A nightmare is playing out in Welland following a deeply disturbing sexual assault of a child.
The incident has inflamed concerns about how the justice system handles repeat offenders and comes as Niagara Police are grappling with a startling rise in many types of sexual crimes across Niagara.
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Truck horns blared and STOPTHE413 signs lined the roadsides as Premier Doug Ford and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria declared the “beginning” of Highway 413 construction in Caledon on August 27.
Despite the fanfare, what’s actually underway isn’t the highway itself — just a few “early works”.
After the 26-minute press conference, The Pointer fact-checked statements made by Ford, Sarkaria and Caledon Mayor Annette Groves, uncovering repeated exaggerations and misleading claims.
As climate pressures mount and urban landscapes expand, Ontario’s cities are starting to see nature not just as green spaces but as critical infrastructure.
The Greenbelt Foundation’s new report on Natural Asset Management urges municipalities to recognize and manage natural ecosystems like forests and wetlands alongside traditional infrastructure.
The number of Brampton home owners unable to cover their tax bill exploded under the current term of council, according to a new report by City staff. While Bramptonians grapple with a cost-of-living crisis, the recent numbers show the financial strategy forced by Mayor Patrick Brown has not worked. Despite freezing the budget—which has gutted City accounts and delayed major infrastructure projects—it appears his politically motivated plan (Brown styles himself as a cost-cutting politician) has not had the intended effect of easing the financial burden on ratepayers.
The controversy surrounding Donald Trump and the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein has made it clear that the unchecked abuse of women, and politicians who don’t seem to care has the ability to galvanize public opposition. If Prime Minister Mark Carney makes an 81 percent cut to the department responsible for ending gender-based violence in Canada, which is what’s being projected, frontline service providers are already preparing a similar backlash.
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The firing of a CAO in Haldimand County has drawn widespread criticism against the municipality's mayor. Shelley Ann Bentley first refused to accept the provincial powers, then did so behind her council’s back, two months after an independent investigation launched by the CAO implicated her in the leaking of confidential information. Shortly after the popular CAO’s actions to ensure accountability, she was fired.
The fiasco has ignited debate about the PCs’ strong mayor legislation that has been criticized as undemocratic. A recent report has revealed it’s not achieving its goal of helping facilitate housing development.
During the recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa, Premier Doug Ford announced a funding increase to help the province’s cities and towns build new housing. But stakeholders say the amount falls far short of what is needed in Peel, and hundreds of other municipalities across Ontario.
Regional councillors have denied a $40 million grant request from a developer looking to build a luxury housing project in Welland.
The warnings about the financial strain it would place on the upper-tier municipality, and the lack of affordable housing options included in the project did not stop staunch council supporters from attempting delay tactics to keep the grant request alive.
Comments by Education Minister Paul Calandra, threatening to eliminate school board trustees entirely after stripping some (including Peel’s Catholic trustees) of their powers, have sparked fierce backlash from labour unions, calling it a threat to local democracy.
They are blaming the Ford government for neglecting Ontario’s public education system, and claim the move to strip elected trustees of their governance role is just a distraction.
Construction for the new Mississauga Hospital is officially underway. While residents look forward to the expanded care the historic project will bring, the 24/7 building schedule has some concerned they could be staring down years of traffic congestion and disruption without proper guardrails in place to control noise and construction activity.
As Ottawa prepares for fiscal belt tightening under Prime Minister Mark Carney, leaked internal messages reveal the newly minted Canada Water Agency may be next on the chopping block, just months after it was established to protect Canada’s lakes and rivers.
With freshwater ecosystems already under siege from development and GHGs, experts and advocates warn that slashing the agency’s funding could unravel years of progress and repeat the environmental austerity mistakes of the past.
As concerns over Canada’s poorly managed immigration system continue to spread, Brampton-based Gandhi Immigration Limited serves as an example of abuse that has plagued the sector.
The director of the firm was, according to Ontario’s Attorney General, responsible for wrongdoing that led to a $40,000 fine for wilfully misrepresenting two immigration files by adding fake work experience to the applications of clients hoping to settle in Canada. The PCs have tabled tough new legislation to combat chronic problems in the immigration consulting sector.
After approving a controversial plan to dump construction fill into Swan Lake, a protected Greenbelt water body, Caledon Council is now pushing a new Site Alteration Bylaw that could make such decisions more common in the future.
Residents and environmental advocates fear the bylaw will open the door to widespread dumping below the water table across rural Caledon, putting groundwater and the Credit River watershed at risk. The legality of the highly controversial move under existing federal environmental law has not yet been tested.
