Most-read stories of the week: a hitch in truck repairs, WRDSB to lay off teachers, Arnold Schwarzenegger in Elora

Family can’t get truck fixed due to aftermarket hitch

A New Hamburg family is feeling deflated after buying a new Toyota hybrid truck.

After waiting 18 months for it, Susi and Rod Roth finally got the pickup truck in April 2023. They say within the first month, they had to bring it back to the Toyota dealership in Stratford to address a problem with the transmission.

Over the last year, the truck has been back and forth between their home and the dealership. Susi says there have also been several holdups with getting a loaner vehicle.

“We have a truck that hasn’t been working since the day we got it, and four months later we put a hitch on it, hoping that we can actually get some use out of this truck,” said Susi.

“But we’ve never actually hooked this up to the truck,” said Susi, pointing to their camper. “It’s just sat here for a year.”

That’s because of their concerns over the transmission.

“We were just told this week that because [Rod] put a hitch on that existing truck back in August … it is now out of warranty because it’s an aftermarket part and they would not replace the transmission, which has been the issue since the day we got it,” said Susi.

WRDSB to lay off 106 elementary school teachers

More than 100 teachers at the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) are learning they have been declared surplus will likely be out of a job as of Aug. 12.

In an email to CTV News, the board confirmed it made the decision to lay off elementary teachers who do not have permanent status after receiving initial budget information for the 2024-2025 school year from the province. The decision impacts around 106 teachers, the board said.

“We know and understand that this is difficult news for the elementary educators who are impacted, and we are committed to supporting their well-being throughout this process,” the WRDSB said in a statement to CTV News.

Some international students lack basic computer and academic skills, Conestoga College unions claim

Unions representing Conestoga College’s faculty and support staff are speaking out about the impact of the school’s rapid growth on those who work there.

They feel many of the international students aren’t ready for college and that's compromising the school’s academic integrity, putting an unnecessary strain on staff, and clouding their reputation.

Local union presidents, Leopold Koff and Vikki Poirier, estimate that 85 to 90 per cent of the student population comes from outside Canada. They told CTV News that some of those students just aren’t ready for college-level learning.

“Basic skill sets like arithmetical skills [and] computer skills, even knowing how to turn on a computer, how to even operate within a network. They’re lacking those basic skills that we would take for granted,” said Koff, who represents faculty, librarians and counsellors with Local 237 OPSEU.

Conestoga College's John Tibbits Campus in Waterloo.

Kaitlyn Braun arrested again

Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.

In December, Kaitlyn Braun, 25, pleaded guilty to 21 charges including fraud, mischief and committing indecent acts. Court heard that for months she had contacted numerous doulas, falsely claiming she was pregnant.

Birth workers spent hours, and in some cases days, supporting her in-person, on the phone or over video chat, sometimes as she pretended to deliver a stillborn baby. In victim impact statements and interviews with CTV News they described their experiences as disturbing and deeply traumatic.

In February, Braun was sentenced to two years of house arrest and three years of probation at the recommendation of a joint submission from the Crown and the defence. At the time, the judge raised concerns saying he was troubled by a mental health assessment that indicated Braun was likely to reoffend.

On Wednesday, Hamilton police announced Braun had been arrested the day before and is facing multiple charges including harassing communications, obtaining by false pretences and breaching a conditional sentence order.

Police said the new charges stem from reports that, between Wednesday April 17 and Thursday April 18, Braun falsely solicited support related to pregnancy and childbirth.

Kaitlyn Braun appears in a picture posted to social media. (Facebook)

Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.

Hollywood heavyweight Arnold Schwarzenegger caused quite a stir in a small Ontario town this week.

On Tuesday, Schwarzenegger was spotted filming in Elora, Ont., a community of around 8,000 people about 20 minutes outside of Guelph.

The township confirmed the actor was shooting FUBAR, a Netflix action-comedy series.

“It's funny to see someone so amazing – so iconic – standing in your own town. It was just like, you can’t believe it really,” said Becky Lalui, who owns the nearby Lobby Bar.

Filming took place outside the municipal office at 1 MacDonald Square on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Arnold Schwarzenegger seen shooting scenes for the Netflix TV series FUBAR in Elora, Ont. on April 30, 2024. (Submitted/Jon Ralston)