A report authored by Principles Integrity shows Brown used City of Brampton staff for his CPC leadership bid, without any approval for their leave; seven members of Brown’s City-funded office staff worked on his campaign during normal working hours; Brown’s failure to keep any documentation for his use of staff prevented the commissioner from making a finding against him; and the City’s corporate electronic time recording system was updated after the fact to show time-off was taken.
After the recent death of a four-year-old Mississauga girl, Canadian Pacific Railway crews patched up large sections of the fence on either side of the Milton GO corridor. As the owners and operators of the tracks, CP has the responsibility to maintain fencing. Less than a kilometre from the tragic incident The Pointer found another large hole cut in the fencing. Other areas along the line have gaps or poorly maintained fences. The traumatic incident has raised questions around rail safety and the joint responsibility of stakeholders.
A small forest in Brampton was highlighted by Credit Valley Conservation Authority for its ecological importance. But Great Gulf Homes, who now owns the property, and the City of Brampton signed off on the removal of the trees anyway. A residents’ association wants to know why this environmentally significant forest is being destroyed. Through a freedom of information request, the group discovered the conservation authority called for the forest’s preservation, but few stood up for it ahead of the final decision to raze it when Brampton Council sealed its fate in October 2020. A future subdivision is now slated to replace the Huttonville Forest.
Opinions are mixed on how to handle the overdose crisis in Brampton’s downtown.
As the Region of Peel moves forward with its plans for a supervised consumption site, the organization representing downtown businesses is firm in its stance that the site selection process is flawed. But some business owners disagree, and see the potential site as a beacon of hope.
The City of Brampton was forced to reveal the cost of hiring former CAO David Barrick and former director of strategic communications, Jason Tamming.
After their troubling history in Niagara, Brampton residents were eager to find out how much was spent to hire two individuals with an abysmal track record in the public sector. Tamming behaved corruptly in a Niagara CAO hiring process and Barrick was implicated in the scandal. That didn't stop Patrick Brown from recruiting them to do his bidding in Brampton. The Pointer tried for eight months to get answers, before the Province’s information commissioner had to be drawn in to obtain details of how the two men were recruited despite their disqualifying behaviour in Niagara.
Between now and the fall municipal election, The Pointer is republishing articles that revealed Patrick Brown’s startling behaviour since becoming mayor of Brampton.
Younger generations are spending more time indoors and many are plagued with worry about a future where the natural world has turned aggressive, morphed by the impacts of climate change.
The creation of new outdoor learning standards could be the antidote for this anxiety, and spark a passion for nature in countless young minds. It’s a mindset that will be incredibly valuable in future decision-makers as the world stares down our changing climate.
School will look different for thousands of students within the Peel District School Board this year with the board ending the controversial hybrid learning model.
Students and parents will need to make a choice between virtual or in-person learning with few options to transition between the two learning models.
Data released by Statistics Canada has provided one of the most comprehensive looks to date of the incessant increase of online child exploitation in the country.
It sheds new light on who is being impacted the most, how police are handling the problem—and how so much more needs to be done to stop it.
The Region of Peel has purchased a rail corridor connecting Brampton and Orangeville with plans to convert it into a system of hiking trails.
While additional opportunities for residents to enjoy the outdoors are crucial for a growing population, the plan has created questions for transit advocates who claim the railway would be better utilized as a future transportation corridor.
Scandal follows the Brampton mayor wherever he goes. His disdain for the truth and utter contempt for democratic norms are currently supported by four councillors who have decided to bow and kiss the ring, plunging City Hall into another era of turmoil. The same authoritarian impulses displayed by America's former president, fixated with holding onto power, can be seen in Brown, who is now desperately trying to take control of Brampton Council after he was disqualified from the CPC leadership race for allegedly committing federal crimes around election laws. Council members warn he is now trying to block a series of City Hall investigations into allegations of widespread corruption under his alarming leadership.
Between now and the fall municipal election, The Pointer is republishing articles that revealed Patrick Brown’s startling behaviour since becoming mayor of Brampton.
After weeks of opposing council factions refusing to attend meetings, grinding City business to a halt, members finally agreed to get back to the table.
Residents were finally provided with more details about an investigation into alleged wrongdoing in the BramptonU project with a final report said to be coming forward in September.
A committee formed after a strong push from members of Peel’s Black communities to get their voices heard by the Peel Police Services Board appears to have once again excluded them from the process.
