Nicole Brockbank

Reporter, CBC Toronto

Nicole Brockbank is a reporter for CBC Toronto's Enterprise Unit. Fuelled by coffee, she digs up, researches and writes original investigative and feature stories. nicole.brockbank@cbc.ca

Latest from Nicole Brockbank

Why won't Ontario track the reasons why criminal charges are dropped or stayed?

Despite facing significant backlogs from the pandemic and a rising number of stayed and withdrawn charges, Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General has refused to track the reasons behind those outcomes as the province's auditor general recommended five years ago.

Most criminal cases in Ontario now ending before charges are tested at trial

Statistics Canada data reviewed by CBC Toronto shows a dramatic shift in criminal outcomes in Ontario over the last decade. The majority of criminal cases in the province have ended with charges being withdrawn, stayed, dismissed or discharged before a decision at trial since 2020.

No plan for immediate evacuation of Ontarians with disabilities in emergency a year after flagged as 'crisis'

The most recent review of the Ontario government's progress on implementing the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act considered the current state of emergency procedures for people with disabilities an immediate safety threat. But almost a year and a half after receiving the report, the province hasn't updated its emergency protocols. 

Former students sue Ontario company for $108K in tuition for unapproved web developer program

Ten former students are suing a Markham, Ont. company for a collective $108,000 in tuition they paid to what turned out to be a business providing unapproved vocational programs. Ontario's superintendent of career colleges ordered the company to stop advertising and offering the program in July.
CBC Investigates

Time on hold for 911 in Toronto dropped this year, after average of nearly 1 minute wait in 2023

Average wait times on hold for a 911 operator in Toronto went down in the first half of this year after climbing to the longest average wait in at least five years in 2023.

Toronto man charged with threatening Justin Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland on TikTok

A Toronto man has been charged with threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in connection to a TikTok video that was published earlier this week.

Toronto tenants fight rent increase, argue landlord is partially using it to cover redevelopment costs

Tenants in a Toronto apartment complex are fighting an above-guideline increase (AGI) to their rent because nearly half of the expenses that the increase is supposed to cover stem from an environmental assessment of the land generally used to help sell or redevelop property.

Toronto EV driver can't use closest overnight charging station because of permit restrictions

A Toronto-based Uber driver spends nearly half an hour most days walking back and forth between an on-street electric vehicle charging station and his home. John Chen says he could cut that walk down to eight minutes each way if the city allowed him to use a closer charging station in his neighbouring permit parking zone.

Ontario's Crypto King will likely remain bankrupt until after criminal charges are resolved

Ontario’s self-described Crypto King will likely remain bankrupt until criminal fraud and money laundering charges are resolved against the 25-year-old. Justice William Black dismissed Aiden Pleterski’s application for a discharge from his nearly two-year-long bankruptcy in a ruling released Thursday.

Ontario's Crypto King lied about income, has 'no remorse,' trustee's lawyer tells bankruptcy hearing

A lawyer for the trustee in Ontario's self-described Crypto King's bankruptcy proceeding told a Toronto court Wednesday morning that Aiden Pleterski has no remorse for his actions operating a Ponzi scheme and is continuing to cause his investors financial hardship by failing to co-operate with his bankruptcy proceeding.