Queenston Street named Niagara’s worst road
For the second year in a row, Queenston Street in St. Catharines has earned the title of Niagara’s worst road.
According to voters in CAA’s 2017 Worst Roads campaign, Queenston Street is also the fifth worst road in the province, up one notch from 2016.
Burlington Street East in Hamilton was voted the worst road in Ontario.
Queenston Street, which is undergoing major improvements in the hopes of losing the infamous title of Niagara’s worst road in 2018, was the only Niagara road in the top 10 across the province.
Drummond Road in Niagara Falls was voted the second worst road in Niagara (up from number three last year), while Eagle Street and Dominion Road in Fort Erie, and Ontario Street in St. Catharines, round out the top five.
Voting in the three-week campaign saw significant engagement, according to CAA.
John Crocco, the board’s director of education, said in a Thursday interview that the school received information in late 2013 about a teacher having sexual relationships with students.
“This came to us just around Christmas 2013, and we began an investigation,” said Crocco. “In early 2014, the teacher was removed from the classroom. That teacher never returned to the classroom, and we contacted both the Ontario College of Teachers and the Niagara Regional Police.”
Unruh retired from the school board in April 2014, Crocco said.
In September 2016, the college published a notice of a disciplinary hearing for Unruh.
The notice accuses Unruh of professional misconduct and abusing students physically, sexually and emotionally.
The document said Unruh had personal and sexual relationships with two female students, identified only as Student 1 and Student 2.
The relationship with Student 1 happened during the 2010-11 school year, and with Student 2 during the 2013-14 academic year.
According to the college notice, Unruh took both girls to dinner and lunch, discussed personal issues with them and gave them gifts, although the nature of the gifts is redacted in the document.
He “commented on Student 1’s
‘boobs’” and “contacted Student 1 and ended the message with ‘I love you,’” according to the document.
The notice also said Unruh had a key to Student 1’s home and visited her there.
The document said a disciplinary hearing date was to be set in October, but college spokeswoman Gabrielle Barkany said it had not been scheduled yet.
Barkany would not discuss the details of Unruh’s case but said the conflicting schedules of an accused teacher, the college committees and lawyers can take time to manage.
She also said the college often puts disciplinary hearings on hold if there are concurrent criminal matters before the courts.
“We don’t want to interfere with anything before the courts or with a police investigation, or interfere with the availability of witnesses,” she said.
The charges against Unruh have yet to be proven in court or before the college’s disciplinary committee.
Crocco said the safety of students in the school board’s care is of paramount concern and urged any students, parents or staff who have concerns to come forward.
Police say they believe there may be additional victims and are asking them to come forward by calling the NRP sexual assault unit at 905-688-4111 ext. 5100.