A two-year investigation into the former GM factory in the heart of the city has uncovered disturbing information through an access request.
City officials and GM fought to prevent the release of documents that show dangerous chemicals were found at alarming levels in the soil and groundwater. Despite plans to develop the property for residential use, the potential risks to public health have never been disclosed.
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Ontario's environmental future hangs in the balance as the PC government under Premier Doug Ford continues to rush through controversial policies without meaningful public input or environmental studies. From the rushed Highway 413 approval to the secretive clearing of trees at Ontario Place, Ontarians are left in the dark, their voices ignored by a government determined to fast-track projects that pose a range of risks.
The latest Ontario Auditor General’s report paints a damning picture of a government that does not care about its own obligations under the Environmental Bill of Rights.
The current Regional Council has approved nearly 25 percent in budget increases over the last three years. Are future tax hikes sustainable?
Lower-tier municipalities such as St. Catharines have also recently raised property taxes well beyond amounts seen over the rest of the previous decade, putting even more pressure on homeowners, especially those on a fixed income.
As the City of Mississauga struggles financially on several fronts—staring at the largest tax increase the municipality has seen in years—Mayor Carolyn Parrish wants the PC government to help offset the municipality’s operating costs for the Hurontario LRT, estimated at approximately $65 million annually. Without help, the City warns residents could see another substantial tax hike once the line is completed.
Carlos Garcia, a city councillor in St. Catharines for the last decade, passed away suddenly earlier this month. Pointer journalist Ed Smith reflects on Garcia’s legacy, what it means to be a politician today and how this loss impacts all of St. Catharines.
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Municipalities across Ontario are carrying out budget talks, setting their financial priorities for the year ahead. Balancing critical needs with the rising cost of living has led to difficult debates across the province.
But in Brampton there are only crickets. Patrick Brown, who runs City Hall with an iron fist, has given no indication of when his budget under new Strong Mayor powers will be made public and despite promises of public consultations on the City website, none have been scheduled.
The PC government under Premier Doug Ford continues to mislead the public about the benefits of a highway through one of Ontario’s most significant wetlands.
Opposition is growing as advocates look for ways to stop the harm to hundreds of plant and animal species. Will the federal government follow its own laws and step in to review the ill-conceived project?
Despite the decision of organizers to cancel a vigil for former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, there have been suggestions the controversial event might be rescheduled. Jewish advocacy groups have called on the City of Mississauga to take a more proactive approach to ensure community harmony in one of Canada’s most diverse municipalities.
The Region of Peel is a mess and Doug Ford is largely to blame. On Thursday Mississauga’s regional councillors did not show up for a planned budget meeting forcing its cancellation and delaying the approval of Peel’s 2025 budget, hours before Ford’s government announced the elimination of some regional services which will now be handled by the lower-tier municipalities.
Mississauga would also like more autonomy over police funding, with Brampton in support of a 23.3 percent ($144 million) hike for the proposed 2025 police budget, while its neighbour to the south has described the increase as unsustainable.
Caledon residents who once trusted Mayor Annette Groves to protect the town from sprawling development have been forced down an unprecedented path —taking legal action against their own municipality.
In a bold stand against developers and their council supporters like Groves who are attempting to convert thousands of acres of countryside and greenspace into sprawling subdivisions, Democracy Caledon has filed a legal challenge to block 12 zoning amendments approved by Groves and town council earlier this year.
The City of Mississauga has approved its 2025 budget, but not without hesitancy.
In a 6-4 vote, City Council passed the financial blueprint for the year ahead on November 27, despite uncertainty around what City spending will truly look like as the municipality awaits the final recommendations from the Province on the downloading of regional services. It remains unclear whether taking on these services will mean higher taxes for residents amid an already drastic budget increase.
Environmental studies of the former GM property in St. Catharines are slated to be made public in the coming days. The release of this vital information follows a more than two-year fight by The Pointer to obtain documents members of the public have wanted for years. The City and GM fought the release of the information, despite concerns about building homes on a former industrial site where toxic chemicals have been detected.
Last week, Niagara Regional Council approved a hefty increase to the budget for its police force—following a trend observed in many municipalities across Ontario, while some including Toronto’s police force have kept increases to a minimum during the prolonged cost of living crisis across the province.
The approval followed lengthy debate with some councillors pushing back against the double-digit hike hoping to shave it down to ease the burden on local taxpayers.
