Here are your latest Brockville and area headlines:
- The Ontario budget plans to bring in a small surplus of $200 million by 2024 after a $1.3 billion deficit this year. The blueprint still plans to spend on important areas like health care through using revenues to outweigh increased spending in those areas. There is more than $20 billion in highway, hospital and transit works in the budget. MPP Steve Clark calls the budget a “responsible, targeted approach to help people and businesses in Leeds & Grenville” while laying groundwork for the future.
- The amount of crime in Brockville went up by 11 per cent in 2022. There were 2,169 incidents investigated by police compared to 1,952 in 2021. While there was more crime, the overall rate for solving those cases went up by almost 2 per cent (53.9 per cent in 2021, 55.6 per cent in 2022).
- The number of calls for service for the Brockville Police Service rose 7 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year. Of the nearly 15,000 calls, the biggest increases in cases of violent crime were criminal harassment while theft was the largest spike for non-violent crime calls. The police board will discuss the crime statistical report next week.
- Even though it’s spring, Old Man Winter isn’t through with us yet. Environment Canada says a system could bring 5-10 centimeters of snow (2-4 inches) on Saturday and could affect some people’s travel plans.
- The United Counties of Leeds-Grenville is surveying parents over the next three weeks in order to plan licenced child care spaces in the future. The county will use the information to form a five year plan for child care and Early Years service for children up to 12 years old.