FAQ’s

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do before your court appearance?

ONTARIO COURT OF JUSTICE – WIKWEMIKONG

SET DATE/ CASE MANAGEMENT COURT

(ADULT AND YOUTH CRIMINAL COURTS)

Set out below is information you will need to attend and prepare for remote criminal case management (set date/remand) court.

Keep this information; you will need it for all your court appearances.

BEFORE YOUR COURT APPEARANCE

If you have a lawyer or have been in contact with a lawyer, please get in touch with them in advance of your court date.

If you do not have a lawyer:

Contact Legal Aid Ontario

If you would like general legal advice or would like to apply for a legal aid certificate to hire a lawyer, please call Legal Aid Ontario 1-800-668-8258.

Local Duty Counsel will be present, in person, at Case Management Court and may be able to provide legal advice and assistance to eligible individuals. Please request your disclosure (evidence in your case) and Crown Screening Form prior to speaking with Duty Counsel.

2) Contact the Crown’s Office for your disclosure and Screening Form

If you have been charged with an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada or Youth Criminal Justice Act, email your request to VirtualCrownGoreBay@ontario.ca. If you do not have photo identification or access to a secure personal email address, please call the Manitoulin Crown Attorney’s Office at 705-282-0194 to arrange for disclosure to be provided to you in another way.

If you have been charged with an offence under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (such as illegal possession or trafficking of a drug) or another federal criminal offence (such as excise tax or income tax offence), email your request to joe.chapman6@icloud.com If you do not have photo identification or access to a secure personal email address, please call the Public Prosecution Service of Canada Agent’s Office at 705-862-1488 to arrange for disclosure to be provided to you in another way.

3) Additional Local Contact Information

Wikwemikong Justice Coordinator: Gladys Wakegijig

Email: gladyswakegijig@wiikwemkoong.ca

Indigenous Combined Courtworker: Jessica Eshkawkogan

Phone: 705-923-6251

Email: jeshkawkogan@wiikwemkoong.ca

Gore Bay Courthouse Administration:

Phone: 705-282-2461

Email: GoreBayCourthouse@ontario.ca

ATTENDING CASE MANAGEMENT (REMAND) COURT:

WHAT TIME SHOULD I ATTEND COURT?

If you do not have a lawyer who will appear for you, whether it is your first appearance or you have appeared in court previously on your current charges, you are scheduled to attend court remotely in accordance with the times indicated below:

Here is the schedule of when you should attend or call in:

Daily Schedule – Adult Case Management Court (Tuesdays, as scheduled at 10:00 AM)

– Youth Case Management Court (Fridays, as scheduled at 2:00 PM)

Tuesday (Adult List)	Friday (Youth List)	Tier
9:30 AM	X	Confirmation hearings
10:00 AM	X	All adult matters
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM	X	Lunch Break
2:00 PM	X	Remaining Adult matters
	2:00 PM	All Youth matters

HOW CAN I ATTEND COURT?

You can attend court in person if you wish. You can also attend either by internet/video or by phone.

Youth first appearances are being conducted in person as of March 1, 2026. Individuals can subsequently request their matter be adjourned to a Youth Case Management Court virtually using the below sign in details:

Whether joining by video or by phone, you will need to enter a meeting ID and passcode (see below)

Joining by internet/video

Link: https://zoom.us/join

Meeting ID: 627 5988 0386

Passcode: 558549

Joining by telephone

Call: (toll free) 1-855-703-8985

Meeting ID: 627 5988 0386

Passcode: 558549

When you join you will be placed on hold or in a video waiting room. You may be waiting for some time while the court deals with other cases. Please do not disconnect. Your patience is appreciated.

Follow any direction provided by the presiding judicial official or the court clerk

How often should I replace my fire alarms?

Alarms should be replaced at regular intervals, and should, of course, be replaced should your current ones become defective or broken. The Canada Safety Council recommends erring on the side of caution and replacing your alarm once every five years.

When purchasing an alarm, consider the types of alarms. Ionization alarms are quicker to detect fast-spreading fires that produce more heat than smoke, while photoelectric alarms react more quickly to smoldering fires that may smoke for hours before bursting into flame. Consider one of each type per floor of your home.

What is the curfew for children under 16?

Under the Child and Family Services Act there are provisions for Police to apprehend a child under sixteen from midnight to 6am.

Under section 5, no parent of a child less than sixteen years of age shall permit the child to:

Loiter in a public place between the hours of midnight and 6a.m.; or
Be in a place of public entertainment between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., unless the parent accompanies the child or authorizes a specified individual eighteen years of age or older to accompany the child.

Police may take a child home or to place of safety:

A peace officer may apprehend the child without a warrant… and take them home or to a place of safety.

If a child appears to be under sixteen and/or the police believe the child is under the age of sixteen police may still apprehend.

