Cobourg Police briefs

From March 22 newscast:

A38-year-old Cobourg woman has been arrested in an ongoing police investigation into illegal drug activity in the town.

Cobourg Police say its Criminal Investigations Branch commenced an investigation this winter with the assistance of the Port Hope Police Service after receiving information that alleged a Cobourg resident was trafficking illicit drugs in Cobourg and surrounding areas.

Yesterday Cobourg and Port Hope police arrested the female driver of a vehicle in the area of Toronto Road and Victoria Street in Port Hope. A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the seizure of approximately 100 grams of fentanyl, 40 grams of cocaine, 28 grams of methamphetamine, 4 grams of  ecstasy and a quantity of hydromorphone pills.

Seven charges were laid against 38-year-old Stacey Watson including possession of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and hydromorphone for the purpose of trafficking as well as unauthorized possession of a weapon and failing to comply with probation.

The estimated street value of the seized drugs is $47,000.

The accused was held in custody pending a bail hearing.

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From March 25 newscast:

A woman was arrested and charged after allegedly assaulting a youth in downtown Cobourg on Thursday evening.

Shortly after 6 p.m., Cobourg Police were called to the area of Division and King Streets where a complainant said an individual had assaulted her 13-year-old after engaging in conversation.

The victim was allegedly pushed and struck in the head, causing minor injuries. After locating an individual who matched the description provided, police say the suspect resisted arrest and kicked and head-butted officers, causing minor injuries. During a further search of the suspect, the accused removed a knife hidden in her sock and waved it at officers. Officers safely disarmed the accused.

49-year-old Jill Edgar of Cobourg was charged with two counts of assault, two counts of assault with a weapon, four counts of assaulting a police officer, and possession of a

weapon for a dangerous purpose and was held for a show cause hearing.

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From March 26 newscast:

Cobourg Police remind residents to protect themselves against fraud after two recent investment scams resulted in over $750,000 in losses for two Cobourg residents.

In one recently reported online scam, a resident was defrauded $50,000 after viewing a video promising high returns with a short turnaround time. The video utilized artificial intelligence to make it appear that Elon Musk endorsed the investment and encouraged viewers to contact a provided phone number. 

A fraudster contacted the victim and claimed to be from an investment company, offering guidance through the investment process and convincing the victim to download an app called “Anydesk” that provided the scammer with remote access to the victim’s computer. Funds intended to be for the investment were transferred and lost.

In a second recently reported scam, a resident reported that they made wire transfers totalling over $702,000 to an international investment service provider intended to purchase gold and invest in Bitcoin. All communication with the company occurred through a messaging app called “Weechat.” 

When the victim attempted to withdraw funds, they were unable to. 

Members of the public are advised to be cautious when it comes to online investment scams and Cobourg Police say stop and take the time to do additional research and talk to trusted individuals. It’s also recommended to not engage in unsolicited investment opportunities seen online, never provide personal information online to unknown persons or companies, be cautious of investments promising higher than expected rates of return, do not download unknown programs on your computer or allow unknown persons to access your

Computer, ensure you are investing with a legitimate investment company, conduct internet searches for the company and make a follow-up phone call to the company.

If you have been a victim of an investment scam and suffered a financial loss, report the incident to the police. If you were contacted about this type of scam but did not experience a financial loss, report it to the police and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.

County donates retired ambulance to Habitat Northumberland

Northumberland County Council and Paramedic Chief Susan Brown have handed over the keys for a decommissioned ambulance to Habitat for Humanity Northumberland. The donated vehicle will be used to support their efforts to build affordable housing throughout the county.

Paramedics Chief Susan Brown said that while the ambulance has reached the end of its recommended life cycle with Northumberland Paramedics, they look forward to seeing it put to great use during its retirement and are proud to support the important efforts of Habitat for Humanity Northumberland to increase affordable housing in Northumberland.

