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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 24 ,2 02 0 | 12 Stay up-to-date with the latest openings and closures Visit oakville.ca for current information, and follow the town's social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit oakvilletransit.ca for holiday transit, care-A-van, Home to Hub schedules and safety restrictions. Snow clearing information line is available at 905-815-5999 along with our snow plow tracker at oakville.ca. Spot a problem? Report it! Our ServiceOakville Online tool lets you report a variety of issues like potholes, noise, winter services and on-street parking concerns. To report urgent problems related to roads, by-law enforcement, traffic lights, trees or storm events, please call 905-845-6601 to be connected with our after-hours service. Halton Region Public Health Halton Region Public Health and health care partners continue to focus on those most at risk of COVID-19. Visit the Halton Region COVID-19 web page before calling 3-1-1 for information on symptoms, prevention and when to contact Halton Region Public Health. Warm and safe Holiday Wishes from Town Council and staff! A 58-year-old Oakville man has been charged in connection with the theft of more than $500,000 worth of Wayne Gretzky memorabil- ia. Brantford police say the Gretzky family contacted them in August after they discovered various pieces of Wayne Gretzky sports mem- orabilia missing from the Brantford residence of Gretzky's father Walter. Officers said they quickly found that several of the missing items had likely been sold to various collec- tors across Canada. A three-month investiga- tion, which was assisted by the RCMP and OPP resulted in detectives identifying spe- cific residences where the stolen property was believed to be located. On Dec. 8, officers with the Brantford Police Service, OPP and RCMP, with assis- tance from Halton police, ex- ecuted search warrants at five homes across Ontario and Alberta. Police said during the course of the search war- rants they successfully re- covered various pieces of Wayne Gretzky sports mem- orabilia including multiple game-used sticks, hockey gloves, pants, jerseys and a Player-of-the-Year award. The estimated value of the recovered property is be- lieved to be more than $500,000 US. "On behalf of our family, I would like to thank the Brantford Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for every- thing they have done regard- ing this investigation," said Glen Gretzky, a representa- tive of the Gretzky family. "I would like to sincerely thank every member of the team; the professionalism, dedication and support they have shown has been greatly appreciated." A 58-year-old Oakville man is charged with theft over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. A 58-year-old woman from Brockville has also been charged with fraud over $5,000 and breach of trust in connection with this case. Police said the investiga- tion is ongoing. LOCAL MAN CHARGED IN THEFT OF GRETZKY MEMORABILIA DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com CRIME Three Oakville teens are facing charges after police made a strange discovery in the trunk of a car on Dec. 12. At 11:30 p.m., officers with the Wellington County Onta- rio Provincial Police (OPP) were conducting a RIDE check in the City of Guelph when they were approached by a white sedan, which ap- peared to be occupied by five people. Police said that while speaking with the driver they detected an odour of cannabis coming from with- in the vehicle. Officers say a subsequent investigation revealed one of the passengers to be in pos- session of an open container of liquor while another had an open bag of cannabis. When they opened the ve- hicle's trunk, they also found two additional passengers inside. OPP Constable Kirk MacDonald said riding in a vehicle's trunk is not only against the law, but also a re- ally bad idea. "There's so many things that can go wrong. Even a minor rear end collision could cause serious injuries or death if someone is in the trunk of a vehicle," he said. "People could even poten- tially asphyxiate. There are so many things that are wrong with it. If you have a situation where there are too many people to get in a vehi- cle, it is not worth the risk to have your friends pile in the trunk, even if they are just going out for a bite to eat be- cause there could be fatal consequences." Two 18-year-olds from To- ronto and Oakville have been charged with failing to occupy a position with a seatbelt. A 19-year-old pas- senger from Oakville has been charged with having li- quor in an open container. A second 19-year-old pas- senger from Oakville has been charged with unlawful purchase of cannabis. POLICE MAKE STRANGE DISCOVERY IN VEHICLE'S TRUNK DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com "If you have a situation where there are too many people to get in a vehicle, it is not worth the risk to have your friends pile in the trunk, even if they are just going out for a bite to eat because there could be fatal consequences." - OPP Constable Kirk MacDonald