Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on a struggling Eastern Ontario franchise group and a federal benefit payment arriving this week.
Towndale says he raised Good’s missing audit verbally, not as a formal complaint
Court documents from the City’s application on Sarah Good’s 2022 campaign finances show that Mayor Justin Towndale raised the missing auditor’s report with municipal elections lead Denise Labelle-Gelinas on August 21, nomination day. In her affidavit, Labelle-Gelinas wrote that Towndale told her he had the information before that date but had not raised it earlier. Towndale told Cornwall Newswatch he learned of the issue in August after “multiple individuals” brought it to his attention. In a statement published Saturday, he said he never filed a written complaint, only asked the clerk to confirm the facts, and was surprised the City took the matter to Ontario Superior Court; he added that he agrees with the court’s dismissal of the application and wishes Good well. The ruling already keeps Good on the ballot, but these details add context for voters ahead of online voting, which opens October 12. Sources: Cornwall Seaway News, Cornwall Seaway News (Towndale statement) and Cornwall Newswatch.
CAO Tim Mills back at City Hall as former United Way head joins senior team
Tim Mills returned to his job as Cornwall’s chief administrative officer on September 21 after about three months of medical leave, during which Deputy CAO Matthew Stephenson ran the organization. Mayor Justin Towndale welcomed Mills back and credited Stephenson for his work in the interim role. Mills became CAO in February 2025 after earlier serving as CAO in South Dundas and South Glengarry. Separately, Juliette Labossière, former executive director of the United Way of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, started September 8 as the City’s interim general manager of Human Services on a six-month contract, replacing Louis Savard, who returns to his role as director of IT, innovation, digitization and special projects. With Election Day on October 26 and a new council to follow, the changes mean City Hall’s senior administration is back at full strength for the transition. Sources: Cornwall Seaway News and Cornwall Seaway News (Labossière).
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe condemns “smuggling” remarks about Akwesasne in campaign video
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe has issued a formal statement condemning comments by Franklin County Republican chair Jason Ellis in a video posted to the Facebook page of Anthony Constantino, a Republican congressional candidate in New York’s 21st District. In the video, Ellis described tribal land in the area as a route for smuggling. The Tribe said the video “inaccurately portrays Akwesasne and our people,” demanded a public apology and said it would no longer do business with Constantino’s Chevrolet dealership. The video, posted Monday, was taken down by Thursday, and Ellis has since offered a formal apology to the Mohawk people and the Tribe. For Cornwall residents, the episode is a reminder of how border politics on the U.S. side shape perceptions of our closest neighbours, at a time when border security on the river is already a sensitive issue in Akwesasne. Source: NNY360.
Six Tim Hortons in Glengarry and Prescott-Russell caught up in franchisee bankruptcy proceedings
M.G.B. Ventures Inc., which operates six Tim Hortons restaurants in Alexandria, Dunvegan, Hawkesbury, Vankleek Hill and L’Orignal, filed on September 22 under bankruptcy legislation. Company president Paul Burke pointed to a string of pressures, including lost pandemic sales, about $500,000 in wage subsidies it missed out on after opening three stores during COVID-19, withdrawn construction financing for the Vankleek Hill location, labour shortages, higher interest rates and trade tensions. The company owes about $1.6 million to the Canada Revenue Agency, $1 million to Scotiabank and $600,000 to the Business Development Bank. Roughly 156 people work for the company, including 41 temporary foreign workers, and it has until November 9 to submit a restructuring proposal, with plans to sell at least three locations. The case shows how rising costs and trade uncertainty are squeezing even well-known franchises in small eastern Ontario communities. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Next Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit payment arrives Monday
Eligible Canadians will receive a Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit payment on Monday, October 5, the last one of 2026. The tax-free quarterly benefit replaced the GST credit in July and is aimed at low- and modest-income households. Based on 2025 tax-year income, the cut-off is $60,012 for a single person with no children and $64,232 for a couple with no children, with higher limits for families with kids. Quarterly amounts vary, from $111.25 for a low-income single person to $339.50 for a single parent with two children. Starting next year, the CRA plans to file taxes automatically for lower-income people with simple tax situations, which should help more eligible Cornwall and SDG residents receive benefits they are entitled to. Source: Global News.
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