The Basic Personal Amount in the Canadian tax code needs to be adjusted for inflation. Too many Canadians are living on the brink of survival, and this one simple step would make a huge difference to the poorest working Canadians. If anyone working a full-time minimum wage job could make their first $40,000 tax free, we would all be better off.  Studies all over the world show that putting cash directly in the hands of the poorest folks directly benefits the economy as a whole. This is because folks that don’t have much money tend to spend most of what they have, spurring the economy from the bottom up. 

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is supposed to protect our future. But instead, the people managing our national retirement fund are gambling billions on oil, gas, coal and pipelines – putting the financial futures of 22 million Canadians at risk. Now, four young Canadians are taking the managers of the CPP fund to court. This landmark case argues that CPP investment managers are failing to manage the financial risks of climate change while investing billions in fossil fuels – and in doing so, violating CPP’s legal duty to act in the best interests of contributors and future retirees. This isn’t just reckless. It may be unlawful. And it's putting our pensions and our planet in danger. Tell the CPP fund managers: stop fuelling the climate crisis with our pensions. Recommit to net-zero, phase out fossil fuels, and protect our financial future. Learn more about the legal case here.  

There are major ramifications that Premier Ford and Energy Minister Stephen Lecce should know with respect to AI data centres:  1. The major beneficiary of building new AI data centers in Ontario are American companies. Most notably, a single American company: NVIDIA. AI data centers are, essentially, warehouses for Graphics Processing Units, or GPUs. The GPU market is widely understood as a de facto monopoly, with NVIDIA controlling more than 90% of the sales of GPUs (Yahoo Finance, 2025). NVIDIA -- an American company with close ties to the Trump administration (Rapoza, 2025) -- benefits first and foremost from the sale. That is, the primary beneficiary of such a deal is an American company, not an Ontarian or even a Canadian one. 2. Rising electricity and water bills for residents and businesses: Paying higher water and electricity bills will make life more unaffordable for millions of residents and businesses across Ontario. In the U.S., new data centres have already notably increased electricity bills in many cities and small towns. 3. AI data centers contribute to massive increases in GHG emissions, particularly from fossil fuels. Please see Appendix 2 for a draft calculation to reference on the energy intensity and GHG emissions of data centres by Dr. Farhan Samir. 4. AI data centres require massive amounts of water and electricity (particularly from fossil fuels and nuclear), negatively impacting the environment. For instance, “across the globe, Microsoft’s 300 data centres consume more than 125 million litres of water per facility each year. That’s the equivalent of 15,000 Olympic size swimming pools filled with water at each data centre.” Moreover, “by 2030–2035, data centers could account for 20% of global electricity use, putting an immense strain on power grids.” It is crucial to respect nature. There is no economy without clean air, clean water, and a healthy ecosystem. Humans cannot survive without a healthy environment. In other words, we cannot prioritize short-term economic growth over the environment. As stated by Golestan (Sally) Radwan, the Chief Digital Officer of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), “Governments are racing to develop national AI strategies but rarely do they take the environment and sustainability into account. The lack of environmental guardrails is no less dangerous than the lack of other AI-related safeguards.” 5. Local, marginalized communities face disproportionate costs and health impacts: In South Memphis, an overwhelmingly Black neighbourhood has seen a sharp rise in asthma attacks and other respiratory problems since xAI’s data centre began operating there in June 2024. xAI is now facing legal action by the NAACP over air pollution.  6. Excessive E-waste and mineral extraction: Data centres produce large amounts of electronic waste, which often contains hazardous substances like mercury and lead. To explain, “the short lifespan of GPUs and other HPC components results in a growing problem of electronic waste, as obsolete or damaged hardware is frequently discarded. Manufacturing these components requires the extraction of rare earth minerals, a process that depletes natural resources and contributes to environmental degradation.” 7. Lack of transparency: There is a lack of transparency and accountability of AI data centres. To tackle this, there needs to be more opportunities for public engagement and real consultation with climate groups, human rights organizations, and local communities. Throughout the whole process, Indigenous communities must be a partner in the decision-making process and treaty rights must be respected at all times.  8. Uncertainty in the business model of AI data centres: Many data centres have yet to prove that they have a viable business model. Currently, most generative AI services are available for free and it is uncertain whether AI-users would be willing to pay for these services if there was a charge. “The scale of the investment is sparking concerns about a bubble and the potential for a pop that could bring the stock market crashing down from record heights…The money spent this year on AI infrastructure and software has contributed more to GDP growth than consumer spending, according to Renaissance Macro Research's reading of Bureau of Economic Analysis data.” 9. Minimal economic gains for the local community and few new jobs: AI data centres can be expected to create only a handful employment opportunities (sometimes just 10-100 jobs per facility), spurring minimal long-term economic gains to local residents. Many operations jobs for running AI data centres can be done remotely as well, employing workers that are not local, even overseas. We are opposed to economic growth that is not distributed equally and make wealthy tech investors and business owners even wealthier.

