Top stories of the week: tariff hits dream car, arrest after stabbing, bachelor miniature donkey

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Miniature donkey on a big quest for love

Lawyers ask to delay encampment eviction bylaw

Dream car becomes tariff nightmare for Ontario man

Considering a heritage designation for Kitchener Catholic school

Police investigate incident in Brantford’s downtown core

Ont. man caught up in tariff war while trying to ship dream car

For as long as Cam Gillespie can remember, he’s always been a fan of Ford cars, with Shelby Mustangs holding a special place in his heart.

So when his dream car, a 1969 Shelby Mustang, became available for purchase from an Iowa dealership, Gillespie jumped at the opportunity.

He said he was aware of Canada’s ongoing trade war with the United States, so he contacted the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to inquire about shipping the car to his home in Brantford, Ont.

At the time, Gillespie said a CBSA agent told him he wouldn’t be impacted because the tariffs don’t affect classic cars over 25 years old.

It wasn’t until after Gillespie purchased the vehicle and began coordinating shipping, that he realized he’d be paying more than he had anticipated.

“I always get TFX International to bring the cars up and TFX, at that time, informed me that there would be a 25 per cent tariff on the automobile,” said Gillespie.

What was expected to be a $106,000 purchase, adding up to over $145,000 with taxes and tariffs included.

And Gillespie said the unexpected costs won’t stop when the vehicle arrives.

“My insurance is going to be based on $145,000,” Gillespie said. “I’m going to be paying a fortune in insurance for a vehicle that I’m going to drive maybe 15 minutes in the summertime.”

The added cost comes due to Canada’s retaliatory tariff that implemented in response to the Trump administration’s tariff on automotive imports.

For now, the Shelby Mustang is still sitting at the dealership in Iowa, but Gillespie was told they can only hold onto it until the end of August.

Heritage designation being pursued for Kitchener school

A nearly 100-year-old Catholic elementary school in Kitchener could be designated as a heritage building.

The city’s heritage committee is pursuing a designation for St John’s Catholic School at 99 Strange Street.

It’s been a part of the core of Kitchener since 1929. It was the fourth school built in the city, in response to the influx of new families and births following World War I. The city says its contribution to educational development is historically important.

According to the city, an evaluation found the building meets four out of nine criteria for heritage designation. It was built in the Collegiate Tudor architectural style with a flat roof, red brick and cast concrete decorative details. It did undergo reconstruction around 2009 but kept its historical elements.

“I think it’s good for children to understand that they’re part of a continuum, historical continuum,” Haldenby said. “As much as it’s a historic building, an old building, the group of students who goes there represents some of the newest Canadians, it’s very much a place about the society that we have today. So it’s a heritage building. But what it actually sustains is this kind of incredible, vivid diasporic melange that Kitchener and Ontario and Canada have become.”

Elizabeth Ziegler Public School is a heritage property in Waterloo that recently closed because of structural concerns. Haldenby feels with the renovations done at St. John’s and the value it holds in the community, it shouldn’t be a concern for parents and students.

City staff will now ask the school board for any comments or concerns about designating the building. A notice of intention to designate the school will then come back to the committee, which would then need approval from council.

Lawyers seek court injunction ahead of Kitchener encampment eviction

Lawyers are seeking a court injunction to delay a bylaw that would force residents out of a downtown Kitchener encampment so construction can begin on the Region of Waterloo’s new transit hub.

They made their case at a hearing on Aug. 8, arguing the site-specific bylaw should be put on hold until the court makes a decision on its constitutionality.

Those proceedings aren’t expected to begin until November.

Regional councillors approved the bylaw back in April with the goal of clearing the long-standing encampment at 100 Victoria Street by Dec. 1.

The bylaw allows staff to begin work to prepare the site for construction and transition residents who live at the encampment to alternative housing options.

Lawyers representing the encampment residents told the court capacity at local shelters is inadequate to handle those displaced by the bylaw. The current system, they argued, falls short by approximately 80 per cent of what is needed.

They cited threats such as frostbite, hunger, or even rape, if residents were left to fend for themselves.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the Region of Waterloo asked the court to dismiss the motion for an injunction.

“Some places are just not suitable for encampments,” Andrew Lokan, a lawyer representing the region, argued. “There is a public interest in the region being able to use public property to benefit the public.”

Lawyers for the Region argued no court intervention is required as they believe the Dec. 1 deadline will give staff enough time to prepare residents for the move.

Shannon Down, a lawyer with Waterloo Region Community Legal Services, told CTV News in an email on Aug. 8, they may not know the judge’s decision on the injunction motion for “at least a couple of weeks.”

Man arrested for fatal stabbing in Brantford

A man has been arrested following a fatal early morning stabbing in Brantford.

Officers with the Brantford Police Service were called to the Colborne Street and Clarence Street area on Saturday around 2:50 a.m.

When they arrived, members of Brantford Fire and Brant-Brantford Paramedics were already on site and trying to help a male victim.

The victim was taken to hospital where he died, despite attempts to save his life.

Investigators said the suspect who stabbed the victim had run off after the incident. He was located nearby and arrested at 10:30 a.m.

A 27-year-old Brantford man has been charged with second-degree murder and two counts of failing to comply with probation orders.

One of the people who witnessed the stabbing told CTV News he rushed in to try to help.

“There was more blood than I have ever seen in my life,” Kyle Morrison said. “I came over, I put my hands around the wounds to try to hold the blood.”

Morrison said it is not the first incident he’s seen in the area.

“This has been the worst five years of my life, being back in Brantford,” he said.

“I live in this area and it’s getting to the point where people are getting desperate and people are getting violent,” Brantford resident Kelsey Guyer told CTV News. “It doesn’t surprise me at all that something like this happened.”

“It’s horrible. The police are overwhelmed. There’s too much stuff going on here for them to deal with,” Morrison said.

Miniature donkey searches for soulmate in Erin, Ont.

Finding love on the farm isn’t always easy, especially if you’re a miniature donkey.

Hank is a seven-year-old jack and lives at Erin Hill Acres, a family-owned and operated tourism farm in Erin, Ont.

“He’s just looking for a companion to live out his days with here at Erin Hill Acres,” said Tyler Garrard, the farm manager who also acts as Hank’s handler and self-proclaimed “best buddy.”

It was Tyler’s idea to bring Hank on board.

“Hank has been a vision of mine for some time,” he said. “We got our [Highland] cows first, and I feel like we’ve always needed a donkey.”

Hank quickly made himself at home, but now, the eligible bachelor is on the market.

“We’re hoping that Hank can find a miniature jenny, similar to him in size,” said Tyler.

To help in Hank’s search, Erin Hill Acres staff began sharing his journey to find love on social media.

“Now, it’s like a really big thing,” said Chelsea Blanchard, the farm’s chef. “People are coming to our farm to see Hank and to follow his story.”

The farm is accepting applications for Hank’s perfect match through Instagram, Facebook or email.

“In the caption or the subject line say, ‘Attention: Hank’s wife,’” said Tyler.

The farm said it hopes Hank will find his love match soon.