CHCH News
Champagne’s first budget targets public service jobs, Trudeau-era programs for cuts
updated
Weeks following the damages caused by a fire starting within the facility has forced the complex to shut down indefinitely, leaving multiple sports programs without a home.
On Sept. 30 a Zamboni inside the building burst into flame, which began to spread and create what witnesses described as “heavy black smoke.”
First responders arrived at around 9:30 a.m. to safely evacuate several workers that were inside at the time.
Inspectors noted that the smoke had filled the building and a “well involved structure fire” was took place on the west side of the complex.
“Given the presence of ammonia for ice making and propane for the Zamboni(s) the alarm was upgraded to a full Hazardous Materials Response,” said Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe after firefighters put out the flames.
Owner of the sports complex Duncan Macintosh says he has begun the clean up of the building as well as assessing the full extent of the damage.
“We’re sort of thinking it’s going to be three quarters on smoke and remediation work, and then a quarter on structural stuff…but it’s going to have a lot of zeroes to it,” said Macintosh.
The owner told CHCH News that he will have a better understanding about the overall damage in about a month, but plans to reopen the complex by next season.
Reports indicate that many home patients aren’t receiving the medical supplies they need, including simple items like bandages.
The provincial government has stated that the current situation is unacceptable. However, late today, the healthcare company that delivers the supplies announced that they are doing everything they can to resolve the issue.
Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch says the problem is widespread across Niagara, extending into Hamilton and beyond, with nurses pleading for help as they try to find unused supplies for their patients.
A spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones told us, “The situation is unacceptable,” and stated that the province’s home care agency has been ordered to “utilize whatever means and resources necessary to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”
Late today, the company that delivers the supplies, Bayshore, issued a statement: “Bayshore deeply regrets the disruptions and distress this situation has caused patients, their families, and frontline healthcare providers. Factors, including unexpected stock issues, have impacted our fulfillment system.”
They added, “We apologize to those impacted and are fully committed to restoring the level of service. Bayshore is taking immediate steps to address these challenges and has increased our driver resources to expedite deliveries for high-priority patients.”
The legislature sits again next week, and MPP Burch says he wants to hear what the health minister has to say. For now, he reports that a nurse told him patients need help and that their hands are tied.
This year’s installment will feature over a hundred films, many of them locally made, across four different venues throughout the city.
The Hamilton Film Festival proudly highlights local talent, with many of the 130 films featured over the next 10 days made in Hamilton.
Festival’s director Nathan Fleet says, “We have 60 movies made in Hamilton or by Hamiltonians. We want to ensure we’re helping to grow the local film community. From script to screen, we want to be part of their presentation.”
The films span several genres and will be shown at the Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre, Playhouse Cinema, The Westdale, and The Staircase Theatre.
The Hamilton Film Festival starts October 18th and runs until October 27th.
In what major advocates are saying is a "historic" proposed deal, companies JTI-Macdonald, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges and Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. agreed to pay nearly $25 billion to provinces and territories.
They have also agreed to pay over $4 billion to Quebec smokers and their families.
The proposed plan of arrangement developed through mediation was filed in court Thursday.
The agreement stems from a Quebec lawsuit involving people who smoked between 1950 and 1998 and got sick or developed an addiction.
The proposed plan says the payments would be made gradually across the country but $6 billion would be paid outright if and when the deal goes through.
Quebec plaintiffs would be eligible for $100,000 each to those who file a claim.
There is also more than $2.5 billion for smokers in other regions diagnosed with lung cancer, throat cancer, or other serious illnesses between March 2015 and March 2019.
The companies sought creditor protection in Ontario in 2019 after losing a ruling in Quebec requiring them to pay nearly $15 billion to nearly 100,000 people in two class-action lawsuits.
Legal proceedings have been put on hold and extended since then as the three companies worked toward a settlement.
A number of health-care groups have been following the process closely including the Canadian Cancer Society, who plans to make submissions as part of the approval process.
The proposal must be approved by creditors and the court before it can be implemented.
She checked out Moon Studio, which offers lash lift and extensions, brow services and manicures. Then she checked out Tundra Leather, a family-owned business that does custom leatherwork and offers classes to those wanting to learn. Her last stop was to Girl on the Wing, a cute shop offering clothing, accessories and gifts that bring nostalgia to people.
While there are plenty of shops to check out, there are also fun events happening downtown as well.
Tomorrow from 11am-5pm is the 3rd Annual Ghostly Block Party, with fun activities for the whole family, and Pop-Up Village Pride: Halloween Edition at Ferguson Station.
Tune in weekdays from 6am to 10am for your daily dose of news, information, and entertainment.
The indictment, dubbed “Operation Giant Slalom,” is part of a joint investigation by the FBI, DEA, RCMP, and OPP. Wedding and his organization are accused of orchestrating brutal murders, including some in our region.
According to the U.S. District Attorney, Wedding ran his drug empire with 34-year-old Andrew Clark, a Canadian citizen living in Mexico.
Clark has been arrested, but Wedding is still on the run, using aliases like “El Jefe,” “Giant,” and “Public Enemy.”
The indictment details how the group trafficked cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California to Canada using semi-trucks.
The operation made billions of dollars, with the organization resorting to violence, including contract killings, to maintain control.
