The truck slowly pulled alongside as I idled at the side of a remote dirt road in northern B.C. No cell service, the nearest town half an  hour away. I’d pulled off to let industrial traffic heading the other  direction pass. It was 2022 and I was on my way to meet with Indigenous  land […]

In the wake of a scandal involving the province’s new Education Accord, which contained fabricated sources and has led many to believe artificial intelligence was involved, a spokesperson from Premier Tony Wakeham’s office told The Independent the new PC government is “not prioritizing” a review of its AI policies. In September, the 10-year education plan […]

It all comes down to what neighbour John McKinnon calls an error by the Ministry of Natural Resources. When pit 2907 changed hands, its license was transferred from John Leavitt to Ellbrook Excavating. Site inspection documents from Leavitt’s operation of the pit state that extraction below groundwater is not permitted under the license.  But when […]

Just as the ground thawed from winter this past March, politicians, including Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Premier Doug Ford and local MPPs, joined officials from the William Osler Health System to mark the beginning of construction for the long-awaited expansion of the Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Wellness. The only problem: there was no construction. […]

Separatism. Sovereignty. Statehood. Danielle Smith has repeatedly invoked the idea of Alberta independence during her time in office. But documents obtained by the Investigative Journalism Foundation suggest it is not an economic scenario the provincial government is seriously studying. In his decades with the public service, Lennie Kaplan, former senior manager for the Fiscal and […]

A Grande Prairie local has applied for a petition to recall Grande Prairie MLA Nolan Dyck. Recall petitions for United Conservative Party MLAs are growing across the province following the government’s use of the notwithstanding clause to force teachers back to work.  “Dyck was chosen by the people to represent their interests and not echo […]

Severe overcrowding in hospital emergency rooms has led to a startling allegation in New Brunswick’s legislature. Bill Hogan, the Progressive Conservative opposition’s health critic, asked during question period last week whether the fire marshal had fined any hospitals for overcrowding. Health Minister John Dornan said he knew nothing about it. “It was brought to my […]

About 75 residents filled the Grantham Optimist Club on Wednesday evening for a two-hour open-mic town hall hosted by St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe and Port Dalhousie councillors Bruce Williamson and Marty Mako.  The meeting, open to residents from across the city, was intended as an informal chance to raise questions and share concerns directly […]

Although the month just ending was the official Cyber Security Awareness Month (Cyber Month), an internationally recognized campaign held each October to help the public learn more about the importance of cyber security, like other safety measures, being cyber secure is something to be conscious of all year long. As the holiday season approaches, more […]

LISTOWEL – The Municipality of North Perth issued a notice on Oct. 23, 2025 announcing the initiation of a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for additional water storage.  The 2025 Servicing Master Plan, reviewed at council on Sept. 22, for the communities of Listowel and Atwood identified the need for additional water storage in both communities […]

Trustees are calling on Winnipeg City Council to redesign 30 km/h school zones to better protect everyone who lives, learns and works in their wards — and they want a say in an infrastructure makeover. For Ryan Palmquist, an active cyclist, dad and first-term trustee, road safety is both a passion and frequent source of […]

Worried about being ripped off? The Pembina Crisis Connection Society is partnering with the Drayton Valley Municipal Library to educate the public about avoiding scams. Trish Howes, the executive director for PCCS, says they have been visiting seniors’ homes and talking to seniors about some of the more common scams that are circulating. They also […]