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National Post
09-07-2025
- National Post
Copper theft is a problem in Canada. Will Trump's proposed tariffs make it worse?
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Higher copper prices could lead to more theft, and stolen copper is hard to trace. Photo by BRUNSWICK NEWS ARCHIVES This week, Ontario Provincial Police arrested four men and charged them with stealing copper wire from 33 decommissioned hydro police that were cut down in a rural region in northern Ontario. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Police said the copper, with an estimated value of $100,000, was taken in May from Coleman Township, some 200 kilometres northeast of Sudbury. The news comes at the same time that U.S. President Donald Trump is announcing a possible 50 per cent tariff on Canadian copper. 'Today we are doing copper,' he told reporters during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. 'I believe the tariff on copper, we are going to make it 50 per cent.' U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was in the meeting, later confirmed the amount. Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again It's a major hit. According to Natural Resources Canada, Canada's exports of copper and copper-based products were valued at $9.3 billion in 2023, with the United States accounting for more than half the total export value that year. Already the Guardian newspaper is reporting that the tariffs have driven copper prices in the U.S. to an all-time high, with copper futures jumping more than 10 per cent to $5.682 a pound overnight. Conversely, it noted that prices elsewhere in the world fell amid fears that high U.S. prices could reduce demand globally. Yes and no. Anything that increases the price of copper will mean more theft of the material, but it's long been a problem in Canada and elsewhere. Back in 2014 the industry group Electricity Canada released a paper, 'Copper Theft from Canada's Electricity Infrastructure: Dangerous, Expensive and a Threat to Reliability,' highlighting what was even then a $40-million-a-year problem. Last year, Caliber Communications highlighted the cost of copper as a factor driving thefts, and also noted the peril faced by criminals: 'In addition to the illegal aspect of copper theft, it can also be an extremely dangerous crime, as thieves may put themselves at great risk when stealing copper wires. Stealing live wires from hydro sites, telephone poles or underground wiring systems can result in serious injury, or even death.' And just this month a release from Bell Canada noted that copper theft is up 23 per cent year-over-year, with over 500 cases this year alone, and more than 2,270 since 2022. It noted that Ontario leads the country with 63 per cent of copper thefts, but that New Brunswick and Quebec are also hot spots. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Electrical transmission wires, such as the recent case in Coleman Township, are one source. Depots are another: Caliber related an October 2024 incident in which thieves broke into a business in Cambridge, Ont., and made off with copper wire valued at approximately $50,000. In 2006, the Canadian Press reported a crime in which criminals climbed to the roofs of four Quebec City churches, carting away several hundreds dollars worth of copper from the roofs, gutters and wiring, and leaving behind tens of thousands of dollars in damages to the buildings. And just this week a man in Brantford, Ont., was sentenced to six months in jail for dismantling the air conditioning units of two local businesses to get at the copper inside. Scrap metal dealers are the main source for selling copper, which is difficult to trace and thus hard to detect as stolen. In January, an Alberta judge struck down a 10-year-old law called the Scrap Metal Dealers and Recyclers Identification Act that required dealers to record home addresses of sellers, and for sellers to show the dealer government-issued ID. 'Further, these individuals must provide detailed information about the vehicle used to transport the metal to the dealer, the make, model, license plate, and colour,' the law stated. Justice Heather Lamoureux concluded the act amounted to unreasonable search and seizure by the state, and violated Section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Other jurisdictions have set up similar laws, however. Last year, Brantford city council passed a law that scrap metal dealers receiving 'restricted scrap metal' (a list that includes copper) must have police permission to do so, and have to gather information about the transaction, and not pay out in cash. 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CTV News
06-07-2025
- CTV News
Police seek help with West Nipissing boat theft investigation
Ontario Provincial Police are seeking the public's help in locating a boat and motor are described as a silver 2024 Stanley Islander DC, 21-foot in length with a black Yamaha Vmax 200 hp motor stolen from a business in West Nipissing between June 28-30, 2025. The stolen items are shown in this undated photo. (Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook) Nipissing West's Ontario Provincial Police detachment is looking for help locating a boat, motor and trailer stolen from a business in West Nipissing last week and those responsible for the theft. 'Sometime between Saturday June 28 and Monday June 30, 2025, unknown person(s) attended a local business, broke through a locked fence, and removed a boat, motor and trailer from the property,' OPP said in a social media post. Police shared details of the investigation into the theft and provided photos of missing items for reference. The boat and motor are described as a silver 2024 Stanley Islander DC, 21-foot in length with a black Yamaha Vmax 200 hp motor (shown above). The trailer is described as an aluminum 2024 Yacht Club double-axle trailer, with an Ontario plate Y99 30Z. Stolen Trailer - West Nipissing Ontario Provincial Police are seeking the public's help in locating trailer is described as an aluminum 2024 Yacht Club double-axle trailer, with an Ontario plate Y99 30Z stolen from a business in West Nipissing between June 28-30, 2025. The stolen trailer and its are shown in this undated photo. (Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook) 'Officers are seeking the public's assistance in identifying the individual(s) and anyone else involved in the theft or possession of these item(s,)' said police. Anyone with information related to this theft is asked to contact OPP using reference number E250856178 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
CTV News
02-07-2025
- CTV News
Northern OPP detachment lays 11 impaired driving charges in 2 months
