BD Managing Editor, Author at Barrie's Daily News Magazine

Nationwide reaction as hockey players found not guilty

News, Op-ed / Rant / July 25, 2025

The grounds outside London’s courthouse became a crucible for public sentiment, as supporters gathered in palpable anticipation to address the fallout from the world juniors sexual assault trial—a case that has, for many, come to symbolize the nation’s grappling with justice and credibility. Roughly 100 people assembled beneath the courthouse windows, each holding their own […]

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Ruling Nears as Judge Weighs Turbulent Hockey Trial Evidence

News / July 23, 2025

Seven years after an encounter in a London hotel room set Canada’s hockey culture ablaze, the city of Barrie finds itself at the edge of its seat, awaiting a ruling that will echo far beyond the courtroom walls. Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia is poised to break the silence this week, promising to deliver

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What happens to Ontario jobs when defence spending surges?

Business, Politics / July 17, 2025

Ontario’s manufacturing hubs and tech corridors aren’t just watching federal defence budgets—they’re staking their future on them. With Canada’s government racing to hit NATO’s defence target, the question isn’t if new spending will reach local economies, but how much it can actually change the game for Ontario’s businesses and workers. The push to meet NATO’s

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Canadians Deserve a Smarter, Kinder Public Service

News, Op-ed / Rant / July 12, 2025

It’s not the ticking of clocks in Ottawa’s halls that keeps Canadians up at night, but the slow-moving machinery that costs time, money, and—too often—understanding. For Canada to restore trust in its public service, there’s a pressing need for a Department of Government Efficiency that puts empathy at its heart. Government efficiency isn’t a sterile

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ICE detention leaves Canadian families searching for answers

Health & Safety, News / July 10, 2025

Three months in ICE detention can stretch a family’s hope to a flicker. For the relatives of Montreal’s Paula Callejas, that flicker now dances in the shadow of mounting legal bills, deteriorating mental health, and a border that feels more like a wall than a line on a map. The story begins with ambition. Callejas,

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Cracking Down in Barrie as Illegal Mushroom Shops Disappear

Op-ed / Rant / July 8, 2025

The unremarkable facades along Barrie’s main streets blend into the familiar landscape—until one day, a police cruiser idles at the curb, and the sign on the door quietly flips to ‘closed.’ For months, these mushroom shops operated in full view, their presence so ordinary they seemed invisible. The true risk, it turns out, was hiding

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2011 Innisfil murder: A decade later, echoes remain

News / July 7, 2025

Sirens pierced the calm of an ordinary Innisfil night in 2011, shattering the illusion of small-town safety and carving a wound that would heal slowly, if at all, in the community’s collective memory. When a local man took the life of his former partner, the event marked a grim milestone in Innisfil’s crime history. The

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Seeing eye to eye on the dangers of windshield tint in Barrie

Op-ed / Rant / July 6, 2025

The allure of a tinted windshield appeals to many—privacy, style, a hint of mystery. But when Ontario’s traffic laws meet the realities on the road, seeing eye to eye becomes more than a figure of speech. It’s a matter of public safety, written into law and enforced in communities like Barrie for reasons that reach

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Where Do We Sit When We Can’t Belong in Orillia?

Op-ed / Rant / June 28, 2025

In the early morning, fog clings to the silent streets of Orillia, and where once a row of benches stood, there is now nothing but damp concrete. It is strange how absence can speak so loudly—how the simple removal of a place to sit can echo questions about who is welcome, and who is not.

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Canadians Are Putting Off Dental Visits

News / June 27, 2025

Even in a nation that prides itself on accessible health care, a growing number of Canadians are quietly forgoing dental visits, a trend that speaks volumes about the cracks in our current system. Dental care in Canada has long stood apart from the broader health care conversation. Unlike physician visits or hospital stays, dental checkups

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