FOI

FOI


‘System in crisis’: Edmonton EMS overtime up 81 per cent since 2021

Amidst a worsening staffing crisis in Alberta’s emergency medical services, Edmonton paramedics are logging record amounts of overtime. Yet, dozens of shifts go unfilled each day and drops in service levels have become routine. In 2024, Edmonton EMS staff worked 134,573 hours of overtime, an 81 per cent increase from 74,356 hours in 2021, according […]

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Advocate hopes review of N.B. right-to-information law strengthens weak legislation

An advocate for government transparency hopes a review of New Brunswick’s right-to-information law makes it easier for the public to access documents and records. The Liberal government has asked for public submissions on its election promise to modernize legislation governing the public’s right to obtain information from provincial departments and agencies. The Centre for Law […]

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FOI Michigan led on safe water after Flint, but mobile home parks are stubborn rough spot

After the Flint water crisis, Michigan became a national leader on safe drinking water, requiring the removal of lead pipes and the reduction of harmful “forever chemicals” years before the federal government acted. But the state has a blind spot when it comes to the hundreds of thousands of people who live in its mobile […]

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Trump’s onetime friendship with Jeffrey Epstein is well-known – and also documented in records

WASHINGTON (AP) — The revelation that Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Donald Trump that his name was in the Jeffrey Epstein files has focused fresh attention on the president’s relationship with the wealthy financier and the Justice Department’s announcement this month that it would not be releasing any additional documents from the case. But […]

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Bondi facing Democratic calls to testify following report she told Trump he was in Epstein files

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing Democratic calls to testify before Congress following a newspaper’s revelation that she told President Donald Trump that his name appeared in the files of the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Bondi told Trump his name was among many high-profile figures […]

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Workplace assessment of RCMP watchdog found ‘clear call for change,’ documents show

An independent assessment of the RCMP watchdog, prompted by an anonymous email from employees, uncovered concerns about favouritism, a lack of transparency, heavy workloads and “a toxic environment.” The workplace assessment of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP found “a clear call for change and action at the leadership level to restore […]

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Essex launches revamped online ‘Report a Problem’ tool that allows residents to check on status

The Town of Essex’s “Report a Problem” online platform – that allows residents to relay issues related to Town-owned infrastructure, parks, facilities, and concerns with Short Term Rental Units and town by-laws – has been updated. Essex Council learned of the revamp, and received a presentation on the changes, at the July 7 meeting. The […]

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Emails show DeSantis administration blindsided county officials with plans for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration left many local officials in the dark about the immigration detention center that rose from an isolated airstrip in the Everglades, emails obtained by The Associated Press show, while relying on an executive order to seize the land, hire contractors and bypass laws and regulations. The […]

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Charlotte County communities apply for wildfire resiliency plans

Some Charlotte County municipalities are working toward wildfire resiliency plans as part of the expansion of the FireSmart Program in New Brunswick.  In April, the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development launched the program, after an announcement from the federal and provincial governments for about $40 million to increase New Brunswick’s wildfire preparedness.  The […]

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Daily contact, a Ford phone call: docs reveal Ontario government’s close relationship with Enbridge

In early October 2023, a senior bureaucrat in the Ontario Energy Ministry emailed an Enbridge official with a “sort of urgent” request.  Newly released internal documents show that Premier Doug Ford had called the natural gas giant that month to discuss delays in obtaining a natural gas connection for a facility whose name is redacted […]

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Why did this Ontario school board go from highest to zero student exclusions?

A student elopes from school. A meltdown grows violent. Toileting has become completely out of control. These are the type of incidents that could cause a kid to be excluded from school while a safety plan is put into place, Kate Dudley-Logue told The Spectator. As operations vice-president of the Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC), Dudley-Logue […]

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Quebec language watchdog now says it’s OK to use ‘go’ to support sports teams

Quebec’s language watchdog has changed its tune on whether it’s acceptable to use the word “go” to cheer on sports teams. In a new guideline posted in its online dictionary, the Office québécois de la langue française says that while “allez” is the preferred term, it’s now “partially legitimized” to use the English word to […]

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