As Canadians decide on a new government Monday, the country’s clean energy future hangs in the balance. While Ottawa finalizes landmark climate regulations and municipalities including Mississauga break ground on cutting-edge low-carbon infrastructure, the Conservatives' newly unveiled platform promises deep cuts to cornerstone environmental initiatives.
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Increased investments to effectively address gender-based violence and human trafficking have been needed for decades. Rising rates of these crimes are devastating communities across Canada, and advocates have demanded responsible commitments during the 2025 federal election campaign.
Leaders of the main parties have acknowledged the issue but the most progressive solutions outlined by those working on the front lines continue to be ignored.
A traumatic home invasion stunned the Grimsby community last week. Conservative politicians in the area were quick to pounce on it as more evidence of a “crime wave” that is plaguing communities across Canada, copying language used by their leader Pierre Poilievre.
In Niagara, the data doesn’t support the claim.
Shootings in parts of Brampton and Mississauga continue to shake communities. But Peel Police routinely present misleading information which goes unchecked by media.
Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre are once again campaigning on a crime platform that fails to mention the decreasing rates of gun seizures in places like Peel.
For more than a year, Palestinians in Niagara have felt the sting from local politicians refusing to address their concerns.
Many with family at risk in Gaza are demanding federal leaders take action and advocate for an end to the war. Yet during one of the most significant federal elections in decades, the topic has received little attention.
Before dissolving his government, Liberals under Justin Trudeau reconfigured immigration levels and policies for the next two years, recognizing that poorly managed programs such as the international student strategy had outpaced capacity across the country.
In a region where immigrants are the lifeblood for almost every facet of Peel’s future, residents are being asked to vote for a new prime minister with few details about how one of the central features of Canadian identity will be approached.
As cities swell and wild spaces shrink, the clash between urban growth and environmental protection is at a critical point—Peel is at the heart of this tension.
Rapid development and underfunded climate commitments are pushing local ecosystems to the brink. Experts say the federal government has to take action— the cost of delay is no longer theoretical.
With the federal election campaign officially underway candidate slates are starting to fill up in the four ridings across Niagara Region.
The Pointer provides a look at the political landscape in Niagara and who is seeking to represent constituents in Ottawa.
As Muslim communities across Canada have grown, so has the awareness among politicians of the vote-rich potential to exploit these blocs of electors.
Many are frustrated with politicians who come around during election season, often offering favours to key community members who give them access, only to see candidates turn into ghosts once the election is over.
Entering the last full week of the federal election campaign, Canadians have received only vague information about the protection of our natural heritage. Donald Trump would like nothing more than to get his hands on our pristine fresh water.
Sadly, the federal leaders have failed to outline a clear path forward to ensure the preservation of our critical water, which is central to Canada’s environmental and economic well being.
The threat of a recession triggered by ongoing economic uncertainty south of the border has rippled through Ontario’s home building industry. While federal leaders flail over plans to boost construction, one Niagara business wants local municipalities to step in with innovative initiatives to increase desperately needed housing supply.
As impacts of climate change on municipalities intensify, local officials in Peel are grappling with floods, extreme weather and rising health risks.
They are calling for immediate federal action to bridge the gap in climate adaptation funding for stormwater upgrades and a range of other projects to make municipalities more resilient. They need long-term, sustainable investments to keep communities and their residents safe.
A longtime Brampton resident laments the current state of our democracy, as she struggles to make a decision before the April 28 federal election.
Candidates won’t answer simple questions and party leaders avoid explaining how they will pay for all the shiny promises being dangled in front of frustrated voters.
In an election defined by economic uncertainty, the impacts of the worsening climate crisis should be front and centre, advocates have highlighted. The cost of wildfires, biodiversity collapse and our rising oceans have suddenly been pushed aside, as party leaders fixate on the chaos created south of the border.
A sweeping report by more than a dozen environmental organizations breaks down each party’s stance on the environment—from fossil fuel subsidies and plastic exports to Indigenous-led conservation and clean energy policy—with the aim of pushing climate action back to centre stage.
