Top stories of the week: Founder of beloved Mennonite bakery dies, Sunshine List released, and what to with old green and blue bins

Anna Mae Wagler, whose pies were so in demand that she launched Anna Mae's Restaurant & Bakery in Millbank, has died. Tony Grace has the more.

Founder of Anna Mae’s Bakery & Restaurant dies after battle with cancer

A local businesswoman has left behind a sweet legacy.

Anna Mae Wagler, who was born as Anna Mae Kuepfer, has died after a battle with cancer. She was born in Mornington Township, now known as Perth East, in 1952, but she left her mark on Millbank, Ont. where we started a now beloved Mennonite business.

According to the website for Anne Mae’s Bakery & Restaurant, Wagler first began selling homemade pies at the end of her laneway in 1978. It was a way to support her family when her husband started experiencing health problems.

Wagler then opened a small bakery on Perth Line 72 thanks to her loyal customers. The restaurant continued to grow and is now a staple for people looking for a hot meal or a little something sweet.

Even though Wagler sold the business in 2001, the new owners are committed to upholding her values.

“It’s a family business,” said Amanda Herrfort, the current co-owner. “It’s always been a family business and living true to her vision of creating wonderful food for people at affordable prices.”

Wagler’s legacy, she added, continues on.

“She was very, very humble. She would never [like] all this attention. But she deserves the attention because she started a wonderful thing.”

Since her passing, condolences and tributes have been pouring in online.

Wagler was known as a talented baker and devoted family member. Throughout her life she fostered many children and attended the Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church.

According to an obituary posted by the Mark Jutzi Funeral Home, in lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to the Stratford General Hospital and London Health Science Centre.

Waterloo Region wants you to reuse old green bins, but drop-off events will also be offered

Wondering what do to do with your old green bin?

The Region of Waterloo has some suggestions now that the community is one month into the new cart-based waste collection system.

One option is to repurpose the bins as storage for soil, mulch or even sports equipment.

“We really encourage residents to reuse them,” said Olivia Kwok, the region’s director of waste management. “We’re approaching yard waste season starting next week. One thing we do encourage is if residents want to reuse their old green bins, you can put a yard waste sticker on it. It’s a yellow sticker. Then that way, it just lets the staff know to collect it for the yard waste program.”

Anyone who wants a yard waste sticker can either pick them up in person or get them delivered.

“Yard waste stickers are available at various regional facilities and area municipal buildings,” Kwok explained, noting that locations are listed on the region’s website. “You can also call our contact centre to get one mailed to you.”

While the region encourages everyone to reuse their old bins, there are a couple other ways to dispose of them.

Drop-off events will be held, starting in April, where the green bins will be collected and then recycled.

Residents can also bring their old bins to any of the region’s Waste Management sites during regular operating hours.

Circular Materials took over recycling in the region on March 3. Before the switch, residents received new recycling bins. If they’re not needed, they can be brought back.

“If residents find they do not need the extra boxes, they may return them to Miller Waste at its Cambridge office after June 2026,” Jennifer Kerr, Circular Materials’ director of community and media relations for Ontario, said in an email to CTV News.

As for old or broken recycling bins, they cannot be recycled with Circular Materials. The only option is to put them out as bulky items so they can be collected as garbage. Residents will need to label the bin as garbage if they want them picked up.

Sunshine List: Who were Waterloo Region and Guelph’s highest paid public sector workers in 2025?

Ontario has released its annual list of public sector employees who earned more than $100,000.

The 2025 Sunshine List, published on March 27, includes the names of more than 400,000 people.

There was a new name at the top of this year’s Sunshine List for Waterloo Region and Guelph.

Marcela Carena Lopez, the executive director at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, earned $650,000 in 2025.

A close second was Ronald Gagnon, the president and chief executive officer of the newly-named Waterloo Region Health Network (WRHN). His former title was president and CEO of Grand River Hospital in Kitchener.

John Tibbits rounded out the top three earners in Waterloo Region with a salary of $601,684.32.

The former president of Conestoga College suddenly announced his retirement on Jan. 14, 2026, following several events that brought unwanted attention to the school. Most controversially was Conestoga College’s international student population, which rose 1,579 per cent over a seven-year period, from 763 students in 2014-2015 to 12,808 in 2021-2022, according to a 2024 report from Ontario’s Big City Mayors.

Following the federal government’s cap on international student enrolment, the school cut programs and has gone through several rounds of layoffs.

Tibbits’ salary grew alongside the student population. He earned $494,716 in 2023, according to that year’s Sunshine List. By 2024, it reportedly rose to $636,107, an almost 29 per cent increase year-over-year. His salary dropped to $601,684.32 in 2025.

One outlier on the Sunshine List was jeewan chanicka, the former director of education for the Waterloo Region District School Board who, it should be noted, does not capitalize his first or second name.

chanicka abruptly left the WRDSB in December 2024 but no reason was ever given for his departure.

CTV News questioned the school board about chanicka’s “salary continuance.”

In a statement they said: “Salary continuance is often part of a director’s personal service agreement.”

Seven-month-old puppy with partial mobility dies following rapid health decline

There will be no happy ending for a puppy diagnosed with an uncurable disease.

Valor, a mini-poodle and golden retriever mix, was two months old when he was surrendered to Hobo Haven Rescue in St. Jacobs, Ont. The pup had lost mobility in his hind legs, and no one was sure what caused the condition. It was later determined that Valor had Myasthenia Gravis (MG) — an autoimmune or genetic disease that causes severe muscle weakness due to disrupted nerve-muscle communication.

“It affects the muscles primarily,” explained Chris Schaefer, founder and president of Hobo Haven Rescue, in an interview with CTV News on March 11. “So, his ability to swallow, his ability to walk like a normal dog, develop muscle strength, that type of thing.”

While there is no cure for MG, the symptoms can be managed to give dogs a chance at a long and happy life.

That was not the case for Valor.

Hobo Haven Rescue had hoped to find him a forever home soon but, instead, they shared a sad update on March 26.

“After 871 days of defying the odds, he could no longer fight the illness he arrived with,” they wrote. “Sometimes, conditions shift in the blink of an eye. That was the case for our sweet boy. As devastating as it was to accept, Valor suddenly declined, rapidly, and told us that he was ready. He was ready to rest, to be free of pain and to run without burden.”

Schaefer said Valor was surrounded by the rescue team, as well as his foster families, during his final moments.

Driver charged for hitting school bus with children onboard

A driver from St. George has been charged after police said they hit a school bus with approximately 30 children onboard.

The Brant County Ontario Provincial Police said it happened on Bishopsgate Road between Fifth Concession Road and Golf Links Road north of Burford around 3:20 p.m. on March 25. No one was hurt in the crash.

A 43-year-old was charged with careless driving.