Ahead of the provincial election on Thursday, Peel’s Metamorphosis Network is urging local candidates and their party leaders to commit to a pledge that, if elected, they will finally provide fair-share funding for social services across the region.
As of Monday a majority of Liberal, NDP and Green candidates have committed to the pledge. Doug Ford and his PC candidates have failed to respond to the request or acknowledge the funding shortfall.
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.
Since Mississauga City Council rejected a request to fund $450 million as part of a local share contribution required of Trillium Health Partners for the transformation of Mississauga Hospital, the health network has been left on the hook to cover the shortfall. The PCs have maintained they will not allocate funding to cover the gap, despite a recent audit revealing the project is more than $4 billion over budget.
Now, opposition parties are stepping up ahead of the provincial election, pledging to help with the local share contribution and revisit the expectation of municipalities to help fund hospital expansions.
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.
Latest Episode
The Metamorphosis Network in Peel has launched its ‘Cut in Half’ campaign, asking candidates in the provincial election to sign a pledge, vowing to dramatically reduce the almost $870 million annual gap in social services funding across the region, created by inequitable allocation of taxpayer dollars by the provincial government.
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.
Able-bodied Ontarians might not think twice about walking into their local polling station on February 27. The ability to mark their X with ease, something often taken for granted, is not the same for many living with disabilities across Ontario.
Barriers still exist for some who want to exercise their democratic right. Despite a complaint filed more than six years ago to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal attempting to force improvements, the backlogged system will not be able to hear arguments in the case until September, months after the snap winter election.
A multi-billion dollar highway, a government selling the dream of congestion-free commutes and the reality that so much about Doug Ford’s plan for transportation, has nothing to do with effectively moving Ontarians around.
For opponents, Highway 413 has become a political symbol of everything that’s wrong with today’s politics of smoke and mirrors, as the PCs sell a plan with no benefits, other than the billions of dollars in profits powerful developers playing Ford like a marionette stand to make.
The Freedom of Information process to obtain documents related to the decision to remove 15 parcels of land from the Greenbelt has been rife with delays and questionable denials that possibly violate provincial legislation.
As residents get ready to vote on February 27, party leaders are calling for complete transparency around the Greenbelt scandal after Ontario’s auditor general found some of the province's most wealthy developers, who also happen to be significant PC donors, were favoured.
As the February 27 provincial election fast approaches, Brampton voters are looking for concrete solutions to fix the city’s woefully underfunded healthcare system. While Doug Ford committed to ending hallway healthcare when he was first elected in 2018, Brampton’s situation has only worsened since.
The PCs have left the community to face long wait times in emergency rooms, delayed critical mental health support and have failed to match explosive population growth (pushed by Ford) with desperately needed hospital beds.
Local NDP candidates are ringing alarm bells that a PC government would push through a four-city Niagara amalgamation, which may account for the endorsement of the region’s big city mayors.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Doug Ford remained silent on municipal reform during a campaign only to take action after the election.
Since Doug Ford’s 2018 campaign, when he promised to tackle Ontario's housing crisis, his governments have systematically weakened planning laws and stripped conservation authorities of their power in favour of builders.
A scandal involving backroom dealing with powerful developers, including Greenbelt land swaps and questionable approval processes, exposed Ford’s secretive plans to do what he promised: open up Ontario’s protected greenspace for sprawl development that makes housing even less affordable.
The Ontario NDP and World Sikh Organization are calling for the resignation of Oshawa Liberal candidate Viresh Bansal. In September of 2023 he wrote an outrageous post on his X account, condoning the assassination of Sikh advocate Hardeep Singh Nijjar while simultaneously using a homophobic remark against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
He also threatened Conservative MP Tim Uppal. Bansal’s posts, supporting disturbing actions by the Indian government while attacking Canadian politicians who criticized them, raise more concerns about ongoing foreign interference in our politics.
The former buildings that housed the industrial operations of GM on Ontario Street in St. Catharines are crumbling. The site is pockmarked with industrial hatches and holes that threaten to swallow anyone who is unaware and wanders into the easily accessible site.
