Local Journalism Initiative

Source: Local Journalism Initiative


Teachers union executive weighs options after information leak

Manitoba Teachers’ Society executives have not ruled out an investigation to hold whistleblowers accountable for exposing employee concerns about the head office’s “toxic” environment, related departures and capacity to support members. “I honestly can’t say at this point in time which direction things will take; we’ll have to see how things play out,” said president […]

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Rising insurance premiums create challenges for local townships

The cost of insurance for local municipalities continues to rise. Springwater Township received its annual insurance renewal notice last Friday at a cost of $625,709.52. That’s almost $42,000 more than last year, or slightly more than seven per cent.  According to a report prepared by Renée Ainsworth, Springwater’s clerk and director of corporate services, which […]

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Toxic MTS workplace revelations trigger call for inquiry into leak

One group of local union presidents wants the Manitoba Teachers’ Society to launch an inquiry into recent leaks that reveal MTS headquarters is troubled by a large number of administrative employee leaves and allegations it is a “toxic work environment.” Anonymous posts criticizing leaders from both the union’s operational and political wings began appearing on […]

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Protest at Brampton Civic will push for better healthcare following release of Ontario Health Coalition report highlighting PC move to privatization

After a damning report from the Ontario Health Coalition accusing the PC government of purposely underfunding public health systems to finance the private sector, the organization’s local chapter has announced April 22 will be a day of protest at Brampton Civic Hospital to demand “Truly Universal Healthcare”.  The demonstration is currently scheduled to take place […]

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‘Renovictions’ on the rise in Ontario according to recent report by ACORN; cities should require building permits

A national organization that advocates for the rights of tenants is calling for all municipalities to require a building permit and engineering report to verify residents have to be vacated in order to do renovation work which is often just a guise to remove renters so that prices can be significantly increased. On February 28th, […]

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BC Ferries urged to chart a new course around LNG

BC Ferries has launched a bid to build up to seven green flagship vessels but climate groups are urging the company to abandon liquified natural gas to fuel ships and speed electrification of its fleet to reach its emissions targets.  The ferry service recently revealed it has teamed up with a naval architectural firm to […]

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20 Years of Fighting Fraud in Canada

Regrettably, it’s a pretty safe bet that frauds and scams have been a part of human history from the very beginnings of civilization. As time has passed and society has advanced, fraud schemes have evolved to keep pace with progress and technology. Fraudsters in the digital age have an ever-expanding array of tools and schemes […]

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Cobalt council cautioned on procedure

Integrity commissioner Peggy Lovelace of E4m municipal advisors, which is retained by Cobalt council, attended a special meeting of Cobalt council Thursday, March 7 where she strongly advised council to stop bringing in resolutions at the last minute. By doing so, the staff is not given enough time to prepare background information, she pointed out. […]

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Group enlists NDP, Libs for anti-dump help

Opposition to York1’s plan to create a regenerative recycling facility near Dresden is expected to reach the Ontario Legislature this week. According to Stefan Premdas, chair of the newly formed Dresden Citizens Against Reckless Environmental Disposal (C.A.R.E.D), Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie and provincial NDP environment critic Sandy Shaw have agreed to bring the matter […]

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Transparency Fosters Trust

Freedom-of-information or access-to-information laws are not something that the average person thinks about every day, but they are a part of laws in every province and territory in the country and are designed to give people the right to obtain records from public institutions. Having access to the information they need to make informed decisions […]

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CU of M ex dean `not a person who can be trusted to be a lawyer

An attorney for the Law Society of Manitoba has hinted the watchdog plans to request the disbarment of a former dean of law who is accused of filing more than $500,000 in phony work expenses. The society’s disciplinary committee — a panel of two lawyers and a public representative — heard final submissions in the […]

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Stop asking questions; pay the bill’

An ex-law dean accused of embezzling more than a half-million dollars from the University of Manitoba asked an employee to set up a Swiss bank account as a payee and, on another occasion, told her to “stop asking questions” about his expense claims. The professional disciplinary hearing of Jonathan Black-Branch heard from two witnesses — […]

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