Environmental groups have criticized governments for allowing the fossil fuel industry to claim the use of carbon capture and storage technology is justification for the continued burning of fossil fuels. Experts say its potential benefits are miniscule.
University of Ottawa professor Handan Tezel says while carbon capture is viable, and increasingly becoming cheaper, it should not distract governments from investing in the best solutions.
The PC government is moving ahead with its controversial Bradford Bypass highway through the provincially significant Holland Marsh, despite omitting key studies and refusing to consider any alternatives.
Pointing to changing market conditions, the developer that purchased the former GM site has halted work on the contaminated lands where future residents will move in.
Efforts by the municipality to revive the Ontario Street corridor have also been paused due to the developer’s sudden decision, citing financial concerns as the cause for delaying required studies, including an environmental assessment of the property, where toxic industrial chemicals were used for decades.
Ceremonies were held across Niagara to mark the United Nations’ World Day for Safety and Health at Work, or as it is more widely known in Canada, the National Day of Mourning.
Memorial services take place nationwide every year on April 28th to remember and honour those lives lost or injured as a result of their employment.
The PC government made the surprise move of supporting an NDP private-member’s bill to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic in Ontario—something it has repeatedly refused to do. But instead of approving the bill, it has been referred to the justice committee for study ahead of an official declaration. It has some worried that the PC support was just a delay tactic that could continue to leave women and gender-diverse individuals at risk across Ontario.
Facer Street, a historic St. Catharines community, is set to be transformed by the twinning of the Garden City Skyway, and maybe not for the better.
Residents are collaborating to ensure they are involved in the project process and that any changes as a result of the massive infrastructure project will be positive for the community.
Nathan Hyde, the Town’s top bureaucrat—hired by Annette Groves who hand-picked him using her Strong Mayor powers in Caledon—has not explained how a secretive scheme to push through the largest development plan in the municipality’s history was put together.
Their disturbing conduct has been described as “anti-democratic” by residents demanding the ill-advised plan, which would create billions of dollars in value for developers, be scrapped. The PC government has criticized what Hyde and Groves have done, raising concerns over the lack of conformity to overriding provincial and regional policies.
Will the Region’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee take on anti-Palestinian Racism? Elected officials at the upper-tier local government continue to face accusations of blatant discrimination for shutting out voices calling for support to help bring an end to the devastation in Gaza.
Global leaders are in Ottawa this week for the fourth round of negotiations toward a global plastics treaty, with environmental organizations demanding that policies include strong guidelines for national legislation and not be watered down by the influence of corporations that continue to pollute the planet.
The City of Brampton has for years faced challenges with litter accumulating around intersections, off highway ramps, in parks and along public spaces where residents are supposed to enjoy the great outdoors.
A group called People Against Littering is working to change this. Focusing on grassroots action, members want to inspire residents to take control of their city’s public spaces, to make sure unsightly debris does not become “normal” in Brampton.
After leaving the PC caucus in September in the wake of an integrity commissioner investigation into the PC government’s Greenbelt land swap scandal, Mississauga East—Cooksville MPP Kaleed Rasheed has vowed to clear his name and rejoin his PC colleagues at Queen’s Park. But he refuses to provide further details about his involvement in the $8.3 billion land deal, which was ultimately reversed by the PCs after their backroom dealings with developers were exposed.
A controversial, excessive $500 filing fee to make a Code of Conduct complaint against a Niagara Falls Council member continues to be criticized by Ontario’s Ombudsman but, with the exception of one member, Niagara Falls Council does not care.
The PC government has once again declined to take action to improve Ontario schools for the deaf and blind. On Monday at Queen’s Park the NDP attempted to accelerate the process for an audit of the school board which has been plagued by accusations of sexual abuse of students and ongoing mismanagement for years.
Without any explanation, the PCs voted the request down, delaying any audit until at least 2025.
A new agreement between the federal and provincial governments has many Ontarians worried the environmentally damaging Highway 413 has been given the greenlight.
While questions are swirling about a new “working group” being established to study and minimize the proposed highway's environmental impacts, there are numerous pieces of federal legislation still standing in the way of construction.
Through a series of meetings, Niagara Region councillors have blocked residents from speaking, used unorthodox tactics to remove items from agendas and stayed silent amid accusations of racism and discrimination.
Today, the Region’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee will once again hear concerns from the local Palestinian community about the failure of elected officials to show any sign of support or empathy amid a bloody international conflict.
A city that has, in recent decades, looked past modern urban design, is looking for new ways to deal with a new reality.
As the housing crisis continues and younger consumers embrace modern attitudes about how they want to live, unaffordable prices are driving stakeholders to rethink the types of housing that should be built.
After months of back-and-forth, Niagara-on-the-Lake has approved its 2024 operating budget, the last of Niagara Region’s 13 municipalities to do so.
