As global EV adoption races ahead, Canada is pumping the brakes. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 60-day pause on the country’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales mandate has sparked fierce debate, leaving consumers confused, automakers divided and climate advocates alarmed.
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Inderjeet Singh Gosal, a Brampton resident and Sikh activist demanding the Indian government recognize the autonomy of his faith, has received a fresh wave of dire warnings from the RCMP.
He was recently told his life is in imminent danger, part of the Indian government’s alleged transnational campaign that has targeted Sikh advocates in Canada and the U.S..
The PCs’ move to eliminate school trustees and centralize authority over public education in Ontario continues to spur more backlash.
Parents, politicians and disability advocates fear the move will remove stakeholders from their traditional decision making roles, with no mechanisms to hold the government accountable.
As Canada’s pension system boasts record-breaking assets and promises of long-term stability, climate change is quietly testing those assurances.
Environmental groups Shift and Ecojustice have written to the Office of the Chief Actuary, warning that its reports dangerously underplay the financial risks global warming poses to the Canada Pension Plan and other public funds, putting the retirement security of millions at risk.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Egregious cases of animal cruelty continue to be exposed across Ontario.
Advocates say the entire animal welfare system is broken, and next Saturday they will take to the streets in Niagara Falls to confront the increasingly disturbing treatment of animals across the province.
After claiming that an ongoing criminal case against Councillor Mike Strange could not be addressed or even remotely tied to any council conversation—justification for blocking a women’s rights group—Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati gave Strange the floor at Tuesday’s public meeting to do just that.
While the man charged with intimate partner violence was allowed to use his position and the council chamber to crusade for himself, women seeking to address proposed provincial legislation aimed at tightening accountability of municipal elected officials were again denied the privilege afforded to Strange.
The PC government is taking its proposed new municipal accountability legislation on the road this month to gather feedback from elected officials, stakeholders and the public across Ontario.
During the first two hearings last week, committee members heard disturbing stories of a municipal government system that resembles the wild west.
In a message to the Falls View Hose Brigade, Niagara Falls Councillor Mike Strange asked the group’s members to fill council chambers “so there is no space for the women’s group to sit” at Tuesday’s council meeting, in exchange for free drinks after.
He wants to drown out The Women of Ontario Say No after the mayor and City officials denied the group an opportunity to address the lack of accountability over municipal elected officials accused of assault. Strange was charged with intimate partner violence in May after police responded to a domestic incident and found a woman who was injured at the scene. He told the Hose Brigade that he plans to defend himself Tuesday and asked the group’s members to clap for him.
The legal heat is rising in Niagara Falls following the removal and arrest of three women who attended a council meeting to address proposed provincial legislation meant to hold elected officials more accountable when they commit assault.
The Women of Ontario Say No has taken legal action, warning the City and local police that the move was unlawful, while the Canadian Constitution Foundation is demanding that Niagara Falls Council’s ban on signs in public meetings be immediately rescinded.
Canada is cracking under the pressure of drought, parched fields, blistering heat and a food system on edge. In regions like Peel, where fertile soil once sustained generations, farmers now face sweltering summers and unpredictable storms.
A new UN-backed report highlights the dire future that prolonged droughts will create.
This isn’t just another hot summer—it’s a turning point.
Residents across the region are watching their back as organized criminal elements target Peel’s large South Asian community.
Police arrested 18 Brampton-based suspects accused of a range of criminal acts against South Asian-Canadians; while calls have mounted for federal action against organized crime allegedly tied to evidence of the Indian government’s efforts to silence Sikhs across the country.
After Niagara Falls residents were twice denied an opportunity to address a proposed new provincial law, they will get their chance at a public meeting Friday. A women’s rights group was shut down when attempting to delegate on Bill 9, which aims to create tighter accountability rules for municipal council members, including those who are charged with assault.
Local officials claim that because Councillor Mike Strange is currently facing an intimate partner violence assault charge, the new rules being considered by Queen’s Park can not be addressed inside council chambers. Three women who wanted to voice their views were arrested after Mayor Jim Diodati refused to let them express themselves.
Amid a blazing heatwave, a group of GTA residents took a journey across Toronto’s leading renewable energy sites, proving that progress is possible even when government support falters.
From historic community wind turbines to cutting-edge school solar panels and innovative geothermal systems, the tour showcased how local action is shaping Ontario’s clean energy future.
The province faces intensifying climate extremes—from record-breaking heat waves and devastating wildfires to unprecedented flooding—but the provincial government’s latest budget paints a troubling picture.
Despite increasingly grim warnings and growing public demand for environmental protection, funding for emergency preparedness and conservation is being slashed, while billions are poured into highway expansions for more sprawl and worsening emissions. The PC government has yet to articulate a clear vision for Ontario’s future.
The Canadian Constitution Federation has warned that if Niagara Falls does not alter policies it views as unconstitutional, litigation could be forthcoming.
The warning comes as the City denied Women of Ontario Say No founder Emily McIntosh a chance to speak at council for a second time.
