Ahead of Ontario’s February 27 election, the Doug Ford government is facing more backlash for its controversial Bill 212, which aims to dismantle bike lanes, a move critics argue puts cyclists and the province’s climate goals at risk. On January 25, Brampton residents and cycling advocates rallied outside Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria’s office.
In the first of a four-part series, The Pointer looks at the rising rates of human trafficking in Peel and across the province.
Service providers are grappling with an increasing number of survivors with complex needs, while they are under-resourced and struggling to help survivors.
False promises made by Doug Ford's PC government have undermined environmental laws, favouring developers and expanding the aggregate industry at the cost of Ontario’s natural spaces.
In Caledon, Milton, Burlington and other communities the threat of quarry expansions looms as Ford pushes sprawling developments and highways that need aggregate. Local leaders and activists gathered in Milton last week to rally against these destructive practices.
As Ontarians prepare for the February 27th election, the PC government has once again made bold nuclear energy announcements. The proposed nuclear plant near Port Hope could become the province's largest, yet crucial details are scarce.
Critics are questioning if the vague plans being trumpeted are a calculated political play designed to energize voters while leaving out complexities of the nuclear strategy.
After five years of legislative violations, shelved reports and blatant discrimination, a 2023 review concluded Ontario was in the midst of an “accessibility crisis”. Instead of acknowledging his alarming conduct, Premier Doug Ford—following a pattern of behaviour since being elected in 2018—refuses to prioritize the needs of those living with disabilities.
Advocates are demanding change as the province enters a historically short provincial election campaign.
The health of the Great Lakes is increasingly at risk as Premier Doug Ford's PC government advances two contentious projects: the redevelopment of Ontario Place and the construction of Highway 413. They threaten to exacerbate the strain on an already fragile ecosystem. The Ontario Place project, which aims to reroute sewage into the West Channel, could pollute vital water bodies, while Highway 413 threatens to undermine critical watersheds. The Great Lakes are already struggling from climate-induced pressures.
Despite a ruling by Ontario’s Information Privacy Commissioner, that City of St. Catharines officials argued against releasing documents detailing alarmingly high levels of dangerous toxic chemicals at the former GM site in the middle of the municipality, officials are now claiming they did not try to prevent the release of the disturbing information.
Infrastructure meant to clean municipal wastewater in Niagara Region is decades old and lacking hundreds of millions of dollars in necessary upgrades.
Recent toxic effluent tests at a Niagara Falls facility—a plant that has struggled to pull pollutants from its wastewater for over a year—is the latest sign of the risk posed by the degraded safety system and a reminder to councillors of the need to prioritize spending on these critical assets.
In an effort to fill the gaps in a food insecurity crisis advocates have warned will only worsen without sufficient policy change and government spending, Bill Graham and his wife Shirley have been providing free food tables for Mississauga residents since March 2020, an initiative that now serves more than 2,000 people monthly.
As Premier Doug Ford’s pre-election cheques get ready for delivery, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario warns the province’s homelessness crisis is at a ”tipping point”.
As Ontario faces mounting pressures from climate change, the push for sustainable, resilient and affordable housing has become more urgent than ever. But in the midst of rising costs and regulatory hurdles, some are questioning whether green building standards are worth the investment.
RESCON, the group representing Ontario's home builders, is challenging Toronto’s Green Standard, claiming it's slowing down development. Experts like The Atmospheric Fund argue that far from hindering growth, green standards not only protect the planet and homeowners, they also lower long-term costs.
With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation, Canada faces uncertainty about its environmental future. While Trudeau framed climate action as a cornerstone of his governments and delivered key early policy wins, critics have pointed to a series of controversial decisions over recent years, accusing him of prioritizing political points over climate progress.
As the country heads toward an election, advocates warn that without strong leadership committed to climate action, key initiatives like the Oil and Gas Sector Emissions Cap Regulations and the Clean Electricity Regulation could be sidelined, jeopardizing the nation’s environmental future.
The Ontario government has paid out $23 million in lawsuits to sweep aside allegations of sexual and physical abuse within schools for the deaf and blind.
There has never been a review of the board responsible for these schools, despite piles of evidence of mismanagement and harm. It’s time for the Auditor General to step in.
The federal government’s decision not to designate Highway 413 for a full impact assessment has drawn sharp criticism for its reliance on provincial legislative mechanisms to address environmental and Indigenous concerns.
Ottawa claims the Highway 413 Act and Ontario's Endangered Species Act offer adequate oversight—Premier Doug Ford’s government has been condemned for systematically weakening environmental protections and ignoring safeguards set out in these laws.
False reports in major Indian media outlets claim suspects in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the slain Sikh-Canadian activist, have been freed. The disinformation campaign has attempted to cast doubts about Canada’s judicial process, despite claims by federal Indian officials that their government will do everything to cooperate with Canadian authorities investigating a murder allegedly orchestrated by India’s ruling BJP government. The RCMP debunked the Indian reporting, confirming all suspects remain charged.
Councillors in the City of Welland will return to the concept of changing the size of their council, with staff presenting three options for consideration.
