Provincial police say charges are pending after a driver crashed into a tree Thursday afternoon.

The crash happened around 2 p.m. at the intersection of Gore Road and Wright Road in Colchester.

Essex County OPP said a Lincoln went off the road and slammed into a tree. The driver, who was alone in the vehicle, suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Police are still investigating but said they expect to lay charges.

Confusion over the closure of 16 Goodwill stores in the Toronto area has led to a 20 per cent drop in donations at Windsor’s locations.

“We want everyone to know to keep donating,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of Goodwill Industries Essex Kent Lambton. “We are still open.”

He said the organization has been growing steadily and plans to hire another dozen employees in Windsor — two were just brought on board Wednesday.

But when news broke mid-January that Goodwill stores in Toronto and its surrounding area were shuttered, employees locked out, and the business struggling with cash-flow problems, local donations started to lag.

Every Goodwill store is run by a regional incorporation, managed independently. Smith said the Toronto stores, run by Goodwill Industries of Toronto, Eastern, Central and Northern Ontario, have nothing to do with Windsor’s, which falls under the Essex, Kent and Lambton region.

But that hasn’t stopped local donors from thinking the Goodwill drop-offs are closed.

“It’s just pulled everything back. We are actually sending current employees home,” Smith said.

Goodwill Industries Essex Kent Lambton store manager, Don Aitchison and Heather Allen, spokeswoman, are seen at the Windsor, Ont. location on McDougall Avenue on Jan. 28, 2016.

Thursday morning at Windsor’s McDougall retail store, three workers unloaded a shipment from the donation centres around Essex County. Previously, there were three or four loads each day. Lately, it’s been one or two, said store manager Don Aitchison.

Donations across Essex County have dropped from 300 to 350 each day to about 200 to 230.

“We’re looking at this as an immediate bump in the road,” said Heather Allen, spokeswoman for Goodwill. She said they’re ramping up a campaign of flyers, radio ads and news releases to make it clear donations are needed.

Smith said what happened in Toronto couldn’t happen in Windsor. He said the local Goodwill is managing its finances carefully and putting its revenues back into expansion and hiring staff.

Annual reports show the local incorporation has seen steady revenue increases in line with rising expenses. In the last five years, the organization made a profit of about $800,000 each year.

That’s the opposite trend of the Goodwill responsible for the Toronto stores, where the charity’s 2013 revenue was roughly $94,000 less than its expenses, according to Canada Revenue Agency tax records. The difference was more stark in 2014, the last year with available records: expenses overshot revenue by $1,140,631.

The highest paid employee at the Toronto Goodwill earned between $200,000 and $250,000, according to the same records.

In Windsor, the top money-making employee earned between $80,000 and $120,000. Everyone else earned less than $80,000.

Thrift stores like Goodwill are a crucial part of Windsor’s charity network, said Tamara Kowalska, who runs the Windsor Youth Centre.

She said small charities like hers lack the resources — space, staff and safety equipment — to go through donations of clothing or household items.

“Those thrift stores are relieving us of the burden, the work having to clean and store items, freeing up our program space and also creating jobs and volunteer opportunities in our community,” she said.

Goodwill Industries operates as a social enterprise, taking in donations, sorting them, selling them in their stores and recycling or disposing of anything that can’t be sold. The money raised pays local workers and funds training programs for people with disabilities or facing unemployment.

“If all the thrift stores closed in our community, I think that would be a tragedy,” Kowalska said.

With files from the National Post

ctthompson@postmedia.com

twitter.com/caroethompson

George the ghost will be lonely in the coming days.

Kings Landing, a reportedly haunted landmark on Kingsville’s waterfront, has hosted its final event. The restaurant’s contents — tables, chairs, dishes and more — will be sold off by owners Greg Triferis and George Mantziouras in an onsite sale open to the public on Feb. 6.

“We could have stayed,” Triferis said of the 2014 purchase agreement with the town which allowed the restaurant to continue to operate for up to four years. But, he said, “It’s time to retire from this business.”

The partners have run the restaurant for 26 years, buying it out of receivership in 1989. Triferis is only 54, but “ready to retire” from the long hours.

