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After months of persistent snow, deep freezes and Arctic blasts, many Ontarians are feeling the fatigue of a winter that won’t let go.

According to Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell, it’s not just the cold or snowfall totals that stand out, it’s how long it’s all lasted.

“It’s definitely not your imagination,” Farnell said. “It has been a long go across southern Ontario.”

Snow arrived before Christmas across much of southern Ontario, followed by weeks of persistent lake-effect snowfall through January.

That pattern, combined with multiple deep freezes and freezing rain, kept snow on the ground for months, with little opportunity for a sustained thaw.

“We had that spell of lake effect where it was almost just consistent, day after day,” Farnell said. “Then those cold snaps just solidified whatever was out there.”

In cities like Toronto, this winter is now ranking among their snowiest on record, while others, including London, didn’t break records but still felt the strain of a prolonged season.

Toronto was buried under roughly 80 centimetres of snow over just a few days in late January after a powerful system brought record-breaking totals across the region.

Environment Canada reported 61 cm fell in downtown Toronto in a day, which is among the highest totals ever recorded in the core, while 46 cm was measured at Toronto Pearson airport, marking its snowiest day on record.

One of the defining features of this winter was the extent of ice coverage across the Great Lakes.

Lake Erie reached about 97 per cent ice coverage at one point, while ice built up across Lake Huron and Georgian Bay before shifting later in the season.

That ice coverage directly influenced snowfall patterns.

“When ice is there, you don’t have the same lake-effect snow,” Farnell explained.

Despite brief stretches of mild weather earlier in March, Farnell says winter isn’t finished.

“There’s still a lot of Arctic air across Northern Canada, so it doesn’t take much for that to make its way south,” he said.

Despite the calendar turning to spring Friday, Farnell says these circumstances will cause winter conditions to linger on a bit longer.

According to the Weather Network, a system is expected to move through the province in the coming days and will bring heavy snow, icy precipitation and hazardous travel conditions.

The Great Lakes winter storm is expected to slam parts of Ontario with strong winds and potentially bury some communities under as much as 50 centimetres of snow, despite the start of spring being just days away.

“We’re going to be fooled at least two or three more times,” Farnell added, noting that a true spring warm-up likely won’t arrive until May.

Looking ahead, Farnell says this winter doesn’t offer a clear signal for spring or summer, with lake temperatures and ice coverage currently near average.

But for now, Ontarians may need to stay patient as winter lingers a little longer.

Provincial health plans to cover primary care by nurse practitioners: health minister

Provincial and territorial health plans will cover primary care provided by nurse practitioners, pharmacists and midwives starting next year, federal health minister Mark Holland announced on Friday, which those professionals say will allow compensation for more services they're qualified to give. Colin D'Mello explains how it will work in Ontario.

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Ontario will not have a policy in place to publicly fund all medically necessary services from nurse practitioners by April 1, as ordered by the federal government, leaving some patients paying out of pocket for primary care.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones pushed the federal government years ago to close what she called a loophole in the Canada Health Act that allowed some nurse practitioner clinics in the province to charge patients fees for primary care.

The government has done that, clarifying that nurse practitioner services equivalent to what physicians provide are covered by the Act’s requirement that medically necessary services are publicly funded. It has given provinces and territories the April 1 deadline — but Ontario won’t be ready.

“The Ministry of Health is actively reviewing and engaged in ongoing discussions with provincial and territorial partners and the federal government regarding implementation expectations of the federal government’s direction,” spokesperson Ema Popovic wrote in a statement.

Provinces won’t start incurring penalties for non-compliance until April 2027. Critics and nurse practitioners say Ontario should not wait.

“The (federal government’s) letter really underscores the importance of the provincial government’s immediate implementation of a robust, sustainable funding mechanism to support nurse practitioners as key members of health-care workforce,” said Michelle Acorn, CEO of the Nurse Practitioners Association of Ontario. “The lack of easily accessible funding models has historically limited the number of public positions and practice settings for nurse practitioners in Ontario.

“Flexible funding mechanisms will support nurse practitioners in delivering the timely, high-quality, accessible care that Ontarians deserve where and when they need it.”

Nurse practitioners in Ontario can assess patients, order and interpret tests, and prescribe medication and treatment. They work in a variety of settings, including family health teams and community health teams, hospitals and long-term care homes, as well as in more than two dozen publicly funded nurse practitioner-led clinics.

