Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on an OPP fraud warning for Eastern Ontario and Quebec’s new government next door.
Starbucks on Boundary Road and Maverick’s Donuts close in Cornwall
Two Cornwall food businesses have shut their doors, according to Cornwall Newswatch. The Starbucks at 1400 Boundary Road, on the Cornwall–South Glengarry border, is one of the locations closed in a round of shutdowns the Seattle-based chain announced on September 24, and a Newswatch photo taken October 4 shows the storefront empty. Separately, Maverick’s Donuts, an artisan shop on Sydney Street known for flavours such as Oreo Nirvana and Lemon Ricotta, posted a closure sign on its door on Sunday, October 4, roughly a year after opening. The publicly available part of the report does not say why the donut shop closed. Regular customers of either spot will now need to look elsewhere for their coffee and treats. Sources: Cornwall Newswatch and Cornwall Newswatch (Maverick’s Donuts).
First Hope in Action community gathering set for November 7 in Cornwall
Cornwall residents are invited to the first Hope in Action community gathering, scheduled for Saturday, November 7, starting at 10 a.m. at Centre Charles-Emile Claude. It is being organized by the Unity in Diversity – Equity, Culture and Belonging Community Working Group through the Cornwall Police Service. The City says the goal is to foster inclusion, strengthen community connections and help create safer communities through dialogue, cultural learning and shared action. Residents, community groups, youth and local leaders are all welcome, and young people will play a central role through youth-led discussions, presentations and creative showcases. Farhana Meghji, the equity, culture and belonging specialist for Cornwall Police and the City, said the day is meant to help people learn from one another and find concrete ways to make a difference. Registration is through an online form linked in the City’s announcement. Source: City of Cornwall.
Akwesasne group joins Massena rally against data centre expansion
Opponents of data centre development rallied Saturday at Main Street and State Route 37 in Massena, according to NNY360. Organizer David Fenton, who has spoken against the projects at Massena town board meetings, said the town has ten proposed data centres; he had asked for a three-year moratorium, and a six-month version was voted down 3–2. He pointed to concerns about water and energy use, environmental impacts and few permanent jobs, and claimed the planned expansion at the former Alcoa East site, where Bitcoin miner NYDIG operates, could use 60% of the power produced at the Robert Moses dam. Fenton said he will continue the fight alongside MUSH (Mohawks United In Safety And Health), a group formed by members of the Akwesasne community. Because Massena sits just across the St. Lawrence from Akwesasne and Cornwall, decisions there about power, water and land use reach well beyond the town’s borders. Source: NNY360.
OPP warns Eastern Ontario residents about phone-plan and online classified scams
The OPP’s Integrated Fraud Awareness and Response Unit is warning Eastern Ontario residents and businesses about two new fraud schemes, Cornwall Seaway News reports. In the first, callers pose as cellphone providers offering deals, push victims to log into their accounts and hand over security codes, PINs and ID such as a driver’s licence or SIN, then have a phone shipped to the victim and later ask for it to be sent elsewhere, leaving the victim with the bill. In the second, scammers target people selling heavy equipment, vehicles or recreational items on sites like Facebook Marketplace, posing as out-of-town buyers who won’t view the item, arranging third-party pickup and paying with counterfeit cheques, money orders or drafts. Warning signs include unsolicited offers with pressure to act fast and buyers who refuse to meet in person or pay electronically. Anyone in Cornwall and SDG selling big-ticket items online or fielding unexpected calls should watch for these signs, and suspected fraud can be reported to local police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Parti Québécois to form a minority government in Quebec
Quebec voters on Monday elected a Parti Québécois minority government, CTV News projects, giving the party its first government in more than a decade. PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, now premier-designate, has promised a third referendum on sovereignty in his first term, though not before U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office. Late-night results showed Charles Milliard’s Liberals as the official opposition, with Éric Duhaime’s Conservatives and Québec solidaire also winning seats, while the outgoing Coalition Avenir Québec was shut out and leader Christine Fréchette lost her Trois-Rivières seat. As a minority, the PQ will need support from other parties to pass legislation. For SDG, which borders Quebec, and for Cornwall-area families and businesses with ties across the provincial line, a government committed to another referendum is a development worth watching closely. Sources: CTV News via CP24 and CTV News Montreal.
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