Ontario
Workers owed $60M in unpaid wages Ontario failed to collect since 2017
Workers in Ontario are owed tens of millions of dollars in unpaid wages that the provincial government has yet to collect from employers, according to internal government records. The records, obtained by CBC Toronto through a freedom of information request, provide a snapshot of the prevalence of wage theft in Ontario, which worker advocates say is a major issue. The records show there’s around $60 million in unpaid wages the provincial government has yet to collect from employers, between the 2017-2018 fiscal year and July 2024. The figures include OntarioRead more
This Ontario support program for Muslim women helped them feel safe. It’s now looking for restart funds
Brave Space program was in Hamilton, London, Mississauga, Kitchener until last year An Ontario mental health service is looking for funding to continue a series of Muslim women’s support groups that were launched in response to Islamophobic attacks, including the 2021 killings of members of the Afzaal family in London. Abrar Trauma and Mental Health Services got the Brave Space program up and running three years ago, but it ended late last year. “The need [for such a program] is high. We are in the process of applying for more grants to keep itRead more
He died trying to save a woman in a home in Peawanuck, Ont., where firefighting resources are limited
NDP MP presses Indigenous services minister for more firefighting resources for First Nations Michael Ranger says his stepson is dead after trying to save someone’s life in a community that critics say lacks resources to fight fires. Jared Guerard, 26, was one of two people who died in a house fire in the remote Cree community of Peawanuck, Ont., on Feb. 1. Ranger said his stepson was outside the home when the fire started and rushed into the burning building because a young woman was unaccounted for. “He went in looking for her andRead more
Scientists work to stop self-cloning crayfish in Burlington, Ont., pond after 1st detection in Canada
Pond was the first place in North America where marbled crayfish were found in the wild An invasive species of crayfish that reproduces by cloning itself was discovered last summer in a Burlington, Ont., park — the first time the marbled crayfish has been identified in the wild in North America. Since then, a group of experts has been working to stop the species from spreading. The crayfish are in City View park, on Burlington’s southwest border with Hamilton. Brook Schryer, a member of the working group responding to the detection, told CBC HamiltonRead more
Ontario cities need help — and cash — to meet 2025 accessibility deadline, advocates say
Province says it’s working with all governments, investing in accessible services and infrastructure CBC Toronto is breaking down accessibility in Ontario in four stories: the progress made so far, how legislation is enforced, if the province can reach its 2025 goal and what accessibility looks like in cities, zooming in on Toronto. As a hard of hearing person, Kellina Powell says she can rarely make out the announcements on the GO train, often leaving her in the dark about what’s happening on her commute from downtown Toronto to her homeRead more
Climate change threatens winter roads connecting northern Ontario’s remote communities
Warmth, temperature volatility cutting First Nations off from provincial road network For many northern Ontario First Nations, apart from air travel, the only connection to the rest of the province is seasonal winter roads built each year on the frozen rivers, lakes, muskeg and earth. As climate change continues to narrow the window during which winter roads are useable, Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) gathered in Thunder Bay to strategize how to keep its communities connected in a rapidly thawing north. In a summit overview handout, NAN said that climate change has “reduced theRead more
Manifesto of man accused of terror attack against London, Ont., Muslim family read at murder trial
4 of 5 Afzaal family members killed when a truck struck them in London, Ont., in 2021 Warning: This story contains distressing details. A manifesto titled “A White Awakening” that was written by Nathaniel Veltman, who’s accused of killing a Muslim family in London, Ont., on June 6, 2021, outlines his hatred of Islam and opposition to multiculturalism and mass immigration. The jury at the accused’s murder-terror trial in Ontario Superior Court in Windsor heard excerpts from the multi-page document on Wednesday afternoon. The excerpts were read into the record by Crown prosecutor SarahRead more
Thousands gathered for a bagpipe parade in Amherstburg, Ont., for CBC show Still Standing
Impromptu parade was in March. On Tuesday, residents celebrated it at a brewery A southwestern Ontario town that will ring a bell for Essex County locals was the star of this week’s episode of Still Standing, a CBC program that features comedian Jonny Harris exploring the ins and outs of Canadian small-town life. Amherstburg took centre stage in the premiere of the show’s ninth season. The film crew descended on the town earlier this year to document the legacy and individuals who make Amherstburg tick. Dozens of residents crowded into a brewery Tuesday night to watch theRead more
Family wonders if a quicker cancer diagnosis could have saved Thunder Bay, Ont., woman’s life
It took 15 months and 6 biopsies before Heidi Smith was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma A nurse in Thunder Bay, Ont., is seeking answers about why her mother — who died last year — couldn’t get an appointment with a blood-disease specialist until she received a cancer diagnosis, and is pushing for changes that would let some patients see one sooner. Heidi Smith died in August 2022 at age 63 of Stage 4 peripheral T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer, said her daughter, Mariah Mrakic-TenHave. Smith, who was already a breast cancer survivor, received a number of diagnostic testsRead more
Jury at murder-terror trial sees video of truck that struck Muslim family in London, Ont.
The Afzaals a ‘peace-loving’ family, says witness at Nathaniel Veltman’s trial in Windsor Warning: This story contains distressing details: Data from a Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by Nathaniel Veltman on the day in 2021 that members of a London, Ont., Muslim family were struck shows him veering to the right five seconds before impact, his gas pedal 100 per cent compressed, court heard Monday. On the first day of testimony at the 22-year-old’s murder trial in Windsor, Crown prosecutors called three witnesses and laid out the evidence they’ll present to theRead more