Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


$385M in OSAP grants sent to students at 7 career colleges last year, documents show

A small subset of private career colleges in Ontario has led explosive growth in the number of people receiving student financial assistance, new data shows, and the association representing the sector itself has raised concerns. The number of students receiving grants and loans through the Ontario Student Assistance Program at a few of approximately 170 […]

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Vauxhall Council adopts ORRSC agreement

A 30-plus year agreement with the Town of Vauxhall has officially been updated. During their regular Aug. 17 meeting, Vauxhall town council reviewed an updated Oldman River Regional Services Commission member services agreement. The updated agreement had been ratified by ORRSC’s board of directors on June 4, 2026, and they have requested that council review […]

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Controversial UP copper mine gets $50M in state grants after years of trying

State taxpayers will spend up to $50 million on the polarizing Copperwood copper mine in the far western Upper Peninsula following a vote Tuesday by the Michigan Strategic Fund. Toronto-based Highland Copper Inc. pitched the project in 2023 as a $425 million mine that will create 380 jobs during its 11-year lifecycle — and one […]

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Deloitte used AI in $1.6M government report, but watchdog says it can’t investigate

This reporting is part of an ongoing collaboration between Ricochet and the Newfoundland and Labrador Independent, funded through the Local Journalism Initiative. Today’s story builds on prior investigative reporting by The Independent, which you can read here. Last year, one of the world’s most trusted accounting firms produced a Health and Human Resources Plan for […]

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Ontario students brace for ‘vast amount’ of debt amid OSAP changes, tuition increases

As Aidan Jeffers begins his graduate studies at the University of Toronto, he says he will have to work more hours and possibly rely on food banks due to drastic changes to student financial aid in Ontario – and the resulting debt he expects to rack up. Jeffers said he’s been working two jobs over […]

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Recovery Alberta closes Edmonton addiction treatment program, drops nearly 600 people from wait list

Recovery Alberta is closing the addiction treatment program at Henwood Treatment Centre in Edmonton, the IJF has learned. The decision to end the program came as a shock to staff and hundreds of Albertans seeking addiction treatment, and the lack of transparency surrounding the closure is fuelling questions about the Alberta government’s plans for the […]

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‘Huge safety issue’ prompts feds’ review of controversial aerodrome

A contentious water aerodrome on Lake Couchiching is facing more scrutiny. Last month, on behalf of numerous residents worried an accident will happen, Ramara Mayor Basil Clarke wrote to several authorities, including Transport Canada, requesting a safety review of Lake Country Airways’ operations. In his response, the Minister of Transport, Steven MacKinnon, confirmed that the […]

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The Damage of De-risking: ICLMG report launch

Join us for the virtual launch of ICLMG’s latest report: “The Damage of De-risking: How Canada’s Policies to Counter Terrorism Financing Drive Financial Exclusion” Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 7 PM ET, online on zoom REGISTER A humanitarian organization providing aid to civilians in Syria and other populations in crisis is suddenly told that their […]

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A 2021 law expanded Washington’s power to decertify police. Officers still avoid consequences

In 2021, Washington lawmakers expanded the state’s power to strip cops of their certification. In an effort to keep officers fired for certain types of misconduct out of law enforcement, they passed a law requiring police agencies across the state to quickly report officer separations and misconduct to the state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission and […]

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Four more belugas arrive at Chicago aquarium from shuttered Canadian theme park

CHICAGO (AP) — Four more belugas have arrived at a Chicago aquarium as part of a plan to move Canada’s last remaining captive whales from a shuttered theme park to aquariums in the United States and Spain. The four whales, named Caspian, Peekachu, Rain and Secord, were the second group of belugas sent to Chicago’s […]

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How do Comox Valley governments and public organizations use AI?

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools by local governments is a growing topic of discussion as high profile elected officials in other regions of B.C. have drawn criticism about their use of AI tools in their work. The Discourse reached out to local governments and public organizations in the Comox Valley to understand what […]

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Judge orders Massachusetts sheriff to hand ICE detainee records to ACLU

The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office must hand over hundreds of anonymized health records of immigrant detainees following a Massachusetts court ruling. Judge James Budreau issued the order, released Wednesday, a month after attorneys for the sheriff and the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts sparred in Suffolk County Superior Court. “I think this is a […]

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