Formed with no consultation with the public, and consisting of only members of the current board, advocates are once again calling on the board to do better for the diverse community that suffers the most at the hands of police.
Population numbers for the monarch butterfly have been dwindling for decades. A recent endangered designation by a global conservation union is the latest signal of the dire position this incredible butterfly finds itself in.
Many hope the decision will signal increased protection, but in Ontario, where the provincial government has been hostile to species at risk, there may be little help for this critical pollinator.
In car-dependent Peel, eliminating reliance on the personal automobile is a tough sell for those who get behind the wheel on a daily basis. But transitioning to a zero emission vehicle, one that still affords the freedoms of a gas-powered car without the climate-harming emissions, could be an option—if crucial barriers are removed.
A new Peel strategy looks to do just that, but with the constant flip-flopping from the PC government on its stance towards electric vehicles, Peel is left with little help to reach its goals.
City of Brampton senior staffer Nikki Kaur was fired the same day she released bombshell allegations of widespread corruption under Patrick Brown’s leadership. She was directed to give a contract worth as much as $400,000 to a close Conservative political associate of Brown. The man didn't even have a registered consulting company when he was tapped by City Hall to set up a municipal corporation to handle all of Brampton's real estate transactions, despite having no experience doing such work. Brown would not answer questions after it was reported that he visited Kaur at her home shortly after she made her allegations public.
Between now and the fall municipal election, The Pointer is republishing articles that revealed Patrick Brown’s startling behaviour since becoming mayor of Brampton.
A lawsuit brought forward by a survivor of exploitation on Pornhub has taken a significant step forward after a judge ruled that Visa can be held liable for providing financial services to MindGeek, Pornhub’s Canadian parent company, while it knew the website was infested with child sexual abuse material.
The decision “will have far-reaching implications on credit card companies and online criminal conduct,” the survivors' lawyer says.
Councillor Gurpreet Dhillon says he’s taking legal action against Patrick Brown who claims taxpayer money was used as ‘hush’ payment after a woman accused Dhillon of sexual misconduct (which he denies).
The City’s head lawyer told Brown and all other members of Council that the mayor’s claim was not true, but he later made the allegation publicly, disregarding the solicitor. Brown also claimed the CAO could confirm his story, but the man who holds that position refuses to back up what the mayor said.
Charities like the Mississauga Food Bank are there for people in the worst times, making sure families are fed, seniors are looked after and those who lose housing don’t go hungry. It has been serving the community for decades relying almost entirely on donations.
Now, with demand soaring the Food Bank has outgrown its warehouse on Universal Drive and is desperately trying to find a new home. Twice as many clients, according to projections, will use its services in five years.
The Region’s growing population continues to put intense pressure on its paramedics. Increasing calls for service, combined with an overwhelmed hospital system creating significant delays in handing patients over to emergency rooms are forcing the Region of Peel to reconsider its 2022 budget for paramedics.
Following approval from council, Peel will be pouring millions into new ambulances and hiring new staff. But will it just lead to even more patients being brought to local hospitals that simply don’t have enough room?
Two youth climate activist groups in Peel are providing knowledge and community engagement on issues central to the environment.
Their collective action aims to inspire a stronger young adult voice in government, as too many veteran politicians continue to ignore the climate crisis.
Patrick Brown’s hiring of David Barrick as Brampton’s CAO was the first sign that things were not right at City Hall under the new mayor. Jason Tamming had already been recruited by Brown to head strategic communications. The former Niagara staffer had been investigated by Ontario’s Ombudsman, who found he behaved corruptly in a hiring scandal that Barrick was also implicated in. They were both fired from their roles there, before Brown brought them to Brampton. The moves sent up glaring red flags around the new mayor, as he unleashed his disturbing style of leadership, which places Brown’s political ambition, not the public he’s supposed to serve, at the centre of all decision making.
Between now and the fall municipal election, The Pointer is republishing articles that revealed Patrick Brown’s startling behaviour.
In a political spectacle, Brampton’s mayor keeps organizing special meetings of Council during summer recess, then going to social media to berate councillors for not attending.
After he forced the cancellation of scheduled meetings for a month, prior to his disqualification from the CPC leadership race, the City’s referred matters list, which typically should have no more than 60 items, has reached 75.
An annual report on the equity gap in the Peel District School Board’s special education program shows that marginalized populations within the student body were more likely to be identified as having a behavioural problem.
While much of the province is currently crippled by a frontline healthcare crisis, a spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones says operations are “running smoothly.”