The stiff increase comes as high inflation and overall affordability continue to create pressure on many homeowners.
A development application that has been on the books in Fort Erie for over ten years might finally move forward through a Ministerial Zoning Order. Town staff do not support the move which cuts the public out of the process.
Niagara Falls hopes the federal government will reconsider critical housing funding after its application was denied.
As Prime Minister Trudeau’s popularity continues to decline, his environmental commitments are being challenged. The federal Conservatives are making false claims about the impacts of policies such as the carbon tax. Will Liberals walk into the trap and alienate many of their core supporters, or hold strong on positions that many Canadians prioritize?
April 8th’s solar eclipse is a once in a lifetime celestial event.
With Niagara Falls in an ideal location to observe the natural phenomenon, local tourism looks to recapture some of the foreign visitation lost during the pandemic, while the Niagara Regional Police prepare for the possible influx of 1 million people, under a “State of Emergency” declaration that was just issued by the Region.
Some Niagara residents have increasing concerns about the inner workings of the aggregate industry which is seldom held accountable for the damage and residual impacts of its operations across the environmentally significant region.
The Northern Tornadoes Project is doing the heavy lifting to provide a better picture of just how many tornadoes touch down across Canada, and where.
This knowledge will prove critical as weather patterns are altered by climate change, informing the creation of valuable life-saving tools.
The City of Toronto has admitted it is not on track to reach its goal of being net zero by 2040. It is not alone, as big cities like Brampton struggle to reach critical targets under a PC government that has pushed policies counter to green municipal goals. A recent study by University of Waterloo researchers concluded many cities are not even reporting their progress on sustainability commitments.
The Drug Awareness Society of Toronto wants to address the link between youth who are exposed to alcohol and drugs at a young age and adults who are dependent on substances. Working for more than a decade to raise awareness around the dangers of alcohol consumption and substance abuse through seminars at schools and Gurdwaras, the organization is once again challenging Punjabi-Canadians to confront an all-too common problem.
The Pointer speaks with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Canadian-American Sikh independence activist who was the target of an alleged assassination plot by the Indian government.
He calls out India’s BJP government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for its spiral into alarmingly anti-democratic rule.
In a joint consent order filed to federal court Wednesday, the federal government and Ontario government have asked the courts to cancel the federal environmental assessment for the proposed Highway 413 project.
The news has sent shockwaves through environmental organizations who say there was no need for such a rash, politically driven decision. The decision by the Liberal government comes a week after Premier Doug Ford sent a letter to the Prime Minister requesting the removal.
Despite cautions from staff at the time, Niagara Regional Council passed three declarations on social issues that may never truly be eradicated and are not like traditional emergencies.
A year later, Council has no metrics to determine what success looks like or when the States of Emergency should be lifted.
Since forcing Bill 23 on the province, Doug Ford’s government has come under fire from housing and environmental activists for promoting sprawl. Ignoring the growth of sustainable communities, according to a University of Waterloo study, could have profoundly negative consequences for young people.
A workforce shortage is limiting access to affordable child care.
A report from the Ontario Coalition for Better Childcare — the province’s central advocacy group for a universal early childhood education and care system — shows that Ontario has fallen behind most other provinces on wages in the sector.
Bringing residents, politicians and advocates together, Niagara’s fifth Mental Health Summit offered an opportunity for dialogue on the dire situation facing those battling mental health and addiction issues in the region.
Event organizer Steven Soos aimed to provide a chance for those who are typically voiceless, to finally be heard.
As Canadians face increasing cost of living pressures, some are having to choose between keeping the lights on and putting food on the table.
While energy poverty has hit different demographics for decades with little in the way of response from government leaders, organizations are now demanding the issue be addressed in conjunction with the clean electricity transition, to make energy accessible and affordable for everyone.
Dr. Ellen Field, a professor of education at Lakehead University has been granted funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada to implement climate change education into teacher training programs.
As the consequences of climate change are magnified, Field sees an opportunity for schools to serve as a place to foster skills and habits for both teachers and youth.
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across communities, devastating countries worldwide, those residing in long-term care homes were among the hardest hit, revealing very quickly the harrowing reality of how unprepared Ontario was. A recent investigation by Ombudsman Paul Dubé revealed the Ministry of Long-Term Care “took limited steps to enforce compliance with legislative requirements,” as its inspection system collapsed during the first wave of the pandemic.
A new report from Environmental Defence and Equiterre models how Canada can double public transit use and decrease single occupancy vehicle use by 35 percent.
Transit service levels would have to roughly double, and the federal government has to step up to achieve this goal, which aligns directly with Ottawa’s current emissions reduction commitments.
Niagara Region Council members are feeling more pressure to explain their differential treatment, after refusing to provide the same support to Palestinian community members as they did to the area’s Ukrainian community after the Russian invasion.
