Latest news with #Sutcliffe
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa's $11-billion infrastructure gap: Here's what you need to know
Article content City staff are proposing water rate hikes and taking on more debt to address a $10.8-billion 'gap' between infrastructure needs and available funds over the next 10 years. Article content Staff presented councillors with 12 'asset management plans' (AMPs) that outline critical information on all municipal assets — from transportation services to wastewater and stormwater infrastructure to emergency and protective services — worth approximately $90 billion. Article content Article content Article content The plans offer 'a clear view' of the current state of Ottawa's infrastructure, which, according to a staff report, 'is safe, in good to fair condition, and continues to serve residents.' Article content Article content What is the funding gap? Article content 'These forecasted needs reflect asset renewal, growth, service enhancements, and climate change adaptation and mitigation costs,' according to the staff report. Article content 'A measured backlog is expected in a large and established municipal portfolio, and the city has a strong track record of managing these challenges … Ottawa is experiencing a trend seen in all Canadian municipalities — a growing infrastructure backlog, largely driven by aging assets, the effects of climate change, rising construction costs and a limited number of revenue sources.' Article content Article content Article content The city will need $4.8 billion over the next 10 years for 'priority needs' in repairing and refurbishing water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. Article content Staff presented councillors with a long-range financial plan for wastewater and stormwater that calls for rate increases between 4.5 and 5.6 per cent annually over the next decade at an average of 5.0 per cent per year. That equates to about five dollars more per month for the average residential home. Article content Mayor Mark Sutcliffe told councillors that it would be considered 'good debt' at the June 3 finance and corporate services committee. Article content 'The way we use debt, I think, would fall into the category of good debt in the sense that we're not using debt to pay for our yearly operating expenses, we are using debt to pay for long-term investments in assets that will generate benefit to the community for many, many years to come,' Sutcliffe said.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
REGRU: The Third-Generation Farmer Taking On Big Tech and Government Inaction with Grassroots Innovation
While Clarkson's Farm spotlights farming's struggles, one farmer is quietly building the infrastructure to heal the world's soil crisis, from ground up EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM, June 3, 2025 / / -- As millions watch Clarkson's Farm witness the mounting pressures on UK agriculture, two paths have emerged from farming communities: some have turned to campaigning and activism, while others are quietly building the future of global agriculture from the soil up. Rather than waiting for the government or big tech to address issues as pressing and globally significant as soil health, third-generation farmer Edmund Sutcliffe is taking matters into his own hands. Sutcliffe is building the underpinnings of a system: REGRU that can connect and empower farmers worldwide who are dedicated to doing right by their land, while giving consumers meaningful choice over their environmental impact. 'There's a silent crisis happening beneath our feet,' says Sutcliffe. 'Soil degradation affects every living creature on this planet, yet the systems needed to verify and reward regenerative farming simply don't exist. So we're building them — with farmers, for farmers.' What makes REGRU possible is Autonomi, a revolutionary data network that mirrors how natural systems actually work, through distributed intelligence and self-organisation, much like how forests communicate through fungal networks, or how ant colonies govern themselves. Unlike the centralized internet controlled by big tech, Autonomi puts data sovereignty back in the hands of users, creating tamper-proof records of regenerative farming progress that farmers, consumers, and businesses can trust. 'Agriculture needs more than awareness — it needs infrastructure that supports regeneration and puts control back in farmers' hands,' explains David Irvine, the decentralization pioneer behind Autonomi. 'That's the power of networks inspired by nature itself.' REGRU emerged from Impossible Futures, a community-driven incubator supporting breakthrough applications on the Autonomi network. By linking everyday purchases directly to verified regenerative farms, REGRU offers consumers the chance to vote with their wallets. Transforming cultural awareness into tangible action. This is more than an app or platform: its farmer-led infrastructure for the future of food, or any plant or animal based goods. While the farming establishment debates policy and corporations chase profits, working farmers like Sutcliffe are behind the scenes building the systems that could reshape global agriculture from the soil up. As the UK's farming story unfolds on screens, REGRU represents the next chapter: one where farmers have the tools to heal the earth without waiting for permission from above. About REGRU: Founded by third generation farmer Edmund Sutcliffe, REGRU connects regenerative farmers directly with conscious consumers through verified soil health data on the Autonomi network. For more information: Gill McLaughlin Autonomi +44 7511 858891 email us here Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Ottawa Citizen
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa's mayor supports a new 'bubble bylaw'. Here's why some councillors are opposed
