Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on the U.S. midterm results and what they could mean for Canada’s trade fight.
Cornwall town hall puts post-secondary education in the spotlight
About 100 people filled a meeting room at the Ramada in Cornwall on Monday night for a city town hall on post-secondary education, according to Cornwall Newswatch; The Seeker reported it was standing room only, with an open forum in the second hour. Most members of both the outgoing and incoming councils attended, The Seeker reported. Speakers urged support for St. Lawrence College’s Cornwall campus, more bachelor’s degree programs and more jobs and placements for graduates, and Mayor-elect Sarah Good said she would like to see a nurse practitioner program. SLC President Glenn Vollebregt told the room, “we are not going anywhere,” and said the college trains over 1,000 students a year at its Cornwall campus. During the open forum, residents raised the need for a new La Citadelle high school and homelessness, and city staff are expected to compile a report on what they heard for a future council meeting. Sources: The Seeker and Cornwall Newswatch.
Cornwall Community Hospital pilots online ER arrival times for minor ailments
Cornwall Community Hospital has launched a Minor Ailment Pathway that lets some Emergency Department patients screen themselves online and get a suggested arrival time, The Seeker reported. For now it is open to adults with urinary tract infection symptoms or an extremity injury, and eligible patients are offered a time within 24 hours. The hospital told The Seeker the times are not appointments and waits can still vary, and that no extra staff were added for the program, which aims to spread out arrivals and ease patient flow. People who can’t or don’t want to use the online tool can still come directly to the Emergency Department and will be assessed by urgency. For residents without a family doctor who rely on the ER for minor problems, the pilot could mean less time in the waiting room. Source: The Seeker.
Desjardins gives $30,000 toward a CT scanner for Glengarry Memorial Hospital
Desjardins Ontario Credit Union has contributed $30,000 through its Community Development Fund to the Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Bring It Home campaign, The Seeker reported. The campaign aims to raise $3.5 million by March 31, 2027, to bring an onsite CT scanner to the hospital in Alexandria. As of September 30, the foundation had raised about $2.8 million, or 80 per cent of its goal, leaving roughly $700,000 to go. Patients who need CT scans now travel to hospitals in Cornwall, Hawkesbury or Winchester, and the CT suite is expected to open in October 2027, subject to construction and procurement timelines. For Glengarry families, the scanner would mean fewer trips out of the community for diagnostic imaging. Source: The Seeker.
SDG councillors push back on delegating small incentive grant decisions
SDG Counties council has reviewed a staff report on changes to its Regional Incentives Program, Cornwall Seaway News reports. The updates include a partnership with ACC Futures, a not-for-profit that helps entrepreneurs in SDG, Cornwall and Akwesasne find funding for business ventures. Councillors accepted most of the changes but pushed back on a proposal to give the Director of Planning and Economic Development authority to recommend applicants seeking $5,000 or less directly to Counties Council. Councillors Carma Williams and Steve Densham raised concerns about transparency, and members preferred to keep the committee approval process because of the projects’ community impact. For local entrepreneurs, the discussion signals that councillors want small incentive requests to keep going through the usual committee review. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Democrats win control of U.S. Congress as Canada watches the tariff fight
Democrats have won control of both the House and the Senate in Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, according to The Canadian Press and the Associated Press, as reported by BNN Bloomberg and CTV News. In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson defeated Republican Senator Susan Collins in a race shaped in part by the trade war with Canada, and tariffs were also an issue in Michigan. President Donald Trump said he would work with Democrats but would use his veto power. Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney have said intensive trade talks are underway, and a CTV analyst wrote that the White House now goes into talks with Ottawa in a weakened position. For Cornwall-area businesses and workers tied to cross-border trade, the question now is whether the new Congress changes Washington’s approach to tariffs. Sources: BNN Bloomberg (The Canadian Press) and CTV News live updates.
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