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Tonight on 'Closer Look': CollingwoodToday reporter Jessica Owen is being recognized for her powerful story about an Ontario woman who struggled to access basic supports after a brutal sexual assault.

In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find.

This new feature — ‘Closer Look’ — is a chance to hear directly from those reporters and editors. These conversations go beyond the headlines, helping viewers better understand how we gather the details that land in your local news feed.

On tonight's episode: Local reporting that makes an impact.

CollingwoodToday reporter Jessica Owen has been named a finalist for a Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) award for human rights reporting.

Owen is being recognized for her powerful reporting about a woman who was sexually assaulted and then struggled to find basic supports, including having to drive more than an hour to the only hospital in Simcoe County that offers a rape kit.

Her work is nominated alongside journalists from APTN, The Toronto Star Investigative Journalism Bureau, Noovo Info and La Presse.

"Jessica's story was an eye-opening account of what some victims of sexual assault go through, not only during the assault, but afterwards if and when they ask for help," said Erika Engel, the editor of CollingwoodToday. "It absolutely is an important human rights story and it's an important local story."

SEE: Lack of support leaves victim of violent rape more 'angry, horrified'

Owen joins us tonight to talk about her nomination, and the challenges she faced in bringing such an important story to light. You can read her award-nominated coverage HERE.

Stay tuned for more episodes of ‘Closer Look’ every weeknight at 7 p.m. ​You can find all our previous segments HERE.

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Tonight on 'Closer Look': In Ontario, pet cremation is a common occurrence — but what happened to this Burlington cat lover is anything but normal.

Like thousands of pet owners in Ontario, Valerie Stevenson chose to cremate her beloved cat "Jewels" when she died 20 years ago. The Burlington woman kept the cat's ashes in a special urn on a dresser.

But recently, when another one of her cats knocked over the container, Stevenson made a shocking discovery: the ashes actually belonged to a dog, not her cat.

Amid the mess, she found a bone-shaped tag with the name "Sparky" — and a follow-up conversation with the company that performed the cremation confirmed the truth.

Unfortunately, the company does not have records dating back two decades ago. So Stevenson is now on a mission to try to find Sparky's owner — and potentially reunite with Jewels' ashes.

SEE: Burlington resident looking for Sparky’s owners after cremation mix-up two decades ago

On tonight's episode of Village Media's 'Closer Look,' Scott Sexsmith speaks to BurlingtonToday reporter Calum O'Malley about Stevenson's ongoing search. You can read his latest coverage HERE.

Stay tuned for more episodes of ‘Closer Look’ every weeknight at 7 p.m. ​You can find all our previous segments HERE.

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Tonight on 'Closer Look': As global travellers steer clear of the United States — and more Ontarians plan to vacation close to home — this could be a super summer for our province's tourism sector.

In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find.

This new feature — ‘Closer Look’ — is a chance to hear directly from those reporters and editors. These conversations go beyond the headlines, helping viewers better understand how we gather the details that land in your local news feed.

On tonight's episode: A Trump-inspired tourism boom?

A report from Time magazine projects that foreign visitors to the U.S. will spend $9 billion less this year than in 2024, while Bloomberg reports that European tourists are now avoiding the United States altogether.

Could this be a golden opportunity for Ontario's tourism sector? It just might.

Some communities are already working hard to market themselves as friendly, must-visit destinations for foreign travellers who might otherwise vacation in the U.S. The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) also projects that more Ontarians will be vacationing closer to home this summer, which the group's president calls "very positive news."

SEE: Ontario tourism using ‘arms open’ approach to attract Americans amid political tension

TorontoToday reporter Alex Flood has been examining the travel trends and joins us tonight with all the details. You can read his latest coverage HERE.

Stay tuned for more episodes of ‘Closer Look’ every weeknight at 7 p.m. ​You can find all our previous segments

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Tonight on 'Closer Look': Newmarket has joined the likes of Barrie and Mississauga in removing all Stars and Stripes from municipal arenas — a strong but symbolic gesture in the face of Trump's tariffs.

In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find.

This new feature — ‘Closer Look’ — is a chance to hear directly from those reporters and editors. These conversations go beyond the headlines, helping viewers better understand how we gather the details that land in your local news feed.

On tonight's episode: Flag flap.

The Town of Newmarket became the latest Ontario community to remove U.S. flags from municipal arenas — a form of protest against President Donald Trump's punishing trade war. Cities like Barrie and Mississauga have already taken down the Stars and Stripes.

Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said the move is ultimately a "symbolic action" and that people are welcome to have differing opinions.

“It feels awkward to even broach the topic,” he said. “But also on the other side of the coin, there’s already a lot of people suffering."

SEE: Newmarket to take 'symbolic action' of removing U.S. flags at arenas

Should other Ontario communities follow suit? Will removing U.S. flags make even the slightest bit of difference?