Do I always have to wear my seatbelt?

Yes, every person who is a driver or passenger in a motor vehicle MUST occupy a seat with a working seatbelt and wear that seatbelt properly with lap belt and shoulder assembly if available.

What does this mean?

No person may ride in the box of a truck
You may only have as many passengers as there are working seatbelts
No person may ride int he trunk, on the floor or on someone else’s lap
You may NOT share a seatbelt with another person

Infants 0-20lbs

Must be in a rear facing car seat
Must not be in the front seat of a vehicle if the front air bag is activated

Toddlers 20-40lbs

Must be in a forward facing car seat

Child 40-80lbs

Must be in a booster seat in a position with the lap and shoulder belt assembly

16 Years and Older

For persons under 16 years of age, the driver is responsible to ensure that they are wearing their seatbelt.

How many smoke alarms should I have in my home?

You need a smoke alarm on every level of your home. It’s preferable to keep them near the kitchen and sleeping areas, as well as a high fire hazard areas (e.g., near the fireplace.) A smoke alarm near the kitchen may be triggered occasionally when you’re cooking at high heats, but don’t disable your alarm – that’s just an indictor that it’s in working condition. Waft the air around the alarm until the alarm stops, or look into purchasing one that has temporary decreased sensitivity settings.

How often should I test my smoke alarm?

Batteries in smoke alarms must be replaced twice a year. The Canada Safety Council suggests that you replace that batteries in your smoke alarms after changing the clocks for Daylight savings time.

As a tool used only in case of emergency, it’s easy to accidentally forget to perform regular maintenance on your smoke alarm. At the same time, unless you’re doing regular tests, the first time you find out it’s not working might also be your last. Smoke and fire are unforgiving, which makes it vitally important to ensure your smoke alarm is in working condition.

The test button on most smoke alarms is effective to ensure the function of the sound and that it’s receiving power. But what about its ability to sense and detect smoke? This is why it’s important to regularly test your smoke alarm using real smoke. The Canada Safety Council recommends testing once a month using the test button and once a year by lighting a match and holding it a few inches below the smoke alarm. Take care not to hold it too close or you risk damaging your alarm.

If you hear the alarm, you know your alarm is functioning properly. If you don’t hear the sound ring out, replace the batteries and try again. If your alarm is connected electrically to household circuits, double-check to ensure the fuse is working correctly and try again. If neither of these steps help, replace the unit.

How can I protect my vehicle and its content?

Here are some helpful tips to protect your vehicle and its contents.

Ensure your doors are always locked and the key is in your pocket
Always park in well-lit areas
Never leave money in plain sight
Always roll up your car windows
Put shopping bags and other parcels in the trunk and out of view
Ensure GPS is put in a safe, out of sight location
Keep your vehicle registration certificate and proof of insurance on you
Take electronics including your cell phone, with you
Don’t leave your car running while unattended
If parking in the same parking lot often, be sure to park in different spots each day

What is a Surety?

A Surety is someone who agrees to supervise an accused person while they’re released into the community on bail waiting for their criminal matter to be resolved in court. Usually, this is a friend or relative.

It is against the law to accept payment for being a surety.

Before you will be allowed to act as a surety, you must:

Be over the age of 18,
Be a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant, and
Not be involved in the offence the person has been charged withIn most cases, you should not act as a surety for more than one person at a time. Ideally, you should not have a criminal record.

As a surety, you have 3 responsibilities:

Make sure the accused person goes to court when required.
Make sure the accused person follows the bail conditions.
Call the police if the person doesn’t follow any of the bail conditions

What is Bail?

Bail, also known as a “recognizance of bail”, is a court order that lets you remain in the community while your case is in the court system. If you are denied bail you will be kept in custody while your case is ongoing.

A bail hearing is not a trial. The judge or justice of the peace doesn’t decide whether you’re guilty or innocent. Instead, they consider the risk of letting you go back into the community while your case is ongoing.

A bail hearing is also known as a “show cause hearing”. That is because usually the Crown must “show cause” why you shouldn’t be released from custody on the least strict type of release: an Undertaking without Conditions.

An Undertaking without Conditions lets you be released from custody as long as you promise to go to court when required. If the Crown wants you to follow more conditions if you are released, they must explain why.

Can I drive my ATV on the road?

