Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
In less than a year, an Alberta woman has gone from gracing the stage at her first pageant to competing at the Mrs. Universe pageant in South Korea. She’s making history by becoming the first Canadian veteran to compete internationally.
Following her father’s footsteps, Giselle Drew Walsh joined the Canadian military, serving as an infantry soldier for 16 years. Once she retired, Walsh dedicated her time to advocacy and spreading awareness about PTSD that soldiers face when they return from duty.
“We have lost more soldiers to suicide since the time of Canada’s participation in the war in Afghanistan than the soldiers that unfortunately lost their lives while there,” said Walsh.
“I’ve seen firsthand what post-traumatic stress disorder can do to somebody who’s struggling and doesn’t have adequate resources.”
For about a decade, Walsh has spoken on multiple stages and on podcasts spreading awareness and education about PTSD soldiers’ experience, the issues the families of soldiers face and domestic violence, but the pageantry platform is still quite new.
“I thought this might be a really unique way to get in front of a new crowd of people that may be unaware of the issues that are going on,” she said.
Her message seems to have resonated with the pageant world and set her apart. Walsh won the Mrs. Canada pageant, which qualified her for Mrs. Universe. The organization is committed to raising awareness about domestic violence.
As part of her advocacy work, Walsh also serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR). The organization has been around for 14 years and “has built a network of 46 Canadian universities who have agreed to work together to address the health research requirements of the Canadian military.”
Paul Hook, the managing director of CIMVHR, says a lot of tools and resources have been put in place for returning soldiers, but it’s not enough.
“The statistics now are somewhere around 15 to 17 per cent of people that go to war or deployed on operations in the Canadian Armed Forces end up with mental health issues,” said Hook.
CIMVHR has its own journal, and a recent report shows that “significant delays in treatment initiation are problematic for the military population” and that “only 20.6 per cent of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans released after 2015 have received treatment for combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”
Hook says this important subject seems to have been put on the “backburner when Canada left Afghanistan”.
“We still have thousands of troops deployed in places like Latvia and in the Middle East, but the public has moved on to new topics,” said Hook.
“I think by having someone like Giselle doing pageantry, hitting a new audience, being the first veteran that won a national competition, and having a train made out of handmade poppies, I think that’s just going to spark a new conversation.”
As part of the competition, Walsh will be wearing a unique National costume that honours the country’s military history and veterans.
“I’ve got poppies that have been handmade by veterans across Canada, and it’s sewn onto the gown,” said Walsh.
The Mrs. Universe Pageant goes from October 2 - 10.
As for what’s next after the competition, Walsh says she’s only getting started.
“I just want to do more, and I just want to raise my voice louder because people who are in positions to make changes, I need to talk and get their attention so that we can make some positive changes.”
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
An Ontario woman is facing serious charges after police allege she pretended to be a registered nurse at several Simcoe County facilities, despite being unqualified.
New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone's all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai for a climate conference last December violated the city's Code of Conduct for Council Members and the Community Charter, the city's ethics commissioner has ruled.
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Democrats Abroad Canada is warning Americans that a potential postal workers strike this weekend could affect the ability to vote in next week's election.
An Edmonton Police Service officer was caught on camera running over a woman with a marked cruiser last month.
An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanized after state authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on his caretaker's home, authorities said Friday.
A landlord from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.
A new Secret Service report into the July assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump said multiple staffers knew about clear line-of-sight risks but found them 'acceptable' and that farm equipment intended to obstruct the view from the nearby building where the gunman opened fire was never used.
A Windsor teen’s social media post showing off a distinctive Windsor pizza topping has gone viral, drawing millions of views worldwide and sparking new curiosity about Windsor-style pizza.
Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.
A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company’s strangest discoveries.
When Leah arrived at work directing traffic around a construction site, she never expected to see a van painted in all sorts of bright colours, and covered in eclectic decorations, including a stuffed moose attached to its roof.
After 14 years of repairing and selling bicycles out of the garage of her home, a Guelph, Ont. woman’s efforts have ended – for now, at least.
Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.
Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.
New Brunswicker Jillea Godin’s elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.