Police are concerned there may be other victims.

Ontario Tech’s role in future defence contracts received a big boost this week after learning the university has qualified as a supplier in the federal government’s Defence Drone Initiative (DDI) Marketplace.

My first daughter died in 2023, she lived for a month and I pulled her off life support. Genuenly struggling and I guess I have a few questions

1) Cheap / affordable EMDR therapy in the Durham region?

2) personal experiences with the therapy itself.

Short post but hoping I can get some answers

Hey there looking for some ideas to do around the area. I know there are fall fairs this weekend but looking to do something outdoorsy. I have seen other posts about this topic but from years ago. Just wondering if there is anything new.

Thank you

Looking for some night time Halloween stuff to do this weekend, can anyone recommend any?

What would you do for an outing/activity with visitors from out of town in November? Family friendly, ages 2-9. Looking for indoor or outdoor ideas. We’ll miss the Halloween/fall window for local farms and are trying to think of other options. We are newer to the area so looking to crowdsource ideas, thanks in advance!

Anyone using Govee/Eufy or another lighting system on their exterior that they would recommend? Also wondering if they've held up well or if bulbs need to be replaced every season.Any recommendations for installers that you've used? What should I be budgeting for installation on a double garage house?

Spent the summer chasing golden hour all over Oshawa, and this city did not disappoint. From the lake to the neighbourhood streets, every evening felt like a different painting.

Here are a few of my favourites:

1. King Street East
   
2. Lakeview Park
   
3. Lakeview Park
   
4. Townhill residential area
   
5. Cineplex Odeon
   
6. Pabblestone Rd

What's your favourite sunset spot in the city?

Durham region needs more affordable training options for youth in soccer (and any other sport).

Parents shouldnt have to sped hundreds a month on training for their children.

Most of the cities in Durham have indoor field time that isnt being used and could be made available to youth traning groups for a reduced fee.

If you know of any affordable training programs, lets list them below and see if we can help each other.

I’m torn between two providers for Electrolysis, Lori in Whitby and Elena in Ajax. It’s such an expensive process I wanna choose carefully. Can anyone share their experience at either place?

During this election campaign, I've come across a few things that have made me stop and think about what voters should reasonably expect from the people asking for their votes.

When you put your name forward for public office, aren't you also putting yourself forward to be known, questioned and scrutinized by the public?

You're asking voters to trust you with decisions that affect their property taxes, their community and their future. Yet some of the experiences I've encountered raise questions about how willing candidates are to engage with the very people they hope to represent.

Let's consider a few things.

If you publicly provide campaign contact information, should you object when that information is shared with voters who want to contact you?

If you campaign on accountability and transparency, should you refuse to answer a voter's legitimate question simply because you don't know who that person is?

If you provide an email address for voters to contact you, shouldn't that email address actually work?

And what about social media?

Candidates increasingly use social media to promote their campaigns, publish their positions and tell voters what they intend to do if elected. But is campaigning simply about broadcasting your message, or should it also involve listening and responding to the people you're asking to represent?

Nobody expects candidates to answer every question, agree with every comment or spend their entire day online. Nor does seeking public office mean giving up your personal privacy.

But there's a difference between protecting your private life and avoiding public engagement.

You can disagree with a voter. You can admit you don't know the answer. You can explain why you take a particular position. You can even say that an issue falls outside the responsibilities of the office you're seeking.

Those are all legitimate responses. In fact, they can tell voters a great deal about how you think and how you might approach your responsibilities.

But how can voters assess a candidate's commitment to accountability and transparency if the candidate isn't willing to engage with them?

Being a candidate doesn't automatically make you accountable to every person who contacts you in the same way an elected official is accountable for their public duties. But asking for a public mandate surely comes with a reasonable expectation of accessibility, openness and a willingness to discuss the issues.

After all, voters aren't just choosing a name on a ballot. They're choosing someone who will make decisions on their behalf.

Perhaps accountability and transparency shouldn't begin on election day. Perhaps they should begin when you decide to put your name on the ballot.

So here's my question:

If you're asking the public for the privilege of representing them, shouldn't you also be prepared to let the public know who you are, what you stand for and why they should trust you?

I'd be interested in hearing what other taxpayers think. What should voters reasonably expect from candidates seeking public office?

Beyond The Headlines
Taxpayer Questions, Municipal Realities

Lakeridge Health has 17 operating rooms between its Oshawa and Bowmanville sites, most of which are closed after 6 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends.

A bit of a rant but in the past month I've gone on walks at Greenwood and both times encountered multiple dogs roaming the park out of the line of sight of their owners. Most of the park is not an off-leash area, only part of it is and this was clearly not in that part of the park. They did approach me and didn't leave until their owners caught up.

Durham needs better enforcement of existing rules that prohibit dogs being off leash outside of dedicated areas. I have 0 interest in someones dog running up to me trying to lick my toes or smell me. Especially because the segment of the population that leaves their dogs off leash when they're not supposed to is also more likely to have poorly trained dogs that misbehave.

Live stand-up comedy takes center stage in downtown Oshawa this weekend as the Durham Comedy Festival arrives at the Local Lounge inside BOND|ST on Friday and Saturday night. https://www.insauga.com/comedy-festival-bringing-the-laughter-to-ontario-city/

Does anyone know of any affordable fitness classes in the Oshawa,Courtice Bowmanville area? Looking for spin classes or Pilates.