With red and blue lights flashing, police cruisers were stationed outside the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton as hundreds of protestors gathered, filling the night air with chants against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Peel Police.
The climate across parts of Peel where diverse South Asian-Canadian communities have lived for years in an often tense dynamic with one another, has boiled over since news that India’s Hindu-Nationalist BJP government is allegedly behind a disturbingly violent plot against Sikh Canadians.
Latest Episode
In line with what was approved last year as part of a three-year budget, St. Catharines taxpayers are set to see a 3.66 percent tax increase for the coming year. In West Lincoln, first-time candidate Greg Maychak eked out a byelection win over former mayor Doug Joyner to fill the vacant seat in Ward 3 - Smithville.
Also this week, Pelham Council will receive a presentation on the natural assets in the community and how protecting them can save the municipality millions of dollars.
With the significant infrastructure project listed as a priority for fast-tracking by the PC government’s controversial Bill 212, the Garden City Skyway twinning could see elements of the project expedited. Residents of the Facer Street community where the bridge will have its most significant impact, are looking for commitment from the government that the infrastructure investment will result in positive outcomes for the area.
Carolynn Ioannoni had her own traumatic experience with a pregnancy that could not come to term. But she writes that the U.S. election for women is not only about their right to agency over their own body, it’s about their right to agency over everything. And she’s confident that, as usual, they will save the day.
The latest twist in Doug Ford's push to build Highway 413 saw Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria unveil Bill 212, a new piece of legislation aimed at fast-tracking the controversial project.
Dubbed the "Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act," it seeks to exempt the highway from a critical environmental assessment process, igniting fierce criticism from environmental groups.
Latest Episode
There is no longer a projected completion date for Mississauga’s Hurontario LRT. The fall 2024 launch will not happen, after the original opening date two years ago was also scrapped.
The pandemic was largely to blame for the first major delay; now, due to design failures in sections of track that have already been laid and mounting financial concerns about the construction consortium building the project, its completion timeline is uncertain.
His more than two-dozen visits to India, with little or no explanation to authorities, are part of Mayor Brown’s decades-long relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the man whose government, according to mounting evidence, is responsible for at least one assassination of a Canadian citizen and a plot to kill more on Canadian soil.
Brown has called Modi his mentor and has credited him with helping the Brampton mayor’s political career since his days as a backbench Conservative MP. With the largest population of Sikhs outside India, the leader of Brampton, who has never been shy about commenting publicly on controversial issues, has been silent on the mounting evidence of a plot by the Indian government — which is led by his dear friend — to target and kill Sikhs in Canada.
Through a motion presented by Councillor Brad Butt on Wednesday, Mississauga City Council voted to decline the municipal contribution request of $450 million that was presented by Trillium Health Partners earlier this month.
The local hospital management group will now be responsible for the entire $1.5 billion portion under the local share demand from the PC government. Trillium has said without a City Hall contribution the critical hospital project could be delayed.
Sikhism is one of the most popular subjects at Mississauga’s UTM campus, and now, thanks to a $5 million investment, the university will establish a Sikh studies program. Students will get a deeper understanding of Sikh culture, history and theology, a decision welcomed by the university’s Sikh Student Association whose members hope the new academic offering will address longstanding misconceptions and challenge previous narratives about Sikhism.
After a 50-minute meeting held behind closed doors, Niagara-on-the-Lake elected officials appointed the Chair of the Chamber of Commerce, Andrew Niven, to fill a vacant position around the council table.
The move, which has been defended by Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa, has been labelled as undemocratic by residents.
As Ontarians across the province continue to struggle with affordability, and many increasingly find themselves in precarious living situations, the Region of Peel has another report showing its housing services are woefully underfunded.
Peel’s housing crisis has been repeatedly documented throughout a decade of failed strategies and inadequate investments that have allowed the situation to worsen, while regional elected officials listen quietly to presentation after presentation, then blame other levels of government for the resulting crisis.
Financial difficulties, social isolation, and cultural influences make international students—particularly young women—vulnerable to sex trafficking in Peel Region. Many people are caught in abusive cycles with little assistance from post-secondary institutions that see them as little more than a cash cow. They are then taken advantage of by employers and landlords through force and extortion.