“I’ve done the math. It’s three lifetimes of work,” he said.

The town purchased the Park Street building for $575,000, paying in four annual instalments of $143,750. The final payment is in January 2017.

The town has big plans for the property.

Much like the renovation the town did to its historic Carnegie Library building, the Kings Landing building will get a total makeover, restoring it to its former Victorian splendour. The town plans to restore the façade, recreating the two-storey porch that wrapped around the building when it was an inn called the Grovedale House. It will put in wheelchair-accessible washrooms and transform the 1886 building into banquet space.

George Mantziouras (L) and Greg Triferis, owners of the Kings Landing restaurant in Kingsville, Ont., are shown in front of the business on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016.

“We want to use it for community functions,” said Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos. The town’s nearby pavilion at Lakeside Park is “booked solid,” so the town needs more space to rent out for functions, he said.

The total bill for the building renovation, including preliminary site work and engineering, will be $600,000. The town hopes to learn soon if it will get $220,000 in federal funding for the project, said Sandra Ingratta, the town’s director of corporate services.

The building will be a centrepiece in the town’s ambitious waterfront development called the Mettawas Park. The town has set aside $300,000 in this year’s budget for gardens a walking trail and gazebo. Later phases call for a five-km trail connecting to Lakeside Park and a boardwalk out into Lake Erie leading to pergola-covered platform with seating for more than 100 – a perfect setting for a wedding, Santos said.

The plan calls for the expropriation of a crushed stone operation at the Kingsville dock. The owner is fighting the expropriation in court.

Ingratta said the park plan will not be paid for through tax increases. Money is coming from reserve funds and a fundraising campaign called the MyKingsville Challenge. The town has already raised $100,000 thanks to an anonymous donor who pledged to match all fundraising dollars.

The cost of the entire project, spread over five years, will be $3 million.

The restaurant closed for good on New Year’s Day. It held one final dinner on Saturday, a fundraiser for the park plans. With a local author talking about the history of the property, the restaurant’s swan song raised $3,000.

Kings Landing is a fixture in Kingsville lore. The ghost of a fisherman is said to inhabit the property, performing such mischief as turning on taps and hitting light switches.

Back in the 1800s, Hiram Walker built a railway and train station that would bring American tourists to the town. When plans for a harbour were unveiled in the 1880s, businessman David Elliot purchased the property next to the dock and built the inn. During prohibition, the inn was a haven for rum-runners.

Triferis said he and his partner couldn’t be more pleased the property, with its colourful history, will be in public hands.

“I couldn’t imagine a better ending.”

ssacheli@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/winstarsacheli

Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Thursday. Check out the gallery.

Bob Renaud, David Musyj and Dave Cooke (left to right) take part in a press conference at Windsor Regional Hospital in Windsor on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016.

Bob Renaud, David Musyj and Dave Cooke (left to right) take part in a press conference at Windsor Regional Hospital in Windsor on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016.

Bob Renaud, David Musyj and Dave Cooke (left to right) take part in a press conference at Windsor Regional Hospital in Windsor on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016. The trio announced a portion of a pending lawsuit has been dropped which allows the hospital to continue with plans for a new regional hospital. A separate part of the lawsuit that seeks $10 million in damages remains however.

Filip Rocca, owner of Mezzo Restaurant and Lounge is shown outside his Erie Street establishment on Jan. 28, 2016. Rocca may not open his patio along Erie Street due to the high fees by the city.

Goodwill Industries Essex Kent Lambton store manager, Don Aitchison and Heather Allen, spokeswoman, are seen at the Windsor, Ont. location on McDougall Avenue on Jan. 28, 2016.

This home on Warren Avenue in Leamington, Ont. had $150,000 in damages after a fire late night on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016.

Truck traffic backs up in the northbound lanes of Huron Church Road on January 28, 2016 in Windsor, Ontario.

Goodwill Industries Essex Kent Lambton spokeswoman, Heather Allen, at the Windsor, Ontario location on McDougall Avenue on January 28, 2016.

George Mantziouras (L) and Greg Triferis, owners of the Kings Landing restaurant in Kingsville, Ont., are shown in front of the business on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016.