Meanwhile, ERs across Ontario are closing, surgical backlogs are piling up and frontline staff are exhausted.
Turning wastewater into energy may sound odd, but that’s exactly what is planned at Lakeview Village. A district energy system will provide the power to heat and cool the future homes being constructed as part of the massive development, harnessing the power of wastewater from the nearby G.E. Booth treatment facility. The Region of Peel believes if the system is a success it could be used for future projects, as part of its goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions.
The 413 Highway remains in stasis as the federal government awaits the final report from the Province that will detail how Premier Doug Ford and the PCs plan to address a number of Ottawa’s concerns over the environmentally destructive project.
With all of this looming, residents and policy makers are asking, “what happens next?”
The City of Brampton is falling behind other cities in the race to create sustainable transit infrastructure.
A recent federal investment to study zero emissions transit is overshadowed by the City’s reluctance under Patrick Brown to pay for a non-carbon public transportation system, as he refuses to fund a transition needed to meet the Council approved emissions reduction targets.
Patrick Brown announced his bid for a second term as Brampton’s mayor Monday at a press conference peppered with misleading claims and a refusal to answer some questions entirely.
Brown’s decision to run again comes two weeks after his disqualification from the CPC leadership race, as allegations of misconduct hang over him at the federal level and inside City Hall.
A trio of projects in Peel received a $53-million boost from the federal government, providing a small ounce of relief to Peel's affordable housing system.
Indwell, a non-profit organization, is spearheading one of the projects in Brampton that looks to reuse existing empty buildings instead of tearing them down, a sustainable and cost-effective way to grow Peel’s affordable housing stock.
Brampton’s main courthouse which serves all of Peel is one of the busiest in the country, and a lack of funding is impacting public safety across the region.
The shortfall in judicial resources and funding for support staff are creating significant backlogs resulting in serious charges being dismissed. The funding gap in one of the country’s fastest growing regions, where tax dollars are not coming back to meet the need for services, has once again drawn the ire of those responsible for administering justice in Peel.
Even before Patrick Brown’s disqualification from the Conservative leadership race for allegedly using a campaign worker paid by a third-party, questions were raised about City Hall staff working for the now disqualified federal Conservative leadership candidate, and how they were being compensated.
As first responders and communicators are forced to deal with a growing list of calls that can distract them from the real emergencies across the region, the increasing misuse of 911 is compromising public safety in the Region of Peel.
Last week’s Rogers black out was a reminder of what can happen when people are disrupted from making critical emergency calls.
In May, the Ciasullo family hoped for some closure after Brady Robertson was sentenced to 17 years in prison for killing Karolina Ciasullo and her three daughters.
Now, Robertson, who claimed he felt remorse for his tragically destructive behaviour, after driving with eight times the legal limit of THC in his system, is attempting to overturn the sentence and the impaired driving charges.
A motion on May 31st by Brampton Council, initiating the succession planning for Charmaine Williams’ Ward 7 and 8 seat, has been quashed by the Ontario Superior Court.
Councillors who supported the motion and launched a series of forensic investigations after evidence and allegations of widespread misconduct under Patrick Brown came forward, are now asking the RCMP to get involved in light of recent allegations against Brown that led to his disqualification from the CPC leadership race last week.
Peel’s two largest school boards are in a predicament. Despite being located in one of the fastest growing regions in all of Canada, fewer students are walking through their doors. It’s a trend that could threaten funding levels while schools are adapting to a post-COVID reality with increasingly complex student needs.
The financial hit has already caused staff reductions and other impacts at Peel’s Catholic board.
Following approval from regional councillors, staff will be moving forward with the consultation and site selection process for a supervised drug consumption site in the Region of Peel. The action comes on the heels of Peel’s deadliest year for opioid overdoses in its history.
Some councillors are already voicing concern over the selection of a site after a 2019 needs assessment identified where the service is most needed.
Peel will expand its urban boundary into 11,000 acres of prime farmland and greenspace, putting local food security at risk.
The loss of this valuable land comes at a time when food prices are at unprecedented levels while the demand for local-grown food is on the rise. More and more residents are looking for sustainable options to combat the climate crisis.
In the wake of his CPC disqualification, five Brampton councillors issued a blistering press release Wednesday, after Patrick Brown unilaterally cancelled a Council meeting scheduled for the morning. They said his alleged conduct in the federal campaign is nothing new, writing Brampton's local “democracy is under siege because of Patrick Brown” pointing out forensic investigations into allegations of widespread wrongdoing under his leadership cannot move forward because Brown has shut down Council for a month.
