Northern Ont. man fined $25K for illegally building road on Crown land
A Sturgeon Falls man has been fined a total of $25,000 for trying to build a road across Crown land to access a piece of private property.
Jason Cyr pled guilty to unlawfully constructing a road without a work permit and was fined $20,000 and was issued a court order for remediation.
Cyr was also fined $2,000 for unlawfully depositing things on public lands, and $3,000 for operating a pit or quarry without a licence.
The case began May 17, 2022, when Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conservation officers were conducting a patrol in Janes Township, North of River Valley.
“After observing what appeared to be heavy traffic on a dead-end road, officers investigated and uncovered a new road being built on Crown land,” the ministry said in a news release Friday.
“Further investigation determined there were two sites where aggregate material was being removed for the illegal road. There were also several personal items, vehicles and pieces of construction equipment left on nearby public lands.”
The officers learned that a road was being built without permits, as required by the Public Lands Act.
“Conservation officers returned to the site on May 31, 2022, and located Cyr actively working on the construction of the road using a backhoe,” the release said.
“It was determined that Cyr was building the road to access a parcel of private land.”
Justice of the Peace Ruby Beck heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice in North Bay on Jan. 25.
To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667.
You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University while clashes break out at UCLA
The pro-Palestinian demonstration that paralyzed Columbia University ended in dramatic fashion, with police carrying riot shields bursting into a building that protesters took over the previous night and making dozens of arrests. On the other side of the country, clashes broke out early Wednesday between duelling groups at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Will an 'out of sight, out of mind' cellphone policy make a difference in Ontario schools?
Ontario’s cellphone ban in schools has been met with mixed reaction, with some teachers concerned about constant policing of kids and experts applauding the change as necessary for student learning.
National strategy must recognize caregivers as 'backbone' of society: centre
Canadians need help looking after family members who are aging, sick or have disabilities, and many caregivers are seniors who need help themselves, says a new report calling for a national strategy that recognizes the mental and financial toll of the job.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
Lawyers for alleged Winnipeg serial killer point to opinion poll in bid to get jury tossed
The lawyers of an alleged serial killer in Winnipeg are questioning whether pre-trial publicity in the high-profile case may have influenced the jury’s decision-making ability, after a public poll commissioned by the defence found 81 per cent of respondents believe the accused is guilty.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when provincial fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least debt expert.
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
WATCH Moose strolls through Fredericton
A Fredericton woman is awe-struck after seeing a moose stroll down a city street on Tuesday.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.