George Mantziouras (L) and Greg Triferis, owners of the Kings Landing restaurant in Kingsville, Ont., are shown in front of the business on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016.

Greg Triferis (L) and George Mantziouras, owners of the Kings Landing restaurant in Kingsville, ON. are shown inside the business on Thursday, January 28, 2016. After 27 years in business they have sold the property to the town of Kingsville.

If Canada’s going to legalize marijuana, the local board of health is urging strong regulations to keep it away from youth and reduce other harmful effects.

In a recently passed motion, the board that governs the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit offers no opinion on whether the federal Liberals should move ahead with their plan to legalize cannabis — marijuana, hashish and hash oil. But if it happens, it wants the government to bring in policies “to make sure everybody is safe and protected from these cannabis-related harms,” says health unit director Kristy McBeth.

She and medical officer of health Dr. Gary Kirk say two of the key health concerns are the developmental damage marijuana use can do to young people and the “significant” dangers posed by people driving while high.

While marijuana remains illegal, that doesn’t mean young people aren’t already using it. Almost 15 per cent of local youth between 12 and 18 report having used it and 12 per cent have used it in the last 12 months. Yet there is “good evidence,” Kirk said, that smoking marijuana can negatively impact adolescent brain development.

The health unit cites a recent Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse report that links regular cannabis use early in life with behavioural and cognitive impairments, poor academic performance, and reduced attention, information processing and memory. 

“So we think it would be really important to have an age limit around it,” Kirk said.

Windsor-Essex Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Gary Kirk, is pictured in this April 2015 file photo.

He said there are no definitive studies that suggest what the minimum age should be. “We know that the brain goes through development in early childhood, later in childhood, adolescence, so we would probably suggest … that we at least look at the minimum ages for smoking (19) and alcohol consumption (19).”

Almost 10 per cent of licenced drivers of high school age in Ontario report using cannabis and driving in 2015. Kirk said that cannabis use impairs reaction time and perhaps judgement while driving.

Some studies also suggest long-term cognitive effects, depending on the amount of drug use. And smoking marijuana can also can lead to the same bad health issues — respiratory problems, cancer — caused by smoking tobacco, Kirk said.

At least one other health unit — in Sudbury — has passed a similar motion. The Windsor-Essex motion is being sent to various health agencies, the federal and provincial health ministers, the Ontario premier, local MPs and MPPs, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

Former Toronto Police chief Bill Blair, now a Liberal MP, is leading the legalization process for Trudeau. Earlier this month he told the Globe and Mail that it will be strictly controlled and kept away from kids. Premier Kathleen Wynne has proposed that it be sold in Ontario at LCBO outlets. 

The local health unit has no position on how it should be sold. But Kirk said when you’re introducing a product that’s been illegal, has known psychoactive effects (it makes you high), and can have some bad effects on public health, “the idea would be to start slowly in a way you can control it.”

bcross@postmedia.com

The 2016 Gridiron Gala, which will go to benefit the Windsor Stadium restoration project, was held at the Caboto Club on Friday, Jan. 29, 2016.

Josh Canty and Jana Rohrer attend the Gridiron Gala at the Caboto Club, Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. The event is benefitting the Windsor Stadium restoration project.

Kelly Ronson-Kopcok attends the Gridiron Gala at the Caboto Club, Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. The event is benefitting the Windsor Stadium restoration project.

Jalil and Julie Khoury attend the Gridiron Gala at the Caboto Club, Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. The event is benefitting the Windsor Stadium restoration project.

Joe Iatzko and Tabitha Jones attend the Gridiron Gala at the Caboto Club, Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. The event is benefitting the Windsor Stadium restoration project.

NFL tight-end, Luke Willson, signs autographs for attendees, including DWBIA president, Larry Horwitz, right, of the Gridiron Gala at the Caboto Club, Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. The event is benefitting the Windsor Stadium restoration project.

Harrow Health Centre has ratified an agreement reached with the Ontario Nurses’ Association last week.

“We remained optimistic that the ONA membership would ratify the agreement in favour of the settlement reached earlier this week,” Margo Reilly, executive director of the centre, said in a news release.

The release said the centre voted unanimously to ratify the agreement reached Jan. 26.

