Bluewater Health shouldn’t have been collecting SINs says privacy commissioner report
Petrolia tries to recoup over $140k in taxes and cleanup fees from two lots
June 26, 2015
Petrolia is trying to sell off two pieces of property on the north side of town in a tax sale.
The town is asking for tenders for a residential lot on 202 Eureka Street and 4179 Discovery Line – an industrial lot.
On Eureka Street, the municipality had the home removed under the Building Code last year. Combining the cost of the house demolition and the unpaid taxes means anyone who wants the lot will have to pay at least $82,597.
The industrial lot, adjacent to the Eureka Street lot, underwent a multi day cleanup with a police presence several years ago. The minimum bid on that lot for taxes and cleanup is $63,497.
The town is accepting bids until July 22.
“If we bring in more than what is owing, it goes back to the owner,” says Mayor John McCharles. “In this case it is not going to happen.”
If no one offers the minimum bid, “the town becomes the owner and we’ll put it up for sale” in the hopes of recouping some of the $140,095 owed to the town.
Front Page
Bluewater Health shouldn’t have been collecting SINs says privacy commissioner report
June 18, 2025
Heather Wright/The Independent Bluewater Health had no legal reason to collect Social Insurance Numbers from its patients. That information is contained in a just released report by Francisco Woo, an investigator in the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. Woo’s 35-page report examines whether Bluewater Health, its IT provider TransForm Shared Services and the four other regional hospitals affected
Read More
Front Page
Bluewater Health should have been clear about ‘hostile encryption and its impact’ after cyber attack
June 18, 2025
Information and Privacy Commission report says patient data lock down by hackers ‘overshadows the scale of data’ stolen and sold on the dark web Heather Wright/The Independent Ontario’s Information Privacy Commissioner says Bluewater Health should have notified every single patient whose data was locked down, but not released, that their information was affected during the October 2023 cyber hack .
Read More
Front Page
Conservation foundation closes Greenhill Garden
June 18, 2025
Heather Wright/The Independent Overwhelmed by expenses, lack of workers, theft of equipment and homelessness encampments, the St. Clair Region Conservation Foundation has closed a Wilkesport landmark. Greenhill Gardens – a once privately-owned oasis in rural St. Clair Township – closed Monday. The gardens were cultivated by Joy Robson for years. She and her husband, Bill, allowed people to come and
Read More
Front Page
St. Clair gas power plant plans major expansion
June 17, 2025
Heather Wright/The Independent Invenergy wants to power up the St. Clair Energy Centre across from NOVA Chemicals on Petrolia Line. Officials say they’re planning to build a new turbine at the site, increasing the power generation by about 50 per cent. The provincial government says Ontario will need about 75 per cent more power by 2050 so it’s encouraging more
Read More