Local Journalism Initiative

Source: Local Journalism Initiative


After secretly working to destroy it, Ford government silent on long overdue review of Ontario’s Greenbelt

“I resigned from the government in 2017 because the Ford administration was coming to power, and I knew I couldn’t work for them.” Victor Doyle’s worst fears have come true. Over the past twenty years since Ontario created the Greenbelt, the world’s largest protected landscape of its kind, the man known as one of its […]

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Alberta border patrol has made just 4 arrests for illegal immigration or drug trafficking in border zone, data shows

Alberta launched its own border patrol last year to help stop the flow of illegal drugs and migrants across what Premier Danielle Smith called the “leaky” U.S. border. But the Interdiction Patrol Team (IPT) has so far made only a handful of arrests for those offences, according to data released through an access to information […]

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Fall fair to hockey games: Elmvale arena getting ‘significant’ internet boost

Long considered the Bermuda Triangle of the internet, Elmvale Community Arena is on its way to becoming a high-powered hub for all things wired. In fact, by around this time next week, it should be ready to go, just in time for the Elmvale Fall Fair, allowing participants, visitors and vendors the ability to post […]

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Improper signage, absence of warning lights show school zones aren’t about safety, critics argue

Calvin Kendall left provincial traffic court Thursday with a “$0 fine” and a written warning. “I may be crazy, but I’m not stupid,” the 69-year-old said in a waiting room at 373 Broadway hours earlier while sorting through a USB stick of photo evidence and other items as he prepared to fight a $272 speed-camera […]

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N.B. commission urges mandatory training for municipal leaders, staff

The Local Governance Commission in New Brunswick is recommending the provincial government implement mandatory training for municipal leaders and senior staff.  In its first report since being created in the spring of last year, it said this recommendation addressed many of the challenges facing local governments since reform.  “These recommendations are grounded in the experiences […]

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First Nations group questions audit that found $34M in questionable spending

An advocacy group representing First Nations in Saskatchewan is firing back after a forensic audit found more than $34 million in questionable, unsupported or ineligible spending over five years. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations responded to the results of a recent forensic audit saying it has a robust system of financial management, accountability and […]

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Public money, unanswered questions: inside Mayor Mat Siscoe’s expense accounts

When St. Catharines residents pay their municipal taxes, they expect those dollars to finance services, infrastructure and council supported programs that are deemed to be in the interest of the community. What they do not expect is for those funds to be spent in ways that are difficult to trace or buried in broad budget […]

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Health Canada’s struggles with procurement an ‘old story’ for Indigenous leaders

Internal federal documents reveal that Health Canada is seeking exemptions from the federal government’s mandatory 5 per cent Indigenous procurement target, citing Indigenous capacity gap in scientific and mental health services.  Since 2021, federal departments have been obligated to award at least 5 per cent of their annual contracts to Indigenous businesses to support economic […]

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Return of Winnipeg’s reduced-speed school zones and fines brings calls for changes from drivers

On a bright and clear September morning, drivers squint when they enter the most-ticketed school zone in Winnipeg. The 30 km/h sign on Talbot Avenue that warns oncoming traffic about a reduced speed limit behind River Elm School is harshly backlit, making it difficult to see. “I see people get ticketed all the time,” said […]

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Wellesley council to approve permanent camera system for livestreaming of Applejacks games at Wellesley Recreation Complex

The Township of Wellesley will likely approve the installation of a permanent camera system at the Wellesley Recreation Complex for the livestreaming of Wellesley Applejacks games after a streaming deal was reached between the Applejacks, the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) and NBC Sportsengine last year. At Wellesley council’s Sept. 16 committee of the whole […]

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Electronics dropoff planned next week

Fort William First Nation residents will have three days next week to unload unwanted electronic equipment at a special depot. The depot at the community’s youth centre parking lot will accept computers, printers, mobile phones, light bulbs and electric cables, a FWFN community event bulletin says. It’s going be available Monday to Wednesday, the bulletin […]

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Up to 4,000 current, past Oxford County staff may be affected by hackers

As many as 4,000 current and former Oxford County employees may have had their personal information compromised in a recent cybersecurity incident, the local government’s warden says. Echoing an apologetic statement from Oxford County, Warden Marcus Ryan said he was sorry the incident happened, adding the county was “doing every single thing” it could to […]

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