“We are pleased with the outcome,” Reilly said in the release. “We value our nurses and we appreciate the high caliber of care they provide to our patients every day.”

ctthompson@postmedia.com

twitter.com/caroethompson

University of Windsor Lancers’ third-year runner Stef Smith was named OUA female athlete of the week Monday after another record performance.

Smith won the women’s 1,500 metres at the 21st Annual McGill Team Challenge track and field meet in Montreal and in the process set a new meet mark as well as breaking her third Lancer school record in three weeks.

Smith’s winning time of 4:23.50 broke the old meet mark of 4:26.11 set in 2013 by Guelph’s Genevieve Lalonde. It also bested the Lancer school mark in the event of 4:26.12 set by Jackie Malette in 2007.

Smith broke the Lancer school mark in the women’s 3,000 metres and mile over the previous two weeks and she also claimed the 3,000 metres at the McGill event.

Riverside grad Corey Bellemore won a pair of gold medals at the McGill meet by taking the men’s 600 metres and 1,000 metres while Villanova product and fifth-year senior Ryan Janikowski captured the men’s 1,500 metres and 3,000 metres.

The Lancers’ Chris Waugh took a bronze medal in the men’s pole vault at the SPIRE Midwest Track and Field Invitational in Geneva, Ohio. He cleared 5.03 metres, which moved him into second on the Lancers’ all-time top 10 list in the event.

Caitlin McClurkin, in the women’s long jump, and Rachel Wolfs, in the women’s pole vault, also won gold medals at the Ohio meet.

BOWLING MASTERS

Shane Courtney topped the field on the open side and Larry Dupuis did the same on the senior side in qualifying for the 61st edition of the Molson Masters Bowling Classic.

The 20-year-old Courtney finished with a five-game total of 1,201 to best veterans Dan Aqwa, who shot an 1,179 series, and Todd Sim, who had a 1,166 total, to lead the 39-player open field. Chad White grabbed the 39th and final spot with a 1,030 total over five games.

They will join defending champion Darrin Alexander Saturday for match play, which begins at 1 p.m. at Revs Rose Bowl.

Dupuis, who had a score of 1,003 over four games, beat out Rick Goyeau’s 964 set and Charlie Yott’s 960 series to take the top senior division qualifying spot. Mike Voligny, with an 848 set over four games, took the 15th and final qualifying spot. They will join defending champ Tim Scott in match play Saturday.

The field will be whittled down to five on the open side and four on the senior side for the stepladder finals, which will be held Feb. 13.

jparker@postmedia.com

twitter.com/winstarparker

Silence.

There are so many benefits to disconnecting and spending some time in your own solitude, but it can be a difficult thing to do. 

“Most people feel like they have to talk all the time,” said Downtown Yoga owner Gina Wasserlein-Peto. “They are uncomfortable with silence. They almost feel like they need to talk about the weather or something.”

Wasserlein-Peto is holding a Silent Meditaion and Yoga Retreat Weekend in Oxley Feb. 5-7. The cost is $250 for two nights accommodations, meals, guided meditation, yoga, breathing exercises and lectures. 

“When you are silent for a period of time, you notice all these thoughts that are spinning through your mind, some of which are the same ones,” she said. “Through meditation you can see what is feeding your mind. We tend to become victims of a cycle of our vicious thoughts.”

Wasserlein-Peto just returned from Mysore, India, and spent seven weeks studying Mysore, which is a traditional way of learning Ashtanga yoga created by Phattabi Jois. Ashtanga has no music, it’s simple, precise and the same movements. 

“I’ve been dabbling in it for over 12 years,” she said. “But it wasn’t taught to me the way it was intended. So I travelled to where it was created and learned from Phattabi Jois’s son. I felt like I really needed to learn from him.”

Wasserlein-Peto spent her days doing yoga and meditating. She admitted that, at first, the silence was tough, but she soon learned to embrace it and look forward to it. 

“I came home feeling clearer and more certain of what I need and want out of life,” she said. “I feel more decisive and sharper mentally. Many feel they can’t stop their mind, but you work on it. Even if you can’t spend 20 minutes a day doing it, then take five and just close your eyes and sit still. You’ll notice a difference.”