We’ve lived in Owen Sound a long time—through good times and bad. COVID hit us hard, and we’re recovering slower than our neighbours. We asked why: we pay some of the highest taxes in Ontario, have some of the lowest household incomes, and the City spends big on HR—yet we’re not seeing progress on the basics: housing with primary care, real mental-health help, a cleaner, more welcoming downtown, and smart economic growth. If we’re hiring people with the right skills, what’s blocking results? When we worked for pay, we performed—or we got a review. It’s time for a public performance check-up and a simple report card. With an election year ahead, there’s still time to meet the next leaders, set clear goals, and expect delivery. Dignity, purpose, a dash of humour—let’s get Owen Sound moving again.

Why this matters Walk downtown on a cold evening and you can feel it: too many dark windows, too few places to warm up, no public washrooms, not enough signs that someone’s looking out for all of us. Even City Hall—beautiful as it is—doesn’t always feel like the welcoming front porch of our town. With winter coming, we don’t need speeches. We need basics you can see. That’s what the Omnibus is about. It’s a simple way to start doing the obvious things together, right away: open public washrooms 24/7, keep 2nd Avenue and our downtown streets and back alleys safe, clean and well-lit, help move attainable homes from planning to move-in-ready, and make it easier to find a doctor and wraparound primary care. Nothing fancy—just the small, steady work that makes a place feel like home. It also means no more “someone will look into it.” By establishing a Community-led Vision 2050 Leadership Team - with shared leadership and decisionmaking, each priority will have a team to take the lead— in addtion to the Mayor, the co-lead may be an expert partner from the Ontario Health Team, Indigenous Health Care Services, SOS, Four Counties Labour Planning Board, Bruce Power, Public Health, YMCA, United Way, O’Share, or another local group.  Priority teams will report every 3–4 months about what worked, what didn't, what changed and what’s next. If something slips, we say so and fix it. You’ll be able to see the whole thing on a simple public report-card page, and you can add ideas or offer a hand. And when your tax bill arrives, you’ll see a plain-language snapshot: what you paid, what you got, and the difference it made— including photos and written in plain language. As for our “unfixable” tough problems—they can be fixed. Not every time. Not for everyone. But more often than not. Because most of us know someone, or have been that someone, who’s had a rough patch—lost a job, savings, family, or a loved one. Too many of them are just kids who grew up here. When life tilted, the support every kid needs just wasn’t there. A city-plus-community partnership lets us line up care, housing, and day-to-day support so fewer people end up in the ER just to stay warm, and so families, seniors, and small businesses can feel proud of downtown again. This isn’t about being loud. It’s about a city being both kind and practical. Keeping the lights on downtown, keeping the streets clean and welcoming, making it easy to find help, and easier to know our neighbours and watch out for each other. Before the snow flies, let’s get the bus rolling.

Across British Columbia, farmers are facing unnecessary barriers because local governments are misclassifying agritourism accommodations. The Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) clearly recognize agritourism as a permitted farm use. Yet, in the Thompson‑Nicola Regional District (TNRD), seasonal, off‑grid farm‑stay units are being misclassified as “single family dwellings.” This misclassification threatens the viability of agritourism businesses, undermines provincial policy, and penalizes farms that are operating in good faith under ALR/ALC guidelines. Agritourism is not just about farm stays — it’s about: • Strengthening rural economies. • Supporting local food systems. • Providing authentic educational and cultural experiences. • Building bridges between farms and communities. When local governments undermine agritourism, they undermine the resilience of farming itself. Join Us We urge the TNRD Board to reject punitive measures and instead work with farmers, chambers, and tourism groups to create policies that support agritourism across the region. 👉 Sign this petition to stand with BC farmers and protect the future of agritourism.

NB Power’s rate hike affects all of us. Families and seniors already struggling with the cost of living will be forced to pay even more just to keep the lights on. Small businesses will see higher bills too, which can mean higher prices for everyone. As a Crown corporation, NB Power should be accountable to the people of New Brunswick — not balancing its books on the backs of households. If we don’t speak up now, these hikes will just keep coming.