Why is the City refusing to take action as the “active demolition” has not seen significant progress for a number of years?
The Liberal leader is vowing to fix a broken healthcare system, restore confidence in public education and make Canada’s largest province affordable once again.
The former Mississauga mayor, who helped transform her city from a sleepy suburb into an economic engine, sat down with The Pointer to talk about her plan to defeat Doug Ford and lead Ontario back to prosperity.
Pietrangelo has taken part in several discussions and votes surrounding the South Niagara Falls hospital project, despite owning land with his family directly across the street. The land’s value certainly increased with the launch of the hospital project, raising questions about why the councillor has not routinely declared a conflict and steered clear of decision making that could possibly benefit him personally.
The councillor’s situation shines a light on a widespread issue in Ontario about the ineffectiveness of laws meant to protect against conflicts of interest, and the ability of residents to hold elected officials accountable for transgressions.
In Peel, where the largest South Asian-Canadian community in the country thrives, the unique cultural and demographic landscape has created a perfect storm of conditions for human traffickers. Canada is currently without a national strategy to guide anti-human trafficking efforts. A review of the previous five-year plan showed mixed results, and a significant lack of investment.
Advocates are urging Ottawa to prioritize the approval of a new strategy that addresses the rapidly changing dynamics of human trafficking.
Mayors in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland have all publicly endorsed Doug Ford to be Ontario’s next premier. The boldly partisan move is being questioned by opposition politicians and local residents who wonder if ethics rules around how a mayor uses the influence of their office are being ignored.
It also raises concerns about the loyalty of municipal leaders to the provincial premier, rather than their constituents.
The slate of candidates across Niagara Region’s four provincial ridings is nearly full less than 48 hours after Doug Ford officially called a snap election.
In the coming days The Pointer will be gathering information about those looking to represent Niagara residents at Queen’s Park.
The provincial election is officially underway.
In the coming days The Pointer will be gathering information about the candidates seeking election across Brampton and Mississauga to inform readers about their background and experience as they vie to represent you inside Ontario’s legislature.
With limited financial details, Niagara Falls councillors have approved millions of dollars for the Niagara Falls Innovation Hub, an incubator meant to help small businesses and trigger revitalization—that has yet to arrive—to the city’s downtown core. Despite the multi-million dollar investment, The Hub has never had to provide a detailed financial breakdown of where this money is going, or what taxpayers are getting back for their investment.
Questions are now being raised about who The Hub is benefiting, and why companies outside of Niagara Region are receiving assistance while locals struggle.
With candidates vying for support ahead of the February 27th provincial election, crime and community safety have become the burning issues for many voters across Brampton.
In the north of the city crime has taken on a dark dimension, with a range of concerns including shootings, auto thefts and break-ins that residents have raised to local and provincial leaders who ultimately make decisions about the use of taxpayer money to keep those same residents safe.
As campaigning ramps up ahead of the Ontario election on February 27th, democracy advocates and resident groups are wondering why the PC Party has absented its candidates from debates, other events and media interviews.
Ghost candidates are creating questions about how voters are supposed to know what to expect if local PCs running for office are elected, and how they would address specific issues unique to a riding.
The controversial proposal to expand Brampton’s Emerald incinerator, one of Canada's largest waste-burning facilities, has drawn concern over potential health risks, including increased exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. Despite claims of "clean energy" experts argue that incineration only adds to environmental harm, releasing toxic pollutants like mercury, dioxins and furans into the air.
Local advocates, health professionals and environmental groups are calling for a halt to the expansion plan, urging the provincial government to reconsider its policies and prioritize more sustainable, cleaner alternatives for managing waste.
Meghan Nicholls, the CEO of Food Banks Mississauga, is calling out elected officials.
Forced to shutter vital programming due to a lack of funding while demand continues to rapidly increase, she says food banks can no longer fill a widening gap created by ongoing government failures.
With upper levels of government in a state of political upheaval during what would typically be budget period for Queen’s Park and Ottawa, Mississauga finds itself in a precarious position. Funding for projects crucial to the city’s growth has to come from higher levels of government.
