LJI

LJI


David Barrick gone after less than 3 months in latest municipal CAO role, weeks after banning Pointer reporter

Less than three months after starting the job, despite his scandal-plagued past and lack of proper experience, David Barrick is no longer the Chief Administrative Officer for the Township of South Stormont.  His abrupt departure from the small eastern Ontario township, quietly announced Tuesday, March 24, has left residents, municipal officials and media outlets familiar […]

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Bake sale supporting Falher Library

If you’re a fan of yummy baked goods and reading great books, why not join the two together by attending the Friends of the Falher Library Bake Sale on April 2? President Geneviève Nicolet explains Friends of the Falher Library / Amis de la Bibliothèque Dentinger is a bilingual volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the […]

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Citizens raise issues about chemicals at refinery site

COLEMAN TOWNSHIP — Thousands of documents obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request have revealed details of hazardous material located at the abandoned Cobalt Refinery Site, located in Coleman Township. Trina Breault, township resident and chairperson for the group Citizens for a Clean Coleman Township, made a presentation to Coleman council on March 19. […]

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Records reveal murky ownership of former GM site after years of failed rehabilitation

As emails to the City, provincial ministries and the property’s owner go unanswered, residents concerned about the former General Motors property in St. Catharines say they are growing increasingly frustrated about the derelict, contaminated site next to the heart of the city.  The giant 55 acre former GM plant has been decommissioned and out of […]

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Hamilton judge deems provisions in Ontario sex offender registry as unconstitutional

ONTARIO—A Hamilton courtroom has quietly cracked open a long-standing pillar of Ontario’s criminal justice system. In a recent ruling, Justice Garg of the Ontario Court of Justice found that key provisions of Ontario’s sex offender registry law—known as Christopher’s Law (Sex Offender Registry), 2000—violate the constitutional rights of offenders because they require automatic and, in […]

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Former local teacher a convicted sex offender

On February 27, 2026, a northern Alberta teacher, Brock Mackenzie Whalen, was convicted of sex crimes against a minor. He was initially charged on October 1, 2024 with six counts. The offences occurred from September 1, 2018 to August 30, 2022, dates inclusive. The case began in June 2023 when McLennan RCMP, assisted by Alberta’s […]

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MD of Pincher Creek council briefs: Wildlife fencing concerns, invasive species prevention, social media policy

Drivers have reported seeing deer trapped on Highway 3 between tall fences installed as part of the Rock Creek wildlife underpass, a resident told Municipal District of Pincher Creek council. In correspondence received at the Feb. 24 regular meeting, David McIntyre raised concerns about the new wildlife fencing. He suggested that several older fences in […]

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Halton Hills weighs whistleblower policy

Halton Hills is taking its first formal step toward creating a whistleblower policy, following unanimous support from council. Coun. Jason Brass brought forward a resolution March 9 that directs town staff to investigate how whistleblower programs operate in other municipalities and report back on what would be required to implement a similar framework in Halton […]

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Town claims provincial pressure on wharf project

Staff from the Town of Saint Andrews claim they were pressured by the Regional Development Corporation (RDC) to progress with the Market Wharf and Market Square refurbishment project despite the department approving a deadline extension application from the town well into 2027. New documents obtained by The Courier through a Right to Information and Protection […]

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Napanee council approves updated CCTV policy as camera network expands

The Council of the Town of Greater Napanee has approved an updated policy governing the municipality’s Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system following the expansion of its public-space security camera network. The revised policy was presented to Council on Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2026, by Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Matthew Grant, who said the changes reflect the […]

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Town confirms CAO’s departure

It’s official. A statement from the Town of Drayton Valley March 4 says that Jocelyn Whaley’s employment as CAO was ended by mutual agreement. Last week, Whaley was put on paid leave after a special meeting held by Council at 7 p.m. on March 2. During a closed session at the March 4 meeting, Whaley […]

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15,000-plus students regularly skip school across Manitoba, leaked documents show

More than 15,000 students — including six in 10 children and youth in one Manitoba school division — were chronically absent from class in 2023-24. Leaked government documents expose the troubling state of truancy in elementary and high schools across the province. “Unbelievable” and “mind-blowing” were among the descriptors that came to mind for Kent […]

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