One police officer killed, two injured in Bourget

history with the police that the accused shooter may have had, or any presence of mental illness, he did confirm that “there was no reason to believe that this individual posed a danger to police.”

by Brandon Mayer

An Ontario Provincial Police officer has been killed, and two others injured after being dispatched to a disturbance call at a home in the small town of Bourget, about 45 minutes northeast of Winchester. Sergeant Eric Mueller was the officer killed – he was a 21-year veteran of the police force who is being remembered as an “exemplary officer”.

The incident occurred on May 11, shortly after 2:00am when officers were dispatched to a home on Laval Street in Bourget, where someone had reported hearing a gunshot. The three officers from the Russell County OPP Detachment who arrived at the scene, including Sergeant Mueller, were reportedly “ambushed” and all three suffered gunshot wounds.

the hospital. As of the time of writing, one officer has been discharged while the other officer remains in the hospital in stable condition.

A 39-year-old man from Bourget has been charged with First Degree Murder, contrary to Section 235(1) and two counts of Attempted Murder, contrary to Section 239 (1) of the Criminal Code. The accused has been remanded in custody.

Officer Bill Dickson of the OPP confirmed for the Times that no one else was present in the home besides the accused shooter when the three officers arrived at the scene. Officer Dickson also confirmed that no one else was hurt, besides the officers.

Sgt. Eric Mueller worked as a Constable in Grenville County prior to transferring to Clarence-Rockland. Flags could be seen lowered to half mast in the days following the tragedy in different parts of North Dundas, including at the OPP station in Winchester.

The OPP is asking everyone to respect the wishes of Sergeant Mueller’s family for privacy as they grieve. His family and OPP colleagues are being provided with assistance to work through this horrible incident. A procession was held on May 13 departing from the Ottawa Hospital General Campus and traveling along Highway 417 eastbound to Highway 174. Members of the public were invited to join First Responders in showing their respects.

by Brandon Mayer

A local resident is raising questions about a plan for a potential new subdivision in Ormond, particularly because she believes the developer is aiming to deceive those who already live in the area. Evelyne Giroux and many of the other Ormond residents have concerns about two seemingly contradictory diagrams of the same location. One is a land severance request made to the United Counties of SD&G, which appears to show a plan for two houses to be built on Rodney Lane. The other is a diagram showing plans for a 64-home subdivision – published by a Kemptville Engineering Consultant firm – on the same location where the request to sever the two lots is being made.

Evelyne notes that the land in question – cur- rently zoned as agricultural land – was farmed into a “beautiful crop” last summer. She and others are concerned about the potential loss of valuable farmland. Evelyne contends that the two lots shown in the application made to the United Counties of SD&G will be used to build model homes for the development project of 64 houses.

“I am wholly opposed to the rezoning of prime agricultural land for the purpose of development,” said Evelyne. She notes that SD&G has been fighting to preserve farmland, raising questions about the efficacy of such a large development going ahead when it will be put right over top of existing, high quality agricultural land. She notes that the land was clear cut and fitted with tile drainage just two years ago.

“The land on Rodney Lane is not selling. There is no growth in Ormond. There is no need of 64 houses,” Evelyne adds. She is also concerned about water issues, since 64 new houses would mean 64 private wells drawing from potentially the same aquifer or aquifers already being used by the existing Ormond residents. “Residents of Ormond are already running out of water from our wells,” she said. “It shouldn’t be built backto-back on our property. Why are we becoming part of this subdivision when there is a lot of other land that could be used for that?”

Mayor Tony Fraser, who also serves as Warden for the upper tier Council of the United Counties of SD&G, agreed that “there are gaps that need to be fi lled in” in the existing planning. Councillor Matthew Uhrig provided a similar comment, pointing out that the plans are still very new.

Peter Young, Director of Planning and Economic

Sergeant Mueller was transported to the hospital and died as a result of his injuries. Two other officers suffered gunshot wounds and have been treated at

Development Services for the United Counties of SD&G, provided the following statement regarding the proposed project:

“SDG Counties received severance applications to create two new lots on Rodney Lane in Ormond within the Township of North Dundas. Currently, the south part of the property (about 34 acres) is within the rural settlement area (hamlet) of Ormond. The Provincial Policy Statement states that ‘Rural settlement areas shall be the focus of growth and development and their vitality and regeneration shall be promoted.’ Subdivisions are permitted in rural settlement areas such as Ormond, subject to submitting required studies and meeting agency requirements. The southern portion of the property has been within the settle-

Calls to the police regarding gunshots can sometimes happen more frequently during certain times of the year such as hunting season, but in general, such calls are rare. “Granted, at 2 o’clock in the morning… not the most common occurrence,” added Officer Dickson.

Although Officer Dickson was not able to comment on details such as any prior ment area boundaries of Ormond since at least the 1993 Township of Winchester Official Plan, and was also included in the 2006 and 2018 SDG Official Plans. We have not received a subdivision application at this time. We required a concept plan of the entire property to confirm that the proposed severances would not preclude future development, but the concept plan has no approval status. Any future subdivision application would require a hydrogeological study and terrain analysis to review the impact of new wells and septic systems on neighbouring properties, along with stormwater management and other technical studies. We have received comments from Township staff, South Nation Conservation Authority and members of the public and are considering those comments and materials in making a decision on the two severances.”

Investigators, under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, want to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have video. They should contact the police at 1-888-3101122 or, to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Evelyne and similarly concerned neighbours are not going down without a fight. “Ormond is a historic corner with a unique heritage that the Township should be protecting,” said Evelyne. “There is a centennial house that was once a school and a general store. Ormond could be like Merrickville, with its unique atmosphere and heritage. Adding a residential project will destroy the rural farming community heritage of Ormond and turn it into a busy suburban neighborhood.”