North Bay company fined $200K for damaging turtle habitat
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
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.