Top 5 most-read breaking news stories in Brampton for 2023

From closures and crime to government policy changes there were more than a few big breaking news stories that came out of Brampton this past year.

Here’s a look at the Insauga.com top 5 most-read breaking news stories in Brampton for 2023:

1. Largest statue of Hindu deity in Canada is being built in Brampton

You may have already caught a glimpse of the towering 55-foot-tall statue outside of the Hindu Sabha Mandir as you’re driving down The Gore Road in Brampton.

The statue is of Hanuman, a Hindu deity appearing in Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and “commander of the monkey army,” according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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And while the sculpture hasn’t been officially unveiled that hasn’t stopped visitors from stopping by to take photos and videos posted on social media.

For good or bad the statue has also been a lightning rod, attracting some negative attention and racist comments online as well as words of support for the Hindu community.

2. Brampton trucker gets 24 tickets in 24 hours

Brampton drivers often get a bad rap, but one trucker from the Flower City made headlines after racking up dozens of charges over two traffic stops in just a few hours.

The incident started just after 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 29 when the OPP said officers pulled over the driver of a commercial motor vehicle on Hwy 11 near Val Cote, some 600 kilometres east of Thunder Bay.

Police say the driver was charged with four offences under the Highway Traffic Act. But just seven hours later, police say they received a complaint about the same driver again.

In total police laid 24 charges against the driver in around 24 hours, including careless driving, failing to maintain a daily log, failing to surrender an inspection schedule, and failing to take 10 hours off in a day.

3. Iconic Apple Factory store closing to make way for condo development in Brampton

It was the end of an era in Brampton as the iconic Apple Factory closed up shop on Dec. 24 after a 44-year run to make way for a new housing development.

Opening in 1979, the Apple Factory Country Grocer was a local institution for residents in Brampton and Halton Hills and attracted visitors from across the GTA to the tourist attraction.

From its roots selling apples, cider and of course their apple pie, the Apple Factory has since expanded to include a larger selection of meat, produce and baked goods, along with British treats, Picard-brand products and Newfoundland cuisine.

Glen Rouge Developments is proposing three high-rise residential towers and six blocks of stacked townhouses on the property.

The proposed development is a part of a larger planned community known as Mount Pleasant Heights, which will include low, medium, and high-density residential developments, an elementary school, community services, parks and a new road network.

4. 700 international students face deportation in enrolment scam

An admissions scandal saw some international students receive fake offers of acceptance without their knowledge and had hundreds of foreign learners at risk of deportation.

Ottawa said many students were unknowingly granted student visas based on fake acceptance letters to Canadian schools by a consulting company in India. Some students had no idea their documents were forged until it came time for them to apply for permanent residency.

A few dozen of the students were ordered to leave the country but those who came to Canada with a genuine intent to study and without knowledge of the use of fraudulent documentation were not sent back.

The federal government has since made significant changes to the international student program, including more than doubling the amount of funds students are required to have before coming to Canada.

5. New $80M manufacturing plant bringing hundreds of jobs to Brampton in move from Mississauga

A massive new $80-million manufacturing plant in Brampton is expected to bring hundreds of jobs to the city as Axium Packaging is moving from Mississauga, relocating its Canadian manufacturing facility and doubling the size of the workforce.

Axium provides design engineering and tool-building solutions for customers’ packaging needs, including, plastic containers, tubes, caps and high-end decorating services. The company’s current Canadian plant is located in Mississauga at 1200 Meyerside Dr.

The city says the manufacturing industry accounts for nearly a quarter of Brampton’s workforce and is the largest industry by employment in Brampton.