Kenora Man Faces Licence Suspension and Charges
KENORA — A traffic complaint about an erratic driver on the long weekend led Kenora Ontario Provincial Police to an impaired driving arrest and several charges on Friday.
Police say officers with the Kenora OPP received a report shortly before noon on May 15, 2026, that a vehicle was being driven “all over the road.”
Officers located and stopped the vehicle, conducted a roadside standardized field sobriety test and arrested the driver. The driver was then taken to the Kenora OPP detachment for further testing by a drug recognition expert.
Kenora man charged after traffic stop
Todd Percival, 52, of Kenora, has been charged with:
Operation while impaired — alcohol and drugs
Possession of a Schedule I substance
Fail to surrender insurance card
The accused’s driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days and the vehicle was impounded for seven days, police said. Percival was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Kenora on June 29, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
The allegations have not been proven in court. All accused persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Criminal Code and drug charge context
The impaired operation charge falls under Criminal Code section 320.14, which makes it an offence to operate a conveyance while a person’s ability is impaired to any degree by alcohol, a drug or a combination of alcohol and drugs. The same section also covers several related blood-alcohol and blood-drug concentration offences.
For impaired operation under section 320.14(1), Criminal Code section 320.19 sets out a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison if the Crown proceeds by indictment. If prosecuted summarily, the maximum penalty is a $5,000 fine, imprisonment for up to two years less a day, or both. The section also sets mandatory minimum penalties: a $1,000 fine for a first offence, 30 days in jail for a second offence and 120 days in jail for each subsequent offence.
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act prohibits possession of substances listed in Schedules I, II or III unless authorized by regulation. For possession of a Schedule I substance, the act provides a maximum of seven years in prison if prosecuted by indictment. If prosecuted summarily, the maximum for a first offence is a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both; for a subsequent offence, the maximum is a $2,000 fine, one year in jail, or both.
The insurance-card allegation is a provincial offence. The Ontario Court of Justice set-fine schedule lists “fail to surrender insurance card” under the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, section 3(1), with a $50 set fine.
Why this matters in Northwestern Ontario
Impaired driving remains a serious road-safety concern across Northwestern Ontario, where long distances, highway speeds, cottage-country travel, remote work sites and limited transportation options can increase the consequences of a poor decision behind the wheel.
In the Kenora area, erratic driving complaints can involve local streets, Highway 17, Highway 17A, rural roads, lake-access routes and major travel corridors used by residents, tourists, commercial drivers and families moving between communities. Long weekends bring heavier traffic, making public reporting of suspected impaired driving especially important.
OPP say anyone who suspects a driver is impaired by alcohol or drugs should call 911.
Safer choices before driving
Anyone planning to drink alcohol or use cannabis or other drugs should make a transportation plan before leaving home. Safer options include using U-Ride or a taxi where available, calling a sober friend or family member, arranging a designated driver, using public transit where practical, staying overnight, or asking the host of an event for help finding a safe ride.
Trying to “wait it out” is not a reliable safety plan. Alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs and illegal drugs can impair judgment, reaction time, co-ordination and attention, and combining substances can increase the risk.
