When the Town of Caledon’s integrity commissioner, David G. Boghosian, referred to public delegations as a “political circus” following criticism of his most recent decision, it struck a nerve with residents and Charter experts. “Delegations simply add an unnecessary and quite frankly harmful political element to the Code of Conduct process when the decision-making that […]

“I resigned from the government in 2017 because the Ford administration was coming to power, and I knew I couldn’t work for them.” Victor Doyle’s worst fears have come true. Over the past twenty years since Ontario created the Greenbelt, the world’s largest protected landscape of its kind, the man known as one of its […]

When St. Catharines residents pay their municipal taxes, they expect those dollars to finance services, infrastructure and council supported programs that are deemed to be in the interest of the community. What they do not expect is for those funds to be spent in ways that are difficult to trace or buried in broad budget […]

Any mention of Highway 413, first proposed almost a quarter-century ago as a massive transportation corridor immediately below and through parts of Ontario’s protected Greenbelt, has always been accompanied by a giant question mark. Claimed by supporters to be a solution to congestion in the Greater Toronto Area, the project has been mired in political […]

Frustration and unease are mounting in Caledon, where locals say their voices are being drowned out by a municipal process that lacks transparency, overrides its own rules and puts the environment, particularly groundwater, at serious risk. Residents were already reeling from a May decision put forward by Mayor Annette Groves’ motion to approve a fill […]

The number of Niagara Falls properties in tax jeopardy has risen dramatically during the current term of council, according to data recently shared by City staff.  On May 21, through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, The Pointer sought six years of data on the number of properties in tax arrears. City officials declined the […]

A new $40 million grant request from the City of Welland is putting Niagara Region’s taxpayer-funded incentive programs back in the spotlight, and under renewed scrutiny. Welland Mayor Frank Campion is championing a controversial proposal that would see the Region contribute $40 million for a 52-hectare residential development along the banks of the Welland Recreational […]

In April last year, Niagara Falls elected officials refused to consider a request from Councillor Lori Lococo to review the process for residents to file complaints against their municipal representatives, including the possibility of removing the $500 fee that has been widely criticized as shielding councillors from accountability.  It was admitted by elected officials at […]

Rallies for endangered species. Protests led by First Nations. A filibuster from the NDP. More than 4,000 amendments tabled by the Liberals. Two committee hearings with Indigenous leaders, legal experts, labour representatives, and more. Despite all of it, Bill 5 passed. On June 5, as Ontarians across the province struggled to breathe through smoke-filled air […]

In a decision that appears to contradict itself, the municipal watchdog hired by Council members to hold them accountable has determined that even though Mayor Mat Siscoe violated rules set out in the Code of Conduct that governs the behaviour of local elected officials, his conduct somehow did not rise to a punishable contravention of […]

Late last year, Mario Zelaya never expected his TikTok post would stir such emotion across an upscale east-end Oakville neighbourhood. Nor did he anticipate being targeted by the town’s mayor. It has been seven months since that initial post, when Zelaya detailed what he believes to be a serious public health threat linked to decades […]

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 […]