North Bay police officer recognized for helping city's homeless
A North Bay police officer is being recognized by the Police Association of Ontario (PAO) for his charitable work helping the city's most vulnerable people.
Const. Matt Parker was nominated and was named a finalist for the PAO's Hero of The Year On-Duty Difference Maker award.
Parker believes policing is not just about catching criminals, but also about helping others.
"I joined the police so I could help people and make people's lives better," he said.
Parker has been instrumental in supporting the less fortunate in the city through his work of getting food to the homeless along with partners at Rebuilt Resources.
"I knew our police officers were giving out packed lunches and buying food for homeless people," Parker said. "I asked Maureen at Rebuilt Resources if there's anything that we can do and she came up with a whole bunch of Tim Horton's gift certificates for front-line officers to hand out."
Rebuilt Resources CEO Maureen Brazeau says Parker's caring nature is making a difference in the lives of the city's vulnerable.
"He is a hero in my eyes. When he approached us on some of the things that he was seeing on the streets, we knew we could work with him," she said.
The North Bay Police Association nominated Parker for the provincial award. He was recognized as one of the finalists.
"Matt's community work in what he does with his outreach program and how he assists members of the community clearly made a mark on this committee," said Police Association of Ontario Outgoing President Bruce Chapman.
Parker has been with the North Bay Police Service for 16 years. Throughout his years on the force, he has dedicated a lot of his off-duty and on-duty time to a program called the 'Community Closet'.
"Officers within the police service and the public were donating clothing items to people who we became aware of who were requiring clothing," explained North Bay Police Chief Scott Tod.
"As a chief, I was quite honoured one of our members would be nominated for that award."
Parker is encouraging other police officers and members of the public alike, to continue to support the city's vulnerable population.
"What I get is enjoyment and satisfaction from being able to help people that need it," concluded Parker.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Jury selection in Trump hush money trial faces pivotal stretch as former U.S. president returns to court
Jury selection in the hush money trial of Donald Trump enters a pivotal and potentially final stretch Thursday as lawyers look to round out the panel of New Yorkers that will decide the first-ever criminal case against a former president.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.