Niagara Regional Councillors met as a Committee of the Whole last week to hear from staff about their plans for a budget timetable for the Region’s 2026 budget process. CAO Ron Tripp delivered the presentation. Tripp noted that the plan staff have drawn up includes one information meeting per month from May until October to […]

The Canadian Mental Health Association of Niagara is planning to host its 14th Annual “Wellness for All” fundraiser next month in Thorold.  The event will be held on Thursday, May 8, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Ovation Room.  “We are excited to introduce some fun changes to our signature event, not the […]

Residents of Ward 6 in St. Catharines will go the polls on April 14 to select a replacement for the late Carlos Garcia, who passed away late last year during his third term on Council.  There are seven candidates running to replace Garcia and fill the rest of his term: Jonathan Belgrave, Zach Dykstra, Patrick […]

Trump’s about-face on relations with Canada under Carney suggests he wants to Liberals to win.  It sure seems as though U.S. President Donald Trump wants Prime Minister Mark Carney to win when Canadians go to the polls on April 28.  Following months of belittling former prime minister Justin Trudeau, arguing that Canada ought to become […]

In total, 26 new doctors came to Niagara Region, while 10 either left or retired.  Municipalities across Niagara had a net increase of 16 family doctors in 2024, according to Niagara Region.  In a news release made public by the Region late last week, staff noted that 26 new doctors came to Niagara Region in […]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has once again appointed the largest Cabinet in Ontario’s history. Ford beat his own record in appointing 37 members to his new Cabinet, which will oversee his government’s agenda as it begins its third term. Most of the faces Ontarians will see over the next four years are faces they will […]

Welland City Council received a report last week outlining exactly how much councillors cost municipal taxpayers in 2024.  The grand total was $591,386.  That total includes salaries, conference expenses, benefits, pension contributions, employer health tax, mileage for meetings, and cell phone and data usage.  Mayor Frank Campion rang up the biggest bill for taxpayers. His […]

The Niagara Transit Commission met on Tuesday, March 18 to greenlight a staff proposal to expand the Niagara Transit Benefit pass to more low-income riders.  The proposal being considered by the Commission is to expand the use of the Transit Benefit Pass to residents currently on Ontario Works and other low-income individuals and families.  Last […]

The federal government announced through its Housing Accelerator Fund $4.3 million for the City of Port Colborne to help build 128 homes over the next three years.  The announcement was made through a press release issued by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).  The Housing Accelerator Fund requires action plans from local governments to […]

Don’t be fooled by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s smoke and mirrors: his government might appear different from former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s on the outside, but deeper down, it’s the same old Liberals. Take Carney’s Cabinet. Yes, Carney’s Cabinet is dramatically smaller than Trudeau’s. That’s a good thing. The federal Cabinet in recent years had […]