Advocates are demanding explanations for what they describe as obvious discrimination after the latest disturbing efforts by regional elected officials who once again went out of their way to deny voices from being heard inside the local legislative chamber.
The federal government has taken a step forward in establishing Clean Electricity Regulations to oversee the national transition to low or no carbon electricity systems.
But while the goal of achieving a net zero electricity grid by 2035 is critical to mitigate atmospheric harm, the draft regulations released by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change last fall, and updated last month, will not reach the lofty goal, experts say.
As opioid-related deaths continue to climb and accidental overdoses become more frequent, more municipalities are looking at Supervised Consumption Sites, like the one anticipated to open at 10 Peel Centre Drive, a stop-gap to the harm occurring on city streets.
Despite the increasing number of deaths, the PC government has halted any new site approval after a deadly shooting near a Toronto facility in July. Evidence has shown these sites actually reduce harms associated with drug injecting and minimize risks to the communities around them.
Younger generations are seemingly becoming more disengaged, with less activists showing up for climate strikes and participation in other facets of the movement. Facing pressures around affordability and housing and a range of other forces pushing in on them including those that impact their mental health, many young Canadians are struggling with how much is on their plate, which often turns climate activism into a privilege.
Homeowners, landlords and tenants across St. Catharines could be in for more pain as significant property tax increases in the city could for the second year in a row lead to much higher bills for homeowners, large property managers and tenants, whose rent could go up dramatically alongside any tax hikes for 2024.
MPPs, parents, students and teachers within Ontario schools for the deaf and blind still have no answer as to why the PC government refuses to address numerous allegations of abuse, discrimination and ongoing mismanagement—all of which is documented in lawsuits, Ministry of Labour investigations and accounts from parents and teachers.
The current government sees it as nothing more than “opposition rhetoric” and despite overwhelming evidence of failed leadership, the PCs “remain steadfast” in supporting these schools.
The actions of councillors in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake have come into question over their involvement and influence in projects where they may have a conflict of interest.
The trio of reports are an opportunity to review the municipal integrity commissioner process, how it came to be and what penalties can be assessed if a council member is found to have broken the rules.
As the controversy over a proposed 800-acre blasting quarry in northwest Caledon unfolds, local business owners speak out about how the aggregate operation could impact the growing local tourism industry and other commercial interests in the area.
On Tuesday the PC government and Premier Doug Ford unveiled the Get it Done Act, an omnibus piece of legislation that Ford billed as a path to getting critical infrastructure built to support housing while keeping “costs down” for people and businesses.
This legislation furthers the environmentally destructive agenda the PCs have been advancing since 2018 by stripping down the environmental assessment process for major infrastructure projects like Highway 413 while doing little to promote the types of housing development Ontario desperately needs.
Studies show Canadians know human sex trafficking is a problem in this country, but many wouldn’t know the warning signs if they encountered them and have no idea how to talk about it with their loved ones.
This lack of knowledge and education has allowed this crime to flourish in recent years.
The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking is releasing a new tool to try and get people talking.
The decision by councillors to block a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza continues to create ripple effects in the community.
The Pointer speaks with Chair of the Region’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, Councillor Laura Ip, who has been called to resign as committee chair following council’s decision.
A proactive investigation carried out by the Niagara Regional Police into individuals looking to purchase underage sex over the internet has led to the arrest of 13 men over the course of 4 days.
The results highlight the ongoing demand for illicit sex in Niagara’s busy tourist destinations.
Community activist and longtime Caledon resident Joe Grogan has, since his retirement from the academic world two decades ago, involved himself in numerous local issues that directly impact the lives of residents. He fears virtual government, a hangover from the pandemic, is eroding public accountability at the municipal level. He writes that our democracy is weakened when voters can’t square off face to face with the elected officials who are supposed to protect them.
The City of Brampton is increasing fines for drivers illegally parking in bike lanes from $35 to $150 as complaints mount. The ongoing conflict between cyclists and drivers highlights a challenge in Brampton where a push for active transportation infrastructure, necessary for achieving critical emission reduction targets, clashes with the city’s historic car-centric design.
While the PC government continues to push a new 400-series corridor across the southern edge of the Greenbelt, Highway 413 has faced widespread community opposition for years. One Caledon councillor might follow the lead of local elected officials across the GTA whose motions cemented formal opposition to the controversial project.
Stealing cars has been happening since they were invented, but the recent increase in violent auto thefts across Peel and beyond has drawn the attention of the federal government. In an effort to tackle the growing trend, Ottawa recently announced two funding envelopes — $121 million for Ontario and another $28 million for the Canada Border Services Agency. As these organized crimes become increasingly violent, local officials are calling for tougher penalties and stricter sentencing, which is nothing new.