Despite government efforts there are still gaps in survivor-focused programs, affordable housing, and mental health care. Advocates warn that the exploitation of young students will continue to spread unchecked in the absence of structural changes and improved preventative measures.
Mississauga recently marked a significant milestone in sustainability with the groundbreaking of Canada’s largest district energy system at Lakeview Village which aims to transition the area—once home to the coal-fired Lakeview Power Generating Station—into a model of eco-friendly living.
Data from the Peel Regional Police show that Black residents continue to suffer from the use of disproportionate force at the hands of officers. A recent court case highlights significant problems within the Peel police service and raises more questions about Chief Nishan Duraiappah’s commitment to reform.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer has reignited the ongoing debate surrounding Canada’s carbon pricing policy. In a clumsy recent report, the PBO outlines the projected financial costs and benefits to the average family, but critics warn it overcounts theoretical burdens and fails to account for direct impacts on households and the economy generally.
Climate change is already inflicting significant economic damage on individuals and could cost Canadians annual GDP losses of $35 billion by 2030.
In a landmark ruling, the Ontario Court of Appeal has ordered the reevaluation of a legal challenge brought by seven young environmentalists regarding the PC government’s carbon emissions policies.
They argue Doug Ford has infringed upon their Charter rights, posing serious risks to the health and future of Ontarians.
The Region of Peel has once again scaled back services it was required to deliver as part of a $22 million funding envelope from the federal government. After telling The Pointer critical services such as medical and legal support would not move forward despite the agreement with Ottawa, which already provided the money upfront, regional staff said the facility would instead open by its November 1st deadline as a 680-bed shelter.
Now, the Region has once again changed its story, with only a small fraction of the beds slated to be ready by the deadline, raising questions about the management of the project and Ottawa’s response to the breach of the original agreement.
Brampton residents working to create a more sustainable transportation culture face challenges as the city finds it hard to reduce its dependence on cars. Dangerous driving, obstructed bike lanes and insufficient infrastructure jeopardize efforts to encourage walking and biking.
Advocates are determined to push Brampton in a new, more urban direction, away from the suburban built form that poses problems for residents tired of moving around in a car-dominated culture.
New charges have been brought by the U.S. Justice Department, against an Indian government agent who allegedly planned the assassination of a Canadian-American citizen and orchestrated last year’s murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was gunned down in British Columbia.
The latest indictment adds to American media reports linking India’s BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to startling covert operations in North America aimed at destabilizing the Sikh community, including those advocating for more autonomy in India.
In a 9-4 vote Council approved the recommendation of a citizen’s task force to increase the wages for elected officials by nearly $10,000, starting next term, to bring them closer to other similar sized municipalities.
While council members argued the increased pay could attract a more diverse range of potential candidates, the claim is not borne out in the data.
Described by Mississauga’s Mayor as “the elephant in the room”, Trillium Health Partners revealed its funding request to the municipal government, a staggering $450 million to help rebuild Mississauga Hospital into one of the largest healthcare facilities in North America.
THP has asked city council for an answer by December and is hoping that construction will begin next year on a project that has already been approved by the provincial government.
The loss of these trees is a blow to the mental health of a region already grappling with stress and isolation.
Across the GTA greenspaces are giving way to the rapid development altering neighbourhoods from Burlington to Oshawa.
Credit Valley Conservation and the Greenbelt Foundation are joining forces to bridge funding gaps left by the Doug Ford government. Through a new partnership, they aim to enhance local ecosystems over the next 18 months, and engage 200 volunteers in planting native trees, removing invasive species and restoring habitats within the Credit River watershed, fostering a deeper connection between the next generation and the natural world.
Despite community efforts to save one of the few recreational facilities in St. Catharines, a new agreement between the municipality and a developer signals the end of the Walker Family YMCA.
A 15-foot Trojan Horse will be taken to over 60 hospitals across the province as a symbol of the deceptive transfer of control from Ontario’s beloved universal healthcare system to the private clinics proliferating and prospering under Doug Ford.