A blurred image of an Ontario Provincial Police vehicle to simulate impairment released on social media by the James Bay detachment. (Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook) Officers from the James Bay detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police in Hearst, Kapuskasing, and Cochrane have charged 11 individuals with impaired driving offences in separate incidents throughout May and June. Multiple incidents reported over two months Seven drivers were charged for drug impairment, while four faced alcohol-related charges, according to a news release. Additional offences included driving while suspended, drug possession, operating uninsured vehicles, dangerous operation, and failing to stop after an accident. Drug-related impaired driving cases Generic Impaired Driving - Drugs Public safety experts and advocates disagree about what conclusions can be drawn from data on the presence of alcohol or other drugs in the bodies of people involved in deadly crashes. A man holding pills and a steering wheel in a vehicle is shown. (File photo/juefraphoto/Getty Images) The first incident occurred on May 4, when OPP stopped a vehicle on Front Street in Hearst and charged a 39-year-old Constance Lake woman with drug-impaired driving and driving while under suspension. The following day, May 5, a 46-year-old Kapuskasing man refused a drug recognition evaluation during a traffic stop on Brunelle Road North, leading to additional charges. On May 17, a 43-year-old Port Colborne woman was charged after a stop on Government Road West in Kapuskasing, where she was also found driving without insurance. A near head-on collision was reported on May 22 after an off-duty officer spotted a suspected impaired driver on Highway 11 near Opasatika. A 48-year-old Quebec man was charged with drug impairment, possessing unmarked cigarettes, and violating probation. Later that month, on May 25, a 56-year-old Kapuskasing man was charged following a stop on Brunelle Road North, where he was found driving while suspended and without insurance. On May 31, two separate drug-impaired driving incidents occurred. A 58-year-old Kapuskasing man was arrested after speeding on McPherson Avenue and found in possession of cocaine and another controlled substance. That same afternoon, a 39-year-old Moonbeam man was charged during a RIDE check on Lefebvre Peninsula. Alcohol-related impaired driving cases OPP image illustrating impaired operation charges An Ontario Provincial Police image illustrating impaired operation charges. (File photo/Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook) On June 12, police found a 33-year-old Fort Albany man passed out in a vehicle blocking Genier Road in Cochrane. He was charged with alcohol impairment and driving without a licence or insurance. A 19-year-old Kapuskasing man was arrested on June 16 after a 911 call reported an impaired ATV driver on Frontenac Crescent. An 18-year-old Belle Vallee man was charged on June 21 after being found unconscious in a Cochrane drive-thru. Police later located him in a nearby parking lot. The most severe incident occurred on June 27, when a 62-year-old Kapuskasing man allegedly struck a porch deliberately with his truck on Balsam Avenue. He faces multiple charges, including assault with a weapon, dangerous operation, and failing to stop after an accident. In addition to the charges Under provincial legislation, all 11 motorists received 90-day licence suspensions, their vehicles were impounded for seven days at the owner's expense and the accused are scheduled for court appearances between July and August 2025. All accused were released from police custody following the incidents. Police warns against impaired driving In a related social media post, OPP emphasized the dangers of impaired driving. 'Whether you are impaired by alcohol or drugs, impaired is impaired and driving under the influence of either is a criminal offence,' wrote OPP Const. Kyler Brouwer. 'Make the call' OPP also urged the public to report suspected impaired drivers in its post. Report impaired drivers Ontario Provincial Police are urging the public to report suspected impaired drivers. (File photo/Supplied/Ontario Provincial Police) 'If you suspect that someone is driving while impaired, call 911,' added Brouwer. 'Drive sober.'
CTV News
30-06-2025
- CTV News
Police find stolen vehicle in Wellington County thanks to GPS device
An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) patch is seen in Ottawa, on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby A 20-year-old man is facing multiple charges after police were able to find a stolen vehicle using a GPS and Bluetooth enabled device in the car. Ontario Provincial Police said they were told of a stolen vehicle from another jurisdiction within Wellington County on June 28. Police said the owner was able to track their vehicle using a GPS and Bluetooth tracking device they had left inside. With this, police were able to find the exact location of the vehicle. Officers found a 20-year-old man from Montreal and charged him with with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 in Canada, failure to comply with release order – other than to attend court, failure to comply with probation order, two counts of operation while prohibited under the Criminal Code.
CTV News
29-06-2025
- CTV News
Parry Sound OPP arrest 2 impaired drivers in 2 days
A series of impaired driving incidents in northern Ontario last weekend kept Ontario Provincial Police busy. A glass of whiskey with ice, car keys and police handcuffs. (File photo/AlexRaths/iStock/Getty Images Plus) The West Parry Sound detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police arrested two impaired drivers in consecutive days following a traffic stop and a public complaint, according to recent news releases. On June 24 at about 10 a.m., officers stopped a vehicle for speeding on Highway 400 in Seguin Township. After speaking with the driver, police initiated an impaired driving investigation. As a result, a 38-year-old Parry Sound man was charged with speeding and two impaired driving offences – including operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of more than 80. RIDE check Ontario Provincial Police conduct a sobriety check in this undated image. (File photo/Supplied/Ontario Provincial Police) The following day at around 8 p.m., police responded to a report of a driver with open alcohol on Isabella Street in Parry Sound. Officers located the vehicle in a parking lot and arrested a 46-year-old local man, charging him with operation while impaired with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 80 milligrams. In addition to the charges, the vehicles involved was impounded by police for seven days at the owner's expense and both accused also received a 90-day administrative driver's licence suspension. Both accused were released and are scheduled to appear in court in Parry Sound on July 31. 'Make the call' OPP urged the public to report suspected impaired drivers in a related social media post. Report impaired drivers Ontario Provincial Police are urging the public to report suspected impaired drivers. (File photo/Supplied/Ontario Provincial Police) 'Police would like to remind the public to call 911 should they suspect impaired driving,' said Provincial Const. Brandon Charlebois in a related social media post. 'Drive sober.'
