Polly Ticks

Canada’s fiscal future hangs in the balance with high-stakes budget decisions

Politics /

Uncertainty hangs over Ottawa as Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to unveil his first federal budget, a plan described as generational and defined by tough choices. With Canadians bracing for both bold investments and deep spending cuts, the mood is tense and expectant. After weeks of carefully staged government announcements, the core question remains unaddressed: […]

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Strengthening Ontario’s grid with Barrie at the table

News, Politics /

Grey clouds and icy branches once plunged Barrie into darkness, but today, the city’s influence flickers across Ontario’s energy future as mayor Alex Nuttall joins a provincial drive reshaping how electricity flows to homes and businesses. Alex Nuttall, mayor of Barrie, now stands among energy heavyweights on Ontario’s new Panel for Utility Leadership and Service

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Province steps in to pause Simcoe County boundary decision

News, Politics /

Tension simmered across Simcoe County council chambers this week, as a much-anticipated decision on Barrie’s proposed annexation stalled at the eleventh hour—leaving residents and local leaders bracing for what provincial negotiations might bring. The City of Barrie’s ambitious plan to annex almost 870 hectares from Springwater and Oro-Medonte, first endorsed by city council on October

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City hall break-in uncovers surprising gaps in local media reporting

News /

When the silence of Barrie’s early morning hours was shattered by the crash of glass at city hall, it wasn’t just a physical barrier that broke. What followed—an arrest, a charge, and a swift cleanup—became more than an isolated act. It became an urgent test of how Barrie’s media reports on public safety, and how

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New bylaws reshape Barrie’s response to homelessness

News, Politics /

On a brisk October evening, Barrie council delivered a unanimous verdict: public encampments would face stricter regulation as the city wrestled with a persistent homelessness crisis. The council’s decision updates longstanding bylaws, granting municipal officers greater power to remove tents and shelters from city property. This move arrives as Barrie’s emergency declaration, prompted by mounting

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Canadian products gain ground as Barrie shoppers shift habits

Business, Politics /

Canadian pride now finds daily expression in the choices of Barrie’s shoppers, where the desire to support local businesses has become a defining feature of the city’s economic landscape. Recent findings from an Ipsos poll reveal that a significant number of Canadians continue to favour domestic products, with national sentiment echoing through Barrie’s bustling storefronts.

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Road rules rewritten as speed cameras face ban in Ontario

Politics /

Premier Doug Ford’s declaration to outlaw speed cameras across Ontario has ignited conflict between Queen’s Park and municipal leaders who see the devices as vital to public safety. At a news conference in Vaughan on Thursday, Ford framed automated speed enforcement as little more than a municipal “cash grab.” He rejected the notion that cameras

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Border blues as Canadian visits to U.S. continue downward spiral

Politics /

Canadian travel to the United States has plunged, recording a seventh straight month of decline and flipping long-standing patterns in cross-border tourism. In July 2025, only 2.6 million Canadians returned from visits south of the border, marking a steep 32.4 percent drop from July 2024, according to fresh data from Statistics Canada. It is the

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Ford faces Barrie’s urgent call for homelessness support

Politics /

The air around Milligan’s Pond crackled with unease on Saturday, as Ontario’s premier stepped onto ground that has become a symbol of both crisis and hope for Barrie. The city’s encampments, stretched thin by desperation, now found themselves under the direct gaze of provincial power. Less than two weeks after Barrie declared a state of

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