Mississauga council will determine next steps after Integrity Commissioner Robert Swayze found Ron Starr guilty of scratching a former councillor’s car; Brampton Council will try to move forward with filling the vacant Wards 7 and 8 seat, if quorum is finally reached; a possible Supervised Drug Consumption Site is being explored by regional government.
There was ample evidence of wrongdoing in the systematic execution of three family members in four years inside their Mississauga house. In the first of a three-part series, signs of incompetence within Peel police are revealed, one of many underlying tragedies behind the Harrison family murders. The Pointer republishes the chilling stories by Joel Wittnebel, detailing the mishandling of a homicide case by a police force that slipped up time after time.
Three family members were killed inside their Mississauga home four years apart. Despite obvious signs of foul play, Peel Regional Police didn’t pursue a homicide investigation in the first two deaths. How was this allowed to happen?
In Part 2 of a three-part series, The Pointer looks at the death of Bridget Harrison and how egregious lapses in police judgement and poor management led to the entire Harrison case getting shelved, in the face of glaring clues. The Pointer republishes the chilling stories by Joel Wittnebel, detailing the mishandling of a homicide case by a police force that slipped up time after time.
In the final story of this three-part series, The Pointer looks at the death of Caleb Harrison and how the ensuing homicide investigation shed new light on the deaths of his parents, forcing Peel Police officers to accept their own missteps. Bill and Bridget Harrison’s son might still be alive if trained investigators had done their job. The Pointer republishes the chilling stories by Joel Wittnebel, detailing the tragic mishandling of a homicide case by a police force that slipped up time after time.
To reach the City’s ambitious emission reduction targets by 2050, Mississauga’s MiWay operation has to be transitioned from its carbon-polluting buses to hybrid and/or electric vehicles already being used in municipalities around the world that are years ahead of Canada’s sixth largest city.
Mississauga’s Integrity Commissioner Robert Swayze has found Ron Starr guilty of harassment, in violation of the City’s workplace policies, in the case brought forward by former councillor Karen Ras, who alleged Starr was behind the keying of her car multiple times in a City Hall parking lot. Swayze determined Starr keyed her car at least once and has recommended Council punish Starr by docking 60 days pay.
A judicial review to overturn the selection of Elaine Moore for the seat of former councillor Charmaine Williams will be heard Thursday, after Patrick Brown and his council allies have waged a recent attack on Moore, the former longtime council member with a record of fighting for accountability, shutting down all council meetings to prevent her appointment.
The Region of Peel is discussing waste diversion and management possibilities after the $124 million anaerobic digestion facility was cancelled. Staff are now trying to plan a new strategy as the current system reaches its capacity.
Mississauga staff provide an update on the fines paid to the City through the automated speed enforcement cameras and on the Applewood Creek restoration project.
This morning City of Mississauga officials and Councillor Ron Starr's lawyers met in front of Justice Michael G. Emery. The parties were supposed to set a date to hear Starr’s application to block the public release of an integrity commissioner’s report on allegations that Starr harassed former councillor Karen Ras, in breach of the City’s Code of Conduct. Andra Maxwell, the City’s solicitor, told The Pointer Wednesday the investigation report will now be released publicly on Thursday ahead of discussion during the July 6 Council meeting.
Jaime Santana, President-Elect of the Ontario Association for Behaviour Analysis, responds to a recent article in The Pointer that raised concerns about the use of ABA (applied behavioural analysis) therapy in Ontario on some autistic individuals. While critics point out that ABA applies “normalizing” behaviour expectations on those who do not want such outcomes, Santana reminds readers that the therapy is crucial for many on the autism spectrum who benefit significantly from ABA.
On June 27 Councillor Ron Starr dropped off an application to run in the upcoming municipal election. A few weeks earlier he took legal action to block the public release of the Mississauga integrity commissioner’s investigation report into allegations Starr harassed former councillor Karen Ras. Voters might be asked to make a decision October 24, without knowing the findings of the probe.
Housing in Peel has become so unaffordable that even middle-income families, once comfortably able to cover prices, are now being squeezed out of the market. With tens of thousands of residents at the breaking point and without adequate funding from upper tier governments, the Region has turned to nonprofits for help, while the private sector remains largely disinterested in cutting into its bottom line.
