The Welland Tribune
Niagara's Ira Parker goes from fan to showrunner
It was one of those lifechanging moments Niagara's Ira Parker didn't realize at the time. He was in college, bored, about to read the Harry Potter books for about the 10th time, he recalls. That's when his longtime friend intervened with something...
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Police storefront wanted in downtown St. Catharines
Niagara Regional Police are being asked by St. Catharines council to consider opening a community storefront downtown as part of a plan to improve safety, support workers and residents, and “restore public confidence” in the area. The city has been in...
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A Niagaran's life in the lore of Robert Burns
Carefully sifting through the wellworn edges of his grandfather's Robert Burns poetry collection, Ronnie O'Byrne's hands go still when they find a familiar 270line refrain. “Go anywhere you want,” he says, passing the book. “Just give me a couple of...
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Cool times forecast with icewine in festival spotlight
As temperatures dip below freezing, the Niagara Icewine Festival turns up the heat for two weeks in January. Starting Jan. 17 and 18, and continuing Jan. 24 and 25, NiagaraontheLake's downtown transforms into Icewine Village as local wineries offer...
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A Niagara artist, a 1963 photo and a surprise visit
Niagara Falls artist Emily Andrews usually gets so attached to her paintings she forms a relationship with the people in them. Random faces and figures are characters she grows attached to. Considering the nostalgic nature of her work, the faces are...
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`Give me a chainsaw and I'm a happy guy'
Four blocks of ice, each weighing 125 kilograms, were delivered to Sts. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church ahead of the first weekend in January. On Saturday, Rev. Roman Dusanowskyj laid the blocks, with assistance from members of the...
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Tradespeople numbers can't keep up with building boom
There is now more work in Niagara for skilled tradespeople than there are people available to do that work. For tradespeople, it's a good problem to have, said International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 303 business manager Mark...
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`It's about the community'
Despite the gratitude she felt when she learned she was being appointed as a member of the Order of Canada, Mary Ann Edwards said it also made her feel a bit uncomfortable. It's a secret the St. Catharines resident has kept since midNovember, when...
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It's a boy! Meet Niagara's first baby of 2026
It's a boy! Rachel McColeman and her partner Robert rang in the new year with a new addition. The couple arrived at Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines on New Year's Eve and welcomed son Rory on Jan. 1, making him the first baby born at Niagara...
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Some notable Niagarans that we lost in 2025
A political giant, a pair of trailblazers and a former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender, among others, helped shape the region throughout their lives. These are the stories of some of the notable Niagarans the community lost in 2025. Jim Bradley Jim...
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A look back on Niagara in 2025
Tariffs and tourism. Political legacy and controversy. Belugas and Jackfish. It was another eventful news year in Niagara. Here were some of the biggest stories of 2025. Tariffs International trade was on the minds of many business leaders and...
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How did Niagara man's bone get to Hamilton?
A little more than a year ago, an upper arm bone was found in Hamilton Harbour. DNA from the remains was sent to the RCMP's National DNS Data Bank for identification. The testing determined the humerus bone, which was discovered on Dec. 4, 2024,...
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'Those are the cases that keep us up at night'
Despite fewer homicide investigations than in recent years, Niagara Regional Police detectives still had their work cut out for them in 2025. Eight homicides were reported in the region as of Dec. 22, exceeding the average of about six homicide deaths...
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`Caravan of controversy'
For the first time in almost eight years, the chair's office at Niagara Region has a new occupant. Bob Gale arrived at regional headquarters bright and early on the Friday morning before Christmas week, assuming the chair's role following his...
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Merry Christmas
We would like to wish the whole community a happy holiday, for those who celebrate Christmas and also those who do not. There will be no paper on Thursday. Find news, updates and holiday events at wellandtribune.ca
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Eye-like observation wheel planned for falls
A second observation wheel is coming to Niagara Falls' tourist district. This one, according to a senior Niagara Parks official, will resemble the worldfamous London Eye along the River Thames in England. HOCO Ltd. has owned and operated Niagara...
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Attempted murder charge laid after officer shooting
A 59yearold Welland man who allegedly shot a female Niagara Regional Police officer Friday morning on Second Street near Plymouth Road in Welland has been arrested and charged with attempted murder. In a news release, police said Daniel Tronko was...
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Police officer shot in Welland standoff
What began as a call to assist City of Welland bylaw officers at a property on Second Street near Plymouth Road erupted into chaos Friday morning as shots were fired and a Niagara Regional Police officer was struck by a bullet. “The city had a bylaw...
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Niagara Health job cuts `sneak attack,' union says
A “sneak attack” is how the vicepresident of SEIU Healthcare described Niagara Health's plans to cut nearly 100 jobs. “When I heard about the sneak attack Niagara Health SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members got, I was pretty ticked...
