Cambridge councillor reprimanded and required to take sensitivity training after controversial social media post A councillor for the City of Cambridge is facing consequences for posting a meme on social media earlier this year. An integrity commissioner investigation was launched after Councillor Adam Cooper posted an image on his personal Facebook account on Jan. 22. The image featured a person with blue hair along with the text, “He took my pronouns! I have to live in reality now!” The image was published around the same time that U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating the U.S. government would only recognize a person’s sex as male or female. “Our office received a very large number of communications about the Facebook post in January and February of this year,” Integrity Commissioner John Mascarin explained during a council meeting on Oct. 14. “The majority of the communications denounced the Facebook post and/or the actions of the councillor that followed it and urged us to take action. Such action even included removing the member of council from office, which we have no authority to, and which council has no authority to do.” Mascarin noted they did receive some emails, telephone calls and voicemail messages in support of Cooper. Advocates were quick to voice their displeasure shortly after the image was posted. The post, and the related comments, were eventually deleted but a formal apology was never made. Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett also spoke up about the meme earlier this year, acknowledging that it had caused distress and pain to families and members of the community. “It does not represent council nor the corporation’s thoughts on gender fluidity,” she said in a statement to CTV News after the image was posted. The investigation happened over the course of several months. One of the investigators, Meghan Cowan, spoke at the meeting on Oct. 14 and noted that Cooper believed his post was protected under his right to freedom of expression. “Freedom of expression is not an absolute, unfettered right.” Cowan said. “The right is limited by reasonable restrictions prescribed by law that can be justified in a free and democratic society, including by requirements to protect the rights and freedoms of other persons, such as those imposed by standards set out in municipal codes of conduct.” The investigation determined that the Facebook post demeaned a specific group of people and did not uphold Cambridge’s Code of Conduct requirements that members of council conduct themselves with decorum, courtesy, respect and decency at all times. However, investigators said Cooper’s comments on the post, including his responses to advocates, did not contravene the Code of Conduct because he was characterizing his position on the matter. The report also noted that, at the time the final report was completed, Cooper had not apologized for the post or any harms it may have caused. The integrity commissioner recommended that council formally reprimand Cooper and suspend his pay for 10 days. Cooper addressed his fellow council members and the people assembled within council chambers before council voted on the recommendations. He claimed there was a campaign against him following the post. “I can only say it was the most hurtful, hateful experience to go through. The things that were sent to me – things that somebody shouldn’t hear. If we’re going to talk about whether the things I said were hurtful, we need to talk about what was said to me because there’s a lot of hypocrisy going on here and this is just the truth. Don’t shoot the messenger. This is what happened,” he said. Cooper said he has spoken to members of the LGBTQ2+ community who have expressed concerns with how the issue has been handled. Councillors voted on several motions regarding what Cooper’s consequences should be. However, after multiple motions were defeated, council settled on a formal reprimand and a requirement that Cooper complete sensitivity training within three months. Cambridge, Ont. man says package was left out in the rain after Canada Post delivery driver forged his signature A man from Cambridge, Ont. will be looking for a new company to deliver packages after he said a Canada Post employee forged his signature and left a parcel out in the rain. James Murphy told CTV News he received a notification that a package had been successfully delivered and signed for, even though Murphy was at work at the time, his daughter was at school and his wife asleep. “With the way the world is today and everything, I don’t like packages sitting around. So, I got signature required for all my packages,” Murphy explained. Although his wife eventually brought the package in, Murphy didn’t know how his name and signature ended up on the delivery receipt. “Somebody signed my name,” he alleged. He said a similar situation happened about nine months ago when another package was ‘signed for.’ That delivery was then stolen. Given the repeated offence, Murphy contacted Canada Post in hopes of receiving an explanation. “They were like, ‘Well, wow. This shouldn’t happen,’” he recounted. “The regional supervisor called me the next day, and he said, ‘I hear you had a problem with your package delivery.’” Murphy said the supervisor asked if he had received his package, and he confirmed it had been left at his home. “‘But your driver signed my name, he forged my signature, in essence,’” Murphy replied The supervisor was told someone had been smoking outside when the delivery driver tried to drop off the package. The driver said that person told him to sign Murphy’s name and leave the delivery behind. “I told him, ‘I don’t care if it was Santa Claus who told you to drop the package. There’s a process to be followed for a reason,’” recalled Murphy. Frustrated, he hung up the phone and called Canada Post again. This time, he spoke with the provincial supervisor. “She [said], ‘No, this isn’t right. This shouldn’t be happening.’” Murphy received an apology, but the next day the regional supervisor called again and said he was aware of Murphy’s conversation with the provincial supervisor. Canada Post said it has strict guidelines for delivering items that require a signature. If someone at the listed address opens the door, that person can accept the item and sign for it on behalf of the recipient, but if no one answers, delivery agents are supposed to leave a delivery notice card at the door or in the mailbox which explains when and where the packaged can be picked up. “We’re terribly sorry to hear about this incident. It should not have happened,” a Canada Post representative said in an email to CTV News. Canada Post also called it an isolated incident and a detailed review was conducted to prevent a similar situation in the future. “First and foremost, our delivery agents are instructed not to sign on behalf of customers when delivering an item requiring signature,” the email said. The local Canada Post team also had a discussion with the employee in question to go over proper procedures. Metrolinx extending weekend GO Trains to Kitchener The province is making good on a promise to transit riders in Waterloo Region – more GO train trips on the weekend. The new schedule begins on Nov. 23, marking the first step towards two-way, all-day service between Kitchener and Toronto. “I had to go into my archives today and pulled out this old report from 2015,” Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said during the Oct. 13 announcement. “[It was from] the region, Kitchener, Guelph, Waterloo, Wilmot Township, Brampton and Communitech that called for a business case for a two-way urban commuter rail on the CN North Main Line. One of my colleagues reminded me, as he looked at it this morning, it’s a little dusty and that’s a good thing! It demonstrates what happens to perseverance and a government that works together with their local municipalities.” Ten years later and the province is getting closer to making that dream a reality. “We have reached an agreement-in-principle with CN Rail to purchase the land necessary to construct additional tracks to separate fright and passenger service,” explained Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation. The deal includes the construction of 40 kilometres of additional track which will eventually be used for two-way, all-day GO service on the Kitchener line. Additional work will also be needed on re-alignments, signal upgrades, bridge work and platform expansions. “We’re also adding 18 new weekend trips between Bramalea GO and Union Station, along with new weekday trips to keep people moving, making life a whole lot easier for people who count on this line to get where they’re going,” Sarkaria said. Starting on Nov. 23, four existing weekend trips that previously stopped at Mount Pleasant GO will now continue to the Kitchener station, while a weekday trip that stopped at Guelph Central GO will instead carry on to Kitchener. Metrolinx has yet to release a formal schedule for the weekend but commuters can expect two trains on Saturdays and two trains on Sundays once service begins. The trains will leave Kitchener in the afternoon and return in the evening in order to align with major events in Toronto. Timings are expected to be confirmed on the GO Transit website in the coming weeks. “I’m very excited about this because I’m the only one living in Kitchener,” said one rider. “My near and dear ones are living in Brampton so it’s very hard for me to go on buses.” “I think this will make it much easier,” added another. “You don’t have to worry about parking. You don’t have to worry about long waits on the highway.” Both Sarkaria and Vrbanovic cited the clear demand for better service. “September was our busiest ridership month ever – 7.42 million trips – topping the previous record from October 2019,” the transportation minister said. “That’s real confidence in the system and proof that when transit is frequent, reliable and affordable, people choose GO.” Despite the optimism, there is still no definitive timeline for two-way, all-day GO service to Kitchener. “Now starts the dedicated planning for the twinning of that track, as well as things like the rehabilitation and replacement of