Two years ago, a proliferation of private subscription fee-based nurse practitioner clinics made headlines. Jones responded to opposition and media questions by putting the onus on the federal government to close a “loophole” that allowed them to operate.

“If there is a wedge that is allowing these clinics to happen, then perhaps the member opposite could pick up the phone and call their federal counterparts, because that’s what I’ve been doing,” she said in question period in March 2024.

“I’m making the case that if the Canada Health Act allows these for-profits, then we will be shutting them down with the changes to the Canada Health Act and federal government involvement.”

Ontario Liberal health critic Dr. Adil Shamji said it is “hypocritical” for Jones to now delay the implementation of what she so strongly urged two years ago.

“To me it suggests that it has always been more convenient for this government to allow patients to pay out of pocket than to fund it within our public medicare,” he said.

“We know that exceptional primary care can be delivered by nurse practitioners, and there is no reason that, if they are providing a service that would otherwise be covered if delivered by a physician, there’s no reason that it shouldn’t be covered under our public health-care system as well.”

Nurse practitioner Maryanne Green, along with two nurse practitioner colleagues, operates one of the subscription-based clinics Jones had threatened to shut down.

She applied to run a publicly funded clinic in 2023, when the government put out an expression of interest for new primary care teams, but was turned down. Green decided to open a clinic anyway, given the high need for primary care she saw in her community of Kingston, Ont.

“It’s frustrating,” Green said. “I am not charging because I want to. It’s because this is the only way to move forward.

“From the point where I put that proposal in and recognizing that OK, I’m not going to get funding, the options are to sit back and wait until either I get (Ontario Health Insurance Plan), continue trying for funding, or I move forward with the private business plan.”

Green’s clinic has urgent care services, as well as an annual membership of $1,800 for primary care. She hopes that when Ontario comes out with its plan for funding nurse practitioners, it is at an adequate level.

“I absolutely want public funding, and want to be able to provide patients with hopefully free access to health care,” she said.

“I am concerned that we’re not going to get enough funding to run a clinic like this properly. We know that there’s inherent issues within the existing models where you’ve already heard family physicians complain that they’re not making enough money with the OHIP billing process as it is, that they feel their administrative burden is too high.”

Currently in most settings, nurse practitioners are paid a salary, though rates tend to be higher in hospitals, for example, which can make recruiting and retaining nurse practitioners in existing publicly funded primary care settings challenging, Acorn said.

In addition to seeing better compensation for the nurse practitioner positions that are already publicly funded, the association wants to see flexible funding models, such as those for family doctors, who can bill OHIP on a fee-for-service basis or who are paid per patient enrolled.

NDP primary care critic Dr. Robin Lennox said the government should work to fully integrate nurse practitioners into the primary care system, as it works toward a goal of attaching all Ontarians to primary care by 2029.

“I would like to see enough flexibility in the funding model that our nurse practitioners are able to function as they have been trained, which is as independent primary care providers, particularly in, you know, our rural and remote regions where access to primary care is more limited,” she said.

“This is a really huge opportunity to prevent nurse practitioners from having to enter into essentially a private-payer system just to be able to provide the primary care they’re trained to deliver.”

TORONTO — The Ontario government is proposing a regulatory amendment to the Highway Traffic Act that would allow single-occupant vehicles to use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes during off-peak hours, making better use of existing highway infrastructure to help reduce gridlock and keep drivers moving on provincial highways. Ministry of Transportation modelling shows the change would improve travel times for all users, with average speeds increasing in both HOV and general-purpose lanes across major highways during off-peak hours. If implemented, this change would take place before the end of 2026, following a period of public consultation.

“Gridlock is costing our economy billions of dollars every year and robbing Ontario drivers of valuable time and quality of life,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “By allowing single-occupant vehicles to use HOV lanes during off-peak hours, we would help keep drivers moving across the province, so they can spend less time in traffic and more time with their families and friends.”