Space for the class is limited. For more information check mydowntownyoga.com.

ksteele@postmedia.com

twitter.com/winstarkelly

The Greater Essex County District School Board will hold a three-day Education Expo at the Devonshire Mall this weekend.

Highlighting different learning pathways, the expo begins Friday in front of The Bay.

The interactive displays will feature information about the Parenting and Family Literacy Centres, kindergarten, French immersion, special education, First Nations, Metis and Inuit education as well specialty high-skills major programs such as the Ontario Youth Apprentice Program and Robotics.

Staff will be available to answer questions about the board’s programs and services.

dwaddell@postmedia.com

Jeff Leal, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is expected to be in Leamington Tuesday morning for a job and funding announcement.

Officials with the Town of Leamington weren’t commenting Monday night. They have been waiting for the ministry to make its own announcement but word was leaking out on the location late Monday afternoon. 

A news conference is expected at Lakeside Produce at 11 a.m. 

A media advisory issued late Monday said Leal will make an announcement on behalf of Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. Lakeside Produce grows greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

Last week, Mayor John Paterson said a huge announcement involving funding and the potential for 200 full-time jobs was on its way for the town. It wasn’t clear if all those jobs would be created right away.

Paterson referred to an upcoming announcement at the Leamington District Chamber of Commerce mayor’s breakfast. He said then he wasn’t allowed to tell the rest of council the location because he had received the news in a confidential email and was waiting on the ministry release.

shill@postmedia.com

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Facing an 11 per cent slash in their numbers at Windsor Regional Hospital, registered nurses are embarking on a campaign to protest hospital funding cuts they say are bad for the people of Windsor and Essex County.

“If the government really cared about our health, they wouldn’t be doing this,” says Sue Sommerdyk, the Ontario Nurses’ Association local president who represents 1,550 RNs at Windsor Regional’s two locations. She said ONA has launched a petition and a letter writing campaign, and is planning information pickets to protest the government cuts.

The hospital talked three weeks ago about a total of 166 full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs being cut from its 3,800-person workforce to cope with a $20-million budget shortfall, but added that it was hiring 80 registered practical nurse FTEs to replace 80 RN FTEs. But the impact on RNs amounts to 169 fewer full- and part-time RNs, Sommerdyk said Monday. 

She noted that the normal attrition rate at the hospital — people who retire or quit in a year — is five per cent.

“I have 1,550 members, this is more than 10 per cent of my members, so I’m not really sure the attrition rate will actually work here,” Sommerdyk said.

She said the cuts are going to be felt throughout the hospital, citing hospital intentions to close or downsize its diabetes clinic, an obstetrician clinic and its HIV clinic.

“All of them, I guess it’s your interpretation what the impact’s going to be on the community,”  Sommerdyk said.

Hospital CEO David Musyj said that the hospital has to look at all the outpatient clinics it offers because the new hospital funding formula doesn’t provide proper funds for them. The diabetes clinic will be kept open for only a small percentage of patients with the most severe problems, and the rest will have to go to clinics in the community — Musyj said there are seven diabetes clinics in Windsor and the county — offering the same service. 

Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj.

The obstetrics clinic is a service provided so that obstetricians on call in the hospital can see their office patients at the hospital. Only four of the hospital’s 12 OBGYNs use the service, Musyj said. He said the OB triage — where pregnant women can bypass the emergency and go straight to the obstetrics department for medical help — will continue.

The HIV clinic — located in a separate building on the Met property — will probably have its pharmacy merged with the cancer centre pharmacy and its hours will be reduced as staff retire, he said. 

Musyj said that due to the lack of funding, the hospital needs to get out of areas where patients can get the same service outside the hospital or at their doctor’s office.

Other hospitals in the province are in the same boat. London Health Sciences announced last week it would replace its cleaning staff with lower-paid contract workers and Bluewater Health in Sarnia announced it would be cutting 12 staff.

He said it’s too early to tell whether all the job cuts announced at Windsor Regional will be achieved through attrition. While natural attrition is five per cent a year, he said other factors could raise that number, including an early retirement package that provides nine months of pay and the lure of Michigan hospitals and their high-value U.S. paycheques. Maternal and parental leaves can also offset the job losses, he said.

