
COCHRANE — After two consecutive years of record-breaking demand, the Cochrane Food Bank is cautiously optimistic that 2026 could mark the first signs of stabilization. From January through June, the food bank served 1,961 individuals across 1,029 households, according to manager Ardis Proulx-Chedore. While there are still six months left in the year, she said…
A second Peel municipality has awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to the same Ontario-based on-demand transit provider with a limited operating history, just days before The Pointer entered an adjudication process with Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to obtain the City of Brampton’s agreement with the company. On June 25, Argo Transit announced a 15-month micro-transit…

Razan Abu-Ghoush filed her Canadian citizenship application on July 2, 2024. Two years later, she’s still waiting. That shouldn’t be happening. IRCC’s own published processing-time data shows citizenship grants — the standard path for permanent residents applying to naturalize — have been improving this year, even as the separate citizenship-by-descent queue has ballooned. Application decisions…
The Alberta RCMP is asking drivers to lock their vehicles this summer, saying campsites and trailheads are common targets for thieves. The force issued the reminder Monday from Edmonton. It listed several steps drivers can take to protect vehicles, trailers and gear during the summer months. Police say a vehicle should be locked even if…
A suggested policy change erupted in an argument about how Ramara conducts business. A staff report suggesting a change in fees related to information requests recommended same day ratification. “Although it is proposing an amendment to the fee structure, what we’re really trying to do is get records into the hands of the requesting party…
An American diplomat raised several questions about the Gordie Howe bridge in a phone call shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump’s February comments on the cross-border project ignited a political frenzy, newly released records reveal. Hundreds of pages of emails, obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act, also provide a behind-the-scenes…
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says a Canadian woman was charged after allegedly assaulting a teenager in “pro-Trump memorabilia” over the Independence Day long weekend in a New Jersey borough. In a post to social media Wednesday, the department said Kaitlyn Tracey allegedly struck a teenage girl on a boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach…
Ontario’s colleges and universities ministry has disqualified students at five private career colleges from receiving student assistance loans this coming year, after raising concerns with some of the schools’ course enrolment practices. The move comes as career college students across the province are barred from accessing grants through the Ontario Student Assistance Program, part of…
Quebec’s police ethics commissioner says it is looking into allegations of racism and discrimination by some officers in a multicultural Montreal neighbourhood. In an email Wednesday, the commissioner said it began an investigation June 26 at the request of Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière after Montreal police said it had disciplined officers over discriminatory behaviour. …
Taber town council’s July 6 special meeting wrapped up in under 90 minutes, but only the first seven minutes or so were open to the public. Two agenda items were discussed during the brief open session. The first was a request from the Taber Golf Club for a letter of support from the Town for…