In a surprise move, Niagara regional councillors have rejected a $40 million grant request for luxury homes in Welland. While the vote sends a message to the supporters of these questionable grant programs which have provided millions of Niagara taxpayer dollars to developers, another vote on the matter will return to council on August 28 for a final decision.
With a severe shortage of purpose-built rentals across Peel, the units that do exist are often unhygienic and unsuitable for quality living.
One-third of survey respondents painted a grim picture, reporting they live with mold, pest infestations, broken elevators and extreme heat during the summer, all while paying hefty sums for poor-quality housing.
Infrastructure failures have drastic consequences for communities big and small. They require rapid, coordinated action from local elected officials.
But what happens when this responsibility is ignored? Where do residents turn?
Community advocates in one northern Ontario municipality are desperate for answers after a bridge closure has been drawn out for months, with no end in sight.
Some of Ontario’s favourite camping spots, nestled near habitats home to many endangered and at-risk species, are facing development pressures under plans by the provincial government. The PC move to transfer parts of Wasaga Beach to municipal control for tourism development has raised red flags; the risk of commercialization could forever alter the park’s delicate ecosystem.
A few hours north, the government's proposal to widen Highway 69 threatens portions of Grundy Lake and French River provincial parks, where even small land removals for development could disrupt fragile habitats and wildlife corridors.
In a city where rapid population growth is outpacing the housing supply, Brampton’s construction industry is facing supply chain disruptions and delays in housing projects as prices for building materials skyrocket.
U.S. tariffs are starting to impact the sector, which was already facing internal challenges across Ontario, slowing housing starts at a time when Brampton desperately needs a supply of homes residents are clamouring for.
Amid a barrage of complaints filed by residents over land gobbling truck and trailer storage operations—many of them illegal—Brampton councillors ignored the recommendation of expert planning staff and extended zoning permissions for two sites that hold hundreds of trucks.
Despite Patrick Brown’s claims of attracting major employers to the struggling city and a staff report strongly advising that the truck storage operations in question are hindering the type of growth the city needs, the mayor and his council followers ignored the advice.
When Niagara Falls Councillor Mike Strange attempted to rally members of the Falls View Hose Brigade to block “that women’s group” from sitting in the council chambers, the scheme drew widespread condemnation.
Now, the actions of the embattled politician, who is also facing a criminal intimate partner violence charge, are being investigated by the City’s integrity commissioner.
A developer, two social service agencies and the Region of Peel have joined together to provide critical rental housing for those living with developmental disabilities in Brampton.
The initiative comes as the provincial government has shunned disability advocates and ignored its own pledge to make Ontario fully accessible.
Data released by the City of Niagara Falls has exposed a disturbing trend. As property taxes have increased under the current council led by Mayor Jim Diodati, the number of properties in tax arrears has spiked.
The trend reveals the troubling impact of council decision making disconnected from the needs of residents facing significant affordability pressures.
With the rapid erosion of accountability in the municipal government sector, sped up by Doug Ford’s determination to hand even more power to mayors, proposed provincial legislation to protect residents from abusive municipal elected officials is needed now more than ever.
Ontario’s municipal taxpayers also desperately need updated legislation to overhaul woefully inadequate accountability mechanisms meant to keep local elected representatives in check. The current system has created a dire situation for residents whose tax dollars are open to widespread abuse in the province’s municipal government sector.
As the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference begins, nearly half of Ontario’s municipalities have already signed onto the cause promoted by The Women of Ontario Say No. Founder Emily McIntosh is determined to make Bill 9 stronger—so local elected officials who behave abusively are held accountable.
The unit responsible for catching the criminals who are exploiting children online is increasingly being asked to do more with the same. The small contingent of officers handles a disturbing number of cases every day. They are growing more complex as legal rules change and technology evolves.
Once thought of as a distant danger, wildfires are now igniting in southern Ontario’s backyard, fuelled by record heat, drought and a changing climate. Fire seasons are stretching longer across the country with increasingly volatile conditions and open-fire bans across much of Southern Ontario due to extremely hot, dry conditions.
In Kawartha Lakes, known for its serene cottages, August brought multiple blazes that spread through parched forests. Experts warn that more Ontario communities, like other parts of the country that have been forced to evacuate, will face increased risks in the future.
After a year of stalled negotiations with the Region of Peel over pay disparity, mental health support and chronic underfunding, Peel Paramedics reached a tentative deal late July, achieving key gains in some areas including wages, while other issues are still unresolved.
