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
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.