OAKVILLE’S MORNING NEWS SCRAMBLE

New Town temperature check

If you’re into KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), the Town of Oakville has a new tool for you! It has just released Council’s Strategic Plan Dashboard where you can see which objectives are rank as meeting, near target, not meeting, or monitoring. The town’s online engagement and social media following seem in good shape, but it’s keeping an eye on things like the percentage of residents who feel a sense of community belonging or are satisfied with the town’s facilities. You can check out the dashboard here.

Wrong-way driver facing impaired charge after plunging through Gardiner construction site

Mayor Chow’s snow removal review

Mayor Olivia Chow is launching a full review of Toronto’s winter maintenance operations as well as the contracts with private companies after what she admits was a “slow” response to snowstorms this month.

Consumers ain’t feelin’ it – on either side of the border

A report from the Conference Board of Canada says Canadian consumer confidence is at its lowest point in a year.  U.S. consumer confidence also took a tumble this month with its biggest monthly drop since 2021.  Uncertainty over trade wars is seen as driving the decline on both sides of the border.

Mortgages are getting missed in Ontario

Equifax says missed mortgage payments have jumped by 50% in Ontario compared to before the pandemic.  The credit company says Ontario’s delinquency rates far outpace other provinces, underscoring concerns around the financial health of consumers here.

On the provincial campaign trail

🟦 PC Leader Doug Ford spent the day repeating his plans for dealing with U.S. tariffs including slapping a tariff on electricity heading to the U.S.

🟥 Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie says Ford should have eliminated interprovincial trade barriers and worked to diversify the economy a long time ago.

🟧 NDP Leader Marit Stiles spent the day campaigning in London, Cambridge, Waterloo, and Toronto.

Ipsos:  Federal Liberals in the lead

The Ipsos polling company says the federal Liberals now have a two-point lead among decided voters as the party picks its next leader.  This compares to being behind by 26 points six weeks ago.  338 Canada, which looks at polls from several companies, still has the Conservatives ahead by ten points.

Bieber hits back

A spokesperson for Justin Bieber has hit back at false and “harmful” rumours about the star’s health and lifestyle.  Bieber turns 31-years-old this week, and his rep says he’s had a “very transformative” year where he’s ended relationships that no longer serve him.

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KEEP THE CHANGE

Ouch!  25 ways the government hits your wallet

The Financial Post has a list of 25 ways the government gets your money with different taxes and fees, many of which we don’t notice, and you wouldn’t necessarily see as you do your taxes this year.

Funding fido

Money.ca has a piece on preparing for the cost of a pet and its vet bills.  The article says the annual cost of owning a dog in Canada ranges between $660-$4,430 a year, and a cat $1,075-$2,225 a year.  If you don’t have insurance, it’s recommended to set aside $60-$120 a month for potential vet expenses.

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HEALTHY START

The effect on your cells of no sleep

Get a good night’s sleep!  New research finds staying awake for 24 hours can change the behaviour of your immune cells so they end up resembling those found in people with obesity.  The Kuwaiti researchers behind the study say sleep deficiency is becoming a “growing public health challenge”.

Is Ozempic eroding progress on what’s a healthy body image?

Page Six talks to a psychology prof who says that new weight-loss drugs have “definitely changed the narrative” when it comes to positive body images in the entertainment world.  The professor believes society had made a lot of progress dealing with unhealthy body standards, but points to a number of celebrities who have seen significant weight loss after taking the medication as eroding that work.

AND… ANOTHER THING!

Does lip balm work?

It’s been a long, cold, dry winter, and a lot of us pull out a tube of lip balm to soothe our lips at this time of year.  AP looks into whether it works, and finds that for most of us it does help, but for some people ingredients like fragrances, preservatives, and flavours can actually make things worse.  Experts advise watching for ingredients like formaldehyde, lanolin, and oxybenzone as potential triggers.  Fragrance-free, petroleum-based balms are usually the safest bet for people with sensitive lips.

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