OPP Make Arrest In Homicide Investigation: The Almaguin Highlands Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has made an arrest in relation to a recent homicide investigation.
On November 21, 2024, police located a deceased person in the area of Kirkpatrick’s Road and Highway 124. The person was later identified as 34-year-old Preston DAULTREY of North Bay, and the death was deemed a homicide.
The Almaguin Highlands OPP Crime Unit has continued its investigation under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, and with assistance from the OPP Forensic Identification Services, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.
As a result of the investigation, Dallas SNOW, 32-years-old of Emsdale, has been arrested and charged with – First Degree Murder, contrary to section 235(1) of the Criminal Code.
The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Parry Sound on December 2, 2024.
If anyone has any information regarding this investigation, please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
Barrie Police – Intoxicated Male Arrested: On Sunday, December 1, 2024, at approximately 1:10 a.m., the Barrie Police Service received information with regards to a male dangerously running and falling down in the middle of Dunlop Street West, west of the onramp to southbound Highway 400.
Responding officers located the male, who was very intoxicated, leaning against a light post near Cedar Point Drive and after speaking with him, realized that he did not have a plan to get back home. For his safety, police placed him under arrest for Being Intoxicated in a Public Place.
The 42-year-old male, who is from Parry Sound, was transported to Barrie Police Headquarters where he remained until he could be safely released.
Upon his release several hours later, he was issued a Provincial Offences Notice. The fine associated for this offence under the Liquor Licence Contral Act is $65.00 and includes a $15 victim of crime surcharge.
North Bay Police – Traffic Stop Leads of Drug Trafficking Charges: A traffic stop conducted by members of the North Bay Police Service has led to the arrest of three individuals on drug trafficking charges.
At approximately 9:15 p.m. on November 30, 2024, members of the North Bay Police Service conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle travelling in the 500-block of First Avenue East, North Bay. Accused JESSO was placed under arrest for Driving While Under Suspension. Police observed cannabis and an accompanying glass water pipe (commonly known as a “bong”) inside the vehicle. Further searches by police located illegal drugs and prescription medication, which was not the rightful property of the accused. At this point the two other accused were also arrested.
Searches by police resulted in the seizure of:
· Approximately one (1) 4mg suspected morphine pill
· Approximately 127 8mh suspected morphine pills
· Approximately 45 100mg suspected morphine capsules
· Approximately nine (9) 5mg suspected oxycodone pills
· Approximately 14 10mg suspected oxycodone pills
· Approximately seven (7) suspected clonazepam pills
· Approximately 240 suspected methamphetamine tablets
· Approximately 5 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine
· Drug trafficking materials
· Approximately $1,300 in Canadian currency
The estimated street value of the drugs seized in this incident is approximately $4,780.
The accused in this incident are:
Warren JESSO, male, age 47, of North Bay, who is charged with:
· Four counts of Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking
· One count of Possession of a Schedule IV substance for the purpose of Trafficking
· One count of Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000
· Two counts of Driving while under suspension
· One count of Drive motor vehicle, no permit
· One count of Fail to surrender insurance card
Billy Michelle Lynn PATON, female, age 35, of North Bay, who is charged with:
· Four counts of Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking
· One count of Possession of a Schedule IV substance for the purpose of Trafficking
Andrew Robert SEABORN, male, age 37, of North Bay, who is charged with:
· Four counts of Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking
· One count of Possession of a Schedule IV substance for the purpose of Trafficking
The accused were released on an Undertaking and are scheduled to appear before the court on January 7, 2025.
North Bay Police – Two Charged with Break and Enter: The North Bay Police Service has arrested and charged a 38-year-old man and a 32-year-old man with Break and Enter. The accused in this incident are:
Garrith COMMANDA, male, age 38, of North Bay, who is charged with:
One count of Break, Enter a place – with intent to commit indictable offence
One count of Disguise with intent
One count of Possession of a Schedule I Substance
One count of Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking
One count of Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000
One count of Possession Weapon for Dangerous Purpose
Two counts of Failure to comply with release order
Tyler Charles LOUCKS, male, age 32, of North Bay, who is charged with:
One count of Break, Enter a place – with intent to commit indictable offence
One count of Disguise with intent
At approximately 2:00 p.m. on November 25, 2024, members of the North Bay Police Service responded to reports of a break and enter at a residence on Thelma Avenue, North Bay. Upon arrival, police located the two accused in the area and arrested them. A search incident to arrest of the accused by police located a weapon and illegal drugs. Searches by police resulted in the seizure of:
Approximately 15 grams of suspected fentanyl
Approximately 3 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine
A knife
A quantity of Canadian currency
The estimated street value of the drugs seized is approximately $4,000.
The victim and accused are known to one another.
The accused were held in custody pending a bail hearing at the North Bay Courthouse.
Statement from the NDP – “Inaction is denialism,” Deputy Leader Mamakwa responds to the 220 additional ‘known’ deaths in Ontario’s Residential Schools identified by Coroner: Deputy Leader of the ONDP and critic for Indigenous and Treaty Relations Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong), made the following statement in response to the news of the 220 additional deaths linked to Indian Residential Schools in Ontario that were identified by a Coroner’s probe:
“Inaction is a form of denialism. We cannot forget these children, whose deaths are not just heartbreaking, but each one is an injustice committed by the government, in a project of colonialism and systemic cultural genocide.”