A system known as SugarSync is used by the City of St. Catharines to share documents and information between staff and councillors.
An efficient tool in the digital age, it is now under scrutiny for preventing public access to information so voters can hold their elected officials accountable.
The Brampton Mayor admitted on Thursday in front of MPs investigating India’s interference in Canadian elections that he was given an order by the foreign government, which he promptly acted on.
For more than a decade, Brown, who desperately wants to become prime minister, has recklessly opened himself to foreign interference by India and China, ignoring the potentially dangerous consequences to Canadian security and our economic interests.
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is facing increased pressure to initiate a federal impact assessment for Ontario's Highway 413. In an open letter scientists warn the plan threatens critical ecosystems, endangering dozens of protected species, including the Red-Headed Woodpecker and Redside Dace. A federal assessment is not just an environmental necessity, they argue it’s a safeguard to ensure decisions are driven by scientific evidence, rather than political deal making.
In stunning testimony Thursday, the controversial Brampton mayor admitted to a Parliamentary committee investigating Indian interference in Canadian elections that he was given an order by the Indian government, which he followed during the 2022 Conservative leadership campaign.
His disturbing behind-the-scenes conduct comes after more than two dozen trips to India, where he was given “state status” by Narendra Modi, the country’s Prime Minister. He travelled for free on occasion thanks to Indian organizations tied to the ruling party. Now, he’s admitted to being repeatedly pressured and making decisions based on what the Indian government directed him to do.
The PC government’s Bill 212 is the latest example of its authoritarian nature, writes Victor Doyle who was one of Ontario’s key planners for decades.
The legislation eliminates critical studies for Highway 413 and cuts the public almost entirely out of the process to further a project that will destroy Ontario’s most sensitive environmental areas for a road that will do nothing to solve Ontario’s congestion problem.
On December 3, Vaughan City Council took a significant step to address the region's traffic challenges, with a motion introduced by Councillors Marilyn Iafrate and Rosanna DeFrancesca calling for a feasibility study on the potential buyback of Highway 407.
Three days before the motion was discussed, members of the grassroots group STOP the 413 NOW stood outside Bellvue Manor, where .Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria was scheduled to speak, to voice their opposition to the proposed highway.
Without discussion, and with a letter that appears to have already been prepared before council even made the request for a budget review, Peel’s police services board has slammed the door on any reduction to the largest increase Peel Regional Police will receive in its history, more than $144 million, an amount almost equivalent to increases the department recently received over an entire decade.
Taxpayers and community organizations, who did not have the chance to weigh in, want to know how the police can demand whatever they want, even though mounting evidence shows the approach being pushed by Chief Nishan Duraiappah over the last five years, is not working.
In 2022, when the Brampton mayor ran for the leadership of the federal Conservative Party, he travelled to Vancouver as part of a plan to win over groups and individuals tied to the Chinese government.
Brown has been summoned to testify before the Parliamentary committee probing foreign interference, but it’s unclear if members will go beyond questions about his more publicized connections to India.
In October, the controversial Brampton Mayor was requested to appear before the parliamentary committee investigating foreign interference but failed to show up. Late last week, Members of Parliament on the committee ordered him, through a summons, to come testify about his knowledge of India’s interference in Canada.
Brown has a long friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and in 2016 credited the PM’s ruling BJP Party for signing up members across Ontario to win the PC leadership race the year before.
In the wake of Mississauga's two "100-year storms" in July and August, the City unveiled new relief programs to help those impacted. Mayor Carolyn Parrish said while municipalities like Toronto continue to receive significant support from the provincial government, her city is left "dry"—a stark reality highlighted during a meeting last week, where a modest $30 million increase to the stormwater budget was detailed as Mississauga struggles to close a huge infrastructure gap.
As emissions continue to rise across Ontario, a new report from The Atmospheric Fund highlights the province's increasing reliance on natural gas for electricity generation, undermining efforts to reduce carbon emissions. While municipalities across Peel make significant strides by adopting electric vehicles, green building standards, and innovative energy projects, the provincial government’s policies, such as expanding natural gas infrastructure, are exacerbating the problem.
In response to the growing demand for its service and with budget season upon us, Food Banks Mississauga is hoping to get a $1.6 million increase from the Region of Peel on top of the $2 million approved by council last year as part of the Region’s 2024 budget. The request comes as Mississauga City Council just passed a motion declaring food insecurity an emergency, with Food Banks Mississauga reporting the highest increase in demand for services across the province.
