On March 25, 2026, just after 11:30 a.m, an officer of the Orillia OPP was conducting speed enforcement on Highway 400 NB in the Township of Oro-Medonte when they observed a vehicle travelling at a notably high rate of speed. The vehicle was found to travelling 93 km/hr over the posted speed limit of 100 km/hr. The vehicle was stopped, and a 21-year-old from Bancroft is facing the following charges under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA):

–      Drive Motor Vehicle – Perform stunt – Excessive speed, and

–      Speeding

As a result, their vehicle has been impounded for 14 days, their licence suspended for 30 days, and the driver was served with a future court date to answer to the charge.

The OPP remind motorists that excessive speed is never acceptable and puts yourself and other members of the community at risk. The Orillia OPP is committed to serving our province, including the Townships of Oro-Medonte, Ramara and Severn and the City of Orillia. If you have any information about crime in our community, please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To report minor occurrences online please visit www.opp.ca/reporting. You can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit your information online at www.crimestopperssdm.com. Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to call display, and you will remain anonymous. You will not testify in court and your information may lead to a cash reward of up to $2,000.00.

The post Driver Charged For Going 193km/hr On Hwy. 400 In Oro-Medonte appeared first on Muskoka411.

The post Man Guilty And Fined $7,000 For Unlawfully Hunting At Night appeared first on Muskoka411.

Officers were conducting a RIDE program around 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at the intersection of Loop and Elephant Roads. One driver underwent roadside testing and was subsequently arrested and transported to the detachment for additional testing by an OPP drug recognition expert.

Craig Storrie, age 46 of Haliburton, has been charged with operation while impaired – drugs.

The accused’s license has been suspended for 90 days and their vehicle impounded for seven days. The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Bancroft on December 2, 2025.

The post Haliburton Resident Charged With Impaired At A Festive RIDE Check appeared first on Muskoka411.

On Saturday, October 18, 2025, just after 8:00 p.m., Bancroft OPP officers were conducting traffic patrol on Hastings Street North in the Town of Bancroft. Officers conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle driving suspiciously. An Approved Screening Device was used during the stop, as a result the driver was transported to the detachment for further testing.

Stephen MCPherson, a 58-year-old resident of Minden, has been charged with the following:

–      Operation while impaired – alcohol

–      Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)

The accused’s licence was suspended for 90 days and their vehicle impounded for seven days. The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Bancroft on November 4, 2025.

The post Minden Resident Charged With Impaired Driving In Bancroft appeared first on Muskoka411.

On August 13, 2025, shortly after 1:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a theft in progress at a retail store on Hastings Street North in Bancroft. It was reported that a male suspect stole a cart of merchandise before leaving the store. The suspect allegedly returned a short time later and was confronted by store staff, at which point he fled into a wooded area behind the business.

Officers conducted an area search and later located and arrested two individuals in relation to the incident.

As a result of the investigation:

Wayne Fairhurst, 50 years old, of Dysart et al., has been charged with:

• Theft Under $5,000 – Shoplifting, contrary to section 334(b) of the Criminal Code
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000, contrary to section 355(b) of the Criminal Code

Ashley Fairhurst, 37 years old, of Dysart et al., has been charged with:

• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000, contrary to section 355(b) of the Criminal Code

Both accused were released on undertakings and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Bancroft on a future date.

The post Two Dysart et al Residents Charged For Shoplifting appeared first on Muskoka411.

On Thursday July 3^rd, 2025, shortly after 8:30 p.m., officers were conducting a RIDE program on Monck Street in the Town of Bancroft. While Officers were speaking with a driver, they recognized a wanted person in the vehicle who was subsequently arrested. As a result, the following items were seized:

– Over 15g of suspected methamphetamine

– Over 2g of suspected cocaine

– Les then 1g of suspected yellow heroin

– Over 28g of suspected fentanyl

– Morphine pills

– Lorazepam pills

– Suspected heroin

– Methadone

– Black Browning flip knife

– Expandable baton

– Mace

– Three scales

Amy MANNING, age 32, of Dysart Et Al has been charged with the following:

– Possession of a prohibited device – two counts

– Unauthorized possession of weapon

– Knowledge of unauthorized possession of weapon

– Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose

– Possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking – seven counts

– Possession of a schedule IV substance

The accused was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on July 7, 2025.

The post Dysart Et Al Resident Charged After Almost $13,000 Worth Of Drugs Found At A RIDE Check appeared first on Muskoka411.

On Monday, April 28, 2025, shortly after 10:30 a.m. emergency services were dispatched to Faraday Lake for reports of a capsized canoe. When emergency crews arrived on scene there was one occupant of the canoe that was unaccounted for. Two other males had safely made it to shore.

The OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit located a body and confirmed it to be the occupant of the canoe. They have been identified as a 19-year-old male from Scarborough.

The individual had not been wearing a life jacket.

The water is still very cold making it more challenging if you fall in.

The OPP calls on everyone to ALWAYS wear a PFD or life jacket when on the water.

The post Suspected Drowning In The Bancroft Area appeared first on Muskoka411.

On Friday, April 10, 2025, shortly before 8:00 p.m., officers stopped a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was found to be wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant. Officers seized suspected cocaine and a weapon from the vehicle.

Justin Sleeper of Bancroft has been charged with:

• Traffic in Schedule I substance – Cocaine
• Possession of a prohibited device or ammunition
• Carry concealed prohibited device or ammunition
• Unauthorized possession of weapon
• Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
• Possession of a prohibited device
• Possession of an identity document or ammunition
• Possession of firearm or ammunition contrary to prohibition order – three counts
• Unauthorized possession of weapon

The accused was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on April 14, 2025.

The post Canada Wide Warrant Leads To Several Charges For Bancroft Resident appeared first on Muskoka411.

The homeowner remains unaccounted for at this time, but investigators cannot speculate on the identity of the deceased. A postmortem examination will be required in order to confirm the identity of the individual.

The Bancroft Fire Department, Office of the Fire Marshal, Bancroft OPP Crime Unit and the OPP Forensic Identification Unit (FIS) are continuing the investigation, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.

Anyone with information regarding the fire should contact the Bancroft Detachment at 1-888-310-1122.

The post Human Remains Located Following Residential Fire In Bancroft appeared first on Muskoka411.

In December 2024 police received a call regarding a fraud in the Town of Bancroft. A fraudster called the employee of a local business, pretending to be working on behalf the business owner. The individual had enough details to be convincing.

The fraudster had the employee take a large amount of cash, drive to Peterborough and deposit the cash into a bitcoin machine using digital QR codes sent to the victim.

The OPP and other police services have seen several other instances with a similar scheme. It can be difficult to trace and often the culprits are in another country

Although this story involves a business, police have also had similar stories with private citizens. Here are some tips of how to prevent this from happening to you:

• Caller ID, email, and websites can be altered and look legitimate
• Never assume the phone number appearing on call display is accurate
• Hang up and make an outgoing call when someone claims to be a financial institution, service provider, law enforcement, government agency or employer
• Call the company or agency directly, if you receive a text message or email
• Never click on links received via text message or email
• When visiting a website, always verify the URL and domain to make sure you are on the official website
• Legitimate businesses or government agencies will not ask you to make payments via cryptocurrency machines
•  If something does not feel right, it often is not. Trust your instincts!

The post Real Business Fraud Story And Tips To Prevent It From Happening appeared first on Muskoka411.