“So there are a lot of factors,” Musyj said. “We’re not in any way guaranteeing it, but we’ve got to let it play out and see what happens.”

bcross@postmedia.com

twitter.com/winstarcross

Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Monday. Check out the gallery.

A dog walks alongside its owner without a leash in Optimist Park on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.

A dog walks alongside its owner without a leash in Optimist Park on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.

Dean Cresswell and his dogs Phoenix and Bandit are shown on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016 outside of the Provincial Court in Windsor, Ont. before the sentencing of Michael Earl Hill. Cresswell and the dogs found Justice the dog that Hill had bound with tape and left to die.

Jessica Hems and Adam Esipu, owners of Justice the dog leave the Provincial Court in Windsor, Ont. on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016 after the sentencing of Michael Earl Hill.

Fred Doughty breaks down in tears on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016 outside provincial court in Windsor, Ont., after the sentencing of Michael Earl Hill. Doughty worked with Hill and is related to the owners of the dog.

Trisha Hamilton-Poupard, left, and Anthony Poupard prepare to depart at Windsor International Airport Feb. 1, 2016.

Maya Beydoun, right, defends taller opponent Rico Rabee during a pickup basketball game in the 400 block of Niagara Street in the city’s downtown Feb. 1, 2016. Beydoun, who plays for Kennedy Clippers, turned 16 years old Monday.

Alexi Korunoska, left, attempts to pass against taller opponent Ali Hamieh during a pickup basketball game in the 400 block of Niagara Street in the city’s downtown Feb. 1, 2016. Warm weather had area residents dropping their winter coats and boots.

Frisky Cleopatra and owner Tim Grasso enjoy a beautiful afternoon at Memorial Park Feb. 1, 2016.

June and Ron St. Amour hold up a parking ticket they received while visiting Windsor Regional Hospital at their home in Windsor on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. The couple thinks the hospital needs to do something about the lack of parking.

The setting sun is seen behind the Detroit skyline from Windsor at the end of an unseasonably warm Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.

The setting sun is seen behind the Detroit skyline from Windsor at the end of an unseasonably warm Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.

The setting sun is seen behind the Detroit skyline from Windsor at the end of an unseasonably warm Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.

The group opposed to the County Road 42 location for the new mega-hospital is bringing a former Toronto mayor to Windsor Wednesday and Thursday to help promote its call for a site in the urban core.

“Putting a hospital on the edge of a community is a dumb decision,” John Sewell says in the speech he’s written for the free event organized by Citizens for an Accountable Mega-hospital Planning Process. His speech begins at 7 p.m. at the University of Windsor’s Vanier Hall. 

Described as an urban activist, Sewell was a Toronto city councillor for 15 years who served as mayor from 1979 to 1980. He’ll be talking about the role hospitals play in communities and the trend he’s observed lately of mega-hospitals being planned for the outskirts of such communities as Windsor, Collingwood, Huntsville and Bracebridge. 

Sewell will also be the featured speaker Thursday at the Windsor Public Library’s central branch. Things start with a 10 a.m. screening of the climate-change film This Changes Everything, an 11:30 a.m. free lunch, Sewell’s talk at noon, followed by talks from community members starting at 1:30 p.m.

While the site selection committee has selected a 60-acre site on 42 as the location for the new $2-billion acute care hospital, CAMPP member Philippa von Zeigenweidt said there’s no reason to give up the fight for an urban site. 

“It hasn’t been approved by the province, so as far as we’re concerned there’s definitely hope,” she said.

The Amherstburg Police Service is now the first in Ontario to add body-worn cameras as standard equipment for front-line officers.

While a number of other services across the province have used body cameras as part of a pilot project, it became standard issue for Amherstburg’s 16 front-line officers as of Jan. 1.

Chief Tim Berthiaume said complaints about a lack of civility by officers have all but disappeared since members first started wearing cameras as part of an eight-month pilot project in 2013.

“I liked what I saw,” Berthiaume said. “Basically, it’s an unequivocal account of what was said between the officer and a member of the public.”

Last year, 40 per cent of his front-line staff wore them daily.