The cost of the new South Niagara Hospital is not the only issue many residents have drawn attention to. Outside Niagara Falls, where the facility is being constructed, many are voicing anger over the loss of community-based healthcare in favour of more regional coverage out of the new hospital. Across Niagara, residents are rallying to save local services including facilities slated for closure.
Following controversy over recent years around taxpayer subsidies to developers, who expect the public to cover a range of costs to maximize their own profits, Welland is now facing a similar demand. And Mayor Frank Campion has gotten behind the request, which could see taxpayers cover a total of $80 million so the builder in question can avoid paying various costs to get its project to market.
With the failure to spend $1.2 billion collected from taxpayers for capital funding covered by residents who work tirelessly to make both ends meet, fiscal mismanagement under Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown has reached new lows. Dozens of critical projects remain stalled—despite the City collecting all the necessary funds from taxpayers who are not getting what they paid for.
As Canada stands at a critical point between fossil-fuel dependence and a clean energy future, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first few months in office have revealed a balancing act between climate ambition and industry appeasement. From scrapping the federal consumer carbon tax to hinting at new oil pipelines— while touting renewable growth—his policies have sparked debate over whether Canada will help lead the global energy transition or cling to a carbon-based future.
As Ontario faces another extreme heat warning once again this weekend, the difference between those who can stay cool and those who can’t is becoming a life-threatening crisis. Seniors and renters, especially in aging buildings across southern Ontario, are trapped without reliable air conditioning as heatwaves grow more intense. A recent UN report warns extreme heat disproportionately harms the elderly and low-income groups worldwide. Yet in Ontario, outdated laws and lack of enforcement leave many vulnerable to dangerous conditions. Advocates argue that access to cooling must be treated as an essential human right, not a luxury.
Brampton residents are being kept in the dark about the future of a project that Mayor Brown and his council followers have for years claimed will transform the decaying downtown core. It was recently announced that the Nelson Square Parking Garage will be torn down to make way for the Centre for Innovation, but a contractor has yet to be chosen for the long delayed project which City Hall still doesn’t have a timeline for.
Despite her failure to show up for two scheduled court dates, the charges against Carly Young in relation to the tragic death of Dakota, her German shepherd, will go to trial on September 18.
Animal advocates worry the ongoing reluctance by the police and justice system to file criminal charges for animal cruelty allows abusers to avoid accountability.
The Lake Ontario shoreline, once protected against erosion by concrete barriers, is now grappling with the intensified impacts of climate change. Rather than relying on more concrete, a groundbreaking initiative is looking to nature for answers.
The Lake Ontario Coastal Resilience Pilot Project, launched by three conservation authorities, is exploring innovative, nature-based solutions to tackle rising waters and shifting landscapes. With a science-driven, collaborative approach, the project unites conservationists, municipalities, and communities to reshape the future of the coastline, offering a sustainable and resilient path forward for both the environment and the people who rely on it.
Inconsistencies in provincial grant funding are putting pressure on critical investigative work carried out by the Niagara Police.
At the same time, the police services board is signalling it simply can not meet the demand by regional council to cut back next year’s budget request, which a report from the Chief is equating to “defunding the police”.
Frustrated by unanswered questions, ignored public objections and what he sees as a breach of public trust in handling the proposed blasting quarry, Tony Sevelka has filed formal complaints with both the Ontario Ombudsman and the Information and Privacy Commissioner, calling for a thorough investigation into possible procedural failures and abuse of power, demanding that the voices of local residents be heard and respected.
As home insurance premiums soar across Ontario, an advocacy group is raising concerns over the lack of transparency in the insurance industry regarding the financial impacts of climate change. They fear governments are failing to protect homeowners by allowing insurance companies to quietly hike premiums as a result of an increasingly unpredictable climate, without disclosing exactly how they are determining the final numbers handed to customers on their bills.
The concern is that these hidden costs could push premiums beyond what many can afford, all while keeping the public in the dark about the real risks involved.
Brampton councillors have threatened legal action against Regeneration Outreach over issues they claim are linked to the services provided to unhoused and other vulnerable individuals in downtown Brampton.
The legal letter was sent without any consultation with the organization.
After weeks of controversy inside City Hall, including the arrest of three peaceful demonstrators, procedural barriers are preventing residents from filing complaints against what they see as biased and unethical conduct by their elected officials.
Startling drops in revenue and further projected losses from U.S. tariffs have workers at Brampton’s Stellantis auto assembly scared for the future.