HOV lanes are currently restricted to vehicles with two or more occupants, as well as buses, licensed taxis, green-plate vehicles, airport limousines, motorcycles and emergency vehicles. The government is exploring regulatory changes to allow single-occupant vehicles to drive on all existing, planned and future HOV lanes during designated off-peak hours. Existing HOV lane rules would apply outside of off-peak hours, which will be identified through analysis of current traffic data and consultations. These times will not include the busiest weekday morning or evening commute periods. Once finalized later this year, the new off-peak hours will be set out in regulation.

“Expanding the use of HOV lanes would give more drivers the freedom to choose which lanes they use outside of rush hour,” said Hardeep Singh Grewal, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation. “By rethinking our approach to HOV lanes, we’re standing up for drivers and ensuring we get the most out of Ontario’s transportation network.”

Ontario currently has 237 kilometres of HOV lanes, with plans underway to add another 146 kilometres to the network. Expanding the use of HOV lanes would ensure drivers have more choice to reach their destination during off-peak hours.

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Seva Mining Corp. (SEVA:TSX.V) announced the completion of its reverse takeover of Cameron Gold Operations Ltd., through which it has acquired full ownership of the Cameron Gold Project in Ontario, including its stockpile of mineralized material, according to a March 11 release.

Seva structured its CA$27 million acquisition of the Cameron Project through a three-cornered amalgamation, forming a new subsidiary to complete the transaction. Before the merger, Cameron Gold was the sole owner of the Cameron Project; and after the merger, the new company, or "Amalco," now a wholly owned subsidiary of Seva, owns the project.

On March 9, coinciding with these corporate activities, the company rebranded from Oronova Energy Inc. (which had the ticker ONV) to Seva Mining Corp. Trading of the Company's common shares is expected to resume on the TSXV under the ticker symbol "SEVA" on March 18, with Seva classified as a Tier 1 Mining Issuer.

"Seva is a company committed to building social capital in the communities we get to partner alongside, supported by an exceptional team focused on creating shareholder value," Chief Executive Officer Ranj Pillai said.

In conjunction with these developments, Seva granted 12,825,000 incentive stock options to its directors, officers, and consultants on March 9. These options, priced at CA$0.26 per share, are set to vest over 18 months, with an initial 25% vesting immediately and an additional 25% every six months thereafter, expiring on March 9. These options are subject to a resale restriction until July 10, as per TSX Venture Exchange policies.

For further details on the Transaction and the Cameron Project, stakeholders are encouraged to review the Company's Filing Statement dated March 9 and the NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Cameron Property, effective February 26 on SEDAR+.

Details of the Transaction

In the release, the company said 80,000,000 Common Shares issued to First Mining Gold Corp. (Cameron Gold's parent company) as part of the transaction have been placed into escrow. According to the Tier 1 Value Security Escrow Agreement, 25% of these shares will be released following the issuance of the final bulletin by the TSXV concerning the transaction, with the remainder released in three subsequent 25% increments over the next 18 months.

First Mining, which did not own any shares in Seva prior to this transaction, now holds approximately 47.85% of the issued and outstanding common shares. These shares were acquired for investment purposes, and First Mining reserves the right to adjust its holdings based on market conditions or other factors, as detailed in an Early Warning Report available on SEDAR+.

The Cameron Project, located near Sioux Narrows within Treaty Three Territory of the Anishinaabe people, is part of a vibrant gold mining district in Northwestern Ontario. The project boasts a NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource estimate, effective February 26, with significant measured, indicated, and inferred gold resources, supported by extensive drilling. Seva plans a 25,0000-meter drilling program to further explore and develop these resources.

According to the Seva's website, Cameron boasts 515,000 ounces of Measured and Indicated gold and 740,000 ounces of Inferred gold, underpinned by a substantial history of 118,809 meters of drilling. Looking ahead, there is a planned exploration program set to cover an additional 25,000 meters. The project also includes a stockpile with an average grade of 3.5 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au), encompassing a volume of 13,630 cubic meters, which has been thoroughly assessed through 281 samples.

A CA$27 Million Deal

According to a report by Mariaan Webb for Mining Weekly on November 21, 2025, the purchase price for the project was CA$27 million.

The definitive amalgamation agreement includes a payment structure of CA$5 million in cash, 80 million Oronova shares priced at CA$0.25 each, and a contingent cash payment of at least CA$2 million related to the processing of a mineralized stockpile at Cameron.