In Niagara Falls, councillors are facing questions about the lack of information surrounding development plans on City-owned land, and the City’s Integrity Commissioner has delivered a $77K bill for services; a $500 fee for residents to file a complaint has been heavily criticized by Ontario’s Ombudsman.
Regions like Niagara are emerging as leaders in innovative alternatives to traditional energy systems. Adoption of heat pumps and geothermal energy demonstrate the region's commitment to reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The provincial government, however, has introduced Bill 165 to override the Ontario Energy Board's decision to end subsidies for new natural gas connections.
Life continues to be increasingly unaffordable for Canadians struggling with the cost of telecommunications, groceries, housing and transportation; even air travel has become out of reach for more and more Canadians.
Unlike markets around the world where competition in the cellular phone sector, travel industry, among grocers and other areas helps keep costs more affordable, one large Canadian company says consumers here continue to be abused by governments that protect certain companies and prevent competition that would dramatically reduce the cost of living.
The newest healthcare facility planned for Niagara Region has a budget pegged at nearly $4 billion. Details of who is paying for parts of the bill and why remain unknown, even a year after construction on the project began. Niagara Falls Councillor Lori Lococo is worried her local residents may be covering more of the cost than those from other municipalities who will also use the hospital.
Liberal MPs across the country have a tough decision to make in the coming weeks: stay on and run in an uphill race; or bow out and start another chapter. One of the two well known Liberal MPs in Niagara has decided he will seek re-election.
Nestled within Ontario's Greenbelt, a town in the Niagara region is taking bold steps to protect the area's invaluable natural resources and help fight climate change.
The Town of Pelham has recognized the Greenbelt's crucial role, as the world's largest protected greenspace; a new study shows how nature offsets more than $585 million in stormwater management services.
The Pointer continues to sift through documents obtained after a two-and-half-year effort to obtain information on the former site of a GM plant in the city.
What they revealed has raised questions about the risks residents have been exposed to after deadly chemicals and heavy metals were detected just over a decade ago, without any disclosure by local officials.
With right-wing populism gaining traction globally, climate change is increasingly weaponized against the left. In countries like the U.S. and Canada, right-wing leaders like Donald Trump, Pierre Poilievre and Danielle Smith are rolling back climate policies while promoting the oil and gas industry as part of the solution to bring the cost of living back down to more affordable levels.
The rightward shift is fueled by conservative voices, amplifying climate denial and silencing those who push for change, using economic claims to counter them.
Around the world, young activists are taking their governments to court to demand urgent climate action. In Canada, 15 youth recently secured the right to take their case to trial in 2026, building on a similar victory in Ontario just months earlier.
Both cases argue that government inaction on climate change is a violation of their fundamental rights. But it has taken five years for groups to make meaningful progress in the courts — while the impacts of climate change have rapidly intensified. Are the courts moving too slowly to address a crisis that puts the entire planet at risk?
A recent audit of Ontario’s opioid strategy confirmed the Premier and Minister of Health did not conduct any studies or reviews to support the decision to close supervised consumption sites. Among several findings, the audit also showed the PCs were aware of the impacts of closing several of these sites, including increased risk of deaths from overdoses and emergency department visits, before the decision was made.
Over 50 environmental organizations in Ontario recently sent an open letter to the provincial government, urging stronger protections for vital ecosystems in the face of escalating biodiversity loss.
A new global report highlights the dire need to preserve critical parts of the planet for food security, water quality, human health and climate stability. Meanwhile, Canada’s environmental commitment is under scrutiny with the federal government’s recent update to its emissions target falling short of expectations.
After repeatedly dodging requests to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic, instead claiming more research would be conducted, the PC government has now cut short the study intended to gather more information.
Advocates continue to ask why Doug Ford, who regularly talks about being tough on crime, has failed to take violence against women seriously.
The director of the Ontario Headwaters Institute wants towns and cities to adopt a comprehensive set of rules to protect critical watersheds, as development pressures continue to threaten these central features of our ecosystems.
St. Catharines residents are feeling betrayed and scared after newly released documents reveal disturbing levels of contamination were present in 2012 at the former GM site that sits near the heart of the city.
The current state of the property is not known, as officials have failed to conduct proper testing, despite a council decision in 2020 to rezone the lands for a residential development aggressively pushed by former mayor Walter Sendzik. Municipal officials had these documents when the decision was made, but it remains unclear why the public was never notified.
Despite repeated demands from environmental groups and warnings from scientists, the federal government has refused to step in and conduct a comprehensive review of Highway 413, the controversial project being championed by the PC government that threatens Ontario’s Greenbelt and endangered species.
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) dismissed requests to intervene, despite strong evidence that the highway will disrupt critical habitats and generate millions of tonnes of additional carbon emissions in the midst of a climate crisis.
Seven young climate activists are ready to keep fighting. The group, represented by Ecojustice, are challenging the Ontario government’s weak climate emissions targets, claiming they violate their Charter rights to life, liberty, and security.
After a historic victory for the youth at Ontario’s Court of Appeal, the PC government, which has fought the case since the beginning, is now appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