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Hospital funding boost not enough to save jobs
Millions of dollars in provincial funding increases over the past six years haven't been enough for Niagara Health to rein in its growing budget deficits. And now, as the hospital system plans to eliminate 98 frontline positions as a result, SEIU...
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Hockey fans turn out for Team Canada training camp
As Canada's top young hockey players prepare to take on the world, thousands of people are cheering them on in Niagara Falls. The national junior hockey team's training camp started this week, with its members practising at the Gale Centre. “They...
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Ford wants more casinos, attractions
Call it a plan to make Niagara Falls the Las Vegas of the North. More casinos and attractions for the Honeymoon City and a better transportation network for the region are among highlights of an ambitious strategy to bolster Niagara's economy...
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Restaurant set ablaze by arsonists rises from ashes
When Kays Hannus and his family opened the doors at Castillo Shawarma in Thorold, they were happy to see familiar faces. Customers from their former restaurant that was gutted by fire on Lakeport Road in north St. Catharines last year — the result of...
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`My broken family to yours, please never drive impaired'
For a few moments on a sunny, frigid Thursday morning, photographs of Cole Hodge hung along a small foldout table near the intersection of Bunting Road and Eastchester Avenue, where his life ended two years ago. Grinning widely in a school portrait....
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Niagara students stand at the head of the class
Ontario's provincial report card is out, and Niagara students are again grading at the top of the class. Test results recently released from Ontario's Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) showed students at both Niagara public and...
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`I don't want this to happen to anyone else'
Malik Masud says he tried to be strong for his family despite the intense emotional pain he felt after losing his 18yearold daughter Alina as a result of a crash on Highway 406 last week. “This is such a formidable experience. Nobody ever wants to...
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Muslim family prevented from burying daughter in Thorold
An hour before Alina Masud was to be laid to rest at Lakeview Cemetery on Thorold Townline Road Saturday, the service was abruptly halted. Masud, an 18yearold Brock University student, died in a crash on Highway 406 three days earlier. On Dec. 3,...
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'Its best days had ended'
It has been more than a decade since the St. Catharines Standard left its home of 115 years at 17 Queen St., but the fire that sealed that building's fate over the weekend is still hard to bear for many of the people who worked there. The building,...
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New DSBN chair Baggott talks about the good and bad
Returning to Canada in 2013 after spending a decade in Germany, Kate Baggott remembers feeling disenfranchised living abroad — a foreigner on a temporary resident permit, without any say in local governance. When she returned to St. Catharines, she...
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`Cheers to the open road'
The latest beer launched by Cold Break Brewing is a 4.2 white stout called Year 6. Given that the combination brewery and taproom opened at the end of 2019, a brew that owner Noel Buckley refers to as a “cinnamon latte” couldn't have a more fitting or...
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Transit budget increase includes more service
Niagara Transit's proposed 2026 gross operating budget of $89.7 million is up 6.76 per cent over this year's figure but will address the top rider request — regionwide holiday and weekend service. That means the owner of a house valued at $620,600 is...
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Jail's dental program put inmates' health at risk
Richard Caissie's intuition told him something was wrong after having teeth extracted while an inmate at Niagara Detention Centre (NDC). Caissie, 36, had a painful abscess in his mouth and was worried about infection. He had the jailhouse dentist pull...
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Anyone need 1,146 Monopoly games?
Bert Dandy is rolling the dice and taking a chance on finding other Monopoly enthusiasts. The 82yearold Niagara Falls resident for many years has been collecting sets of the popular real estate board game first published by Parker Brothers in...
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Two stars, one wild journey
Eric Robertson, the chef with an international reputation whose finedining restaurant in Niagara is ranked No. 1 in Canada, plucks an orange pepper from the soil. “I promise it's not a prank, it's not spicy — I'll eat it first, OK?” he says, tearing...
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Budget reality closing in
Niagara Region council's budget committee has recommended accepting the Niagara Regional Police (NRP) operating budget of $236.9 million for 2026, subject to final budget deliberations scheduled for Dec. 11 at regional headquarters in Thorold. On that...
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Westview helps unhoused keep pets through winter
A St. Catharines agency is working to ensure women facing homelessness are able to keep their furry friends as winter sets in. Westview Centre 4 Women's (WC4W) Holiday Hearts and Helping Paws program equips women living in tents with supplies to keep...
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Changes to renters' rules called threat to democracy
With critics calling it a threat to democracy, the provincial government has pushed through highly contested legislation that tenant advocates worry will strip renters of their rights and consolidate power in the hands of landlords. The provincial...
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Home affordability `nothing short of crisis'
The struggle to keep up with rising costs has become a defining part of daily life for many Niagarans, feeling pressure that stretches from grocery bills to the hopes of one day owning a home. The scale of those strains has come into sharper focus...
