"It's very frustrating. Late last year, we saw a number of catalytic converter thefts taking place in our community. Winter arrives, and they seem to stop. The snow starts to melt, and we are right back at it again," said Peter Leon, Barrie Police Services.
As the weather turns and business increases, Tim Simpson of T. Simpson Roofing Ltd. in Barrie said he's feeling the effects, with wait times for a replacement converter being estimated at three to six weeks.
"I have a responsibility to my customers. We have timelines to deliver products and to install services, and the trucks are a key component in delivering our services," said Simpson.
Simpson added luckily one of his trucks was in the shop when two of his vehicles had their converters cut off. However, that vehicle was also robbed the first night it returned. With three of four trucks out of commission for a small business, Simpson is worried about losing customers and employees.
"I have to try and keep my guys working as much as possible in a difficult time; otherwise, I run the risk of losing them, and employees in construction are very difficult to replace," he said.
Simpson said he will now be taking extra security measures. "Rebar welded to the frames of the truck and around the catalytic converter to make it more difficult for any future theft or possible theft. I've also been told that a good thing is to have them painted."
Police say the paint helps mark the converters and makes them less desirable on the resale market. Barrie police said, unfortunately, people need to take more precautions, and buyers need to ask more questions.
"These are not just individuals that are gathering them up and bringing them in. These are persons that are taking advantage of other people and compromising other people's livelihoods and businesses," said Leon.
An attorney for an 11-year-old Mississippi boy who was shot by a police officer after he called 911 for help said Thursday there was 'no way' the boy could have been mistaken for an adult.
Texas' Republican-led House of Representatives impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday on articles including bribery and abuse of public trust, a sudden, historic rebuke of a GOP official who rose to be a star of the conservative legal movement despite years of scandal and alleged crimes.
Killer whales severely damaged a sailing boat off the coast of southern Spain, the local maritime rescue service said on Thursday, adding to dozens of orca attacks on vessels recorded so far this year on Spanish and Portuguese coasts.
It is a world wrapped in mystery - the seventh planet from the sun, Uranus, seen up close just once nearly four decades ago by a passing NASA probe and still warily guarding its secrets.
Mexican authorities say they've made an arrest in the killing of a Quebec man earlier this month in the Pacific coast beach town of Puerto Escondido. The Oaxaca state attorney general says in a statement issued Friday that an arrest warrant was executed for a man in Puerto Escondido identified only by his initials in connection with the homicide of Victor Masson.
Quebecers are used to congestion headaches on Highway 40, but Saturday’s hold-up was nothing if not out of the ordinary: a horse broke free from its transport container and ran free in the fast lane. Marco Lelievre, a trucker, stopped his vehicle while driving through Repentigny, Que. after he saw the runaway horse.
Those planning on travelling in and around Montreal on the weekend may want to consider public transit or a bicycle to get around as there are a more than a few construction projects that will cause major road closures.
Who is Diandra D'Alessio? She's a Montrealer, a technical writer, a history lover -- and she's last night's Jeopardy winner. The self-proclaimed trivia buff made it out on top with $3,299 under her belt.
The president of the Ottawa-Gatineau Hotel Association says hotels in the area are near capacity this weekend, as Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, the Ottawa Redblacks exhibition game, the Great Glebe Garage Sale and other events attract people to Ottawa.
Advocates are hoping the Ontario government will consider alternatives to the use of wild animals in off-leash dog areas for the purpose of tracking as officials push forward with a proposal to expand training areas in the province.
Ontario Provincial Police have charged two people following reports of hitchhikers displaying aggressive behaviour along the Highway 17 East corridor in Kenora.
A devastating collision end the lives of three young adults, a Windsor dad said he’s frustrated his 12-year-old son has been charged with assault, and a teenager was arrested for allegedly bringing a gun to school.
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley held a major rally in downtown Calgary Saturday morning, while her United Conservative rival had no public events planned this weekend after a final pitch to voters a day earlier.
A Prince Albert man said he can start moving on, now that the woman who attacked his 89-year-old father has been sentenced. He said because of the assault, he lost both his mother and father.
The Catholic school system in Saskatchewan has a long history and is ultimately protected by the province’s constitution. Something the courts have backed up.
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley held a major rally in downtown Calgary Saturday morning, while her United Conservative rival had no public events planned this weekend after a final pitch to voters a day earlier.
As more people are heading out to enjoy the city’s wilderness areas, North Vancouver RCMP issued water safety tips for those spending time at the North Shore’s rivers and lakes.
A man and a woman have been arrested and charged for last March’s murder of 41-year-old Chad Colivas of Abbotsford, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said Saturday.
