Mother of missing Duncan, B.C. girl links dispute with father to mask mandate in schools
The mother of a missing Duncan, B.C., girl says she fears for her daughter’s safety while the RCMP reiterate the girl is not in danger.
Roget Hall identifies herself as the mother of Violet Bennett, 7, who was reported missing to North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP on Sunday. The RCMP believe she’s with her father, Jesse Bennett, 36.
“Due to mask mandates, her father wishes to pull her out of school, something I have refused to do,” Hall said in a statement to CTV News.
“Me and Jesse have never gotten along," she added. "We have different views and opinions on many subjects, but we both agree on one thing and that’s our love for Violet.”
Hall said she’s only seen her daughter a handful of times since October, despite sharing custody with her father.
“Unfortunately, our previous court order was not police-enforceable. I knew she was safe in Duncan with him, and so I went through the right court channels to get her back,” she said.
The RCMP said a joint custody agreement in the Victoria Family Law Court on Jan. 20 determined Jesse had to return Violet to her mother immediately. Police have been unable to contact him since.
“I have no idea where she is, if she’s OK, if she’s even with him,” Hall wrote. “As a mother, I don’t know how to handle this situation. I feel shattered, broken, numb to everything.”
RCMP have spoken with people who know Jesse and do not believe Violet is in danger based on those conversations.
“At this point, we don’t have any information to suggest that… Jesse would hurt her, which would be the criteria for issuing an amber alert,” Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet told CTV News.
“We’re following up on some banking information, looking at social media, talking to anybody who might have seen Jesse or have information about where he may or not be going with Violet," Shoihet said.
Police are investigating potential sightings of the pair, she added.
Jesse Bennett is described as a white man who stands 5' 10" tall and weighs roughly 160 pounds. He has blue eyes, a brown beard, a bald head, and may be wearing a hat.
Violet Bennett is described as a white girl who stands 4' tall and weighs 50 to 60 pounds. She has blue eyes and curly hair.
“Violet is the sweetest, most caring, beautiful child. She loves to climb trees, swim in any body of water, play, collect rocks, do arts and crafts,” Hall said. “She’s very wild by nature and has no issues having dirt under her nails.”
Anyone with information on Jesse or Violet's whereabouts is asked to contact their local police, or North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police: Buffalo gunman aimed to keep killing if he got away
The white gunman accused of massacring 10 Black people in a racist rampage at a Buffalo supermarket planned to keep killing if he had escaped the scene, the police commissioner said Monday, as the possibility of federal hate crime or domestic terror charges loomed.
Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre denounces 'white replacement theory'
Pierre Poilievre is denouncing the 'white replacement theory' believed to be a motive for a mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., as 'ugly and disgusting hate-mongering.'
Ontario driver who killed woman and three daughters sentenced to 17 years in prison
A driver who struck and killed a woman and her three young daughters nearly two years ago 'gambled with other people's lives' when he took the wheel, an Ontario judge said Monday in sentencing him to 17 years behind bars.
What we know so far about the victims of the Buffalo mass shooting
A former police officer, the 86-year-old mother of Buffalo's former fire commissioner, and a grandmother who fed the needy for decades were among those killed in a racist attack by a gunman on Saturday in a Buffalo grocery store. Three people were also wounded.
Documents show a pattern of human rights abuses against gender diverse prisoners
Facing daily instances of violence and abuse, gender diverse people in the Canadian prison system say they are forced to take measures into their own hands to secure their safety.
White 'replacement theory' fuels racist attacks
A racist ideology seeping from the internet's fringes into the mainstream is being investigated as a motivating factor in the supermarket shooting that killed 10 people in Buffalo, New York. Most of the victims were Black.
LIVE SOON | Ontario party leaders face off in election debate
The Ontario election leaders debate is happening on Monday night. Here's how to watch it live.
Amber Heard says she feared she would not survive Johnny Depp marriage
'Aquaman' actor Amber Heard told jurors in a defamation case on Monday that she filed for divorce from Johnny Depp in 2016 because she worried she would not survive physical abuse by him.
Russia faces diplomatic and battlefield setbacks on Ukraine
Moscow suffered another diplomatic setback Monday in its war with Ukraine as Sweden joined Finland in deciding to seek NATO membership, while Ukraine's president congratulated soldiers who reportedly pushed Russian forces back near the border.
Vancouver
-
B.C. resident facing charges for allegedly feeding bears, coyotes for 'months': conservation officers
A Lower Mainland resident could face charges for allegedly feeding bears and coyotes in West Vancouver, provincial conservation officers say.
-
Refund requests for COVID-19 travel cancellations dismissed by B.C. tribunal
Multiple travellers seeking refunds for trips cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic recently had their complaints dismissed by a B.C. tribunal.
-
Metro Vancouver in for another round of wet, windy weather
People in Metro Vancouver are being told to brace for strong winds and heavy rain starting Tuesday evening.
Edmonton
-
Alta. man pleads guilty to 1st-degree murder in deaths of woman, toddler
The Alberta man accused of first-degree murder in the deaths of a 24-year-old woman and her 16-month-old child is due in court on Monday.
-
Trial to begin for father, son accused of killing Métis hunters in rural Alberta
A jury trial is to begin today for a man and his son who are accused of killing two Métis hunters.
-
Oilers calm, confident ahead of 'another level' Battle of Alberta
While many hockey fans in Edmonton were glued to the Calgary Flames Game 7 Sunday night, some Oilers players slept through it.
Toronto
-
LIVE SOON
LIVE SOON | Ontario party leaders face off in election debate
The Ontario election leaders debate is happening on Monday night. Here's how to watch it live.
