North Bay company fined $200K for damaging turtle habitat
![Blandings Turtle A construction company in North Bay has been fined $200,000 for causing damage to a Blandings Turtle habitat in 2018. The turtle is a threatened species in Ontario. (File)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2022/12/3/blandings-turtle-1-6179783-1670093614809.jpg)
A construction company in North Bay has been fined $200,000 for causing damage to a Blandings Turtle habitat in 2018.
The turtle is a threatened species in Ontario.
A news release from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said the $200,000 will go to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The money is earmarked for conservation work and the future betterment of Blanding’s Turtles.
“The court heard that during the summer of 2018 the company used heavy equipment to remove vegetation from a property adjacent to Circle Lake in North Bay causing damage to turtle habitat,” the release said.
“Staff at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry had previously informed the company about the existence of Blanding’s Turtles around Circle Lake and the need to obtain a permit before proceeding with any alterations to the species’ habitat.”
Conservation officers used a ministry-owned drone to map the extent of the damage.
In sentencing the company, Justice of the Peace Paula Nichols considered the prior warnings from the ministry as well as other similar convictions under the Endangered Species Act to assess sentencing.
The case was heard over multiple days in the spring of 2022 and a decision was delivered on Oct. 12.
To report activities that impact species at risk and protected habitat, call 1-866-MOE-TIPS (663-8477) or through the online reporting tool.
Members of the public can report sightings of endangered species to the Natural Heritage Information Centre or at iNaturalist.ca.
To report other natural resource problems or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667.
To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6958682.1720639670!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Canada to announce plan to reach NATO target, spend 2% of GDP on defence: sources
After facing months of pressure, senior government sources tell CTV News that Canada will unveil its plan on Thursday on how to reach its NATO commitment to spend two per cent of its GDP on defence.
His brother was found dead, his mother was arrested before this baby was found crawling by a highway
A Louisiana sheriff says a one-year-old 'miracle baby' survived two days of sometimes stormy weather before a truck driver spotted him crawling along a roadside the day after his four-year-old brother was found dead and his mother was arrested in Mississippi.
Coolers seized from Vancouver encampment during heat wave
Rangers seized two coolers from a person living in a tent in Vancouver's CRAB Park Tuesday as a heat wave scorched the city, the park board has confirmed.
Frank Stronach's granddaughter seeks company docs related to misconduct allegations
The granddaughter of billionaire businessman Frank Stronach is asking an Ontario court to order the family business to disclose any documents that might exist related to complaints of sexual misconduct against him and settlements involving complainants.
Video shows police officer taking firefighter's hose, spraying people in East Vancouver
The Vancouver Police Department is defending the actions of an officer who was recorded taking a firefighter's water hose and spraying two people in the head on Canada Day.
Actor George Clooney, a high-profile Biden supporter and fundraiser, asks president to leave race
Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney added his voice to calls for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race on Wednesday, just weeks after headlining a fundraiser that brought in a record single-night haul for the president's reelection campaign.
Ellen DeGeneres is 'done' after her Netflix special
Ellen DeGeneres has reportedly said she's ready to tap out of performing. The former daytime talk show host let that be known during a recent standup show at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, California.
Costco to increase annual membership fee to $65 this September
Costco is increasing its annual membership fees in Canada and the U.S. this fall to $65.
Family of 3 killed in tragic collision on B.C. highway, RCMP say
A family of three was killed in a tragic head-on collision with a tractor trailer in B.C.'s Fraser Valley this week, authorities have confirmed. The deceased are two adults and an infant.