The Ontario government is marking the opening of Oakwood Commons Community, a new 160-bed long-term care home in Brantford that anchors a broader seniors living campus designed to deliver multiple levels of care in one location. The facility, which welcomed its first residents in October, is part of the province’s strategy to expand and modernize long-term care capacity while supporting job creation and health infrastructure development. Oakwood Commons is a recipient of the province’s construction funding subsidy top-up and replaces the existing Fox Ridge Care Community, adding 70 new beds and upgrading 90 others. “This project is part of the…
Author: Sam Allcock
Sam Allcock
Sam Allcock is a business correspondent for Wire Service Canada, reporting on corporate developments, market trends, and economic news with clarity and accuracy. With over a decade of experience in journalism, he has covered stories ranging from financial results and trade agreements to emerging innovations, offering readers both local insight and global context. Known for his balanced and engaging reporting style, Sam is committed to delivering reliable, relevant, and timely business news that helps audiences make informed decisions.
CAMBRIDGE, Ont. — The City of Cambridge is grappling with renewed grief after a second fatal pedestrian incident in less than a month, prompting Mayor Jan Liggett to issue a sombre statement extending condolences to grieving families and the wider community. The latest tragedy, which involved the death of a small child, follows the loss of a young mother just three weeks earlier. The back-to-back incidents have shaken residents and intensified conversations around community safety, particularly as the city approaches the holiday season. “Tragedy from pedestrian fatalities has struck our community for the second time in three weeks,” Liggett said…
The Ontario government has launched a new $500-million fund aimed at boosting the province’s capacity to process critical minerals, positioning Northern Ontario as a cornerstone of Canada’s clean energy and advanced manufacturing economy. Announced Thursday in Sudbury, the Critical Minerals Processing Fund (CMPF) is designed to accelerate domestic refining, reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and support job creation across key industrial sectors. The fund, first outlined in the 2025 provincial budget, marks one of Ontario’s largest targeted investments in mineral processing. It arrives at a time when global competition for secure supplies of nickel, graphite, copper, cobalt and lithium continues…
PORT HOPE — Ontario has expanded its network of youth mental-health services with the opening of the Northumberland Youth Wellness Hub, a new site designed to provide faster, more convenient access to mental-health, substance-use, and social supports for young people across the region. The launch marks one of 10 new hubs the provincial government committed to developing, bringing the total system to 24 hubs now operating and eight more in progress across Ontario. The new Port Hope facility is part of Ontario’s broader strategy to streamline access to care for youth aged 12 to 25. It offers free, walk-in mental-health…
A coalition of governments and international energy leaders will gather in Nairobi in 2026 for a high-level summit aimed at accelerating clean cooking access for the one billion Africans who still rely on traditional, polluting fuels. The announcement, made Friday, positions Kenya, Norway, the United States and the International Energy Agency (IEA) at the centre of a renewed global push to turn commitments from earlier meetings into tangible progress on the ground. The 2026 event will build on what organizers describe as strong momentum from the inaugural Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, held in Paris in May 2024. That…
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is preparing to release its Coal 2025 annual market report, offering one of the most comprehensive global assessments of coal demand and supply heading into the next decade. Ahead of the publication, the agency will host an under-embargo press webinar on Tuesday, 16 December, providing journalists with early insight into the findings that will be formally published the following day. The briefing, scheduled for 15:00 Paris time, will be led by Keisuke Sadamori, Director of the IEA’s Energy Markets and Security Directorate, and Carlos Fernández Alvarez, the report’s lead author. The agency is inviting accredited…
PRINCE ALBERT — Families in Prince Albert will have significantly more opportunities to secure swim lesson spots this winter, as the City prepares to open registration for an expanded slate of aquatic programs at the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre. Winter lesson schedules—covering January through March—will be posted online on December 12, giving parents and caregivers several days to review options and plan before registration begins. City officials say they expect heavy interest again this season, but a major increase in available spots should relieve some of the pressure seen during earlier intakes. Registration for Prince Albert residents opens December…
CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. — The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) is urging patience as it continues to assess community feedback on Phase Two of its REC-REATE project, the proposed redevelopment of the Rod Brind’Amour Arena. The regional district says it has received a high volume of public input over recent weeks, reflecting deep community interest in the future of the Strathcona Gardens recreation complex. In a statement issued Dec. 11, the SRD thanked residents, arena users, and other stakeholders for taking time to share their perspectives on the multi-year recreation renewal project. Officials say public engagement has been robust and wide-ranging,…
TORONTO — Ontario has closed its fall legislative session after passing a dozen government bills the Ford government says will bolster the province’s competitiveness, strengthen key sectors and advance long-term economic resilience in the face of global uncertainty. Premier Doug Ford framed the fall sitting as a decisive period of action as the province responds to mounting economic pressures, including trade tensions triggered by U.S. tariffs. “As Ontario workers and businesses continue to face down the uncertainty and upheaval caused by President Trump’s tariffs, our government is focused on protecting our province by creating a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant…
Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner will convene a six-day inquest early in the new year to examine the circumstances surrounding the 2017 death of Raymond Alliman, a 31-year-old man who died following an interaction with Ottawa police. The announcement, released Thursday by the Ministry of the Solicitor General, formally sets the timeline for a proceeding mandated under provincial law and expected to draw public attention to long-standing questions about police-involved deaths. Dr. Louise McNaughton-Filion, Regional Supervising Coroner for the East Region, Ottawa Office, said a date has now been scheduled. “The inquest will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Monday,…