Tag Archives: drugs

07.19.25
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New legislation gives the St. Thomas Police Service enhanced resources to combat illegal drug activity

For St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp, new provincial legislation designed to ensure safer streets and stronger communities is a step toward reducing illegal drug activity while also providing support for affected communities, promoting safety, and encouraging rehabilitation.
Bill 10, the Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities Act, is a broad ‘justice-and-safety’ omnibus bill passed into law on June 5th of this year.
As noted on the Canadian Mental Health Association website, “An omnibus bill is one that introduces or amends multiple new or existing laws at once. Each new or existing law that Bill 10 impacts is addressed in a separate ‘Schedule’ of the Bill. Schedule 8 is a new law titled the Measures Respecting Premises with Illegal Drug Activity Act.”

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06.28.25
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Celebrating The Annex in St. Thomas: ‘When the pain of quitting is lower than the pain of continuing to use, that’s when people are ready for success’ – Executive Director Mike Toth

The Annex, the addictions resource centre and outreach program of the Grace Café, is dedicated to helping individuals access addiction services, programs and supports.
We last wrote about the Talbot Street facility two years ago this month on the occasion of its first anniversary.
The goal of The Annex is to positively impact the lives of individuals facing the many challenges of substance dependency.
It does this through addiction support groups, substance abuse resources and addiction counselling.
In a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental environment.
We caught up with Executive Director Mike Toth this week, on the third anniversary of The Annex, the brainchild of Ginny and Don Trepanier.

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11.02.24
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So what will Conservative values look like in Elgin-St. Thomas-London South moving forward?

At the beginning of October, we observed it had been relatively quiet on the federal political front in St. Thomas and Elgin since the end of July when MP Karen Vecchio announced in the myFM studio she would not seek re-election in the next federal vote.
If you remember, the next day former London radio broadcaster Andrew Lawton quickly took advantage and announced his intention to seek the Conservative Party of Canada nomination in Elgin-St. Thomas-London South as the re-jigged riding will be known.
By the end of October, the political temperature here had risen significantly.
Normally in this riding over the past few decades, the federal and provincial election campaigns have been relatively sedate affairs conducted in an orderly fashion.

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09.17.22
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‘Our once-thriving downtown core is at a critical threshold’ – St. Thomas lawyer Hilary Vaughan

city_scope_logo-cmykIn a deputation last Monday (Sept. 12) to city council she stressed was devoid of “ill will, malintent or hidden agenda,” Hilary Vaughan hit one out of the park with her no-nonsense presentation on the complex issues plaguing downtown.
In a six-and-a-half-minute span, the St. Thomas lawyer delivered a tell-it-like-it-is synopsis, warning the core area is at a critical threshold.
Her closing remarks left members momentarily flummoxed. Vaughan made it clear she was not open to questions, instead it is time to “find a real solution, in real-time, for real people.”
That can be done by striking a working group to tackle the increasingly dire situation.
Because the picture she painted of the downtown core’s immediate prospects is bleak.

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09.03.22
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This is Mathew’s story: His last gift to mankind was to let someone else live

city_scope_logo-cmykA ceremony was held Wednesday morning on the steps of city hall to commemorate the third annual International Overdose Awareness Day.
Later in the day, The Nameless, in partnership with Southwestern Public Health, held an open house at White Street Parkette in St. Thomas.
That was where Anna Maria Iredale of St. Marys dug deep into her reserve of fortitude to step forward with her personal tale of tragedy.
We’re documenting it in its entirety as a tribute to Anna Maria and her son.
That’s a photo of him below and every picture does tell a story. This one is well worth the time and effort it takes to absorb.

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01.29.22
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‘We’re not going to arrest our way out of the cycle of poverty, addiction, homelessness and mental health issues’

city_scope_logo-cmykThere is a 29-year-old St. Thomas resident who has been arrested 29 times since 2019, with 77 Criminal Code charges, 34 of those related to property crime, six related to trespassing, four drug-related charges and 39 fail-to-comply charges.
Twenty-six of those were withdrawn. And overall, 45 charges were withdrawn.
St. Thomas Police have checked on this individual’s well-being 19 times, including for overdoses and that person was reported to police 63 times as an unwanted or suspicious person because that person experienced homelessness or still does.
As they say on television crime dramas, those are the facts.
However, this is a real-life situation and not drawn from a reality show.
And it’s the type of ongoing police interaction that has St. Thomas Police Chief Chris Herridge calling for a two-stream justice system.

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12.04.21
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Internet voting: ‘It’s all about balancing risks and benefits’

city_scope_logo-cmykCity council’s unanimous approval of a move to a paperless municipal vote in 2022 generated plenty of pushback, questions and conspiratorial warnings.
So, why not go right to the target of all this distrust and anger, Simply Voting Inc., and talk to the founder, Brian Lack.
It’s the firm that will undertake the electronic vote in the 2022 municipal vote in St. Thomas, as they did in a limited fashion in the 2018 municipal election.
We won’t hold the face he is a Montreal Canadiens fan against him. He is an interesting and knowledgeable individual who is refreshingly forthright.
“I’m the first to admit there is no such thing as 100 per cent security. Nothing on the internet is 100 per cent secure, but we still use it.
“There are people who say we bank online so we should vote online. But actually, it’s not quite the same thing.
“In a way, there is probably more danger with voting online because if my back account is hacked and I’m missing a few hundred dollars, I’m going to know about it.
“If your vote is hacked, how does anybody know? It is not the same analogy.”
“But we have a lot of in-house expertise on security and we work with security companies and we’re following the best practices to make it as secure as possible.”

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12.01.21
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‘Sad and challenging times’ – City Scope readers respond to the plight of St. Thomas’ downtown core

city_scope_logo-cmykLast week’s item on the state of the downtown core generated a far-reaching cross-section of opinions, possible solutions and a smidgen of finger-pointing.
Here is a sampling of what has landed from various City Scope locales as of mid-week.

Jackie Harris, a patient care manager offered a valid alternative to security guards taking care of business.

“Why aren’t we thinking of peer outreach workers instead of security? There is an excellent model in London called London Cares as well as other models across Canada and the US.
“We are totally missing the boat on this St. Thomas…”

That prompted this response from St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston.

“Thank you. St Thomas has our CMHA street team and the Mental Health Police support team both active on the street.
“We, with the help of Jeff Yurek, have reached out to the Ministry for more team members and a Detox, Rehab, Mental Crisis beds.”

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09.25.18
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Huge crystal meth/fentanyl bust helps pinch the London-St. Thomas drug pipeline

policeAn internal restructuring a year ago paid off today (Sept. 25) when the St. Thomas Police Service revealed it had recently executed the largest crystal meth bust in the city and the largest fentanyl seizure in the region.
The investigation began in March and resulted in the seizure of four kilograms of crystal meth; almost 60 grams of powder fentanyl; more than 48 grams of purple fentanyl; a quantity of hydromorphone and morphine capsules, hash oil and other drugs with a total street value of over $466,000.
Eight St. Thomas residents and four individuals from London face a variety of drug-related charges. City police are still seeking a 41-year old St. Thomas female and a 40-year old female from London in connection with this undertaking. Continue reading →