Charges dropped against former Bracebridge mayor accused of violating Endangered Species Act
Charges have been dropped against former Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith for allegations of violating Ontario's Endangered Species Act back in 2021.
Smith, now the Minister of Natural Resources, was accused, along with the municipality and two town employees, of destroying Blanding's turtle's nests and endangering their habitat during a road grading project on Peace Valley Road.
Micheal Opara, who brought forth the charges, claims to have seen a Blanding's turtle in the area on two separate occasions.
On Tuesday, the matter was heard virtually through the Provincial Offences Office in Bracebridge.
Court heard from the agent representing the Ministry of the Attorney General that the charges were reviewed and could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, saying there was insufficient evidence of the turtles being in the area at the time.
"It's unfortunate the town doesn't have the desire to preserve our turtle species," said Opara in court. "It's unfortunate and unfortunate where this has come to. We have a town that doesn't care and doesn't do its job."
CTV News reached out to Graydon Smith for comment but was referred to the municipality.
In a press release, the town said it's "committed to environmental stewardship and protecting the beauty of Muskoka while keeping our roads safe. The town's innocence was shown by the intervention of the crown and withdrawal of these unsubstantiated charges."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.