legacy freight bridges on the network in places like Guelph, Mimico Creek, etc.,” explained Michael Lindsay, the president and CEO of Metrolinx. “We need to get out to market, procure those constructions works and then come back with an update on what a total timeline looks like.” When all the work is complete, a trip between Kitchener and Toronto is expected to take just one hour. Kevin Koehler, who was deemed a ‘significant risk to public safety,’ now living in Kitchener A man who was convicted of manslaughter for the choking death of his roommate has been released into the community. On Oct. 16, the Waterloo Regional Police Service issued a public alert that Kevin Koehler had completed his sentence. They said the 60-year-old would now be living in Kitchener. “Koehler has an extensive criminal history of violent offence convictions including criminal negligence causing death, assault with weapon, assault, and assault police,” the news release said. Koehler was recently given a statutory release, for the third time in three years, which was then revoked in September. The Parole Board of Canada stated that their decision was “based on deteriorating behaviours.” They said Koehler was spotted at an LCBO, despite the conditions of his release banning him from any drug and alcohol use or entering any business that primarily derived its income from the sale of alcohol. When staff at his halfway house questioned Koehler, the board said he became agitated, referred to his victim, Mary Anne May, in “derogatory terms” and reenacted choking her by putting his hand on his own neck while describing the events that happened in 2013. The board also noted that, later the same night, he got into a fight with another halfway house resident after he approached the resident’s female friend. A suspension warrant was then issued, Koehler was arrested and taken to the Toronto South Detention Centre. Koehler was released back into the community on Oct. 16 after serving his full sentence for May’s death. According to Waterloo Regional Police, a release, signed by a provincial court judge, laid out conditions Koehler must follow while living in the community. They include reporting any change of address and abiding by a curfew, as well as a ban on buying or consuming any alcohol or other controlled substances. “WRPS’ Offender Management Unit (OMU) believes Mr. Koehler poses a significant risk to public safety and a high risk of reoffending or breaching his terms,” police said, adding that officers will be conducting regular compliance checks. “WRPS is taking a multifaceted approach to mitigate the risk posed to public safety by Mr. Koehler, including conducting regular compliance checks, and is seeking public assistance to help reduce the risk.” Koehler has a complicated criminal history. In 1985, he was also involved in a high-speed car chase near Walkerton. It ended in a fiery crash and the deaths of two teens and an Ontario Provincial Police officer. For that, Koehler spent three years behind bars on a charge of criminal negligence causing death. Provincial government says they have reached ‘a huge milestone’ in Highway 7 expansion Ontario’s Minister of Transportation says an important step has been taken on the long-awaited Highway 7 expansion project. Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria was in Kitchener, Ont. on Oct. 16 to announce weekend GO Train service is coming to the city, along with several other upgrades along GO Transit’s Kitchener Line. During the announcement, he was asked about the future of the Highway 7 expansion project. For years, commuters have been promised a new four-lane Highway 7 was in the works. For many people living in the area, it may be tough to believe the project will ever come to fruition after three decades of promises from several governments. The plan has been to build the new highway just north of the current Highway 7 route. The idea regained momentum in 2007 when then Liberal Minister of Transportation Donna Cansfield said, “Times have changed, now it’s time to change Highway 7.” Since then, there has been incremental progress, most notably the completion of the Victoria Street Bridge in 2018. In 2020, the PCs officially committed funding to the project, but specific details were sparse. During the 2022 provincial election, then Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford said his government would build the expansion if his party was re-elected. Despite remaining in power, that promise has not yet been fulfilled. In 2023, a statement from the Ministry of Transportation said they were working on preliminary design and obtaining the required approvals for Phases 2 and 3. On Oct. 16, Sarkaria said that project is still a priority for the government. “We actually just obtained our Department of Fisheries and Oceans permit to proceed on some of the major parts of the project from the federal government on Oct. 1. That is a huge milestone in this project of advancing Highway 7 forward,” Sarkaria said. He said the next step is to obtain a tree clearing permit that would enable construction, mainline and other bridge work.
