Toronto’s police chief responds to a report of police G20 conduct
May 18th, 2012 | Comments (0)
Toronto’s police chief is responding to a report by Ontario’s police watchdog, about police conduct during the G20 summit. Chief Bill Blair says they’ll respond quickly to the recommendations made by Gerry McNeilly in the report and says they’ve already made progress in some areas. The report also revealed that there is sufficient evidence against some senior officers to have disciplinary hearings and Blair says those will take place. Blair also went on to say that while there were things that were not done well, he remains proud of the work officers did, and says he is committed to restoring the confidence of the people.
Toronto-area MPP and city councillor call for referendum on Toronto casino
May 18th, 2012 | Comments (0)
Some politicians are calling for a referendum on a Toronto casino. Beaches-East York MPP Michael Prue and city councillor Mike Layton are speaking in favour of a full and transparent referendum, before going ahead with a casino in Toronto. The OLG is currently looking for private companies to run casinos in areas such as Toronto, Ottawa and Thunder Bay. Finance Minister Dwight Duncan says the government wants to maximize gambling revenues, but does say community will be forced to accept a casino if not supported.
Durham Region officials asked to support the battle against contraband tobacco
May 18th, 2012 | Comments (0)
The battle against contraband tobacco in Durham Region is continuing. The President and CEO of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association spoke in front of the Health and Social Services Committee, hoping to get the Region onboard with tougher enforcement. Dave Bryans says this is a growing problem, with about 35 per cent of cigarettes smoked across the province being illegal. Bryans wants regional council to send a resolution to Queen’s Park asking them to get serious on the issue. He says convenience stores in Durham rely on tobacco for between 45 and 65 per cent of their daily sales.
Striking Ontario Works employees reject Peel Region’s latest offer
May 17th, 2012 | Comments (1)
Striking Ontario Works employees have rejected the latest offer given by Peel Region. President of CUPE Local 966, Mary Jo Falle, says members spoke clearly and refuse to be treated as second-class workers. This is day 14 of the job action. The union says members are seeking equity and fairness, while fighting off concessions.
LCBO has record sales in 2011-12
May 16th, 2012 | Comments (0)
Sales at the LCBO were up over $4.7 billion for 2011-12, an increase of $218 million over the previous year. Officials say part of the reason for the higher numbers was people moving up to premium products. The Liquor Board also transferred $1.63 billion to the Ontario government, which was $80 million more than the year before. The board says it was the 17th straight year of record sales and 18th consecutive record dividend to the province to help pay for public services.
Some school cafeterias blame healthy eating options for a drop in profits
May 16th, 2012 | Comments (0)
Dalton McGuinty says his responsibility is to make sure kids are eating healthy, even if that means school cafeterias go out of business. The Premier’s comments come in the wake of a statement by the Toronto District School Board, saying some cafeterias may close because they’re making as little as $35 a week. Some cafeterias have been making less, because they’ve had to cut options from their menu that don’t meet provincial guidelines.
Doctors being told to look for work outside of Ontario
May 16th, 2012 | Comments (0)
Doctors in Ontario are being told it’s time to look for work elsewhere. The Coalition of Family Physicians and Specialists of Ontario warns impending fee cuts by the McGuinty government pose a threat to the medical profession and patient safety. Premier Dalton McGuinty says Ontario doctors are among the best paid in the country, and he’s not concerned that they’ll leave the province.
Harper government sends mixed messages about changes to EI
May 16th, 2012 | Comments (0)
There have been mixed messages from Parliament Hill about what will be expected of Canada’s unemployed. Finance Minister and Whitby Oshawa MP Jim Flaherty recently called E-I a disincentive to work and said the only bad job is no job at all. Human Resources Minister Diane Finley countered that changes coming to the Employment Insurance system would not force workers to accept unsuitable jobs or move.
Unemployed Canadians urged to take any job available
May 15th, 2012 | Comments (0)
The only bad job, is having no job at all. That’s the message coming from federal Finance Minister and Whitby-Oshawa MP Jim Flaherty, who referenced the fact he once drove a taxi. Flaherty says the unemployed need to rethink the kind of work they consider demeaning. Changes will be coming to the Employment Insurance system, as Flaherty has suggested there’s a severe labour shortage in key sectors. Ottawa is looking to reduce the current E.I. system’s disincentives to work. NDP critic Peggy Nash says the comments could mean Ottawa expects out-of-work teachers or computer software developers to start picking fruit or working at Tim Hortons, which she believes is a waste of skills and training.
Toronto executive committee votes to get rid of the five cent bag tax
May 15th, 2012 | Comments (0)
The five cent bag tax is a step closer to being removed in Toronto. The executive committee voted 6-1 in favour of scrapping the tax, which was brought in by former mayor David Miller in 2009. The recommendation will now go before city council, where it is expected to face plenty of opposition. Mayor Rob Ford wants to get rid of the fee effective July 1st, saying taxpayers are telling him that’s what they want.
Province to hire 900 more nurses this year
May 11th, 2012 | Comments (0)
The province has announced plans to hire 900 more nurses this year. Officials say they’ll focus on getting patients out of hospitals and into nursing homes and community-based care. The aim is to free up beds in hospitals that are often occupied by patients who should be getting care elsewhere, which can lead to backlogged emergency departments.
Proposed Newcastle fire hall could bring an $800,000 bill for taxpayers
May 11th, 2012 | Comments (0)
Relocating a proposed fire hall in Newcastle could result in an $800,000 bill for taxpayers. Residents at the original site on Rudell Road complained about possible impacts to their community, and a report revealed a hefty cost for relocating the building to Highway 2. Councillor Corinna Traill says a soil clean-up must be done on the site, and a number of other contributing factors to the increased cost. Traill says the increased costs would also force a delay to the planned improvements at the Bowmanville Fire Station. The issue is up again for debate, on Monday.
