Burn bans issued across several municipalities in southern Ontario

Several municipalities across southern Ontario have issued burn bans, or total fire bans as wildfires continue to rage across the country and a heat warning persists.
On Monday, Aurora and Newmarket issued a total fire ban “effective immediately” and said the ban is necessary “given the hot and dry conditions which can cause fire to spread fast.”
Burning of any kind is not permitted while the fire ban is active. Residents are still allowed to barbeque.
“Given the current weather conditions and the lack of significant rain, we need to take precautions to prevent large fires and protect the health, safety and air quality of our communities,” says central York Fire Services fire chief Rocco Volpe.
The City of St. Catharines has also implemented a ban on all open-air burning until further noticed do to a long stretch of dry weather conditions.
“With Natural Resources Canada warning the risk of wildfires in southern Ontario is now categorized as “extreme”, Fire Chief Dave Upper has issued the ban effective immediately,” the city said,

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They added the order also include prohibiting cooking fires, fireworks, sparklers and any other types of outdoor burning.
People who do not comply with the ban will be charged under the Ontario Fire Code and could face fines up to $50,000.
Meanwhile, Pickering, Georgina and Richmond Hill have all issued similar bans.
Ontario has been under another heat warning as temperatures soar into the high 30s and low 40s with the humidex. There is some rain in the forecast for Tuesday into Wednesday but clear skies are forecast for the remainder of the week.
Water bombers, firefighters battle wildfire in Kawartha Lakes, Ont.
The city of Kawartha Lakes said fire crews have battled what is described as a significant forest fire in the Burnt River area.
Officials said about 27 hectares or a little more than one-quarter of a square kilometre of forest is still burning as of Monday.
They said the Ministry of Natural Resources has deployed seven fire crews to battle the blaze, which began on Friday. Crews are making progress but hot and dry conditions persist, and the potential for wind could worsen the situation.
The fire is burning in a heavily wooded area where ice storm damage left hazardous terrain, making hose deployment challenging.
No evacuations have been ordered but the city is urging residents and visitors to avoid the fire area, and closed off County Road 49 between County Road 121 and Bury’s Green Road.
A total fire ban remains in effect across Kawartha Lakes.
— With files from The Canadian Press
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.


Spirits maker Diageo will cease operations at its bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont., early next year, as it shifts some bottling volume to the U.S., the company announced on Thursday.
The facility, which bottles Crown Royal products, will close in February in a move aimed at improving its North American supply chain.

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About 200 jobs will be affected.
“This was a difficult decision, but one that is crucial to improving the efficiency and resiliency of our supply chain network,” Marsha McIntosh, Diageo’s president of North America supply, said in a statement.
Diageo said it will engage with the community and find ways to support its employees through the transition, and work alongside Unifor to assist unionized workers.
The company said it will still maintain a “significant” footprint in Canada — including its headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area, and bottling and distillation facilities in Manitoba and Quebec.
McIntosh added the company’s Crown Royal products will continue to be mashed, distilled and aged at its Canadian facilities.
© 2025 The Canadian Press

Toronto police say a 33-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly striking two men with his car Wednesday evening.
Officers say they responded to reports of a collision in the area of Don Mills Road and Gateway Boulevard in the city’s North York neighbourhood just before 10:30 p.m.

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Police say two men got into an argument, leading to one man getting into his car and hitting the other man with it.
They say the man then put his car into reverse, striking a second man.
A man in his 50s was transported to hospital with serious injuries and the second man, in his 20s, had minor injuries.
Police say the suspect from Markham, Ont., faces several other charges as well, including two counts of assault with a weapon, uttering threats and dangerous driving.
© 2025 The Canadian Press

A court document shows a Lindsay, Ont., man facing charges for allegedly breaking into an apartment was carrying a crossbow when he was confronted by a tenant.
The resident, Jeremy David McDonald, is also facing assault charges in the incident on Aug. 18 — a fact that has generated widespread interest in the case.
Police information filed in court alleges that Michael Kyle Breen damaged a window and screen at McDonald’s home and carried a crossbow.
The court document says the 41-year-old Breen is charged with break and enter, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, mischief under $5,000 and failing to comply with a probation order.

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Police have said that Breen, who is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing next week, was already wanted for unrelated offences.
McDonald, the 44-year-old resident, was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon after he allegedly “did endanger the life” of Breen.
Premier Doug Ford blasted the decision to charge the apartment resident, saying last week that it shows “something is broken.”
Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Kirk Robertson wrote in a statement Wednesday that he recognizes the incident has generated significant public interest and “emotional” responses, but called some of the reaction “unjust and inaccurate.”
Robertson wrote that individuals have the right to defend themselves and their property, but the law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced.
“This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances,” he wrote.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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