logo
The city wants to hear your thoughts on a new community planned for Kitchener

The city wants to hear your thoughts on a new community planned for Kitchener

CBC2 days ago

Kitchener is a growing city and it will soon be home to more than 30,000 new residents. A new community is being planned in the city's southwest corner. People got their first look at the Dundee Secondary Plan last week. Ayo Owodunni, the Ward 5 councillor, told CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty more about how people can get involved in shaping what this new part of Kitchener will look like.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Wildfires increase calls for national firefighting service
Wildfires increase calls for national firefighting service

CTV News

time19 minutes ago

  • CTV News

Wildfires increase calls for national firefighting service

The yearly occurrence of large-scale wildfires in Canada has prompted calls for a national fire service. Genevieve Beauchemin on the idea's potential. An inflamed wildfire season is fuelling renewed calls for Canada to set up a new national approach to fight what has become a dreaded yearly occurrence, and some proponents say it could be set up within weeks. 'We would be the only G7 country still without a national fire administration,' Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs secretary Paul Boissoneault said. 'We have provided the government with a turnkey proposal to have a national fire administration up and running by the G7 meeting.' That meeting is now less than two weeks away in Kananaskis, Alta. For years, calls for a national fire service to battle Canada's wildfires have echoed across the country. As of now, provinces and territories have mutual sharing agreements. Sixty Quebec wildland firefighters landed in Manitoba for a 14-day mission to lend a hand as the wildfire season rages in the west. Quebec has also dispatched firebombers and fire management experts to Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. 'All that, because it has been a quieter than average fire season in Quebec so far,' said Melanie Morin, spokesperson for SOPFEU, the province's agency in charge of fighting wildfires. The extra help came too late for the northern Saskatchewan community of Denare Beach. Several homes have been reduced to ash and rubble, including the one belonging to Kari Lentowicz. 'Where was our help?' asked Lentowicz. 'We need to have boots on the ground, to have resources pre-determined before disasters happen, so we know who is coming in to help.' Thompson Rivers University Professor Mike Flannigan has been calling for a national fire service to be put into place for nearly a decade. 'We are talking about a quick deploy, well-trained group of firefighters that can be moved proactively,' said Flannigan. 'When you ask for additional help from another province, it takes on average three days for that firefighter, that helicopter, that water bomber to get to the fire. Sometimes that is three days too late.' Others agree a new approach is necessary, but point specifically to a national fire administration. 'It would basically be that intersection of information, policy and resources being spread across nationally and ensuring that we have the people making the right decisions at the right time in place with the right resources,' said Boissoneault. Eleanor Olszewski, office of the Minister of Emergency Management, told CTV News in a statement that the top priority for the moment is to respond to the immediate wildfire threat. 'At the same time, this is a new government, and we are taking a comprehensive look at how to strengthen Canada's response to wildfires and other emergencies,' the statement continued. 'The Minister is prepared to consider any measure that enhances public safety.' Flannigan says critics have issued concerns about issues with jurisdiction, fighting wildfires is a provincial responsibility, and about the high cost of setting up a new approach. But he says Canada can't afford not to act in the face of the mounting threat of wildfires. 'If it avoids one disaster. One Jasper, one Lytton it will be worth it,' says Flannigan referring to devastating wildfires in Alberta and B.C. 'And unfortunately, there will be more in the future unless we change the way we do business.'

RCMP says Saskatchewan commanding officer away, interim head in place
RCMP says Saskatchewan commanding officer away, interim head in place

CTV News

time20 minutes ago

  • CTV News

RCMP says Saskatchewan commanding officer away, interim head in place

Assistant commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, speaks during a news conference in Regina on Thursday, June 6, 2024. A report into how Mounties responded to a mass killing and manhunt in Saskatchewan has found some communication problems but nothing that significantly impacted the outcome. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards REGINA — RCMP say Saskatchewan's commanding officer will be away for an undetermined period of time effective immediately. Mounties didn't provide details on Rhonda Blackmore's absence but say assistant commissioner Robin McNeil will serve as interim commanding officer. They say the decision won't affect front-line policing and that they have confidence in all officers in the province. Blackmore took command of the Saskatchewan RCMP in April 2021, after serving various posts across Canada for 30 years. She spent her first years as an officer in the Saskatchewan communities of Assiniboia, Regina and Buffalo Narrows. In 2022, she launched the RCMP's first unit aimed at recruiting Indigenous people to ensure Mounties represent the communities they serve. She was also the public face of the force after the mass killings on James Smith Cree Nation in 2022. -This report was first published by The Canadian Press on June 4, 2025.

Liberal government's throne speech passes in House of Commons without a vote
Liberal government's throne speech passes in House of Commons without a vote

National Post

time24 minutes ago

  • National Post

Liberal government's throne speech passes in House of Commons without a vote

OTTAWA — The government's reply to the throne speech was adopted in the House of Commons Wednesday. Article content It was adopted 'on division,' meaning no recorded vote was held. It does not need a vote in the Senate. Article content Article content Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Steven MacKinnon said on social media that the adoption of the speech sets the stage for a 'strong and focused agenda.' Article content Article content 'We have a clear mandate to deliver on priorities for Canadians and build a strong Canada — and we're going to do just that,' MacKinnon said. Article content Article content Earlier Wednesday, interim NDP Leader Don Davies said New Democrat MPs would vote against the government's throne speech. Article content After a caucus meeting, Davies said that 1.2 million Canadians sent New Democrats to Parliament to advocate for working families and those priorities aren't reflected in the speech. Article content Davies said the speech offers few details about the government's plans for health care and housing. Article content MacKinnon said the vote on the throne speech was a confidence matter, which means it was the first real test of Prime Minister Mark Carney's government. Article content If the government loses a confidence vote, it's defeated — which can lead to a snap election. Article content Davies said that while Canadians don't want an election right now, his party was taking a 'principled approach.' Article content 'It's a clear message that this throne speech is not a worker-centric throne speech,' he said. 'We can't support a throne speech that so badly misses the mark in terms of the economic and social policies that people need in this country.' Article content Article content MacKinnon said before the Liberal caucus meeting on Wednesday that the caucus was confident the throne speech would pass. Article content He would not say if his party had secured the support of other parties, referring questions directly to those parties. Article content He said that while the Liberals have a minority government, they also have a mandate to deliver for Canadians. Article content The Conservatives did not say how the party would vote. Article content In the House of Commons Wednesday, during a debate on the reply to the throne speech, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said she would vote in favour of the speech. Article content May said she agreed with the major theme of the speech — building a stronger Canada — but said it lacked details and only mentioned climate change in 'passing references.' Article content The Liberals lost a vote Monday evening when opposition members successfully amended the reply to the throne speech to call on the government to table an economic update before Parliament breaks for the summer. That vote was not a matter of confidence.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store