Montreal police nab alleged porch pirate
Montreal police say they have nabbed an alleged porch pirate who they say stole packages left on doorsteps in Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
Police arrested Eric Lacombe, 44, last Wednesday. They believe he cycled through residential streets looking for packages left on doorsteps. He'd then grab the packages and place them on his bike trailer.
Officers managed to catch the alleged thief on Nov. 22 after receiving reports about him. At the time of his arrest, the suspect was in possession of a bicycle reported stolen from 529 Garage, a bicycle registration platform.
Lacombe appeared in court the same day he was arrested, and faces charges of theft under $5,000. He was released on conditions, pending trial. The man was known to police for similar offences.
POLICE SECURITY TIPS
Police are warning people that thieves are taking advantage of the popularity of online shopping to steal parcels left unattended.
Here are a few tips from Montreal police to avoid porch theft:
- Opt for delivery with signature
- Leave your parcel in a safe or bin fitted with a padlock, and instruct the delivery driver to lock it
- Ask a neighbour to collect your parcel if you think you'll be away at the time of delivery
- Have your purchases delivered at work if possible
- Ask to have your parcel delivered to a Canada Post secure drop box
- Install a surveillance camera to deter thieves
Bicycles are also often targeted by thieves. Police suggest registering your bike with the 529 Garage platform, increasing your chances of recovering a stolen bike.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING
BREAKING Canada's jobless rate jumps to near 8-year high of 6.8% in November
Canada's unemployment rate rose more than expected to 6.8 per cent in November, a near-eight-year high excluding the pandemic years, even as the economy added a net 50,500 jobs, data showed on Friday, likely boosting chances of a large interest rate cut next week.
3 climbers from the U.S. and Canada are believed to have died in a fall on New Zealand's highest peak
Three mountain climbers — two from the U.S. and one from Canada — missing for five days on Aoraki, New Zealand's tallest peak, are believed to have died in a fall, the authorities said Friday.
Salmonella cucumber recalls include products that may not be labelled: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has published an expanded pair of recalls for cucumbers over risks of salmonella contamination.
NEW
NEW Canada set to appoint Arctic ambassador, open new consulates as part of new Arctic Foreign Policy
Canada will appoint a new Arctic Ambassador and open two new consulates in the region to help deal with what it calls changing geopolitical dynamics in the Arctic, as part of its newly launched Arctic Foreign Policy.
Purolator, UPS pause shipments from couriers amid Canada Post strike
Purolator and UPS have paused shipments from some courier companies as they try to work through a deluge of deliveries brought on by the Canada Post strike.
Jasper family reunites with cat missing 100 days in the wilderness
Nicole Klopfenstein's four-year-old black and white tabby survived in the wilderness for more than 100 days after a ferocious wildfire forced the evacuation of the Rocky Mountain town of Jasper, Alta., this summer.
DEVELOPING
DEVELOPING Police scour New York for suspect two days after UnitedHealth executive gunned down
Armed with a growing file of clues, New York police on Friday were scouring surveillance videos and asking the public for help in their search for the masked assailant who gunned down a UnitedHealth executive on a Midtown Manhattan sidewalk.
opinion
opinion How will the weak Canadian dollar affect your holiday and travel plans?
As the Canadian dollar loses ground against major global currencies, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains how current exchange rates can impact your travel plans, and shares tips to help you plan smarter and protect your wallet.
The world has been warming faster than expected. Scientists now think they know why
Last year was the hottest on record, oceans boiled, glaciers melted at alarming rates, and it left scientists scrambling to understand exactly why.
Toronto
-
Six crashes reported north of Toronto due to slippery conditions
Ontario Provincial Police say they responded to six crashes north of Toronto overnight due to slippery conditions brought on by a blast of winter weather.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Canada's jobless rate jumps to near 8-year high of 6.8% in November
Canada's unemployment rate rose more than expected to 6.8 per cent in November, a near-eight-year high excluding the pandemic years, even as the economy added a net 50,500 jobs, data showed on Friday, likely boosting chances of a large interest rate cut next week.
-
opinion
opinion How will the weak Canadian dollar affect your holiday and travel plans?
As the Canadian dollar loses ground against major global currencies, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains how current exchange rates can impact your travel plans, and shares tips to help you plan smarter and protect your wallet.
Ottawa
-
NEW THIS MORNINGNEW THIS MORNING When will the Trillium Line open? We'll find out today
We should learn today when the north-south Trillium Line LRT will open, more than two years behind schedule.
