Monday, March 6, 2006

MARIHUANA GROW OPERATION DISMANTLED

(Desbarats, Ontario) On Thursday March 2, 2006 at approximately 9:30 am, members of the Ontario Provincial Police East Algoma Detachment and members of the Drug Enforcement Unit out of Sault Ste. Marie executed a CDSA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) Search Warrant, at a residence located on Boyer Drive in Desbarats, Ontario.

As a result of the search warrant, Jason Stanley SMITH (28) and Jessica Arlene FORSYTHE (25) have been charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act with:

Possession Schedule II Cannabis Marihuana under 30 mg – Section 4(1)
Possession for the Purpose Schedule II over 3 kg – Section 5(2)
Production Schedule II Cannabis Marihuana –Section 7(1)

Approximately 185 marihuana plants in various growth stages were located with a potential street value of $185,000. The elaborate indoor marihuana grow equipment has been estimated at $5000.

The drugs seized were marihuana.

SMITH and FORSYTHE were held for a bail hearing on Friday March 3, 2006 in Sault Ste. Marie. FORSYTHE was released to attend court in Thessalon on March 23, 2006. SMITH will attend in Sault Ste. Marie today for a second bail hearing.

Vehicle Collision Claims Two Lives

(Espanola) – Members of the Espanola Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police are continuing their investigation into a two vehicle collision that occurred yesterday (March 5th, 2006) at 1:45 p.m., on Highway 17, Baldwin Township.

For unknown reasons, a westbound car crossed the centre line and struck an eastbound tractor-trailer head on.

The driver of the car, Nancy Ann DUNLOP, age 54 of Bay Estates Road, Sheguiandah, ON and her passenger, who was sitting in the rear seat, Arla THIBAULT, age 63 of Meredith Street, Gore Bay, ON were both fatally injured. The other passenger, who was sitting in the front seat, Cameron THIBAULT, age 62, also of Gore Bay, ON was transported to the Espanola General Hospital and later air lifted to St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Sudbury with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Sharon HOWELL, age 54, of Red Deer, Alberta and her passenger, who was asleep in the sleeper at the time of the collision, Randolph HOWELL, age 54, also of Red Deer, Alberta, did not receive any injuries.

An OPP technical traffic collision investigator attended the scene to assist with the investigation. Traffic had to be re-routed for a period of eight (8) hours. The highway later opened to one lane while the highway had to be cleaned up. At 5:50 a.m. today, the highway was re-opened to both lanes.

A post mortem will be conducted this morning on the driver, Nancy Ann DUNLOP, to determine the cause of death.