The official opening to the winter season of activities of the Summerstown Trails is scheduled for Sunday, January 13.

Recent snowfall has allowed volunteers to groom the trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat bike use. The opening had been delayed due to prevailing icy conditions and lack of snow in the Summerstown Forest.

Friends of the Summerstown Trails volunteers will be on hand, 10 a.m. through 3 p.m., to welcome and assist visitors. Equipment rental is available.

The parking lot is located on the west side of County Road 27 (Summerstown Road), just north of Summerstown Station and the Highway 401 interchange.

Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry Ontario Provincial Police officers are investigating multiple reports of theft of gas at the Highland Esso, located on County Road 20 at Highway 417 in North Glengarry Township. The first incident dates back to January 2017and have continued to December 2018.

The thief will pull up to the furthest pump from the store during a busy time, exit the vehicle and fuel up without ever looking up towards the cameras. The vehicle will then drive past the Tim Hortons drive-thru, around the back of the store and exit through the North entrance.

The suspect is 5 foot 6 inches to  5 foot 7 inches tall, wears a hoodie with a ball cap and drives a red Hyundai Veloster.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-888-310-1122 or 1-800-222-8477.

Police are seeking help in finding a man who tried to rob a Canada Post worker December 27 at Summerset Acres Road and County Rd 2 in South Glengarry Township.

A man approached the postal worker, brandishing an ''edge weapon,'' reports the Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry Ontario Provincial Police detachment, and stated, "This is a hold-up." The victim left the scene immediately without sustaining any injuries. The suspect possibly left the scene in a silver four-door sedan.

The would-be thief is a Caucasian, with a slim build, is 20-25 years old, brown hair, approximately 5 foot, 6 inches tall, with a reddish moustache, black jogging pants, grey hoodie, dark-rimmed glasses and white-soled skater shoes. He spoke with a French accent.

Anyone with information is asked to call the SD&G OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

With Part 2 of Bill C-46 coming into effect December 18, the Ontario Provincial Police will begin to exercise new authority for investigating impaired drivers on Ontario roads.

Police officers will now be able to demand a roadside breath sample from any lawfully stopped driver to determine whether a person has alcohol in his or her body without first having to suspect the motorist has been drinking. Until now, officers had to have a reasonable suspicion that a driver had alcohol in their body before demanding a sample. Drivers need to be aware that it is mandatory for them to comply with this demand and that those who do not can be charged with failing or refusing to provide a breath sample. Under the new legislation, drivers impaired by alcohol will also face higher mandatory minimum fines and some higher maximum penalties.

"The new mandatory alcohol screening serves as an important deterrent to drivers who are impaired by alcohol, including those who believe they can avoid detection by police. So far this year, alcohol and/or drugs have been a factor in the deaths of 41 people on OPP-patrolled roads. Every person who uses our roads has the right to be safe. The OPP fully supports this and any other legislation that enhances our ability to reduce the number of preventable deaths attributed to this deadly driving behaviour."

The OPP has laid more than 7,300 impaired driving charges across the province between January 1 and mid-November.

Four too many?

New SDG Warden Jamie MacDonald suggests there are too many school boards in Eastern Ontario.

Read about it in the December 19 edition of The News.

Want to know why digital speed signs are posted on every road except yours?

Location of the displays is determined by authorities who have devised one big traffic management plan.

Read about it in the December 12 edition of The Glengarry News.

The weather was warm but the response was chilly when Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP Jim McDonell addressed a rally held Saturday at his Cornwall office to protest cuts to French-language services.

He was at one time booed when he attempted to explain the rationale behind the measures which led to Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MPP Amanda Simard to leave the Tory caucus and sit as an independent. 

Voters are understandably divided over Amanda Simard's decision to leave the ruling Conservative government to sit as an independent.

While many are hailing the Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MPP for her courage and conviction to her principles, others believe she has turned her backs on voters who supported the Conservatives in the last election, and has just blown any chance of reversing cuts to French-language services.

What do you think?

Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MPP Amanda Simard has quit the Tory caucus to sit as an independent.

The move comes the day after she continued to defy the Conservative government and voted in favour of a motion by the New Democrats asking Premier Doug Ford to reverse cutbacks to French-language services.

Speculation about her future within the majority government has been growing since last week when she criticized the cancellation of a proposed French-language university and the elimination of the independent French-language services commissioner.