The Pointer

The Pointer


St. Catharines, GM lose two-year battle to keep details about environmental contamination on site slated for development secret

The City of St. Catharines has been ordered to release all documentation detailing the toxic substances beneath the former General Motors site on Ontario Street where developers have planned to build residential units without disclosing the potential health risks to future residents. On November 12th, an adjudicator from the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) of […]

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Hurontario LRT fails to meet fall 2024 completion—major problems with already laid track as construction group’s credit rating downgraded

Mississauga’s already late Hurontario LRT project is now “incurring concurrent delays on multiple other fronts,” according to a recent credit rating report that highlights some of those “multiple” problems. The “project has discovered issues with track tolerances for already installed sections that are out of compliance with specifications.” The credit downgrade report by S&P (Standard […]

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The last chapter for the Walker Family YMCA

It’s déjà vu for citizens of St. Catharines. A joint statement has been released announcing that after good faith negotiations, Atria Development (owner of the former Walker Family YMCA facility) and the City, have decided that the future of the site will not include the existing recreation facility which will instead be redeveloped into housing.   […]

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28 months after FOI request, St. Catharines has not released chemical testing data for contaminated former GM site slated for residential development

Twenty-eight months after a Freedom of Information  request was submitted to the City of St. Catharines, officials have yet to release crucial reports detailing the presence of chemicals on the former GM site along Ontario Street that the previous mayor pushed to get developed behind the scenes.   These reports, Phase I and II Environmental Site […]

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Q&A: Future of Marineland uncertain after abysmal season; conviction for poor treatment of black bears

Sunday, September 1st will mark the final day of the 2024 season for Marineland, the Niagara Falls theme park that has arguably been the second most noteworthy attraction in the municipality, only surpassed by the famous cataracts that give the city its name.  With dwindling attendance, persistent protests from animal rights activists and what the […]

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A Niagara city bows to climate deniers & conspiracy theories, withdraws from national partnership to reduce emissionsTraining AI requires more data than we have — generating synthetic data could help solve this challenge

A packed Thorold Council Chambers broke into applause on June 18th following a decisive 7-1 vote.  It had nothing to do with any controversial development application or the approval of a badly needed neighbourhood park — the type of council matters that often galvanize the general public, and their elected representatives. The vote was to […]

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‘I have nowhere to go’: Brampton tenants fight back against loss of affordable units under threat of ‘demoviction’

David MacKay is 81-years-old and has lived at 507 Balmoral Drive for four years.  He likes his current living space. He likes the community and being able to walk his dog with his neighbours. And he likes that he is able to afford his accommodation, where rent is slightly lower than other units currently on […]

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Peel Police negligence forces withdrawal of fraud charges against man formerly in control of Children’s Aid Society finances

Peel police incompetence has, once again, led to the withdrawal of charges in a high profile case. A year-and-a-half of protracted courtroom appearances, delayed disclosure and postponed trial dates have led to charges against Marino Cader, a former Peel Children’s Aid Society employee, who had allegedly defrauded the organization of approximately $180,000, being withdrawn. The […]

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Developer converting St. Catharines’ contaminated GM site into homes ‘not prepared’ to pay for critical studies, delaying municipal plans for 1 year

Many St. Catharines residents may be feeling an eerie sense of deja vu as, yet again, development of the city’s former GM property faces delays. Since the property was sold by the automaker to private developers in 2014 there have been any number of promises to clean up the old industrial site and transform it […]

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Niagara Falls Mayor & council members reject direction from Ombudsman; maintain exorbitant $500 fee to complain about their own conduct

It should have come as no surprise to Councillor Lori Lococo that she would come up empty handed in her effort to get Niagara Falls Council to consider her Notice of Motion at their most recent meeting of April 9th, calling for easier access to oversight for all residents seeking to hold herself and her […]

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With ‘Caledon under threat’, over 150 residents meet to demand action from Town Council, Mayor Annette Groves

It was standing room only inside a church in Caledon East on Wednesday as over 150 residents gathered to question the decision making of Mayor Annette Groves, and demand change after what was described as a takeover of democracy by the rookie mayor, certain members of council and senior staff. The emergency meeting, hosted by […]

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‘Is democracy dying in Caledon?’: Residents outraged as Mayor Annette Groves rushes through questionable development, cuts them out of the process

Residents in the Town of Caledon are frustrated and fearful after recent council decisions have ignored their concerns, shut them out of critical public processes and left them wondering who exactly is planning the future of the town and its vast landscape of farmland and sensitive greenspace.  Over the last month residents have watched as […]

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