Top stories of the week: couple stranded in Jamaica, poles in middle of Kitchener road, and friends plea for answers

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Pole problem at one Kitchener roundabout

Friends plead for answers in death of Simcoe man

Ont. couple stranded in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa

Jamaica has withstood the initial brunt of Hurricane Melissa and now cleanup and relief efforts are underway.

A couple from Kitchener, Ont. were on the island as the powerful storm ripped through the area. Zeljko Loncar and his wife are now focused on trying to get home to Waterloo Region.

The pair travelled to the southern coast of Jamaica on Oct. 23 after booking the vacation approximately two months ago.

Loncar, the owner of 271West Restaurant in Kitchener, said he was shocked to learn there was an incoming hurricane.

“We didn’t know anything like that,” he said. “If we had known that was coming, we wouldn’t have traveled. We would have stayed home, of course.”

The pair tried to book a last-minute flight back to Canada before the hurricane made landfall as a Category 5 storm.

“We tried different companies like WestJet, but it didn’t work,” he said. “Originally, we came with Air Canada, but again, we didn’t have any clue or idea what was happening.”

The resort the couple stayed at prepared for the hurricane by shutting down all restaurants and amenities.

Despite the growing fear on the island, the couple said they had no other choice and braced for what was to come.

“[Employees] said the building was built to make sure everybody’s safe. If you follow the rules and don’t go outside, of course. So, we followed the rules,” Loncar said.

When Hurricane Melissa made landfall, Loncar said it was unlike anything he had experienced before.

“The first part of the storm was maybe an hour-and-a-half, and it was just strong wind and rain.”

The two had been restricted to their room since Oct. 26, waiting to see when they’d be able to leave.

“We are receiving food and supplies. They are doing whatever they can to make sure we have enough water and food,” said Loncar.

“We had a time with no power, no water, no internet.”

Their return flight was scheduled for Oct. 30.

“We don’t know if that’s going to happen or not. Because of all the rain, we don’t know if there are roads to the airport.”

Mississauga truck driver charged following Fergus traffic stop

The driver of a dump truck and their employer have been charged following a safety inspection in Fergus.

Ontario Provincial Police stopped the vehicle on Beatty Line North around 12 p.m. on Oct. 30.

The officer noted several issues with the dump truck.

As a result, the driver, a 38-year-old from Mississauga, was charged with driving a commercial vehicle with a major defect, failing to accurately complete a daily inspection report, being overweight on tires with the axle lifted, an overweight dual axle with the axle lifted, having the push rod stroke exceed the prescribed limit (two counts) and an overweight single axle with single tires with the axle lifted.

The truck’s owner was also charged with failing to ensure the performance standards were met and the daily inspection completed.

Why are there poles in the middle of a Kitchener road?

Residents may have noticed something unusual at one Kitchener roundabout – two hydro poles standing in the middle of the street.

Construction has been ongoing at Ottawa Street and Westmount Road. Part of that improvement process includes widening the street. As a result, the hydro poles needed to be moved back.

So, why were two still there?

CTV News asked the Region of Waterloo who said they were waiting for Enova Power to take them down.

“In the meantime, we placed pylons around the poles and are restricting eastbound transport trucks from turning southbound at Ottawa and Westmount until the poles are removed,” said a statement from regional staff. “While we do not yet have a confirmed removal date, we anticipate the work will be completed before winter shut down.”

Enova Power told CTV News on Oct. 29 they were waiting for telecommunications equipment to be removed. They later clarified that the telecommunications equipment was taken down, but there was also a secondary line from another company which Enova said was disconnected on Oct. 29.

“Our crews have since removed the pole from the road,” they stated in their email.

CTV News visited the roundabout several hours later and again on Oct. 30. One pole was gone, while the other was still there.

While the timeline for its removal remains unclear, questions remain about why road crews paved and painted around the poles in the first place.

“The paving work around the hydro poles was completed to minimize the amount of restoration needed after the poles are removed and to keep the project on schedule,” the region said. “It was also better to finish the paving while the weather was still warm, as asphalt performs and lasts longer when not placed in freezing conditions.”

The asphalt, they also noted, was only the base layer and final surfacing wouldn’t happen until next year, as is usual for road work.

“We will continue to monitor traffic flow closely to ensure vehicles can safely navigate the area around the temporary poles,” the region said. “We also anticipate that the roundabout will be open in all directions, in a single lane, by the end of this week.”

Multiple fake $100 bills used at Guelph bar

A Kitchener man was arrested after using fake cash to pay at a Guelph establishment.

On Oct. 19, Guelph Police were called to a bar on Woodlawn Road West. Staff told officers they had seen a man with multiple $100 bills in his wallet. He was also seen giving them to his friends to use.

Staff said when they would inform him multiple times that he was using fake bills, the man would continuously act surprised.

After the bar closed that day, three counterfeit bills with the same serial numbers were found.

The man turned himself into police on Oct. 27 after they identified him.

A 28-year-old was charged with possessing counterfeit money and using counterfeit money.

‘All I did was cry all day’: Friends remember Simcoe man as police confirm remains found near Caledonia

Friends of a Simcoe man are pleading for information after Ontario Provincial Police confirmed his remains were found earlier this month in a wooded area near Caledonia.

Last week, police said remains that had been discovered on Oct. 16 near Highway 6, south of Stirling Street, had been identified as 49-year-old Robert Sykes.

Following a post-mortem examination, investigators determined Sykes’ death to be a homicide.

Sykes had been reported missing on Oct. 10, five days after police responded to a 911 call at a home on Head Street South in Simcoe where they found the body of 71-year-old Barbara Morgan.

At the time, police said they were concerned about the whereabouts of a second potential victim, later confirmed to be Sykes, who was last seen on Head Street South on Oct. 4.

On Oct. 12, police said a 45-year-old man was charged with second degree murder in relation to the death of Morgan.

Those who knew Sykes are devastated.

Darren Johnston, a former co-worker and close friend who worked alongside him at Boston Pizza in Simcoe, said the loss is difficult to comprehend.

“We hung out all the time,” Johnston said. “He loved my kids. We’d go out and have coffee, we’d sit down and talk and let him cry on my shoulder. Rob texted me the Saturday before all this happened, and he asked me to hang out. I was with my kids, and I told them I couldn’t hang out at that time. All he kept texting me was, ‘Hey, I love you, bro. I love you, bro.’ All I did was cry all day and I couldn’t do it.”

Johnston said he was in rough shape emotionally after receiving the news of Sykes’ remains being recovered.

“He was great, he’d give you the shirt off his back. I really miss him. I wish I could have been there for him that day, just to know what’s going on because now it’s just in my brain,” Johnston said.

According to Johnston, Sykes was living with Morgan at the time of the incident and believes there could potentially be a connection between the two homicides.

“He used to call [Morgan] mom because she was always there to help him out,” Johnston said. “At Christmas time, she always did all kinds of baking. And every Christmas, Rob would bring in baked goods for the staff here at Boston Pizza.”

Police continue to investigate and are asking anyone with information about the case to contact the Norfolk County OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Meantime, Johnston said the crew at Boston Pizza are hopeful someone will help Sykes’ family and friends find closure.

“Maybe I could have helped this guy. Maybe I could have done something to stop whatever happened. It breaks my heart.”