Most-read stories of the week: Highway pig, romance scam victims, porch theft investigation

Pig gets loose on Kitchener, Ont. Highway

A pig somehow got loose Tuesday afternoon on Highway 8 in Kitchener, Ont.

Drivers spotted the animal near the Fairway Road exit around 3 p.m.

“I got home from work and one of my volunteers called,” explained Kathryn Burtenshaw, the co-founder of Ground Search and Rescue KW. “She said: ‘Kat, we have a problem. We’ve got a pig on the highway.’ I’m like, ‘I’m sorry, what?’”

Burtenshaw and the volunteer then alerted Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Transportation.

A pig on Highway 8 near Fairway Road on Nov. 28, 2023. (Courtesy: Ground Search And Rescue KW)

Alleged victims speak out after a Waterloo Ont. Man posed as a CSIS agent and scammed women out of millions

Several women have come forward claiming they were victims of a romance scam by a Waterloo, Ont. man.

According to Waterloo Regional Police, the 49-year-old allegedly defrauded dozens of women out of more than $2 million over 15 years. In some instances he claimed to be a government agent.

The man, who police have not publicly named, was arrested in November.

He’s been charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of stolen property over $5,000.

Kitchener porch package theft prompts investigation

A Kitchener woman is speaking out after a package was stolen from her doorstep.

She hopes by sharing the video, someone may be able to identify the man who took the package.

"I see parcels when I'm walking down the road and I'm not touching them, it's just unfortunate," said Jacqui Rellinger.

The video was captured Friday around noon off a Ring Doorbell camera at her home on Centreville Street in Kitchener.

"It was a pretty heavy package and just to pick it up, carry it like this down my driveway, with no concern," she told CTV News.

Rellinger says she got a notification on her phone while at work. Hours later, when she had time to watch the video, she saw a man take her package.

International students in Waterloo Region oppose 20-hour weekly work cap

International students in Waterloo Region are hoping the federal government reconsiders its decision to reintroduce a policy that caps their work at 20 hours per week.

Last November, the government lifted the work hour limit for international students to allow them to work off-campus for up to 40 hours per week during the semester. Before that, they could only work 20 hours per week.

“It scares me,” Harshit Thakrar, a Conestoga College student, said. “It’s already really difficult to manage everything with rent and stuff. The thought that hours are going to be reduced even more – I’m not really sure how everyone is going to manage everything.”

The policy was always set to end on Dec. 31, 2023.

“The temporary lifting of the 20-hour limit for off-campus work is helping to address Canada’s labour shortage, and provides an opportunity for students to have a fuller workplace experience while they study,” the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said in a statement to CTV News.

Police release images of Fairview Park Mall jewelry store robbery involving axes, gun

Waterloo regional police are searching for three men wanted in connection with an armed robbery at Fairview Park Mall.

Officers were called to the scene around 5:40 p.m. on Saturday.

"Three male suspects entered a store – two with axes and one brandishing a firearm – and proceeded to smash some of the display cases and fled with merchandise," said Insp. Aaron Mathias.

Police confirmed no one was injured as a result of the robbery and the gun was not discharged.

On Monday, police released images of the three men they're looking to identify in connection with the robbery.

The suspects were last seen leaving the mall in a newer model, dark, four-door Honda Civic. Officers were not able to specify the direction which the car drove off in.

Waterloo regional police are looking to identify the people in these images in connection to a jewelry store robbery at Farview Park Mall. (Source: Waterloo Regional Police Service)