Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


Ontario to sell $29-million jet bought for Premier Doug Ford after backlash

Ontario is reversing course and will sell the $29-million private jet it bought for Premier Doug Ford. The move comes just days after the purchase of the 2016 Bombardier Challenger 650 jet was revealed on Friday, sparking a wave of backlash from critics who called it a waste of money. Ford acknowledged the criticism in […]

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A big midterms year in Arizona kicks off with the state’s largest county embroiled in election drama

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona is expected to have at least two competitive U.S. House races in November while Democrats will be defending their seats for governor, attorney general and secretary of state. Yet so far, it’s been the office running elections in the state’s most populous county that has commanded much of the spotlight. Republican […]

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Takeaways from AP investigation that found problems in the backgrounds of some new ICE officers

Some newly-hired U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers started working before passing background checks and had financial, legal and employment problems in their histories, according to an investigation by The Associated Press. ICE announced earlier this year that it had completed an unprecedented hiring spree, adding 12,000 new officers and special agents to double the […]

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Reality of AI policy proves challenging

The topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to be a confusing and delicate topic to navigate, and the Town of Oliver experienced that reality anew in recent Council discussions. A draft AI Usage policy was presented at the April 7 Committee of the Whole (CoW) meeting, to regulate how the Town approaches AI when dealing […]

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FOI documents suggest plant-based milk facility linked to deadly outbreak was ‘haven for listeria,’ experts say

Documents detailing an inspection of a beverage production facility that regulators say was the source of a deadly listeria outbreak reveal it was cited for several infractions that have not been shared previously, including some that experts say suggest may have created a “haven for listeria.” The Canadian Press obtained through a Freedom of Information […]

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Ford government to bypass public hearings on freedom-of-information clampdown

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government is planning to skip public hearings to pass its omnibus budget bill that contains a retroactive clampdown on access to his cellphone records. The usual legislative process sees bills go to committee, where affected groups and members of the public have a chance to weigh in, and committee members from […]

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Ramara considers disabling live chat and how long council videos stay online

The length of time Ramara Township should keep video footage of council meetings is back under the magnifying glass. With no standard set by the province, municipalities are left to establish their own framework for keeping footage. During this week’s committee of the whole meeting, Ramara politicians discussed amending a schedule of its record retention […]

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Massachusetts legal aid program helps immigrants in immigration court

Alma Cothias came to the Massa Viana Law office around 8:45 a.m., just as she does most mornings, right after dropping her children off at school. She made her coffee, sat down at her desk, put on some electronic dance music and started some administrative tasks to ease into the day. Cothias said she was […]

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Ford promises no more inmates will be improperly released from jail

A “furious” Premier Doug Ford has promised to keep all inmates behind bars after news broke that more than 150 of them were improperly released from jails across Ontario over the last few years. Ford and Solicitor General Michael Kerzner both admitted that jails and courts have released inmates by mistake. “I’m getting down to […]

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A look at Gabriola local governments AI technology policies

Hope Lompe Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Fire District content from Derek Kilbourn, Editor, Gabriola Sounder AI is rapidly changing how governments work, with several risks to be considered like personal and private information entered into data servers in countries outside of Canada.  After the Sounder reported in the April 1 edition that the Islands Trust […]

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N.S. exploring potential transit system linking Halifax to three rural communities

The Nova Scotia government is considering to build a new transit network to link Halifax with three rural communities, and looking for a partner for the proposed new service. The province issued a request for information Wednesday from potential service providers for a new system connecting the capital city with Truro, Wolfville and Bridgewater. It […]

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National libraries group urges Alberta to ditch ‘political interference’ in libraries

An organization representing large public libraries across Canada warns Alberta’s proposed bill affecting libraries threatens “unprecedented” government overreach into organizations meant to be shielded from political control. The Canadian Urban Libraries Council is urging United Conservative Premier Danielle Smith’s government to ditch its proposed changes to Alberta’s law governing libraries in a bill currently before […]

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