Category: NORTH ALGONA-WILBERFORCE

(NORTH ALGONA-WILBERFORCE TWP, ON) – An individual is facing charges after an incident on Golden Lake in North Algona-Wilberforce (NAW) Township.  

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, at approximately 10:00 p.m., members of the Upper Ottawa Valley (UOV) Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to call regarding a canoeist in distress on Golden Lake. The individual onboard did not have a life jacket, and the canoe began taking on water, eventually capsizing in high winds. Police arrived on scene and found the man had made it to shore along Island View Drive in NAW.   

The canoeist was taken to hospital for assessment by Renfrew County Paramedics. As part of the investigation a Approved Screening Device was utilized, and further testing was conducted.

 As a result, 40-year-old Jordan WATSON, from the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, is charged with the following Criminal Code (CC) and Canada Shipping Act (CSA) offences:

• Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration 80mg plus
• Operating a personal watercraft without required personal floatation device on board

The accused had their driver’s licence suspended for 90 days. The accused was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Pembroke on June 16, 2025.

Under the Criminal Code, it is illegal to operate a conveyance while impaired. Conveyance broadly means a motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft or railway equipment. A vessel encompasses all types of watercraft, regardless of whether they are motorized or not. This includes boats, canoes, kayaks and sailboats. 

(NORTH ALGONA WILBERFORCE TWP, ON) – A driver is facing Criminal Code (CC) charges after a single-vehicle collision in the Upper Ottawa Valley (UOV) Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Detachment area.

On March 3, 2025, at approximately 7:30 p.m., an off-duty OPP officer reported a single-vehicle in the ditch on Highway 60 in North Algona Wilberforce (NAW) Township.  No injuries were reported. The driver was taken into custody, and testing was conducted at the detachment.   

As a result of this incident 38-year-old Joshua LIGHTBODY of Admaston-Bromley Township has been charged with the following CC offences:

• Operation while impaired – alcohol
• Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration 80mg plus

The accused had their driver’s licence suspended for 90 days and their vehicle was towed and impounded for seven days. The accused was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Pembroke April 3, 2025.