Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on Ontario’s student-aid controversy and Wednesday’s Bank of Canada interest rate decision.
Cornwall votes Monday: eight polls open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cornwall’s municipal election wraps up tomorrow, Monday, October 26, with eight polling locations scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the City of Cornwall says. They include Centre Charles-Émile-Claude on Chevrier Avenue, Sacred Heart School on Cumberland Street, Viscount Alexander School on Dover Road and the Public Works administration building on Ontario Street. Anyone voting online needs the web address, Voting PIN and date of birth printed on their Voter Information Letter, and the city warns against searching for the voting site on Google; help on a computer is available at the Cornwall Public Library, open until 8:30 p.m. on Mondays. In-person voters should bring identification, and accepted documents range from an Ontario driver’s licence to a bank statement or utility bill. Cornwall Transit buses and Specialized Transit remain free for trips to the polls, and the voter help line is 613-930-2787, ext. 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sources: City of Cornwall (polls and transit), City of Cornwall (online voting) and City of Cornwall (how to vote).
Over 400 rally for a new French Catholic high school in Cornwall
More than 400 people gathered at École secondaire catholique La Citadelle to press the Ontario government to fund a new French-language Catholic secondary school in Cornwall, according to organizers cited by Cornwall Seaway News. The school was built in 1950, organizers say renovating it would cost about as much as building new, and the Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien has twice been turned down for provincial funding. The rally was organized by Patriotes toujours, a non-partisan movement launched in September, whose president, retired judge Johanne Lafrance-Cardinal, said the group is “not asking for more, and we will not accept less.” She told the outlet that trustees reported productive talks with the province and significant help from local MPP Nolan Quinn, and that officials signalled the door is now open to the project. Organizers worry that aging facilities, including a gym too small to host regional and provincial competitions, could draw bilingual students to newer English-language schools, and another gathering is planned for late November. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Ontario Liberals call on local MPP Nolan Quinn to resign over OSAP handling
Ontario’s Liberals are calling on Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn to resign over the handling of student aid at private career colleges, with interim leader John Fraser saying Quinn “has lost the trust required to oversee our postsecondary education system,” Cornwall Seaway News reports. Quinn announced on October 6 that the province had paused all OSAP payments tied to private postsecondary institutions and referred concerns to the OPP, which was still reviewing the referral and had not decided whether to open a criminal investigation. Liberal critic Tyler Watt cited Canadian Press reporting that Ontario spent $465 million more on student grants in 2024-25 than the year before, with 95 per cent of the increase going to private career college students. NDP critic Peggy Sattler said students who paid tuition in good faith now face uncertainty about their funding. The government says it plans legislation to exclude mostly online private career college programs from OSAP and is discussing low-interest loans for affected students, but has given no date for restoring payments. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Akwesasne winter clothing approval letters ready for pickup starting Tuesday
The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne says approval letters for the ARAP Winter Clothing Initiative can be picked up starting Tuesday, October 27, now that applications have closed. Pickup runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Justice Administration Building, 45 Johnson Road in Kana:takon, on October 27 and 29, and at the ARAP office, 55 Water Street West, Unit 200, in Cornwall on October 28 and 30. Letters must be signed for in person, and anyone sending someone else in their place should notify the program in advance at 613-662-4513 or [email protected]. Shopping begins November 2 in staggered groups, with a new group starting every four days to limit crowding, and ends January 31, 2027, or once the approved amount is spent. Each letter lists the holder’s start date and approved amount and must be brought on every shopping trip. Source: Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.
Most economists now expect a Bank of Canada rate hike on Wednesday
A Reuters poll taken October 21 to 23 found 19 of 34 economists expect the Bank of Canada to raise its key rate by a quarter point to 2.50 per cent on Wednesday, October 28, a sharp shift from the previous poll, when 80 per cent expected a hold through the end of 2026. It would be the bank’s first move in a year, and 16 of 29 respondents expect one more increase before the end of March 2027, which would bring the rate to 2.75 per cent. The change follows September inflation of 3.1 per cent, slightly above the bank’s 1-to-3 per cent target range, and remarks by Governor Tiff Macklem that were read as signalling a hike, according to Reuters. BMO’s Benjamin Reitzes said the bank would “rather make the mistake of hiking a little bit too early.” For Cornwall-area households and businesses with variable-rate mortgages or lines of credit, a hike would mean higher borrowing costs. Source: Reuters (via Investing.com).
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