Most-read stories of the week: Stolen laptop, parking dispute, $0.05 property tax bill

Man knows who has stolen laptop but can't get it back

A Kitchener man who forgot his laptop on a bus in January says he’s now being asked to pay $750 to get it back from whoever has the device. When Praveen Narendran got off the Grand River Transit (GRT) bus on University Avenue in Waterloo, he realized he forgot his laptop bag on his seat.

“The moment I got down I realized I left my personal laptop. By then, the bus started going so I was running towards it,” Narendran explained. “But by then it was too late.”

A few weeks ago, he received a Facebook message from a stranger.

“He claimed that he had my laptop. Initially, he was asking me for the passcode,” Narendran said, adding he refused to provide the passcode.

The person reached out to him because Narendran’s full name appeared on the laptop’s lock screen. The person said they bought the laptop on Facebook from someone else. Narendran and the person who claimed to have his laptop sent many messages back and forth and the person agreed to sell the laptop back to Narendran for $750.

'My parking is my freedom': Kitchener resident barred from garage despite illness

 

For Kitchener resident Chris Wilson, indoor parking is much more than a convenient place to leave his vehicle.

“This apartment for me is a prison. My parking is my freedom," said Wilson.

The proximity of his vehicle, taking on a greater importance due to his physical condition. The 64-year-old is on oxygen, with just 15 per cent lung function and patiently waiting on the lung transplant list.

“This is not jewelry. This is life support.” Said Wilson pointing to his breathing apparatus and oxygen tanks.

Wilson said he chose 250 Frederick Street because of its proximity to the hospital.

“The reason I took this [apartment] was because I'm close to the St Mary's Hospital. I'm about six minutes by taxi to the hospital and I've had to have emergency runs.”

Wilson said he has been denied access to underground parking at 250 Frederick Street, like many others. 

Fergus, Ont. man feels nickel-and-dimed for $0.05 property tax bill

A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont. It’s not uncommon to hear people complain about taxes, but one man is speaking out because the bill is so low.

“Really? Five cents? Someone sent a bill for five cents?” said Blake Kent, recalling his reaction when he first saw the bill.

He is the board’s treasurer for the freehold townhouse condo complex his lives in. The recent property tax bill is addressed to the property manager and is for shared spaces like the walkway and parkette. The property manager did pay up.

“They actually sent a cheque for five cents,” said Kent.

Blake Kent holds the property tax bill for $0.05. (CTV News/Spencer Turcotte)

Ont. teacher says she's being forced to switch pharmacies to maintain medication coverage

A Waterloo, Ont. teacher says she’s frustrated after learning the arthritis medication she depends on is no longer covered under her benefits plan. Amy Miller received a notice from her provider, Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan, indicating in order to maintain her coverage for the drug, she needs to transfer the prescription to MemberRx, a speciality pharmacy.

“There are so many things that are wrong with it,” Miller says.

The medication she takes to treat ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine, would cost $1,700 per refill if she had to pay out of pocket.

“The drug I'm on now is a TNF blocker, so you inject it every 10 days and it sucks up all the inflammatory cells, which allows me to move normally,” Miller explains.

The letter goes on to say: “If you do not speak with a member of the MembersRX pharmacy team, you will be responsible for paying for the cost of these high-cost speciality drugs.”

Amy Miller appears during an interview with CTV News on April 24, 2024. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News)

Generational farm could be impacted if Wilmot land assembly goes ahead

A family of farmers say their operations would be significantly impacted if the Region of Waterloo goes ahead with a land assembly project in the Wilmot Township area.

Mountainoak Cheese, a dairy farm founded by Adam Van Bergeijk in 1996, owns and rents land within the 770 acres the region is eyeing.

In March, land owners say they were approached by region representatives who were looking to buy land for large-scale investments that have not been made public. The land being considered is located between Nafziger Road, Bleams Road and Wilmot Centre Road.

“It was an offer that I would not accept for the value that they appraised the farm at. It’s unreasonable,” said Arjo Van Bergeijk, the current Mountainoak Cheese operator and Adam’s son.

“They said if we don’t agree upon their price, there’s a chance of expropriation.”

Arjo, Jake and Adam Van Bergeijk represent three generations of dairy farmers who would be affected if the Wilmot land assembly project goes ahead. (CTV News/Stefanie Davis)