Recent child-luring incidents cause alarm in North Bay
Two recent incidents of adults trying to lure children have North Bay and area parents and caregivers on edge.
Ontario Provincial Police are looking into one incident at a school bus stop on Highway 94 at an East Ferris bus stop where a man approached a child waiting for the bus. He encouraged the child to get into his car.
Meanwhile, North Bay police are trying to find two suspects who approached a nine-year-old playing at Thompson Park.
The two suspects asked the child to leave with them in their vehicle. Both times police were notified and suspect descriptions were released. Neither of the children were harmed.
Grandfather Renzo Silveri often rollerblades with his grandson Easton in Thompson Park. He was shocked to hear it happened in the park where he spends time with his grandson.
"An adult tries to take advantage of a child? That's a very scary situation," Silveri said.
Diane Philbin, who takes her grandchildren to play in the park, said she finds the situation "disturbing."
"I'm very concerned. I find it very upsetting," Philbin said.
"Parks are meant to be safe."
North Bay police are advising parents and guardians to have a difficult conversation with their children about strangers.
"Parents need to remain vigilant as they do at all times especially when they do with young children," said Insp. Jeff Warner.
“We're asking anybody who may have been in the area of Fisher Street and Thompson Park who may have dash cam video of someone leaving the park that matches the description.”
Jesse Reid, autism services facilitator at One Kids Place, encourages parents to teach their kids the difference between 'safe strangers' -- police, firefighters, security guards and store clerks -- and 'unsafe strangers' who present a danger.
"We try and talk to parents about not having identifiable information on children's clothing or their backpacks or coats,” Reid said.
“It makes it easier for someone unknown to that child to approach them and say ‘Hey so and so, your parents told me to pick you up.’"
Reid said parents and guardians should have predetermined meeting spots in the event they become separated from each other.
“It’s one thing to tell our children don’t talk to strangers and don’t get into an unknown vehicle,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canada's longstanding blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma was harmful and discriminatory, Canadian Blood Services acknowledged on Friday, in issuing an apology to the LGBTQ2S+ community.