“It increases transparency and accountability,” Berthiaume said. “I also saw an opportunity to address training needs. We’re good at what we do but we’re not perfect. This is an opportunity for our sergeants to evaluate officers on the road.”

Amherstburg Sr. Const. Don Zimmerman displays his body-worn camera Tuesday which is now part the uniform.

It cost the department about $40,000 to purchase 23 cameras and a data server to store the images. The cost was spread across department budgets from 2014 and 2015.

Officers turn the camera on when responding to a call and they notify people they are being recorded. A person cannot refuse being recorded in public but they can refuse if an officer is inside their home.

Calgary is the only large-scale service in Canada deploying the technology routinely with 1,100 officers.

Services in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Thunder Bay, London and Hamilton have been part of pilot projects.

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police endorsed the one-year pilot project in Toronto that wraps up next month.

“We see it as the inevitable future for policing,” said Ron Bain, executive director of the OACP.

Bain said OACP will also study any data collected by Amherstburg police.

“There are a number of issues we have to get a handle on,” said Bain, referring to privacy issues.

Specifically, he mentioned establishing policy for redacting images of people, including children, caught on camera who are not involved in the incident at hand. There are also policy decisions to be made on how long to keep images and who has access to them.

“We need to have a fulsome pilot project before we make any decisions to roll this out to every police service,” Bain said.

The Police Association of Ontario”supports the concept,” said PAO president Bruce Chapman, who cited many of the same concerns held by OACP.

“There’s a number of logistical issues that come with (body cameras),” Chapman said. “There’s privacy issues, the cost of storage, what’s disclosable.

“We’re looking for these pilot projects to roll out, here’s the advantages, here’s the disadvantages. Let’s not rush to judgment and spend millions of dollars until these logistics are worked out.”

mcaton@windsorstar.com

twitter.com/winstarcaton

He just might be Windsor’s most popular pooch.

More than 470,000 people went online to read the last story about the man sentenced for torturing Justice the dog.

Since he made national headlines after being discovered taped up and discarded to die, Justice has attracted more adoption requests than the local humane society has received for any other animal.

“Based on the number of people who have called and messaged and asked people here personally, I would easily say over 1,000,” said humane society executive director Melanie Coulter.

Michael Earl Hill, 32, who taped the dog’s muzzle shut, bound its legs and left it to die in a field, was sentenced Monday to two years in a penitentiary.

The 13-pound Patterdale terrier’s life was spared when Dean Cresswell stumbled across Justice Dec. 13 in a field next to Canadian Tire on Walker Road.

Justice, a dog who was bound at the feet and mouth with electrical tape and then discarded to die, continues to heal while in care at the Windsor/Essex Humane Society.

After Cresswell found the dog he took to Facebook, causing a public outcry. People joined the call on social media condemning Hill and the horrific act. Angry animal lovers protested outside the courthouse every time Hill was scheduled to appear.

About 65,000 people signed a petition calling for the maximum sentence of 25 years behind bars along with a lifetime ban on pet ownership.

As of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Windsor Star story about Hill’s sentencing was viewed online more than 472,132 times.

The humane society has been inundated with requests to adopt Justice. But he won’t be moving to his forever home any time soon.

“The earliest would be summer,” said Coulter. “He hasn’t even started his heartworm treatment and that’s a three-month process. We’re not even taking applications at this point because we would end up with this huge list and probably half the people in four months would not be able to take him, or the home might not work.”

Justice, a dog who was bound at the feet and mouth with electrical tape and then discarded to die, continues to heal while in care at the Windsor/Essex Humane Society.

Coulter said there hasn’t been much thought given to how the humane society will sort through all the people who want to adopt Justice, because it’s so far off.

“But basically what we would do is look at what kind of home he needs,” said Coulter. “He does have some unique behaviour issues that we’re going to have to work with.”

One issue for Justice, who has been spending time in a foster home, is that he doesn’t seem to get along with cats.

“If he is not good with cats, then we will have to look for an adoptive home that doesn’t have cats,” said Coulter. “The same thing is true with other dogs and all those different factors.”

He’s also not “reliably house broken.”

