John Van Dyke sworn in as South Simcoe Police Chief
It's official; after 34 years of service, John Van Dyke is now the South Simcoe Police Service's Chief of Police.
Chief John Van Dyke was sworn in on Thursday before dozens of dignitaries, family and his police service members at the Innisfil Town Hall.
"I try to treat everybody as a human being, with dignity and respect; I try to look after my people," Chief Van Dyke said. "We don't solve all the problems in society with an arrest, sometimes, we look for other avenues to solve problems, and that is how we will look to evolve as police."
Chief Van Dyke said the unanimous support from colleagues humbled him in his six months as acting police chief.
The Bradford West Gwillimbury native takes pride in being able to represent his hometown.
"It's perfect to have someone like that in your community," said Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor James Leduc. "He knows the community from the past, he knows Innisfil very well, he understands the needs."
Chief Van Dyke took over as acting chief from former chief Andrew Fletcher, who retired in September.
Almost immediately, Van Dyke faced one of the most challenging times a police chief could encounter - the deaths of constables Morgan Russell and Devon Northrup, killed in the line of duty in October.
"I was in awe of the way acting Chief Van Dyke was able to be so compassionate to everyone," said Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin. "He was able to lead still, be there for families, the community and of course, his police family."
For Chief Van Dyke, the wounds are still raw.
"It was the worst time of my life, to be honest," he said. "It was hard on our families, it was hard on our community, it was certainly hard on our members, and I just try to navigate it by doing what is right."
As he looks to lead the South Simcoe Police Service into a new era, Chief Van Dyke added he would create a more collaborative approach to policing with community partners.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
WATCH LIVE As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.