Police Briefs
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(FORT FRANCES, ON) – Shortly before 2:00 am on March 5, 2021 members of the Rainy River District Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police were alerted to a possible impaired driver in the area of Highway 611, Alberton Township. Treaty Three Police Service and OPP officers located the vehicle in question and conducted an investigation.
The drives was arrested for impaired operation of a conveyance as the officers believed on reasonable grounds that the driver was impaired by drug.
The investigation continued at the Fort Frances detachment where the driver was required to perform a 13 step systematic evaluation conducted by a Drug Recognition Expert.
During the investigation, the officers also located and seized fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, and psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms.
A 27 year old Fort Frances man has been charged criminally with: Operate conveyance while impaired by drug; two counts of fail to comply with release order; and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Due to the repetitious nature of the offences, the accused was held for bail and released by a justice of the peace with a court date via Zoom of March 8.
The passenger, a 31 year old Fort Frances woman has been charged criminally with: Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.
A court appearance via Zoom is scheduled for April 6.
As a result of the impaired driving charges, the driver’s privileges have been suspended in Ontario for 90 days and the motor vehicle in question was impounded for a period of seven days.
DRUG CHARGES
(KENORA, ON) The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Traffic Incident Management Enforcement (TIME) and the OPP Northwest Region Canine Unit have charged a person for drug trafficking as a result of a traffic stop on Highway 17A.
On Friday March 5, 2021 at approximately 3:17 p.m. Police conducted a traffic stop on Highway 17A. Canine attended a short time later to assist and it was determined that there was drugs in the vehicle. Police seized a large amount of suspected Cocaine with a street value of approximately $100,000.
As a result of the investigation, a 25 year old man from Boissevain, Man. was charged with the following charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA): Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking-Cocaine and Traffic in Schedule I Substance-Cocaine.
The accused was released on a Form 9 Appearance Notice to attend the Kenora Courthouse on March 18.
SNOWMOBILE PATROL
(THUNDER BAY, ON) – On March 6 and 7members of the OPP Highway Safety Division conducted joint snowmobile patrols with the Ministry of Natural Resources on surrounding lakes within the Thunder Bay District. Police laid 28 provincial offence tickets as well as a three day suspension for a WARN range on the alcohol screening device. Police also issued 70 warnings for other various offences.
The charges are alarming and mainly consisted of operating a motorized snow vehicle (MSV) or off road vehicle (ORV) with no helmet, Having open container of liquor other than licenced premise, residence or private place, Drive – no insurance under the Motorized Snow Vehicle Act or Off Road Vehicle Act and Failing to apply for permit on becoming owner of a motorized snow vehicle.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to take this time to remind Motorized Snow Vehicle (snowmobile) operators that snowmobiles are a conveyance, as defined by the Criminal Code. Operators are bound by offences defined in the Criminal Code, including Dangerous Operation and Operation while impaired, no matter where they choose to ride. Safety should be your number one consideration when on the trails.
Snowmobile operators are advised to never drive impaired. Alcohol, illegal drugs, even prescription and some over-the-counter medications can slow your reaction time and affect your ability to make safe decisions.
As well as presenting a safety risk to themselves and other community members, operators who ride impaired by alcohol or drugs are subject to drivers licence suspensions, fines, vehicle impoundments, criminal records and increased insurance costs. If convicted of impaired driving on a snowmobile, operators will lose driving privileges for all types of vehicles, including motor vehicles, commercial vehicles and motorcycles.
For more information on the consequences of drinking and driving, as well as snowmobile safety, please visit www.opp.ca, or the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s website at www.mto.gov.on.ca.
Members of the OPP are committed to protecting public safety in all locations within the communities they serve. Please call 9-1-1 whenever you suspect that a driver is impaired while operating a motor vehicle, whether it is a car, truck, motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, or boat. Complaints of dangerous driving can also be made by calling . Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at (TIPS), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