“We hope that will be resolved by the time he’s ready for adoption,” said Coulter. “But if he’s not, that’s going to eliminate potential adopters. Once we’re at the point where he’s medically ready for a home, we’ll basically look at what issues he may have and what homes will be able to meet his needs.”

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Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Wednesday. Check out the gallery.

Doug Johnston displays his parking permit that he says was displayed when he received a ticket while at Windsor Regional Hospital’s Ouellette Campus.

A swan swims along the Detroit River on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, in Windsor, Ont.

Windsor City hall and All Saints Church are reflected in the ice rink at Charles Clark Square in Windsor, Ontario on February 3, 2016. The ice rink has been closed pending colder temperatures.

Smoke billowing from a warehouse fire in Highland Park, MI. is visible from Windsor, ON. on Wednesday, February 3, 2016. The massive blaze went on for hours. Highland Park is approximately 15 kilometres away from Windsor.

Police and firefighter personnel are shown at the intersection of Tecumseh, Rd. E. and Manning Rd. on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, in Tecumseh, ON. An arcing hydro wire caused the shut down of Tecumseh Rd. E. for approximately an hour while hydro crews repaired the line.

Hydro technicians repair a hydro line at the intersection of Tecumseh, Rd. E. and Manning Rd. on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, in Tecumseh, ON. An arcing hydro wire required the shut down of Tecumseh Rd. E. for approximately an hour while to repair the line.

Essex-Windsor EMS paramedics and Windsor firefighters stabilize a victim of a two-vehicle accident on Campbell Avenue south of Wyandotte Street west on February 3, 2016 in Windsor, Ontario. There were two patients transported to hospital with unknown injuries. Windsor Police closed Campbell Avenue while emergency crews aided the victims.

Windsor police converge on a stolen car, right, on Marentette Avenue near Wyandotte Street East February 03, 2016.

Windsor police converge on a stolen car, right, on Marentette Avenue near Wyandotte Street East February 03, 2016.

Windsor police assist a woman, left, after a stolen car was spotted and later recovered on Marentette Avenue near Wyandotte Street East February 03, 2016. Several Windsor Police cruisers were involved and there were no injuries.

The Windsor Express’ Alex Johnson fights for the loose ball with the London Lightnings Tyshawn Patterson during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Kirk Williams Jr. reacts after scoring against the London Lightning during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Ljubisa Vrcelj collides with the London Lightnings Taylor Black during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Maurice Bolden fires a free throw against the London Lightning during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The London Lightnings Kevin Loiselle objects to a foul call while taking on the Windsor Express during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Brandon Robinson cuts around the London Lightnings Stephen Maxwill during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Brandon Robinson fires a free throw against the London Lightning during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Brandon Robinson gets caught between the London Lightnings Warren Ward and Akeem Wright (right) during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Jamal McQueen and the London Lightnings Nick Okorie collide during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Brandon Robinson collides with the London Lightnings Marcus Capers during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Maurice Moss drives to the net and around the London Lightnings Ryan Anderson during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Adrian Moss trips over the London Lightnings Mustafaa Jones during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

DeAndre Thomas returns for the Windsor Express’ vs. the London Lightning Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Chris Commons fires a shot against the London Lightning during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

Members of the Great Canadian Flag project unveil a huge Canadian flag prior to the start of the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

Members of the Great Canadian Flag project unveil a huge Canadian flag prior to the start of the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

Members of the Great Canadian Flag project unveil a huge Canadian flag prior to the start of the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

Members of the Great Canadian Flag project unveil a huge Canadian flag prior to the start of the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express prepare to take on the London Lightning at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

A reserved VIP table is seen as the Windsor Express prepare to take on the London Lightning at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Brandon Robinson prepares to take on the London Lightning at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Jamal McQueen and the London Lightnings Nick Okorie collide during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Maurice Moss drives to the net and around the London Lightnings Akeem Wright during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Brandon Robinson gets caught between the London Lightnings Warren Ward and Akeem Wright (right) during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Shaquille Keith drives to the net against the London Lightning during the Clash at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

The Windsor Express’ Brandon Robinson prepares to take on the London Lightning at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.

The London Lightning prepare to take on the Windsor Express at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016.