Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on a measles alert in Ottawa ahead of the long weekend and a second straight month of national job losses.
Cornwall’s known encampments drop sharply from a year ago
Cornwall’s count of known homeless encampments fell steeply this summer compared with 2025, according to a City report covered by Cornwall Seaway News. In June, staff counted five sites with 10 people, down from 33 sites and 35 people a year earlier, and in July five sites with eight people, compared with 27 sites and 27 people in July 2025. The City says its programs have moved 199 people into permanent or transitional housing since 2023, crediting a housing-first approach, outreach teams and work with police, bylaw, fire and community agencies. Interim General Manager of Human Services Juliette Labossière said Cornwall is “not trending in the same direction” as the province, though the report cautions the results reflect better system management, not reduced need. With colder weather coming, staff are considering another warming centre, with details expected at the next council meeting. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Comments due October 16 on plan to merge three long-term care homes into one in Cornwall
Southbridge Care Homes is seeking a provincial licence for a new 320-bed long-term care home, called Southbridge Cornwall 2, across from its existing home at 800 Nick Kaneb Drive, according to Ontario’s long-term care licensing registry. The plan would move 248 beds from Heartwood in Cornwall (118 beds), The Palace in Alexandria (70) and Pinecrest in Plantagenet (60), add 72 new beds, and close the three older homes once the new one is built. GO FM reports North Glengarry Mayor Jamie MacDonald and Alfred and Plantagenet Mayor Yves Laviolette worry residents would be separated from their families, and notes Pinecrest’s beds are designated for French-language services. The United Steelworkers says about 135 workers it represents at The Palace and Pinecrest could be affected, while Southbridge says final decisions have not been made. The province is still reviewing the proposal and is accepting public comments until October 16, referencing “Southbridge Cornwall 2” and Project #26-017. Sources: Government of Ontario, GO FM and United Steelworkers.
North Glengarry deal to more than double sewage capacity for about 4,000 homes
The Township of North Glengarry and the Ontario government have reached an agreement to expand wastewater work in Alexandria and Maxville, according to a joint announcement published by The Review. The project, already funded through Ontario’s Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, will now also include expanding the Maxville lagoon system and upgrading the main sewage pumping stations in both communities. The township says savings from the Alexandria lagoon expansion tender are paying for the added work, so neither its funding commitment nor the province’s has increased. Once complete, treatment capacity in both villages is expected to more than double, enough to service roughly 3,210 homes in Alexandria and 811 in Maxville. No construction timeline was given, but the added capacity is a key step toward allowing new housing in the eastern part of the Counties. Sources: The Review and GO FM.
Ottawa Public Health flags measles exposure sites after two travel-related cases
Ottawa Public Health has confirmed two measles cases in Ottawa residents who were exposed outside Ontario, CTV News reports. The health unit has listed eight possible exposure sites from October 1 to 3, including Tim Hortons, Subway and McDonald’s locations, grocery stores and a pharmacy, and Ruby’s Restaurant on York Street in the ByWard Market. Anyone who was at those locations at the listed times is asked to watch for symptoms until October 22 to 24, even if vaccinated, and to check their vaccination records. OPH says the risk to the general population remains low. For Cornwall and SDG residents who travel to Ottawa or are gathering with family this Thanksgiving weekend, it is a reminder to confirm MMR vaccination and to contact a health care provider, mentioning the exposure, if symptoms such as fever, cough, red eyes or a rash appear. Sources: CTV News via CP24 and GO FM.
Canada sheds 68,000 jobs in September as unemployment rises to 6.5%
Canada lost 68,000 jobs in September, the second straight monthly decline, and the unemployment rate rose to 6.5 per cent from 6.4 per cent, Statistics Canada reported Friday. According to Global News, full-time and part-time work both fell, with young people aged 15 to 24 losing 48,000 jobs. The biggest drops were in education, down 35,000 jobs, health care and social assistance, down 23,000, and manufacturing, down 13,000. The report is the Bank of Canada’s last look at the labour market before its October 28 rate decision, with its key rate held at 2.25 per cent for about a year. For Cornwall and SDG households and employers, the numbers point to a cooling job market heading into winter, with education, health care and manufacturing among the hardest-hit sectors. Sources: Global News and The Canadian Press via CP24.
About the Author
