• Province Strengthening Courthouse Security in Northern Ontario

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of the Attorney General
  Date: 2026-10-23 18:33:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Infrastructure, Justice, Public Safety]

  The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General has completed a $5.3 million security upgrade at the North Bay courthouse, featuring a single point of entry, a public screening area, baggage scanner, magnetometer, and optical portal as part of a broader $250 million provincial courthouse security initiative launched in 2018. Additional northern Ontario facility upgrades include a $1 million police monitoring and duress system project at the Gore Bay courthouse, a $19.7 million video surveillance and single-entry expansion at the Sudbury courthouse, and an ongoing $4.3 million security enhancement project at the Sault Ste. Marie courthouse scheduled for completion in spring 2027. Under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, court facility security remains the operational responsibility of local police services or the Ontario Provincial Police.

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• Ontario Strengthening Enforcement Against Illegal Cannabis Retail Operations

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of the Attorney General
  Date: 2026-10-19 16:13:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Justice, Public Safety, Economy, Governance]

  The Ontario government announced proposed legislative changes to grant the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) expanded enforcement authorities against illegal cannabis storefronts and online operations, including the power to conduct inspections, seize illegal products and equipment, and issue administrative monetary penalties. The measures aim to address illegal retailers, who currently account for approximately 30 per cent of cannabis sales in the province, while protecting consumers and supporting the roughly 1,800 authorized cannabis retailers operating legally across Ontario.

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• Ontario Investing to Combat Auto Theft

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of the Solicitor General
  Date: 2026-10-16 17:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Public Safety, Justice]

  Through the 2026-27 Preventing Auto Theft Grant Program, the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General is investing an additional $6 million across 22 police services and Ontario Provincial Police detachments to combat and prevent auto theft. This new funding brings the provincial government's cumulative investment in the program to $24 million since 2023. Individual recipient allocations include $300,000 for the Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police, York Regional Police, and several municipal forces, alongside tailored amounts for detachments such as the Ontario Provincial Police Essex County Detachment ($200,000) and Grenville County Detachment ($187,500). The grants are designed to support targeted police projects aimed at suppressing vehicle thefts across the province.

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• Statement by Minister Quinn on Pausing OSAP Payments to Private Postsecondary Institutions and Restoring Integrity to the OSAP System

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
  Date: 2026-10-06 18:59:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Education, Public Safety, Justice, Governance]

  The Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES) has paused all Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) payments to private postsecondary institutions following preliminary findings from an independent audit by KPMG that identified serious integrity concerns, including links to immigration services firms and unusually high application concentrations. The government issued notices of non-renewal and suspended OSAP eligibility for six campuses in May 2026, referred the matter to the Ontario Provincial Police, and notified the Auditor General. Furthermore, the province intends to introduce legislation to permanently exclude predominantly online programs at private career colleges from OSAP eligibility and is working with financial institutions to arrange low-interest, third-party loans for affected students.

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• Ontario Delivering Results in Fight Against Auto Theft

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of the Solicitor General
  Date: 2026-09-28 14:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Public Safety, Justice]

  The Government of Ontario is investing an additional $6 million through the 2026-2027 Preventing Auto Thefts (PAT) Grant Program to support 22 police projects across the province, bringing total funding to $24 million since 2023. This builds on a prior $51 million investment over the past three years supporting initiatives like the PAT Grant Program, the Provincial Auto Theft and Towing Team, and the Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response Team. According to Équité Association's 2025 auto trend report, vehicle thefts in Ontario dropped 36 percent to 19,319 from a peak of 30,134 in 2023, with an additional 8.4 percent decrease reported in the first half of 2026. Peel Regional Police is receiving $300,000 from this latest funding round to strengthen its Commercial Auto Crime Bureau, contributing to a regional reduction of 10 percent in auto thefts between January 1 and June 30, 2026.

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• Ontario Safer and Vital Communities Grant

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of the Solicitor General
  Date: 2026-08-25 17:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Public Safety, Justice, Social Services]

  The Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General is investing more than $1.7 million through the Safer and Vital Communities Grant over a two-year period to help 18 community-based, not-for-profit organizations protect communities from hate and violence. The funding recipients include Beth Ezekiel Synagogue ($92,806), The Regional Diversity Roundtable ($98,975), Malton Women Council ($75,807), Victim Services Toronto ($101,750), Lanark County Community Justice Program ($85,815), Building Multicultural Communities ($95,113), Reena Inc. ($101,750), STEPS Public Art ($101,230), Victim Services of Waterloo Region ($101,750), New Canadians Centre Peterborough ($100,936), Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto ($96,668), Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration ($100,733), Canadian Mental Health Association - North Bay ($101,750), Community Justice Initiatives of Waterloo Region ($97,754), Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre ($96,525), Family Service Kent ($101,750), Camp Northland ($60,230), and the Jewish Russian Community Centre of Greater Toronto ($97,850). These grants are specifically targeted toward preventing hate-motivated crimes across the province.

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