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Hotel builder gets $900K break from Niagara Region
Despite public backlash against regional councillors, the developers of a luxury hotel in NiagaraontheLake have avoided paying Niagara Region development charges on their project on the grounds of former Parliament Oak School. Councillors voted...
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Niagara unites to fight hurt, hunger and homelessness
Niagara is standing united to fight hurt, hunger and homelessness. On Friday, politicians and officials representing nonprofit organizations across the region gathered at Table Rock Centre in Niagara Falls to launch the 2026 Coldest Night of the Year...
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Silent Welland crowd pays tribute to veterans
Welland's Chippawa Park was silent Tuesday morning as at least 150 people gathered by the WellandCrowland War Memorial during a Remembrance Day ceremony. A live feed of CBC Radio's coverage from a ceremony in Ottawa played over speakers in the...
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Small breed, big service
More than two decades ago, Sarah Duemo began volunteering as a dog groomer while managing her own mental health challenges. The work quickly became the St. Catharines native's happy place — finding peace in its quiet, rhythmic routine and keeping...
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Saracino still fighting for Port Colborne
It's been more than 15 years since Bob Saracino last held elected office, but that doesn't mean he isn't paying attention to what's going on. The fire to help the city where he's lived and worked and raised a family still burns as hot as ever. Now...
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No PCB leaks found at GM, province says
Ontario’s minister of the environment, conservation and parks says there hasn’t been any recent issues identified with PCBs leaking from the former GM property in St. Catharines, but the ministry is looking into what’s happening with stormwater...
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Restaurants, churches, stores to lose recycling
An end to curbside recycling for thousands of Niagara businesses, churches and daycares eight weeks from now is recommended by councillors on Niagara Region's public works committee — but they aren't happy about it. The Ontario government has...
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Vet becomes Canada's oldest living person
A Fort Erie resident is now Canada's oldest living person. At 110, Burd Sisler became the oldest Canadian resident following the Oct. 25 death of Margaret Romans, who was 113 and resided in SainteGeneviève, Que. Sisler, a Second World War veteran,...
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Regular passenger flights eyed in new airport plan
Labelled a road map with transformative potential, Niagara District Airport has approved its 20year master plan officials say could see the146hectare property soar from a general aviation hub to a place where the roar of commercial passenger flights...
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Cartellinked hit tore a family apart
Clare Fader wants to clear her son's name. In the spring of last year, Randy Fader Jr. was shot pointblank, execution style, in the driveway of his Niagara Falls home. It was early in the evening. His wife and kids were inside. And the gunman and his...
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MPP demands answers about former GM land
“The time for secrecy is now over” when it comes to the province sharing information about the cleanup at the former General Motors property on Ontario Street, says St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens. The New Democrat has demanded answers about the...
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`Shinier penny' to fly over Niagara's famous falls
While celebrating the delivery of four helicopters to a decadelong customer, Airbus Helicopters Canada president Dwayne Charette said demand for the aircraft his team produces in Fort Erie is growing. “We've seen an increase in demand, for sure,”...
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Divers take pumpkin carving to nautical level
For anyone not naturally gifted, carving a pumpkin can be an unforgiving experience. It seems simple enough, but one wrong cut and, all of a sudden, the toothy smile you're trying to create turns into a big, gaping hole. Now imagine trying to do this...
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Man arrested after body found in Port Colborne
A 27yearold man has been arrested by Niagara Regional Police after a man's body was found in a Fares Street home in Port Colborne Wednesday. Police did not say what Brady Neff was charged with, only that he was found in the Killaly Street East and...
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Changes coming to crashscene towing
Following conflict of interest complaints and warnings of possible violence earlier this year, Niagara Region and Niagara Regional Police have developed a framework to reform local tow-truck dispatch to crash scenes. Joe Vieira, owner-operator of...
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Stamford fire truck being restored one part at a time
There is a touch of glamour, a gleam of elegance and a dollop of nostalgia as a 1938 fire truck emerges from the Quonset hut into the sunshine. The distinctly dulled-red vehicle with yellow SCVFA stencilled on its sides has seen its share of fire...
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The farright connection to Niagara pedophile protests
A Welland man who is helping lead an antipedophile community safety group is also sharing Nazi propaganda and white nationalist ideas online. Rob (Primo) Primerano, who proclaimed himself as a white nationalist on the social media site X in April,...
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He's alive because he paid for a PSA test out of pocket
If David Flus hadn’t spent that roughly $40 a decade ago, he’d be dead. If the St. Catharines resident hadn’t honoured his friend’s deathbed wish and paid out of pocket for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, Flus said he’s quite sure he would not...