The extra $144.1 million for the proposed 2025 Peel Police budget was sent back Thursday for reevaluation, as Mississauga members on regional council pointed to the financial pressures facing taxpayers. They also want Brampton to pay a 50/50 share, especially since Patrick Brown is lobbying for the unsustainable increase, 62 percent of which would currently be covered by Mississauga, while Brampton’s taxpayers only pay for 38 percent of the police bill. The decision to send the police chief’s budget request back was approved by the narrowest of margins.
With William Osler Health System as a key partner, TMU's planned School of Medicine is moving forward with accreditation and construction work happening simultaneously.
In 2025, it will welcome its first cohort of future MDs. Strong healthcare collaborations and community involvement are influencing the school's creative approach to medical education in Brampton, with a commitment to graduate more doctors from under-represented communities.
On a bitterly cold day, former international students with post-graduation work permits continued their encampment protest calling on the federal government to revisit a recent decision to change the rules around staying in Canada.
Advocates warn that some 200,000 workers, many in fields critical to the nation’s economy, could face deportation or other hardships that would have devastating consequences on a range of industries.
Post-secondary institutions across Ontario that abused the international student system for years are now cutting programs and laying off staff.
Almost two decades ago, the provincial government stopped increasing funding to the sector and colleges and universities began relying heavily on tuition fees. But with caps/freezes for in-province students, their counterparts from other countries became the only source of revenue for many institutions to keep programs afloat. It was a recipe for disaster.
A lack of family support and cultural stigma compound the challenges international students face when dealing with unplanned pregnancies. Restricted access to healthcare and instability in housing exacerbate their difficulties as many face these challenges alone, trying to juggle their education in a system facing widespread upheaval after years of exploiting international students.
While City officials try to set Mississauga’s financial blueprint for 2025, municipal leaders are stuck in limbo. The provincial government is finalizing decisions on the downloading of services currently overseen by the Region of Peel. The PCs have claimed the moves, to shift services including waste management to City Hall, will ensure fairness for taxpayers. Meanwhile, council members already dreading a stiff tax increase, are grappling with a budget that could face even more challenges, depending on the costs of providing a suite of new services.
The Mississauga mayor resigned from the Peel Police Services Board Friday, after only a few months, citing a budget increase she simply could not justify to her constituents, many of whom are struggling to put food on the table and keep themselves sheltered.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, meanwhile, wanted to see an even bigger increase to a police budget that critics describe as a blatant abuse of taxpayers by the force’s senior leaders and Brown, who has a cozy relationship with the chief.
Human trafficking continues to increase across Canada. In Ontario, one of the hotspots in the country, the rising number of survivors is not being matched by investments to help them escape or assist with the complex needs that result from this heinous crime.
In 2020, Laila Mickelwait launched the TraffickingHub campaign to raise awareness about the rampant child sexual abuse material on Pornhub, the world’s largest porn site (launched by Canadians) and to hold those responsible behind the scenes to account.
In an interview with The Pointer, she talks about her new book, which details her experience taking on Pornhub and the shady businessmen who operate in dark corners.
In a clothing world increasingly dominated by fast fashion, a Peel-based entrepreneur is leading the charge for sustainable shopping through her stores—Plato’s Closet—in Brampton, Vaughan, and Mississauga. Growing up in a single-parent household, Lauren Rosso turned to thrifting as a way to express her creativity without the high price tag of new clothes. Now, one of her most “absolute goals” is to help people find their style while promoting sustainability.
The recently enacted Brampton bylaw pushed through by Mayor Patrick Brown without any community consultation is the latest example of his divisive politics, critics allege. Following tensions between some in the local Hindu and Sikh communities, the new law does not accomplish anything he has claimed, but it has served to further divide groups, instead of bringing them together.
Meanwhile, he continues his silence on the issue at the heart of the tension—mounting evidence of disturbing foreign interference by the Indian government, which is led by Brown’s close friend Narendra Modi.
The Alliance for a Liveable Ontario and Environmental Defence are calling for a major shift in Ontario's housing strategy as the province’s current approach under Premier Doug Ford continues to fall short in addressing both the housing crisis and long-term environmental goals. While the government focuses on expanding suburban sprawl and building single-family homes, both groups argue that mid-rise, infill housing and repurposing underutilized public lands are more sustainable and affordable solutions.