Despite a long list of issues facing residents in the Mississauga Centre riding, don’t expect much engagement from the candidates on those growing concerns.
This federal election is the latest example of how parties and their leaders run campaigns, with little respect for voters who are once again being asked to cast a ballot without any detailed platforms to choose between. Local Conservative candidates have been AWOL for the last few weeks, making it hard for constituents to form an opinion about them before the big decision on April 28.
The city’s intoxicating lakefront is being opened up for the people, redefining the way residents and visitors interact with the shoreline; a goal decades in the making. As a mix of luxury mid-rises and more affordable townhomes and other units begin to shape Mississauga’s future, questions swirl about the grand plans to rethink the waterfront.
Tens of thousands of residents will soon call Lakeview Village, Brightwater and the redeveloping Port Credit marina area home, but one thing remains unclear—who will fund billions of dollars for public infrastructure, from transit and community centres to other local amenities?
As Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre promise voters they will get tougher on crime, a narrative being spread by the Peel Regional Police department aims to influence public opinion, but claims that the bail system is a major cause of violent crime and sweeping life sentences will eradicate illicit activities are misleading.
Instead of focusing on real solutions, the two political leaders are using police talking points to score points with those convinced that crime should be a major issue this election.
After a year that saw clashes between diaspora communities in Brampton, driven by India’s alleged targeting of Canadian Sikhs, and the city’s mayor admit to succumbing to foreign interference, the latest news of China’s efforts to sway voters has a particularly chilling effect here.
Dividing communities is a consequence of foreign interference, something many residents of Brampton know all too well.
The carbon tax, once a cornerstone of Canada’s climate strategy, has become a political bargaining chip in the 2025 election.
Recently, Prime Minister Mark Carney made the controversial move to eliminate the consumer carbon tax, a decision that experts warn could undo progress to address climate change and set Canada back in the race to a new clean energy economy.
Ahead of the April 28th election, more and more questions are being raised about what exactly the major parties are promising to ensure our natural world—with all the economic and personal consequences tied to its safety—is protected.
Recent Ontario elections, when voters were given little warning about the consequences of Doug Ford’s eventual policies, serve as a reminder that constituents risk their own wellbeing when forced to make a decision without much meaningful information from those asking for their support.
While U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and the auto sector sparked more anxiety across Canada’s freight sector, some truckers hauling food loads and consumer goods, which will not face border taxes, breathed a sigh of relief this week. For many others, a shrinking and saturated market is tightening the squeeze.
A shadowy nexus of political insiders, fundraising operatives and party gatekeepers is at the heart of explosive allegations made by Keshav Mandadi, a would-be Conservative Party candidate in Mississauga, who claims he was systematically misled, financially drained and ultimately disqualified without explanation from a local nomination race that never happened.
Misperceptions of this increasingly common crime, including the false idea that it only happens across borders, contribute to the risks people face in their own community.
Victims are often targeted close to home by people well schooled in identifying and exploiting vulnerable situations others find themselves in.
Local leaders and activists, in both the Niagara Region and Western New York, are encouraging a resumption of the relations and travel patterns that have intrinsically linked the Canadian and U.S. border communities along the Niagara River for decades.
Somewhat encouraging words by Mark Carney and Donald Trump following their Friday phone call still create a sense of uncertainty around the escalating trade war triggered by the American President’s chaotic leadership.
Mississauga businesses tell The Pointer that not knowing if Trump actually has a plan at all, leaves them in a state of limbo, freezing many operations while paralyzing efforts to look elsewhere for partners, in hopes that relationships with America will normalize. Carney, meanwhile, is making one thing clear: Canadian businesses, and the country as a whole, need to start thinking beyond the U.S. as a fundamentally different economy of the future takes shape.
St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe used his most senior staff at the City of St. Catharines for his plans to attend a campaign event for Doug Ford where he endorsed the PC leader for premier, FOI documents show.
The use of City resources for such purposes is strictly prohibited by Council’s Code of Conduct.