The retired ambulance will be used by Habitat for Humanity Northumberland to transfer equipment, materials and supplies to building sites throughout the County, contributing to support Habitat for Humanity’s mission to break the cycle of poverty through promoting homeownership among financially vulnerable individuals and families.

Habitat Northumberland CEO Cathy Borowec said the donation will be an incredible asset to their build program. 

In 2012, Northumberland County established a by-law permitting the donation of surplus assets, including retired ambulances. Donations of retired ambulances from the Northumberland Paramedics fleet are prioritized to support non-profit agencies and community emergency management partners that continue to serve residents across the County. 

Two 310 Division recommendations disturb Cobourg mayor

By Cecilia Nasmith

Following a lengthy report at the March Northumberland County council meeting on the recommendations that arose from a string of community-engagement sessions on the prospective homeless shelter at 310 Division St., Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland expressed misgivings about two of them.

Cleveland shared these apprehensions in discussions that followed the report, which was aimed at informing the agreement now being negotiated among the town, the county and Transition House for the operation of the facility.

Providing volunteer opportunities at this new location made Cleveland uneasy, as did the potential make-up of the Community Liaison Committee that will be formed.

How will volunteers be screened, he wondered. 

“Oftentimes the thoughts and ideas of the volunteers within the community are antithetical to the professionals in the social-services delivery model,” he noted, asking how volunteers will be chosen. Though there have been reassurances that the site will not provide supervised injection services, for example, what if a volunteer supports such a use?

“We have volunteers working in conjunction with Transition House who are supporting an illegal encampment in Cobourg. We are already aware there are volunteers in the mix who are to date violating the law by supporting an illegal encampment in Cobourg. How are we going to prevent that, moving forward?” Cleveland wondered.

County staff mentioned the targeted recruitment efforts that will be made, as well as the training and orientation potential volunteers will be given. But in the end, Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Moore said, what volunteers do when volunteering is a separate matter from what they do when off-duty.

“What they do when they leave that organization is out of the control of that organization,” Moore said.

“We can say somebody is participating in giving somebody rides somewhere but chooses to speed when driving on their own time. We can't prevent that.”

In the case of a volunteer with an actual criminal record, she continued, that might be flagged early in the process and flagged. Otherwise, any organization seeking volunteers makes its own decisions of what's in their best interests and those of whom they serve.

The make-up of the CLC occasioned longer debate. In answer to Councillor Olena Hankivsky's question about how it would be established, council heard that expressions of interest would be taken, applications submitted to Transition House and committee members chosen. To Cleveland, that seems like the organization is hand-picking the members of a body that will be overseeing its operations. Instead, he urged “making sure the CLC is representative of the community as a whole, and not necessarily supporters of Transition House.”

Cleveland labelled it “a conflict of interest, in my opinion.” 

Moore said it would be modelled after best practices, with a mix of views from across the community - “not all in support, not all in opposition. The best conversations will happen when there's all those folks around the table.”

Cleveland called for the operating agreement to set out some sort of approval process for CLC members.

“I just want to be very clear – I am not comfortable with these answers,” he stated.

“I believe on the CLC we need to have the Cobourg Police Service, the Cobourg bylaw (officers) and the Cobourg fire (department). That is not an option for me personally. You need to have the people who are dealing with the community and who understand the effects on the community. I would like to hear a commitment to that.”

“I'm not sure we will get that commitment today,” Warden Brian Ostrander said.

Moore said the matter would be discussed further in closed session, but she was not sure about including this representation in the context of a CLC – though they might be involved in other ways.

“These individuals come to the table with a lot of built-in authority, the others being community members, neighbours, who don't have that authority,” she pointed out.

Director of Technology and Communications Kate Campbell said they would begin reviewing best practices and report back to county council with recommendations on how the CLC might be structured and how the recruitment process might unfold. She likened their role to the county's advisory committees.

Cleveland asked for assurances that the doors of 310 Division will not open until the committee is formed. That is the intent, Moore said, though an ironclad commitment cannot be made because unanticipated events may sometimes arise that can compromise such a pledge.