The days of zero and near-zero percent tax increases in Mississauga are long gone, with the City proposing a stiff 7.2 percent increase on its portion of the 2025 property bill (2.7 percent when blended with the Region of Peel’s portion and the amount that goes toward education). In total, assuming another year without any increase for the education portion and a proposed 12.5 percent increase in the Region’s budget (6 percent when blended), the combined amount works out to a provisional 8.7 percent hike for residential property owners in 2025 (with an almost 10 percent increase projected for 2026) driven by a range of needs in the booming city, and a controversial police budget spike.
The City has been ordered to release documents detailing the toxins that have been found beneath the GM site planned for residential development.
For two years, the City fought The Pointer at the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario in an attempt to keep the documents from public view. Ultimately, an arbitrator sided with The Pointer and ordered the information to be released.
After a challenge from Premier Doug Ford, a number of Ontario Mayors, including the leaders of Niagara’s largest lower-tier municipalities, have called for use of the Notwithstanding Clause to override the rights of the homeless. Critics say it is criminalizing the vulnerable.
A look at the political posturing that is obscuring real solutions to assisting Niagara’s most vulnerable.
The funding will be used for research and to enhance the organization’s ability to pressure Queen’s Park.
A report earlier this year showed Peel’s almost 1.6 million residents have been chronically underserved for decades, without fair-share funding for a range of social and other services that should be based on need and population growth.
The organizers of an event publicized as a celebration of the man who ordered the October 7th attacks on innocent civilians have announced the cancellation of a Mississauga vigil to honour him.
The decision came after Jewish organizations demanded Mayor Carolyn Parrish take a strong stand, and follow her city’s own policies to cancel the event, which she was not willing to do. She continues to face backlash for comparing the Hamas leader to Nelson Mandela.
Husband and wife duo Willy Waterton and Audrey Armstrong have spent the last five years documenting and photographing orchids and ferns along the Bruce Peninsula.
Their valuable work is a symbol of how a passion for nature and citizen science can be incredible avenues for saving the planet.
The move comes after similar controversial efforts in St. Catharines that appeared to be driven by the powerful hotel industry, which views short-term rentals and companies like VRBO as a big threat.
Now, another Niagara municipality seems determined to stamp out a business space that has given consumers and rental owners a significant leg up in the market, with much cheaper options than traditional hotels.
2024 will likely be the hottest year on record as the climate crisis advances faster than we can adapt. Canada’s first national climate adaptation strategy, launched during the country’s worst wildfire season in 2023, came as municipalities like Mississauga and Brampton were already facing the impacts of extreme flooding and other dangerous weather. Despite some progress, the gap in funding remains wide, leaving cities and towns struggling to cope.
Doug Ford and his PCs are pushing forward legislation that would restrict municipalities considering new bike lane projects where a car lane would need to be eliminated. The future of Mississauga’s Bloor Street bike lane redesign is now up in the air.
The City has paused the plan while staff await further details on the looming provincial legislation, which one councillor calls a ‘significant overreach’ by the PC government.
Parrish has once again caused controversy, this time for remarks made during Wednesday’s council meeting which have sparked a backlash across the country. Her comments, made in response to a controversial vigil planned in Mississauga to celebrate the recently killed Hamas leader — Parrish compared him to Nelson Mandela — have raised concerns over her leadership in one of Canada’s most diverse cities.
Caledon Council is fighting back against Doug Ford’s controversial Bill 212, a blueprint to fast-track construction of the 413 Highway, skirting critical environmental safeguards and local consultation.
With just days left before the legislation’s expected passage, residents and local elected officials are mobilized to protect their community from what they call a “draconian” scheme.
Advocates are questioning why the school system responsible for students who are deaf and blind, which has been the subject of allegations of abuse and mismanagement for decades, is getting a pass, while Education Minister Jill Dunlop launches inquiries into fiscal mismanagement at other Ontario school boards.
In its latest “emissions gap” report, the UNEP reminds us of what the greatest threat to our way of life really is. Too many jurisdictions around the world are going backward, as more and more government policies, including many in Alberta and Ontario, plunge us toward a bleak future, where day-to-day life will be rendered unrecognizable due to the effects of climate change.
The election of Donald Trump likely won’t help.
The agreements impact more than 1,200 City employees in various sectors, such as transit and maintenance. Union representatives say the agreements tackle important issues, after Mayor Patrick Brown made misleading claims, accusing the union of holding the city hostage and commenting publicly in bad faith, suggesting the strike would be drawn out to hurt residents.