Yes, however, if you are going to drive your ATV/ORV ON THE ROAD, including side of road and ditches, even just crossing the road, you need to know the following:

You MUST:

Possess a valid G2 or M2 driver’s licence or higher (No one under the age of 16 may drive an ATV/ORV on the road)
Have a permit for the vehicle (You must carry the permit or a true copy on your person)
Have a licence plate on the vehicle (Registered to the ATV/ORV and correctly recorded on the permit)
Have valid insurance on the ATV/ORV
Wear a helmet that complies with regulations with the chin strap securely fastened under the chin
All equipment must be in working order, including all lights, brakes, ignition, etc.
Seatbelts must be worn for ORV/UTVs

Speed Limit:

Where the speed limit is 50km/hr, a person driving an ATV may only travel at a speed of 20km/hr
Where the speed limit is 80km/hr or above, a person driving an ATV may only travel at a speed of 50km/hr

What else should you know:

No passengers under the age of 8 can ride on the roadway
ATV/ORV can travel on any backroad in Ontario as well as the shoulder of residential roads or highways.
ATV/ORV’s must abide by all traffic laws while on the roadway or highway
A police officer may stop any person driving an off-road vehicle and they must stop
The driver of the off-road vehicle must identify themselves to police upon request
ATV/ORV must be driven in the same direction as traffic
Must have working headlights and taillights to drive at night.If you are going to drive your ATV/ORV OFF THE ROAD, including the side of road and ditches, even just crossing the road, you need to know the following:

You MUST:

Your ATV must be registered and display a rear licence plate
It must be insured under a motor vehicle liability policy
Driver must be at least 12 years old unless directly supervised by an adult or while driving on land occupied by the owner of the ATV/ORV
Carry the ATV/ORV’s registration permit or a true copy
Must wear an approved motorcycle helmet, securely fastened under the chin with a chin strap.
To cross the Highway/Roadway, the driver is at least 16 years old and has a minimum valid driver’s G2 or M2 licence

What are the laws pertaining to Firearm Safety?

Most people use what is considered a non-restricted firearm, which is mainly used in hunting activities. Under the Firearms Act, everyone who possesses or acquires a firearm must have a firearms licence.

Exceptions:

Under the Firearms Licences Regulations there are special adaptations for Aboriginal people who meet all three of the following criteria:

They must be a member of one of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada (Indian, Inuit and Metis) or a beneficiary under a treaty referred to in section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982
They must be a member of an Aboriginal Community
They must engage in the traditional hunting practices of their community.

Storage

Non-Restricted Firearms must be UNLOADED AND either:

Made inoperable with a secure locking device (such as trigger lock or cable lock); or
Have bolts or bolt-carriers removed; or
Securely locked in a sturdy container, cabinet or room that cannot be easily broken into;

Exceptions:

If in areas where it is legal to fire a gun, non-restricted firearms needed for predator control can temporarily be left unlocked and operable, but they must be kept unloaded and all ammunition must be stored separately
If in wilderness areas, non-restricted firearms can be left unlocked and/or operable but must be left unloaded (ammunition may be kept nearby)

Transportation

Must be unloaded (with the exception of muzzle-loading rifles, which can be transported loaded between hunting sites so long as the firing cap or flint is removed).
If you are pulled over for any reason and have a firearm on board, you should tell the police that you have a firearm and where it is located in the vehicle.
Same rules apply for replica firearms.
If left unattended in a car, must be locked in the trunk or similar lockable compartment. If the vehicle does not have a trunk or compartment, the firearm must be placed out of sight inside the vehicle and the vehicle must be locked DISPLAY
UNLOADED AND
Made inoperable with a secure locking device (such as a trigger lock); or
Locked in a sturdy container, cabinet or room that cannot be easily broken into

Can I use communication devices while driving?

No. It is illegal for drivers to talk, text, type, dial or email using hand-held cell phones and other hand-held communications and entertainment devices. It is also illegal to view display screens unrelated to your driving, such as a tablet in the front seats.

Examples of hand-held devices include:

iPods & iPads
GPS
MP3 players or other music players
Cell phones & Smart phones
Laptops and other Tablets
DVD players or other video players

You may use GPS or cell phone if it is Hands-FREE so long as it does not distract you from driving. A hands-free device is one that you do not touch, hold or manipulate while driving, other than to activate or deactivate it.

If you break this law, you could receive:

A fine of $225, plus a victim surcharge and court fee, for a total of $280 if settled out of court
A fine of up to $500 if you receive a summons or fight your ticket

Careless Driving

If you endanger others because of any distraction, including both hand-held and hands-free devices, you can also be charged with careless driving. If convicted, you will automatically receive:

Six demerit points
Fines up to $2,000 and/or
A jail term of six months
Up to two-year licence suspension

You can even be charged with dangerous driving (a criminal offence), with jail terms of up to five years.

Exceptions:

You can still use hand-held devices while driving in a few cases:

In a vehicle pulled off the roadway or lawfully parked
To make a 911 call
Transmitting or receiving voice communication on a two-way, CB or mobile radio (hand-mikes and portable radios like walkie-talkies require a lapel button or other hands-free accessory)

Police, emergency medical services personnel, firefighters and enforcement officers can also use hand-held devices and viewing display screens when performing their duties.