“With the knowledge we have today, it is absolutely our intent that it will be in place when we open,” she said.

“I'm a little concerned in terms of how we are trying to dictate, placing our own judgments and our own demands for who is going to be on first and who is going to be on second,” former Warden Mandy Martin said.

“Let's just work it through. We have come this far. So far, so good, as far as I'm concerned.”

“I think I am hearing you are asking us to give us time – I think that really undermines the legitimate expressions of the residents of Cobourg,” Cleveland replied.

“It is part of a process but, as elected leaders, it is our job to guide that process in a direction that our constituents want. I am talking about the need to have our police and our bylaw and our fire on that committee,” he said.

“They bring with them expertise and lived experience that can inform and contribute to the success of this project.”

“Lived experience is what we all bring to the table – these are things we have to balance, the lived experience of all kinds of people,” Martin said.

“I think, focusing on the CLC, you are missing the broader picture. You are missing the operations part. It's like noise off to the side, and who's going to serve the tea and coffee, when we have real services to provide.”

“My position really is, it's an important part of this endeavour, and it's an important part to ensure there's a wide variety of lived experiences in that committee, because I think that committee is going to be very integral to how this modern shelter system continues to move forward in the community,” Hankivsky said.

“The hope would be, we don't ever need to use the powers of the police and the bylaw and the fire,” Cleveland added.

“To me, having them participate in the advisory committee, we can avoid those problems down the road.”

County council hears nine recommendations from the community for 310 Division

By Cecilia Nasmith

The recent community-engagement exercise on the prospective move of Cobourg's Transition House to much larger facilities at 310 Division St. has resulted in nine recommendations for Northumberland County to consider as negotiations continue toward an agreement on the operation of the new facility,

The former Cobourg Retirement Residence, which the county purchased in November, has 47 self-contained units, approximately 35 of which are planned to be used for emergency shelter spaces – plus space for a warming-or-cooling centre and community partners to offer supports on-site. Over the long term, services will evolve to include transitional-housing accommodation to pave the way to more permanent housing.

The county announced plans on Dec. 4 for a 12-week period of community consultations that would help shape the facility's eventual operations, county council heard at its meeting Wednesday. Director of Information Technology and Communications Kate Campbell described it as an opportunity for members of the community to share questions and concerns, and help shape and integrate these services within the neighbourhood and the broader community.

Target audiences for this engagement included actual users of the county's homelessness service, as well as service-provider partners and members of the general public. Opportunities included targeted interviews as well as public information sessions, and Campbell provided the conservative estimate that up to 40,000 individuals were contacted with the invitation to participate through a variety of means, from postcard mail-outs and news coverage to on-line approaches.

After consultations concluded Feb. 23, organizers identified concerns expressed in four areas.

Support and opportunities for improved services – They found a solid degree of optimism and support for improved shelter and housing services that offer more dignity for those in need. One thought that was expressed regularly was the improvement of offering personal space through the individual rooms, “and how helpful it would be to life stabilization and recovery,” Campbell added.

Community safety and impact – There were a lot of expressions of concern about the perceived connection between homelessness and such issues as loitering, littering and trespassing in the vicinity of the shelter.

Operations and management – There were questions about such nuts-and-bolts aspects as funding, staffing and oversight models.

Community involvement – They wanted more sharing of information and had questions about volunteering opportunities. And most importantly under this heading, Campbell said, was their wish for a collaborative problem-solving mechanism like a Community Liaison Committee.

In the end, the exercise yielded nine recommendations.

Modernized services – While it will be an improvement to have wrap-around services accessible right at the same facility as the ground-floor drop-in centre and warming/cooling hub, Campbell said, service providers are urged to stay abreast of best practices.

Enhanced community services – The principals in this initiative are urged to advocate to other levels of government for the expansion of mental-health and addiction services, for example, and devise solutions for those for whom emergency shelter is not suitable.

Transitional and affordable housing – While these plans do exist, they should be expedited to ease some pressure from the system. Campbell called transitional housing “an essential step to provide people with the progressive supports they need on their journey to stabilization.”