Unions in Ontario’s healthcare sector are calling on the PC government to halt payments to private clinics and redirect the funds back into the public system.
For the first time since it launched a cull of the double crested cormorant in 2020, the PC government has provided basic statistics on the number of birds killed—but only for a single season, and without explaining how the data was gathered.
By the PCs own admission, interest in killing this native species is waning, so why is the Ontario government still allowing hunters to kill 15 of them a day without any science to back up such a hunt?
On Monday the RCMP released bombshell information about the danger Canadian Sikhs face at the hands of the Indian government, which the Mounties described as “criminal activity orchestrated by agents of the Government of India, and consequential threats to the safety and security of Canadians and individuals living in Canada.”
Brampton’s large Sikh community has been on edge for more than a year as members who support religious and cultural autonomy in India now face the possibility of being targeted, just like community advocate Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down outside a Surrey, B.C. Gurdwara last year. American evidence suggests the Indian government ordered his killing.
Niagara Region councillors were warned just over a month ago that without further investment into the municipal water and wastewater system, infrastructure failure was all but inevitable.
That fear has become a reality. With budget discussions ongoing, an equipment failure at the decades-old Fort Erie pumping station led to the spill of over 5,000 litres of raw sewage into the Niagara River.
Premier Doug Ford has proposed to dig a tunnel beneath Highway 401 to help solve the GTA’s congestion woes. It’s a plan that would cost tens of billions; would do nothing to solve congestion issues, according to experts; and most concerning, highlights the PC government's disconnect from the climate reality facing a world that needs to reduce its reliance on single occupancy vehicles.
Heading into the final week of Food Banks Mississauga’s annual Thanksgiving drive the organization reported ahead of the holiday weekend that it was at 72 percent of this year’s $800,000 target. With 8 percent of Mississauga’s population now using the food bank system, the challenge to draw donations reflects the reality that more residents are struggling to help, as many are now forced to become clients.
Hurricane Milton has unleashed devastation across parts of Florida, just days after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across six states, marking one of the deadliest hurricane seasons in recent history.
More than 4 million Canadians visit Florida each year and they account for almost $100 billion in economic activity there; for those who invest in real estate, concerns mount about the safety and viability of these properties in the face of climate-driven natural disasters.
Brown's claims about the benefits of placing individuals involuntarily into treatment programs to address opioid addiction and mental health problems were challenged for the lack of details. The approach’s effectiveness is unproven, he has failed to address the potential strain on emergency services, while long wait times for existing voluntary treatments in Peel left councillors wondering how Brown would manage his plan.
St. Catharines council members have asked for a staff report about the potential for setting up a lobbyist registry in the City to offer residents more transparency on what is happening behind the scenes at City Hall. If the Niagara Region’s history is any example, it could be a bumpy road getting there.
The latest agreement between the City of Mississauga and the development consortium behind Lakeview Village indicates only 5 percent of the housing units beyond the 8,050 approved prior to the Province’s zoning order that doubled the scale of the development to 16,000, will be deemed fully affordable. The latest agreement leaves the 10 percent commitment that was previously promised by the developers — a number that already falls dramatically short from the 30 percent recommended by the Region of Peel to address the worsening housing crisis — unclear.
Caledon is at a critical juncture—community members gathered with town council on October 7th to discuss proposed policy changes aimed at safeguarding vital resources like clean air and water, and habitat.
While some view these recommendations as a positive step, others urge for even stronger protections amid concerns about proposed new mega blasting quarries that would destroy more greenspace.
A Niagara-on-the-Lake resident is demanding an investigation into the board of the public library following the firing of the municipality’s chief librarian. In a complaint filed with the Town’s integrity commissioner, it is alleged Board members and Chair Daryl Novak violated a number of library policies and the Code of Conduct.
Renters in apartment buildings across Brampton describe alarming conditions inside: pictures of caved in ceilings, mold on walls, broken doors and other shocking signs of neglect.
Slum landlords, meanwhile, know they can increase rent above guidelines as tenants have few options in a city whose housing stock continues to fail its residents and where bylaw enforcement is an afterthought.
