From restaurant workers losing their jobs during lockdowns last winter to fighting for transgender rights in schools to the recent death of an OPP officer in Haldimand County, 2022 has been filled with news stories that have deeply affected the community.
CBC Hamilton put together a list of the most-read stories from our region this year, according to reader engagement.
Brantford, Ont., woman discovers 4 sisters after taking Ancestry DNA test
Carlie McMaster of Brantford, Ont., took a DNA test in 2019 and discovered she was conceived through a sperm donation. She later learned her biological relatives include a half-sister in Minnesota who wanted to connect with her.
How a lantern festival in Six Nations, Ont., billed as ‘magical evening’ in Toronto, turned into ‘mayhem’
Dozens of people were outraged after they said they were turned away from a lantern festival in August in Six Nations of the Grand River. The territory said the organizers weren’t allowed to fly lanterns, but the event planners say it was “100 per cent approved.”
Hamilton man was unable to call 911 during Rogers outage as sister was dying
A Hamilton family was in mourning after facing a life-or-death situation in July during the Rogers outage that had the country reeling, and an expert says it’s evidence of the “fragility” of Canada’s networks.
This woman went to hospital with back pain and died. Now her family wants answers from Niagara Health
More than three weeks after the December, 2021 death of 24-year-old Heather Winterstein of St. Catharines, Ont., the family had many questions, including whether she received the right care. Niagara Health said an internal review was underway.
Ontario lockdown means these workers are out of a job — again
Ontario shut down things like theatres, gyms and indoor dining again in January due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. That meant many — like restaurant office manager Amanda Battaglia, restaurant and brewery employee Zara Mohammed and cinema staffer Rob Grady — were out of work.
Ontario couple feels ‘ripped off’ after $42K added to their prefab home’s price
A couple in Jarvis, Ont., was without the new home they wanted to retire in, after they backed out of a prefabricated house deal with a developer who wanted to add tens of thousands of dollars to the contract they signed.
Teenage Head’s Gord Lewis found dead in Hamilton apartment
In August, Hamilton police laid charges after guitarist Gord Lewis of the punk rock band Teenage Head was found dead at his home. Teenage Head was formed in the 1970s and is considered to be a pioneer in Canada’s punk rock scene. In a statement, the band said it was “heartbroken.”
This Ontario restaurant chain owes over $35K in unpaid wages. Workers, vendors now ask: What can be done?
Former staff and vendors of Hogtown Smoke said the business owed thousands of dollars to people for unpaid wages and product. According to data from the Ontario government, the restaurant has a history of not paying staff, raising concerns from the Ministry of Labour and employment lawyers.
Man and woman charged with 1st-degree murder in shooting of OPP officer near Brantford
A 25-year-old man and 30-year-old woman were charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of an Ontario Provincial Police officer near Brantford on Dec. 27. Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala, 28, learned he had just passed probation earlier that day.
Transgender student says teachers keep using wrong pronouns and name, and wants more done about it
A Grade 8 student said Dr. J. E. Davey Elementary School in Hamilton isn’t doing enough to deal with teachers who consistently refer to them by the wrong gender and use their former name: “If I correct them, they kind of go like, ‘Yeah, yeah,’ or brush it off,” Alex said.
