{"data":[{"cache":"2026-10-17 16:36:13","id":1008156,"previous_administration_flag":0,"assets":null,"contacts_custom":null,"contacts_default":null,"contacts":"

Noah Mawji<\/strong>
Minister Lecce\u2019s Office
Noah.Mawji@ontario.ca<\/a><\/p>

Robert Quartarone<\/strong>
Communications Branch
Robert.Quartarone@ontario.ca<\/a><\/p>","content_title":"CANCELLED: Minister Lecce to Hold a Press Conference","clean_title":"CANCELLED: Minister Lecce to Hold a Press Conference","content_subtitle":null,"content_lead":"

Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines, will be joined by Matthew Rae, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, to provide remarks and hold a media availability.<\/p>","content_body":"","default_contacts_included_flag":null,"keywords":"","language":"en","media_assets":null,"lead_ministry":{"id":245,"ministries_timeframes_id":6,"acronym":"MEM","acronym_fr":"MEM","featured_story_boost":100000,"name":"Ministry of Energy and Mines","name_abbreviated":"Energy and Mines","name_fr":"Minist\u00e8re de l'\u00c9nergie et des Mines","name_fr_abbreviated":"\u00c9nergie et Mines","created_at":"2025-03-19T20:28:37.000000Z","deleted_at":null,"updated_at":"2025-03-24T19:49:31.000000Z","pivot":{"release_id":1008156,"ministry_id":245,"lead_ministry_flag":1}},"partner_ministries":[],"ministry_acronym_opposite":"mem","ministry_id":245,"ministry_acronym":"MEM","ministry_name":"Ministry of Energy and Mines","ministry_abbreviated":"Energy and Mines","preview_expires":null,"quickfacts":null,"quotes":[],"regions":[],"release_date_time":"2026-10-17 15:59:00","release_date_time_formatted":"October 17, 2026","release_id_translated":1008156,"release_type_id":2002,"release_type_name":"Media Advisory","release_type_label":"advisory","release_crossreferences_resources":"","release_resources":null,"slug":"cancelled-minister-lecce-to-hold-a-press-conference","slug_translated":"annule-conference-de-presse-du-ministre-lecce","status_type_id":3002,"streams":null,"owners":[],"tags":[],"topics":[],"unformatted_slug":"cancelled_minister_lecce_to_hold_a_press_conference","unformatted_slug_translated":"annule_conference_de_presse_du_ministre_lecce","release_distribution_id":5001,"release_language_distribution":null,"distributed":true,"additional":{"content_notes":"

Notes: Ministry officials will hold a virtual technical briefing via Zoom at 11:30 a.m.<\/p>

A question-and-answer period will follow via Zoom only. All information provided is non-attributable and for background use only.<\/p>

Please register for the technical briefing by emailing Noah.Mawji@ontario.ca<\/span><\/a> by October 19, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. <\/span><\/p>

Accredited media only.<\/p>","content_location":"

Niagara Falls, ON<\/p>","content_date":"

Monday, October 19, 2026<\/p>","content_time":"

Remarks at 12:30 p.m.<\/p>

A media availability will follow.<\/p>","content_livestream_url":"

With English closed captioning \u2015 Government of Ontario YouTube Channel<\/a><\/p>

With French closed captioning \u2015 Cha\u00eene YouTube du gouvernement de l'Ontario<\/a><\/p>","content_epk_url":null,"content_nr_url":null,"content_crossreferences":[],"created_by":null,"content_assets":null,"content_assets_formatted":""}},{"cache":"2026-10-17 16:36:13","id":1008153,"previous_administration_flag":0,"assets":null,"contacts_custom":null,"contacts_default":null,"contacts":"

Media Relations<\/strong>
Communications Branch
media.mcm@ontario.ca<\/a><\/p>","content_title":"Province to Honour Recipients of the 2024 and 2025 Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers","clean_title":"Province to Honour Recipients of the 2024 and 2025 Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers","content_subtitle":null,"content_lead":"

