Category: Local News

• Radio Stations Sold – Bell Media is selling 45 radio stations, including 610 CKTB, Move 105.7 and 97.7 HTZ-FM in St. Catharines. Those three stations will be sold to Oakville-based Whiteoaks Communications Group Ltd, who owns a Christian-based station in Toronto and a multicultural station in Mississauga. (St. Catharines Standard)
• Student Job Fair – The city of St. Catharines will be hosting a summer student job fair for post-secondary students Feb 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre. (City of St. Catharines)
• Doctor Shortage – The Niagara Region’s doctor recruitment specialist said the region is short about 81 physicians despite the success of recruiting doctors to Niagara. Recently, the region has been trying to recruit Canadians who are doctors overseas as they were in Ireland last October to bring Canadian doctors back to Niagara. (The River)
• Record Breaking Day – Today will be a record breaking day for the temperature in St. Catharines as the expected daytime high is 14 C. The previous record for Feb 9 was in 1925 when the high was 12 C. (Niagara this Week)
• Funding For Abandoned Wells – The Niagara Region is getting $280,000 from the province to manage abandoned oil and gas wells. The money will be used to buy equipment and for training for emergency response staff. (Niagara this Week)

• Emergency Act Needs Updating – The Niagara Region is asking the Ontario government to update the Emergency Management Act, which was introduced in 1990. Council says the Act is no longer suitable for situations that were not common when the legislation was introduced, such as declaring a state of emergency on homelessness, the pandemic or cyber threats. (The River)
• Skyway Twinning Moves Forward – The Ontario government will be issuing a request for proposals for the Garden City Skyway twinning this spring. Construction on the new 2.2-kilometre-long bridge beside the existing Skyway will commence in early 2025 and will take four years to complete. (Niagara this Week)
• Region May Own New Bridge – CNR would like the Niagara Region to assume ownership of the St. Paul Street West bridge over the train tracks once the replacement bridge is built, which is expected to happen sometime next year. CNR is offering the region $1.5 million to take on the responsibility of owning the bridge. The cost of the $14 million bridge replacement is being split between the Region and CNR. (St. Catharines Standard)

• St. Catharines Approves Budget – Mayor Matt Siscoe waived the mayoral veto period for the 2024-26 multi-year budget, bringing the budget process to a close with the adoption of the City of St. Catharines budget for 2024. The city levy for 2024 came in at a 1.78% increase, after Council chose to increase spending from the Mayor’s originally proposed 1.49% increase. (City of St. Catharines)
• Graduation Dates Changed – The District School Board of Niagara has announced that all secondary schools will hold their commencement ceremonies following exams. Previously, the DSBN announced that graduation dates would take place before final exams, upsetting students and resulting in the launch of a petition with 4900 signatures. (St. Catharines Standard)
• Toque Tuesday – The 25th annual Toque Tuesday Mayor’s Pancake Breakfast is taking place from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Feb. 6 at St. Catharines Market Square. The cost is $20 and includes a winter hat or baseball hat and breakfast courtesy of Sunset Grill on Welland Ave. (Niagara this Week)
• Trees To Be Cut Down – The City of Welland will be cutting down trees on Merritt Island that have been identified as high-risk due to an infestation of Emerald Ash Borer. The City will then replant trees on the island. (CKTB)

• Driveway Scam Alert – Police are warning the public to be aware of driveway scammers who frequently approach homeowners unsolicited, employing deceptive tactics such as overpromising, underquoting, and ultimately failing to deliver on their commitments. These scammers typically operate door-to-door, offering driveway paving or resurfacing services. (Niagara Regional Police)
• Thorold Approves Budget – Thorold city council has approved the 2024 operating and capital budgets. The budget reflects a 2.99% net levy increase to the overall residential bill. For the average home valued at $273,600 (MPAC 2016 valuation date) this will mean an increase of approximately $52. (City of Thorold)
• NOTL Tourism Strategy Costly – Niagara-on-the-Lake’s draft tourism strategy recommends implementing 12 immediate action items, including hiring an economic development and tourism director, which could cost from $458,000 to $551,000 in the first year. Niagara-on-the-Lake’s recently implemented municipal accommodation tax could help pay for the costs. (Niagara this Week)
• More Time To Pay Fines – The city of St. Catharines is allowing additional time for people with extenuating circumstances to pay tickets for noise, waste and other bylaw infractions. Currently, fines must be paid within 15 days but individuals with extenuating circumstances will now have 35 days to pay or appeal. (St. Catharines Standard)

• Police Appointments Criticized– The Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association has denounced the Niagara Regional Police Service’s announcement of its new Chief Bill Fordy, and the recent (re)appointment of board member Kevin Gibson, because both publicly denied or doubted systemic racism exists in the Niagara Regional Police. (Niagara-on-the-Lake Local)
• Internet Outage – Cogeco internet experienced a large scale outage after a car crash in Hamilton severed a fibre connection. The outage impacted both Niagara and Hamilton. (CHCH)
• Landfill Fees Increasing – Starting Feb. 12, landfill fees will be increasing in Niagara. The minimum disposal fee will be $8 and other charges will also in increasing. (Niagara this Week)