Most read stories of the week: Surprise towing, Netflix passwords, snowplow crash

Cambridge, Ont. woman who reported car stolen shocked to find out it was towed without notice

A Cambridge, Ont. woman whose car disappeared around the time she was hospitalized for a medical emergency is glad she’s been able to get the vehicle back, but concerned it took a tow company contacting her two weeks later for her to find out what happened to it.

Now Lauren Black’s been left with a $1,200 bill, and she’s worried the same gap in the system that her case fell through could leave others vulnerable to predatory towing.

Black’s weeks-long ordeal began on Jan. 30.

“I was having a medical emergency,” she said, explaining she pulled into the parking lot beside her apartment building. “[I was] not really thinking about where I was parking, I just needed to get home and get to the hospital.” Keep reading here.

Woman arrested in connection to Cambridge, Ont. toddler’s death

A 27-year-old woman is facing several charges, including manslaughter, in connection to the death of a toddler in Cambridge, Ont. in September. Police said the child’s death was determined to have been caused by unintentional exposure to illicit drugs.

This is the fourth death of a child involving unintentional exposure to illicit drugs in the past four years, according to police. Police said the woman and the 15-month-old boy were related, but did not specify how. Keep reading here.

Snowplow crash tears roof off car in Guelph, Ont.

Guelph police say an 18-year-old man from Waterloo was lucky to escape serious injury after a crash partially tore the roof off his car.

According to police, emergency services were called to Elmira Road North and Malcolm Road in Guelph around 1:35 a.m. Friday. Police say the car collided with a snowplow, and the force of the crash tore the roof off the vehicle before it ended up in a ditch.

Police say the driver was transported to hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He’s been charged with careless driving.

“[It was] very lucky in this case that the injuries were not much more severe. You see the damage to the vehicle. It’s not difficult to imagine what would have happened if that had collided with the occupant,” Guelph police spokesperson Scott Tracey said. Keep reading here.

Police say the roof of this car was partially torn off after it collided with a snowplow on Feb. 24, 2023. (Submitted/Guelph Police Service)

Video of rats at Kitchener encampment sparks concern

The Waterloo regional paramedics union is raising the alarm after spotting a large number of rats uncomfortably close to their downtown paramedics’ bay.

A video, shot early Wednesday morning, shows the rodents scurrying around a tent and debris at a small encampment at Victoria and Weber streets. The site is kitty-corner from the larger encampment at 100 Victoria Street and on ambulance base property.

“We know that they have been spotted, but this is the first time that we captured several of them rummaging through the possessions located here at the corner,” said Dave Bryant, co-vice-president of CUPE 5191.

Bryant says it’s an issue for the health and safety of their members, but they also are hoping to draw attention to the problem. Keep reading here.

The encampment that sparked concern over a rat infestation. (Jeff Pickel/CTV News)

Tech expert weighs in on Netflix Canada password sharing crackdown

Netflix Canada rolled out its long-anticipated plans to crackdown on password sharing this week. Starting Tuesday, the streaming giant will be charging customers an additional fee to allow people outside the household to stream.

The account holder will need to add a primary location to their account by the deadline of Feb. 21. Any users outside of that location will be blocked unless they pay a fee.

Some users in Waterloo region reported having their accounts blocked as early as Feb. 10.

“You’re only allowed to share it for eight bucks each to two other households outside your own,” said tech expert Marc Saltzman. Keep reading here.

A person uses a remote control to watch Netflix. (Source: freestocks.org/Pexels)