Article content 'I believe we should be incredibly careful when it comes to a fundamental suspension of constitutional rights, and also I don't believe we are the level of government that should be dealing with this,' Troster said. Article content 'There are existing laws on the books against hate crimes that are perhaps not being enforced,' Troster said, and the federal government has already pledged to explore similar legislation. Article content 'Also, any similar bylaws of this nature from other municipalities, which are, frankly, much more limited in scope, (are) currently under court challenges,' Troster said. Article content Troster will be supporting Devine's motion, expected Thursday, to 'take a pause, to write to the federal government and to ask for meaningful involvement in their process and to wait and see what action they are taking … and to wait for the results of those court cases before we create new laws and potentially new police powers.' Article content Sutcliffe cited previous bylaws that had restricted protests from abortion clinics as precedent for the proposal. Article content Article content 'There will be a robust process for developing a bylaw, if a motion were to pass, that will involve public consultation. So we will listen to the community and we'll arrive in a place that is appropriate and makes sense for everyone,' Sutcliffe said. Article content 'This is about finding that spot where people are free to go to a school or a church, a synagogue, a mosque without feeling intimidated, without feeling threatened. But, at the same time, other people are allowed to demonstrate and protest as they see fit in a democracy. Article content 'I think there is a place where we can land, I think there's precedent for it, and I'm confident we can we can get there through proper process and proper public consultation.' Article content The City of Vaughan, Ont., north of Toronto, enacted a bubble bylaw in 2024 carrying a maximum fine of $100,000 for violations. Article content In October 2024, councillors gave a cautious go-ahead for staff to examine whether such a bylaw is needed in Ottawa, voting 23-3 in favour of the feasibility study on a possible 'vulnerable social infrastructure bylaw.' Article content Article content City staff reinforced that 'cautious approach' in a memo to council on April 10 recommending a comprehensive review before proceeding with the 'bubble zone' bylaw. Article content Emergency and protective services general manager Ryan Perreault said any development of the bylaw 'should be informed by research, engagement and consultation.' Article content Staff acknowledged that 'hate and harassment are growing issues' that are partially regulated through human rights legislation and the Criminal Code, though municipalities 'may have a role in regulating and enforcing against non-criminal harassment and nuisance behaviour in public spaces that obstruct access to certain facilities. Article content 'It won't be easy, but it's possible,' Sutcliffe said. 'If there is a motion that is adopted tomorrow, then council will have to follow a very comprehensive process. We have to move forward with public consultations, and I think we'll be able to strike the right balance.'
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Hamilton businessman alleged to have swapped new appliances with old ones from home
'He was buying stuff and giving us the secondhand goods,' the former director said. In total, the Crown alleges the defendant spent about $111,000 paying off his personal loan, paying himself broker fees, and buying various personal items including weedkiller and spray unit, smoke alarm, grooming his car, Tigers Paw shower cleaner, Wet and Forget, and a pair of Hush Puppies shoes and a shoe care kit. 'There was no reason I can think of why [accused] would buy Hush Puppies care of [company]. 'There was no clothing allowance.' The witness said the defendant was paid a vehicle allowance of $550 a month to cover petrol or related expenses, and he never saw the weedsprayer in the building. Asked by Crown solicitor Tom Sutcliffe if the premises had a shower, the man said it didn't. 'The only facility it had was one toilet and one hand basin,' he said, adding he didn't know why they'd need Wet and Forget. 'I have never seen the driveway cleaned up.' The defendant told the jury on Monday he hadn't committed any crimes. 'I'm simply carrying the can for a poorly governed company,' he said. The accused said a 'disconnect' had developed between himself and the board of directors. The defendant, the name of the company, and its directors have interim name suppression. The accused is fighting three charges of theft by a person in a special relationship and obtaining by deception between 2015 and 2018 Detailing how the company began, the director said he was approached by an associate about setting up a finance company, and as he and his wife had just sold their own company, they thought it would be a 'great opportunity' to get involved. Advertise with NZME. 'I knew [defendant] and all the others and felt quite comfortable with the arrangement at the time.' Each of the four men put in about $20,000 for shares in the company, along with a further $180,000 each to generate a return on investment and provide security for the defendant operating the company. However, it wasn't long, perhaps four to six months, that he and his wife needed to put more money into the company. '[In the end], it was $2.3 million.' He'd never been involved in a finance company before, so he relied on the defendant to run it. 'When you put a lot of money in, you have to back the person running the company operationally ... I felt quite comfortable.' The director said they had a broker working out of the same premises, and he would get paid a $600 fee for any work he did on a loan. It's alleged the defendant would end up banking the $600 himself or splitting it with the finance broker on site. Asked by Sutcliffe about how the broker fees worked, the man said he would expect them to be paid out through a bank or bank transfer. 'But [accused] had told us it was quite common for broker fees to also be paid by cash ... I didn't realise it was happening all the time. 'And if it was happening, I would have thought it would be properly recorded.' The witness said he was unaware that a 'significant' number of cheques were being banked and cashed. 'We had no idea.' The witness said he was aware the defendant allegedly received half of the total $16,800 in broker fees, nor was he aware of a further $5,250 that was intended to go to the broker. He also confirmed the company is no longer operating. The trial, being overseen by Judge Noel Cocurullo, continues.
