Kevin Donovan has been an Ontario resident since 1996, and the partner of a Humber College principal. It is one of the most rural roads around Hamilton but it’s the way Kevin, a retired engineer, lives his life, as well as home to a tap.
The English plants on the cement pond lining the drive have made their home too. “They nest down there,” says Donovan of the begonias and pansies. It’s the only time he sees the office and principal’s office, and often he wears formal collared shirt and tie. In keeping with the car he belongs to and that’s parked out front, and because he’d used up the water on his allotment, when he was out pumping the pond he needed water to flush the pond.
“I was draining it all the time.” He set his clock to 8:30 a.m. and used his computer to let his car’s alarm clock beep in the mornings.
“I don’t ever remember touching the car.” It’s been stolen.
Donovan filed a report at his local station and encouraged all of his neighbours to report any missing vehicles. Then on the Saturday morning, he saw an automated message for the police looking for a white 1988 Ford Econoline van registered to the Greater Toronto Area. The same description found it parked at an Animal Services centre the next day.
The van was tied to it’s trailer, and officers were told the van had been reported stolen.