Author: Sam Allcock

THUNDER BAY — The Ontario government is increasing the Canadian content requirement for 55 new Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Line 2 subway trains to 55 per cent, a move it says will protect jobs, strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity and help shield key sectors from the impacts of tariffs. The updated procurement approach represents a nearly 30 per cent increase over the original Canadian content level for the trains, according to the province. Ontario says the decision will support more than 900 good-paying Canadian jobs, while ensuring provincial tax dollars are directed to Ontario companies in industries affected by tariffs, including…

Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner has scheduled the start date for the inquest into the death of Kevin Mamakwa, a 27-year-old man who died while in custody at the Thunder Bay Jail in 2020. Dr. Kevin Miller, Regional Supervising Coroner for the North Region in the Thunder Bay Office, announced that the inquest will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Proceedings will take place at 189 Red River Road in Thunder Bay. The inquest will be presided over by Dr. Michael Wilson, with Kate Forget and Robert Kozak serving as inquest counsel. Mr. Mamakwa died on…

The Ontario government is investing up to $8 million to support planning for 16 new and expanded primary care teaching clinics across the province, as it pushes to connect more residents with a regular primary care provider and ease pressure on the health-care system. The funding, announced Tuesday by the Ministry of Health, is part of Ontario’s broader $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan, which aims to connect everyone in the province to primary care by 2029. The government says the new and expanded clinics will help train the next generation of clinicians while expanding patient access to team-based care.…

TORONTO — Senior executives, investors and policymakers from Canada and across Africa will gather in Windhoek next month for the 5th Canada-Africa Business Conference, an event aimed at strengthening commercial ties and advancing investment discussions in sectors including mining, energy and infrastructure. Convened by The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, the conference will take place Feb. 5, 2026, positioning Namibia at the centre of high-level Canada–Africa trade and investment engagement. Organizers say the program is designed to support responsible project development and deepen collaboration between Namibian companies and international partners, with sustainable economic development a key theme. The conference comes as…

KINGSTON, Ont. — Ontario is investing $242 million to upgrade classrooms, labs and training equipment at publicly funded colleges and universities, a move the province says will help students build job-ready skills and strengthen the workforce pipeline during a period of economic uncertainty. The funding, announced Tuesday by the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, is aimed at renewing aging infrastructure and expanding access to modern learning tools across the postsecondary sector. The province said the investment will support maintenance and repairs, as well as the purchase of updated instructional equipment needed in high-demand fields. “In the face…

TIMMINS, Ont. — The Ontario government says it is accelerating the approval process for Canada Nickel Company’s Crawford Nickel Project near Timmins, positioning the development as a cornerstone of a made-in-Ontario critical minerals supply chain and a major economic driver for Northern Ontario. The province announced Tuesday that Crawford is the second project to advance under its recently launched “One Project, One Process” (1P1P) framework, a permitting model introduced in October to streamline approvals and coordinate government oversight. The government estimates the Crawford development could attract $5 billion in investment and support thousands of jobs across construction, operations and related…

Canadian country music star Dallas Smith is heading to the big screen this winter, with SOUL’S ROAD slated to open in theatres across Canada on Feb. 6, 2026, following an extensive national tour designed to build momentum for the release. The film, shot in Edmonton, is positioned as a large-scale, emotionally driven drama centred on connection, personal accountability and second chances. It also marks a milestone for Smith, who takes on his first leading role in a feature film after establishing himself as one of Canada’s best-known country artists. “Following an extensive cross-country film tour, Soul’s Road, starring Dallas Smith,…

Ontario’s newly passed pay transparency legislation — requiring employers to include salary ranges in job postings — is set to reshape recruiting practices across the province, as companies navigate a cooling labour market and candidates face tougher odds in increasingly automated hiring processes. The new rules mark a significant shift in how employers position open roles and how jobseekers assess opportunities, according to recruiting firm Hays, which says the legislation is arriving at a moment when many organizations are already slowing hiring activity despite continued outward signs of demand. Drawing on frontline recruiting experience and insights from the Hays 2026…

Europe’s weather satellite agency has approved a major new space-based observation programme that is expected to significantly improve weather forecasting accuracy while delivering substantial long-term economic benefits, a development with implications for global forecasting systems and climate resilience planning. The EUMETSAT Council has formally given the green light to the EUMETSAT Polar System – Sterna (EPS-Sterna), a constellation of polar-orbiting microsatellites designed to deliver microwave measurements of atmospheric temperature, humidity and cloud structure at an unprecedented frequency. The system is scheduled to deploy its first satellites in 2029 and operate through to 2042. The approval follows votes taken during the…

European Green Party leaders are warning that the long-awaited EU-Mercosur trade agreement, endorsed by European Union member states after a quarter-century of negotiations, risks undermining European farmers, accelerating environmental damage and weakening the EU’s climate commitments at a time of heightened global economic uncertainty. The endorsement comes against a backdrop of growing geopolitical instability, renewed trade tensions driven by U.S. tariffs under former president Donald Trump, and increasing pressure on Europe to diversify its international economic relationships. Supporters of the agreement argue that deeper ties with South America’s Mercosur bloc — which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay — are…