Here are five stories to know today, with the focus first on Cornwall, SDG&A and Akwesasne, then on the push by Ottawa and Ontario to keep a Brampton auto plant open.
Brookdale Avenue resurfacing planned while full rebuild waits years
Cornwall council has approved an application for provincial funding to resurface Brookdale Avenue between Ninth Street West and Fourteenth Street West, work estimated at up to $2.5 million, Cornwall Seaway News reports. The full reconstruction of the corridor is estimated at more than $20 million and has no set schedule; interim infrastructure general manager Emma Vanier said the resurfacing would let the city carry out the long-term plan within five to 10 years. The province’s Connecting Links Program could cover up to 90 per cent of the cost, leaving about $250,000 for the city’s 2028 capital budget, with a decision expected in March 2027 and the work recommended for spring 2028 if approved. That stretch carries about 20,000 vehicles a day, and its pavement condition rating of 50 is well below the city’s standard of 70 for an arterial road. The resurfacing would not replace an aging watermain in that section that has had numerous breaks, so the bigger underground work on this route to the Seaway International Bridge is still ahead. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Cornwall’s 2026–2030 council to be inaugurated November 23
The City of Cornwall says the inauguration of its 2026–2030 council is scheduled for Monday, November 23, at 7 p.m. at the Dev Hotel and Conference Centre. Seats are reserved for the council-elect, dignitaries and their families. Other seats are available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. The City’s notice does not mention a livestream or any need to register. The ceremony marks the formal start of the four-year term, and residents who want to see the new council take office should arrive early. Source: City of Cornwall.
Char-Lan Recreation Centre in Williamstown reopens November 18
The Char-Lan Recreation Centre in Williamstown is scheduled to reopen on November 18 while some construction and finishing work continues, Cornwall Seaway News reports. Crews are still replacing exterior insulation and siding, construction areas remain fenced off, parking is limited, especially on the west side, and the rear of the arena stays closed to the public. Spectator stands and player benches will be available, and some interior work may wait until spring, after the ice season. South Glengarry Township says free Tuesday and Thursday skating sessions, including 55+ Skate, 55+ Shinny and Beginner Skate, resume the week of December 7. Ottawa-based Gallivan Group of Companies was awarded the $1,999,000 renovation contract, and the reopening returns a key winter facility to South Glengarry families and sports groups. Source: Cornwall Seaway News.
Eight people died in SDG road crashes this summer, OPP figures show
Motor vehicle collisions in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry killed eight people from July to September, compared with one in the same period of 2025 and four in 2024, according to SDG OPP statistics reported by Cornwall Seaway News. The year-to-date total as of September 30 was 10 deaths, the same as in each of the two previous years, while total collisions fell to 538 from 634 in 2025 and 771 in 2024. Police list speeding, alcohol and drugs, distracted driving and not wearing seat belts as the main causes of fatal crashes. In a separate case, SDG OPP say a 78-year-old Brockville man died Thursday afternoon after his vehicle left the westbound lanes of Highway 401 near Moulinette Road; the initial investigation suggests a medical emergency, and a postmortem has been ordered. Police ask witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage of that collision to call 1-888-310-1122. Sources: Cornwall Seaway News and Cornwall Seaway News.
Ottawa and Ontario push to stop sale of Brampton Stellantis plant
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says Ottawa has put an “aggressive package to Stellantis to prevent the sale” of its Brampton assembly plant, which the automaker plans to sell to defence contractor Roshel, The Canadian Press reports. Joly said that if the sale goes ahead, Stellantis would owe hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support for retooling its Brampton and Windsor plants for electrified vehicles, and a day earlier she had threatened to sue to recover that money. Stellantis said Thursday it intends to repay only $24 million for the Brampton retooling plan. Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli said support is available if the company can hold off on the sale, and Joly plans to present new scenarios at a meeting with Stellantis global CEO Antonio Filosa. The outcome matters for Ontario’s auto sector and for whether public money committed to it is recovered. Source: The Canadian Press (via CP24).
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