Canada’s largest school board says it has received a ransom demand over student data that was stolen last December, even though the company behind the affected software paid ransom in hopes of securing that information.  The Toronto District School Board said in a letter to parents and caregivers on Wednesday that it recently learned the […]

The number of property tax accounts in arrears has risen sharply in St. Catharines since 2022, according to documents obtained by The Pointer through a Freedom of Information request. The disturbing increase aligns with the controversial hikes in municipal tax rates introduced by the current City Council. Residents of Niagara’s largest city were shocked in […]

The Ontario government is considering shortening the length of teachers’ college in order to address a worsening shortage of educators, documents obtained by The Canadian Press suggest. A freedom-of-information request on teacher supply and demand came back with research and jurisdictional scans the Ministry of Education conducted last year on the supply issue and the […]

An Ontario man is facing charges in an alleged theft and leak of Texas Republican Party data in 2021. The U.S. Department of Justice says the 37-old-man from Oshawa was arrested last week and is facing charges under Canadian law. It says the accused gained unauthorized access to a third-party hosting company’s computer system to […]

Premier Doug Ford said Thursday that he plans to visit some areas affected by prolonged power outages since a powerful ice storm hit central and northern Ontario over the weekend.  Hydro One said that of the approximately 175,000 customers without power as of late Thursday afternoon, nearly 45,000 lost power in the previous 24 hours […]

St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe used municipal assets and senior staff to coordinate his attendance in a staged campaign event for Doug Ford during last month’s provincial election campaign. The apparent violation of rules that govern Siscoe’s conduct was revealed in documents obtained by The Pointer through a Freedom of Information investigation. The documents show […]

For years, St. Catharines residents living near the former General Motors industrial site have raised concerns about potential health and environmental risks posed by the contaminated 55-acre property. For just as long, their concerns have been met with vague assurances from officials, insisting there is no cause for concern.   Nothing underscores the ongoing worry more […]

Ontario’s NDP and Liberal leaders tried to keep voters focused on health care Monday, even as actions by the U.S. president threatened to once again draw attention elsewhere in the provincial election campaign. Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford has tried to make dealing with President Donald Trump the ballot question in the snap Feb. 27 […]

Twenty-two days after being compelled by Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to release environmental reports related to the former General Motors site in the core of the city, St. Catharines officials addressed the matter publicly, admitting they have had the disturbing reports that show dangerous contaminants at levels thousands of times above set limits, since […]

PERTH COUNTY – Perth County councillors might have been mistaken for a group of epicures with a refined taste in food, as they unanimously voted to increase the meal reimbursement policy to $85 per day.  The amount represented an increase from a staff recommendation of $70 per day.  While presenting the changes to the reimbursement […]

Recognizing the central role of accountability and transparency at City Hall, Ontario’s Municipal Act grants municipalities powers to ensure good governance.  Councils have the responsibility to ensure the operations of the municipality, run by senior management, are conducted openly and subject to public scrutiny. According to the City’s website, St. Catharines is committed to organizational […]

A Catholic school board chair who went on a contentious art procurement trip to Italy says he won’t step down — but won’t run again. “I have made a decision to complete the balance of my term and not run in 2026,” Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board chair Rick Petrella told The Spectator […]