The Ontario government has opened a new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Belleville, expanding access to integrated mental health, addictions, and supportive housing services across Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. The facility is part of a nearly $550-million provincial initiative to establish 28 HART Hubs provincewide, aimed at improving community safety while supporting people facing homelessness, addiction and complex mental health challenges. “We are building a stronger, more connected system of mental health and addictions care that better reflects the needs of communities and focuses on lasting recovery,” said Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Mental Health and…
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.
The Ontario government is moving to tighten road-safety laws with a suite of tougher penalties aimed at high-risk drivers, including lifetime licence bans for those convicted of dangerous driving causing death. The measures, to be tabled in the legislature later Tuesday, mark one of the most significant escalations in the province’s enforcement regime in recent years and respond directly to rising concerns about road violence and repeat offenders. The legislative package is anchored by reforms inspired by “Andrew’s Law,” a petition launched after the death of Andrew Cristillo, a father of three killed by a driver who had been charged…
Ontario is recognizing 24 first responders for extraordinary acts of courage, awarding the province’s highest honours for police and firefighter bravery. The 2024 recipients include 15 police officers and nine firefighters whose actions, according to the province, exemplify outstanding heroism in life-threatening situations across communities. The honours, announced November 24 by the Ministry of the Solicitor General, include the Ontario Medal for Police Bravery and the Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery. Both awards recognize individuals who put themselves in harm’s way to save or protect others during critical incidents. “The recipients of the Police and Firefighter Bravery Medals each put…
Roy Thomson Hall is bringing back one of its longest-running community traditions with the return of its free Choir & Organ Concert Series, offering Torontonians a chance to hear leading Canadian vocal ensembles accompanied by the venue’s celebrated Gabriel Kney pipe organ. Now in its 28th year, the noon-hour program continues to serve as one of the city’s most accessible cultural offerings while drawing audiences into one of Toronto’s most iconic performance spaces. Announced on November 20, the 2025 edition features performances by the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, Exultate Chamber Singers, VIVA Chamber Singers and the Hamilton Children’s Chorus. Each…
Ontario is preparing to overhaul its bail system by requiring accused individuals or their sureties to provide full cash security deposits before release, a move the provincial government says will help keep violent, repeat offenders off the streets and strengthen public safety. The proposed legislation, announced Monday, represents one of the most significant changes to the province’s bail regime in years. It would eliminate the practice of releasing accused persons on a simple promise to pay—an approach the government argues has contributed to low compliance rates and created costly challenges in recovering forfeited bail. “For too long, the broken bail…
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is warning governments and industry leaders that the global energy system is entering a period of heightened complexity, marked by rising security risks, shifting geopolitical influence and accelerating technological change. The findings are outlined in the World Energy Outlook 2025, the agency’s flagship annual assessment of global energy markets, policy pathways and long-term transitions. Released amid a backdrop of volatile oil markets, geopolitical tension and rapid growth in clean energy deployment, this year’s Outlook centres on three scenarios that model distinct energy futures. Each framework evaluates the potential consequences of varying policy and investment decisions…
CORTINA, Italy—Canada’s Melissa Lotholz delivered a determined performance in the opening World Cup monobob event of the season on Saturday, finishing sixth on the newly constructed Olympic Track in Cortina. The result places the two-time Olympian within striking distance of the podium as athletes begin testing the venue that will host sliding events at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games. Lotholz clocked a two-run combined time of 1:59.99 on the 1,445-metre track carved into the Italian Dolomites. Her time left her just 0.35 seconds behind the medal positions in a competitive field that saw significant movement between heats. “I’m very excited to…
LILLEHAMMER, Norway—Canadian ski jumper Abigail Strate launched her Olympic-season campaign with a strong statement Saturday, soaring to a silver medal at the World Cup opener and matching the best result of her career. The 24-year-old Calgarian delivered jumps of 129 and 121 metres for a two-round total of 259.7 points, securing her sixth World Cup podium. The result equals her previous career high—another silver earned on New Year’s Day in Oberstdorf, Germany, nearly two years ago. “Not a bad start. It feels really good,” Strate said with a laugh after the event. “I can’t really process that this is the…
Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner will convene an inquest into the 2021 death of Percy Adam Henry, a 27-year-old man who died shortly after being transferred from the Kenora Jail to Lake of the Woods District Hospital. The announcement, released Wednesday by the Ministry of the Solicitor General, signals the next stage in a mandatory review process intended to examine the circumstances of deaths involving individuals in custody. Dr. Kevin Miller, Regional Supervising Coroner for the North Region based in Thunder Bay, confirmed that the inquest will move forward, though a date and venue have not yet been set.…
U.S. dairy farmers are entering a period of growth supported by major investments and sustained consumer demand, even as the sector continues to navigate labour shortages, policy uncertainty and shifting trade conditions. Those were the key messages from industry leaders at the National Milk Producers Federation’s (NMPF) annual meeting, held this week in Arlington, Va., alongside the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United Dairy Industry Association. NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud told producers and cooperative leaders that the industry is positioned for expansion, pointing to billions of dollars in new processing capacity under construction across the…