Author: Sam Allcock

ARLINGTON, Va. – American dairy leaders are pressing for meaningful reforms in a new trade framework with the European Union, warning that entrenched protectionism across the Atlantic has cost farmers billions of dollars and blocked fair access to markets. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) welcomed the release of the Joint Statement on United States–European Union Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade. Both organizations say the agreement presents a crucial opportunity to rebalance long-standing inequities in the dairy trade relationship. Push for Market Access At the heart of the…

Campbell River, B.C. – The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) has announced the launch of a new Parks and Trails Plan for Electoral Area D, also known as Oyster Bay–Buttle Lake, aimed at shaping future investments in recreational spaces and active transportation. The initiative, unveiled this week, will guide long-term improvements to parks, trails, and transportation corridors, with the goal of creating a well-connected network that supports residents, visitors, and local businesses. The plan also integrates an Active Transportation Network component, designed to improve accessibility and mobility across the community. Building Connections Through Active Transportation Central to the new strategy is…

Ontario to Sell Surplus Aurora Land for New Francophone Long-Term Care Campus AURORA — The Ontario government is moving forward with plans to convert surplus provincial land in Aurora into a new Francophone community hub, anchored by a 160-bed long-term care home. The project, led by Communauté du Trille blanc (CTB), will provide culturally adapted care and housing options for the province’s growing Francophone population while addressing the pressing demand for long-term care in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). The site, located at 50 Bloomington Road, will be redeveloped through the province’s Surplus Lands Program, which enables unused…

SARNIA — The Ontario government is rewarding the City of Sarnia with $400,000 for exceeding its provincially set housing targets, the latest distribution from the province’s $1.2-billion Building Faster Fund. The announcement, made Thursday, recognizes municipalities that achieve at least 80 per cent of their annual housing targets. Sarnia broke ground on 164 new homes in 2024, achieving nearly double its assigned goal — 198 per cent of its target. “This funding will help the City of Sarnia build more homes and community infrastructure while advancing the province’s plan to protect Ontario by investing in infrastructure to support economic growth…

KITCHENER, ON — Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and City Councillors have returned from Ottawa after a week of meetings with provincial leaders at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference, pressing for stronger provincial partnerships on housing, infrastructure, and economic growth. The delegation from Kitchener met with Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentary Assistants, and Opposition Leaders, advocating for investments that would help sustain growth in one of Ontario’s fastest-growing communities. The city’s leadership also joined broader discussions with the Ontario Big City Mayors (OBCM) and the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO), emphasizing housing affordability, transportation, and energy needs. “AMO…

CALGARY — Canada’s top bobsleigh athletes are set to launch their Olympic season with explosive starts at the Canadian Push Championships, an annual test of speed, timing and power that kicks off Thursday at Winsport’s Ice House. The event, scheduled for August 21, is widely regarded as the first major step on the road to the Winter Games. With only fractions of a second often determining who stands on the podium, athletes and coaches alike stress the importance of raw acceleration and coordination at the push start — the critical opening phase that can set the tone for an entire…

Sudbury, ON – The Office of the Chief Coroner has announced that a public inquest will be held this fall into the death of a northern Ontario mine worker who suffered fatal injuries on the job six years ago. Dr. Harry Mikael Voogjarv, Regional Supervising Coroner for the North Region (Sudbury Office), confirmed that the inquest into the death of Mark Paul Joseph Beskorowany will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, September 15, 2025. The proceedings will be conducted virtually and are expected to last five days. Bonnie Goldberg will preside as inquest officer, while Alessandra Hollands has been appointed…

Ottawa,The Ontario government is moving forward with what it describes as “historic investments” to build stronger communities, accelerate housing construction, and expand health care services, with Premier Doug Ford pledging billions in new funding at the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference. Housing and Infrastructure Expansion At the centre of the announcement is a major boost to the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP). Premier Doug Ford confirmed an additional $1.6 billion, bringing the program’s total investment to $4 billion. The program is aimed at helping municipalities deliver the infrastructure needed to unlock more housing projects. Kinga Surma, Minister…

Hamilton, ON — Ontario is investing $70 million to help workers threatened by U.S. tariffs retrain, upskill and re-enter the workforce in what Premier Doug Ford is calling a proactive defence of the province’s economy and jobs. The investment, announced Wednesday in Hamilton, will expand training and employment services through two major initiatives: the Protect Ontario Workers Employment Response (POWER) Centres and enhancements to the Better Jobs Ontario (BJO) program. Officials said the funding aims to blunt the impact of U.S. trade policies that have put manufacturing-heavy regions of Ontario at risk. “Ontario has the best workers in the world. When…

MAXVILLE, Ont. — The Ontario government is rolling out a new funding program aimed at making it easier and faster to build long-term care homes across the province, as demand for seniors’ care continues to grow. The new Capital Funding Program (CFP), announced Tuesday, introduces a more flexible funding model designed to address labour shortages, rising construction costs and regional challenges that have slowed development in areas such as the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and northern Ontario. “As Ontario ages, we need to protect our province by building long-term care homes faster, smarter and in the places that…