-
NEW
NEW | Ontario landlord says he's drained his savings after tenants stopped paying rent last year
An Ontario landlord who says he's exhausted his savings and credit after his tenants allegedly stopped paying rent six months ago is frustrated he has no power to evict them.
-
Ontario driver who killed woman and three daughters sentenced to 17 years in prison
A driver who struck and killed a woman and her three young daughters nearly two years ago 'gambled with other people's lives' when he took the wheel, an Ontario judge said Monday in sentencing him to 17 years behind bars.
Calgary
-
'Great for all of Alberta': Flames, Oilers prepare for battle in second round
Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk weren't even born the last time the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they still understand how much the Battle of Alberta means to fans of both teams.
-
Calgary's rental car shortage expected to continue through summer 2022
A summer approaches, travellers hoping to rent a vehicle may find it difficult to find an affordable option – not just in Alberta, but right across Canada.
-
Battle of Alberta extends to city halls with friendly facepaint, cancer charity donation wager
The mayors of Calgary and Edmonton are throwing their support behind their respective home teams ahead of the long awaited return of a playoff version of the storied Battle of Alberta.
Montreal
-
Quebec coroner calls for independence in public health director role in final report on long-term care home deaths
The government of Quebec needs to ensure the role of the public health director is independent and without any 'political constraint,' a Quebec coroner has recommended in a final report into deaths at long-term care homes during the pandemic's first wave.
-
Quebec should 'ideally' aim for 100,000 immigrants per year, says CPQ
Quebec should aim to welcome 100,000 immigrants per year, according to the Conseil du patronat (CPQ).
-
Gas prices: Montreal reaches another record high of $2.15 per litre
Montreal commuters woke up to spiking gas prices as some stations' price for regular is currently a record high and over $2.15-per-litre.
Atlantic
-
'Absolutely disgusting': Team leader critical of RCMP mental health support after N.S. shooting
The RCMP's treatment of their tactical team in the days following the April 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia was characterized as "absolutely disgusting" Monday during testimony before the public inquiry examining the killings.
-
Coroner's inquest into 2020 police shooting death of Indigenous woman begins in N.B.
A jury of three women and two men has been chosen in the coroner's inquest into the death of Chantel Moore -- a 26-year-old Indigenous woman fatally shot during a wellness check by police in Edmundston, N.B.
-
Closure concerns: Glace Bay ER closed for nearly two years due to staffing shortages
The emergency department at the Glace Bay Hospital has been closed since July of 2021, and it’s unclear when it will reopen.
Winnipeg
-
Community cut off after flooding washes out roads in western Manitoba
Flooding that has washed out many roads and bridges in a section of western Manitoba has cut off one community from the outside world.
-
Homicide investigation launched after human remains found in North Kildonan: WPS
Winnipeg police say human remains found in North Kildonan early Monday morning are believed to be the result of a homicide.
-
Two Winnipeg teachers among recipients of Governor General’s History Awards
Two Winnipeg teachers and a Manitoba-born judge are among the winners of this year’s Governor General’s History Awards.
Kitchener
-
Police searching for man after child's suspicious death in Cambridge
The Waterloo Regional Police Service has released the name of a man they say could have information on the suspicious death of an eight-year-old boy in Cambridge.
-
Trial of brothers accused of killing Nick Tanti starts in Guelph
Tanti, 27, was stabbed during a confrontation outside a downtown Guelph bar on MacDonell Street around 2 a.m. on February 29, 2020.
-
'It will be a historic night': Green Party to participate in Ontario leaders’ debate for first time
The leaders of Ontario's largest political parties will participate in a live debate Monday night, and for the first time in history, the Green Party will also be on the stage.
Regina
-
Regina's mayor met with PM Trudeau in Ottawa Monday
Regina Mayor Sandra Masters met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa on Monday to discuss a number of topics including ongoing infrastructure projects and social initiatives.
-
Sask. government ramps up development on potential hydrogen hub
The Saskatchewan government has begun work on a foundation report study ramping up development on a potential hydrogen hub in the Regina-Moose Jaw region.
-
Rule changes for public alcohol consumption in parks: Sask. govt.
The Sask. government is looking to provide municipalities and park authorities with the discretion to allow alcohol consumption in public places, according to a news release.
Barrie
-
Truck rollover on Highway 400 in York Region caused major delays
A truck rollover on Highway 400 south of Newmarket is causing major delays Monday, according to provincial police.
-
Clear out your closet for a new fashion market in Innisfil
A fashion market is coming to the Town of Innisfil next month.
-
OPP officer taken to hospital after rollover near Cookstown
An OPP cruiser flipped onto its roof shortly after noon Monday.
Saskatoon
-
Rising fuel costs a challenge in search for missing Sask. boy
The rising cost of fuel is complicating the nearly month-long search for a missing Saskatchewan boy continues.
-
Where most police street checks happen in Saskatoon
Saskatoon Police Service says all of the 189 contact interviews conducted by its officers last year complied with policy.
-
Political movement 'Saskatchewan United' attempting to gain party recognition
Former Sask. Party MLA turned Independent Nadine Wilson and former federal Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz are both involved with the 'Saskatchewan United' movement.
Northern Ontario
-
LIVE SOON
LIVE SOON | Ontario party leaders face off in election debate
The Ontario election leaders debate is happening on Monday night. Here's how to watch it live.
-
Loose cows threatened at Old Woman Bay north of the Sault
Complaints about people hunting and shooting roaming cows in the area of Old Woman Road, on Highway 17 north of Sault Ste. Marie, were reported by the OPP in tweets late Saturday and early Sunday.
-
Ontario driver who killed woman and three daughters sentenced to 17 years in prison
A driver who struck and killed a woman and her three young daughters nearly two years ago 'gambled with other people's lives' when he took the wheel, an Ontario judge said Monday in sentencing him to 17 years behind bars.