In his latest role leading a staff of thousands in Canada’s seventh largest city, Geoff Wright takes over at a pivotal time in the municipality’s history. The city is booming, spurred by its first commuter rail line which will run the entire length of Mississauga along its major north-south corridor. A number of other massive projects will reshape entire precincts as part of an urban big-city agenda in the rapidly transforming former suburb.
Vertical growth is happening alongside an ongoing housing crisis while financial pressures mount due to infrastructure needs and the consequences of climate change. With a new mayor beside him, how will Wright balance what’s best for Mississauga with the political will of council?
The evidence is clearer than ever—the PC government’s Highway 413 project will cause irreversible environmental destruction to Peel’s watersheds. A new report paints a grim picture of the future for three key GTA water courses should the controversial highway be built.
Ontario schools for the deaf and blind have faced allegations of abuse and mismanagement for years. The PC government has refused to acknowledge the evidence, or investigate problems that have led to $23 million in payouts for legal settlements with little transparency to the taxpayers forced to cover the negligence.
Will the new person in charge of the ministry finally take action?
After a failed 2022 effort to increase wages for councillors in line with municipalities of a comparable size, a citizen task force proposes a hike of more than 35 percent for the next council term; councillors will receive a long promised operational report on forestry services that were almost eliminated after the Mayor’s 2024 budget proposal; and staff comes up with an “innovative” incentive program to deal with flooding.
A new report highlights a $21 million gap in the ability of Ontario’s largest school boards to provide critical outdoor education for young learners.
The cost amounts to less than a tenth of a percent of the PC’s education budget, but the government refuses to answer questions about whether it will protect funding to strengthen the relationship between young people and the environment that surrounds them.
A five-year test phase for e-scooters is nearing its end, leaving it in the hands of the PC government to determine the future of these micro-mobility machines in Ontario. Disability advocates are hoping the government will finally listen to their warnings about the risks—many of them played out across Brampton, where a pilot program has come under fire.
Controversial programs that have come under fire for providing taxpayer dollars to fund luxury condo developments in Niagara Region have been extended for another 18 months.
A previous audit found these grants and “incentives” provide little benefit to the Niagara taxpayers forced to pay for them.
Two rebate programs worth as much as $7,800 for impacted households were part of the moves made by Mississauga’s local elected officials last week after more and more residents are growing frustrated by inaction in the face of our changing climate. Several major stormwater projects to strengthen Mississauga’s resilience were also approved, as City Hall continues to deal with the fallout from two catastrophic storms this summer.
The elimination of funding by the City of St. Catharines for a critical homelessness outreach organization will have devastating impacts on one of the city’s most vulnerable populations.
Nominations closed in West Lincoln with five candidates certified for the November 4th by-election; Chris Dabrowski to be sworn in at October 1st Niagara Falls Council meeting.
A report delivered to council earlier this year made it clear the impact of a transition process that mishandles the downloading of key regional portfolios like land use; water and wastewater infrastructure and roads could have drastic consequences across Peel. With the resignation of the chair of the provincially-appointed Transition Board, questions are being asked about the timeline and value of any final recommendations to the provincial government.
The litany of policy changes made by the PC government have stripped environmental protections to the bone. In their place, policies that favour sprawl and ignore smart growth strategies of the past have been enacted. The Ontario Headwaters Institute wants municipalities to support a new Charter for Watershed Security to try and safeguard our valuable natural assets.
As cold weather nears, The Pointer has tried for weeks to get answers regarding a reception facility for asylum claimants that is supposed to open by November 1st under terms given by the federal government, which provided $22 million in upfront funding for the centre.
Despite the desperate need for the facility after the death of two asylum seekers in Mississauga, the Region of Peel has failed to answer key questions and continues to change its story about meeting the deadline to open the centre by the start of November.
After a startling staff report landed before council earlier this month, outlining the dire state of Niagara Region’s critical infrastructure, councillors had little choice but to approve necessary investments to keep things running smoothly.
Also, what’s the truth behind the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award recognition the Region has received 12 years running?