Doug Ford and his Conservative government are attacking two pillars of Ontario that impact every single one of us: healthcare and education. • Our healthcare system is being dismantled and privatized, putting profits before patients. This affects all of us — from our aging parents who need long-term care, to our children who need access to doctors, nurses, and emergency services. • Our education system is being cut and underfunded. Every child deserves the right to learn in a classroom with proper supports. Instead, Ford is blaming school boards for “overspending” while his government refuses to provide the funding students actually need. The federal government has done what it can, but healthcare and education are provincial responsibilities. The time is now to stop Doug Ford from privatizing the very systems that were created to give everyone — no matter their income — the chance to be healthy and to learn. We demand that Doug Ford and the Ontario Conservatives: 1. Stop healthcare privatization and invest in publicly funded, publicly delivered healthcare. 2. Fully fund Ontario’s public education system so that students, teachers, and families get the supports they need. This is about our future. Our healthcare and our schools are not for sale.

Doug Ford is defunding colleges at a time we need it the most.  Ontario’s college system is on life support. The culprit? Chronic underfunding and the Ford governments' plans to privatize education. 10,000 faculty and support staff jobs in public colleges have been lost already, and 650+ programs have closed across Ontario's 24 college campuses. If nothing is done, we will see colleges merge or close, erasing opportunities for learners, and dealing devastating blows to local economies - especially in rural and northern parts of the province. With economic uncertainty due to Trump’s tariffs, and high youth unemployment: colleges were built for this very moment. But while provincial grants to colleges go down every year, since 2020 we've seen Doug Ford pump $2.5 billion dollars into the "Skills Development Fund", which has doled out massive amounts of money to subsidize corporate training, which have seemingly low to no educational standards or requirements for reporting, unlike colleges. Colleges provide cycle-breaking education for thousands of Ontarians across the country - offering life changing education in their own communities, critical for retraining, non-traditional learners, or for those who leaving a community is just not financially possible. We cannot stand by as Doug Ford tries to privatize our college system. Sign the petition now to call on Doug Ford to fund Ontario's college system, not corporate subsidies.

For months, the community has contributed ideas, surveys, and feedback to shape Vision 2050. The plan outlines a bold vision for housing, jobs, healthcare, safety, culture, and sustainability. But residents are growing frustrated with delays, reports, and endless meetings. It’s time to act. We believe Owen Sound can and must: • Finalize the plan at the Sept. 24, 2025 full-day working session with council, staff, and community leaders. • Approve the plan at the Oct. 6, 2025 Council meeting, and mandate a new Owen Sound Community Strategic Leadership Action Team to oversee its rollout. • Launch and communicate Vision 2050 at the Oct. 27, 2025 Council meeting, with a clear roadmap, evaluation plan, and public accountability. This three-step path is achievable, because the work is already done: the draft plan is strong, consultations are complete, and Owen Sound has the partners and expertise to succeed.  What’s missing is urgency. As Juha Kaakinen, architect of Finland’s housing strategy, reminded us: “You can’t KPI your way out of a crisis. Sometimes you just have to give a damn.” We urge Owen Sound City Council: Stop the hamster wheel. Stop planning. Start doing. Launch Vision 2050 this fall.

The Burnaby incinerator, located in an urban environment and near neighbourhoods and farms, is a major source of pollution. Touted as waste to energy, it wastes more energy than it recovers.  Burning solid waste, 20% of the material going in comes out as toxic ash and the remaining 80% is released into the air. Emissions include dioxins, furans, heavy metals like arsenic, mercury and lead as well as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, and many more types that can cause cancer, breathing problems and disrupt endocrine systems. These are harmful to human and environmental health and some can accumulate on agricultural land. It is one of the top 25 greenhouse gas emitters in the province. Very expensive to run, it prevents far better solutions like zero waste actions of reducing, reusing, repairing, sharing, composting and recycling from being implemented. As Metro Vancouver  is developing its new solid waste management plan that they will then ask the Ministry to approve, NOW is the time to push back and ask for the incinerator to be shut down.

The Northern Gateway pipeline project will pose significant environmental risks, particularly regarding potential oil spills and increased greenhouse gas emissions. The pipeline would have crossed numerous rivers and streams, potentially harming salmon habitats and other aquatic ecosystems. The increased tanker traffic to transport the oil would have also raised the risk of marine spills and disturbances to coastal environments, including the Great Bear Rainforest.   We want to protect all the watersheds, rivers, streams and wildlife habitats along the proposed pipeline route and salmon, oysters, shrimp, sable fish, etc. in BC's coastal waters. We want future generations to marvel at Orcas, Grey and Humpback whales, Sea Lions, Sea Otters, Sea Bird. We want clean beaches and a pristine Great Bear Rainforest & Sea and Haida Gwaii.