Peter Magill (Barrie,Ontario), 12 days ago

I read with utter astonishment that Sarah Burke's family was on the hook for such a large sum to cover her out of country medical expenses. I find it incredible that they would not take out personal private insurance to cover her. And don't be mistaken you CAN get coverage. However, not withstanding that fact I find it even worse that our country treats our athletes the way they do. There should have been a military jet in the air to Utah to repatriate that girls body to Canada and the bill should have been paid in full at that time by our government. After all,If they can afford to send aircraft to pluck Defense Minister Peter McKay out of a fishing lodge in Labrador, they can afford to fly that little girls body home to her family. It seems that we have lots of money to spend on new Canadians, be it health care, housing etc. but when it comes to one of our own the government is strangely silent. That folks is why we finish 17 in everything at the Olympics

Newspaper Reply Excellent point.......

Melvin T Jones (Barrie,Ontario), 16 days ago

Has anyone experienced the new left hand turn lane, going east on Dunlop at Toronto street? Now their is a brainstorm. Whoever the rocket scientists that figured out that one obviously do not drive. Maybe they do down there & watch the chaos that they have created. When the road is not snow covered & you can see the "new" left hand arrows, people that are proceeding straight through the intersection are veering into the right hand lane & running into people coming off Bradford St. When the road is snow covered nobody knows who's going where. My suggestion is ti suck it up, go down with you spray paint can & put that intersection back to it's original state before we have a road rage incident or somebody gets into an accident. The merge off of Bradford street should be taken right out. Expand the little garden there if you want. People that want to turn right off Bradford can do it at the lights. At Dunlop & Toronto street (going) east, the left hand lane can either proceed or turn left & the right hand lane has to turn right at Toronto street. Send my check in the mail.

Casey Oulette (Barrie,Ontario), 1 month ago

By now all the citizens of Barrie should have received their city waste calender for 2012.The latest calender shows lovely photos of nature and wildlife. Well done but if i designed the waste calender the photos would not be little birds and butterflies. I would have a photo of every city department or venture which has wasted taxpayer money in 2011.I would start with a photo of the Barrie Fire department for January,followed by the Barrie Police Department for February March would be the MacLaren Art Gallery.April would be the new Mady centre. May would be the new water and sewage plant on Bradford street.The readers can fill the rest of my calender.These are my top picks for the Barrie Waste of Money calender 2012. Happy Holidays.

Patricia Stevens (Barrie,Ontario), 1 month ago

Re:Fire hall overruns. Now that the taxpayers of Barrie have heard the new fire hall will cost at least a million more, where is the Fire Chief and his explanation of these overruns.The fire officials in Barrie are not being accountable to the taxpayers. I want to know how much the new fire station, in the south end, will cost us. Barrie Fire Chief Lynn has been very silent in my search for answers. He will not answer any e-mails on this subject.

Johanne (victoria,b.c.), 2 months ago

I grew up in Barrie in the 60's and 70's - the police force was corrupt then. Some of the police men and women have an arrogant attitude that doesn't help in many situations. Brutality has long been a part of the Barrie Police service...and we have yet to see any police officer charged be convicted. Crime starts in the police department.

Terra McQuirter (Barrie,Ontario), 2 months ago

I hope i live to see the day when at least one police officer who is charged with a crime, would stand up and admit they are guilty.I see how police officers delay their trials as long as they can in hope the judge will dismiss the case.I think the readers in Barrie will know who i am referring to.I am sick and fed up of paying salaries for suspended police officers.

Rhronda Peterson (Barrie,Ontario), 2 months ago

If you think yesterdays headlines were bad enough for the Barrie Police,today's are worse. A Barrie city police officer has been charged with impaired and dangerous driving.Const. Brian Byblow, a 21-year veteran, has a Dec. 19 court date. OPP say Byblow was off duty Wednesday when he was charged with impaired driving, having more than the legal amount of alcohol in his blood system and dangerous driving. At the time of this incident, Byblow was also on a medical leave from his police duties. Has this city had enough shame? I agree, we need a new police force from the top to the rotten bottom.

Mallory Miller (Barrie,Ontario), 2 months ago

After reading all the allegations against the latest crop of Barrie Police officers on trial, It's my opinion that we need a new police force( OPP), new police chief, and some accountability to current allegations of police misconduct.I don't know why we the taxpayers are paying the salaries of all the officers involved.I am ashamed of the Barrie Police. Our mayor has some explaining to do.

Lester Mann (Barrie,Ontario), 2 months ago

Barrie police chief Mark Neelin has some explaining to do to the taxpayers of Barrie after this story appeared in the Toronto Sun/Barrie Examiner. "A Barrie police officer who responded to a 911 call ended up spending the night with the female victim, drinking and laughing while she “pranced” around the house playing with his gun, a tribunal heard Monday. “He told her ‘if you go out on a date with me you can play with that gun anytime you want,’” said an eye witness. The bizarre testimony was heard during the trial of Const. Nathan Bowman who is on paid suspension after being charged with discreditable misconduct under the Police Services Act.

Bowman was also charged criminally in the same incident, but last March the Crown withdrew the charges in exchange for a peace bond.

“The behaviour was bizarre, disturbing and inappropriate” said Prosecutor David Migicovsky during the hearing. “He allowed her to prance around the house while playing with his firearm while drinking.”

On the witness stand, a reluctant eye witness, Shannon Inman, 32, explained that her friend, Natalie Munroe, asked her to come to her home after she made the 911 call that her boyfriend had assaulted her June 10, 2009.

Inman said she spent several hours watching Bowman and Inman drinking, laughing and “making up” allegations against her boyfriend, who was later convicted.

Then he pulled out his Glock handgun and gave it to Munro to play with, she said.

“She was laughing and sticking it in her mouth, she was pointing it at her head, she was posing in front of the mirror. Inman said Bowman suddenly took the gun back “to check to see if it was loaded” then returned it to Munro.

“I thought, Oh My God, I’ve got myself into a bad situation.”

Bowman later went out and arrested the man, then returned. Inman said she left when Bowman went up to Munro’s bedroom to “fool around.”

Bowman pleads not guilty to the offences.

Bowman is currently also on trial in Oshawa with two other police officers, Kevin Calleja, and Marco Coniglione, for allegedly beating up a 61-year-old man. In another incident he was charged with impaired driving but the charge was dropped after the judge ruled it took too long to go to court.

The hearing continues tomorrow.

Why is this officer still being paid after two years Mr. Neelin ?

Newspaper Reply None of these allegations have been proven in court.

Margaret Wilson (Barrie,Ontario), 2 months ago

Barrie council should cancel the temporary firehall immediately and give the taxpayers some relief.Police and fire budgets should be cut 50 percent. This city is going down the drain in a hurry with all the high salaries paid. When firemen start making over a hundred thousand a year for doing nothing, we are all going to suffer.