Most-read stories of the week: Disappointment in doula deceiver sentence, college president’s controversial comments, Stanley tumbler mix-up

Brantford, Ont., woman sentenced to house arrest for defrauding doulas

Kaitlyn Braun, the Brantford, Ont., woman who pleaded guilty to defrauding and deceiving doulas, will serve two years of house arrest and three years probation.

Her victims – and even the judge – expressed disappointment in her sentence Wednesday.

“Many will find this as distasteful as I do,” Justice Robert Gee admitted in court.

Braun will be required to wear a GPS ankle bracelet, cannot contact her victims and must attend mandatory counselling sessions. She is also banned from using the internet and social media for two years.

Kitchener tenants get eviction notices, advocacy group says owner has done it before

A tenant’s rights advocacy group is voicing its concern about evictions at a large Kitchener apartment building.

A new owner took over 250 Frederick St., a 17-storey building near Lancaster Street, in October 2023.

Almost four months later, residents are feeling uneasy.

“I heard that some tenants got eviction notices to move out,” said Maciej Deoniziak, who’s lived in the building for more than 16 years. “The reason is that [the owner] wants to renovate the units.”

More than 100 people live at 250 Frederick St.

“We are very afraid that the rent might go up,” Deoniziak added.

He said many of the residents are seniors.

Conestoga College president faces criticism for derogatory comments

The president of Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont. is facing criticism for derogatory comments he made about another college president.

Now two of the school's unions are suggesting that John Tibbits should step down.

Tibbits spoke at a public event on Tuesday to promote the school’s economic impact in the community. During the event, Tibbits defended the college’s international student admissions and housing.

Afterwards, he was asked for reaction to comments made by the president of Sault College David Orazietti, criticizing Conestoga College’s rising admission rate and the school’s lack of student house.

CambridgeToday quoted Tibbits as saying: “Like Orazietti, why are his goddamn students in Toronto? Why not up there? Talk about a whore, I mean, he's taking a percentage of the profits of an operation.”

He allegedly added that Orazietti needed to “shut his mouth.”

Conestoga College president John Tibbits speaking at an event on Feb. 13, 2024.

Guelph, Ont. man unknowingly buys stolen vehicle, loses almost $12K

A man living in Guelph, Ont. is hoping to recoup thousands of dollars he lost from an online stolen vehicle scam.

Omid Ghadimmi and his mother went to Mississauga at the beginning of February after finding what seemed like the perfect used vehicle on Facebook Marketplace. Ghadimmi and the seller text messaged back and forth, and then he went for a test drive. The two eventually settled on a selling price of $11,500 for the 2015 Honda CRV.

Ghadimmi said the man presented him with a CARFAX report and two keys for the vehicle.

After lining up insurance for the car, Ghadimmi brought all the paper work to Service Ontario to get new plates for the Honda.

“Everything was fine and then they told me they have to check the VIN,” Ghadimmi explained. “They told me: ‘We cannot give you a plate. There is a problem and you should go to the police.’”

When Ghadimmi brought the Honda to Guelph Police, they told him it was listed as stolen and he had to surrender it.

Omid Ghadimmi shows a video of the red Honda CRV he bought before learning it had been stolen. (Stefanie Davis/CTV Kitchener)

’91 open investigations’: Tracking number given to people for Stanley cup orders belongs to Wilmot, Ont. woman

An Ontario woman got more than she bargained for after buying a pair of the popular Stanley drinking tumblers.

Tracy Kampferseck, who lives in Wilmot Township,ordered them as a Valentine’s Day gift for her and her daughter.

Since making that purchase last Tuesday, she’s received messages from people around the country saying their Stanley orders were delivered to her home – even though they never were.

Over the next hours and days, there were knocks at her door from UPS workers looking for packages dropped off by accident, as well as Facebook messages from strangers explaining similar mix-ups.

Through those social media conversations, Kampferseck learned customers were mistakenly given her tracking number. So it would appear on their end that their packages were being delivered to her home.