In the City’s latest pre-budget requests, officials outline the capital projects most important to Mississauga’s future, though it remains unclear when, or if, City Hall will receive the needed money.
After watching other large police forces across Ontario implement body-worn cameras, the Niagara Police are finally getting onboard.
The costly plan is viewed as essential for improving evidence-gathering and police accountability, but advocacy organizations urge it must not be seen as the lone solution to address disproportionate use of force against Black communities—a particular problem in Niagara.
While EV sales explode in some parts of the world, the number of Ontarians transitioning to electric vehicles has slowed considerably under Doug Ford, whose government has repeatedly rolled back key incentives that once supported a growing market. From rebates to public charging infrastructure, the cuts have stymied EV growth, leaving the province behind others like British Columbia and Quebec, where key policies and incentives have driven adoption.
Ontario still has an opportunity to catch up by investing in rebates, expanding charging infrastructure and supporting used EV incentives, but experts are wary of a government that makes “evidence-free” decisions.
Human Rights issues were raised at a recent council meeting, where a proposal to avoid using the Notwithstanding Clause to clear homeless encampments was brought forward.
In the end, with the mayors of Niagara’s largest cities firmly behind Doug Ford’s plan to forcibly remove those staying in encampments, efforts to act with compassion were defeated.
In Part 2 of Traffick Stop The Pointer looks at the dedicated service providers helping survivors heal and move on from one of the most devastating forms of exploitation.
These organizations operate in a space that is underfunded, as politicians all too often are more concerned with offering empty words than taking real action to fix a flawed system.
The Brampton mayor’s mother-in-law is running against the Ontario Liberal leader in the Mississauga East—Cooksville race. Allegations have been raised against Patrick Brown, accusing him of using staff paid by Brampton taxpayers, including two who work in his office, to help with Silvia Gualtieri’s campaign.
Brown has previously directed City staff to help candidates including himself. A whistleblower provided evidence of the mayor’s inappropriate use of Brampton taxpayer funds to work on a federal campaign while an integrity commissioner complaint revealed Brown had used City staff for his own bid to become federal Conservative leader.
Following an internal investigation into the misuse of municipal funds, the Region of Peel has launched a lawsuit against former caseworker Hamza Dualeh alleging he was sending money for made up expenses to various benefits recipients and splitting the proceeds under Peel’s Homelessness Prevention program. A statement of claim filed on February 4 alleges that over an 18-month period, Dualeh issued approximately 1,300 fraudulent payments totalling more than $4 million through the Homelessness Prevention Fund.
In a 9-1 vote, trustees at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board recently held up a long-standing ban of the Pride flag. The decision has laid bare a significant disconnect between many local parents and the students whose schools do not feel welcoming to them.
That is not stopping them from advocating for representation and recognition in the spaces built for young people to learn in a supportive environment. Obstacles posed by older generations continue to drown out the experiences of students across the board.
After false claims that Mississauga’s population is in decline, new data from Statistics Canada show the opposite. The city is booming.
Numbers from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation over the last five years also show Mississauga continues to see major new developments, with the second highest value in new condos across Ontario last year.
The trucking/warehousing industry is the largest in the city, employing tens of thousands of workers.
Cross-border contracts account for much of the work they do. Insiders warn that if the paused tariffs ever come into effect, the impacts would ripple across Brampton, throwing hundreds of thousands of residents connected to commercial transportation into a potential downward spiral.
Industrial contamination across Ontario is a reminder of the negligence that was commonplace for decades.
The abandoned site of a former General Motors heavy industrial plant in St. Catharines is a stark remnant of this legacy. Decades of toxic waste, including carcinogenic PCBs, have been detected in the soil and water, while local residents grapple with the potential impacts long after the company left.
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.
Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie’s former role as Mississauga’s mayor included run-ins with her fellow Peel politician, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown over a number of critical issues, primarily her desire to see Mississauga become an independent municipality, a position Brown aggressively lobbied against.
Less than a day after she announced the riding she’s seeking to represent at Queen’s Park, Silvia Gualtieri, Brown’s mother-in-law, was officially named as Crombie’s PC opponent.
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”.