The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario will recognize recipients of the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers.<\/p>","content_body":"","default_contacts_included_flag":null,"keywords":"","language":"en","media_assets":null,"lead_ministry":{"id":240,"ministries_timeframes_id":6,"acronym":"MCM","acronym_fr":"MACM","featured_story_boost":100000,"name":"Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism","name_abbreviated":"Citizenship and Multiculturalism","name_fr":"Minist\u00e8re des Affaires civiques et du Multiculturalisme","name_fr_abbreviated":"Affaires civiques et Multiculturalisme","created_at":"2025-03-19T20:25:45.000000Z","deleted_at":null,"updated_at":"2025-03-20T19:30:35.000000Z","pivot":{"release_id":1008153,"ministry_id":240,"lead_ministry_flag":1}},"partner_ministries":[],"ministry_acronym_opposite":"macm","ministry_id":240,"ministry_acronym":"MCM","ministry_name":"Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism","ministry_abbreviated":"Citizenship and Multiculturalism","preview_expires":null,"quickfacts":null,"quotes":[],"regions":[],"release_date_time":"2026-10-16 15:45:00","release_date_time_formatted":"October 16, 2026","release_id_translated":1008153,"release_type_id":2002,"release_type_name":"Media Advisory","release_type_label":"advisory","release_crossreferences_resources":"","release_resources":null,"slug":"province-to-honour-recipients-of-the-2024-and-2025-ontario-medal-for-young-volunteers","slug_translated":"la-province-honorera-les-recipiendaires-du-medaille-de-lontario-pour-les-jeunes-benevoles-pour-les-annees-2024-et-2025","status_type_id":3002,"streams":null,"owners":[],"tags":[],"topics":[],"unformatted_slug":"province_to_honour_recipients_of_the_2024_and_2025_ontario_medal_for_young_volunteers","unformatted_slug_translated":"la_province_honorera_les_recipiendaires_du_medaille_de_lontario_pour_les_jeunes_benevoles_pour_les_annees_2024_et_2025","release_distribution_id":5001,"release_language_distribution":null,"distributed":true,"additional":{"content_notes":"

Media representatives can register to attend the event by emailing <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>media.mcm@ontario.ca<\/a>. A<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ccredited media only. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>","content_location":"

Toronto<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>","content_date":"

Monday, October 19, 2026 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>","content_time":"

Ceremony begins at 1:00 p.m.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>","content_livestream_url":"

Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers, October 19, 2026 \/ M\u00e9daille de l \u2019Ontario pour les jeunes b\u00e9n\u00e9voles, 19 octobre 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>","content_epk_url":null,"content_nr_url":null,"content_crossreferences":[],"created_by":null,"content_assets":null,"content_assets_formatted":""}},{"cache":"2026-10-17 16:36:13","id":1008155,"previous_administration_flag":0,"assets":null,"contacts_custom":null,"contacts_default":null,"contacts":"

Bianca Giacoboni<\/strong>
Minister's Office
Bianca.Giacoboni@ontario.ca<\/a><\/p>

Media Relations<\/strong>
Communications Branch
Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security
MCURES.media@ontario.ca<\/a><\/p>","content_title":"Ontario Funding More Than 1,300 Additional Seats in Thunder Bay to Prepare Students for In-Demand Careers","clean_title":"Ontario Funding More Than 1,300 Additional Seats in Thunder Bay to Prepare Students for In-Demand Careers","content_subtitle":"Province\u2019s $1.7 billion investment funding more than 70,000 additional seats in STEM, health care, education and trades","content_lead":"

THUNDER BAY <\/strong>\u2014 The Ontario government has invested $15 million to fund 1,312 additional seats at Lakehead University and Confederation College to connect more students to good-paying, in-demand careers. This allocation, which is part of a broader $1.7 billion investment to support a total of 70,000 new seats<\/a>, supports the province\u2019s plan to protect Ontario and build a more competitive economy by continuing to develop a world-class workforce. The high-demand areas that are receiving additional seats at Lakehead University and Confederation College include programs in STEM, health, education, and trades, with seats available for student enrollment as early as the fall 2026 academic year.<\/p>","content_body":"

\u201cAmid global economic uncertainty, our government is taking decisive action to strengthen and protect Ontario\u2019s pipeline of highly skilled workers,\u201d said Lorne Coe, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. \u201cThis seat expansion will ensure that more students can get the world-class education they need to launch good-paying careers while driving Thunder Bay\u2019s and Ontario\u2019s economic growth for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>

This investment is part of the government\u2019s historic $6.4 billion investment in the postsecondary sector, which includes $1.7 billion to fund a total of more than 70,000 additional postsecondary seats in high-demand sectors at publicly assisted colleges and universities. This seat expansion is the largest postsecondary seat expansion in more than a decade and is aimed at helping the province stand up to tariffs and economic uncertainty by building a highly skilled workforce to support the most competitive economy in the G7.<\/p>

\u201cOur province\u2019s greatest strength is our highly skilled workforce \u2013 and those workers are trained at our world-class colleges and universities,\u201d said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. \u201cThis investment is supporting the largest seat expansion in Ontario in more than a decade and will ensure more students have the opportunity to train for good-paying careers that protect and strengthen our communities, industries and province.\u201d<\/p>

The allocation of the first 30,000 seats was announced in May 2026<\/a>, at which time a call for proposals was launched for the remaining 40,000 new seats. Colleges and universities worked with their local communities and industries to identify programs that will prepare students for in-demand jobs and meet regional labour market needs. Ontario evaluated proposals based on institutional capacity, local industry needs and student demand to ensure the greatest impact on workforce development and economic growth.<\/p>

The 1,062 newly funded seats at Lakehead University include:<\/p>