Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on the federal budget being tabled this afternoon.
SDG draft housing plan targets 995 new affordable units
SDG has released the first draft of a 10-year housing and homelessness plan, which is now under review by SDG council members and the provincial government, Cornwall Seaway News reports. The draft aims to add 995 affordable units, made up of 538 community housing units and 457 new rental units, and to cut the waitlist by 25 per cent. Other ideas include protecting existing community housing and selling surplus municipal land to not-for-profit housing developers, with the proceeds going to further community housing needs. Consultations found that housing services are concentrated in Cornwall and uneven in rural areas, and that service providers need better coordination and communication. Councillor Carma Williams said members wanted “more concrete content” on what, when and where units would be built. For families on the waitlist across Cornwall and the Counties, the final plan will shape where new affordable housing goes over the next decade. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
U.S. drops appeal in Akwesasne Jay Treaty students case
On September 1, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York struck down a U.S. Department of Education policy requiring Canadian-born Mohawk students to show immigration documents, such as a Green Card, to qualify for federal student aid, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe said at the time. The Tribe had brought the case on behalf of student plaintiffs. According to Cornwall Seaway News, the department appealed on October 29, then filed notice on November 2 that it was voluntarily dropping the appeal, and the court dismissed the appeal on November 3. That leaves the September ruling in place, so the earlier policy, which let these students apply using documents such as band cards or tribal affidavits, remains in effect. For Akwesasne students born on the Canadian side and studying in the U.S., the outcome means continued access to federal student aid. Sources: Cornwall Seaway News and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.
Legion Branch 297 launches Cornwall poppy campaign
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 297 has launched its annual Poppy Campaign with a flag-raising at Cornwall City Hall, attended by Mayor Justin Towndale, Cornwall Seaway News reports. Volunteers are stationed at businesses and grocery stores across the city, and donations go to the Legion’s Poppy Fund, which supports veterans and their families in need. Poppy Chair Heather Judd stressed that poppies are donations, not sales, and that any amount is welcome. New this year, participating branches can accept debit, credit and digital wallet donations through volunteers’ smartphones. The Legion’s Remembrance Day ceremony is set for November 11, and the City of Cornwall plans bus transportation for residents who have trouble getting there, with details to be announced. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Cornwall hires Jeffrey Hughes to help open new Arts and Culture Centre
The City of Cornwall has appointed Jeffrey Hughes as its Arts and Culture Coordinator, The Seeker reported. Hughes, who was raised in Cornwall, will help lead the opening and growth of the city’s new Arts and Culture Centre and strengthen local cultural programming. He served as the city’s Leisure Arts Coordinator from 1997 to 2006, then held education roles with Conseil scolaire Viamonde and the CSDCEO. “Returning to Cornwall feels like coming full circle,” Hughes said. Local artists can submit an expression of interest through the city’s online form or by emailing [email protected], an early chance to get involved in programming at the new centre. Sources: The Seeker and City of Cornwall.
Federal budget to be tabled this afternoon
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is scheduled to table the federal budget in the House of Commons this afternoon, the second under Prime Minister Mark Carney, The Canadian Press reports; The Hub lists the time as 4 p.m. The government says it will ease some tax burdens on small and medium-sized businesses, and the budget is expected to include the productivity “mega deduction” announced in September, estimated to cost $36 billion over five years. It will also carry an update to the federal immigration levels plan. Before new measures, the Parliamentary Budget Officer projects a deficit of $63.3 billion this fiscal year, according to The Hub. With a majority, the Liberals are well placed to pass the budget, and Cornwall-area households and small businesses will be watching for tax and affordability measures. Sources: CP24 (The Canadian Press) and The Hub.
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