Author: Sam Allcock

The U.S. dairy sector is urging Washington to take a firmer stance with Canada and Mexico as the countries prepare for the 2026 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In testimony delivered Tuesday before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) called for a more assertive approach to ensuring that the pact delivers the market access and regulatory certainty the industry expected when the agreement came into force. Shawna Morris, executive vice-president for trade policy and global affairs at both NMPF and USDEC, told USTR…

Prince Albert is reinstating a key winter safety measure with the reopening of “The Meeting Place,” an overnight warm-up centre designed to provide refuge for residents facing freezing temperatures and unstable housing. The Salvation Army and the City of Prince Albert confirmed the centre will resume operations on Dec. 15, 2025, extending through April 2026 amid ongoing concerns about winter homelessness and pressure on local support services. Now entering its second year, the centre will operate seven nights a week from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. at 900 Central Avenue. Officials say the facility offers not only warmth and shelter…

HAMILTON — Ontario’s life sciences sector is receiving a major lift as AtomVie Global Radiopharma Inc. announces a $138-million expansion of its Hamilton facility, a project expected to create 70 new high-paying jobs and sustain 131 existing roles. The provincially backed investment strengthens Ontario’s position as a global hub for radiopharmaceutical manufacturing at a time of rising demand for advanced cancer treatments. AtomVie, a homegrown company and one of Canada’s only large-scale contract development and manufacturing organizations specializing in radiopharmaceuticals, plans to significantly increase production capacity to support both clinical trials and commercial manufacturing. The expansion is aimed at accelerating…

Cambridge is set to draw thousands of visitors to its downtown core this Friday as the city brings back one of its most celebrated Winterfest traditions: Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night. The large-scale outdoor soundscape event, paired with the annual Holiday Market, is expected to give a significant boost to local foot traffic and seasonal spending as the city heads into the peak of the holiday shopping period. The City of Cambridge announced the details this week, confirming that the musical walk will take place on Friday, Dec. 5 at 6:45 p.m., beginning at Civic Square at Cambridge City Hall. Organizers…

TORONTO — Ontario is stepping up efforts to expand the use of domestically produced wood construction materials, unveiling a new working group tasked with advancing the province’s strategy for prefabricated and modular wood-based building systems. The initiative marks the latest step in the government’s bid to boost housing supply, strengthen the forestry sector and reduce exposure to U.S. trade actions. Announced Wednesday by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Advanced Wood Construction Working Group will guide implementation of the province’s Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan, released earlier this year. The plan outlines priorities for investment, education and research aimed at…

The Ontario government is moving to overhaul its approach to student assessment and academic supports after newly released standardized test results showed limited gains in reading, writing and math across multiple grade levels. The province announced Wednesday it will appoint a two-member expert advisory body to conduct a comprehensive review of the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) testing program and the broader factors influencing student outcomes. The decision comes in response to EQAO results released earlier in the day, which indicated that student achievement in Grades 3, 6 and 9 continues to lag despite the province’s back-to-basics curriculum and…

The Ontario government has finished construction of the new Grand River bridges on Highway 401 in Kitchener, a milestone officials say will ease congestion along one of the province’s busiest trade corridors and prepare the route for a major expansion. The project, which also includes rehabilitation of the King Street overpass between Kitchener and Cambridge, forms part of a nearly $30-billion provincial plan to upgrade highways, roads and bridges amid ongoing economic uncertainty. In a statement announcing the completion, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the work will improve travel times and bolster the movement of goods across southwestern Ontario. “Our…

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is preparing to release fresh data on the state of the global energy workforce at a launch webinar on Friday, 5 December, offering new insight into how labour markets are responding to accelerating worldwide demand for energy infrastructure. The event, which begins at 11 a.m. Paris time, will also highlight emerging skills shortages that could hamper the pace of the energy transition. The webinar marks the debut of World Energy Employment 2025, the fourth edition of the IEA’s annual assessment of employment trends across the global energy sector. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol will open…

Cambridge City Council has formally adopted the municipality’s 2026 budget, approving a 2.44 per cent property tax increase as the city works to balance rising costs, infrastructure needs and community growth. The decision, made under Ontario’s budget legislation, finalizes months of public engagement, council deliberations and staff analysis. The increase includes a 1 per cent infrastructure renewal levy along with initial phased-in costs for the city’s new recreation complex totalling 2.04 per cent. According to the city, the final figure aligns with Mayor Jan Liggett’s earlier directive to keep any base budget increase to 2 per cent or less, roughly…

TORONTO — Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall are marking Giving Tuesday with a holiday fundraising and membership campaign aimed at supporting their year-round education, community, and artist development programs. The initiative, announced Tuesday, pairs seasonal gift ideas with incentives designed to encourage music fans to back two of Canada’s best-known cultural institutions. Running from now until December 31 at 11:59 p.m., the centres are offering a 2-for-1 Platinum Friend Membership, which they describe as an opportunity to “experience unforgettable live music while giving back.” The organization says the offer is part of a broader push to strengthen charitable programming…