-
Two cows, sheep on the loose downtown Kemptville, Ont., OPP asking drivers to be cautious
Attention eastern Ontario drivers! Two cows and a sheep are on the loose downtown Kemptville, Ont., warns the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
-
Here’s how cold it feels in Ottawa this Friday
It’s cold this Friday in Ottawa, as it feels like minus 17 in the morning and minus 10 in the afternoon with windchill.
Atlantic
-
Gas prices fall in all three Maritime provinces
The price of gasoline decreased in all three Maritime provinces on Friday.
-
Purolator, UPS pause shipments from couriers amid Canada Post strike
Purolator and UPS have paused shipments from some courier companies as they try to work through a deluge of deliveries brought on by the Canada Post strike.
-
Memorial service marks 107 years since the Halifax Explosion
The sound of the Citadel cannon will echo through downtown Halifax at 9:04 a.m. Friday – the exact time a massive explosion shook the city 107 years ago.
N.L.
-
'Kids are scared': Random attacks have residents of small-city N.L. shaken
Mount Pearl, near St. John's, has been the scene for three random attacks in November. Police have arrested and charged seven youth.
-
'They're sitting ducks:' More women with disabilities unhoused due to abuse, violence
New data show women with disabilities are more likely to be forced into homelessness because of violence or abuse.
-
GivingTuesday: Food banks need help, but charity won't end hunger, advocates say
It's GivingTuesday, and some directors of food banks and anti-poverty groups say the day underlines a conundrum for their organizations.
Northern Ontario
-
Purolator, UPS pause shipments from couriers amid Canada Post strike
Purolator and UPS have paused shipments from some courier companies as they try to work through a deluge of deliveries brought on by the Canada Post strike.
-
Four transport truck drivers charged in northern Ont. collisions on Hwy. 11
Bad weather and bad driving contributed to multiple collisions on Highway 11 on Wednesday, leading to charges for several commercial motor vehicle drivers.
-
Northern Ont. police catch liquor store thief, getaway driver
Two people from southern Ontario have been charged in connection with a liquor store robbery Wednesday in the Town of Thessalon. The suspects were caught after trying to flee on Highway 17 and hiding the booze in a snowbank.
London
-
All TVDSB, LCDSB schools closed
All schools in at the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), in addition to TVDSB’s education and distribution centres, and all London District Catholic School Board schools (LDCSB) are closed Friday.
-
Western University closed for second day, Fanshawe closes
Western University will remain closed for the second consecutive day Friday due to weather. All in-person classes and exams have either been cancelled or moved online.
-
City of London expects to re-open community centres Friday
The City of London said significant progress was made overnight when clearing snow and next steps are to get community centres open.
Kitchener
-
Waterloo Collegiate Institute closed due to no heat
Waterloo Collegiate Institute is closed Friday, due to a heating issue within the high school building.
-
developing
developing Arrest made, replica firearm seized, after early morning standoff in Stratford
One woman has been sent to hospital as Stratford Police investigate an intimate violence investigation Thursday morning.
-
Family displaced after fire rips through Kitchener apartment
A Kitchener family is looking for a new place to live after a fire ripped through their apartment.
Windsor
-
How to stay safe this holiday season
Health Canada is advocating for safety this holiday season, providing some tips so you can stay vigilant.
-
'Fantastic': Windsor’s mayor applauds premier for encampment response
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens is pleased by the 'positive tone' from Premier Doug Ford in his response to a letter signed by a dozen mayors calling for new encampment measures — including the potential use of the notwithstanding clause.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Canada's jobless rate jumps to near 8-year high of 6.8% in November
Canada's unemployment rate rose more than expected to 6.8 per cent in November, a near-eight-year high excluding the pandemic years, even as the economy added a net 50,500 jobs, data showed on Friday, likely boosting chances of a large interest rate cut next week.
Barrie
-
School bus cancellations in central Ontario
A snow day has been called for students in most of central Ontario.
-
Ontario police charge man in connection with deadly police-involved shooting in Innisfil
A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with a fatal police-involved shooting in an Innisfil, Ont. community nearly four months ago.
-
Snow squall warning issued for Simcoe County, with up to 35 cm of snow possible
Snow squall warnings for most of central Ontario with snow accumulations up to 35 centimetres likely.
Vancouver
-
3 climbers from the U.S. and Canada are believed to have died in a fall on New Zealand's highest peak
Three mountain climbers — two from the U.S. and one from Canada — missing for five days on Aoraki, New Zealand's tallest peak, are believed to have died in a fall, the authorities said Friday.
-
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim admits to being 'orange pilled' in Bitcoin interview
Bitcoin is soaring to all-time highs, and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim wants the city to get in on the action.
-
Could the discovery of an injured, emaciated dog help solve the mystery of a missing B.C. man?
