Waterloo regional police say they’ve arrested three people and one person was taken to hospital following an armed robbery at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo. According to police, they were called to a jewelry store at around 4 p.m. Thursday after receiving several reports of an armed robbery in the mall.
Witnesses told CTV News that they saw the incident happen at Raffi Jewellers. A viewer also shared a video which appears to show at least two people wearing all black walking around and grabbing items from the glass cases.
"Officers quickly arrived in the area of Conestoga Mall and made three arrests," said Const. Brad Hickey with the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS). "Officers went inside the mall and they did evacuate the mall. The reason for that is we want to ensure the safety of all individuals inside the mall and we also want to ensure there is no outstanding suspects in the mall."
Initially there were reports of gunshots inside the mall but, according to a media release by WRPS, there was no evidence of shots fired. Police believe that it was the sound of breaking glass.
A Kitchener man, who was charged with killing his wife and then blowing up their home in 2018, has been found not criminally responsible.
Udo Haan admitted he committed the offenses, but the judge found he was suffering from delusions at the time. Haan’s home on Sprucedale Crescent exploded on Aug. 22, 2018.
His wife Edra Haan was found dead in the couple’s backyard. It was later determined that she had been killed before the blast.
Her husband Udo was charged with first-degree murder and three arson-related counts.
On Thursday a judge ruled he was not criminally responsible.
Edra Haan’s brother was relieved to see the matter dealt with in court after waiting four-and-a-half years.
"It is closure that it’s over," said Al Pinheiro. "It’s not really what we were looking for, I guess. But at the end of the day it was the proper call."
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner but at least one school in Kitchener is canceling the day of love in the classroom.
"They missed out on so much from the pandemic and then to pull this out from under them. We already bought our Valentine’s Day card and our kids really personalized them," said Stephanie Robinson, a parent of three kids who attend Jean Steckle Public School.
In a notice sent to parents Friday, Jean Steckle Public School said, "While we acknowledge the celebration of Valentine’s, and are mindful of the popularity of that day, it is not celebrated by all students/families in our community. It is essential that all students feel welcomed and reflected at school, and that our celebrations do not negatively impact our families and students."
The notice also tells parents: “Please do not send in Valentine cards for exchanges, or food items, as we will not be doing any class or school wide celebration.”
Robinson said the school told parents that they could hand out cards before or after school.
A Kitchener restaurant says it will no longer be offering delivery through Uber Eats because the company owes them $11,000 in payments dating back to Jan. 10.
“Our portion was not deposited, so we contacted them [asking] what’s going on,” Ali Elina, the owner and operator of 1001 Nights Shawarma, told CTV News.
Elina said when an online order is made the entire payment goes straight to Uber Eats and it’s up to the delivery company to pay the restaurant its portion of the profits, but when he contacted Uber Eats, Elina was told the money was sent to a separate account that didn’t belong to his restaurant.
“This is not our account. It might be hacked or something,” he said. “They did not take any action.”
In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson with Uber Eats Canada said: “We are working with the merchant to investigate and rectify the situation.”
1001 Nights Shawarma on Block Line Road in Kitchener, Ont. (Feb. 2, 2023)
A Kitchener public school board trustee has released an open letter of dissent, arguing a recent communication to parents from the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) may have a “chilling effect” on those who may wish to voice concerns in public forums.
On Monday, Mike Ramsay took issue with a letter released by the board on Jan. 20, on the direction of trustees, addressing a series of concerns raised by a parent at a public meeting on Jan. 16.
The letter addressed what the board chair called “unfounded accusations of child abuse” and “misinformation” among other concerns raised at the meeting.
“I’ve never seen [this] in the history of the board and I don’t believe there’s any justification for this; for such a public response,” said Ramsay. “Why the departure from past practices?”
The WRDSB letter does not name any parent, but alludes to concerns “framed as questions” while carrying an “accusatory” tone and “coupled with inflammatory language and misinformation.” The open letter notes as the comments were made in a public forum, administration decided to address them publicly.
1001 Nights Shawarma on Block Line Road in Kitchener, Ont. (Feb. 2, 2023)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the vote later today on the Conservative motion calling for a new study into foreign interference will not be a confidence vote.
While the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the issues surrounding Credit Suisse have shaken investor confidence, a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis appears to be unlikely, one analyst says.
Gwyneth Paltrow is scheduled to stand trial on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actress-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day and to mark the occasion a Canadian organization launched a campaign showcasing older people living with the condition.
A 31-year-old neuroscientist is believed to be among the six people missing after a massive fire in Old Montreal last week. An Wu was staying at the heritage building on Place d'Youville to attend a conference, according to friends and family.
About 10 people have been displaced and damage is estimated at $1-million after a fire in Aylmer on Monday. John Street in Aylmer, Ont. has reopened in both directions following a fire on Monday night.
An 81-year old property owner tells CTV News he’ll do the work himself without machinery, if that’s the method directed by city council. Three years after John McLeod demolished the historic barn on Halls Mill Road without a permit, a plan to remove the pile of wooden debris is taking shape.
The Old South Community Organization (OSCO) is expressing concern about city staff’s failure to consult with stakeholders before recommending that Thames Pool be decommissioned.
It’s been a little more than a year since the week-long protests that blocked the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont. A special report was presented to council Monday night by Jennifer King, the lawyer who represented the city and police at the commission.
Market trends in Simcoe County show an increase in viewings and buyers re-entering the market after key interest rate hikes from the Bank of Canada warded off many last year.
Elliot Lake has cancelled the Northern Shore Drag Race, which has been going on for the past two decades and typically draws hundreds of vehicles and a thousand people.
A member of the city of Ottawa's board of health is speaking out about body shaming after receiving a letter that said she shouldn't serve on the board because of her weight.
A 31-year-old neuroscientist is believed to be among the six people missing after a massive fire in Old Montreal last week. An Wu was staying at the heritage building on Place d'Youville to attend a conference, according to friends and family.
Rescuers have yet to recover any additional bodies from the wreck of a fire in Old Montreal last week. As of Tuesday morning, there were still six people missing. The body of one victim, a woman, was extracted on Sunday.
Mayor Valerie Plante said Monday she requested a meeting with an Airbnb executive after a building in Old Montreal — a short-term rental hot spot — was destroyed by a fire that has left six people missing.
Two staff members and a student -- who is also the suspect -- have been injured in a stabbing at a high school in Bedford, N.S., according to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
The president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) is weighing in after two staff members and a student, who is also the suspect, were injured in a stabbing at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, N.S., Monday morning.
New Brunswick's finance minister is scheduled to table a provincial budget Tuesday as the government grapples with problems in health care and housing and the effects of a population surge.
Students and community members will gather in protest outside the Calgary Board of Education Centre Tuesday morning, calling for the removal of the Sir John A. Macdonald name from a northwest junior high school.
A Wheatland County sanctuary that cares for abandoned and surrendered farm animals faces an uncertain future after having a permit application to keep operating denied.
A woman who lives across from the apartment where a 16-year-old shot and killed two Edmonton police constables has multiple bullet holes in her door, with a couple piercing her doorframe.
After a large fire spread from tents to a shuttered theatre on the city’s Downtown Eastside, Vancouver’s fire chief told reporters she was “incredibly frustrated” that more isn’t being done to prevent daily fires breaking out in the area.
Vancouver council will soon vote on a policy that could slow development in the Broadway Plan, one of the most significant long-term projects underway in the city.
(Pexels/Kaboompics)
1001 Nights Shawarma on Block Line Road in Kitchener, Ont. (Feb. 2, 2023)