“Although First Nations people in Ontario have always known about our relatives who never came home from the government-run Indian Residential Schools, it is still painful to hear, and especially to learn the stories of the atrocities and criminal negligence that led to the deaths of these children. The 656 deaths confirmed by the Ontario Office of the Chief are just the deaths from the recognized Indian Residential Schools and does not include the deaths of First Nations children at other government-run institutions, including the Indian Hospitals.”
“As Indian Residential School survivors across Ontario continue to search the school sites and adjacent crown lands for the remains of these children, the Ontario bureaucracy cannot continue put up barriers. It is past time for this government to commit fully to the actions needed to move forward with Truth and Reconciliation. Survivors of Indian Residential Schools deserve to heal, and all of us must take the steps that Survivors have told us again and again are needed.”
Background: The Final Report of Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites, Kimberly Murray, laid out at least 13 obligations which called for action from provincial governments. The Ontario government must respond to the news reported today with a commitment to fulfilling the obligations in that report, including:
Obligation 5, to: fund “search and recovery efforts for any purposes deemed necessary by Indigenous communities or organizations leading investigations”;
Obligations 17 and 20, to: “place immediate moratoriums on record destruction” and follow the direction of Indigenous Peoples to determine “what government records are of “historical” value and ought to be preserved”;
Obligation 21, to establish, in legislation, “a permanent office to provide support for families and communities of missing and disappeared children”;
Obligation 28, to ensure that all laws relating to the repatriation of Indigenous human remains are aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
And, among the many others important obligations: Obligation 32, to enact commemoration laws in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples about the missing and disappeared children and their burials. This includes protecting “collective memory against historical negationism” and regulating educational curricula.
Government of Ontario – Ontario Connecting People to Dementia Care and Supports for Caregivers: The Ontario government will soon introduce legislation that, if passed, will better connect seniors and their caregivers to complex care supports, including enhanced dementia supports, as well as increasing access to community and social programs that help seniors stay fit, active and healthy in their communities.
“Our government is putting forward bold, innovative changes to ensure Ontario’s seniors receive the best possible care,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. “That’s why we will soon be taking further steps to support and protect seniors living with dementia and the loved ones that take care of them, whether they are living in their family homes, congregate settings or long-term care.”
As part of the Your Health plan to conveniently connect people in Ontario to the care they need, when and where they need it, the government is introducing proposed changes that invest almost $80 million over three years to improve dementia care and supports to improve the well-being of seniors, their caregivers and families, including:
Improving Dementia Care in Ontario
⦁ Requiring all long-term care homes to have a dementia program, with an investment of $9 million over three years to launch a new program to train staff in emotion-based models of care that prioritize relationships and empathy in a culture of dignity and respect when caring for residents living with dementia. The new program is expected to train staff in up to 15 long-term care homes in its first year, serving more than 1,800 residents.
⦁ $15 million over two years to launch Community Access to Long-Term Care that will give seniors still living in their own homes access to certain services in long-term care homes, such as personal care, clinical services, and recreational and social programming. In the first year, the pilot is expected to launch at up to three sites
⦁ $9 million over three years to continue support of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario’s First Link program and the Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County’s Dementia Care Coaches. These programs connect people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia to advisors who can connect them with a range of supports, including home and community care services, behavioural supports, and adult day programs.
⦁ $6 million over three years to continue support for GeriMedRisk, which provides telemedicine consultation and education services for clinicians in Ontario.
Supports for Seniors, Families, and Caregivers
⦁ $20 million over three years to expand adult day programs, which offer social programming and peer connections, helping reduce isolation for seniors, including those with dementia.
⦁ $20 million over three years to expand access to respite services, to support the caregivers of people living with dementia. Respite services provide those living with dementia recreational activities, adult day programs, or substitute living arrangements, to allow their caregivers to have a much-needed break.
“Our government is continuing to take action to ensure that Ontarians have access to the health care and services they need, at every stage of life,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This investment will improve access to high-quality dementia care across the province, allowing more seniors and their loved ones to connect to the compassionate services and supports they need, in their community.”
These changes are part of a larger proposed package that will take actions to meet the needs of Ontario’s aging population and better support the people who care for seniors by improving and expanding supports for seniors living in long-term care, congregate settings and in the community.
Town of Bracebridge – Annual door-to-door food drive cancelled due to winter storm: Due to the winter weather event that brought significant snowfall to Bracebridge over the past weekend, the door-to-door food drive in support of the Salvation Army South Muskoka Ministries has been postponed. Due to the proximity to the holidays, this event will not be rescheduled this year.
Food donations can be dropped off at the following locations:
Bracebridge Fire Station 1, 225 Taylor Road; and
Salvation Army Bracebridge Community Church, 456 Manitoba Street.
The food bank needs peanut butter, jam, instant coffee, juice, toilet paper, pasta sauce, and toiletries. Please do not include any expired items in your donation. Thank you for your support.
*** Note the Firefighters Food Drive in Almaguin is this Wednesday
