Jacob Willis

QNet News Articles

A selection of the news I broke as a student journalist for QNet

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Quinte West OPP joins Belleville-founded CAMSafe program

BELLEVILLE – The Quinte West OPP is calling upon the public to register their security/doorbell cameras after the service announced Tuesday they have joined the CAMSafe program.

First launched by the Belleville Police Service in June 2021, CAMSafe is a web-based app that allows officers on patrol to quickly find where cameras are located in a neighbourhood. From there, they can contact the owners and request access to the footage for use in ongoing investigations.

Belleville Police Sgt. Jeremy
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Smith announces staff increases at Bay of Quinte long-term care homes

BELLEVILLE – Prominent political figures in the Bay of Quinte met in front of Hastings Manor Wednesday for the announcement of a $4.9 billion provincial investment in long-term care homes across Ontario.

Over the next five years, the funding will go towards extra staff to increase the number of hours of care each resident receives on a daily basis.

This year, over $3.2 million of this funding will go to long-term care homes in the Quinte region. The most funding will go towards Hastings Manor
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Honouring the Children event draws large crowd at Loyalist College’s A’nó:wara Learning Circle

BELLEVILLE – In honour of National Truth and Reconciliation Day, Loyalist College’s A’nó:wara Learning Circle was used as a space for open communication about community and reconciliation at the college.

Guest speakers shed light on the harrowing legacy of the Canadian residential school system in Indigenous communities. They broke down the historic, institutionalized barriers imposed upon First Nations peoples as a result of Canada’s colonialism.

Sacred tobacco packets were handed out to all
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Conservatives leading in all local ridings as Election Night 2021 wraps up

BELLEVILLE – Conservative candidates were leading in all three local ridings as midnight approached on Election Night 2021.

At close to 11:30 p.m., Conservative challenger Ryan Williams was leading Liberal incumbent and former Belleville mayor Neil Ellis by around 1,100 votes in the Bay of Quinte riding.

“We probably won’t get the full results in until tomorrow,” Ellis told QNet News in an interview at his post-election gathering in Belleville’s Sans Souci restaurant.

Others in the race were
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Transport kingpins discuss: taxi or URide for Belleville?

BELLEVILLE – The heads of Central Taxi and the URide ride-sharing service put aside their competitive rivalry Thursday, joining QNet News to discuss the state of transportation services in Belleville and their role in them.

Years from now, perhaps URide’s arrival in town at the end of 2020 will be remembered as a passing of the torch for transportation options. The transcript of Thursday’s Zoom call reads like a swan song for the traditional taxi services. Central Taxi, which along with one oth
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Turtle Taxi volunteers cross the province on lifesaving missions

BELLEVILLE – The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough stands as the province’s lone hospital specializing in turtle rehabilitation. It’s a beacon of hope for the droves of turtles that will inevitably cross paths with cars in the coming months as we reach peak nesting season.

But for our poor reptilian friends here in Belleville (or anywhere outside the Peterborough area), a trek across the road can still be a death sentence. The turtle conservation centre is over 100 kilometres a
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Political tensions a concern in the lead-up to Ontario vaccine mandate

BELLEVILLE ‒ Wednesday September 22 looms as a critical day in the fight against COVID-19 in Ontario.

That date is when Ontario officially puts into effect a vaccine passport mandate. Restaurants, bars and clubs must deny entry to anyone who cannot provide proof of two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In regard to public health, the evidence is clear. Vaccine requirements help to ensure a safe return to public spaces in the later stages of the pandemic.

But in terms of the local political climate
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Art Works studio the latest project from an artist not afraid to break new ground

BELLEVILLE – If you’re a young aspiring dancer interested in learning conventional hip-hop – that robotic, meticulously choreographed NSync/Backstreet Boys stuff – you can head to any studio around the block.

But if you’re looking for a real unfettered expression of body and mind, Christopher Bennett says, his Art Works studio on 257 Front St. N. is the only place to be in all of Quinte. Whether it’s through breakdancing, painting or freestyle rapping, Bennett allows his students to be themselv