Community safety and well-being – Implement measures to address safety concerns in the vicinity of 310 Division St. with such features as enhanced lighting, fencing and security cameras. Campbell noted that this work is now underway, adding that the possibility of engaging professional security services will be explored. There might also be support for neighbourhood clean-up initiatives, “an opportunity to build community relationships and contribute to quality of life in the neighbourhood.”

Operational management – Assess staff ratios against best practices, and ensure that training plans align with the evolving needs of the clients.

Community engagement – Establish the Community Liaison Committee “to foster a collaborative approach to supporting clients and resolving community concerns. Transition House is very supportive of this approach,” Campbell said, adding that this will be built into the eventual operational agreement.

Increased awareness and education – Develop a consistent communications strategy to raise awareness and foster an understanding of the challenges faced by those living unhoused. Transition House has begun this initiative by sharing stories of various clients – and, Campbell mentioned, intends to provide volunteer opportunities for members of the community.

Address service user needs – Identify such gaps as the need for improved legal services and better access to primary care. With the ability to provide supports on-site, this will allow for the kind of engagement that can work toward better outcomes.

Legal agreement and commitment – This concern was raised many times, with the need expressed for a legally binding agreement to clarify rules and responsibilities for the successful operation of 310 Division St.

The motion county council passed directs staff to address identified recommendations in agreements and plans for shelter services at 310 Division “in line with budget and operational parameters, to support successful integration of the shelter within the neighbourhood and the broader community.”

Port Hope council will consider heritage permit demolition at special meeting

A special Port Hope council meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday  at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at town hall.  

Council members will receive and consider a staff report regarding a Heritage Demolition Permit Application for 121 Cavan Street.

A structural assessment report, conducted by structural engineering firm LEA Consulting LTD, has been provided to the Municipality from the property owner. The report determines that Block 2 of the old File Factory exhibits severe damage and a substantial risk of collapse, particularly the west exterior wall immediately adjacent to Cavan Street. The property owners are requesting approval to demolish Block 2 of the File Factory in order to address the major concerns raised in the structural assessment.

The session is open to the public and the meeting will be live streamed on the Municipality’s YouTube channel. Members of the public may speak to this matter at the meeting by making a deputation. To do so, submit a deputation request form at porthope.ca by noon on the day before the meeting.

The municipality announced earlier in the week the partial closure of Cavan Street in the area of the factory would continue until further notice.

Cougars lead Huskies 3-1; Panthers host Amherstview on Saturday

Logan Kelly scored twice and Trevor Hoskin had three points as the Cobourg Cougars placed the Haliburton County Huskies on the brink of elimination with a 5-2 win Thursday night at the Cobourg Community Centre.

Hoskin had a goal and two assists less than 11 minutes into the contest. Jordan Fuller and Andy Reist also scored as Cobourg was up 3-0 after the first period. 

The Cougars now lead Ontario Junior A Hockey League best-of-seven playoff series 3 games to 1. Game 5 is tomorrow in Minden at 4 p.m. If necessary, the Cougars will host Game 6 Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at the CCC.

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In the Provincial Junior C Hockey League playoffs, the Port Hope Panthers will host Game 2 of their Tod Division semifinal series against the Amherstview Jets tomorrow night.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the Jack Burger Sports Complex. 

The Panthers won the series opener 6-3 Tuesday night in Amherstview.

Northumberland County signs on for extra shelter funding

By Cecilia Nasmith

The additional $2.47-million in year-end funding from the province in support of the shelter facility at 310 Division St. in Cobourg received support in a special session of Northumberland County council on Thursday to execute documentation confirming the county's obligations before the March 15 deadline. 

This will speed up the completion of a facility that offers drop-in room, locker-and-shower facilities, warming space, shelter beds and transitional housing – and, as Associate Director of Housing and Homelessness Rebecca Carman noted, offer the chance to provide these services upon the facility's opening rather than phasing them in over several years.