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New management for Region's homeless shelters
The Hope Centre in Welland is just weeks away from taking over management of all three Niagara Region homeless shelters, after quietly being awarded a contract to run them. Chief executive officer Jon Braithwaite said his organization was awarded the...
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Province to appoint Bradley's replacement
Ontario’s municipal affairs and housing minister has informed Niagara Region that the provincial government will be appointing Jim Bradley’s replacement as chair. A letter from Minister Robert Flack to regional clerk Ann-Marie Norio dated Oct. 17, and...
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Fort Erie Airbnb double murder trial underway
Evidence will show a Toronto rap artist shot and killed two young women at a shortterm rental property in Fort Erie almost five years ago, a Crown attorney said Tuesday. Christopher Lucas, a musician known by the stage name “El Paga,” has pleaded not...
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`We need to get them out'
Marineland’s crumbling infrastructure, staffing shortage and lack of resources have created dangerous conditions for its belugas and they should be moved immediately, a fired beluga trainer says. Kristy Burgess, who worked at the Niagara Falls park...
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Hundred years on the Hill
It’s an eclectic mashup of arcades, mini golf, haunted houses and so much more. But Clifton Hill didn’t become known as Niagara Falls’ “Street of Fun” overnight. Many families and businesses helped shape the Hill into what it is today. One of those...
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Rare Doors Open in NOTL
The doors to some of Niagara-onthe-Lake’s most iconic buildings will be open to the public this weekend as part of a provincewide series promoting heritage tourism. Doors Open Niagara-on-the-Lake features more than a dozen sites — some rarely...
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How will Jim Bradley's replacement be chosen?
You could call it a $1.02-billion question: who is going to be Niagara’s next regional chair? The billion-dollar figure represents Niagara Region’s 2025 net budget, which the chair helps oversee as head of council. Jim Bradley, who was at the helm for...
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Helping children navigate courts with compassion
Testifying in court can be a traumatizing experience for children. For many young victims or witnesses to a crime, a courthouse is an unfamiliar and intimidating setting. To support children and help families navigate the justice system, Kristen...
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Scrap wood goes up in flames at landfill
Residents living nearby the Welland landfill were urged to keep their windows closed as a large fire burned at the Niagara Region facility for more than 20 hours. Welland Fire and Emergency Services acting Chief Matt Richardson said firefighters were...
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Brock expert urges return of high school final exams
Final exams for grades 9 and 10 students may be making a comeback, based on recent comments from the provincial government. But with no formal policy in place, Niagara's public and Catholic school boards remain quiet about what changes — if any —...
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Work of Welland artist featured on Netflix show
As she awaited her TV debut, Maddy Wassink's eyes weren't on the cast or scanning the background extras. They were staring at the wall. Specifically, a wall on the Netflix show “Wayward.” And among the final scenes of the final episode, there it was...
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School boards urge Ford to retain speed cameras
Niagara school boards are siding with provincial education groups in opposing Premier Doug Ford's plan to ban speed cameras, stressing the government's focus should remain on student safety — not cutting enforcement tools. While Ford calls the cameras...
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`Everyone is concerned about the whales': mayor
There are groups worldwide working on facilities that could potentially take Marineland's 30 whales, says Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati. “I've been in discussions with a lot of people from around the world regarding Marineland and there's some...
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Doctors walk the Shaw stage to boost empathy
As the Pevensie siblings stepped through a wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia on the Shaw Festival's main stage, a different kind of theatre was unfolding in a rehearsal hall downstairs. Here, the players weren't actors but doctors. And instead...
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Convocation cancelled as strike hits 4th week
Talks between college support workers and the employer council have collapsed — just days after both sides agreed to mediation in what briefly appeared to be a turning point. The threeweek strike has disrupted campuses across Ontario and began when...
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Niagara teen's killer granted unescorted absence from jail
A man who has spent more than three decades behind bars for the murder of a Niagara teenager has been granted an unescorted absence from a federal penitentiary. At a hearing of the Parole Board of Canada held in September, Elio Caputo was granted a...
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`He set an example for us'
The day Jim Bradley was tapped to run for the Ontario Liberal Party in St. Catharines, a group of party faithful jeered and stormed out of the nomination meeting. Bradley, at age 22, was 24 years younger than his opponent for the nomination, the...
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Older adult homelessness growing across Niagara
Over the last half decade, Niagara has experienced a growing demographic in its homeless population — older adults. Since 2020, the number of homeless people 55 years of age and over has nearly doubled, in part due to the housing and affordability...
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Niagara presses for more aid to fight homelessness
Having declared a state of emergency for homelessness, mental health and addictions in February 2023, regional council went back to the well again last week with another call for provincial support. Councillors voted unanimously on a new motion...
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