When paramedic Jim Barnes left his home in Fort St. John to go hunting on Oct. 18, he asked his partner Micaela Sawyer — who’s also a paramedic — if she wanted to join him. She declined, so Barnes took the couple’s dog Murphy, an 18-month-old red golden retriever with him.
Vancouver Island
-
Could the discovery of an injured, emaciated dog help solve the mystery of a missing B.C. man?
When paramedic Jim Barnes left his home in Fort St. John to go hunting on Oct. 18, he asked his partner Micaela Sawyer — who’s also a paramedic — if she wanted to join him. She declined, so Barnes took the couple’s dog Murphy, an 18-month-old red golden retriever with him.
-
K’ómoks First Nation makes history with milestone in land governance
The K’ómoks First Nation is making history by becoming the first land code nation in Canada to appoint a justice of the peace – and she’s been recognized as a trailblazer, too.
-
Emotional pre-Christmas reunions as HMCS Vancouver returns home after a 6-month deployment
Just in time for Christmas, the HMCS Vancouver along with 240 crew members has retuned to Esquimalt Harbour after a six-month deployment.
Winnipeg
-
'In the dark': Surrounding community speaking out on proposed supervised consumption site
It was revealed on Wednesday that the proposed location of a supervised consumption site has been set for the Disraeli Freeway, and now members in the surrounding community are speaking out.
-
Cyber incident impacting court fine collection agency
The Province of Manitoba says it is working to determine how many Manitobans are impacted by a cyber incident.
-
'I do it for the community': Winnipeg veteran camps out at Higgins and Main for Christmas donations
A Winnipeg veteran wants to bring back some holiday spirit to his community. To get it done, he is camping out at Higgins and Main for 10 days.
Calgary
-
Remembering a broadcast legend: Calgarians pay their respects to Darrel Janz
Calgarians gathered Thursday to pay their respects to broadcast legend Darrel Janz, who inspired thousands of young journalists and continued sharing impactful local stories until his very last days.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Canada's jobless rate jumps to near 8-year high of 6.8% in November
Canada's unemployment rate rose more than expected to 6.8 per cent in November, a near-eight-year high excluding the pandemic years, even as the economy added a net 50,500 jobs, data showed on Friday, likely boosting chances of a large interest rate cut next week.
-
Binnington, Parayko shine for Blues after selection to Canada's 4 Nations team
Goaltender Jordan Binnington and defenceman Colton Parayko loomed large for the St. Louis Blues in a 4-3 overtime win Thursday over the Calgary Flames a day after they were named to Canada's roster for the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off.
Edmonton
-
Hyman scores a pair to help Oilers to 6-3 victory over Blue Jackets
It didn’t take long for Oilers forward Zach Hyman to make his presence known in his return from injury.
-
Jasper family reunites with cat missing 100 days in the wilderness
Nicole Klopfenstein's four-year-old black and white tabby survived in the wilderness for more than 100 days after a ferocious wildfire forced the evacuation of the Rocky Mountain town of Jasper, Alta., this summer.
-
'A bit of a middle ground': Edmonton city council approves 6.1 per cent property tax increase for 2025
After four days of deliberations, and some contention ahead of the final vote, Edmonton city council passed a 6.1-per-cent increase for 2025.
Regina
-
NEWNEW Sask. dad who withheld daughter from mom to prevent COVID-19 vaccine to be sentenced Friday
A Saskatchewan father who withheld his then seven-year-old daughter from her mother to prevent the child from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine will be sentenced on Friday.
-
Two charged, wanted in connection to man's death on Saskatchewan First Nation
Saskatchewan RCMP say two men have now been charged and are wanted in connection to the death of a 33-year-old man on White Bear First Nation in the province's southeast
-
Regina home recognized internationally for architectural design
Jane Arthur and her husband David began a unique construction project in 2014. Now, a decade later, their home in Regina's Cathedral neighbourhood has won a title in the Urban House and Villa category at the World Architecture Festival.
Saskatoon
-
Saskatoon-based dog rescue operator ordered to pay $27K for defamatory Facebook posts
A Saskatoon-based dog rescue operator has been ordered to pay over $27,000 in damages to five women after a judge ruled she defamed them in several Facebook posts.
-
Are other cities better at clearing snow than Saskatoon?
One of the noticeable changes during Saskatoon’s 2025 budget deliberations at city hall this past week was an increase to the snow and ice budget.
-
Sask. school bus driver arrested for impaired driving after transporting 50 kids
A Saskatchewan school bus driver, who was transporting 50 children shortly before his arrest, is facing impaired driving related charges.