“It's wonderful to be receiving this money from the province and signing on the dotted line,” Acting Chair Olena Hankivsky said.

The point was made several times that this extra funding was not applied for. The project was brought to the province's attention and got favourable notice when it came time to allot year-end funding because it aligns with their own priorities. Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Moore said that the county keeps the province informed of their homelessness and housing initiatives, so they were aware of this fact.

But Associate Director of Housing and Homelessness Rebecca Carman pointed out that this kind of grant has its own obligations.

“One of the key things about any year-end funding is that you have to be ready to go very, very quickly,” Carman said.

This priority favours so-called shovel-ready projects that are well along, like 310 Division St. 

The extra boost makes a solid difference to the project, Carman said, making it entirely possible that the new facility will open with more services in place from the start instead of having them phased in. And it sets aside money towards things like fencing, security and a smoking area.

“Any consideration about the environmental design – the aesthetics of the interior, the furniture?” Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland asked.

“It's important we don't create something that's a cinder block-looking design. People have to live in something they can be proud of.”

Manager of Homelessness Services Bill Smith assured him this will be part of the planning.

Warden Brian Ostrander – attending remotely – pointed out that the letter accompanying the good news made reference to supporting the closure of “the homeless encampment in the Town of Cobourg,” but noted that the county has no authority to do this.

“That's not what these funds will be used for,” Ostrander stressed.

“They will be used to renovate sheltering space that hopefully organically will get people out of that encampment and into a housing situation.”

Former Warden Mandy Martin returned to the important point that the money was given by the province without being applied for.

“It's at their discretion. It's Santa Claus coming to town across this province,” Martin said.

“I think this gift to us, as I call it, is recognition of all the work that has gone on, not just within the last year but for the last years, addressing a situation, addressing how we serve the community – the county community.

“I think this is an amazing amount of money granted here, and I think that's an affirmation of the responsibility and professionalism that has gone into addressing the situation, working together, finding ways to ameliorate and co-operate,” she declared.
“To my mind, this project is so far ahead of so many other communities, they are looking to us – how did we get so lucky? How did that happen?

“To me, this is a telling example of how we can do it together in a smaller community. We are not dragging hundreds and hundreds of civil servants behind us. This is on-the-ground stuff with people who really mean it.”

Running with the Santa Claus metaphor, Councillor John Logel likened the year-end funding to the jolly gent having passed out all the presents and then finding he still has few left.

Moore said that next week's county council agenda will include a status report and feedback from community consultations that were recently completed. She confirmed that a report on negotiations for an operating agreement among the county, the Town of Cobourg and Transition House are ongoing and will also be part of that report.

Statement from Northumberland County Deputy Warden Olena Hankivsky on passing of Kim Rudd

The following statement from Deputy Warden Olena Hankivsky was issued by Northumberland County:

It is with deep respect and sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Kim Rudd, who served as Member of Parliament for Northumberland-Peterborough South from 2015-2019. Kim was not only a distinguished public servant but also a remarkable community member whose passionate voice for women, and whose contributions to her community, extended far beyond the political arena.

Her commitment and dedication to so many important causes, both within politics and in our community, will leave a lasting legacy.

Kim’s entrepreneurial spirit was a foundation of her career and she was gracious in extending her support and mentorship to help empower individuals.  She was a dedicated leader who generously gave her time and talents to many charitable organizations and worked tirelessly to enhance our community’s well-being and advocate for much needed housing supports in Northumberland County.

Her involvement in sports and local service clubs further exemplified her commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others.

As the first Member of Parliament elected in the newly created riding of Northumberland-Peterborough South, her term of office was marked by dedication, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to representing the interests of her constituents.

Our thoughts and condolences are with her family, friends, and all who were touched by her kindness, leadership, and passion for making a difference.

In recognition of the passing of Kim Rudd, former member of Parliament and Brian Mulroney, Canada's former Prime Minister, Northumberland County has lowered its flags as a mark of respect for both esteemed individuals and their significant contributions.