Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright and new federal Express Entry rules that matter to local employers.
School board counts on new bus contracts to close $4.6M transportation gap
The Upper Canada District School Board’s chief business officer, Jeremy Hobbs, believes putting school bus contracts out to the open market next year will close a $4.6 million transportation deficit, Cornwall Newswatch reported on October 19. Earlier this month, 88.1 myFM News reported that the projected shortfall under Ontario’s new transportation funding formula had first been pegged at $16 million before efficiencies and provincial standards brought it down to about $4.6 million for the two boards served by Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario, with Upper Canada’s share at roughly $3 million. Hobbs said the boards had reached “the limit of further route cuts and walking-distance changes.” Current operator contracts, which pay thousands of dollars more per route than the formula provides, expire at the end of this fiscal year, and the consortium plans a competitive procurement rather than renegotiating. Officials acknowledged the outcome is uncertain, which matters for Cornwall and SDG families and for local bus operators. Sources: Cornwall Newswatch and 88.1 myFM News.
Cornwall Arts Hall of Fame names nine 2026 inductees
Nine people and groups are set to join the Cornwall Arts Hall of Fame this fall, with a gala dinner scheduled for October 24 at the Best Western Parkway Inn on Vincent Massey Drive, according to Cornwall Seaway News. Katie Burke and Brian Lynch are being honoured in part for leading fundraising for Cornwall’s new Arts and Culture Centre, a trust that grew to about $2.4 million by early 2026, more than double its $1-million goal. Painter Tamia Doll, known for her St. Lawrence River “riverscapes,” will be inducted posthumously, alongside writers Ginette Guy Mayer and David Menard and Franco-Ontarian theatre figure Robert Perron. Three organizations are also being recognized: the Collectif d’artistes de Glengarry Artists’ Collective, the Cornwall Concert Series and the Seaway Winds ensemble. The list reflects arts work in both official languages across Cornwall and Glengarry, and tickets are on sale now. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
North Glengarry explores private partnership to keep long-term care beds in Alexandria
North Glengarry Township is looking at a possible public-private partnership to avoid losing The Palace, Alexandria’s long-term care home, according to Cornwall Seaway News. Southbridge Care Homes has submitted a plan to the Ministry of Long-Term Care for a new 320-bed home at 800 Nick Kaneb Dr. in Cornwall, which would take in 248 beds from Heartwood in Cornwall, Pinecrest in Plantagenet and The Palace’s 70 beds, with all three homes closing once it is built. Mayor Jamie MacDonald said the Alexandria building needs replacing rather than renovating, and that “we need to build new.” He said he planned to meet local private investors to hear a proposal, and that the township is committed to keeping beds in Alexandria; MPP Stéphane Sarrazin is urging the province to extend its consultation period. CTV News Ottawa reported earlier this month that Alexandria residents are pushing back against the plan, which would remove the community’s only long-term care home. Sources: Cornwall Seaway News and CTV News Ottawa.
Four soldiers killed, dozens hurt in fire during training at CFB Wainwright
Four Canadian Armed Forces members died and 39 others were taken to hospital after a fire swept through a live-fire training exercise at CFB Wainwright, Alberta, on Saturday, October 17, according to Global News. The dead were identified as Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aida Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, and as of Sunday afternoon 19 of the injured were in critical condition, many with serious burns. About 350 soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry were training for a deployment to Latvia next spring. Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland said a grass fire about a kilometre away was judged under control before a sudden wind shift drove it to the soldiers within roughly 30 to 60 seconds, and the cause is still under investigation. Prime Minister Mark Carney called it one of the “worst tragedies” for the Armed Forces on Canadian soil in peacetime. Source: Global News.
Express Entry to reward high-wage job offers without an LMIA starting Nov. 3
Starting November 3, Express Entry candidates will get extra ranking points for Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation, such as engineers and electricians, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced on October 16. A labour market impact assessment will no longer be needed for a qualifying job offer to earn those points, or to meet job-offer requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs, though IRCC says it will still check that offers are genuine. An occupation qualifies if its median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce, with eligible fields including health care, skilled trades, engineering, technology and education. Candidates already in the pool will have scores recalculated automatically, but must update their profiles before November 3 to get job-offer points, and invitation rounds will pause for up to two weeks. For Cornwall and SDG employers trying to recruit skilled staff from abroad, the change removes the LMIA requirement from qualifying job offers. Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
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