Local Journalism Initiative

Local Journalism Initiative


Ontario hospitals warn stolen patient, employee data may be published

Five Ontario hospitals affected by a recent ransomware attack, along with their shared IT provider, are warning patients and staff that their data may be published. The attack caused an outage of some online services at Bluewater Health, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Erie Shores HealthCare, Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital on Oct. 23. Affected […]

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Nova Scotia RCMP street check apology needed, says minister who cites own experience

HALIFAX — The RCMP’s promise to apologize for street checks that targeted Black people is being welcomed by the new African Nova Scotian Affairs minister, but she says she is more interested in what it will mean for future police conduct. Twila Grosse says she has first-hand experience: she was pulled over by police during […]

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NB Power program offers municipalities streetlight cameras

NB Power is offering to install surveillance cameras on streetlights for municipal customers as part of a pilot project across the province, it confirmed. The provincial power utility is in discussions with municipalities across the province regarding its Smart Cities pilot program, according to spokesperson Dominique Couture. The exact locations of the cameras are still […]

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‘There’s a lot of misinformation’: Huntsville drone operator

Huntsville resident Steve Kubay has developed a taste for drones in recent months. He usually takes his drone to appropriate locations to take photos or record videos of the Muskoka landscape. Despite the pleasant experience, Kubay says drone operation requires responsibility and knowledge on the matter. “A drone, it’s an aircraft in Canada, and I […]

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Provincial EMR use was non compliant with privacy laws

PEI’s $7.8 million electronic medical record was operational for 10 months before the Department of Health and Wellness moved to ensure patient information shared over the system complied with provincial privacy legislation, records show. Despite this, government contends patient confidentiality was never jeopardized. “It’s my understanding that (the ways practitioners were sharing information over the […]

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Patrick Brown’s ‘reckless’ $11B debt plan would cost taxpayers almost $2K more each year

Regional councillors wasted no time in quashing a motion by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown which sought to push the Region of Peel $11 billion into debt. The move came as council members labelled the idea “foolish” and “reckless”, while staff suggested it might be illegal. A staff report presented at the July 6 Peel Region […]

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Feds face court challenge over Metro Vancouver port expansion that will endanger killer whales

Environmental groups levelled a legal challenge against the federal government’s recent decision to greenlight a massive Metro Vancouver port expansion project in Delta, B.C. Approved in April, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project would double the existing facilities’ footprint and has 370 conditions attached to it aimed at protecting the environment and local species. These […]

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Alaskans poaching Canadian salmon top concern for federal fisheries minister

American fishing boats catching threatened Canadian salmon was flagged as a top concern for federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray before meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Canada in March. Briefing notes, which Canada’s National Observer obtained through an access-to-information request, identify the issue as a key point for Murray to raise with U.S. Ambassador David […]

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Paramedic shortages still plague rural areas, but some remedies may be in the works

Quadra Island resident Carol Woolsey had the misfortune to experience a medical emergency in her rural community last month after the last ferry had sailed for the night. After developing searing pain in her lower abdomen, the 77-year-old and her cousin called 911 around 10 p.m. on April 2. Disoriented by pain and vomiting constantly […]

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Professor’s firing unjust but not linked to glyphosate views, judge rules

A Canadian forestry professor’s critical views on a controversial herbicide were not the reason he was fired, but nonetheless, his termination was unjust, a judge has ruled. Rod Cumberland, previously employed at the Maritime College of Forest Technology in New Brunswick, was fired from his post in 2019 after creating “a toxic atmosphere” at the […]

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Peel Region Health Coalition organizing referendum on private versus public healthcare

Across the province, the Ontario Health Coalition and its regional chapters are organizing a vote to ask residents if they want to keep intact the public healthcare model, as the Doug Ford PC government moves forward with Bill 60 to introduce more private options to the healthcare system. “This is the question we’re asking — […]

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Shields stands against Bill C 11

With Bill C-11 in the House of Commons again after failing to pass the approval of the Senate, Martin Shields MP for Bow River rose in the House to air his grievances with the bill. “It is an interesting debate today, and I rise to speak on Bill C-11,” said Shields on March 27. “I […]

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