Town declares Tori Stafford day

The Town of Jasper has declared June 20, to be Tori Stafford Day, in honour of the little girl who was cruelly abducted and slain in Ontario last year.

The day is also being named in conjunction with a bike trek that Tori’s father is launching from Jasper National Park’s Whistlers Mountain on the same day. Rodney Stafford left Woodstock, Ontario on August 5, 2009 on a cross Canada trip to Jasper. His trip raised $60,000 on behalf of provincial Child Find organizations. He will be setting off from Whistlers on June 20 for the 3,700 km, 55 day return ride home and is hoping to again raise money to help missing children.

The decision to rename the day was made unanimously by Jasper council.

Jasper is also organizing meals and accommodations for Rodney Stafford, and his son while they stay in Jasper prior to the beginning of the trip home.

Tori Stafford was seen alive for the last time around 3:32 pm Wednesday April 8, 2009. Her disappearance and the subsequent investigation and search were the subject of massive media coverage across Canada. The search for her body ended on July 19, 2009, when a child’s remains were found in a wooded area in rural Ontario.

Police seize guns, ammo

Hinton RCMP have arrested four people on drug production and possession charges after three separate homes in Hinton were searched between April 13 and 14.

According to Hinton RCMP Cst. Dean Etienne, ten marijuana plants and more than one hundred rounds of ammunition were seized in the search. The searches were carried out over a two day period. Each home search required a court ordered search warrant.

The four people charged are facing charges of two counts of production of a controlled substance, one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of careless storage of ammunition.

Charges have not yet been formally laid against the accused, so names have not yet been released by Hinton police.