With tariffs on both sides of the border, the organization, which relies heavily on donations from individuals and corporations (many tied to the U.S.) is already feeling the impact.
Prices at the grocery store are being felt, while the budgets of both those who are relied on for donations and those who are on the brink of food insecurity are being stretched.
While different steps are being taken to fill each position, questions are being raised about how to attract a new generation of engaged municipal leaders to represent increasingly complex issues at the local level of government.
In the heart of St. Catharines, a group of seniors known as the 'Raging Grannies' is using humour and heart to speak out on issues that matter most.
Born from a rich tradition of activism, the group’s playful protests are packed with powerful messages, addressing everything from the sell off of Ontario Place to climate change.
For five years, Mississauga resident Wolf Ruck has fought to keep his garden. The thriving habitat for pollinators is a haven of biodiversity, and according to City bylaws, it’s illegal. Each time it was mowed down, he replanted, determined to challenge a system that prioritizes aesthetics over ecological health.
Across Canada, environmental advocates and organizations like the David Suzuki Foundation and the Canadian Wildlife Federation have issued an open letter, urging municipalities to reform outdated bylaws that restrict habitat gardens, and adopt new policies that support biodiversity, environmental well-being and climate action.
Information obtained by The Pointer shows environmental officials with the province downplayed the significance of ongoing testing and analysis to determine the long-term health impacts posed by the contaminated former GM site.
The revelation follows a pattern from bureaucrats and elected officials who have consistently attempted to shrug off the health risks to surrounding residents despite documentation, which we now know about, that showed alarming levels of toxic chemicals at the site when the last proper testing was done.
Stellantis' abrupt pause on the $1.3 billion retooling of its Brampton Assembly Plant comes as U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up threats to impose 25 percent levies on the Canadian industry, sending shockwaves through the auto sector. With the turbulence surrounding North America’s automakers deepening, experts are now warning that Trump’s aggressive trade stance could dismantle Canada’s supply chains, drive up costs and lead to mass layoffs.
Across Canada, the fossil fuel industry has long influenced what children learn about the climate crisis, despite being some of the country’s largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. In Ontario, schools facing underfunding and shrinking resources become more susceptible to corporate-backed educational materials that downplay the industry’s impact and push false solutions. The recent passage of Bill C-59 aims to hold companies accountable for unproven environmental claims, but stronger action is needed to protect students from industry influence.
A startling number of teenages of died by suicide after falling victim to sextortion scams. Tricked into sending sensitive images, the scammer threatens to spread it to their family and friends if they don’t send cash.
This crime is exploding across the globe, law enforcement and advocacy groups are clamouring for changes to social media security to put up roadblocks in front of these scammers who are often connected to organized crime groups. Why are government officials moving at a glacial pace as teens continue to die?
The crumbling of our long-standing tariff-free relationship with the U.S. is a reminder of the need to leave carbon behind, as much of the world rushes toward a new energy economy.
Donald Trump wants to plunge his country into the past but his leadership represents an opportunity for Canada to accelerate its shift to the energy economy that will shape the future.
Despite Donald Trump’s latest change of heart, claiming his tariffs on Canadian goods will be postponed till April, empty truckloads are becoming the new reality for thousands of Brampton truckers as cross-border trade is disrupted by the erratic behaviour of the U.S. President.
The economic fallout across the city has begun, as many drivers, mechanics and others who support the commercial trucking industry wonder how they will stay afloat while Trump tries to destabilize the Canadian economy.
At Wednesday’s council meeting, the city’s local elected officials adopted policies to provide a measure of support for the local economy while pushing back in a small but symbolic way against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.
One councillor had some pointed words for the American leader.
Niagara voters were happy to keep things the same Thursday as all four incumbent MPPs were returned to the Legislature.
With repeated visits to the region during the campaign, it was clear Doug Ford was hoping for a breakthrough in Niagara, but the NDP maintained a grip on three of the region's four ridings.