Niagara Police revealed that Wedding, Clark, and 23-year-old Malik Cunningham were accused of the shooting death of Randy Fader in Niagara Falls earlier this year.
The OPP also linked the group to the murder of the Sidhu family in Caledon, which was allegedly in retaliation over stolen drugs. The Sidhus were innocent victims, mistakenly targeted.
12 of the 16 individuals charged have been arrested, while 4, including Wedding, remain at large.
Law enforcement seized over a ton of cocaine, firearms, and cryptocurrency during the investigation.
If convicted, Wedding and his associates face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison for murder and attempted murder charges.
With four ministers announcing they won’t seek re-election, Leslie discusses the potential impact on the Liberal Party and who might step up to fill those cabinet positions.
The trip was intended to bring back pieces to decorate two schools opening over the next two years. The cost? $145,000.
Carlo Fortino, president of the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic Teachers’ Association, said his initial reaction to the trip was that the expense was ‘unnecessary.’
While the trustees involved say they are paying back the travel expenses, the board is looking at other ways to cover the cost of the art and says it is allocating new funds for student needs.
Tassi is currently the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and the member of parliament representing Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas.
She posted an official statement on social media just after 11 a.m. Thursday saying that she will not be running again for personal reasons.
Tassi mentions in her statement how proud she is of the accomplishments that Hamilton has been able to achieve since 2015, listing many projects that “benefit Hamiltonians now and into the future.”
“It’s been the honour of my life to serve Hamiltonians and Canadians,” her statement further reads.
A senior government source confirmed a Radio-Canada report to The Canadian Press that National Revenue Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough and Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal are also expected to step down from cabinet.
The prime minister will need to shuffle the cabinet following the declarations, which won’t happen before all Liberal caucus members are expected to meet on Parliament Hill on Oct. 23.
Trudeau’s leadership has been under fire for months, as his government’s polling numbers have been dropping and his own approval ratings.
A small group of Liberal MPs have even hinted at banding together to demand for the prime minister’s resignation in the near future.
In her social media post, Tassi thanked the prime minister for bringing her along into the party, saying “I wish him the very best now and in the future. I believed in him in 2015 and I believe in him now.”
For the first time since 2017, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will miss the playoffs and will be unable to compete for a championship. So, is the 2024 season a failure? On this Sportsline Square-Off, Hamilton Spectator columnist Scott Radley offered his opinion.
The two discuss her role within the organization that provides health-care services for Niagara's entire population, what is different about Indigenous care versus non-Indigenous care, the recently launched Indigenous Health Services Plan and much more.
On an all-new episode of Newsmakers, Louie Butko is joined by Niagara Health's Manager for Indigenous Health Services and Reconciliation Charity Beland.
The two discuss her role within the organization that provides healthcare services for Niagara's entire population, what is different about Indigenous care vs. non-Indigenous care, the recently launched Indigenous Health Services Plan, and much more.
Catch Hospitality- the group behind Cucci, Por Vida, Plank and more, recently opened Ciao Bella on Augusta Street.
Steve Ruddick visited and tried their chicken parm, their Pistachio Sour, which is just a small sampling of the pizza, pasta. fresh fish and steaks they offer for dinner.
Ciao Bella is open Tuesday-Sunday for dinner, and Thursday and Friday they offer lunch service.
A report released in September outlined options to reduce the number of councillors by half, adding the mayor would then create a council of seven people.
Currently there are 12 councillors and the mayor that make up the council - two councillors for each of the six wards.
The cost of the 13 person city council is over $630,000 when factoring pensions, benefits and health taxes, according to the report.
The September report came after a notice of motion that council passed in April, to explore lowering costs by cutting the council size while maintaining effective governance.
The proposed reduction would save the community over $250,000.
Welland's councillor to citizen ratio is at 4,800 people per councillor and was flagged as an overrepresentation issue at a recent city council meeting.
St. Catharines also has 12 councillors but their population is more than double that of Welland, with a ratio of just over 11,000 people per councillor.
Community members are invited to participate in a survey now available on their website, which can also be found here.
Welland's Director of Legislative Services Tara Stephens said in a media release, "council wants to ensure that any decision made about the composition of City Council reflects the needs and opinions of the community."
The Mayor of Welland Frank Campion told CHCH News that if the council was restructured, that there would not be any job losses but more of a reallocation of resources.
Should the recommendation pass there would be a review of the ward makeup as well.
Any changes would take effect in the 2026 municipal election.
Among the topics discussed in their wide-ranging conversation include his recent feature 'Unclaimed' which dives into the shocking increase in the people who go unclaimed by next of kin after passing away and his new reporting on former 'ISIL Bride' and Hamilton-native Kimberley Polman currently facing terrorism charges in a BC Court. The two also discussed changes in the newspaper business over his time in the industry and how the Spectator has managed to pull through recent challenges.
Our Evening News Director, Chantel Grillo, died suddenly on Oct. 4.
The loss is profound and we deeply appreciate the heroic efforts of those who tried to save her.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Chantel’s family and loved ones. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Chantel’s husband and two children as they learn to navigate life in a new way.
For those of us here at CHCH, Chantel leaves a legacy of professionalism, passion, pride, smiles and laughter.
Her work and creativity is seen by viewers, like you, daily. From the décor on our sets, to camera angles, graphics and so much more. Her dedication to excellence will always inspire us and we are so thankful for the incredible memories.


