Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on the Bank of Canada’s first interest rate increase since 2023.
Official count narrows Good’s win and changes a Catholic trustee seat
The City of Cornwall’s certified election results show Sarah Good won the mayoralty with 7,545 votes, while incumbent Justin Towndale finished second with 4,559, far more than the 2,141 shown on election night. The city says its post-election check found that a manual spreadsheet entry had displayed Towndale’s “Decline to Vote” figure of 199 in place of his 2,671 online votes, which had been counted correctly. North and South Glengarry results were also left out of the election-night tally for the English Catholic school board, and once added, Donna Nielsen (1,181 votes) took the second trustee seat alongside Karen Torrie-Racine (1,763), not Krista Ryan as first reported. The city says the errors did not affect votes cast or the original voting records, and official turnout was 34.16 per cent, with 14,231 of 41,656 eligible electors voting. The Seeker’s October 27 and 28 briefs reported the unofficial figures, including Good’s 65.2 per cent; her official share is 53.9 per cent, according to Cornwall Newswatch. Sources: City of Cornwall, Cornwall Newswatch and Cornwall Seaway News.
Cornwall town hall on Monday to focus on post-secondary education
Cornwall City Council is hosting a public town hall on Monday, November 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Adirondack Room at the Ramada Inn, 805 Brookdale Avenue. The first half of the evening is set aside for residents to speak for up to three minutes each about post-secondary education in Cornwall. In the second half, residents can raise any other municipal issue, again with a three-minute limit. The city strongly encourages people to register in advance through its online form; registered speakers will go first, and the floor will then open to others on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents who only want to listen are welcome, and anyone needing accommodations can note them on the registration form. Source: City of Cornwall.
Cornwall’s Francophone seniors centre marks 35 years
About 150 people attended a gala celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Centre Charles-Émile-Claude, a Francophone seniors centre in Cornwall, according to Cornwall Seaway News. The centre began in 1990–1991, moved into the former La Nativité school at 146B Chevrier Avenue in 1997 and bought the property in 2007. It reported 487 active members in 2025–26, along with 17,550 activity visits across 32 activities and 5,057 volunteer hours from 71 volunteers. The minimum age to join has been lowered from 60 to 50, and activities range from wood carving and stained glass to pickleball, yoga and line dancing. Leaders say they plan a daytime program for participants and their caregivers, a service that could matter to local families supporting older relatives. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Glengarry Memorial Hospital switches to Epic health records system
Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria has launched Epic, a shared electronic health record system used by the 18 organizations of the Atlas Alliance, Cornwall Seaway News reports. Authorized care teams at partner organizations can now securely see a patient’s medications, allergies, previous care and test results. For patients, the MyChart portal replaces Connected Care, and people who already use MyChart at other Atlas Alliance hospitals, such as The Ottawa Hospital and the Winchester, Kemptville and Hawkesbury hospitals, can keep their existing accounts. The last three years of records will move to MyChart, while older records remain available through HGMH’s Health Records department. “When patients need care at different hospitals, their health information should follow them,” said president and CEO Robert Alldred-Hughes, though the hospital warns of possible longer waits while staff adjust. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Bank of Canada raises its key interest rate to 2.5 per cent
The Bank of Canada raised its policy rate by a quarter point to 2.5 per cent on Wednesday, its first increase since July 2023, Reuters and MoneySense report. Governor Tiff Macklem said the move aims to reduce the risk that high energy prices spread into broader inflation, and the bank expects inflation to return to around 2 per cent by mid-2028. Macklem also said a further increase could be needed, but that the bank will proceed carefully. According to MoneySense, lenders’ prime rates are expected to rise by 0.25 points, which would push up payments on variable-rate mortgages and lines of credit for local households and businesses, while fixed-rate mortgages are affected only at renewal or on new loans. The bank’s next rate decision is scheduled for December 9. Sources: Reuters (via BNN Bloomberg) and MoneySense.
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