Prior to 2018 Ontario’s electricity grid was 96 percent non-emitting. Under the leadership of Doug Ford, with natural gas now supplying a significant portion of the province’s electricity, the grid has become far dirtier.
As more companies and individuals move to reduce their carbon footprint, Ford is creating more of the required electricity from the worst possible source.
Aura Freedom International hosted its “Disrupting the Tides” symposium on February 20th to raise awareness about human sex trafficking.
A theme of the event was the disturbing lack of interest among governments to confront this rapidly increasing crime.
Since 2018, the PCs under the leadership of Doug Ford have cut billions of dollars from Ontario’s education system.
With infrastructure crumbling, test scores falling and more students struggling, the province’s big teachers’ unions are demanding change.
Days away from the provincial election Thursday, Ontario’s opposition leaders are criticizing Doug Ford for his encroachment on municipal authority, and they would consider taking back the provincial responsibilities that have been downloaded onto towns and cities.
Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie and Green Party leader Mike Schreiner also said they would take a serious look at doing away with strong mayor powers.
A recent report by Niagara regional staff highlighted the gaps between the housing reality across the area and the types of homes Doug Ford’s aggressive policies aim to create.
Shortly after the last provincial election, St. Catharines released a stinging criticism of the PC plan, which places unsustainable financial burden on municipal taxpayers now expected to pay for infrastructure to support thousands of new homes, while failing to provide the type of housing local residents need.
Staffing shortages, hospitals running deficits, ER wait times that can be measured in days instead of hours–this has become the norm of Ontario’s healthcare system under Doug Ford and the PC government.
Despite two visits to the region to stump for local candidates, Ford did not address how underfunding is currently putting immense pressure on Niagara’s healthcare infrastructure.
Ontario's Conservation Authorities have watched Doug Ford drastically curtail their powers in the name of building new homes.
Critics say weakening this critical oversight leaves Ontario vulnerable to the very risks—such as flooding and environmental degradation—that the authorities were created to mitigate.
The provincial NDP leader says she understands the burden placed on Ontario municipalities over seven years under Doug Ford. The PC leader has slashed local authority over environmental protection, seized control of local planning decisions and dictated policies that govern where bike lanes can be built and how addiction issues are managed in communities. Stiles says under her leadership Ontario would move to a collaborative approach with municipal leaders who best understand the issues in their communities.
For two months, Callie Love experienced horrific treatment at the hands of her trafficker and the men who paid to have sex with her while she was underage.
Now, she’s using her trauma as a force for good, launching a nonprofit organization she hopes will finally close gaps in Canada’s broken social support system for survivors like her.
Survivors know best. The knowledge of those with first hand traumatic experiences of human trafficking is widely accepted as the best pathway to understand how trafficking operates, how to disrupt it and how to help survivors escape and rebuild their life.
On Human Trafficking Awareness Day, The Pointer is providing a platform for three survivors of human sex trafficking to share what they believe needs to change in Canada, and what candidates in the provincial election and the upcoming federal election should prioritize if elected.
A young German shepherd is found running down a suburban roadway in Niagara Falls. Her mouth is muzzled shut, she’s bleeding, dragging a rope and metal pipes.
She collapses and dies.
It took months of sustained advocacy by witnesses and animal rights defenders to force the provincial Animal Welfare Service into action.
The case reveals the disturbing reality of a system that is under-resourced, disjointed, hidden from public view and mostly unaccountable to the taxpayer.
Early in the week, Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie strongly condemned the now-former Liberal candidate, after his social media posts published 18 months ago were unearthed, revealing shocking comments by Bansal.
He condoned the 2023 assassination of a Sikh-Canadian advocate, which the Indian government was allegedly behind. He also used a homophobic reference against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Crombie has now dumped him from the Party.
The Green Party leader is pledging to provide Ontario’s municipalities with a new deal that would upload shelter and housing back to the province while also covering 50 percent of the operating cost for transit.
Mike Schreiner spoke with The Pointer about his plan to make life more affordable for Ontarians.