NZ Herald
29-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
The forensic accountant and the ‘red flags' he discovered during alleged theft investigation
The name of the company he was formerly associated with also has interim name suppression. On day two of the trial, Parsons continued giving evidence, detailing the report he compiled for the company's board of directors in 2018. He initially did one report, covering a 13-month period, but given what he discovered he was asked by the board to extend the ambit of his investigation to another year. Parsons was initially contacted by one of the company directors to investigate because of 'alleged misappropriation' by the defendant. He was able to put the allegations into three categories: money that had vanished by way of cash cheque, the defendant's personal loan, and the personal expenditure. Asked by Crown solicitor Tom Sutcliffe if he recognised any red flags, Parsons said he wouldn't expect to see brokerage being charged by the company. 'Because under the Credit Contract and Consumer Finance Act, the creditor [company] ... can charge reasonable fees, documentation fees, search fees, and can charge brokerage ... but only charge these fees that it has paid out to a third party. 'Because there was no broker, they couldn't charge a fee for paying itself.' He said most of the transactions were from customers who either walked in or were refinancing existing loans. 'So there's no broker involved in these transactions. 'So it's my understanding they were not entitled to charge these at any rate. 'That was the first red flag.' The second was when he discovered the cheques were made out to cash. 'Quite simply, you need to be able to account for who you pay the money to. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. 'If it goes into a cash currency we don't know where it's gone after it has been cashed at the bank. 'So if [defendant] cashed it, he had $600 in his hand and we don't know what happened to that.' The only way it could be traced is if the cash was being put back into the company bank account, but that didn't happen, he said. 'There was no record of what happened to the cash,' Parsons said. During his investigation, Parsons said he spoke with the broker used by the defendant. Parsons said the broker told him he didn't receive his share of some of the broker fees. Parsons also discovered broker forms that had the broker's name on them but not his signature. When asked by Sutcliffe what his concerns were about the cash cheques, Parsons said the cheques could have just been made out in the name of the broker. Sutcliffe then asked him to justify the defendant's alleged deposits. '$600 is banked as cash by [defendant] into his account. Then he's used broker fees to reduce his debt.' All up, the defendant is alleged to have reduced his personal loan by $18,600 by the various cash deposits, he said. 'You would expect to see reasons for each of these credits,' Parsons said. Advertise with NZME. His investigation also uncovered purchases of weedkiller and sprayer worth $182.56, a $140 smoke alarm, a $849 vacuum cleaner, Hush Puppies and shoe care kit, Wet and Forget Tiger Paw Shower Witch cleaner worth $229, and a Sunbeam 'big fill' toastie machine, charged to either the company's office or general expenses. He also got his personal car cleaned at Trim Effects Waikato, worth $172.50, noting that it had been 'damaged by rubbish'. The man says he has done nothing wrong. 'My defence is quite simple. I have committed no crime,' he told the jury on Monday. 'I'm simply carrying the can for a poorly governed company.' The man said a 'disconnect' had developed between himself and the board of directors. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.
