At the January 13 Lake of Bays council meeting, Mayor Terry Glover brought forward a letter from Frank Campion, Mayor of Welland, urging the swift implementation of justice system reforms.
The letter was prompted by a brutal attack last August of a three-year-old girl in that community by a known sex offender. Daniel Senecal was serving jail time for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy and was subsequently released early in March. Within six months, he was arrested again. Niagara police indicated in a news release that a three-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted. The news shook and outraged the community.
“I write to you today not only as the Mayor of Welland, but as a member of a community that has been deeply shaken by an unthinkable act in August 2025: the brutal sexual assault of a three-year-old child. This tragedy has horrified our residents, leaving families in grief and disbelief, and compelling us as leaders to confront the uncomfortable truth that our justice system is failing to adequately protect our most vulnerable,” reads Campion’s letter. “Canadians must be able to trust that our justice system prioritizes public safety—especially the safety of children—above all else. Communities like ours cannot bear the weight of knowing that legislative gaps may allow dangerous offenders to harm again.”
Camion called on support from his municipal colleagues to lobby for:
• The full and expedited implementation of recent federal bail and sentencing reforms, so that new provisions designed to protect the public—particularly victims of violent sexual crimes—are applied swiftly and consistently across all jurisdictions.
• Strengthening bail and sentencing provisions so that individuals charged with, or convicted of, violent sexual crimes face the strictest possible conditions, including limits on early release in cases of extreme brutality.
• That parole eligibility for sexual offences against children reflects the full gravity of these crimes, limiting conditional or early release for offenders who pose ongoing risks to community safety.
• Strengthening the National Sex Offender Registry, providing communities and police with timely, accurate information and effective tools to safeguard residents.
Glover took up the call and presented a notice of motion at council. He read a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, expressing his support for Mayor Campion in addressing what he said are the growing concerns surrounding violent crime and repeat offenders who face little to no consequences for their actions.
“Mayor Campion has given voice to what many municipal leaders, frontline workers, and residents are facing: a troubling rise in violent incidents involving individuals who’ve repeatedly cycled through the justice system without meaningful intervention. This persistent pattern threatens public safety, erodes community trust and places immense pressure on local law enforcement and support services,” read Glover. The letter urges the federal government to take decisive action on stronger bail and sentencing provisions to prevent violent repeat offenders from being released back into the community, particularly when there is a clear and ongoing risk to public safety.
Glover said he would be signing the letter and also forwarding it to Premier Doug Ford, MPP Graydon Smith, MP Scott Aitchison, as well as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
“I also sit on the police board, and anything we can do to assist the OPP with what they do. They do a fabulous job for us, but they have also mounting challenges with regard to staffing, and you’ll hear about some of the issues in the coming reports; however, I feel a strong urge to support this,” he told his fellow councillors.
Councillors agreed. There was no further discussion.
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