FOI

FOI


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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Town of Caledon officially launches Lobbyist Registry

The Town of Caledon has officially launched a Lobbyist Registry, a tool designed to help make local government more transparent and accountable. The Lobbyist Registry is available online and provides residents with easy access to information about who is lobbying with Council, Committee of Adjustment members, Property Standards Committee members, and statutorily appointed staff.  It […]

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Northern school transforms library into innovation hub

​KIRKLAND LAKE — When Dan Kurz began teaching at Kirkland Lake District Composite School (KLDCS) in 2006, he didn’t imagine a robotics lab taking over the school library.  But 20 years into his teaching career, that vision has not only taken shape, it’s led his students to a national gold medal. Grade 12 student Liam […]

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Newly launched Access to Information review is flawed, transparency advocates say

A newly launched federal review of the Access to Information system is being greeted with deep skepticism by transparency advocates. The Treasury Board Secretariat announced the government review, which takes place every five years, in a news release late Friday. The release says officials will seek input from a broad range of Canadians, Indigenous groups, […]

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After Minnesota shooting, some states are more tightly guarding officials’ personal information

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lawmakers in some states are moving to delete their home addresses from online directories and Wisconsin legislators are seeking added security for a session this week after one Minnesota legislator was killed and another wounded in their suburban Minneapolis homes last weekend in what Gov. Tim Walz described as a targeted […]

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UCP ‘disasters and fires’ fail Albertans with disabilities, NDP maintains

Economic hardship, anger and untenably long waitlists have taken root in Alberta because of UCP mismanagement of the disability file, an opposition critic charged recently. Marie Renaud added that issues harming Albertans with disabilities extend beyond a lack of accessibility legislation. But the government needs to act on that too, she said. “Our focus got […]

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‘Not based on science’: documents show internal government scramble to expand Alberta cougar hunt

A controversial decision last year to substantially increase the number of cougars that can be hunted in Alberta was not based on science, according to government documents obtained by The Narwhal. Instead, expanded cougar hunting was “based on direction from [the] minister last year and input from stakeholders,” according to an internal email between senior […]

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Fentanyl czar says government’s border bill will help in fight against lethal drug

Canada’s fentanyl czar says the fight against the deadly opioid would get a boost from proposed new tools for law enforcement in the Liberal government’s recently tabled border bill. Kevin Brosseau, the federal point person on fentanyl, welcomes provisions in the Strong Borders Act to increase inspection powers, give police easier access to information, crack […]

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