Upon the deal's closure, with Oronova adopting the new name Seva Mining, First Mining becomes its principal shareholder and is gaining the right to appoint two directors to Seva's board as per an investor rights agreement. First Mining’s CEO, Dan Wilton, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with the Fiore Group, noting their "strong track record of creating shareholder value" and their success in fostering significant partnerships with Indigenous communities in Canada, Webb reported. He highlighted that the transaction will enable the formation of a well-funded, dedicated team to advance the Cameron project, which will benefit local and Indigenous communities.

The Fiore Group is recognized for establishing successful mining ventures like Aris Gold and Endeavour Mining and is spearheaded by notable mining entrepreneurs Frank Giustra and Gordon Keep, the article noted.

The acquisition of Cameron enriches First Mining’s extensive portfolio in Canada, which includes major projects like Springpole and Duparquet, and a 30% stake in the Pickle Crow joint venture. First Mining recently moved closer to operational readiness at Springpole, having submitted its final environmental impact statement in late 2024, with feasibility studies underway.

The Catalysts: War and the Fed

Gold prices stabilized after an initial drop below crucial thresholds on Monday, amidst ongoing tensions in the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran and ahead of a critical Federal Reserve meeting, according to a report by Ambar Warrick for Investing.com on March 16. The anticipation of a potentially stringent stance by the Fed due to persistent inflation influenced the market, causing spot gold to rise slightly by 0.3% to US$5,033.31 an ounce by 10:07 a.m. ET, although gold futures saw a decrease of 0.4% to US$5,040.31/oz after dipping below US$5,000 earlier in the day.

The situation with Iran remains tense following a weekend attack by the U.S. and Israel on a significant Iranian export terminal, which prompted severe threats of retaliation from Tehran. Concurrently, oil prices hovered just over US$100 a barrel, with some earlier gains pared back following President Donald Trump's announcement that negotiations were underway to unblock a crucial maritime route obstructed by Iran, Warrick said. Trump optimistically mentioned that the end of the conflict with Iran could be near, a claim Iran has consistently denied.

Gold's performance has been lackluster since the conflict began, with the usual surge in demand for the metal as a safe haven being eclipsed by concerns over prolonged high interest rates sparked by the war's inflationary impacts. According to ANZ analysts, "Gold has struggled as it is being overshadowed by a stronger U.S. dollar, rising yields and uncertainty surrounding Federal Reserve policy," also noting that forced sales by traders needing to cover margin calls contributed to the metal’s price declines.

However, they also emphasized that gold's fundamental appeal as a refuge amid geopolitical uncertainty remains valid. Despite recent challenges, gold has still managed an approximate 16% increase in value throughout 2026.

According to a March 14 report by Moz Farooque for TheStreet, seasoned strategist Ed Yardeni predicts a bright future for gold, envisioning its price potentially soaring to US$6,000 per ounce by the end of 2026 — a 20% rise from its current levels — and reaching US$10,000 by the decade's end.

Yardeni's optimism isn't driven by the typical concerns over inflation or commodity demand. Instead, he attributes the anticipated surge in gold prices to significant shifts in geopolitics and global financial strategies. In a recent Bloomberg interview, he highlighted the pivotal moment when the U.S. and Europe seized nearly US$300 billion in Russian central bank reserves after Ukraine's invasion, prompting a global reassessment of wealth storage. This event has increased the allure of assets not tied to any government's balance sheet, positioning gold as an increasingly attractive option for diversification. Yardeni noted that although gold is currently consolidating around US$5,000 an ounce, the dynamics propelling its value upward are just beginning to unfold.

Ownership and Share Structure¹

In addition to First Mining's 48%, about 21% of the company is owned by The Fiore Group and about 13% is owned by insiders and management. The rest is retail.

Its market cap is CA$6.34 million with 24.38 million shares outstanding. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.08 and CA$0.39.

Ontario Measure V is on the ballot as an initiative in Ontario on March 24, 2026.

A simple majority is required for the approval of Measure V.

Election results

Text of measure

The ballot title for Measure V is as follows:

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

If you would like to provide campaign information, endorsements, or arguments for this local ballot measure election, please click here to send them to our team.

Opposition

If you would like to provide campaign information, endorsements, or arguments for this local ballot measure election, please click here to send them to our team.

Path to the ballot

This measure was put on the ballot through a successful citizen initiative petition drive.

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