thrusting public safety into the spotlight on a Friday afternoon. The collision unfolded in the southbound lanes, with police reports and witness accounts painting a picture of erratic driving moments before impact.
Highway 400 collision sparks impaired driving probe Read More »
Eight thousand toys and more than eight thousand kilograms of food—those weren’t props in a holiday pageant but the latest haul delivered by Simcoe County Paramedic Services, whose annual Food and Toy Drive once again transformed simple donations into real hope for local families. For 23 years, the County of Simcoe Paramedic Services has helmed
Simcoe paramedics rally community for record drive Read More »
Early morning roads in Simcoe County carried more than just commuters this December—they were a stage for a series of incidents that underscore mounting public safety concerns around impaired driving and drug possession. On the outskirts of Alliston, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a traffic complaint just after 8:00 a.m. A pickup truck was
Alliston traffic stop leads to drug seizure and impaired arrest Read More »
Ontario’s mayors have had enough. With Barrie among them, they’re urging the province to declare a state of emergency over what’s been called a “community safety and humanitarian crisis” of homelessness and addiction. But beneath the headlines, Barrie’s real crisis may be compassion fatigue—an exhaustion, not of resources alone, but of empathy itself. The numbers
How eviction policies put compassion to the test in Barrie Read More »
Sirens cut through the June air on Henry Street, their promise of help met with the grim reality of a woman’s silent collapse in a neighbourhood backyard. In the months since, answers have proved scarce, but the urgency has only grown. On June 5, a 50-year-old Barrie woman was found gravely injured behind a home,
Puzzle pieces missing in Barrie backyard death investigation Read More »
A brisk March day at Greenwood-McCann Park became a turning point for Angus when community fears crystallized around one chilling attempt—an attempt that will ripple through local courts and family conversations for years to come. Anthony Holtorf, a 37-year-old from Clearview, was sentenced as a long-term offender after being convicted of attempting to abduct young
Angus park abduction attempt ends in long-term sentence Read More »
Fluorescent lights flickered above the rows of pew-like benches at Barrie’s main courthouse, where an unusual legal defence has drawn a crowd of keen-eyed observers. This week, a 49-year-old Barrie man faced the final rounds of testimony in his sexual assault trial, opting for a defence seldom heard in Canadian courtrooms: sexsomnia. The charges—sexual assault,
Barrie court hears rare sexsomnia defence in assault case Read More »
At 12:30 on a grey Sunday, Barrie’s Johnston Street was transformed by fire. A wall of flame, smoke billowing, and the wail of sirens marked the day neighbours will remember for years. The blaze began without warning, quickly devouring a home and attached garage at the intersection with Georgian Drive. By the time fire crews
How a quick response saved lives on Johnston Street Read More »
In one swift operation, more than a kilogram of powerful narcotics and three firearms vanished from Simcoe County’s streets, upending criminal activity that had quietly rippled through Collingwood, Barrie, and Vaughan for months. The investigation, led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Community Street Crime Unit, first took root in early autumn when suspicious activity
Unravelling a Drug Network Across Three Ontario Cities Read More »