While industry analysts warn the ongoing 25 percent tariffs will force Stellantis to make some difficult decisions about its North
American operations union officials are scrambling to reassure 3,000 employees in Brampton that their careers are secure.
In a groundbreaking decision years in the making, the International Court of Justice has declared that climate inaction isn’t just reckless, it’s illegal. For the first time, the world’s highest court has confirmed that states have binding legal obligations to curb greenhouse gas emissions, including from fossil fuel production, or risk violating international law and facing consequences. The ruling could transform climate lawsuits from long-shot battles to powerful tools for justice.
The decision comes as the Ontario government has unveiled its latest energy plan which is continuing to push the province away from renewable energy, compromising vital emission reduction targets.
SafeHope Home in Durham Region is one of the few residential programs for human trafficking survivors in the country, and the only one to offer a long-term, wraparound support system. Thankfully, nobody was hurt in the fire, but now the organization must work tirelessly to find a new space and limit the disruption to these women who are trying to rebuild their lives after escaping one of the most heinous forms of exploitation.
The organization is currently fundraising to help support the purchase of a new location.
As fossil fuel giants flood screens with misleading net-zero claims, a UN special rapporteur is calling for urgent legal action to ban false advertising, end fossil fuel subsidies and phase out oil, gas and coal by 2030 after the industry’s six-decade campaign of climate denial and delay.
Canada’s federal government recently made changes to the Competition Act to fight greenwashing but relentless lobbying and resistance from the oil and gas sector have set Ottawa behind as the push to criminalize fossil fuel misinformation takes off elsewhere.
The municipal storm sewer south of Chippawa Parkway has intermittently spewed an unknown chemical substance into the Welland River since July of last year.
Despite efforts from City and provincial officials, the origin of the black, oily substance has not been identified. Frustrated residents fear there simply is not enough political will to track down the source—which appears to be somewhere inside the Stanley Business Park.
Jean-François and Jennifer Casu-Morin came to Caledon to raise their children surrounded by nature. They hoped to build a life on their farm in what was once celebrated as Ontario’s greenest town. They vividly remember Mayor Annette Groves personally assuring them during her 2022 election campaign that she would protect the environment and listen to local voices—promises that earned their trust.
That trust is in shambles after councillors, at the behest of Groves, fast-tracked a controversial plan to fill Swan Lake, which sits behind their home, with construction waste. The plan from the mayor, a favour to a powerful developer pushed through with no public consultation, has sparked a fierce fight over clean water, wildlife habitat and Caledon’s slowly vanishing identity as a green oasis.
Patrick Brown is pushing for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to be added to Canada’s terror watch list. But the Brampton Mayor, who is constantly in the media speaking on issues outside his municipal jurisdiction, has remained silent on a key piece of the narrative surrounding the gang and its implication in Peel’s troubling organized crime landscape. Various sources have publicly stated that the Bishnoi gang is used as a “proxy” by the Indian government to target Sikhs in Canada.
Despite his close connections to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brown continues to ignore the connection between Modi’s government and the harassment of Sikhs in Canada.
The Canadian Constitution Foundation is taking the City of Niagara Falls to court over its doubling down on a controversial “decorum” policy that bans the holding of signs inside the council chambers. The organization, which is launching a new initiative aimed directly at rogue municipalities, says legal precedent and the Constitution protect this type of expression. It criticizes the City’s senior staff for what appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding of the Constitution.
Women’s rights activists were recently arrested for trying to draw attention to a proposed new provincial law aimed at holding municipal politicians accountable for harassment and assault.
Near the anniversary of two devastating “100-year storms” that turned Mississauga streets into rivers and homes into disaster zones last summer, the city is still digging out physically, financially and emotionally.
Despite pouring hundreds of millions into stormwater infrastructure and rolling out new relief programs, many residents remain flooded with frustration as local, provincial and federal support lags behind.
After his son was attacked at school, Anwar Knight says the Peel District School Board lied to him and attempted to cover up the incident. The experience led him to launch Hold Schools Accountable, an effort to reform the Education Act and ensure no parents are forced to deal with what he and his family had to go through.
A coalition of nine First Nations is taking Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, challenging Bills 5 and C-5 on constitutional grounds. They argue these laws concentrate sweeping powers in the Cabinet, bypass Indigenous consultation and weaken environmental protections on traditional lands, infringing on their rights and sovereignty.
Participating First Nations seek to halt enforcement of the new laws until the courts review their constitutionality.