NewmarketToday reporter Joseph Quigley joins us tonight with his thoughts. You can read his latest coverage HERE.

Stay tuned for more episodes of ‘Closer Look’ every weeknight at 7 p.m. ​You can find all our previous segments HERE.

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Tonight on 'Closer Look': Family and friends delivered emotional victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing for a 26-year-old Ontario man whose drinking and driving caused a deadly crash.

In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find.

This new feature — ‘Closer Look’ — is a chance to hear directly from those reporters and editors. These conversations go beyond the headlines, helping viewers better understand how we gather the details that land in your local news feed.

On tonight's episode: 'A time bomb waiting to explode.'

In Guelph, a drunk driver has been sentenced to six years in prison — and slapped with a 10-year licence ban — after killing a 31-year-old man who "had so much more life to experience.”

Nicholas McGrath, 26, pleaded guilty in connection with a fatal 2023 crash near Hillsburgh, which claimed the life of David Thomas.

SEE: Drunk driver in fatal Hillsburgh crash was 'a time bomb waiting to explode'

“David’s death has completely shattered my life, and left a hole in my heart,” said Karen Thomas, David's mother, during a packed court hearing last week. “This senseless and preventable loss has devastated our family, and inflicted a pain no words can capture.”

GuelphToday reporter Mark Pare was in the courtroom for the sentencing and joins us tonight with all the details. You can read his latest article HERE.

Stay tuned for more episodes of ‘Closer Look’ every weeknight at 7 p.m. ​You can find all our previous segments HERE.

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Tonight on 'Closer Look': Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is jeopardizing longstanding efforts between Canada and the United States to fight invasive sea lampreys.

In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find.

This new feature — ‘Closer Look’ — is a chance to hear directly from those reporters and editors. These conversations go beyond the headlines, helping viewers better understand how we gather the details that land in your local news feed.

On tonight's episode: Elon Musk and the blood-sucking "vampire fish."

For years, Canada and the United States have worked together to fight against a common enemy: sea lampreys in the Great Lakes. An invasive species, the eel-like creatures attach onto other fish, such as lake trout, whitefish and salmon, to suck their blood, feed on their flesh and ultimately kill them.

But our cross-border eradication efforts are now in jeopardy after cuts by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), helmed by Canadian-American billionaire Elon Musk.

SEE: Great Lakes ‘vampire’ fish eradication efforts delayed by DOGE cuts

TorontoToday reporter Gabe Oatley has been covering the story and joins us tonight with all the details. You can read his latest article HERE.

Stay tuned for more episodes of ‘Closer Look’ every weeknight at 7 p.m. ​You can find all our previous segments HERE.

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Tonight on 'Closer Look': Tiny Township in Simcoe County has won a court battle over vacation rental regulations that could have major implications on municipalities across the province.

In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find.

This new feature — ‘Closer Look’ — is a chance to hear directly from those reporters and editors. These conversations go beyond the headlines, helping viewers better understand how we gather the details that land in your local news feed.

On tonight's episode: A court battle over short-term rentals.

In municipalities across Ontario, Airbnbs and other short-term vacation properties have triggered plenty of complaints from neighbours. In response, communities like Tiny Township have enacted bylaws that require short-term rentals (STRs) to be licensed.

In Tiny's case, a group of owners challenged the regulations in court, arguing they essentially ban cottage rentals. A judge disagreed, issuing a ruling that could set a precedent for other cities and towns around the province.

SEE: Tiny mayor 'grateful' after Ontario court upholds STR bylaw

MidlandToday editor Andrew Philips has been covering the story and joins us tonight with all the details. You can read his latest article HERE.

Stay tuned for more episodes of ‘Closer Look’ every weeknight at 7 p.m. ​You can find all our previous segments HERE.

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In this new feature, Village Media journalists break down an important story making headlines around the province. On tonight's episode: How our local reporters chronicled the aftermath of a nasty storm.

Three days after a wicked ice storm rocked parts of central Ontario, tens of thousands of homes and businesses remain without power.

In Simcoe County, which bore the brunt of the epic storm, residents are still coming to terms with the damage left behind.

SEE: Couple staying strong amid ice-storm havoc

In Orillia, where most residents lost power when the storm struck on Saturday night, OrilliaMatters editor Dave Dawson wrote about how the city's "landscape has been scarred forever."

As hydro crews work around the clock to turn the lights back on, our local journalists in the region have been capturing powerful images of the storm's aftermath.

GALLERY: 50 photos show devastation of central Ontario ice storm as cleanup efforts begin

BarrieToday reporter Kevin Lamb, who is among the journalists covering the ongoing story, joins us tonight with all the details. You can read his latest article HERE.

Stay tuned for more episodes of ‘Closer Look’ every weeknight at 7 p.m. ​You can find all our previous segments HERE.

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